I have to run. I have to get out of this place. This is not the way I want my life to end up when I got married to Li Han. I was expecting a married life full of love because we have been so in love since high school. This is not supposed to happen. I ran all the way to our shared bedroom and took out the luggage I've prepared months ago. I took all the other necessities that I need like my wallet, phone and passport together with me. But luck wasn't on my side as Li Han came back home in his drunken stupor. He had a vodka bottle in one hand and uses the other to hold himself up against the wall. I stayed frozen on the floor as I was afraid of what he was going to do to me.

“Yixing-ah~” He called out my name in a slurred voice.

I just stayed where I was standing because I was too afraid to risk doing anything. Any single movement made would only mean one thing. I would either be black or blue the next morning or I would be in the living room with dried blood and trailing down my thighs. But this time, I was determined to leave this household forever and start a new life in Seoul, South Korea. There is a flight waiting for me. A brighter future ahead too.

I gripped on the luggage and the back pack tightly as I walked passed him. But I was too late when he grabbed hold of my arm, tightly. I tried moving away but he was too strong. He pulled me and pinned me on the ground. I knew what is going to happen next. There were a lot of times when this happens. I looked the other way because I was afraid. Terrified, in fact.

His breath reeked of alcohol as he leaned closer to me. I struggled to set myself free but he was sitting on top of me. Li Han pulled my face closer to him with his lips ghosting over mine. I felt hot tears streaming down my cheeks as I remembered the times when he took me by force. I continued struggling to move but he was stronger and crashed his lips on mine. I punched his chest as I was running out of air. He did nothing to move. He bit my bottom lip and took the opportunity to shove his tongue into my mouth. It feels disgusting because I could only taste alcohol in his breath. He began stripping me off from my clothes and nipping on my sensitive skin.

The vodka bottle looked tempting to me. There was no way for me to get away from him since he is stronger than me. I reached out to the bottle and once I got it around my hands, I raised it high enough and hit him on his head. One hit was all it takes for him to lose consciousness. I pushed his body away and took some money from his wallet because I never have enough to survive all the way to Seoul. I gathered all my things and ran as fast as I could to the car waiting for me.

Mr and Mrs Tan who knew about Li Han's abusive ways had agreed to drive me to the airport. They were there for me on the days I was abused badly. They were there when I lost something so dear to me. I watched the place I used to call home and the tears flowed uncontrollably. Mrs Tan held me close to her chest as she rubbed my back softly muttering everything is going to be okay and he will never come back looking for me. I visited mama the day before informing her that I would not be coming back to Changsha ever again and I am going to be in Seoul. She supported my choice and she says she is going to be fine alone. I promised her that I would buy her a plane ticket to Seoul when I have earned enough for a living. She said that she would be fine and Li Han would not harm her or me.

However, once I boarded the plane, I started questioning myself. Is Li Han really not going to bother me anymore? Will he look for me once he is sane enough? Will I ever be safe? Is going to Seoul the best choice? Am I going to live a better life there?

Yixing spent his whole plane ride thinking about his future in Seoul. There were times when his mind drifted off to his relationship together with Li Han. He would be lying if he said that he is not in love with him. Yixing have always been in love with the older man. They met back in high school. It was love at first sight for him but for Li Han it was more to because he loved him for his body, that was what Yixing thought. Marriage never crossed his mind when they were dating. But when Li Han popped the question, he was quick to say yes. It wasn't how he hoped it to turn out to be. It was horrible. He never expect Li Han to turn out to be a heavy drinker. He skips work just because he was hungover. Throughout the two years of marriage, Li Han lost his job more than five times. He turned abusive within six months of their marriage, Yixing never knew why.

Yixing did not realise that he was crying when he felt someone nudging his shoulders, ”Err, do you want this?” The man asked as he held out a piece of tissue paper.

Yixing took it and wiped his tears away. He mumbled a soft thanks without looking at the other man. It was quiet throughout the ride but the man seated next to him tried initiating the conversation but he only received a nod or shaking of Yixing's head. Yixing have always been a shy person. His marriage with Li Han made it worst because he never left their humble home. Li Han never allowed him to do so. Yxing have bad social skills and he doesn't know how to communicate with strangers other than the people in his town back in Changsha. Now that he is living in a foreign land and speaking a foreign language, he has to learn to communicate all over again. He feels like a kid once more now that he has to learn to be friendly.

Kris was on his way back to Seoul from his business trip when he found out that his best friend, Chanyeol is planning to propose to his five year long boyfriend. The trip was kind of rushed because Chanyeol needs him to help with the proposal and also the planning of his wedding. Kris chuckled at the sound of Chanyeol's whiny voice over the phone. Chanyeol can never live without him by his side. It makes Kris wonder sometimes; how does he even manage to keep Baekhyun happy with his child-like attitude.

Finding his seat in the plane wasn't as difficult as he thought it would be (seeing that this is his first time taking the economy class). He placed his carry on bag on top of the seats and sat beside the young man who was all snuggled up in his coat and scarves. Kris cocked his eyebrow wondering why was this man dressed all warmly. Its not like its cold in the plane. Kris sat down and sent his best friend a text message telling him that he will arrive in two hours.

Halfway through the journey, he heard someone sobbing and realised that it was the young man next to him. Kris, being the nice man and also because he did not want to look like the bad guy here, offered a piece of tissue paper to the man. He took it with shaky hands. He mumbled a soft thanks to him without sparing a single glance to him. But Kris took note of how beautiful the man's hands are. Kris caught a glimpse of the man's face and noted that he was indeed beautiful. Most probably one of the most beautiful human he ever seen.

Kris decide to take this opportunity to get to know with the young man. All he got from the other was nodding or shaking of his head. Kris noticed that he hasn't spoken a word. He is afraid because he is travelling alone, maybe? Or he does not know how to speak Korean? Kris gave up after a whole fifteen minutes of getting the man to talk. The man faced the view outside the window and Kris noticed a bruise on his cheek and a few others on his neck. All the makeup that he used to cover it up is fading away due to the tears and the scarf is falling off his neck revealing the white expanse of his neck with bruises on it. Kris wanted to ask him what happened to him but he wasn't one who pry into someone else's affairs.

Or should I say marital affairs? Because Kris did not miss the wedding band sitting on his left ring finger.

Halfway through the journey, the sniffling coming from the pale Chinese man subside. Kris was glad that he has stopped crying because he has been at it for the past hour. The other passengers were giving him the looks like he was the cause of the tears. The man stayed still in his seat, looking at nothing outside the window. Kris moved to the empty seat that separated them. He cleared his throat to get his attention, yet again.

“You can share your problems with me if you want to because it really makes me look bad with you crying here,” Kris said in fluent Mandarin. “That is, if you don't mind sharing your marital affairs with me,” Kris finished off as he glanced over to the Chinese man.

“You can speak in Mandarin?” The man asked in returned.

Kris smiled realising that he might want to open up to him. Kris nodded his head in response as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, ”I am not fluent. I speak three languages. Korean is one of it,” He explained.

Kris let out an awkward laugh knowing that he is sharing more than he is supposed to. Kris was never one to talk to strangers. In fact, his circle of friends consist of his business partners and both Park Chanyeol and Byun Baekhyun – whom he met back in University. Kris did not know what got into him to talk to the man beside him despite him not sparing him a single glance.

“I don't want to burden you with my problems,” The man said as he finally looked up to Kris with puffy eyes and swollen cheeks.

Kris only nodded in response as he respected the other only wants nothing but his own privacy. But one thing that never stopped bothering him was the bruises on the young man's beautiful face. Kris remembered his features from his eyes up to the dimples on his right cheek. Even though he was covered in bruises – that looks brand new – the Chinese man is still beautiful to him.

Kris swore he never seen someone as beautiful as this man and he never had the need to protect someone as much as this man.

Yixing appreciated that the blonde man next to him did not mean any harm towards him. But he will never let his guard down. Not like how he let his guard down for Li Han years ago. The man asked him questions that he never know how to reply. Despite not looking up at the latter, Yixing appreciated the fact that he is showing concern towards him. Yixing just doesn't want anyone to see the ugly bruises on his face; not till he changed himself and be a stronger person.

It takes him a lot of effort to finally look up at the blonde man to reply to him. Yixing notices the emotions changes within seconds; from horror to sympathetic and to a genuine smile. The man kept quiet after he heard his response much to his happiness. Yixing later fell into a deep slumber.

When the plane landed, Yixing felt a nudge on his shoulder. He woke up rubbing his eyes and realised that he had slept on the man's shoulder. “I'm s-sorry,” he mumbled as he remembered how Li Han used to hit him when he slept on his shoulder.

Fear surge through his body when the memory came flooding in. He scrambled to his feet and apologised over and over again. The blonde man only smiled and told him that everything was okay and he wasn't a single bit angry that he slept on his shoulder. Kris took both of their bags and they got down the plane. Yixing quickly made his way out of the plane and the airport because he does not want to have anymore contact with the stranger.

Once outside of the airport, Yixing hailed a taxi. Yixing told the driver the address that he was heading to. The driver drove off but he did not miss the blonde man looking for him.

Kris did not know what got into him but he knows that he has to catch up to the Chinese man. The man sure was fast for someone his size. He got out of the airport entrance to only see him in the taxi. The man looked at him with fear and desperation in his eyes; it feels like he was begging to be freed.

Kris was taken out of his reverie when Chanyeol and Baekhyun came hugging him tightly. They were engaged in one of their small fights once again but Kris was too deep in thought to even bother stopping them.

I have to look for him.

A/N: First thing, please don't confuse it with our baby Luhan and i have reason for choosing Li Han as his name because it holds a strong meaning and it suits his character. And yes, i am a fan of Nicholas Sparks and this is one of his different and nicely written book. and i think i should get a poster soon. is this thing considered angsty? no right? anyway, enjoy!

xoxo