Jin Ae taste the salt of tears as they ran down her face. She winced at the stinging of the tears running over the cut on her lower lip. Her mother had slapped her so hard that her lip cracked. She wrapped her arms around her body and shivered. The wind was cold and the bucket of water, including the bucket, her father had thrown at her had drenched her clothes enhancing the already cold weather.

 

As she cried, she couldn't help but think about what she did to deserve this. Was she such a bad daughter? What had warranted the beating today? Had she even done anything?

 

She had no one to cry for her, her parents certainly wouldn't and her friends were long gone ever since her parents pulled her out of school. The tears just kept falling and she felt even more sorry for herself.

 

 

 

"Goodnight, I'm leaving" Tao said bowing to his boss as he left work.

The way home for him was far but the buses had stopped at this time of night so he had to walk. As he walked he passed a park he stopped. Everyday he noticed the same girl, bawling her eyes out under a tree at the back of park and everyday he felt annoyed at her. To him this girl was pathetic. What was so wrong with her life that warranted crying? Was she so fragile that she couldn't simply handle the difficulties of life? He hated people who cry the most, he didn't understand it. Crying wouldn't take the pain away, if anything it would increase it.

The girl today wasn't crying but asleep on the trunk of the tree. Tao moved towards her, whilst he was annoyed by her, he knew it was dangerous to be sleeping in a park this late at night. As he moved closer and crouched down beside her, he noticed the tear stains down her face and sighed, she had been crying again.

"Hey wake up" he said slightly nudging her shoulder. She didn't respond. "Ok fine, don't say I didn't try". Again she didn't respond to his words. The cold wind blew her dark hair across her face and a few strands into . Tao reached to move her hair away and his hand brushed against her skin. She was burning up and Tao could immediately tell she was sick.

 

 

***

 

 

When Jin Ae woke up the next morning she was in an unfamiliar place. She was lying on a large bed with light flooding through an open window. This was definitely a change from the small dark attic with a old smelly mattress where she usually slept. What surprised her the most was her clothes. She wasn't wearing the same outfit she was last night. She was wearing a white shirt which was too big for her and no pants whatsoever. What happened last night? A sigh of relief escaped when she noticed her underwear was still intact. Still not knowing where she was, worried her, she was at the park last time she checked.

 

The door to the room was slightly ajar and she could hear a voice coming from outside the door. 

 

"Yeah, I can't come to work today." the voice said.

 

Trying not to make noise, she walked towards the doors on the tips of her toes. She slowly opened the door and observed the  male having a conversation to someone through his phone. The man was tall, well taller than her. And judging by his face he was young, probably around her age. 

He was incredibly handsome but had dark and sharp eyes which seemed to be in a constant state of anger and this scared her.

 

Tao just got off the phone with his boss. He couldn't leave a strange girl he barely knows in his apartment. Geez, this girl sleeps a lot he thought as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

 

He was about to see if she was awake when he noticed the small figure standing at the doorway. She looked confused and scared. Tao already noticed the bruises and marks on her body when he had to change her out of her wet clothes but standing here in the light, the red, blue and purple marks were even more clear against her milky white skin. Her face was average, her lip was burst but other than that the only outstanding thing about her were her grey puffy eyes. They resembled the color of a storm but the same time were peaceful and alluring.

 

"I see you're awake" he said walking up to her. 

 

She didn't respond instead she stared at him whilst also trying to pull down the shirt she was wearing which had ridden up past her thighs. She didn't know this young man and definitely didn't want him seeing her in this attire.

"Don't worry, I saw much more last night and your body isn't that great" he said whilst walking back towards the kitchen. 

 

Her eyes widened at his statement, how could someone be so blunt and rude.

 

She was angry but remained silent as she had no idea who this guy was.

 

"Here" said Tao picking up a bag and handing it to her, "your clothes are dry, you can get changed in my room." she hesitantly took the bag and silently  returned back into the room she just exited from.

 

When she came back out she was dressed in her own clothes, a baggy sweater and tights. She handed him his white shirt and turned to leave his apartment. She had no idea where it was but it wouldn't be too hard to find her way home.

 

"Wait, I'll take you back." he said grabbing a jacket and following her out.

 

They walked in silence for a bit before she unexpectedly broke the silence.

 

"If you don't mind me asking, who are you"

 

"Tao" he replied without looking at her, "I found you unconscious in the park. Your name is Jin Ae right?" Before she could ask how he knew her name, he explained, "I found your name on your clothes". She remembered the fact that he had seen her in her underwear and blushed. However she already realised it was because her own clothes were wet and he was just trying to help. She smiled at the kindness of this stranger.

 

Tao's heart raced at her smile, why was he being kind to her? He hated girls like her, she was too fragile and naive to even attract his attention. Why had she then? Whilst admiring her sweet smile his eyes lingered on her busted lip. He leaned in close, this movement scared her and she flinched moving back.

 

"What's up with your ugly scars and bruises?" he asked blankly.

She remembered the reason she was at the park last night and slowly tears started welling up in her eyes. When Tao saw the tears, he sighed in frustration. She was crying again.

 

He stopped in his tracks and his eyes went back to his unkind scary glare.

 

"Why the hell do you do that?" he scolded her, "Stop crying. Its not going to make what happens to you any better. So just stop."

She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

 

"Sorry" she whimpered.

 

"What's there to say sorry for, just stop crying!" he said in a gruff voice. He really didn't like it when people cried. Tao was annoyed by her and she felt scared of him.

 

"I know my way from here, thank you" she bowed to him before walking off. He watched at the retreating figure, he didn't feel bad for scolding her but he didn't want her to leave.

 

When she arrived home, she tried to stay silent. Her parents would be awake at this time and she just didn't want another beating. Half way up the stairs a hand grabbed her hair and pulled her down to the living room.

 

"The finally came home" said her mother whilst pushing her to the floor in front of her father's feet. Her face landed on her fathers shoe and her lip started bleeding again. Her father shoved her of his shoe and kicked her face.

 

"Where we're you last night?" he growled. She didn't answer and got another kick from her father.

"Probably being the she is" her mother stated kicked her side with her heels.

 

Her side was in pain and coughed out some blood. 

"Clean that up" her mother scolded whilst walking away from her with her father.

 

She got up, overcoming the pain and ran up to her musty attic room. For the first time she didn't cry she just caught her breath and cleaned herself up and then went downstairs to clean up the blood in the living room. What Tao said was true, crying doesn't lessen the  pain.

 

AN: sorry I didn't realize the first chapter was cut off. Anyways here it is now.:)