✖ 

“Burn all the scars you've exchanged,

For that love between us." 

✖ 

Jaejoong stared at Junsu and _________ talking on the beach. He was definitely jealous, there was no doubt about that. However, more than ever, he was nervous, because he didn’t know what Junsu was saying. This whole trip, everything that he’d done-it was all planned out, even the meeting with her during the photoshoot nearly a week ago. But right now, what was unfolding in front of him-he hadn’t given approval or disapproval to it yet. And that was what made him slightly scared.

He wondered if she would remember him. Maybe not.

But he’d always remember her.

♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

Junior high.

“You think you’re so good, pretty boy?”

They touched him roughly and angrily, pushing him to the ground. Grabbing his jacket and tearing it, they threw it on top of the linoleum floor of the dirty, deserted school wing. One of the taller boys started stepping on it, as the other grabbed his glasses and broke them in half with his hands. Heart pounding, Jaejoong tried to scramble away from the five of them who were cornering him, but it was to no avail-two of them had a death grip on his arms, and the other kicked his legs.

“Stealing my girlfriend, huh?”

Jaejoong frowned.

“I didn’t steal her. She came on to me.”

“Did I ask to speak, jackass? You son of a , go throw your somewhere else.”

Jaejoong hissed as he felt a hand on his face, but it was not gentle-it was a sharp slap, which made a sound that echoed in the hallway. Seething, he stood up to full height, and punched one of them-the leader, he guessed. For someone with such a muscular build, he seemed weak-he instantly dropped to the floor after the hit. Smiling, Jaejoong relished the feeling of winning over this brute who had been tormenting him for weeks. However, Jaejoong was outnumbered with men-and they started hitting him and clawing at him and ripping off his clothes. After a while, the fallen leader regained his senses, rubbed his jaw, and after shaking his head, he stood up.

“Shame that you didn’t listen. You’re a pretty good fighter.”

His men laughed, and they stomped on his ribs, grinning with every cry Jaejoong let out. He could feel bruises blooming across his body, and a large gash on his back. He knew it would be weeks before the injuries healed-and he felt like one of his legs was broken. Touching his face, he realized that one of them had drawn out a knife during the squabble, and scraped his face. He was sore all over, and felt like he’d just been drowned in fire and hot oil all at once.

“You deserve this. Perhaps this is a good thing-once we destroy your pretty face, maybe you’ll learn a lesson and won’t take my girl anymore.”

And then they left him, lying down in the hall, except for his torn boxers, huddled in a small pool of blood.

♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

Had it been half an hour? An hour? A week? Years?

He didn’t know, but it felt like forever until he saw her. She was running towards him, gasping, and then she knelt down beside him. He blinked his eyes a couple of times, and he thought that she looked so beautiful, like an angel coming to save him from the hell he felt. hHer long black hair was tied back into a modest ponytail, and unlike the rest of the girls at school, she didn’t roll the skirt of her uniform up. He was surprised that he hadn’t avoided her or been scared-all she did right away was pull out a handkerchief from her pocket and started gently cleaning his face.

“What have they done to you?”

Her voice came out in a whisper. She ran her fingers over his marred chest, and even though he was hurt there, he shivered at her touch. She looked genuinely worried and was biting her lip, trying her best to soothe him with her kind words. Pulling out her cellphone, she called the ambulance, and held his hand while gently wiping his cuts and scratches. When she grabbed his hand in hers, Jaejoong’s heart raced, more than when he was in the fight. Why was she doing this for him? He was worthless, just a pretty boy, and meant nothing. Why did she care about him?

“_________.”

A man’s voice suddenly came out of nowhere, and Jaejoong blinked. He was handsome and popular, and he recognized him as Jung Yunho. Though his status was prominent in the school, he was also kind and not arrogant, and he treated girls well. Was he her boyfriend? Was he going to kill her, just like that man did?

“Oppa. He’s hurt. We have to save him, oppa.”

“Did you call the ambulance already?”

Her eyes never left Jaejoong’s. “Yes. Will he be okay?”

“Yes. His pride is a little hurt, though.”

The fact that Yunho answered made Jaejoong feel a little irritated, especially because he hit the mark perfectly. Jaejoong wasn’t scared of dying, because he knew it wouldn’t have happened during that squabble. It was just that he was never really liked by others. He wasn’t sure if it was because of his looks or his shy attitude, but one day, a pretty girl came up to him and asked to be friends. And he accepted, naively, until he found out that he was being played. But those men never listened to him, they didn’t care-they just wanted to kill him anyways.

“I hate them, brother. I hate them.”

So they were siblings? Jaejoong’s heart lifted at the thought.

“We have to leave them be. Ji Saeng and Jun Jin’s parents are councillors for the school board. We’d get expelled just for exposing them.”

“Is there no justice in the world? How can they be so blind? Just because they are his children, how can they ignore this? They create so much trouble, and Jaejoong’s never done anything to hurt anyone. I swear, he’d never hurt a fly. I see him everyday at school-he’s rather shy and doesn’t seem to have much confidence in his looks, even though he’s gorgeous. And then that has to go and ruin his life, everyone knew he was being tricked, except for him-how could they do that to him?”

Jaejoong held his breath. He didn’t even know this girl, but she believed in him so much and even pointed justice towards him. She’d done what he wanted other people to do for him, but she was only a stranger.

It was at that moment, that he fell in love with her.

♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

You looked at Junsu, horrified.

“That-that was him?”

He nodded solemnly, and you couldn’t believe that Jaejoong had remembered-you had forgotten. It had happened only six years ago, when you were fourteen, and Jaejoong sixteen, but it had seemed like another lifetime ago. Too many things had happened, and you forgot about that boy who you were kind to.

“But the thing is, Jaejoong doesn’t owe you anything.”

“What?”

“He was also the one who saved you from the accident.”

♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

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