SLAP!

The harsh sound echoed within the quiet field. I clenched my teeth tightly, refusing to let the slightest sound escape my lips. Hot tears dripped down my steaming cheeks but I didn't wipe them. I couldn't, even if I tried.

My arms were being held tightly by two girls, each standing on either side. Queenka minions; they were almost as despicable as the queenkas. The only way you could divide the two groups was through beauty and popularity status, but then it was only by a fraction. Otherwise, they were exactly the same.  

"Got anything to say?"

I stared blankly to one side, refusing to look at anything. The two girls tugged harshly at my arms, forcing me to stand up straight. A hand grabbed my chin. I looked into a pair of eyes, their gaze carefully left vacant.

“I asked you a question.”

My face jerked to one side violently, my cheek flaring up in pain. The queenka who smacked me breathed hard, her hand frozen in the air. I stared at it from the corner of my eye, noticing the ring that rested on one of her fingers.

“Do you realize what you’ve done?!” The queenka’s scream was so loud it rattled my ear drums, but all I could think of was the red stain her ring had, and how my cheek felt wet. A pair of hands grabbed the collar of my uniform and pulled me forward roughly. “Because of you Sehun Oppa was furious with me! What will you do if he doesn’t speak to me anymore?!” My body rattled back and forth as she shook my shoulders, but I let my eyes drift. The field was large, but where the boundary lines ended trees shot up from the ground. Tall and looming they extended back for what looked like miles. I let my eyes settle on the dense greenery. Her cries never lessened, and I couldn’t stop myself from hearing them. Still, I wasn’t going to give the satisfaction of seeing my fear. It was the one thing, the only thing I could prevent.

You’re okay, you’re okay. You’re doing great, you know that. Bear it, just a couple moments longer.

“You little brat!” She shoved me back and I stumbled to the ground. The moment my body connected to the soft grass I had to clamp down hard on my lips to keep from screaming. Everything hurt. I glanced down, and felt a horrible lump in my throat swell. My body was covered in a cobweb of bruises and cuts. Blood ran from some of the injuries, soaking into the thin fabric of my uniform and running in spider web thin threads down my legs. “Why couldn’t you just look where you were going in the first place?! Could you be anymore blind?!”

One of her minions crossed her arms. “The clumsy little probably planned it herself. She must’ve thought she could get a moment with a kingka.”

“Ha!” The other giggled. “That’s funny, because there’s absolutely nothing they could possibly want from this tramp.”

“Exactly. I feel sorta bad though, she was stupid enough to think she could try.” I didn't say a word, squeezing my eyes shut from the world around me. Still, it would never prevent me from hearing it. "What, are you going to cry more?” The first minion sneered “No wonder, your little plan already failed." I heard them laugh, a harmony of sadistic cackles. Soon the laughter died.

"Well, look who decided to show up!" Two pairs of hands roughly pulled me from the ground into a sitting position. I didn’t speak, but my eyes shot open as a flash of pain went through me.

A figure was walking up from the school. A boy, one I’d never seen before. His hair was pitch black and long, the ends upturning in the breeze. It was a stark contrast to his skin, a pale chalky white. His gaze was… chilling, taking in my battered and bruised figure in a way that made my stomach drop through the ground. Blood roared through my ears and my heart felt like it was about to give out from beating too fast. The queenka looked totally at ease, giving me a look as she walked past the new arrival.

"Since you’ve struck out with Sehun Oppa, we thought you’d want to rethink you strategy. Hei will give you a few pointers." Her voice carried back through the wind as she walked. The weight at my shoulders suddenly gave, and I watched detachedly as the minions stalked away after her. Their giggles echoed against my ears, light and carefree.

“Think of this as a thank you, hm? I mean, for my wrist." She held up her arm for a couple moments, then dropped it. I just stared, their retreating figures slowly becoming small and hazy. I didn’t blink, because if I did it felt like they would disappear completely, leaving me entirely alone. This couldn’t be happening, not to me.

He took a step, blocking my view of the girls. My eyes immediately fell to the ground. I heard the sound of his steps in the plush grass, and felt the slight heat of his breath when he knelt down in front of me. I wanted to scream. I wanted to lash out and fight and escape. Anything but stay here.

He was leaning in, getting dangerously close to my face. I could feel him looking at me, and shivers began to rack up and down my spine. I swivelled my head to avoid him but he grabbed my chin.

“So,” Even his voice made me tremble. It was utterly calm, and dark. “I heard you got rejected today.” I jerked back as I felt his breath came against my neck. He tilted his head, brushing his cheek against mine and inhaled. A strangled sound escaped my throat, something pained and sobbing. He only smiled, leaning in closer.

"Shh, don’t cry. I don’t like tears." His skin was like ice; my skin crawled at the touch and made me squirm. His other hand landed on my knee, holding it still with an iron grip.

“You can’t do this. Please.” I choked out. Pulling back a moment he glanced down. Blood seeped from a wound on my leg onto his finger.

“Actually I can.” He raised the finger to his lips, the blood off of it. Immediately after he smiled. It was a wide smile, one that looked as though it didn't quite fit to his face. I watched in silent horror as his eyes gained a gleam to them; they looked less controlled that way, more crazed. More predatory. “Now I’d appreciate it if you didn’t scream too much, but then again from your expression I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“No, no– no!” It was all I could say, my voice getting higher and strained as I tried to kick myself away. He only held onto me tighter, jerking me back into place.

“Come on little lamb,” his pulled me closer, his voice oozing against my ear “don’t worry, this’ll be over…eventually.”

Time seemed to slow down. A gasp of air filled my lungs and my mouth opened to scream. My ears filled with the sound of a cry. A loud and ferocious cry that resonated through the air. It was long and powerful, vibrating through my ears and into my body.

In the seconds that it lasted and there afterward there was only one thing that was able to cross my mind; it wasn’t human.

Hei whipped around, staring across the field. A couple hundred yards away stood a figure, his chest heaving up and down with each breath he took. I stared, taking in his tall and lean form, broad shoulders and sharp face.

Sehun…sshi?

His eyes were the color of blood. There was no other way I could see it. Tears kept stupidly falling down my cheeks, making the world seem blurred and distorted. But the red color was so deep and vivid, it stood out prominently on his pale face. I took a staggered breath, my heart beating so hard it was painful. Sehun’s jaw was clenched tightly, but then I was sure I saw his lips move.

"What's the matter?" Hei was talking. He had stood up from the grass and taken a couple steps away from me. I could still hear his words but they felt so distant, like echoes from something far away.  “Kinda in the middle of something so if you could do me the favour of leaving.” Silence. I could only hear the wind, blowing softly across the grass. “Oh come on, don’t tell me you wanted a share–"

He disappeared. One second he was speaking and the next he was gone from my sight. I felt the air around me suddenly become cold and sharp, blowing hard in one direction. It made my uniform snap to one side and my hair whip harshly against my face. I turned my head, looking up to the sky.

Hei was flying. A sharp ribbon of wind held against his side, pushing him violently through the air. His body was stretched around it, curving unnaturally as if he were a rag doll. I watched, my mouth open in a silent scream as he neared the edge of the forest. Twigs and branches immediately snapped away at the momentum of his body until he connected with the thick trunk of a tree. The sound of the collision touched my ears; like a branch being snapped in two.

His body slowly peeled off the tree. I could make out the lines of his face; his slacken jaw and rolled back eyes. The body abruptly dropped, snapping against multiple branches before hitting solid ground. My eyes didn’t follow, only staring at the tree trunk. I didn't move from the ground. I couldn’t, my body paralyzed on the ground. He was dead. I had just witnessed a man die.

I had just witnessed someone die.

“Look at me.” Warmth spread across my cheeks, soft and still. My eyes were so blurry now; I couldn’t make sense of anything. All I saw was a blur of color. “Just breathe, alright?” I gasped in a breath of air. Cold and sharp it entered my lungs, making my chest burn. I blinked once, twice. More tears fell down my face.

Hei had tried to assault me. Now he was dead.

“Hey-” Brown. I was looking at something brown. I blinked again, and brown eyes stared back at me. “Are you alright?” I didn’t respond. Fear and horror crashed over me in waves as it slowly hit. What had happened. What could’ve happened. “Talk to me–”

“He’s dead.” I breathed. “He’s actually dead, isn’t he?” Sehun’s gaze was indecipherable.

“You’re bleeding.” He said. I lifted a hand to my left cheek, pressing it against the skin. A tiny flare of pain immediately pricked up. Sehun grabbed my hand, slowly lowering it, before replacing it with his own. “You need to see a doctor.” My head slowly drifted to the side, the looming forest coming into my field of vision. “Don’t look there.” He commanded, turning my head back gently.    

“What are we going to do?” I looked at his face, barely registering the tense look it had. My mind felt like it was spinning, multiple thoughts crashing into each other at once. “We, we need to go back to class. We need to get someone. Call an ambulance.”

“For you.” He cut me off, his eyes tight with something. I couldn’t be sure of what.

“You’re just going to leave him?” The words came out before I could think. He gave me a hard look.

“You realize what was happening right? What he was going to do–” He stopped himself part way, something I was glad for. I didn’t want to hear it; I didn’t want to think about it. But the thoughts came anyway. I lowered my head, feeling the familiar sting of tears in my eyes.

The hands at my face vanished. A new warmth grew, spreading around my shoulders and back. It drew me forward slowly, until my body pressed against his.

I squeezed my eyes shut, a choked sob finally escaping my lips. He didn’t say anything, his arms only squeezing me the slightest bit tighter.

“I’m so sorry.” I was crying hard, enough so that it made it difficult to breathe. A part of me wanted to let go, to get as far away as possible so he couldn’t see me like this. But I was weak. I was afraid, and so shocked I couldn't find the strength to pull away. The image of the boy in the air kept flashing through my mind, as if on some sort of sick repeat. If only I hadn’t looked up and seen. Sehun didn’t try to make me stop crying, his arms solid and secure. It almost felt like he was an anchor, keeping me stable and present.

“There’s nothing for you to be sorry about, so don’t say that.” His voice was soft, the hard edge it had before suddenly gone. I pushed away from him weakly, daring to make eye contact. Just like his voice his eyes were gentle and warm, and incredibly golden.

I’m crazy. That’s got to be it.

"Let’s get out of here, hm?" He wasn’t smiling, but his expression was warm in its own way. Comforting almost, like he was trying to get me to trust him. I kept quiet, brushing away the tears on my face. "Don't worry, everything's going to be alright. I’ll take care of it."

How are you going to be able to explain this situation on your own?

He gently grasped my elbows, helping me to stand.

"Sehun!" A voice cried out, making him turn. Another boy was jogging across the field towards us. I hastily wiped my cheek with my sleeve, suddenly very aware of how battered I was. It was almost impossible to hide, but I still found myself sliding the slightest bit more behind Sehun.

“Are you scared?” The said boy murmured, looking back towards me “It’s fine, he’s a friend of mine.”

A friend that’s most likely going to freak out if he finds out what happened.

I wanted to warn him or at the very least run away, but there was nowhere for me to go. Within moments the new arrival crossed the field and was in front of us.

“What’s up? Is everything alright?” I internally cringed at the voice, open but also a little wary. It was like he knew something had happened here.

“We’re fine now.” Sehun turned in a little towards me. I looked up slightly, catching the gaze of his friend. For a full moment we just stared at each other, not saying a word. I watched his expression change; it went into shock at the sight of me, then abruptly became so intense I wanted to turn around and run.

If it were someone else, someone I hadn’t met, I might have had the chance of escaping. There was no way someone could know me without me recognizing them. But this situation just had to be different, because even if he didn’t I still knew him.

Everyone did, because he was a kingka.

~~~