[WARNING: Explicit content, reader discretion is advised] SEYONG

I was sitting in a booth near the bar enjoying a drink, taking a small break from dancing. I was watching a group of guys who were bound to get themselves into trouble at some point tonight.

"You struck out too, huh?" a guy smirked at his friend who was making his way back from the bathrooms.
"You can't strike out if you don't give them a choice. You own me a drink,"
"That's not winning, that's a crime. You forced her into it,"
"I got her, doesn't matter how, I did it so I win. Which means you owe me a drink. If you don't believe me she's still in the bathroom," he smirked smugly.
"It's still wrong,"
"Well go help her then, but I wouldn't suggest it seeing as she seen you with me," his complete disregard to what he'd just done to some poor girl made me sick. I was going to say something when Chaejin same over.
"Hey Seyong, have you seen Eunji?" he frowned, looking around the club.
"No," I shrugged.
"I can't find her,"
"Where did you see her last?"
"She was just here, those guys over there were harassing her, I mean they were seriously irritating but they seemed harmless enough, even so I went to find you or Insoo but when I finally spotted you I couldn't find her. Maybe she left," Chaejin rambled on but his voice became muted as my brain began to piece it all together - Eunji.
"Stay here and watch them, get photos of them if you can and do not let them leave even if you have to get Insoo," I pointed at the group.
"What's wrong?"
"Just watch them,"

I pushed my way through the crowd, my heart pounding in my chest faster than the base in the music. There is no way she's this unlucky, it has to be a coincidence right? She wouldn't let herself get tricked into that, especially after what happened the other night with Ha Min. Not that I would wish it upon another girl, just don't be her.

I checked the men's bathroom first - nothing.

The woman's bathroom was silent, except for the thumping of the music that was pounding through the walls causing the mirrors and windows to rattle - no one out there would be able to hear any noise from in here. I walked past the cubicles knocking and opening the doors slowly in case someone was using them, but they seemed empty. Maybe he was lying? I hope he was lying. I was going to leave when I heard sobbing coming from the disabled cubical. I held my breath as I took slow steps towards the door.

"Eunji?" I knocked, there was a quick inhale.

My body ran cold as I gently pushed the door open. The sight in front of me barely looked like the girl I know. Eunji was slumped in the corner just inside the door, if I couldn't see visible forms of life I would have thought she was dead. She was trying her best to cover her exposed skin with her button down grey and black plaid shirt, the singlet she'd been wearing was torn to the point in which it barely even resembled a shirt, just a ripped rag. Her black stockings were also torn apart her black skirt was no where to be seen, her underwear around her ankles. Her skin was covered in scratches and bruised were already forming.
Both lips were split and the bottom had teeth marks - I'm not sure if they were hers or another mark he'd left on her. Her eyes were already bruising either from a broken nose or the man sized hand print on her left cheek. Blood had trickled down from her nose and lip dripping onto the exposed skin on her chest. Her make up had smudges and been carried down her face by the tears coming from her tightly closed eyes.

I knelt down beside her and reached my hand out to try and cover her with the shirt still hanging from her shoulder.

"Please, no more," she cried cowering away.
"Eunji it's me," I said carefully holding my hands up in front of me as if I were being arrested, she slowly opened her eyes. She stayed quiet for a moment.
"What happened?" it was a stupid question to ask but her response wasn't what I expected.
"He laughed. Why would he do that?" she choked out and started to sob. Any form of calm I was holding onto was replace with a surge of rage - I was going to kill him.

I stood up, I'll show him just how funny it is when he's hunched over bleeding in a corner. Before I could walk back out there, Eunji grabbed my hand as tightly as she could manage, her shirt fell onto her lap exposing her once more, revealing more marks and hand prints on her waist and breasts, and the hand marks around her neck that I hadn't noticed at first glance - they were definitely going to bruise. I just got more angry, I contemplated ignoring the fact she was clinging to my hand and going out there anyway.

I looked down at her and she looked like she wasn't to say something but the words could find their way out. Her eyes were pleading with me, and as much as I wanted to go out there and beat the guy to death, I couldn't leave her.The rage muted as I focused on the task at hand - getting her out of here.

I helped her to her feet,when I couldn't find her skirt, I used her shirt I wrapped it around her waist carefully, trying to cover her bottom half, I took off my denim shirt sliding her arms into the sleeves and buttoning it up. I slid my arm under her legs and behind her back, picking her up bridal style. She inhaled sharply, squeezing my shoulder, clearly in pain. I was more careful with my movements as I carried her out of the bathroom, she clung to me like her life depended on it.

I held her as close to me as I could without causing her more pain, I moved quickly through the club ignoring the frowns from Chaejin and Insoo when they spotted me.

Finally, everything was quiet, the cool nights air greeted us when we reached the parking lot.

"Are you okay?" I asked sitting her in the back of the car. She just stared blankly at the floor, blinking to hold back the tears but they were already streaming from her face.

I reached out to wipe them away but she flinched, moving back away from my touch. Insoo came up behind me, Chaejin following behind him, both of them gasped when they seen her.

"What happened?" Insoo frowned at me.
"I didn't do it," I shot back.
"I didn't say that," he looked a little taken back.
"Are those guys still inside?" Chaejin nodded,
"Stay here with her, don't leave her alone," I stated marching myself back into the club.

I didn't give him a warning, or a chance to lie to me. I clenched my fist walked up to him and threw a punch hitting him on his left cheek. He fell backwards and landed on the floor, I sat on top of him and continued hitting him. I didn't stop when blood covered my knuckles, I just kept swinging, his friends didn't try to stop me, everyone else surrounded us doing nothing but watching the scene in front of them. It wasn't until Insoo pulled me off the now semi-conscious lump of trash that I stopped swinging.

"Not so funny when you're the one being abused is it? Are you satisfied knowing that you've just ruined someone's life?" I lunged at him again.

Insoo tried to pull me off but I snatched my arms away from him and continued with my assault, he tried again and failed.

"Seyong, enough. Eunji needs you, she's asking for you," he tried to reason with me, I paused, the guy just smirked at me, he realised he was covered in blood right?
"Was she your girlfriend? That must suck for you seeing as she basically damaged goods now," he tried to laugh but ended up choking on his own blood.
"She screamed the whole time, it's a shame you couldn't protect her," he smirked.
"Seyong, leave him. Let's go to Eunji," but I was already taking another swing.
"Seyong Stop!" Insoo pulled me from him I tried to get away but he held tightly.
"Eunji is watching you, you need to stop and get her but of here. She need's to go to a hospital, now," Insoo spoke quietly into my ear.

I looked aver at Eunji who was hunched over holding herself, Chaejin behind her. The fear was clear all over her face but it wasn't fear of me, it was more for me. I wanted to give him what he deserved but Insoo was right. I relaxed my body and Insoo cautiously let go of me. I kicked the guy in the side before walking over to Eunji who clung to me the minute I reached her. I tried to help her walk but it was clearly causing her a lot of pain.

"Hold on tight, okay?" she nodded and I picked her up bridal style once more, carrying her out of the club.

***

She stared blankly at the wall as I poured water down her back washing the soap away. Once she was clean, I helped her out of the bath and dressed her. The red marks that covered her body had now turned to bruised, 90% of her face was swollen, and the usual lively colour had been replaced by different shades of black and blue.

I tended to her the best I could, we'd taken her to the hospital but the second someone went to touch her she freaked out, no male doctor could get near her, and there was no female doctor on staff tonight, so a nurse did the rape kit and we were instructed to come back in the morning when a female doctor is in. So we brought her back here and I did what I could, I tried to get her to eat something but she didn't want it - she was like an empty shell. All of her bubble and quirk, all of her life had been drained from her. She hadn't said a word since we'd left the hospital but she refused to let anyone else near her, and if she was left alone she screamed.

Not even Jiyeon could get near her, I think that killed Jiyeon inside, especially because Eunji had no issue with me being near her, in fact her issue was when I wasn't.

"Do you want to go to bed?" I asked, she just shrugged. I sighed and helped her into her bed, pulling the blanket over her. I went to walk away but she grabbed my hand.
"Don't leave me alone, please" her eyes pleaded with me as they slowly formed tears.

I nodded and laid on the bed next to her, till holding her hand she began to sob again,

"I don't want to live anymore," she choked out.

***

I woke up in an empty bed, she'd refused to let me leave her alone, but she didn't want to sleep either. She'd agreed to sleep if I stayed here so she wasn't alone when she woke up. She hadn't fallen asleep until 4:30 this morning. I guess I'd fallen asleep not long after her, I looked at the clock; 5:00 a.m. - half an hour is better than nothing.

I got up to look for her, her side of the bed was cold. A sickening feeling formed in my stomach, I relaxed a little when I noticed the light in her bathroom was on - maybe she had to go? I waited a few moments, when I heard nothing from the other side I knocked but there was no response, maybe she didn't hear? I knocked again a little louder this time, but still nothing - something was wrong.

I pushed the door open, my whole body froze. She was leaning against the bathtub, her head bobbed, her eyes rolled back and forth in and out of her head as she slowly lost consciousness. There was a disposable razor in her right hand, and long gashes down each arm, deep enough for pools of blood to form under her hands, blood still dripping.

I snapped myself back into reality and sprung into action pulling the two white towels from the counter wrapping them as tightly as I could around her arms, I slid behind her crossing her arms over her chest and hugged her tightly trying to stop the bleeding. I had to loosen my grip slightly when I pulled my phone from my back pocket and rang the ambulance.


Her head dropped back onto my shoulder, her eyes closed as she slid into an unconscious state.

"Come on Eunji, stay with me. They're on their way, just hold on a little longer," I dropped my phone and hugged her as tight as I could.
"Eunji? Wake up, come on. Open your eyes," there was no response, I rocked slightly as adrenaline rushed through my body.
"Please Eunji, please open your eyes, for me? Please," I pleaded as I clung to her.

The ambulance didn't take long. they tried to stop me from going with her but I wasn't letting go of her, not again. They gave up when they realised it was useless.

***

We sat in the waiting room. I stared down at my hands, they were still covered in her blood, my white shirt stuck to me in the places her blood had soaked in. It had dried a while ago. I still wasn't sure how long we'd been here but the sun had completely risen.

Jiyeon paced back and forth, Insoo tried to comfort her but she wouldn't let anyone near her let alone touch her. She finally stopped dead in her tracks when the operating doors opened and the surgeon walked out with a grim expression.

"We did everything we could, but she lost too much blood, I'm sorry," it took a few minutes for it all to sink in she was gone. How could she be gone? This time yesterday she was laughing and joking around with everyone, and now she was just gone?
"You were suppose to look after her, you should have saved her. Why did you let her die?" Jiyeon yelled, she started out angry but by the time she finished talking it was barely a whisper. She began so sob losing her footing, her knees gave out and she stumbled backwards. Insoo caught her before she fell and they both sunk to the ground.

Insoo watched me as he held onto a sobbing Jiyeon who didn't even noticed him there. It was like he was writing for me to cry too, to breakdown. Tears started to form in his eyes, some had already escaped.

My eyes shot open as I woke up in cold sweats, my heart still racing. I stared at the ceiling for a few seconds while my brain registered it was just a dream.

I didn't have time to calm myself down before paranoia hit me and I flung the covers back making my way to her room, quietly opening the door, I watched her for a few moments while she slept peacefully in her bed, curled up on her side.

See, just a dream. She's safe. She's fine. Worry settled but anger still ran through me - Why would I dream that? What is wrong with me?

Somehow my internal monologue just pissed me off more. I checked the time; 4:30am. I was going to go back to bed, but I didn't want to risk re-dreaming that, or dreaming something worse.

I pulled my blanket from my bed and dragged it behind me down the stairs to he lounge room. I curled up on the lounge and started flicking through channels.

***

"Good morning," Insoo beamed sat down next to him, Jiyeon turned towards the kitchen and started boiling the kettle

It was about 10:30 now, everyone in the house had woken up about an hour ago. I kept getting up and checking on Eunji through the night every time I started falling asleep, just to make sure she was still okay, that it was just a dream, even though I'd already checked she was okay.


"Morning," she mumble, she was completely fine - still I worried that I was dreaming being awake and she was laying broken in some dirty club toilet.

Notes