Chapter Text
James suddenly got up from the couch, “Shut the fuck up”, he hissed.
His voice shook with anger and pity.
He pulled Y/N, who was standing in front of him, and pushed her.
“You just wanted someone to fuck you? Is that it? You’re so fucking vulnerable you’ll let anyone stick their dick in you? Are you.. fucking stupid?”
--
Y/N never learned how to pack light.
Not just because she wasn’t neat or organized, but simply because she always grew up having to pack to different homes back to back. And she truly hated it.
Juhoon sat on the floor of what was once his room, across from Y/N, scrolling through his phone while she zipped up her suitcase for the third time. It was too full. It always was.
He watched her struggle with it, a hint of entertainment in his eyes.
“You don’t need all of that,” he said, nodding toward the pile of clothes that were being attempted to contain.. “You’re probably not even going to wear half of it”.
Y/N scoffed, pressing down on the suitcase. “That’s what you said last time. Shut up.”
Juhoon glanced up at her then, expression softening. He didn’t argue. He never did when it came to that.
The room didn’t look like it belonged to anyone anymore. Bare walls. Empty shelves. The mattress stripped down completely, and the dusty hardwood floors prepared to rot away.
At nineteen, she was finally given the opportunity to leave.
Tired of bouncing between relatives and random couches.
Tired of feeling like she was always the burden to whom would give her space.
Though, stability had never been promised to her.
This time was different, she told herself.
This city was going to be bigger. Safer. Brighter in ways her old one had never been. There were more people, more chances, more opportunities.
There were jobs she could apply for, new places she could visit, and new people she could finally meet, who didn’t know her.
Most importantly, there was space to start over.
Juhoon suddenly stood and leaned against the doorframe, watching her pace around the room, still looking for stuff to pack.
Juhoon, her cousin, was only eighteen, only a year younger than her, and somehow already busier than most adults she knew.
He was working, studying, running from place to place with such simplicity she envied. He simply lived life unapologetically, like he believed the world would treat him well.
She wanted that. Even just a bit.
“You’re gonna like it there,” he said, more certain than she felt. “I mean- Yeah it'll probably be chaotic, but it'll be worth it.”
Y/N nodded, finally zipping up her suitcase. She didn’t trust herself enough to open her mouth just yet.
Because beneath the excitement, beneath the relief of leaving, there was fear. Fear that something will always go wrong. But she didn’t want to think much of it.
This was about choosing something better, better for her start of adulthood.
–
As they carried their bags out of the room, Y/N didn’t look back. Not because there were memories to miss, but because she was just ready for a journey.
And she had a great idea of who she would become once she got there
–
The trunk slammed shut with a final loud thud.
Juhoon shoved the last suitcase into place and used all his force against it, his veins popping out in place on his arms.
Y/N stood a few steps away, hugging her jacket around herself as the early morning wind shook against her skin.
The neighborhood around her was starting to feel like a hallucination, but why?
Her aunt stood near the front of the car, arms crossed, smiling into the sky, like she was excited for her new life of some sort as well.
Y/N’s uncle hovered nearby, keys in hand, glancing between the house and the car like he was making sure everything was in place.
Y/N swallowed and walked toward them.
“I-” Her voice caught, feeling embarrassed. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I just wanted to say thank you. For everything.”
Her aunt looked at her for a long moment before pulling her into a hug. It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t hesitant. It was the kind of hug that said you’re always welcome, and it’ll be no other way.
“You don’t have to thank us, baby” her aunt murmured. “You’re family.”
Y/N nodded against her shoulder, even though the words still felt fragile, like it was something that could be taken back if she wasn’t careful.
Her uncle smiled once she stepped back, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You’ve always had a place here,” he said gently. “This is just… the next step.”
She hoped he was right.
Juhoon broke the moment by clearing his throat dramatically. “Okay, this is cute. Shall we hit the road now? Especially since I have nothing to say.”
Y/N let out a quiet laugh, grateful for him, always. Her aunt rolled her eyes, but smiled.
They climbed into the car—Juhoon in the back, already absorbed in his phone, her aunt settling in the passenger seat, and her uncle behind the wheel. Y/N hesitated before sliding in beside Juhoon, her stomach twisting with nerves. The kind that made her need to shit.
It eased her, slightly, remembering that this house had kept her safe when it could.
That was enough.
As the car pulled away, the streets blurred behind them. Familiar sidewalks, cracked driveways, corner stores she’d passed too many times, everything slowly dissolving into distance.
Nineteen felt strange. Too old to be lost. Too young to be certain.
The car slowed suddenly.
Y/N lifted her head, confusion knotting her brows as she recognized the street..
Her aunt glanced at her, gentle but careful. “We’re passing your mom’s,” she said quietly. “Do you want to stop? Say goodbye?”
The word goodbye sat heavy in the air.
Y/N looked out the window, her chest tightening. The house stood there unchanged, dirty trash filling the yard, rust forming and exterior walls peeling just enough to show neglect. It didn’t look like a place that held a childhood, at all.
She didn’t exactly hate it. That was the strange part.
She just didn’t miss it.
Y/N shook her head slowly. “No,” she said, voice clear. “I don’t think I need to.”
Her aunt nodded, understanding more than she said, and her uncle pressed gently on the gas. The house slipped past them, slowly shrinking in the window until it was nothing more than another building left behind.
Juhoon glanced up from his phone, studying her for a second before going back to his screen.