I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand, dragging my leg after me like a wounded soldier. I knew people were looking strangely at the girl who had her mascara running down her cheeks, while biting her fist in order to keep her pain under control. I knew all that. But I also knew that I would have better died then and there than go back and ask for help or retrieve my crutches. So I kept walking.

‘Seon Yul…’

“Leave me alone, Chaelin,” I hissed, not wanting more strange looks to be thrown at me.

‘I’m sorry,’ her whisper reached me right before her vanishing.

I couldn’t help but wonder if I was really well. Maybe I was in a deep coma and I was paying for my sins. Or maybe I was indeed crazy and dangerous for those around me, myself included.

“If it isn’t queen herself!” A hand grabbed me and forced me to halt my moves. “Remember us?” The man was grinning horribly at me, gesturing to the other four boys behind him.

“W-who are you? Let go of me!”

One of them approached me and leaned in, lowering his head so that his face was at the same level as mine. “Oh, no, sweety,” he ruffled my short hair in a way that made me gulp, “this time it’s your turn to pay your debt.” And the one holding me raised his hand that was holding something white. I thought that was it for me, that they were going to kill me in broad daylight, stoning me to death. But no, how could I be offered such an easy way out?

“This is for breaking Kai’s heart, little birdie,” another one smashes his egg in my hair, the yolk trickling down my temple. “And this,” he showed me another egg, “this is for making him turn against us.”

I swallowed hard and kept my eyes shut, hoping they’d go away. But instead of giving up, their show gathered a whole crowd around us.

“So she’s the one that made Kai so miserable?”

“She’s not pretty at all!”

“Why on Earth did she let go of such a nice man to begin with?!”

“Hear that, little birdie,” the member of the gang whispered in my ear. “That should be the voice of your consciousness, shouldn’t it?”

“Go to hell!” I opened my eyes to see his shocked expression. “Want to trash me? Want to egg me until the odor can be smelled from miles away? Fine! Here!” I grabbed the bag of eggs and, sinking my hand into it, I grabbed two fistfuls of eggs and crushed them against my own skull. “Here! Here!” I repeated the move again and again until there were no more eggs to destroy. “Satisfied now?! Anything else you’d like you throw at me? Do it! Do it now! C’mon! Don’t be shy! Maybe you have some tomatoes on you?!” I grabbed the hands of a woman from the crowd and shook them violently. “Trash me and do whatever you please, but mind that you’ve got the wrong person, you little piece of ! Whomever that Kai of yours is, he must be one piece of unlucky bastard to have friends like you! I pity him, really!”

“Hey! Hey! What’s this ruckus all about?” A deep voice was heard from behind the crowd.

“! The police! Let’s go, guys!” The gang quickly withdrew and disappeared around the corner of a building.

“What’s going on here, young lady?” The two police officers approached me and scanning my looks, decided that I was the source of the trouble. “I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us, miss.”

“It’s not me you’re after,” it was all I said as they led me to their cars. But I didn’t bother giving them further explanations on the matter as they read my rights and pushed me inside their car.

×  ♣ ×

“Seon Yul!” Five hours later Chanyeol rushed to my side to help me as the police officer opened the barred room, releasing me. “Are you alright?” He scanned my face and whole body. “I won’t let this go! You’ll all lose your jobs for doing this to her!” His jaw hardened as he star