A black notebook was sticking from under the rocks. Youngjae crouched down, not sure if he recalled it being here the other day. He was annoyed because this would mean he was not the only one who had found solace among the rocks behind the mini waterfall. This would mean that at any moment, he may stumble upon an unwanted stranger.

            Youngjae scowled and picked up the notebook. It was fairly new, with a smooth leather cover but there were creases in the spine, indicating constant usage already. Curious, he sat on the rock and decided to read. He had no pang of guilt. If the person had invaded his territory first, then he had every right to read whatever he or she had left behind.

            The handwriting inside was graceful and flowy. The writer, clearly a girl, had long and wrote in a slightly slanted style. Her first words caught his eye. “Would anyone miss me if I died?”

            Youngjae felt this need, this urge to read on. If this was someone who needed help. Then the thought struck him and he peered uneasily down at the river flowing rapidly beneath him. What if she had already jumped? He shivered, feeling a paranoid tingling of a presence behind him.

            Youngjae continued reading, absorbed by her words. She was abused by her father, and had to live with a passive aggressive mother. Her mother hated her, blaming her for the death of her five year old brother. He flipped the pages, completely absorbed. The page ended abruptly.

            “I need to go. I hear my father calling. What more does he want? I’ll leave this here. Cannot risk having it seen.”

            So she was still alive. That much was good. Youngjae carefully tucked the notebook back into its crack and sat on the rock. He was trying hard not to hyperventilate. He wasn’t sure whether to report this to the police. He was still new to the neighborhood and this could be anyone.

            He thought of his neighbor next door. No, he only had a son. The entire town seemed to not fit into this description. Youngjae thought. If he left this, and she continued to spiral into depression, her death would be on his conscience. But if he did something with it, what troubles would he start?

            He decided to be back, to monitor her. Youngjae carefully slipped off the rock and began the walk home. He passed a bunch of blue flowers. He knelt next to it. It was rare to see anything growing on this side of the trail. The soil was mostly rocks and nothing was fertile. He tugged on one of the stalks and the blue flower came up. He placed the flower carefully near the notebook, far enough to not make it obvious.

            Youngjae couldn’t get the girl out of his head. How did she look like? Would she be okay? All night as he went about his routine, he wondered. His father noticed and asked him what was the matter.

            “Is there a family with a daughter and a son who passed away?”

            His father had looked surprised. “In this town? I haven’t heard of it. Why?”

            “Oh, I heard from someone gossiping and figured you would know maybe.” His father had shrugged and Youngjae went back to pondering.

            He didn’t really know how to go about this but the next day, he went off on the hike again. The notebook was there, but the flower wasn’t. Curious, he took out the slim black book and perused it. There was a new entry and he jumped back in shock.

            His flower was pressed in it. “There was a flower on the rock. Is it a sign? After I went back home, I had to clean up mom’s vomit. She had overdrank and father didn’t want to deal with it. Of course. Then she cried and my father hit me, telling me I’m useless. Is there anything new?

            I’ve taken to using a knife. Sometimes it feels better to carve patterns around his bruises. A bruise is internal bleeding isn’t it? So I might as well see the blood. I managed to slip out and come here. There was a flower. It appears deliberate.

            I know flowers don’t grow in this area even though the river is right by. I’ll keep it. Maybe it’s from my guardian angel.

            Youngjae closed the book and sighed. Guardian angel. He liked the sound of it. Youngjae smiled to himself. He searched his pockets for anything and came up with a gold thimble that he had taken from his mom as a child. It was still in his pockets, carried with him everywhere he went. He placed it gently on the rock and smiled. Maybe this is how he would help.

            Day after day, he went back to the very place. There was a new entry every day and she left notes. One day, there was nothing. Youngjae flipped anxiously through the pages and reread the same last words of the previous entry. “Death is more than welcome at this point.”

            He wanted to hit himself. He had forgotten a gift the day before and it didn’t help matters that she seemed to be spiraling out of control. He sat on the rock and looked into the river, trying to find her. There were light footsteps and he looked up.

            A girl was staring at him, her dark eyes wide with horror. When she saw him looking, she turned to run. Youngjae stood up and chased after her. “Please! Come back! I have something for you.”

            She faced him and Youngjae saw the bruises on her neck where her father had grabbed her a few days ago. He saw the scars and could place where each one of them came from. His heart plummeted. She was so beautiful, though. A delicate work of art that shouldn’t have been maimed.

            Youngjae held out a small teddy bear, the one thing that she had lost in one of her father’s rages. The girl’s eyes welled with tears and Youngjae took her hand softly. She was missing a pinky, just like the entry of May 20^th said she would. He raised the stub of a finger to his lips and kissed it.

            “It doesn’t matter what your father says. You’re beautiful and you deserve to live.” 

Youngjae plot requested

It could be longer but then thingsmay not be as simple as I wanted it to be ♥

expect a Jongup sometime in the afternoon