Just like any other mornings I despise, I found myself surrounded by these three ugly bastards again, having no choice but to give up my wallet.

“50 won? What the hell am I gonna buy with this?” the ugliest roared in my face.

“I-I’m sorry my boss at the café hasn’t given my payment yet,” I stammered.

He raised his hand about to hit me in the face.

I shut my eyes tightly waiting for the pain to dominate my face but instead—

“Didn’t I tell you not to show how scared you are? FIGHT, remember?”

The voice rang my eardrums. For a minute, I thought I was hallucinating. It was the stranger’s voice I’ve met a week ago. Surprisingly, I still remembered his voice.

“Who the hell are you?” I heard ugly said.

I slowly opened my eyes and found you standing right next to me, holding the guy’s wrist.

“Just a friend who happened to pass by,” you smiled wryly at the man and threw his filthy hand back to him. “Now, will you give his money back?”

Ugly smirked, “Yeah right.” He turned to his underlings and motioned to get us.

You abruptly held me by the wrist and whispered to my ear as the men slowly approached us. “Didn’t I tell you if you don’t know how to fight, run instead? We should apply that now. RUN!”

On your signal, we broke into a race.

You laughed as we run, as if you enjoyed being chased by the people who might end our life soon. I thought that maybe you were mentally retarded who happened to have an ESP and escaped from asyluml. Maybe you were, but it doesn’t matter.

We turned breathless into a corner and entered an old fashioned bookstore. We ducked behind the cabinets and stopped as we reached the far end side near a window. You told me to sit down as you peeped outside.

“I think we’re safe here,” you said as you sat beside me.

“Thank God,” I respired in relief.

You laughed and exclaimed, “It was my first time being chased by bullies. I think that was really fun!”

“You’re crazy,” I decided to tell you.

“Yeah I know,” your laugh rang the small space where we sat.

Smiling isn’t my reflex. It wasn’t even my specialty. It wasn’t something I planned but for the first time since I don’t know when, I found myself smiling a bit.

“I guess you do know how to smile,” you stared amusingly at me as if you discovered something precious—but there isn’t. “The first time we met, your lips won’t even move except when you talk.”

I didn’t know how to respond since I didn’t know whether it’s a compliment or not. I avoided your eyes and for some reason I felt my face flush.

In my surprise, you suddenly pinched my cheeks with both of your hands and stretched it up. It felt as if my lips were going to be torn apart.

“What are you doing?” my words were unclear and I was in pain. But you continued doing it anyway and then you laughed as you let go. “Try doing that at home maybe you’ll learn how to smile. Show what you’ve learned to me first alright?”

I pursed my lips together and decided to leave that topic, “Do you realize you’re in a bad position right now? Saving me means that you’re in trouble too. Those guys know exactly what you look like and they might get back at you anytime.”

“Then from now on maybe I should train and join the race track team or something.”

“You don’t really take things seriously do you?”

You shrugged and chuckled then you stopped, narrowing your eyes to my uniform. “I guess we’re schoolmates huh?”

“Yeah I guess so.”

Then you stood up as you cleaned off the dust on your pants and stretched out your hand to me, “We should go now or we’ll be late.”

I stared at your hand in a brief moment and thought that if I took it, will you let go? Will you let me fall just like others have done?

Though afraid, I decided to face my fear and trusted my hands to you. You were the first person I ever trusted and you didn’t let me down. I was back on my feet and stood right next to you and seeing your face this close, my heart begun to pound hard. You then put your hand around my shoulders as we walked outside the store as if we were best friends for a long time.