Withered (Michaeng) ✔️

Chapter 39: Punished

The moon takes his place to illuminate the darkness guiding them through the night and silence surrounds them like stars in a freckled night sky.

Both laying on each side of the bed, he's on left, while she's on the right separated by Snowball in the middle of them and now Chaeyoung regret to actually buys it in the first place.

He has his left hand rest on his stomach, glancing towards his side once in a while. Though he can't see her because of the stuffed toys, knowing that she is on the other side makes him happy. No one has spoken a word, but enjoyed the warmth of companionship incessantly as they lay on their backs.

"Aren't you curious?" Mina whisper but loud enough for him to hear her. She still contemplating to jump into the topic, realizing that it will lead to a stressful conversation.

Chaeyoung smile and turns his head facing the ceiling "I am..but I don't want to push it, I'm just waiting for you to start"

Mina sigh and turns over towards him, she pulls her hand, bringing it up to the teddy bear's belly. "I'm cold," She says, opening her palm. The cub smile exposing his dimple then follows her position. He reaches for her hand and grasps it warmly, fingers are tangle with each other.

And just like that, they fall back into silence. Mina plays with their hands squeezing, tapping and pinch his finger earning a soft chuckle from him. When she finds the right time, she grabs his wrist and lightly brushing her thumb on the back of his hand. It is a stab of panic to him, startled, Chaeyoung tries to pull away but Mina's grab tighten.

"Where did you get this from? What happened?"

He closes his eyes, after all his fears come into reality. He never expected that there will be a time where they'll talk about it or even thought of her finding it out. It takes painfully some time for him to form something or create an excuse to avoid whatever the conversation will lead to.

"It's...I--"

"Don't lie to me, please" Mina cut off, hoping that he'll be honest. For her, there are no such things as a secret, personal lives or space between them. They always open up and rely on each other, but that's before everything changed and now it feels like he becomes distant, unfamiliar.

She just wanted to gain a better understanding of him but his reply shatter all of her expectation.

"Can we not talk about it?"

She takes a moment to process his words since she's convinced that he'll tell her and finally they will talk freely and share a deep conversation but no, it's the opposite. The girl slowly releases her hand, disappointed. "Yeah...You don't have to answer me" but I wish you would. She turns around, facing away from him and forces herself to sleep as she covers herself with the duvet.

Chaeyoung doesn't regret what he said, in fact, it's for the better. There's no use or point to dig the past, especially in this crucial time. It will just remind him of the promise he fails to keep, the pain they have been through and they'll end up feeling the same way- miserable.

He raises his body and checking her up, sighing when all he can see is her back. He lay and did the same.

"You've changed"

Chaeyoung heard her low murmurs but decide to ignore it. Slowly it starts to unfold and fall apart causing him to wretchedly nervous and afraid that he'll lose the chance. A little bit more, just a little bit more. He thought

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Mina yells and awakens with a gasp, her body naturally goes into a defensive mode. Her heart beating fast with a buzzing in her brain and together they are as panic with jump-leads. She instantly cups her mouth with her hand when she's finally back into reality, catches the guy tossing around and groan but fortunately to her relief, he back into a deep slumber.

She gulps before she sits up to compose herself. Slowly but surely, she pushes herself out of bed, letting her feet hit the cool floor as the coldness of the air is more apparent. With the remaining energy, she forces her legs to properly function without her falling to the ground, then disappear to the dining room.

Mina stares at the pills on her palm, debating to take it or not. She recalls Nayeon's words, advising her before she makes a decision.

"This is antidepressant and sleeping pills, I wouldn't recommend you to take it but only if it necessary"

Considering the baby health, Mina throws the pills away to the trash can and simply drink water to wash the last bit of a nightmare that still stuck inside her mind. She stays in the living room and calms herself before heading upstairs with a first aid kit.

Mina settles down on the chair, and turn on the bedside lamp to see Chaeyoung's face clearly. The latter move a little, showing discomfort from the sudden lighting and turns his head away. She chuckles and stroke his hair, thumb caressing his eyebrows. She stares at his hand and slowly lifts it to put an ointment to the scars, same goes to his stomach. Sometimes she stops and pulls her hand when the guy hiss in his sleep then do it more gently.

When she's done, she takes a picture of his scars and sends it to Jihyo, relying on her to ask her aunt---who is a doctor, for a more accurate prescription cream or gel for his wound.

Only an hour ago the blackness is absolute, but now the mist is visible, silvery. Come mid-morning those birds singing, the sound of the dawn chorus. Mina chooses not to sleep and stay beside him, staring at the ultrasound images of their baby then knit small baby socks as she waits for the sun to rise and the morning to come.

*  *  *  *

Mina helps Irene to cooks and learn from the older, truthfully she admires the maid and hopes to learn more from her. They shared random conversation along the way then soon finds themselves compatible.

Chaeyoung and Mina haven't talked until now and Irene notices the thick silence between the both of them. She tries to lift up the mood by asking Chaeyoung about his condition and Mina about her pregnancy but a single question receives a simple answer and a forced smile by them.

Chaeyoung left for his college and ask Irene to take good care of Mina as always while the mentioned girl stays inside her room. Mina text her older sister asking to meet her in a nearby cafe. She informs Irene when Sana arrives to fetch her.

*  *  *  *

Sana park her car and together the sisters walk to the cafe. The warm air welcomed them with a coffee smell, mixing the smell of chocolate and cakes, it circulates the shop because the coffee bar is located near the left side of the door.

They go sit on the corner of the shop. Sitting quietly on the soft sofa, listening to soft classical music lingering the place. Sana breaks the silence as her coffee warmed her freezing hand while Mina sips her honey tea.

"So, you said you have something to ask" Sana begins.

Mina put her cup on the table and raise his head, just to meet Sana wondered eyes. "I saw scars on Changie's body. Unnie, do you know anything about it?"

The older arcs her brow and sighs before she sits up straight. "That's good then. So, what do you think about it?" Her voice flat, sound like she's challenging her younger sister.

"Unnie, please answer me"

Sana clicks her tongue, thinking whether she has the right to interfere. "You know Mina, when we do something bad, we believe that we have to be punished"

- to be continued-