The bell for lunch resonated in the hallways and everyone rushed out of their classrooms. Ara sighed as her stomach grumbled in hunger, like most days she again had no lunch. Walking slowly to her locker to drop her books off she bumped into Taemin.

 

"Watch where you're going ugly!"

 

"Whatever..." She mumbled ignoring him and walking past.

 

Opening her locker her eyes lit up as she saw the lunchbox filled with dubboki. There was a folded peice of paper next to it. Opening it Ara couldn't help but smile.

 

'Eat well. You're looking too skinny these days.'

 

Taemin heart fluttered at the sight,  seeing how happy his small gesture had made her. He had noticed she never ate and felt guilty so this was his secret apology.

 

***

 

'Don't be sad, you're much prettier when you smile.'

 

'It's a beautiful day isn't it? Enjoy your day.'

 

'Today it's ramen. I woke up too late to make something nicer, sorry.'

 

'To make up for the ramen yesterday, there's additional chocolate. Hope you like chocolate.'

 

Days passed and each day without fail there  was lunchbox with a note in her locker. She asked Key about the notes and food in her locker. Key denied it but did tease the girl about having a secret admirer. Ara blushed at his comments, she had never been liked before.

 

Smiling she walked home. Taemin watched her leave, he liked seeing her smile, it looked beautiful on the young girl.

 

***

 

Ara's graduation was nearing meaning she had to study. With books spread out across the dining room table she was intently studying for her final exams.

 

"What the hell is this?" Screamed her father pushing an envelope in front of her and interrupting her study. The envelope was addressed to her and had the Seoul University seal on the corner. Her face lit up, it was a big envelope meaning she must have gotten in. Turning back to her father her smile faltered.

 

"My university acceptance letter?"

 

"You !" Her grabbed her hair, "you expect me to pay for this ." No she really hadn't. She had planned to move out after graduation, get a job and pay for it herself but she hoped she had more time to tell them. She shook her head quickly but yelped in pain when her father grabbed her hair pulling her to her mother.

 

He pushed his daughter to the floor, kicking her face, she spat out some blood but dared not to stand.  "We spend so much on you ungrateful brat and you just expect us to up and pay for university as well."

 

She slowly pulled her self to her feet and shook her head.

 

"Then what!"

 

"I was going to pay for it myself.... I guess I should tell you now, I'm moving out after graduation." It wasn't her father who struck her this time it was her mother. The slap was hard and burst her lip. She could taste blood once again in but she swallowed it.

 

"Why wait till graduation!" Her mother shouted angry, "leave now you ungrateful brat." She wanted to protest but all she stayed silent.

 

"Leave!" Her father screamed and she ran. Scared she ran out of the house, no where to go she just kept running.

 

***

 

"Aish umma, do I have to." Taemin whined at his mother's insistence he do the chores.

 

"Yes quickly." His mother shouted from the kitchen where she was cooking dinner.

 

Taemin released a sigh picking up the garbage bag and leaving the house. The bins were out front and as he opened one to put the bag in he noticed a familiar girl walking past.

 

She was wearing just shorts and an oversized shirt. Walking the pavements barefoot she looked extremely scared and displaced.

 

"Ara" Taemin called and the girl turned to face him. Under the street lights Taemin could see the purplish bruises down her legs and arms, something she had always covered at school. Her face was red and her lip was bleeding. Taemin's heart wrenched seeing her like that.

 

"Taemin?" She spoke softly not like how she responded to him at school.

 

"Ara, what's wrong?" He walked up to her examining her bruised face. "Where did you get these ugly bruises?" Ara flinched at the word ugly, why couldn't Taemin just stop for one day.

 

"Leave me alone Taemin." She turned away to walk away. Taemin grabbed her wrist which was still healing. As soon as he heard her whimper he released her but continued walking after her.

 

"Ara, please tell me what's wrong?"

 

"Go away Taemin!" Taemin paced after her.

 

"Please Ara, I care about you."

 

"Sure you do..." Ara replied sacarstically.

 

"Seriously I do," with that he held her waist and pulled her into a kiss. Taemin could taste the blood on her lips as he kissed the girl. The kiss didn't last long as she pushed him off, he fell to the ground.

 

"What the hell Taemin!" She screamed at the boy on the pavement.

 

"I like you..." He muttered softly.

 

"No you don't! If you did you wouldn't call me freakin ugly for six years. You wouldn't make my life hell. You wouldn't be such a . So no Taemin, you don't like me." With her outburst she ran away down the street. Taemin watched from the ground as the barefooted girl ran away leaving him surprised and guilty.

 

***

 

"Key" Taemin ran after his classmate in the hallways. Ara hadn't come to school and he was hoping that her best friend had some answers.

 

"What do you want?" Key asked rudely, he didn't even look at the younger boy as he piled his books into his locker.

 

"I was wondering where is Ara?"

 

"Why so you can bully her again?"

 

"No, I'm just worried about her."

 

"Why don't I believe you?" Key shut his locker and began to walk away.

 

"Seriously Key, I really do care." Taemin walked beside him. Key paused for a moment as if some revelation had washed over him.

 

"Omg Taemin, are you the mysterious locker man?" He seemed a little excited.

 

"The what?" Taemin looked at him confused, "if you mean if I'm the guy that leaves her lunch in her locker then yeah. I just noticed she never has any."

 

"Omo Taemin, this is just too cute." Key spazzed over the movie playing out in his head of their love story.

 

"What the hell Key?" Taemin was weirded out by his reaction, "this is why you have no friends." Key frowned at his insult.

 

"You know this is why I'm pretty sure Ara won't like you, you're so mean." He said as he began walking away from Taemin once more.

 

"Sorry Key, I just say things I don't mean them, really." Taemin admitted, "now please tell me where Ara is."

 

"Why do you need to know."

 

Taemin contemplated whether he should tell Key or not, but decided on the former. "I'm really worried about her, she was covered in bruises when I last saw her."

 

Key sighed as he sadly smiled. "Guess I was right." He whispered to himself.

 

"Right about what?"

 

"I think Ara gets abused at home, but I wasn't certain. You see I never ask her questions about anything like why she doesn't have her lunch, why she doesn't let me hug her, why she has mysterious wounds on her face sometimes. I always just assumed she wouldn't tell me." Key admitted solemnly. The guilt overtook Taemin once more as he realised what he had been doing to her the past six years. A bully at school on top of that home life must have been difficult but Ara always seemed so brave not scared like she did last night.

 

"So... Where is Ara?"

 

"I don't know." Key sadly smiled at Taemin.

 

"Aish, you could have said that in the beginning you jerk." Taemin walked off in fustration and Key smiled. That boy will never change.

 

***

 

Ara had no way of getting her uniform to attend school. She couldn't face her parents and she had no where to go. She had spent her night on the streets last night, scared of being attacked she hadn't actually fallen asleep. Spending her night behind a dumpster she had actually begun to miss the hardwood floors and the cramped space of the attic bedroom, at least it was warm.

 

All she could do now was wonder the streets, barefoot and sleep deprived. "Ara?" A worried voice called her. She slowly turned to be greeted by a tight hug. Her body ached at the pain and she let out a small yelp. The boy immediately let go hearing this and smiled at her.  "Ara, I've been looking everywhere for you. I even asked Key. What a wierd one he is but I can tell he's a good friend. He said he didn't know so I just kept looking Ara. I'm so sorry, really I am. For everything, for then past six years. For all the times I called you ugly. Truthfully your not ugly at all, you're beautiful I was just to dense to see it. I admit it was fun in the beginning to bully you but them it just became habit and I just wanted a response out of you. But you never did, I always thought you were brave for that. Ara I am truly sorry, please forgive me." He rambled on without so much as taking a breath. Ara looked stunned at the boy, was this the same Taemin that promised to make her life a living hell to her face when they first met in grade seven, the same boy who without fail had told her she was ugly every single day, the same boy she has punched. Instinctively her heart began to beat rapidly as she stared at Taemin.

 

"I'm so sorry Ara, please don't leave." Taemin continued, "you can move in with me, I'm pretty sure umma won't mind." he paused before adding"Ara, please let me protect you."

 

Ara was moved by his little speech and without a second thought leaned up and kissed him. The kiss was soft and sweet, just like Taemin had wanted the kiss yesterday to have been. Taemin softly placed his hand behind her neck and pulled her in to the kiss.

 

"Is that a yes?" He asked in between kissing.

 

"It's a maybe." She mumbled kissing him again.

 

 

I finally finished this. It didn't turn out like what I imagined it to be when I wrote the first part in my sleep deprived state. It was originally meant to be a sad ending but I just couldn't do that to Taemin, I mean how cute is he. I'm sorry I took a while and that there is so much crammed into this chapter, I just had to limit myself from writing too much cause I promised this would be a three shot. Hoped you guys liked it. Comments are much appreciated. :)