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Jungkook strolled through the lobby.  Taeyeon had been discharged a week ago, and for some odd reason Jungkook missed her.

Just then, something caught his eye.  Was that…Taeyeon?  She was sitting in the waiting room, clutching her left arm as tears spilled down her cheeks.  Jungkook headed straight for her.  His shift was over now, anyways.

“Taeyeon?”

She sniffled and looked up at him. “Hi…”

“What happened?” Jungkook asked, seating himself next to her.

Taeyeon hesitated. “I…I broke up with my boyfriend…so he grabbed my arm…and…twisted it…I…I think he broke it…”

Jungkook looked down at Taeyeon’s arm for a second and then back into her eyes.

“How is your stepmother treating you?”

Tears started falling from Taeyeon’s eyes again. “She wouldn’t feed me this week…she said it was payment for the hospital bill.”

Jungkook was mad now.  Her stepmother wouldn’t feed her?  He considered the situation for a second.  An idea came to him.

“You could move in with me,” Jungkook offered.

Taeyeon looked up abruptly. “Wha-what…?”

“I said you could move in with me.  You need to get out of your stepmother’s house.”

“There’s no way she’ll let me move out.  Her only goal in life is to make my life miserable…”

“We’ll sneak you out, then.”

“She never leaves the house.  Her new boyfriend brings her everything she needs so she doesn’t have to leave.”

Jungkook thought it over for a second. “Would she let you go with me if she thought I’d make your life miserable?”

Taeyeon shrugged. “I don’t know…we could try.”

——————–

Taeyeon had finally gotten her arm x-rayed and wrapped.  Her arm had been spiral fractured.  She would have to come back to get a proper cast in a few days.  Now she and Jungkook were headed for her stepmother’s house.  She was very nervous.  She really hoped this would work.

Jungkook and Taeyeon finally arrived.  Jungkook looked up at the house.  Then at Taeyeon.

“Don’t worry.  I’m a good actor.  This will be easy.”

 They climbed out of the car and headed up to the house.  Taeyeon single-handedly fumbled through her keys before finding the house key and unlocking the door.  She pushed the door open and stepped inside, Jungkook close behind her.

“Go get your stuff together.  And be quick about it,” Jungkook commanded sharply.

Taeyeon looked over at him fearfully.  Even though she knew it was an act, it still brought back bad memories.  She gulped and nodded slowly before heading to the stairs.

“Taeyeon!  Who is this boy?  What did I say about bringing boys back to the house?”

Taeyeon jumped at the sound of her stepmother’s voice. “U-uh…”

“I’m her boyfriend.  We came so she could get her things.  Don’t worry, she’ll be quick.” Jungkook bent Taeyeon a stern glance. “Right, baby?”

“R-right…” Taeyeon hurried upstairs.

Taeyeon’s stepmother turned to Jungkook. “So, someone’s finally daring to take that brat?  Good.  You better not send her back.  I’ve had enough of a handful like her.  It looks as though you’ll use her to your advantage.”

“Something like that.  Don’t worry, she’ll be off your hands.”

“Thank God.  She’s been nothing but a burden since her father died fifteen years ago.”

Jungkook raised his eyebrows.  He hoped Taeyeon wouldn’t take much longer.  He wasn’t sure how much longer he could endure her stepmother.

——————–

Taeyeon looked around her small room.  She didn’t have much.  Her bed was simply a broken, old mattress.  Her small dresser sat next to it.  Other than that, the room was bare.  She opened her closet, pulling out her old, ragged suitcase.  At least it still zipped.  She dragged it to her dresser and pulled all her clothes from it.  There wasn’t much.  Her stepmother bought her the bare minimum.  She pulled the framed picture of her and her father off the dresser, placing it in the suitcase.  Then she pulled out her coat and sneakers from the closet and crammed them in her suitcase as well.  Finally she pulled the pillowcase off of her pillow and placed it on top of everything.  She wanted to take her sheets too.  They were the last thing her father had bought her before his death.  But she didn’t have room in her small suitcase.  So she closed it and stared around at the blank walls of her room.  It was fully bare now with the exception of the sheets on the bed and the dresser.  She shook her head and headed downstairs, single-handedly dragging the suitcase with her.

“Are you finally ready?” Jungkook asked impatiently.

Taeyeon nodded.  She took the house key off her keychain and tossed it to her stepmother.

“Bye,” Taeyeon mumbled, her face blank.

“Let’s go,” Jungkook snapped.

Taeyeon nodded slowly.  She slightly questioned Jungkook only being acting, but she had to believe that Jungkook was her safe haven for now.