Hana's POV

The sadness flowed through my veins and deadened my mind. It was a poison to my spirit, dulling my killing off my other emotions until it was the only one that remained. It was as if a black mist had settled upon me and refused to shift, and no matter how bright the day was I would feel no sun and hear no bird song. This was because the world was lost to me and I knew of nothing that would bring it back into focus.

I would describe my sadness like death by a thousand paper cuts, for every time I remembered the loss it was another cut to my already damaged mind. None were enough to kill my, but overtime the accumulation bled me of the humanity I had once had. I once was gregarious and generous natured, now I was just gaunt and melancholy.

Cold at my face and crept under my clothes, spreading across my skin like the lacy tide on a frigid winter beach. With purple lips tinged with blue and gently chattering teeth I wrapped the thin coat around me tighter.

The biting cold chilled my fingers into clumsy numbness; cold seeped into my toes and spread painfully throughout my feet as if it was my bare feet on the pristine icy whiteness rather than sneakers. My lips turned a more blueish hue and my teeth chattered like a pneumatic drill. I began to lose my sense of time, had I been out there for minutes or hours? The frigid wind poked me like icy fingers and wrapped around me like a shawl woven from the snow itself.

The bitter wind laughed as it tore right to my heart and turned my blood to icy sludge. My muscles began to ache and grind like the cogs in old machine. The frigid air penetrated my skin, chilling my blood, sinking into the marrow of my bones like wet concrete. Cold seeped into my innards like a freezing fog making its way into my bones and wrapping around my brain like a wet blanket. Cold gnawed at my insides like a hungry rat.

My heartache had rung me out until I was dry inside, no more tears would come. My insides still felt as raw as if a winter wind was blowing right through my skin. The last conversation haunted me, taunted me, replaying like an echo. My appetite had dwindled to nothing. 

The heartache was like a red hot coal placed in my chest, it glowed and burnt me at the same time, but it did not cool quickly like a coal in water, it throbbed and tortured me in all her walking hours and there was no relief to be found.

Tears gathered behind my eyes. I pulled my knees closer to my chest as I blinked my eyes rapidly, preventing the tears that were threatening to fall. The tears flowed unchecked down my cheeks and dripped from my chin. She was too sad to cry out or wail. At this rate, I only had the energy to stare blankly into the distance. My throat was sore from all that yelling.  How could he slap me? I didn’t do anything wrong.  I briskly wiped the tears from my eyes; the memory was still fresh in my mind. Ironically even though oppa’s actions and words had left a deep scar in my heart, I wish my brother was here so that he would comfort me. However, he was unable to do so for I had run away from home. Again.

I watched the other children laugh and play from the corner of the playground. How could they be happy when I felt so sad? Part of me wanted them to feel my pain too, so I wouldn't be so lonely with it, but part of me was glad they couldn't, it was private after all. My eyes suddenly swam with tears as I thought about my brother and I hurried to scrub them from my face. I knew tears would lead to sympathy, and sympathy would lead to more tears.

Soon, it began sprinkling. Little droplets of water drenched my hair, skin, and clothes. The water droplets began growing larger and falling frequently. The light ‘pitter patter’ of rain turned into wet thuds as the icy water raced to meet the ground. The sprinkling turned into a torrential downpour. The coldness seeped through my thin uniform and chilled my skin. A flash of lightning spooked me. If only JongIn oppa was here… The children that were playing in the playground had already gone home when it started drizzling. I was left alone. The bone-chilling cold seemed unbearable in the howling wind and icy rain. The sound of thunder rolled through the area as another lightning bolt split the sky.

I was going to get sick.

I knew it.

But I didn’t care.

The rain or downpour was drowning the pain that my brother had caused me. I kept my eyes shut, drowning in thoughts and the numbness that overflowed me. I could feel my body growing cold sitting out like this in the rain, but I gave it no attention.

No one would care if I became ill after this. Not even oppa.

Perhaps, Kyungsoo oppa or Mrs Choi would show sympathy after scolding me but that wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted something more…Something much more than what they could offer me.

“You know, you really shouldn’t sit out here like this. You’ll get pneumonia or something bad like that and end up in the hospital.”

A male voice rung out, breaking me out of my trance. The big fat raindrops suddenly stopped falling on me and I was ready to question if the rain had gone but I could feel the water around my fingers rippling. My eyes opened slowly and I looked up.

Oh Sehun was dressed in a black raincoat and midnight blue boots stood behind me, umbrella held above my heas as well as his. He smiled softly at me before kneeling down to eye level with me.

“Did you hear me? I said you shouldn’t sit out here in the rain.” He laughed lightly. “Pabo.”

“Oppa.” I frowned at the young man that had positioned himself beside me. “Who are you calling a pabo? How do you always know where to find me?”

“I have my ways.” He smiled at the thought of it. Sehun pulled me up and wrapped a protective arm around me.

“Where are we going?” I ques