▲▼ CHAPTER 2 // ALONE

   A loud screeching sound was heard. Then, a loud bang from the wooden door. Your eyes widened as the demon entered with those red bulging eyes. "You.. came home?" You squeaked a little. He nodded, taking off his coat. You examined every single move of his as he went into the bathroom, taking a shower. "What do you mean there's no more?! Damn it dude!" He was on the phone again. But this time, he was furious. More than furious as he punched the wall next to him, boring a hole onto it. You flinched. As soon as he entered your room, he demanded for money. You shook your head. There's no way you're going to give the money to him for something useless. "Is it so ing hard for you to give me?! Just hurry, I need them!" He pleaded. He was desperate for it. Without any hesitation or even a single warning, he took his often used thick belt and hurled it against you. As time goes by, the entire arm of yours were bruised and marked with slashes. You screamed, pleading for mercy but he never heeded it and instead, it only grew his desire more.

***

     You threw your body on the bed and sweat trickled down your forehead. You gasped for air, throat drying up. You grimaced. You opened your fluttering eyes and placed your palm onto your chest, glad that it was only a dream. You touched the back of your head, no blood. Instead, there was a white bandage covering up the whole upper part of your head. You stood up, only to find yourself that you weren't in your room as your vision steadied by itself. You made your way to the mirror on the other side of the room, you looked like a wreck. Like as if you had just been into an accident. Your shirt was torn and stained with red blood. You walked outside where you heard the source of voice coming from. Your legs wobbled, unable to move as you fell to the ground. "Oh you're awake." The guy walked towards you and knelt down, scanning for any injuries. Your eyes widened as you saw who it was.

     Daehyun. Jung Daehyun. No, this can't be happening.

     "What the are you doing here?! Where am I? What is this place?! Did you do anything to me?!" You were going hysteric. Daehyun gulped and held your knees but you brushed his hands away. No, you can't be meeting him. You can't be meeting a guy who had once tried to you and take your ity away. "Look, I'm not going to do anything to you. Just please, listen to me." He pleaded, almost begging. Fear started to fill your eyes and tears started b onto the ends of it. You shook your head vigorously. "That's what you said before! Where am I?...." You started to sob uncontrollably. You held yourself together to your chest, rocking yourself as you were drowning in your own cries. You didn't know where you were and most of all, you were alone without anyone being by your side. You grabbed the sides of the wall, making it as a support for your wobbling legs to move to the front door. "I can't be here, he's going to kill me!" You sniffed, trying to stand up. You had to get out of here. For all your life, you had never trusted this man standing before you. The both of you had always despised each other. Everything he does or every single move he takes, you detests it. It started off from a normal tease and led to bullying in high school.

     The teasing and calling of names were the start of war but it turned out to be the insults that were hurled amongst each other till it can't be controlled anymore. During high school, the class used to tease the both of you about being cat and mouse and how the bickering pair always had hidden feelings for each other but they soon learn that you weren't like any of those cat and mouse. They’ve now only come to realize that the both of you were in fact, two fighting fishes who wish to tear each other’s throat out and that you are not bickering, but plainly insulting each other. Sometimes it doesn't really involve physical fights but sometimes you can't help it either. He had to always ruin whatever you planned to do. You despised him. He would be the dog, always following you around and trying to ruin every single moment in your life. You just had to get away from him now. You weren't going to be by him again, as you thought. You ran to the lift as it brings you down the first floor. Daehyun ran after you. He couldn't let you go, not after seeing your disasterous state. As much as he hated you, he pitied looking at any human being acting like that.

     Broken, torn apart and just wrecked.

     You ran, not knowing where you're going. What you hoped was that this would be the last time you would be running away. You can't see the face that you had been hating for the rest of your senior high. You just can't. You ran towards the traffic junction on which you found yourself on the middle of the streets. Your mind was blurred and frazzled, not knowing where to go. You turned, only to find yourself metres away from a loading truck. You just stood there like a mannequin, knowing you were just seconds away from death. You spread your arms, it may be fate that you'll die. Your life was hectic now and the only solution was to die. You were sick and tired of life, might as well die. The horns from the truck were louder as you gritted your teeth, getting ready for something to hit your small body. Gasps and shouts were aiming to your direction, instructing you to get off the pavement. Large arms circled around your waist, pulling you to the back. You slammed yourself on the person's chest as you found yourself falling into his embrace.

     "What are you trying to do?!" He screamed into your ears, eyes widened as ever. You buried your head in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably in the middle of the traffic junction. You didn't care that hundreds of people were possibly looking at the uncommon sight. "I... don't know... I really don't know...." You sobbed. Daehyun took your shoulders and carried you by the arm. Tears rolled down your damped cheeks as your puffy eyes started to sore again. Your head was spinning again as the red blood started to stain the white bandage. Daehyun plopped your lifeless body on the couch as you were still lost in your thoughts. Just a few moments ago you were at the edge of dying. But now, you were in Daehyun's house. You dazed, your life wasn't going to where you want it to be. You were just unlucky in both love and life. Everything had been a wreck. You were immersed in your own thoughts as Daehyun hurried to your aid. He took out the stained white bandage as he whinced a little, looking at the pool of blood that formed. For a moment, you were quiet and obedient like a little puppy. Your tears just wouldn't come out anymore. Daehyun changed the bandages on your arm as well as those on your slashed shoulders. You whinced, biting onto your lip whenever he forced the medication onto the wounds.

     Daehyun would always take a good look at you whenever you whinced in pain. "Is it painful?" He questioned. You only bit your lip to endure the pain. He pressed the cotton pad onto your skin gently, making sure to cover every single wound with the medication. "W-What happened?" He questioned again. You bit your lips again, not knowing if you were even ready to tell anyone about it. You kept silent as your lips trembled. Everything was just too hard for you to handle it and all you knew was to cry over it. Daehyun watched you cry after time. He didn't know what to do. He placed a hand on your shoulder but you slowly moved the grip away. He sighed, he had to do something. "You don't have to tell me. But, can we just forget about what happened before?" His voice cracked a little. Your red puffy eyes looked over to his.

     "You almost me. How can I forget about that?" The word made you cringed. You didn't dare to let that word slip out from your tongue. Daehyun ran a finger into his hazelnut brown locks and sighed again. "Just please, forget about it. I wasn't in the right mind of state." He pleaded. "Where are you going to stay? Do you have any other place to live?" You bit your lip and shook your head. Is it embarrassing that you didn't have anywhere to go? In a matter of fact, you didn't have anywhere else to go. You were all alone in this despaired and lonely world. You didn't have anywhere to go and neither do you have anyone else to rely on.

     "How about staying here for the night?" He suggested. You looked up from your puffy eyes and gulped. Was he really going to give in that easily? Are you really going to believe his good deeds? "How can I trust you?" Your voice came out a little timid that it should have been. How can you try to believe the guy who was your enemy and still is? Your trust for him were gone a long time ago.

     Daehyun sighed and rubbed his temples, "I told you that what I did before wasn't really what I intended to do. I was drunk for god's sake!" You flinched a little as he raised his voice. Daehyun knelt down again beside you, "Look I just want to help you. I'm not the kind of guy you think I am. Just please, let me help you." You furrowed your eyebrows and directed your puffy eyes at him. His eyes was full of sincerity as his lips turned into a straight line. You just wanted some place where you can be free from being a victim again. You didn't know what the heck happened to your life ever since your boyfriend became a drug addict. When he throws a tantrum, you would always be blamed for it. Scars, slashes, bruises and marks were the only thing that Ilsung left for you. You hoped that you were in safer hands now. All you wanted was a perfect life. You just hoped that this was a different twist for you to start a new life. As you stared out the cold window pane with an emotionless face, you felt nothing was against you this time. 

     The low-spirited expression in your eyes twinkled as you stared outside the window without even having anything to bother you. You didn't have anything in mind, clueless on everything that's happening. Small sized raindrops pattered against the window as the weather changed when clouds formed against each other to become a huge patch of grey. You never liked these kinds of weather as it reminds you of the past. You don't want to live in the past. You want to live in the present where beneficial things might be happening to your freshly start new life. You stayed in the room, huddling yourself together and looking out of the window with full caution. Daehyun sighed as he came across the guest room for the nth time, spotting you looking so down as ever. He had never seen someone so weak and wrecked like that before. It honestly made him cringe looking at all the marks and bruises that were perfectly plastered onto your milky white arms. He hated you before but seeing you in this kind of state, it made him soften and urged him to help you.

     You were troubled but there was nothing that he could possibly do, only able to give you a stay here. When the first time he bumped onto you in the convenience store, he wasn't that surprised since he, himself was living in the neighbourhood and he would often see you wandering this area. But there was something inside your eyes not everyone was able to see. At first sight, you looked normal and fine. But Daehyun saw the look in your eyes of fear, abandoned and most of all, dismay. It wasn't the usual expressions that most normal people would be having. Your eyes were telling a story of how you were having a hard time in your life, which made him have the urge to help out. You were traumatized. You don't know if you were able to trust guys anymore. Even with Daehyun, you didn't felt safe. You knew he meant good but you had a phobia and nightmare which can't be easily erased from your memory. There will still be scars left inside of you, remembering about the painful trauma. As the droplets from the rain pattered down against the surface of the Earth and blustery winds were howling through the hinges of the door or window, your heart ached.

     Daehyun watched you over from behind the pillar, rocking yourself from side to side and trying to hold back your emotion. If only he knew what to do and wouldn't be so clueless, he would have been able to make you feel better. Everybody shouldn't be sufferring like the way you were now, it would be unfair. That was his mindset. The day went off fast as it was already twilight. Everything was dark and nothing vivid could be heard, only the rustling from the branches as the cool breeze swept through it. It was unusual for you to be sleeping on the bed and thinking in peace, without having anything to worry about.

     You couldn't fall asleep at first as negative thoughts would always come by, where will you be staying right after this or what would you do with your life then? For the whole day, you found yourself hibernating in the covers. Drown into your own cries, you were scared of yourself. You were scared of life. Everything has ended but you doubt that it will only get either better or worst.

     Daehyun peeked his head into the white room as he heard the silent cries muffled inside the covers. His heart anguished seeing someone as young and innocent being punished upon such actions. It was incredible how once a snobbish and rude young man turned out to have a soft heart deep inside, having a humble move to help someone who was lost in this incredible world. You were fatigue unlike before as your body gave in, falling into the comfort of the bed. Your fluttering eyelids closed by itself as your ears perched up, listening to the pattering rain while going into a deep slumber that you hadn't gotten long before.