Scent Of a Man | HyunSung

Chapter 9

Jisung's POV
11 October 2028
Seoul, Korea

I woke up to the sound of my dad yelling at our buttler. I stood up and grabbed my phone to see the time. Too early. It was five in the morning and he was yelling? I got up and walked downstairs with my blanket wrapped around my body as if I was a burrito. Actually, I wanted to be in bed, warm and safe, but I hated when he was doing this, so he needed to stop.

"Dad, what the hell?" I asked as I saw him standing in front of the lady. I gulped.

"Jisung! Language!" He yelled at me for cursing and I sighed tired from his stupidity. He was yelling at five in the morning, waking me up and he wanted me to watch my language?

"Why are you yelling at her?" I asked and he rolled his eyes. "Dad, it's five in the morning, I want to sleep."

"I'm sorry, Jisung... I didn't tell her to make something for breakfast and she didn't make it..." He explained and looked at my bare feet. "Aren't you cold?"

"Yes. I'm very cold, but I want to sleep!" I sighed and started walking back to my room.

"I'm sorry, son!" He said after me. I waved at him, going upstairs, and coming back to my warm bed. As I was shivering from the cold there, I decided to see what was new with the socials. Felix had been texting me and texting me.

Lix: I mean... Lino's in love with you, you know it.

Lix: Don't break him like that.

Lix: Will you tell me who the guy is?

Lix: Probably the guy from the cafe?

Lix: If yes... I'm concerned about it. He looks powerful, or at least that's what I think about him after you told me some things.

Lix: Maybe he's just nice?

Lix: But I don't want you to be involved with something... Dangerous?

Lix: Anyways, please don't make Lino that much jealous..... he's driving me crazy!

Lix: But that guy... Why would he want to go out with a high schooler?

I rolled my eyes but kept reading.

Lix: One day he's going to take you from school and everyone will want to know you just because you're dating that handsome adult man...

Lix: Anyways, you're sleeping because you're not even reading the messages.

Lix: See you tomorrow, Jisung!

I left my phone and went to sleep. I closed my eyes, thinking about how I will leave this city and I will wave at my parents on my way to the plane to Italy.

Today at school I just couldn't stand it the whole day. Felix kept on asking and asking. He wanted to know. He needed to know. He didn't want to let me live my life in peace.

"Why would you ask me about him? Are you interested? Do you want to go out with him instead of me? I don't want a relationship, he doesn't want to just have sex with me, he wants to date me..." This was part of the things that I kept on repeating to him. I didn't know what else to say, but entering the cafe, I saw Jay making a cup of americano. I waved at her, greeted her, and went to get dressed. I was so tired it was fucking tiring to deal with your friends.

But where was Mila? She was supposed to be here. She didn't tell me anything.

"FUCK!" I heard someone yelling. "GODDAMNIT!" the person yelled again. The voice... It was so familiar.

"Mila?"

"Jisung?" She asked and stopped doing whatever she did. It was quiet. "I can explain."

That was the moment that I realized that it started to happen again. Mila didn't have the perfect life. Her dad used to rape her, so she ran away. Then her mom found her and now Mila was living with her mom. But it was that time of the year when she was so weak. I gulped.

"Are you doing it?"

"What?" she asked me. I wanted to tell her that I did know very well. But at this moment this didn't happen. I scratched my head, thinking about it.

"Mila, I know you do it. I know that..." I started but very soon I stopped. Whatever I was about to tell her, she wouldn't even hear me.

"Jisung, he..." She started crying. I sat down at the door she was behind and hugged my knees. "Came..." She whispered. "Back." She finally cried out and started crying. I didn't say a word. Anything I was about to say wouldn't be a reason for her to stop crying. Nothing at this time could make her feel better. And I knew it because at some point I knew how it felt to be down. I remembered her.

Cold was making my body unconscious. Even colder wind was making me shiver harder. I kept on looking at her. My little sister. I kept on looking at the people trying to take her out of the snow. I turned to see mom and dad, cuddled and crying. I knew... They knew... We all knew... My sister was already gone. I breathed in and out and came closer. A few men told me that I needed to stay away. I didn't want to.

"She's my... Sister." I cried and then they finally let me come closer. I sat down in the cold snow, wearing only jeans. I shivered, but my shaking hand wanted to go closer to my sister. I touched her face and felt so bad. I gulped, leaving the tears to stream down my face. I wanted to be there with her. I wanted to be next to her when she was going to be a young and beautiful lady. I wanted to be her bigger brother.

Images from that time couldn't just leave me to live my life in peace. I didn't know how to talk about it, I didn't know what to say. Every single time someone had asked me about what had happened, I only remembered her. Blue. Cold. Pale. Dead.

But I had no excuse to let Mila down today. I tried to forget. I tried to close my eyes and leave the memories behind. I tried. I tried and tried because I wanted to help her.

The whole day I kept on saying to her that her dad wasn't going to be able to touch her. A lie. I was telling her how powerful she was. Another lie. But isn't this what therapists do? Lie to us, so that we can finally believe them?

In the end, I was just finishing work and I was simply putting everything in place when I heard my phone ringing. I thought it was Lino, asking me for the game that we were about to play just after I got home, but instead, I saw my mom's picture on my screen and smiled brightly, taking my keys and going to the door.

"Hello, Mama!" I answered the phone and hearing her voice I smiled. She asked me how I was doing and I lied to her that I was completely fine. What else could I say? That I'm going out with an older guy so he could leave me? Or that I had the same flashback again? Oh, maybe I should tell her how I cursed today in front of my dad because I was sleepy and he was interrupting my sweet sleep. No way! None of this would make her happy, so I stuck to the simple.

"How are you, my little boy?" She asked me and I rolled my eyes at hearing how she called me.

"I'm fine, Mom!" But this, I assume, wasn't enough for her.

"Are you cold? Do you need something? I can..." I didn't want to interrupt her, but I had to. If I didn't interrupt her, she would keep asking me things I already answered, "just to be sure", you know.

"I'm good, don't worry!" I said and rolled my eyes. She started talking about something else, but I wasn't ready to listen about it either.

"Baby, I spoke with your therapist. She told me that nothing is happening, but you should keep going. Also, don't be late for tomorrow's therapy." She said and I rolled my eyes walking down the alley.

"I'm not going to be late for the therapy, mom!" I said and rolled my eyes.

"Promise?" She asked.

"Yes, I promise." I sighed and smiled. "I will be there on time." But just after saying this, I looked up and saw a luxurious car. Then, right next to the car, there was a tall blonde guy and after I made another step forward I was sure that this was Hyunjin. Is he really doing it today? We've just spoken about it last night and he...

"Jisung, are you here?" My mom asked me. I hadn't even listened to her. I just stood there shocked and confused.