The days following, Yongguk tried to search for you at school, trying to find you in the hallways, in your classes and even in the lunchroom. But with no success, he would drive past your house after school, seeing if you were outside, but with no movement at your home, he would go home with you running through his mind.

With his thoughts occupying him while he walked the busy halls, he heard something that perked his interest.

“You should just stay in there _________, that’s where you belong anyways. You savage animal” A few girls stood around a closed locker as Yongguk narrowed his eyes at them.

“Help!” He heard a sweet voice call from inside

“No one wants to help you, no one is going to help you. No one cares for you!” Another girl spat in the locker as Yongguk walked over.

“Yongguk I di-” The girls pushed their hair back over their shoulders as they smiled at him.

“I care” Yongguk told them as he pushed past the girls.

“There is no one in there” The girls stood in front of the locker as they tried to cover it up.

“Open it” Yongguk demanded hearing some rustling and echoed breathing inside.

“I don’t have the combination” The girls twirled their hair around their fingers as he pushed past them and lifted the handle to unlock the already correct combination.

The light quickly increased as the locker door opened, your eyes lifted to the person that stood in the door of the locker.

“Yongguk…” You whispered as he held out his hand, seeing you squished into the locker, you slipped your hand into his as he carefully helped you out of the cramped conditions.

“Now what was that you girls said about no one being inside?” Yongguk fumed standing protectively in front of you.

“We were just having fun” One of the girls sang

“Do you think it is fun for her? Do you think that it is fun for me to watch her being treated like this? You all make me sick” He told them as he wrapped his arm around you and lead you to a quiet corner of the hallway.

“Are you okay, ______-ah?” He looked into your eyes as they were filling quickly with tears.

“I don’t think I can do this anymore” You whispered as a few tears fell from your eyes. Tilting up your chin, he wiped away your tears before wrapping his arms around you and bringing you into his strong, broad chest.

”You can, even if I have to protect you the rest of my days and never leave your side.” He whispered into your hair

“I can’t ask that of you” You told him, wrapping your hands around the fabric of his shirt, finding his hold comforting.

“I’m not asking you to, I’m volunteering” He whispered as he heard the bell and pulled away slightly.

“Let’s head to class, we have to do presentations today.”

Entering into the classroom, Yongguk sat next to you in the usual seating as the teacher called the names of students to come up and present.

Hearing Yongguk’s name being called, he gathered his papers and headed up to the front of the room. Placing his papers on the podium, he looked out among the audience before his eyes locked with yours a moment, a small smile pulling on each corner of his lips before he spoke, continuing to look into your breathtaking eyes.

“I would like to dedicate this to someone who opened my eyes to so many things, if I didn’t sit by her I am not sure that I would be the man standing before you today.”

Yongguk began to speak, sharing quotes and passages from the book that you had given him earlier, mixing it with the trials that you two had faced together and adding it to life lessons that he wished that he learned earlier. Lifting his eyes from the paper, he peered around the classroom as all eyes were on him, every heart captured by the words that he was speaking. Finding your eyes among the class once again, he smiled lovingly towards you.

“I don’t know where I would be at this very moment if you weren’t in my life, you have opened my eyes to the cruel world but with the love and kindness in your heart you are more than willing to step forward all while being unsure of the future while carrying the scars of your past. I haven’t ever met a stronger person in my life, and let me be the first to tell you that you are incredible and such an inspiration to me and my life. This is my promise that I will never stop wanting to be like you, if I can only be a small portion of you no matter how small, that will be the greatest success in my life because it will be getting closer to the one that I admire and am amazed by every single day.”