Chapter 4: Just One Day

The first time Oh Sehun met her he knew she was different. He knows that she is not like any other girl who tell the truth too easily, and falling in love too freely. He can tells that the way she sees her world is different, when she closed her eyes for a second, she just seemed to leave everything out as if she was leaving this world for a while. 

Kim Jongin always asks him what makes her so special that he would always follow her, teasing her, watching her. 

"I don't know. She's just special like that. Not pretty, not ugly, not pale, not brown. She walks in a way that it don't even draw anyone's attention," He laughs, rubbing his neck, then he continues. "Her clothes, it isn't overly fashionable, or bright. I'm not sure, Jongin. Everything about her makes her blend in, she's mysterious." 

"You're not possibly drunk, are you?" 

"I'm all good, Jongin." 

*****

In the early evening after revision class, somewhere around the nearest neighborhood, we walk side by side and end up in a park, near the shore of a small lake. 

"Let's stop for a little while." Oh Sehun says. I look at him, his hands in the pocket, he looks tense. 

"Are you okay now? I mean, your fever.. " 

"Getting better, thanks." 

"I'm sorry." He says. 

"For?" 

"For the books that you lost." 

"Not even your fault, why are you apologizing?" I say, almost whispering. 

"But.. " 

"I'm okay. I met Mr. Kang already, and he understood my situation. About the books, I will think about it later. Not a big deal after all." 

Oh Sehun lets out a heavy sigh. He doesn't want to bring about what happened to his princess few days ago. She must has no idea that Oh Sehun knew about her step brother. He doesn't want to make the situation worse. 

"I like this spot. By the way, did you bring an extra lunch box? I'm hungry." He smiles, showing his beautiful, white teeth. I nod, reaching for the lunch box I have in my backpack. I used to feel annoyed when Oh Sehun took my lunchbox forcefully, but now, I even packed one for him. I think I am changing. Into a straight bum. 

Oh Sehun cannot help but to stare at her small, beautiful lips. When she's being quiet, she looks like a fragile glass. Pure. When she talks, it is addictive. It send him on a wild ride in between the possible and the impossible, and Oh Sehun never wants to get off. He wants to stay. She turns those grey eyes on him and they seem to say that she owns the darkest secrets of the world, and she isn't telling anyone about that. It is out of his control, now that he's smiling fully, and his eyes flashing rain-coloured. 

But his smile fades when his eyes fix on the bruises and dry blood on her pale skin. His heart aches, Oh Sehun quickly looks away. Training his eyes on the moving cars, he crumples his fist. 

I watch Oh Sehun walks toward the edge of the shimmering water. He bends down, picking a flat stone, and then skips it across the lake surface. 

One, two, three, four, five times. 

"Too bad. I used to be able to do twenty." He bluffs. I let out a small laugh, but then I close my mouth immediately. "Stop bluffing, Oh Sehun. You sound like a dork here." I say. 

"And you are a nerd." He retorts. I give him a sharp glare, complaining. And he laughs. 

Oh Sehun compliments my cooking, but within fifteen minutes he's raiding my backpack for junk food, claiming to be suffering from hunger. 

"What else do you have in here, jagi?" He demands. "I know you're keeping Mars or Reese or something terrible and delicious from me." I watch as he pulls out an old purse I've been using since middle school, two Math formula books, and my journal. I can feel my lips dry from anxiousness. 

"Open that on pain of death, Oh Sehun." I warn. 

"Uh oh, my princess is improving, she can even threaten me now. God, I'm so proud of you, jagi.. " I can't help but knock into him with my elbow. He groans, out of the corner of my eye I can see his grins. He's using a lot of nickname 'jagi' nowadays, Oh Sehun is getting on my nerves. 

He's grinning, but I let out the relief sigh as he holds up a chocolate bar, triumphant.

"Half for you, half for me." He says. I shake my head. 

"A quarter for you, the rest for me," I correct him. "I'm being nice, after all." 

Oh Sehun laughs. "My jagi always have everything figured out. But do you really think I cannot afford to buy you a chocolate bar, even bigger than this one you have right now?" He reaches out, and hands me a small piece of chocolate. 

I know he can affords to buy me anything, I heard from the kids in our class that Oh Sehun is the only heir for Oh Company Group, their company shares rocket every week. But somehow I doubt the fact, because Oh Sehun looks simple, plainly humble and he never brings up about his family background. Basically, we are both in the same situation. We hate to reveal about our household. 

"Give me half of it, Sehun-ah." He resists, holding the chocolate bars with his long arm, forcing me to jump and reach for some. "It depends on how well you behave." He says. When our fingertips touch, I twitch as if I'd been shocked. It surprises both of us. 

"You can have all of it. I don't mind, really." I say. A sudden silence surrounds us. For a few minutes we train our eyes to the evening clouds. Night is coming, bringing darkness and deeper silence. It seems like in all the world, there are only two of us. 

I feel weirdly shy. 

I stare into the beautiful sunset for a long time, feeling the contrast between my cold, harsh step brother and the soft warmth of Oh Sehun beside me. Thoughts race through my mind endlessly. 

What if I get caught by my brother? 
What if that bastard knows about Oh Sehun and try to kill him?
What if everything that Oh Sehun promised before, fade after the truth reveals?

"I need to go back." I say, standing up and grabbing my backpack. Oh Sehun nods his head, getting ready to leave as well. 

"Do you want me to send you home?" He asks, but I furiously shake my head. 

I'm sorry, Sehun-ah. 
My trashy neighborhood, my evil brother, the way I live are the last things I will show you. 
Only if the situation insists. I'm sorry. 

"Okay then. Take care, princess. See you tomorrow." He reaches out and brushes a piece of hair from my forehead, our eyes meet, but I quickly look away. 

I watch him walks away from the playground as I hold my breath. Suddenly I understand that running away is not going to solve everything. My brother is a threat, but Oh Sehun, he's something else. It sounds ridiculous even to me, but I cannot stand not to see Oh Sehun, especially now that he makes me feel the kind of joy I never feel since I was a kid. 

I turn my body and ready to leave. Rubbing my palms, I suddenly smile, feeling the blood rush to my face. Then I heard Oh Sehun calling for me.

"Jagiya.. " 

Strangely, I look back to him. I respond to the nickname I used to feel annoyed with. 

"Can I meet you again tomorrow?" 

I pause to take a breath. 

Then I nod. Sincerely. With joy. 

Your voice when you say my name
I wanna be locked in you and swim in you,
I want to know you more
An explorer venturing through your deep forest of mystery
I appreciate the masterpiece that is you, 
because your existence alone is art. 
[Just One Day - BTS]