“ Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.”

- Japanese Proverb

Agyrophobia - Fear of crossing the road

L.Joe | Teen Top

Note: Picture does not belong to me | Source

The doll had been so pretty. It’s soft golden hair and petite frock, its bright blue eyes; they looked so real and seemed to beckon little Kim Ahrin to them.

So mesmerized had Ahrin been with the doll that she hadn’t even realized when her troupe of friends had walked off with the school appointed worker.

It was only a while later that Ahrin noticed the lack of loud chatter. Spinning around wildly, Ahrin tried to find the familiar brown bob of her best friend’s hair but all she could see around her were adults, twice as tall as her and dressed primly in business suits.

Horror and panic set into 8-year-old Ahrin’s heart as she realized she was lost. In due time one of her friends was bound to realize she was missing and when the in-charge found out, she’d rush back to where Ahrin had been left. But Ahrin was in too much of a panic to think rationally (as rationally as an 8-year-old could think.)

‘It’s all your fault I’m lost!’ Ahrin seethed, glaring at the doll in the display window that kept staring prettily back at her.

Ahrin walked a few steps to the left. A coffee shop and a boutique loomed down upon her small frame.

Was this the right way? She couldn’t remember any coffee shop on her way home…

To the right, she spotted a high rise building with a name too difficult for her to read. ‘No, no, this isn’t the way.’

Ahrin stepped back. What was she going to do? She didn’t know which way to go!

Through her hysteria, Ahrin spotted a bright green shop. ‘Wait,’ she paused.

There it was! The pet shop she and her friends would pass by every afternoon on their way home. Now all she had to do was turn left along that street and she’d be home!

A wide grin spread over Ahrin’s small face as she stepped forward again. Not a few steps later, she faltered.

To reach the pet shop, to reach her home, Ahrin had to… cross the road.

Lee Byunghun kicked a stray pebble as he trudged along the street. His backpack was slung over his shoulder carelessly and his school uniform was untidy.

He scowled as he realized he’d be home in just a few minutes. Had it been any other day, Byunghun would’ve run home but that particular day, all students of Seoul Middle School had received their midterm results and just the thought of what his mother would do when she saw the result sent a shiver down Byunghun’s spine.

He dragged his feet along the pavement in hopes of prolonging the inevitable. All around him adults rushed around, trying to get to their work or back home. It was a shame they could never stop to just admire the day.

A soft sigh escaped Byunghun’s lips as he spotted the crossing signal that separated him from his neighborhood. The signal glowed red and Byunghun slowed to a stop.

While waiting for the light to turn green, he turned his head to the right only to spot a little girl, perhaps 7 or 8 years old, crouched near a corner, her cute satchel lying on the ground beside her.

Byunghun blinked before a slight rosy hue rose in his pale cheeks. The girl was cute. She had short black hair that framed her small pretty face and wide brown eyes.

But why was she crouching in the corner like that? And were those tears in her eyes?

Alarmed, Byunghun shuffled closer to the little girl. He ran a hand through his messy brunette hair awkwardly when he finally reached the girl. He cleared his throat and the girl’s head snapped up, startled.

“Hi,” The 10-year-old shot the girl what he hoped was a friendly, calming smile. “I’m Lee Byunghun.” he held his arm out politely.

The girl stared at him silently for a few seconds before her own pink lips parted and her name tumbled out in a soft whisper.

Ahrin.

“Ahrin. Ahrin, hello?”

Ahrin snapped out of her daze and looked up at her boyfriend of three years. Lee ‘L.Joe’ Byunghun, no longer the awkward gangly 10-year-old, grinned down at her.

“What were you dreaming about?” he teased.

Ahrin chuckled. “About when we first met, eight years ago. Remember?”

L.Joe smiled fondly. “Of course. I helped you cross this very same road.” He gestured towards the green building, its paint duller now.

Ahrin smiled. She’d never forget that day. If it weren’t for L.Joe who’d helped her cross the road and get home safe, she’d probably still be crouched in the corner of the street.

The light turned green and L.Joe tugged on her hand. Ahrin paused for only a second before following her boyfriend across the street.

She glanced at their twined hands and couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across her face. He’d held her hand just like this, eight years back when he’d tried to get her to cross the road.

‘I promise not to let go’

He really hadn’t. Not even after eight years.

Author's Note

I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty happy with how this turned out ^_^ I probably forgot to mention this in the foreword but I will not be doing the chapters in the order given under contents, which is why this chapter is up first.

Also, you guys will not believe how shocked I was when I saw this story had 2 up-votes, 2 comments and 12 subscribers. This is my first time getting 12 subbies without even putting up a chapter so I'm super happy. Thanks to everyone who read, up-voted, commented and subscribed to this story. I hope I don't dissappoint :)

I decided I'm going to go with 3rd person, though I will try out 1st and 2nd person's POV in the future chapters. I'm going to be picking the OC's name at random though, because I'm lazy like that :P