Chapter 1: Sprained Ankle

Ding!

The light on the little oven illuminated, and the glass door popped open. A tray of chocolate muffins sat inside.

“Smells good!”, my roommate, Suah sprinted towards the oven and took out the tray from the white colored oven.

“Yah, be careful! It’s hot!”, I said while holding the tray from her hand with my pink colored kitchen gloves. “And don’t you dare take one, this is for my brother”.

“Pretty please..”, Suah pleaded, showing me her puppy eyes.

“Gahh, don’t give me that eyes Suah”, I warned. “Ughh okay, only one”.

“Yeayy!!”, she squealed.

I chuckled. Suah is my best friend and also my roommate, she’s the first person that talked to me ever since I study here and we’ve been glued to each other since then. This will be the second year here in YangGuk High School, a quite well-known school for the sport and music achievement.

“Sohyun-ah”, my annoying classmate, Hanbin crash into my room.

“Too cool to knock?”, I rolled my eyes, sarcasticly.

“The door was open anyway”’, he shrugged.

I watched in disgust as he slowly took off his sunglasses and combed his dark colored hair with his hand while looking at the long mirror beside the door. who the hell wears sunglasses indoor?!

“What?!”, I asked without looking at him.

“Nothing, I just wanna say that I ran out of snacks. Can you buy be some when you’re out?”

I scoffed at disbelief. “You came all the way to my room only to say that?”.

“Well yeah, Suah said that you’re going to visit your brother”, he shrugged.

Every month, we’re given only one day of break to visit our parents or shop for our daily needs. I usually use that free time to visit my brother, Seunghyun. Since I was 12, I lost both of my parents who died from a car crash. Seunghyun oppa is the one who took care of me. He now opened a small cafe downtown and it's running well.

"Okay then, gotta go!", I packed the muffins inside a box and put it inside my brown colored bag. 'Bye Suah, Bye Hanbin".

"And get out of my room!", I pushed him out.

"Well it's not fully yours, it's Suah's too", he stuck his tongue out.

"Ughh okay, I'm going", I sighed and walk out the room.

•••

"Oppa!!", I beamed as I walk in to the cafe.

"Oh! Sohyun-ah, you come earlier than I expect, the cafe isn't open yet", a tall handsome looking man replied.

I walk towards him and hug him tight. "Aah I miss you", I said.

"I miss you too, Sohyun-ah", he smiled.

Today I decide to help my brother, it must be tiring for him to run a cafe downtown. I always come to help during my free time so some of the workers know me well. Soon the sun sets and the cafe is closed.

"Ahh, such a tiring day", I lay down on the sofa-bed.

"Thanks for helping, my cutie sweetie dongsaeng", my brother ruffled my hair.

"It's nice to spend time with you. I need to go back soon though, Hanbin is making me buy snacks for him", I said, pouting.

He chuckled and pull myself up, "Get going before it's too late, do you want me to drive you to the store?".

"It's fine, I want to take a walk, bye oppa".

"Bye Sohyun~"

•••

“Sohyun-ah”, the cashier ahjusshi greeted me.

“Ah ahjusshi, long time no see”, I bowed to him.

“It’s been a while since you last came here”, he said. “school? Or boyfriend?”, he teased.

“School”, I sighed. “We’re having lots of exams and project, ughh.. Hanbin is making me buying snacks for him again”.

“Aish that kid! Next time ask him to come here, I’ll teach him some lesson”, he said and I chuckled.

I quickly buy all the stuff that I wanted. I always came here to buy my daily needs and snacks eventually the owner of the convenience store –also the cashier– knows me well. He’s so nice but unfortunately he doesn’t have any family, his wife passed away years ago and he doesn’t have any children.

“Be careful on your way back, lately this neighborhood is a little dangerous, lots of gang fights happen", he warned.

"Okay I will, bye ahjusshi, take care", I smile and wave to him as I exited the store.

okay, dangerous street but faster route or safe but far? I glanced at my watch, '9.20PM' 10 more minutes before the gate closes! , I need to hurry! Unconsciously, my feet automatically choose the "faster route".

With one of my hand holding tight the plastic bag, and the other hand clutching tight my bag, I walk as fast as I could. I froze at the sudden sound. I look at the narrow gaps in between the apartment buildings, I saw a group of teenagers making a circle. Groans and whimpers are heard, I look closely, someone is getting beaten! I wanted to run away quietly and get back to school safely but my feet just can't seem to move, it's like telling me it's not the right thing to do.

I walk towards the group of guys, hestitating, thing what should I say for them to stop.

I halted and took a deep breath, okay here goes. "Excuse me, I know you're busy but I think I saw the POLICE patrolling around here", I put an accent to the word 'police'.

All of them turn their focus on me. I gulped, "Uh.. I saw the police coming this way", I said softly.

"Let's go boys, it's enough", a guy with a black mask covering his nose and mouth and a black snapback –probably their leader– said. Soon, all of them disappear down the narrow pathway leaving the beaten boy lying on the hard ground.

I walk closer to take a closer look at the beaten guy. Is he dead? Should I leave him or-

"Ugh", a soft groan was heard from the beaten guy, followed by a cough.

"Are you okay?", I asked softly.

"Do I look okay to you?", he said and cough again.

He pulled out his black hoodie to covered his face, not wanting anyone to see his pathetic bruised face. He tried to sit. At every move he made, groans and whimpers are heard.

"Wait a minute", I said softly and crouch infront of him. I took out cottonbuds, alchohol swabs, an ointment, and band-aid from the plastic bag that I bought from the convenience store. These stuff are for my emergency though, at least I'm doing some good deed. I took one of his hand and place all those things on it.

I took a last glance at him before I rushed back to my dorm. He's still sitting on the ground, holding the things I gave him. Did he hit his head or something?

"Oh no. I'm doomed. Late for 5 minutes.", I keep glancing on my wrist watch. "Why do I have to be so kind?".

The front gate is closed, so I ran to the back of the school. I took my phone and dialed Suah's number. After the second ring, she picked up.

"Yeah?", she said

"Suah-yah, the front gate is closed. Come to the back please, and bring something. I need to climb this stupid wall", I hissed.

"Yes sir, right away", she joked, I could imagine her doing the salute sign.

I throw my bag across the gate. Throwing the plastic bags next. I crouch down to tighten my shoelace. Thank god, I'm wearing combat boots and not the stupid high heels.

I started climbing the gate, the gates has horizontal lines on it so it is easier to climb.

Slowly I reached the top of the gate, and sat on the top of the thin gate. How to get down now? Aishh.. Where is Suah?

A whistling sound was heard from the edge of the road. Oh. What to do.. Someone else is here...

Without thinking further, I jumped down from the 1.5 meter long gate. I fall on the ground with a loud thud and ran behind the bush to hide. My leg...

I think I sprained my left ankle. There's a scratch on my both of my knee and a small cut on my right leg, probably because of the rusty nail on the gate.

"Sohyun.. Sohyun.. where are you?", a soft whisper was heard.

"Here", I said.

She followed my sound and found me. "What happen to you?".

"I suddenly feel so dizzy", I said touching my forehead. My vision started to blur and I can't hear anything, I know that Suah is blabbering about how dangerous it is to go out late night and such, but I can't hear a thing. My eyes rolled back and I fainted.