Five005

She ignored me the next day, like what happened in the kitchen didn't. Either she's bipolar or I'm delusional. I do hope it's the latter. I don't think my inner workings can deal with Yang Iri being an actual normal person. Fine by me, not like I'm desperate to be her friend anyway. 

This time I asked her to join us for lunch. She didn't say no, so that's progress. I tried not to let her reply effect. Too late, I was already wearing a stupid grin. 

My friends needed no introduction but they were surprised when Iri joined the table. They said hi out of politeness, and Iri  murmured a response. Needless to say, the table was awkward. 

Junyoung, usual the boisterous type was silent that day. Iri didn't look like she cared, biting into her sandwich and staring at nothing. By god, this was ing awkward. 

She didn't bother to say goodbye when she finished her lunch. It was like a bubble of tension suddenly burst when she left. 

"Dude, why did you invite her anyway?" I don't know why but his question made me pissed. But I didn't start a fight, I'm not an animal. 

I found her again in the library. This time she was reading something in English. I got a 4% in the language so I don't bother trying to figure out what she's reading. Probably fantasy again seeing as we're in the same corner she sat last time. 

I didn't notice before but she looked tired. Like really tired. She had bags under her eyes and the circles have darkened. Why does seeing her like this tugs my heart?

"Hey, you feeling okay?" I asked, taking my seat opposite her. 

She glared at me for interrupting her, but this was the first time there was no bite to it. "Nothing, I had a rough night." She stared at me, "Nightmares."

I gulped under her intense gaze, "Wanna talk about-"

"No." Alrighty then. 

~

She wasn't answering her phone. No that she answers any of our call but at least she text back. But she didn't even do that. 

It was late and she's probably asleep. I noted the time, it was already 11. Namjoon asked whether or not we're eating at her house. I recalled Seokjin wanted BBQ and told them to go ahead without me, "I'll check on her  for a bit."

"Wow, you're really taking this seriously." Taehyung clapped his hand behind my bed. I had a moment hesitation from his words, why AM I taking this so seriously?

Iri told me never to invite her to lunch ever again, so at least she wasn't completely ignorant. She did not however say anything about me joining her in the library. Progress, ladies and gentlemen. 

I knocked on her apartment door and waited. She hadn't texted me back but I did beforehand so as to not barge in unannounced. I stood there for two minutes and got worried, I rang the bell incase she's in her room. No answer. 

"Iri?" I called, not really bringing my voice to a shout. But I was close, as far as I know she doesn't leave the house unless she was forced to, or if Jimin asked. I tried to suppress a sneer. 

No answers. I was getting worried, which is not an emotion I like when it concerns to her. I pressed in the door code unwittingly. 1013, how did I know? Maybe because I was spying went she entered it. Because it was cliché because she used Jimin's birthday, either way I'm too rushed to to be pissed. 

She wasn't in the living room or in the her own room. "Iri?" I was borderline shouting now. 

So I tried calling her cell, I waited and then it started ringing. Her phone was left in her bed, where the is sh-

Her en suite's light was on, so she's only taking a bath. I let out a sigh of relief, "Iri, it's Jungkook."

She didn't even groan, which is her default response whenever I asked her something. Okay, something is wrong. "I'm coming in, so be decent." But I didn't care, I was somehow... worried. 

What I saw in there wasn't unexpected, but it was a shock for me. I know in some recess, Yang Iri was depressed but seeing the scene unfold in front of me made me realised the veil I've covered over my eyes to delude myself. 

Her wrist was streaked with red, there were past scars that healed completely, the newest ones looked like it had only just been cut recently. There was no illusion that she relapsed only after Jimin had left. So this was what he was dealing with, no wonder he didn't want me to leave her alone. 

In the split second, I have palmed her face to wake her up. "Iri, look at me!"  She just passed out. 

I quickly stopped the bleeding, which had already scabbed over and carried her to her bed. I did my best to bandage and I could feel her rousing. 

"What are you doing?" She croaked when she finally came through, her eyes widened in confusion and nerves. 

"Is this what you do for fun, Iri?" I was furious at her but did not break my task, at least she didn't try and slap me away. "Cutting yourself?"

There was a moment of silence, I could feel loathing oozing out from her. "It's none of your business, now leave!" She screamed. 

She needed someone there for her, I knew that now. So I ignored her. I snipped the bandage after I've finished and closed the kit up. Then, I climbed on her bed and took her in my arms. 

"Stop it, let me go! Let me go!" She screamed into my chest and struggled. She scratched my forearm and I hissed in pain. She screamed again. 

"I'm here." I muttered into her hair, like Jimin's done so many times before me. "I'm here." I reassured her, kissing her on her temple. 

She was shivering, her breathe hitched in intervals. She was hyperventilating, but she wasn't screaming anymore. Iri seized her screams, but beat me lightly with no bite. 

"Leave me alone." Tears was pooling, her words choked.

I looked down at her, wondering what had happened that was so terrible her. But then I remembered that her parents were murdered right before her eyes. The news were in the the headlines for weeks. It was part of the reasons why she moved schools. The students here still talks about it, but never to her face.

~

After she calmed down completely, her tears dried up, she was still hugging me long before I had loosened my grip. I tried to regulate my heartbeats, I can't seemed to calm it. 

We stayed in silence for her long time, with me caressing her arms up and down in habit. It was broken by the growl in her stomach, I couldn't help but snicker. 

"You hungry?" I asked, breaking the silence. Just as I tried to pull away she tightened her grip. "Iri, you're okay now."

She furrowed her brows in hesitation but nodded as she finally let go. I didn't realised I was holding my breathe until she did. "Want some jajangmyun?"

"Yeah..."