Post-Sessions [Part 1]

Y/N could feel her every breath go through her throat. She could vividly remember the four ruined walls that surrounded her just as her airways tried to work properly. She could remember her brother's screams being muffled by her ears ringing. She could only see a patch of blue to locate her brother and figures dressed in black to identify the officers. Which were called by one of her brother's drunk friends.

"Y/N?" Seonghwa spoke, taking her out of her own memory.

She lifted her gaze only to be met with a pair of deep brown eyes. Seonghwa had opened the door on her side to help her get out. How long had she remained in her own head?

"Thank you" She said, her voice raspy and strained. "We can go from here"

She stepped out carefully, knowing her senses were close to failing her.

"I can't" He said as he looped her arm around his shoulders.

She suddenly felt a small hand wrap around her pinky and ring finger. Small sniffs and hiccups shaking the poor boy.

"Don't worry, Aaron" She said with a small smile. "I'm completely fine."

Was she? Was she really? Wasn't yet another lie?

As she looked up, her eyes spotted a woman looking around frantically. Y/N's boy reacted quickly as she slipped her arm out of the detective's grip.

"Mom!" Aaron called out as he let go of her hand.

Y/N swallowed, the action making her flinch.

"Thank you again." She said. "You should leave"

Seonghwa stood there for a second too long before turning around and leaving.

"Y/N!" She heard her mother say as she caught her hug. "I thought something bad had happened to you"

Y/N shook her head.

"We're fine" She answered with a small smile.

Her mother's eyes were wide in happiness, something she had never seen before. She would usually see those scared eyes or the crazed ones that came every once in a while.

"Did you guys eat?" She asked as she moved to hold Y/N's hand.

"No" Aaron answered.

They began moving through the streets and back to the hotel. A sense of odd tranquility had settled in Y/N's chest. Something was not right. Not at all.

Her small smile dropped as she kept walking. The scenery around her turning into the old abandoned building she would have to go to just to find her brother. The dirty and faded graffiti on the decaying concrete walls. The smell of marijuana, death, rotting food and even febreeze all mixed into a disgusting scent that stuck to clothes for days. Rooms upon rooms with no doors or windows. Seemingly every way in and out, and yet she had to roam a bit before finding Lucas.

He had changed his hair to a strong navy-like blue, the box of hair dye seating neatly next to the garbage can.

Y/N blinked a few times. Her chest almost squeezing shut. She really didn't want to go back there. She wanted to forget how she lost her family.

The elevator doors opened. They had walked the entire way back without her knowing.

"Is he here?" Aaron asked.

"Yes" Her mother said, just before she opened the door.

Y/N lifted her eyes. Allan sat on the side of the bed as he waited for them to come back. A bubbling surfaced at the pit of her stomach as her heart raced. Anger seemed to burn her veins open as he looked their way.

Aaron ran to him, just like her mother did. She knew it.

"Cut the bullshit" She said, closing the door. "Why did you send them here? Just to torture me?"

"Y/N... You know he is not- "''You have no say in this" She interrupted her mother.

"You are still the same brat" Allan said, letting go of Aaron. "You can't let go of your past"

He began to take a few steps forward, but it felt empty. Even though she was fuming, long gone was the fear of death once more. She had just been held by the throat a few hours prior. Not to mention a few years ago, at gunpoint. What could this guy do? Bruise her? Hit her? Sent her unconscious? Was she really scared of that now? Now that she carried a target on her back?

He was inches away from her.

"You have done so many things to me." She muttered, darkly. "And yet, you didn't build my thick skin. A young man that is barely reaching his 20s managed to scare me. One that is just past his 20s managed to make me flinch. You are nothing compared to them"

He lifted his hand, a full blow coming in contact with her face. Her head was turned to the side, but she was silent.

She chuckled. "The same lame game, Allan. Same lame rules"

Y/N turned to him.

"You can take them if you want. I have been assured of many things now that I saw them." She said, tears stinging her eyes as she turned to him. "My mother hasn't been getting better. You always go whining about how she can't forget my father, yet, you can't take her to therapy for that"

She shook her head. What else did she have to lose really? She lost her family long ago. She lost her friends. She lost her case. She lost her job. Why not lose her small family fantasy too?

Allan was red with rage as she stood there. Motionless. Almost silent. Dead in a way.

"I wanted to save my family. But I should have realized it had been torn apart long ago" She said. "I even forced myself to think my nephew was my little brother. I even created an excuse that Lucas did want him to be born"

She sighed.

"I've lost everything. You have nothing against me." She stared at him in the eye. "So go ahead. You can't even take my virginity if you wanted to. Someone beat you to it"

She suddenly felt a blow right on her torso. She groaned, just as he began to pull her around. But she stopped him short by hitting his throat. She coughed out once she was down on the ground and walked out, ignoring every plea her mother made just like before.

"We are a family! We can fix this" She would hear every time Allan go to her. Her. Her nephew was fine. Her mom was fine. She was the one to suffer and she lied about it. Building a fantasy that she needed to get them all out. When in reality, she needed to get out. She was not welcomed and she wasn't going to overdrawn her stay. This was not her family anymore. Her mother was gone after she discovered what her father did. Allan never liked her and showed it fully. And poor Aaron was not her brother. Not even close.

"What have you done?" She mumbled to herself. "Back to being all out on your own?"

She chuckled to herself.

"I guess so" She said with a sigh as she walked towards the bus stop, hoping to reach another hotel before nightfall.

—-

She stared at her ringing phone as more calls came in, now counting her mom, Allan, and even Aaron if she thought about it. She could only compare what she felt when she had run away from home with Lucas. Gone to a town over and stayed there before the police caught them. She had seen her brother like the happy guy he actually was. The boy lost in a pool of his own over caused misery. She could remember coming out of her uncle's execution and seeing her brother there.

But she also resented Lucas. He had taken everything from her by giving her off to one of his friends. Beating any normal connection for her to form. Her dad was dead. Her uncle was dead. And now she was mostly dead. Lucas finishing as the next one on that list.

Y/N sighed. She lost trust in Irene, the only one to help her to her feet when she first arrived. She lost Mingi, her best friend that she would go to hell and back for. And now she lost empathy for everyone. Somehow including San.

"Maybe is better for me if I just leave it be?" She whispered as the phone screen lit up again. "Maybe"

She allowed the phone to land on the bed as she stood up on her way to the bathroom. That is until a loud banging made her jump.

"Y/N! Open this fucking door or I'm tearing it down!" Seonghwa!?

She swallowed before coming closer to the door and checking the peephole. Yep, the blonde hair is right there.

She opened the door quickly before he made any noise.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

He arched a brow as he stared at her for a second. A scoff going past his lips not long after.

"You need to stop disappearing" He said.

"The case is done," She said. "There is no reason for me to keep at it."

Seonghwa's eyes went wide.

"Sorry" She muttered as she began to close the door.

"Wait a second!" He said, keeping the door open. "You gave up that easily?"

Y/N sighed. "Something came up alright? I can't be in the case anymore."

"Your parents are looking for you. Your little brother too. He came to the station on his own" He said softly. "You ran out"

"That's the thing that came up." She said. "I'm not in any state to be trying to befriend San again. Or to solve your riddles. I'm over this game that has been going on for too long. People have limits and I reached mine when he openly tried to choke me."

"Y/N.." Seonghwa sighed.

"Don't try, Detective" She said with sad eyes. "I'm not even paying attention to your movements anymore. I'm tired. I'm done. "

Seonghwa stepped back, allowing her to close the door. The soft click seemed to trigger her emotions. A sob went past her lips as she finally crumbled apart. Finally managed to cry over what she was. What she lived. Over everything.

—

Y/N walked down the street in an attempt to get fresh air. Her mind ran around her options as she had finally spoken to Professor James, getting a new schedule for her semester.

She was at ease finding out everyone was back in town after a few more days and that the research program found another doctor. Back to normal, she could only hope.

"Y/N!" Oh... She forgot about that, didn't she?

She turned around only to be met with Mingi. She hadn't seen him in a while. Maybe she can try again now that she pulled her hands out the boiling water.

"Hey.." "San is not good" He said. "In fact, he is way worse than before"

Y/N furrowed her eyebrows. A certain worry had settled in her chest, but she pushed it away completely.

"Mingi, I was pulled out. You should tell the new doctor" She reasoned.

"I did. And he's clueless" Mingi said, desperation in his eyes. "We need you to come see him. Help him"

"Mingi... I already pulled the plug. I'm not going back to that. I went nowhere and I'm going nowhere if I try again" She said.

"Under Hongjoong's orders, Jongho and I managed to get San under wraps for long enough to keep him alive. We also sent Yeosang to another town but he came back. Yungho was here till the very end and San did go out with Irene. She was the one pulling the strings this time." He said quickly.

Y/N was driven speechless.

"Now that I've given you what you want," He said. "Can you please come see San?"

Y/N nodded. Mingi didn't waste any time as he pulled her away and towards Irene's truck.