Chapter Eight - Nothing's Over x
Dance With MeShe ran through the forest as quickly as her little feet could take her. Looking behind her, she saw the children running through the park and playing happily, without a care. “Hyung! Hyung, there she is!” Her head quickly adverted to the other side of the park, to see the group of boys. One of them in particular was pointing at her and screaming for his five friends.
Panting, she ran quicker than her legs could manage until she was abruptly stopped. Not looking at who the person was, she began kicking, punching, scratching, slapping, screaming… Doing everything she could to get out of their grasp. She could still hear the boys shouting and this only made her more frantic.
“Hyung! I have her! I’ve caught the freak, Hyung! Come see!” ChaeRin screamed as loudly as she could. Tears were streaming down her young, innocent face. She was spun around to face the others, still crying and still squirming like an injured, frightened kitten - attempting as best as a five year old girl could to make the bigger boy let go of her.
Just as he let go and she was about to run, she felt a series of fists and feet slam into her, knocking her to the ground. She curled her legs up and wrapped her arms around her head, shaking and crying for them to stop. She knew better, however.
She felt herself coming out of consciousness, but not before she could vaguely see a silhouette running towards her and the boys. ‘Oh, please... Don’t let others see… Don’t bring more people to join in…’
“Yah!” ChaeRin sat up quickly, bringing her fist up only to be caught in the other’s strong hand. She stared at the boy who had woke her up from her restless slumber.
“Mia… Mianhaeyo, opp- I… I mean… Woohyun-ssi.” ChaeRin bowed her head and pulled her wrist out of Woohyun’s grasp. White marks appearing on her skin from the tightness of his grip. A tear slowly fell down her cheek as she looked back up at the boy who was starting to stand. She still felt sensitive after the nightmare, now this? Woohyun stared at her with such a disgust, she found it very difficult to look at the boy.
“What happened to you?” He muttered, looking towards the window.
“I… I had a nightmare… I‘m sorry… I never meant to… to try and hurt you… You just startled me, that's all...” ChaeRin whispered as she bowed then reached out to try and touch his arm apologetically. She was crying more now. Woohyun already hated her, she was aware of this. What would he think of her after that? How could she be so clumsy?
“Get dressed. Breakfast is ready.” And with that, he left the room and slammed the door shut, causing ChaeRin to flinch, leaving her crying alone in her cold bed.
-
After showering, refreshing and getting dressed ChaeRin skipped downstairs only to be greeted with Sungyeol skipping into the kitchen also. Giggling, they linked arms and skipped into the kitchen together.
“Annyeong ChaeRin-ah~” Sungjong sang as he hopped towards her and engulfed her into a bear-hug.
“Oppa~ I’m hungry!” ChaeRin pouted as she giggled, instantly forgetting the ordeal with Woohyun only minutes before. She smiled as Dongwoo offered her a bowl of noodles. “Gomawo, oppa.” She bowed, walking into the living room and plopping down on the couch. She put on her favourite cartoon - SpongeBob SquarePants - and continued to eat her noodles.
“ChaeRin-ah, would you like to come out?” ChaeRin looked up at Hoya, mouth full with noodles, she swallowed quickly then smiled goofily.
“Ne, oppa, I’d love to!” She hurriedly ran into the kitchen, washed her bowl and ran outside to meet Hoya and Sungjong smiling widely at her.
“Dongwoo hyung’s going to take us but then he’s leaving and we can go wherever you want.” Sungjong clapped.
“Ahrasseo. Why don’t we go to the mall?”
“Yay!” Sungjong hugged ChaeRin as Hoya sighed, giggling and trying to drag Sungjong to the car where Dongwoo was waiting.
“C’mon, Sungjong, we want ChaeRin’s circulation non-cut.” ChaeRin giggled and sat down in the car, closing the door and waited patiently for it to start driving. She her iPod and placed one earphone in so that she could relax and listen to her music but still be able to talk and laugh with the boys.
-
“ChaeRin-ah! You have such an awesome taste in clothing!” Sungjong chirped - watching as ChaeRin held a shirt against his chest. “I love it!” Smiling, Hoya took the shirt and paid. They had been doing this all day - looking through stores, ChaeRin helping the boys with what looked best on them, then buying the items. Collecting their bags from the cashier-lady, they made their way back to the front of the mall.
“Gomapseumnida, oppa~” ChaeRin smiled and bowed.
“What are you thanking me for?” Hoya laughed, placing a hand on ChaeRin’s shoulder and standing her up straight, “You don’t have to bow, you know, we’re friends.”
“You’ve done so much for me, oppa. You help me dance, you gave me friends. You’ve helped me a lot the past month - I don’t know where I’d be without you. All of you. Gomawo~” ChaeRin smiled widely.
“O.K. Girl!” Sungjong’s phone rang. He pulled the iPhone out of his back pocket and struggled to handle it with the shopping bags at the same time. “I have a text!” He smiled, “It’s from Woohyun hyung - ‘Sungjong-ah! Meet us in the parking lot - we’re waiting in the van. We have schedule’s, remember? -Hyung’ I guess we should go now?” He looked at ChaeRin apologetically. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind dropping you off first.”
“Aniyo, I can walk home. Don’t worry, oppa.”
“You’ll come with us. We’ll drive you home.” Hoya added, authority in his voice. ChaeRin looked at the boy. She felt grateful, but the thought of sitting in a van with Woohyun kind of scared her a little. Although, Hoya would be there, so things would be okay, right?
They walked - well, sauntered - into the parking lot. Reaching the van, ChaeRin and Sungjong giggled as Hoya slid the door open. Sungjong stepped inside, ChaeRin following ‘till she felt a pair of hands firmly take hold of her small shoulders and push her back out. She looked up in shock to see Woohyun at the van door. “What do you think you’re doing? This is not some kind of taxi, girl.”
“I… I thought…” ChaeRin looked at Hoya who was now standing behind her, glaring at Woohyun.
“Hyung, we can’t just leave her to walk alone - you know what people are like these days.”
“We have to go straight to the studio. She can’t come. You know the rules, Hoya.” Woohyun glared straight back at his namdongsaeng. ChaeRin could have swore that if he stared at Hoya like that any longer he would bore a hole through the boy!
“She ca-
“It’s alright, oppa. Go to your studio. I can walk, I’ll be alright. I’m a big girl now!” ChaeRin smiled and giggled. Hoya was about to protest when ChaeRin shook her head and hugged him, “Go~” She smiled, turning and walking out of the parking lot.
She watched as the van drove past her and waved - despite not seeing the members through the tinted black windows.
-
“Almost home,” ChaeRin thought to herself, sighing and slowing to a walk. She had decided to take the long way home and jog - thinking about what dances she’d work on later that evening. She paused, leaning against a wall to catch her breath and checked the time on her phone - it was almost six o’clock. The sky was strangely dark for such a time, ChaeRin noticed. But this side of town was always unnaturally darker. ChaeRin always assumed it was just a coincidence.
ChaeRin started to walk again, wondering if it would be better for her to start another jog. She didn’t like the idea of being out, alone, in the darker side of town. Just as she was about to pull out her iPod, she heard a rustling behind her. She paused the music currently playing and tried to listen carefully, still walking but at a quicker pace. She heard footsteps following behind her. More than one person’s.
“Hey baby, where are you going?”
“Stay with us, sweet cheeks!”
“You shouldn’t be walking alone, beautiful, let us take care of you!”
ChaeRin started walking a little quicker. No, more like power-walking. Almost jogging. Her breath was coming in quick, sharp, soundless gasps. Two of the boys moved in front of her leaving the other one directly behind. She kept her head low, eyes focused on the ground, she tried to slip her small body between the two muscular ones. This only resulted in the boy behind her grabbing her waist as the two others pushed her back. She was thrown sideways against a wall as one of the boys held her there.
“Yah!” ChaeRin screamed. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She struggled against the boys hold as he twister her arms behind her back then pulled her off of the wall and pushed her down, into an ally.
ChaeRin turned and looked furiously for an escape. There was none. Only five men walking towards her. Their eyes looking over her hungrily - like a group of dogs who hadn’t been fed for weeks.
“What’s happening?”
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