(beta by -dolce-)

Warning : foul language

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Warning : foul language

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Since the incident, nothing much has changed between them. Siwon still talks to Heechul coldly and she still talks to him harshly. Siwon still calls her every morning and she keeps coming to school one minute before the gate closes but somehow, deep in their hearts, they knew it felt different. Love? Maybe not. It’s too early to say that what they have is love.

It’s just an awkward feeling, mostly on Heechul’s side because she had let her enemy see her weakness and she blames her body for surrendering to Siwon’s arms and  worse, she fell asleep in front of him and when she woke up, the first thing she saw was Siwon’s sleeping figure on the chair beside her bed. She facepalmed and cursed herself when she was tempted to touch his sleeping face and let her mind wonder again about his personality, “What the are you thinking, Kim Heechul? He’s your enemy...enemy.”

-

“Shindong-oppa, where’s the book I that I want?” She asked when she realized that the book that she wanted to buy was no longer there.

Shindong looked up from book that he was reading, “Oh, my friend from Busan bought four books yesterday. He will sell it in his bookstore and a mysterious man bought one book last month. It’s good, right? Finally, all the books are sold out. I’m glad.” His cheerful expression was a contrast against the horror in Heechul's face.

“No. . .It’s just a nightmare, right?” She asked in disbelief.

Shindong raised his eyebrow and shook his head, “I think you should take a long break and concentrate on your final exam, Chul, after that you can come back here.”

Heechul slumped on her chair, she felt her body boneless. “I can’t quit, Oppa. I need money.” She told him and buried her head in her arms, moping because of her bad luck.

---

“Knock. . .knock. . .is someone still here?” Sungmin's cheerful voice broke Siwon’s train of thought. He was sitting alone inside the Student Council room.

“Chansung, hasn’t picked you up?” He asked.

Sungmin shook her head and walked up to Siwon. "He’ll be here in 10 minutes. Who are you thinking about? Heechul?”

Siwon just rolled his eyes. He won’t admit it but yes, he was thinking about Heechul. Not in a romantic way, he just suddenly remembered when she cried in his arms last month.

“Think about the exam, Mr. School President. Don’t let other students beat your perfect score just because you got distracted by your enemy.” Sungmin as she made her way out of the room and Siwon only answered with a grunt.

The sky was already painted in a mixture of orange and purple when he decided to leave school.

--

“I can’t give you more time, Kim. I want my money. Your time is up. I want my money now!” A man with a scary face threatened Heechul’s aunt who knelt in front of him in fear.

“Take anything from this house. I don’t have any money.” She begged but the man just scoffed.

“What can I get from this ugly house.? You don’t have anything valuable inside this house and you don’t even have the title.” He walked around the house and his eyes landed to one worn-out picture covered with dust on the shelf. He took it and wiped it clean. His mouth widened to a  smirk when he saw the picture. “Well, who’s this girl?”

Heechul's aunt stood up and approached him. “She’s my niece. She’s pretty, isn’t she?” She smiled slyly when she saw the man’s eyes burning in lust. “Do you want her? She’s still a .”

The man’s breath hitched. He pulled out her debt claims and shoved it in front of her face. “I’ll forget about this but I want your niece as the payment.”

“Agreed but I want money in exchange too.” She smirked.

He threw her a bundle of money. She collected the debt claims and money and shoved it inside her bag. “You can take her now, she’s  working at Paper and Pie.” Without being told twice, he left with his men.

“You’re finally useful to me, .” She took a swig of soju, celebrating her crime upon her niece.

--

Heechul was walking alone from her Paper and Pie, her body was sore and tired. She felt a car following her since she got out of the café but she ignored it although she was feeling nervous that something bad will happen. She’s right when the car suddenly blocked her way and a few men approached her. She turned around but behind her was another man. Heechul knew him, she saw him once when he came to her house.

“What do you want?” She snapped at them. The leader laughed lowly.

“What I want is you. Obviously. Who else?”

“Your business is with my aunt not me.” she hissed.

The loan shark shook his head, “Not anymore. Your aunt sold you to me. Now, come with me, beautiful and let me treat you well in my brothel.”

Heechul gasped and tears started forming in her eyes. She couldn’t believe her ears. Was it true that her aunt sold her? She knew that her aunt hates her but she didn’t think that she’s that evil.

“Nobody owns me!” She yelled and tried to run away but one of his men caught her.

“Let me go! Let me go, bastard!” She struggled and yelled. The leader  grabbed her by her face and smirked. “You wild type baby and I want your mouth screaming my name as I fu-”

“Let her go.” A cold voice interrupted his word. He glared at the intruder and saw a man in a high-school uniform standing few feet away from them.

“Go away, kid.” He snarled. “Mind your own business if you don’t want get hurt.” He warned him but the intruder didn’t listen to his words and approached them. Heechul’s eyes were wet and wide in fear as if begging him to help her.

The leader grunted and sent one of his men to his direction. The man sent one punch to his direction, making Heechul scream in fear, “No, let him go!” She struggled against his hold when she was dragged to the direction of the car. Suddenly, Heechul felt someone grabbing her and pulling her from the leader’s grasp. The loan shark leader was bewildered to find all his men on the ground and writhing in pain.

“My training in Taek Won Do is enough to break all the bones in your body, Ahjussi. So let her go and promise that you won’t disturb her ever.” His voice was calm but full of venom. He tightened his grip on Heechul’s waist as he held her.

“But I paid for that girl and I freed her aunt from her debts. I’m his owner now.”

“No one have me. I own myself!” Heechul spat, her body trembled in anger and fear.

“No. I’m your owner. I own your body, your soul, your virg-” a hard punch landed on his cheek and he fell backwards.

“Watch your language, Ahjusshi. She’s my girlfriend. No one, I said no one can touch her.” Heechul stared at him with a surprised look, she can hardly believe it. How could he tell a lie calmly?

“But, her aunt said she’s still single and .” He stuttered.

The boy in high school uniform smirked and placed a kiss on Heechul’s forehead. “I know you’re stupid but I didn’t think you really dumb, how can you believe a drunkard's words? Talking about ity, do you really believe her? Because I spend every weekend with my girlfriend, right, baby?" Heechul’s face was now red in embarrassment. She didn’t know what to say. Suddenly, he pulled her face towards him, and skillfully kissed her cheek near her lips, and from the loan shark's point of view, it looked like they were kissing for real. He groaned in anger, entered his car and drove away.

If it’s even possible, Heechul’s face became redder than before. She was never this close to any man in her school. Or to any man for that matter. In fact, he’s the first guy who hugged her and kissed her, although he just kissed her cheek. When she thought it was safe enough to do so, he pulled her hand from his hold and put a considerable distance between them.

“Why did he want take you? Tell me what’s going on.” It was not a question but an order and she didn’t have a choice but to tell the truth. She told him about her parents’ death five years ago, leaving her in her aunt’s care. Since then, her life had been hell. Her aunt was a drunkard and a gambler not to mention loves to beat her up. She was lucky she always get scholarship so she can continue her studies. Last year, her aunt borrowed money from a loan shark who wanted her as a payment for her aunt’s debt.

She quietly wiped the tears that rolled down her cheek while Siwon just stared at her in disbelief. He couldn’t believe something like this exists in real world, he always thought things like this happen only in movies. Heechul took a deep breath and she turned to Siwon, smiling. Siwon was slight surprised, because he never saw Heechul’s smile before.

“So, why did you kiss me earlier and lied about you being my boyfriend?”

Siwon was blushing, he didn’t expect Heechul will ask that. “I. . .uh. . .I thought that that’s the only way to make him stay away from you; if I didn’t say that, he will come back again to take you and maybe no one will come to save you.” He stared at everywhere but Heechul.

She smiled again and stood up. “Thank you and I rarely say that. I will go home now. Don’t forget we’re still enemies.”

Siwon stood up too and somehow he felt that he should take her home, “You’re welcome and yes, we’re still enemies. I will take you home.” They walked in silence, only their steps can be heard.

Love had already bloomed? Not yet of course.

---

“You lied to me, Kim. You must pay your debt!” The loan shark leader shouted furiously while grabbing her bag to take his money along with debt claims.

Heechul's aunt rubbed the spot where he slapped her earlier, making her slightly  dizzy. “I never lied to you. What do you mean?” She cowered in fear when he approached her.

“Your beautiful niece already has a boyfriend and she isn’t a anymore.” He growled, leaving the angry and scared woman on the floor.

“Heechul, you won’t escape easily. You will pay for this.”

-TBC-