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“We’re going there for the table reading,” my mom says. “I was worried you might miss it. But you’ll just make it! This actually works out. I can escort my daughter back home now.”

I frown. “Me getting attacked is good timing.”

“Oh, Hyeri, you know I didn’t mean it like that.” My mom shakes her head. “I don’t even want to think about what that man tried to do to my daughter.” She shudders, closing her eyes and rubbing at her temples.

I realize now that my mom doesn’t do well with difficult things. She’s not trying to ignore painful stuff. She just truly doesn’t know how to deal with it.

In a weird way, it makes me feel better to know that.

“I don’t know if I can travel,” I start to say, but she waves her hand.

“I already asked your doctors, and they said it should be fine.”

I’m still unsure about this. But I tell myself it’s okay. Maybe even good. It would suck if I had to put my life on pause because of what happened.

“You’re going to stay with me in my hotel tonight and then we’ll fly out tomorrow.”

I try to think of a dozen reasons why this is too soon. But I keep quiet as my mom bustles about packing up the few things I have with me. Because the biggest reason I want to stay is Minseok, and I can’t admit that out loud.

The next morning, Hongjoo takes me to my apartment to pack a bag for my trip. My mom told me to just let my manager do it, but I use the excuse that I want to pick out my own clothes. The reality is that I don’t care about what I wear in LA. I wanted to come home to see Minseok. I need to see him in person before I go.

I tell myself that he probably got whisked away from the hospital by his own team like I did. That they didn’t give him a chance to come see me. But a part of me is worried that he doesn’t want to see me. He got hurt because of me. Would he be mad at me for that?

I knock on the apartment door, picking anxiously at my cuticles while I wait for someone to answer.

It’s not Minseok but Jongdae who opens the door.

“Oh sorry,” I say quickly. “Can I come in?”

Jongdae nods and opens the door to let me inside.

I look around the apartment. It’s as messy as it was the last time I was here. “Where are the others?”

“Around somewhere,” Jongdae says. “Sit. You want something to drink?”

I do sit, but I reply, “I’m fine. I have to meet my mom soon.”

“How are you feeling?” he asks, pointing to my sling.

“Crappy. You?” I point to his brace.

He smiles. “Same.”

“Um, so, where’s Minseok?” I finally force myself to ask.

Jongdae nods like he was expecting this. “He’s not here. He’s at the hospital.”

“Still?” I blurt out, worried that maybe his injury is worse than I was told.

“Not still, again. He reached for something without thinking and popped one of his stitches. Hanbin-hyeong took him to get it checked out.”

“Oh, okay.” I sigh, but I can’t help biting my lip in worry. Is he not taking care of himself? “I was just hoping to talk to him before I left.”

“You’re going to LA today?” Jongdae says it with the lift of a question, but it’s clear he knows the answer already.

“Yeah, but I’ll be back.” I don’t know why I feel a need to explain it. Like I don’t want him to think I’m just leaving a mess here for other people to clean up. But the messiest thing, it seems, is my relationship with Minseok.

“I’ll tell Minseok you came to say goodbye,” Jongdae says.