Chapter 1: Falling

I peek over the door cautiously, after a minute when it’s confirmed by my own eyes there’s no one else in the locker room, I continue to walk towards the fourth row. I can finally breathe peacefully, at least for a while. Taking out a few books from the locker, I speed-walk to the classroom. 

“Not too fast, princess. Not too fast.” 

Oh, . It’s a failure. I rub my forehead, feeling the pressure. I instantly turn around, facing the boy who’s leaning against the locker row, eating the bubble gum. He looks like a noodle, with long legs, broad shoulders and chest, and that bloody jawline, I don’t think he’s a human. He’s ridiculously perfect. That is what girls in this school always say about him, but I never once think of him that way. He’s just, a noodle.  

“I don’t have money.” I say, almost inaudibly. I can see him smirking from my long hair, and he approaches me with both hands in the pockets. 

“That’s funny. You know I don’t want your money.” I know that better than anyone else. He never seeks for money, or valuable things. I don’t even have one, though. 

“Have you eaten your breakfast? It’s only five past seven. Wow, I did wake up early today.” He says, praising himself. He walks past me, and I let out a sigh because he finally goes out of my sight. Then he stops walking. I can only see his beautiful hands on my shoulder when he grabs my tiny backpack, and runs away, while giggling. 

“I’m hungry, and I know you bring the breakfast for me. Why don’t we do some jogs before we eat? I don’t want you to be fat anyway – “ I bite my lips, holding back the anger. He shows me the backpack and waves while grinning his white teeth. He’s really annoying. What did I do during my past life to have him in my present? 

“Yah, Oh Sehun! Give my bag back to me! I warn you, stop running!” 

I shout, and I think we do jogs around the school field, until the school bell rings. Once I get back my backpack, I reach out to pinch him. He roars indignantly and swats me away. He grabs my hands and looks at me. 

“Okay, okay, you can – just take it. That was hurt. You’re such a cute monster.” 

I gaze into his steady brown eyes. Are they brownish? I cannot see them clearly as I’m distracted with his dark eyebrows. Whatevs. I take a few deep breaths, and he slowly releases my hands. 

“Sorry.” I say. That is sincere, okay. I’m not a nutter. I reach the lunch box from my backpack and hand out to him. He looks like he’s been frozen at first, so I just leave the box on the wooden bench and walk past him. 

I’m just – gonna be easy on you today, Oh Sehun. 

------- 

“Yah, Oh Sehun! What time did you leave for school this morning? Your maid said you left home earlier. Did you go to the gym? I told you to wait for me – “ Kim Jongin sits down opposite to Oh Sehun, holding his food tray. Oh Sehun shakes his head. 

“Oh , not again.” He pouts as he sees the green veggie he hates the most. Pushing the bowl aside, Kim Jongin starts eating his lunch without a side dish. He glances over Oh Sehun’s lunch box, and try to snap away some rolled-eggs. 

“Don’t you dare, Jongin-ah. Don’t even dream to touch what’s mine.” Oh Sehun hits his forehead using a chopstick, making him frowns because of the pain. 

“Thought you didn’t like that kind of food, Sehun. And the lunch box, it is obviously not yours.” He gives a deep look over the old lunch box made from plastic, with a flower carved around it. That looks, cheap. 

“Well, that was before I tried the food. It’s delicious. At least it’s tastier than all those pizzas that you had every night.” Oh Sehun says, forking up another rice wrap into his mouth and chewing it gracefully. 

“That cheap lunch box belongs to the mute girl, right?” He makes a guess, and again Kim Jongin receives a hit on his head. He frowns and makes a sound. Oh Sehun rolls his eyes, and continues to eat.

“She’s not mute, Jongin. You know that. And she has a name. Give her some respect.” 

“Speaking about the mute girl, now she’s here.” Kim Jongin carves a thin smile to the girl who’s sitting alone at the table behind Oh Sehun, sipping a milk from the glass bottle. Oh Sehun instantly turns around his half body, he can barely contain his excitement. 

I overheard the conversation between Oh Sehun and his friend, Kim Jongin. I finally realize that both of them are not excluded in labelling me as a mute girl. I’m not mute. I don’t have any disorder that prevents me to talk. I just love being quiet. Because being mute is the only option I have, so that my schoolmates won’t bring up about my family. About my trashy neighborhood. 

“Finish your lunch and go back to the classroom, Jongin. I have things to do.” Oh Sehun brings along the lunch box and change the seat, opposite to the girl behind him. I place my right hand on my the forehead, and rubs my temple. Not again, not again. 

“Hey, princess! Uh, I thought you brought extras.. “ He says, glancing over the lunch box and the food tray that placed in the middle of the table. I shake my head, without looking up. 

Oh Sehun wants to apologize at first, but then he suddenly shrugs and dissolve into a big, bright smile. 

“Ah, I got this. You made this food for me. Wow, I’m grateful – “ 

“Shut your mouth, please.” I murmur under my breath, making he leans forward to listen to my words clearly. He is so close to my face, I can even listen to his breathing. I come back to my sense when I hear the hisses from the people around us. I will get a new name again this week, I swear. I stand up immediately, and leave the school cafe without having my lunch. 

“Princess!” 

I am not your princess, Oh Sehun. I am nobody but a mute girl. 

-------

After school, I quickly reach for my bag and grab some books for homework and revisions, and head to the bus stop. I rub my palms together because it’s so cold, and I only wear my school uniform without any additional layer. I check on my transportation card, and feeling bewildered as I realize that mine has reached its expiry. Great, now that it’s raining, and I have no cash to pay for the bus fare. I just sit there under the roof as I watch the buses come and go, and let my mind wander along the scenery. This is not a bad idea, though. I don’t have to go home. 

I’m just – gonna stay here. 

“What are you – “

Someone just grabs my arm and forcing me to run together with him into the bus. The rain starts to pour down heavily, and it’s getting colder. I want to scream, but the familiar scent of Oh Sehun, and the warmth of his body makes me stiffen. He’s hugging my back, and wraps my body with his uniform coat. His chin is on my head, my heart beat so fast and I can barely breathe. The bus is full, and we are just standing with some students from other schools.

“It’s for two, Ahjussi!” He says, giving the cash to the bus driver. 

“Let me go.” I hiss down. I don’t think Oh Sehun listens to me as he says, 

“I can’t hear you. Can you speak a bit louder? It’s so noisy here.” He complains. 

From my hair bangs, I peek over his face cautiously. He does look perfect. Oh Sehun owns a sharp jawline, small nose, his lips are beautifully shaped, I don’t want to mention about his eyebrows. They had killed many girls already, and I have to admit that it’s my turn to be killed. We stand in silence along the way, until the bus arrives at the last stop, my neighborhood. 

“I’ll pay you back tomorrow, thank you.” 

I lower my head, and speed-walk in the dark, small lane which is headed to my house. I can listen to the sounds of shoe sole from my back, closer and closer. My heart pulsates strongly as I’m afraid. Oh Sehun will look down at me once he sees everything. 

“Why are you following me, Oh Sehun?” I ask, awkwardly. Feeling so out of the place. The wind blows from the hill makes my long hair waves, following the rhythm. 

“I’m just gonna send you over – until you arrive at the front door. I think it’s too dangerous for you to walk alone, walking through this dark.. lane.” He answers. I give him a small nod, as a thanks, for being nice and protective. But I’m used to this. 

It’s not even scary, in compared to what I went through all this while.. 

“Thank you, but I think you should stop right here. My house is just a few steps away, I’ll be okay. Go home.” I say, in a wreck voice. I clear my dry throat. I can hear the murmur from Oh Sehun’s mouth, before he turns away, back to the bus stop. I’m relieved. 

I am thrilled to see the house is in the mess. The beer bottles are thrown everywhere, the leftover food is spilled out from the table. Then I see my step brother, he is clearly not in control. He doesn’t even seem to notice my presence. He is staring at the ceiling, and ripping his beer mat fiercely into shreds. I am about to pick up the empty bottles, but he puts a protective hand over them and give me a furious glare. My hands are shaking. 

“My stupid step sister is finally home. What are you doing outside to come home this late? Selling your body?” He says darkly. I scurry off to safety, as I step backward. 

“Oppa, I’m – I’m sorry.” I try to explain, but my step brother shakes his head violently, and flings over his arm around my shoulder. My body starts to wreck like a leaf. My mind starts thinking my way out of this mess. If I run, my stepbrother will catch me, and if I stay I am as good as dead. 

“Now that you’re here – “ 

He glances over my school uniform with a dirty look. I shake my head as I beg for sympathy, a sob approaches me. Bracing myself, I push his body away from me, but it just makes the situation even worse. I scream as he grabs my hair violently. The drugs and alcohol have taken him away. In seconds he wounds his fingers into my hair, and shoves my face into the brick walls, over and over, until my nose bleeds. I cry, as if my brain has been shredded. I feel the pain, and from my eyes the tears flow thicker than ever. 

Oh Sehun stop walking as he heard the noise and screams from one of the houses. He gulps down nervously, holding back not to interfere. But then when he listens to a girl, crying for help. His smile falls, he feels every muscle tense, and his hands begin to open and close with each quickening breath. He recognizes this voice. Oh Sehun runs to the house with a blue roof, and breaks in the front door to find his princess nose-to-nose with a scared looking guy wearing a grey tshirt. 

I look at the left side, it is where Oh Sehun standing and he clamps his fist but I shakes my head. 

Run, Sehun. Run. 

“What are you doing to her?!” I look nervously at my stepbrother, as he’s being pushed by Oh Sehun. I grab his uniform, and push him back. 

“Sehun, no. Please, please – go.” The sobs are stifled at first as I attempt to hide my pain, but Oh Sehun holds my hand tightly, getting ready to run. 

“You are not going to stay here, Y/N!” 

“Yah, who’s that ? You dare to touch me I will kill you – “ I only see my stepbrother kneels on the tile floor, with a hand on his chest as he feels the pain from Oh Sehun’s fist. I do not know where are we heading to, as the tears and bloods are blurring my eyes, I just let my feet follow Oh Sehun’s steps, it is surely far away from the bloody house of mine. 

-------

For a second I feel a cold shock. Oh Sehun's hand reaches the back of my arms to discover a fresh bruise around the pale skin. I lean my tired body against the swings pole with my eyes close. We are in the playground, somewhere I never been to. It is obviously not around my neighborhood. I have no energy left to speak. Oh Sehun stares at the girl with a fringe beside him. The girl looks exhausted and deathly pale, and the tears begin to spill from her helpless eyes onto the newly growing grass. 

“Y/N – “ Oh Sehun speaks, quietly holding my hands. My heart is thumping already, when I feel his warm, strong hand in mine it goes even faster. He takes out the handkerchief from his pocket, and wipes the blood that bleeds from my nose and lips. 

“This is embarrassing.” I says, as I attempt to laugh but it comes out sounding like a stupid cackle. Oh Sehun detects a hint of tension beneath the jokes, which somehow makes him trembles. 

“You never told me about this – “ 

“Why should I?” I say, blankly. I open my eyes to see Oh Sehun, with his eyes on my bruises. His depressed look, makes me feel guilty. 

“I only have my brother left in this world. If I turn myself away from him, no one will take care of me, Oh Sehun. I’d rather be punched hundred times to have someone by my side.” 

“I will take care of you, from now on.” He speaks, warmly. 

“And I’m not going to let you go back to that neighborhood, ever again.” 

I can feel the warmth from his body when Oh Sehun squeezes my hand, tightly. We exchange a glance at first, but once the eye contact is held, both of us continue to stare at each other. His voice wrecks, but he’s smiling. His smile is genuine and, what’s weird is that, it makes me forget that I shouldn’t have been here. 

-------

Oh Sehun walks slowly towards me as I read the book under the oak tree, and sits opposite to me. He looks perfect with a black chinos, and a dark blue cardigan with pulled off shoulders. He dyed his hair black recently, because I said he looks great in it. 

“What are you reading?” He asks. 

“Book.” I reply, in monotone, barely looking up. 

He touches my bangs, I intentionally makes it into a shaped cutting of the front part of the hair so that it lies over the forehead, and fairly straight above the eyebrows. Oh Sehun takes out a beautiful hairpin, I think it looks like a butterfly with a diamond on it. He pins my hair using the hairpin, and smiles. My face is hot with embarrassment. 

“You do look pretty with your hair ups like this.” I stare at him, my heart racing. 

“Thank you.” I say, feeling a flutter. I can hear his intake of breath. It is obviously hard for him to construct the next sentence. A small frown appears between my eyebrows. 

“So, Y/N. I think it’s about time I ask you.” I detect a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes that makes him even more attractive. I give him a friendly nod. He does look anxious. 

“Princess,” He says, taking my hand. I look at him in a daze. I literally can’t speak. 

“You know I love you,” He swallows, and clears his throat to continue. 

“I want you to come to London with me, as my wife.” My heart skips a beat. Seeing that I cannot move a muscle, Oh Sehun holds my finger, and gently slides the ring. 

“I haven’t given my answer yet, Oh Sehun.” I say, in a low voice. But he grins. 

“I’m not going to ask you anyway.” He smiles triumphantly and leans forward to kiss me over the table.

His answer is loud and clear. 

Author's note: Hi sweetheart! This is the epilogue of the Falling 2015. I wrote this as one shot at first, but since I got requests from you guys to make a sequel, so there we go. I hope you like it, and don't forget to leave COMMENT AND UPVOTE if you love this fic❤️  Btw, the story starts on the next chapter, have fun!