A Fake Not So Fake Marriage- Chapter 24
Bangtan found themselves seated on the couches in Ji-ya's bungalow. Incredibly enough it was next door to Tae’s, Gguk’s, and Minnie’s. Nobody spoke as the seven men followed her to her destination. Still they didn’t speak after settling in. Ji-ya walked straight into the bedroom and shut the door.
She needed time to herself to figure out what to do and what to say. She couldn’t fool herself into believing that if she stayed hidden, they would get the hint and leave. They wouldn’t do that. There were too many issues unresolved. Too many questions that she knew she’d have to answer even though she knew she wouldn’t be able to. Sure, she had her reasons for leaving them. To her they were justified too. Yet, even she had to admit to herself that even if she was justified in her reasoning for leaving so suddenly, she had no excuse as to why she stayed gone.
A sudden rap on the door broke her from her thoughts. “We aren’t leaving baby girl so you might as well come out and face the music.” Jeongguk’s voice sounded through the door.
Ji-ya ran her hands through her hair tugging at the ends in frustration and fear. She wanted to wrap her arms around herself in safety. She didn’t want to do this. She didn’t want to face the men that she hurt. She didn’t want to face her brother or Taehyung. She glanced at her closed door before quickly looking at her window. Could she climb out of that and escape them all together? Should she be that much of a coward? Would she hate herself more if she did just that?
Who cared if she hated herself? What she was considering doing was for self-preservation. She made her way silently towards her window. Her mind convincing her that she was doing the right thing. With one last glance at her door, she began her escape.
Her feet never touched the ground. Instead she felt a pair of arms wrap around her middle. Felt a vibrating chuckle against her cheek as her face was smooshed into a rock-hard chest. She didn’t have to look to know who was holding her in his arms. The chuckle gave him away. She should have looked out the window before making her grand escape. Now she was most definitely stuck. Pleading with the likes of Kim Namjoon would do absolutely nothing for her.
“Did you really think that you could escape us, princess?” He chuckled again.
Ji-ya huffed. “It was worth a try.”
No more words were uttered as Namjoon carried her back inside the bungalow to the group of men that were waiting impatiently for a long overdue explanation. Once inside he placed her down in a chair and stood to stand slightly behind her. If she attempted to run his position would allow for him to quickly grab her.
Now that the initial shock of seeing Ji-ya had worn off, Hoseok studied her. He took in her appearance. She looked exhausted. Her make up did a good job of hiding some of her fatigue, but not all of it. You could see the faint traces of bags under her eyes that her make up didn’t conceal. The lines around her mouth that showcased the fact that she frowns more than smiles. The subtle way that her body slumps over. Whatever she has been doing the last couple of years has definitely taken a toll on her. “Have you been happy at all since you left?” The question was out of his mouth before he’d even registered the thought.
Ji-ya glanced at Hoseok before turning her gaze to the floor. “O-of course.” She stuttered out the lie. “I-I’ve been so many places and did so many things.”
Hoseok laughed bitterly. Nice to know that some things never change. The girl before him was still a horrible liar. “We know. I didn’t ask you that. I asked if you’ve been happy.”
Ji-ya looked up and glared at Hoseok. Of course, she hasn’t been happy. Her life is empty. She doesn’t have what she really wants. What she always wanted. She’ll never tell them that though. So, instead. “I said yes, Hobi. I’ve been, I- I am very happy.”
Ji-ya spun around to look at Jeongguk. “What?”
Jeongguk narrowed his eyes and lowered himself to get in her face. “I said you were a liar.”
“You stutter when you lie, Ji-ya. It’s your tell. Plus, you look like shit. What have you been up to that has made you look this way?” Jeongguk answered.
Ji-ya sighed and fell back against her seat. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Okay. Aside from whatever it is that you don’t want to talk about how about we get right down to the elephant in the room. Why’d you disappear?” Jeongguk querried.
Ji-ya gave a look, but didn’t respond.
The guys sat in waiting for a response. When none was forthcoming, Yoongi spoke. “Aren’t you going to answer the question, Ji-ya. Don’t we deserve an explanation?”
Ji-ya raised her eyes to her brother. “What explanation would you like me to give, Yoon? I left a letter.”
“Even if the letter was a sufficient explanation which for the record, it wasn’t. Why didn’t you come back? Why are we seeing you for the first time in three years? By accident I might add.”
“Yoon.” Ji-ya spoke softly.
Yoongi was mad. Mad as hell. Having his sister in front of him after all this time enraged him. He pondered for years what he would say to her if and when he ever saw her again. A small part of him always wished that their reunion would be happy and loving, but the bigger part of him knew that that is not how it would ever go down. Before seeing her again, they spent seven years feeling a loss. A hole that could only be fixed by them all being reunited. The three years after seeing her resulted in hell. He knew that his emotions were all over the place, but he couldn’t hold back now. His anger taking the forefront of his emotions. “Don’t Yoon me, Ji-ya. We have a right to know why you never once tried to come back. Did we do something wrong? Was everything you told us a lie? Did we just mean so little to you?” He screamed.
Tears ran down Ji-ya's face at Yoongi’s tirade. What could she say to explain herself? She had no right to defend herself. There was really nothing she could say to defend herself. No good reasons. Just plain cowardice. “Please.” She cried.
“NO!” Yoongi slammed his fist down onto the coffee table in front of him.
“Answer the damn questions, Ji-ya! Open your mouth and tell us how fucking little we mean to you! Tell us how that while you were OUR freaking everything, we were NOTHING to you!”
The rest of Bangtan looked on as Yoongi lost it. No one moved, no one knew what to say or do. They didn’t blame him for his outburst. All of them having questions that they needed answers to. Come hell or high water they were going to get their answers. Didn’t they deserve that?
Ji-ya jumped out of her chair. “DON’T, YOONGI!” She screamed as she got in his face. “You were never fucking nothing to me. How fucking callous and cold do you think I am?”
“I have no fucking idea! I thought I knew you! Until three years ago, I would have said that my sister was the greatest fucking person on the planet. Now? That statement would never come out of my mouth. I don’t know who the fuck you are.” He yelled back getting so close to her face that her features became blurry.
“I’m me, Yoongi. I’ve always been-”
“No. The Ji-ya that I knew-”
“The Ji-ya that you knew was what you made up in your head, Yoongi. FUCK! I was never as strong as you. I didn’t know how to stand up for myself. I always needed other people to do that shit for me. I didn’t fucking leave because I didn’t love you. I didn’t leave because I didn’t love any of you. I left because for the first time in my fucking life, I had to stand up for MYSELF! And I did. I fucking did it!”
“Then why didn’t you come back?” Yoongi questioned.
Ji-ya swallowed. Her throat suddenly feeling as dry as the Sahara Desert. Now was the moment of truth. For them as well as for her. She stepped back and looked at her brother. “I couldn’t. As happy as I was at standing up for myself. As proud of myself as I was for facing our parents. After everything was said and done it finally sunk in how rash my decision was. It sunk in how I left so abruptly. I was a coward. I couldn’t face you, any of you. I was terrified to see your faces and have to know what I’d done. I chose the coward’s way for self-preservation. Out of sight, out of mind.” She stated.
The silence in the room was deafening after her confession. Every one of them digesting the explanation in their own way. Yoongi eyed his sister and turned away from her. He made eye contact with every member of Bangtan. They needed to leave and regroup. With silent understanding the other six followed Yoongi out of Ji-ya's bungalow. Jeongguk stopped at the door. “No more running.” He ordered.
Ji-ya collapsed on the couch in tears after their departure. No more running, Jeongguk said. All she could do was agree that he was right. She made her bed and now she had to lay in it. She cried herself to sleep on the couch in her rented bungalow.