Her step Mother glanced at Naomi in concern. She wasn't sure if sending her off publicly to a private school was the best option. Even if a private school was more expensive than a public one, she did not want to take any more risks for Naomi. 

The child had already suffered enough. 

Two weeks. 

Approximately two weeks it took for the process of Naomi's registration enrolled in the closest high school to the house. She would take both legs to walk for at least fifteen minutes and it was past her step-brother's bus stop. He would've preferred a car of his own, but it meant less money. 

During that duration of two weeks, Naomi mostly stayed at home. She would watch over the passing pedestrians making their way to a destination every day. It was the same routine all over again and Naomi had not met that boy ever since she handed him that food pack. 

She did not want to experience a fluttering moment again, especially in front of him. 

However, no matter how cooped up Naomi was inside the house, she would often see the boy with the pink hair passing through their house. She wasn't stalking despite having her gaze stay in one place and in one position. 

She noticed that he would pass by to the right side and disappear out of her sight. She wondered where he went between those two weeks. Maybe, he went to find some new friends. Maybe, he went to do some grocery shopping as requested from his Father.

Naomi didn't put much thought about it. She wished that she could just walk as freely as the pink haired boy without having paranoid thoughts occupying her mind. 

Today was finally the day to begin anew. 

Upon entering her first day, which was the second semester for those students, she felt uncomfortable being the oldest out of them all. She was supposed to be at university by now, but her lack of certificates were not enough to execute her current level to a proper job. 

Examining her outfit from the mirror's reflection, she felt like a real high school student despite her age. She was just one year older and it didn't really strike a problem to the system. 

As long as money had been provided for her education. 

Cleaning and eating breakfast was done as Naomi fixed the velcro's of her black shoes. For just a week, her step brother had volunteered to accompany Naomi to her school. His bus stop was just a few steps away and he could see her at a far distance. 

With her new school bag, packed lunch and supplies, Naomi bid both parents goodbye. She stepped out of the house with little to no confidence. She also realised that this was going to be her first time staying out for more than an hour.  

Naomi heaved a strained sigh before glancing at her step brother, Taehyung.

"Is something the matter?"

He noticed the concern glimmering in those pair of eyes. She had already agreed that she was ready to take the first step and there was no going back. 

She shook her head in response. Taehyung locked his arms with his step sister and marched forward, plastering his wide smile to encourage Naomi. 

"You know there's no going back. You've already made your decision and we are here to support you no matter what. We're here for you, okay?"

They crossed the street like normal pedestrians, snaking their way through the forest of trees and people. Naomi had never been in such crowded situations like this before. It had almost made her hurl. Taehyung took notice and kept a firm grip. 

He didn't want to risk losing his step sister. She had experienced a terrible past. 

"So Naomi, I was wondering. What are your favourite hobbies to do, other than lounging inside the house?"

Naomi stifled an offended response and replaced it with a snicker. 

"Aside from all those animes you showed me, there's nothing really."

Taehyung leisurely shook his head in disappointment. He believed that there was more to that than just watching and repeating the same routine again. He believed Naomi has potential to leave the past as it is and move ahead to the future. 

"I believe by the time you finish high school, you'd find a dream you'd want to pursue. Trust me. I was like that during my high school times. I used to hang out a lot with my friends and spend most of the time gaming that homework would be done at the last minute. Sometimes, I had to copy from my classmate. It's quite embarrassing to think about it. Yet when reality hit me, it's not just gaming that I have to feel responsible with. I understand that this is my own life even when someone tries to pitch you into a certain path that you'll likely dislike. Our parents won't be there to support us till the day we die. Eventually, we have to take care of ourselves instead of depending on others."

He realised he was bragging too much of himself about his past that Taehyung pinched himself.

"Sorry, I must've babbled a lot."

Naomi eagerly shook her head as a genuine smile appeared on her face. She felt content in hearing those motivational words. It pushed her forward one step bigger into a path she would soon likely discover. 

It might not appear now, but it will someday.

"It's all right. I like hearing such encouragements. To be honest, staying inside the house feeling paranoid all the time only isolated me from the world. I actually dreamed of going on adventures without thinking that someone might be behind me holding a knife and-"

She stopped midway when Taehyung messed up her hair. The path that they were walking on decreased in the amount compared to the crowd that Naomi would usually see. Some people moved around the two, who were apparently blocking the path. 

"Stop thinking about that. You have me and our parents to rely on. You're not the only one suffering."

Naomi forced a giggle in the end and the both of them continued walking - afraid that anyone from the crowd might spit out fire in rage for stopping in the middle. 

"Goodness, I must've talked a lot because there's your school." Taehyung pointed to the right direction, inducing Naomi to follow his directed destination. She did not want to part away from her step brother right now. She wanted to talk more about life with him, but time was running. 

Maybe, another day and the next will suffice her satisfactions until the perpetrator appears. 

That was highly likely to happen. 

Taehyung slung his bag behind his shoulder and placed one palm on Naomi. Her body was no longer trembling, but if they were to part now, she would quiver like an earthquake. 

"Don't worry about starting anew. What happened years ago was not your fault and we're here to support you. Even if the killer is on the loose, wherever he is, you have people around you to rely on for now. You are brave and I believe that you can conquer anything. Remember the clips that I showed and practiced with you for self-defense? You can use that?"

Naomi felt like she was about to cry, but Taehyung patted her shoulder with his rectangular looking grin. 

Upon parting away from Taehyung and entering the school grounds, Naomi felt slightly uncomfortable going inside for the first time. Her step brother would've helped in escorting Naomi to the reception hall, but he had work to attend to. 

Furthermore, with the given map of the school, Taehyung believed that Naomi could find her way out of this massive corridor. 

She noticed small groups of students gathered in the corridors, presumably waiting for their classes. She wanted to ask one of them about the location of the reception hall, but averted eye contact and ambled briskly. It was the first day and it was normal for a new student to feel nervous. 

Carefully following the directions on the given map without colliding against anyone, Naomi had finally found the destined place she was supposed to be at. 

An email sent to her step father from the school had mentioned that a teacher would be waiting for Naomi at the reception hall. The teacher, which was supposedly a female would be the one to assist and watch over Naomi for a couple of days. The female teacher understood Naomi's situation after a day of discussion with the parent during the weekend. 

She was going to watch Naomi's progress for the time being to see if any abnormalities occur. Not that anything was wrong with Naomi, there was a likely chance that she'd get a panic attack. 

Naomi gazed at the surroundings of the reception hall. It was big enough to fill in more than one office desk. She was busy looking around that she did not notice a lean figure approaching the latter. The teacher had her  brown hair tied in a tight ponytail, dressed in a white blazer and violet pants.

"Are you Kim Naomi?"

Almost startled, the latter turned around to face the female voice. She took notice that it was the teacher that her step mother had mentioned during breakfast one time. She looked entirely different as to what her Mother had described the female teacher as. Naomi felt like shrinking into a tiny cocoon and never come out again.

She nodded her head as her grip on the map tightened that it might rip into two. 

"I'm Miss Yuna. I'll be your adviser for today and assist you to your classes for a couple of weeks. If there's anything you find troubling, do not hesitate to ask me."

Naomi felt like she was twelve instead of her actual age. She bowed down in retaliation once the teacher was done speaking.

"I-I'm at your care, Miss Yuna."

Miss Yuna smiled once again and approached the main desk. She asked for both planner and timetable for the new student. Naomi would've done this herself, but it's been a long time since entering an actual school building. Alas, she's never had to worry about getting a timetable or even a planner. 

Everything was sorted out at home as regular teachers of different subjects visited. 

Naomi hoped that she could survive this through without causing any troubles for the people around her. 

Both planner and printed timetable specifically for Kim Naomi had been handed. They examined the first period, which was Physics for one and a half hour. 

In spite of having to teach Naomi at home, she did diligently well in almost all of the subjects. The only stimulant that kept bugging the latter was her panic attacks. She'd get them randomly with and without her knowing. 

"First period is Physics with Teacher Ayumi in room C24. That'll be located in that corridor in the science department, of course."

Bopping her head up and down, the latter tried following the teacher and following her own steps towards the classroom. The time was almost ticking to seven and most of the students have entered their classrooms.

"Please wait out here for a moment." Miss Yuna spoke and Naomi nodded in return. She has barely uttered a complete sentence without having to stutter. She felt nervous in meeting new people and socialising with them. She felt quite shy, despite being the oldest out of all to attend the high school. 

It was only just for three years. Taehyung believed in her and she also believed in herself. 

Miss Yuna urged for Naomi to enter the classroom, noticing that each student has their own individual tables. The structure consisted five rows across and four rows vertically. She stood beside her adviser and greeted the Physics teacher with a nervous smile. 

What a lucky outcast she was.

Naomi was given both Physics textbook and notebook. It was only one subject and the books all together felt quite heavy. 

"You can take a seat near the window. It's been empty for a while now." 

She followed the directions and carefully placed both books on the table. Her heart was hammering in anxiety as small beads of sweat coated on her forehead. She wiped the sweat in one brush using her handkerchief and sat comfortably facing the board. 

The clock read 07:00PM and the whole seats inside the classroom were occupied. Most of the students glanced at the new presence whilst Miss Yuna watched from the back of the room.

"Everyone, I would like you to meet our new student, Kim Naomi."

Upon mentioning her name as the teacher glanced at her direction, Naomi forced herself to stand up and bow down to the classroom. felt dry from all the nervousness of the students staring at her back, but her grip on her blouse tightened as Naomi held back the urge to weep. 

"H-hello everyone. I'm Kim Naomi, it's nice to meet you."

Oh how she wished she was back at the house staring at the boy with the pink hair pass by their front house.  

280217 - extremely boring chapter but please bear with me it's just the beginning -3-