〘CHAPTER 9〙
The park, once buzzing with the vibrant hum of life.
Children's laughter spilling from the swings, dogs barking in joyful chaos, the rhythmic creak of the old seesaw - felt unusually still that afternoon.
The golden hour had begun its slow descent, the sun dipping lower behind the trees, casting elongated shadows across the grass like fingers reaching for something unseen.
A cool breeze whispered through the branches above, sending flurries of crisp leaves dancing across the worn concrete paths.
The group of friends sat gathered near the playground, a familiar spot that usually buzzed with their chatter and laughter.
But today, that lightness had fled.
Their voices had faded, one by one.
When Shelly's broke through, quiet but shaking with something that silenced everything else.
Shelly sat on the far edge of the bench, her shoulders drawn tight, hands clenched white in her lap.
Her voice was barely audible, a whisper caught between trembling lips.
"And then... he pushed me against the wall" She said, her eyes fixed on a patch of grass near her feet "He wouldn't let me leave, he kept saying disgusting things, so filthy I... I can't even repeat some of them".
The silence shattered.
"What?!" Yuna gasped, her voice sharp and shocked, her hand flew to her mouth as if trying to stop the words from escaping "Shelly, that's... he what?!".
Dom surged to his feet like he'd been hit, his jaw was tight, his eyes wide and wild, fists clenched at his sides "That son of a bitch! Who the hell does he think he is?!".
Jay didn't move, he sat beside Shelly, unnervingly still.
His eyes, though stormy and unreadable were locked on the ground in front of him.
His jaw was so tight it looked like he might grind his teeth into dust, he didn't speak, not yet but his whole body looked coiled, ready to snap.
June's brow furrowed, a cold look settling on his face, he shook his head slowly "This guy... he's worse than I thought, I thought he was just a jealous prick. But this? This is something else".
"Is he crazy or something?" June continued, his voice edged with frustration "Like, seriously... what's his deal?".
Mia leaned forward, her voice shaking "Did he... did he hurt you, Shelly? I mean beyond that? Did he try anything else?".
Shelly's eyes flickered to hers, she shook her head quickly but the motion wasn't confident.
"He tried to kiss me..." She said, her voice cracking "But Jay showed up, he saw what was happening and came over right away".
Jay finally spoke, his voice was low, steady but cold as ice "I hit him!" He said flatly "Didn't even think, just saw red and swung".
He looked away, his eyes narrowing "I'm starting to regret not going harder".
A murmur of anger rippled through the group.
"He'll pay for this!" Dom muttered darkly.
Vinny - who had been leaning quietly against the bench's backrest, arms crossed, finally moved.
He straightened slowly, pushing off the bench as he narrowed his eyes toward the fading sunlight.
"It doesn't add up" He said, tone colder than usual, like he was thinking ten steps ahead "There's something off about this".
Everyone turned to look at him.
"What do you mean?" June asked, watching him cautiously.
Vinny's tone sharpened "I mean... haven't you guys noticed? This isn't the first time, that bastard is always around Shelly. Watching her, showing up when she's alone... it's not random".
Jay nodded slowly, the tension in his shoulders growing "I've been getting the same feeling! Like he's waiting, planning something".
"What kind of plan could he possibly have?" Dom muttered, half to himself.
"I don't know..." Jay admitted with a frustrated sigh "But whatever it is, it's not good. He's not just some guy who can't take rejection - he's obsessed".
June turned to Shelly, his expression serious "Shelly, you need to be careful! If he's really following you, he might try something again".
"Yeah!" Mia added, her voice softer now but full of worry "It's not just about him blocking your way anymore, this is more serious".
"Next time something happens" Dom said firmly "You have to tell us right away! Promise us, okay? Don't try to deal with it alone".
Jay gently reached for Shelly's hand and held it in his "We're in this together" He said, locking eyes with her "Don't hide anything from us! Especially not me".
Shelly looked around at their faces - Jay's unwavering support, Dom's fury, June's concern, Vinny's calculating gaze, Yunna and Mia's worries, her heart felt tight but not in the way it had at school.
This time, it was full.
She realized how lucky she was, they weren't just her friends, they were her shield.
She smiled, a little shakily but sincerely "I promise~ I won't keep anything from you. Thank you, all of you".
Jay gave her hand a squeeze and the others nodded, the circle of their loyalty closing tighter around her.
As the wind rustled through the trees, dusk began to settle over the park.
The group sat there, their conversation turning quieter but the unspoken understanding between them grew louder.
Something was coming and they would face it together.
〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜
Jay's mother sat rigidly on the edge of the sofa, arms locked tightly across her chest, her posture stiff with barely contained emotion.
The soft blue light of the TV flickered against the walls, casting shadows that danced like ghosts in the corners of the room.
Cartoons played in the background - something cheerful and loud but they didn't reach her, her eyes weren't even on the screen.
They were fixed on the far wall, as if staring long enough might will the front door to open.
The only real sound in the room was the relentless ticking of the clock above the mantle.
Each second struck like a match, feeding the fire simmering inside her.
It was past 9, Jay still hadn't come home.
She clenched her jaw and checked her phone again.
Still nothing, ten times now - no calls, no texts.
Just the void.
Her fingers hovered over his contact name "Should I call him?".
She sighed sharply, put the phone down with more force than she intended and whispered to herself, voice taut like stretched wire "Where is that boy?".
On the floor, Kay - her younger son sat cross legged.
The glow of the TV lighting his small face, he wasn't really watching. His eyes kept flicking toward his mother, reading the mood like a weather report.
Over the years, he had learned the patterns. The narrowed eyes, the rigid jaw, the weight of silence.
Tonight's atmosphere was stormy.
He swallowed, small lips moving in a silent prayer "Please come home already, Jay... before she explodes".
As if the thought summoned her wrath, she suddenly snapped, turning toward him like a hawk.
"Kay" She said sharply "Go back to your room and finish your homework".
He blinked in confusion "But Mom, I already...".
"Now!" She repeated, louder, her voice cracked the air.
Kay flinched, he pushed himself up from the floor slowly, his eyes still watching her carefully.
He hesitated at the hallway "Are you... are you gonna yell at my brother again?".
"That's none of your concern! Go to your room" Her face darkened.
He nodded quickly, the tension in his small shoulders obvious and disappeared down the hallway.
The sound of his door closing was gentle, too gentle like he was afraid of making things worse.
Once inside, Kay pulled out his phone and opened Jay's contact, thumbs trembling as he began typing.
But before he could hit send, the front door creaked open.
He froze "Oh no...".
Jay stepped into the house, his school bag slung loosely over one shoulder, his hair was windblown and he looked slightly tired but his expression was calm.
Until he saw his mother standing up from the couch, staring at him like she had been waiting all night for this very moment.
She didn't say anything at first but her eyes said everything.
He tried to walk past her.
"Come here!" She said, her voice low but sharp "Sit down, we need to talk".
Jay froze, turned reluctantly and sank into the chair opposite her.
There was a tension between them, thick and silent, neither spoke for a long beat.
"What do you want to talk about?" He finally broke the silence.
"Are you dating?" She started hard at him "Is that the same girl I saw on TV? The one at the park with you?".
He didn't answer, he didn't nod but he didn't deny it either.
"If that's the case, break up with her! I told you not to let those things distract you from your studies, I warned you" She ordered.
"I'm not distracted!" Jay replied calmly "My grades are fine! You saw them last week, top of the class again".
"I don't care if they're fine right now" She snapped "It starts small then you slip, it all falls apart. Just like...".
"Like who?" He interrupted, voice firm "Uncle Mahon?".
She went silent but her hands clenched in her lap.
Jay continued, quietly but clearly "I know, Mom. I know what happened to him, you think I don't understand why you're so strict with me? But I'm not him!".
Tears burned at the corners of her eyes but she blinked them away.
"I won't let you make the same mistake" She said angrily "I won't watch you throw everything away for some... some hobby or girl or dream that's going to take you nowhere!".
Jay's expression hardened "Cycling isn't a hobby, it's something I love. It clears my head, makes me feel alive but you never even asked why I care about it".
"You think love will protect you? Will love keep your grades up? Will love give you a future?" She shouted.
He leaned forward, eyes cold now "Do you even care what I want? Or am I just your last chance to fix the past?".
Her breath hitched.
"Don't talk like that..." She said, voice trembling.
"Why not? It's true, isn't it?" His voice was low but intense "You never listen, you only command, you control everything, you've been trying to build me into someone you want. But I'm not some robot, I'm not Uncle Mahon and I'm not a replacement for your guilt".
Her hands slammed down on the table "You're getting more and more disobedient! You weren't like this before! What's wrong with you?!".
"What's wrong with me?" Jay echoed with a bitter laugh "You mean what's wrong with me for wanting something of my own? For wanting space to breathe without being crushed under your expectations?".
Kay - listening quietly from the hallway, flinched as the yelling grew louder, he gripped his phone tightly.
Back in the living room, Jay stood up.
His mother rose too, fury in her eyes "Sit back down! I'm not done yet!".
Jay paused then looked at her - not with defiance but with something more painful.
Disappointment.
"I've always respected you, Mom" He said quietly "But if this keeps going... you'll make me hate you".
The words hit her like a slap.
The air turned ice cold, her face froze.
She didn't speak, couldn't.
Jay turned and walked to his room, the door closed with a soft click that sounded louder than any scream.
She sat back down, her legs suddenly weak.
She stared at the floor for a long time, her mind replaying his words again and again.
"You'll make me hate you".
Tears began to fall - silent, bitter tears she didn't even try to wipe away.
Did he really hate her now?
Was all of this... her fault?
She thought of her brother Mahon Jo - bright, reckless, passionate.
He had loved cycling too, too much. She remembered the races, the bruises, the obsession and then the accident.
His body lying still in that hospital bed.
The headlines, the shame, the funeral.
She had promised herself that no one she loved would ever go down that same path again.
She'd promised herself to be strong, to be strict, to never let emotion cloud her judgment.
But maybe in doing so, she'd built a wall so high that her own son couldn't reach her anymore.
Maybe, in trying to protect him from pain, she had become the cause of it.
The TV continued to hum in the background but she didn't hear it, all she heard was her son's voice echoing again.
"Don't make me hate you".
She buried her face in her hands and for the first time in years, allowed herself to cry not just from grief.
But from regret.
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