o=o=o

“Found anything?” I asked.

“None” the other guy answered. “The job’s pretty neat”

“I told you so” I snorted.

He looked at me, eyes narrowed. “You know something”

I stayed silent. He suddenly grabbed the front of my hoodie and pulled me up.

“If you know something, you better start talking now” he gritted, his all-black eyes throwing electric sparks out.

“Let me go” I gritte back, grabbing his fists and pried them off my front. “If you want a fight, not here!”

His eyes suddenly went back to normal. He looked down at the girl’s sleeping figure then sighed.

“What did you two do today?”

“She bugged me all day about wanting to cut my hair” I scowled. No, I definitely didn’t enjoy the day with her. She’s just too talkative, too persistent, too nosy, too. . . annoying! “Just want you to know, you owe me big time and I won’t be doing any favors for you anymore especially if this girl is involved. I don’t know how you do it, but I can’t last a day with her”

He nodded. “I’ll give you a favor in return. Just name it”

“I don’t have anything to ask as of the moment but I’ll get back at it” I said.

We turned silent. After a while, I was able to caught up with what’s happening. Why am I still in Dara’s room when her boyfriend’s already here to guard her? Why am I even talking to Kim Jaejoong? Why did I waste the whole day with her? I had a choice to ignore Jaejoong’s request, I had the choice to just leave the girl behind but I chose to waste the day when I could have done some further investigations myself though I admit I don’t really think I’ll find something out. I got some suspicions as to why this is happening and I ing need to know if they’re true but there’s no way I’m going to tell that to Jaejoong.

Yes, I admit I’m competing but not for the benefit of the girl. I’m competing simply because I want to defeat him, that’s all. My pride and arrogance are making me this way.

“I’m leaving” I said.

He looked up and nodded. “Thanks for staying with Dara all day” he smiled forcefully and went to sit on the edge of the girl’s bed. I shook my head at the absurdity in his expression as he watched the girl sleep - gentleness. No, there’s no such thing as gentleness in this world. It’s nonexistent while fear, hate and power are real – they exist.

I pulled the window up and was about to jump from it when I remembered something. I turned to face him again. “I suggest you tell her the truth. It would be better if she’s more cautious and it’ll be helpful if she stiops following me around especially in dark places”

Without wating for his reply, I jumped from the window. I fixed my hood up and looked up at the moon. A small smile curved my lis. There’s something about it that calms me.

My muscles suddenly tensed. I looked up to the roof of Dara’s room and saw a crow with blooshot eyes. My reaction was instant. I instantly jumped and quickly felt myself turned into a crow. I know Jaejoong felt its presence, too but I was sure he won’t leave the girl behind. But he didn’t see its eyes. Any normal person would panic if they see a red-eyed crow. But then, I’m not normal. I took the moment as an opportunity to gain victory. As I flew towards the roof, the crow flew away, too. I’m not a coward, but I admit the other crow gave me an off-feeling. We’re not normal and a bllodshot-eyed crow is way beyond abnormality though I heard some tales aboutt hem before.

I chased the other for quite some time when it suddenly turned around. With a loud screech and impossible speed, it flew towards me and hit my side with its sharp beak. I heard a pained screech escaped my throat. I was still recovering from the pain when I felt another pain at my other side. It was moving so fast that I wasn’t able to see it coming as it flew towards me again. It was too late when I realized it targeted my left wing. I heard a snap that made me instantly screech out loud from the pain. I felt myself losing altitude but I didn’t care. The pain from my left wing was making me numb from everything else.

A soft whimper came from me when I suddenly hit the ground with a loud thud.

o=o=o

~DARA’S POV~

I frowned. I haven’t seen kwon Jiyong for the whole day. He didn’t even appear at lunch. Is he in a bad mood again? That guy, he really got a lot of issues in his system! I stepped off the car and went striaght into his house. Again, the front was left open. I hesitated. Is he doing something in his room, again? Ugh! The nerve! I better leave. I don’t really want to SEE what’s going up in his room, do I? but then, my feet didn’t move. My curiosity was stopping me from leaving. With a deep sigh, I decided to go in. it was pretty quiet and the lights were off. I looked for the switch and turned it on.

“Jiyong?” I called out loud but no answer came. Is he sleeping or taking a bath? Well, there’s only one way to find out, right? So I took the stairs and went to his room. The lights were still closed but I can hear labored breathing from inside. Aigoo! Is he doing IT with someone again?

I was suddenly caught up in a dilemma. I don’t really want to see something like that but a side of me also wants to prove that I’m having a wrong assumption. I stood in my spot, contemplating. Finally, the other side won. I’ll just cover my eyes if ever my assumption’s right so without further ado, I pushed the door open and the light.

It was hazy at first but then, my brain finally processed the scene. I was relieved to find trhat he was ALONE, but his shirtless though, with only his jeans on. I felt something was off. I stepped inside, calling his name. when I was close enough, I gasped in horror.

“Oh my God! What happened to you?” I exclaimed and went besude the bed. He was sweating profusely and down at his sides, covering his scars were large, dark and purplish discoloration. “I’ll call the hospital for-“

“No!” he half yelled, half groaned.

“But you need to-“

“I said no!” he gritted.

“But-“

“!” he hissed. “I’m fine. It’ll just take some time to heal but they’ll heal on their own”

“How will that-?” I started but stopped as my eyes went to his left arm. There was a ring of red mark on it. I balled my fists. I think I already have the idea what happened to him. He must have gotten this from one of his fights down in the arena, it’s making me mad! How can he continue fighting down there when he only hurt himself in the process? I hope this will serves as a lesson to him.

“Have you eaten already?” I asked.

“I can’t even move” he snapped. “What made you think I can go and feed myself?”

My lips twitched at the show of rudeness but I brushed it off. I took a deep breath before speaking. “Wait here” I said.

“Stupid” he snorted. “I already said I can’ty move how do you think I’m going to leave?”

“Why are you being rude again?”

“And why are you being stupid?” he returned.

I quickly turned around and walked out of the room. God, he’s simply the rudest person there ever is!

~JIYONG’S POV~

I was rather surprise when the girl came back. I initially thought I was rude enough to drive her away and pissed her off. But instead of leaving me alone, she came back with a plate on hand, ice pack and a small towel. I frowned at this.

“You really are stupid!” I breathed. She didn’t say anything. She just went to sit on the edge of the bed.

“You should eat first” she said.

“I told you, I can’t move. Are you really being stu-“

“I didn’t say you have to feed yourself” she snapped at me, glaring. “Now stop being rude”

“I’m-“

“Open your mouth”

“Shi-!”

“Don’t you dare curse in front of a food!”

What the ing hell is happening here?

“Open your mouth or else I’ll make everything worst for you. I’ll call the hospital”

I scowled and did what she said. I feel like puking – not because of the food but because of the gesture. The food tasted great but her feeding me is just. . . idsgusting and humiliating.

“Will you stop scowling?”

“How can I noit?”

“Well, you can’t blame me, can you?” she said, eyes narrowed. “You should blame yourself for involving in underground fights when clearly, you’re not getting any benefits from it. Look at what it did to you”

“Spare me the lecture, will you?” I returned. “It’s really none of your ing business what I do and what happens to me”

“Well the thing is, I care what happens to you so you have to endure my lectures” she said. “if I didn’t care, I wouldn’t be here in the first place”

“You should stop CARING then”

“You’re my friend” she stubbornly said. “I’m entitled to care”

“Stubborn” I mumbled.

“Rude” she mumbled back.

I sighed wearily and closed my eyes. The girl is making my ing head ache more! I felt something cold at my side. I presume she applied the ice pack over the bruise. I gave a start as I felt her warm hand on my forehead. I opened my eyes and looked at her. She was frowning as she brushed the hair that stuck to my face because of my sweat.

“You should get your hair cut” she said as she took thw towel and wiped the sweat off my face and all over my torso.

“If you’re expecting me to be kinder and less rude to you with what you’re doing, better think twice” I informed her.

“I’m not expecting anything” she snapped. “I’m not like that”

“Oh really?” I snorted. “I don’tt hink so. Everyone do something good in hope to get a favor in return”

“That’s what you believe or what you make yourself believe in” she said.

“Selflessness is just a fantasy” I let out. “Selfishness is more factual”

“You might be surprise with what people can do for others, Jiyong”

I snorted. “I think I already saw what I needed to see”

“ I stand on what I said” she said. “And I’ll prove you wrong. You’ll see”

“You really are stubbornly persistent, huh?” I chuckled.

“I am” she returned. “You should get use to it”

I managed a light laugh. Along with my light laugh was a sharp pain at my sides, making me groan.

“Don’t move!” she scolded, then her face went gentle making me scowl. “Where does it hurt?”

I didn’t say anything.

“Wait, I’ll just go get you another icepack”

I grabbed her wrist as she stood up. I frowned, not understanding my action. I let her go then. “I think you should go home”

She chuckled. “That’s not going to shoo me away, Kwon Jiyong. You should do better than that”

I rolled my eyes as she bounced out of the room. Of course, I already know that it’ll take more than that to drive her away. If she thinks I’m the rudest person she ever met, I think she’s the most persistent and stubborn person that ever existed. I closed my eyes, plannig to take a nap.

Hours later, I woke up. I looked down and saw the girl sitting on the floor with her head resting at the side of the bed – sleeping. She was holding my right hand. I tried to pull it off from her hand but she only tightened her hold on it.

“Even in sleep, you’re still annoyingly stubborn” I said, shaking my head.

“What’s this?” a voice from the door came.

“Bom” I acknowledged. She slowly walked to the foot of the bed,a rms crossed in her chest. “Don’t give me that look. It’s not what you think”

She snorted. “Don’t explain. We both know this was going to happen”

I squeezed Dara’s hand subconsciously. “What brought you here?”

“I was just wondering why you didn’t come to the arena” she said. “Now I know why”

“Bom” I warned.

“So what exactly happen? Why didn’t you show up in the arena?”

“Chased some crow” I answered nonchalantly.

“Let me guess, that’s responsible for what’s happening to this girl”

I didn’t say anything. “Can you do a research about bloodshot-eyed crows. I only know some tales about them”

She frowned. “Why?” she asked and then her face went passive. “You chased a red-eyed crow, didn’t you?”

“Yes” I quietly answered.

“Do you know the danger of-“

“I know” I cut off.

“Then why? Why are youi helping-?”

“I’m not trying to help the girl, okay?” I said.

“Then what are you doing?!” she hissed. “Are you becoming that suicidal? You heard those tales about bloodshot-eyed crows!”

“That’s why I need you to do a research about them so I’ll know how to fight them off” I said. “And can you please lower your voice down? You’re going to wake her up”

She went stiff then turned red. I’ve known her for years that I could say I offended her. Her eyes flew to the sleeping girl, eyes blazing with rage. Her arm raised. I immediately thought she was going to hurt the girl so befire she could do that, I stopped her by freezing her on the spot. I suddenly felt guitly as I looked at her status. I blinked and she unfroze. She looked at me glaring.

“How could you do that?!” she breathed. “I can’t believe you used it against me!”

“I thought you were going to hurt her”

“So what if I do? You said you don’t care! You said she was just a plain neighbor!”

“True but I think it’s quite unfair to hurt a defenseless, sleeping person”

She shook her head. “You totally lost it”

And she took off.

“!”

o=o=o

~DARA’S POV~

I grunted and rolled over the bed. I tried to reach for my bedside table, searching for my phone but it wasn’t there. I opened my eyes and jerked up straight. Why am I not in my room? And what am I doing here? Most importantly, where am I?

As if a light bulb suddenly blinked on my head, last night’s events went back to me.

“Oh!” I exclaimed. I looked around and gasped. Where is Kwon Jiyong? He’s supposed to be bedridden! I heard a door opened from the side. I looked sideways and saw him stepping off the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

He looked up. “Are you going to skip school?”

“No, I – oh! What time is it? Gosh, I’m gonna be late! Whydidn’t you wake me up?”

“I’m not obliged”

“Aish!” I cried and stood up, fixing my shirt. I suddenly stopped and stared at him. “And why are you up? You’re supposed to be. . .” I trailed as I saw the purplish discoloration at his sides almost invisible. “Your. . . . how did. . .?”

“You’re going to be late”

“Oh, yes!” I suddenly exclaimed. “I’ll talk to you later” I called as I started sprinting away.

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*a/n: shoutout to all the FB peepz who leaves messages in the page!!! i read them and thanks so much for liking my stories! i love you all, too!

Sandara park daebak in It Hurts!