I ran, again as fast as I can. I ran across Hoseok’s block. If I die tonight, please god, know that I am thankful. It’s so ironic. I am not afraid to die yet I am running as fast as I can. Tears blurred my sight. I am in a point wherein if a car hits me, I’d thank the driver.

     I bumped into a guy who was picking oranges on the ground. What the ? I thought oranges came from trees?

     “Joy?” The guy asked as he stood in front of me. Who is this guy? I am in a hurry. My god!

     “I don’t know who you are but I am in a hurry. I have no time for signing your shirt or whatever! Move!” I shouted. And just as I step forward, he held my wrist.

     “It’s me! Hoseok! What’s going on? You look exhausted!” I remove his hand and held his wrist instead. I do not know what to do.

     "I need to find a bus stop and run away."

     Instead of going to a bus stop, we stopped at his house. Based on his looks, he just got out from a grocery store, bought some oranges then I popped out of nowhere and he forgot those oranges outside. Poor oranges. I am drenched and exhausted and dizzy from running and I am not scared.

      “Hey, it’s me Hoseok. What’s going on?” His forehead wrinkled as he held my arms.

     “Hide... Let’s hide....” I stutter as I remember the words from Joonki’s mouth. Dirty, nasty mouth.

     “What are you saying? You’re not making any sense.” How dare he judge a person who is at death’s door?

     “Now’s not the time to talk! Let’s go far away before he could find me! Please...” I gasped for air. I’ve never cried this hard. Ever.

     We are currently inside his house. He promised me that we will go away from here if I stop crying. It’s so hard not to cry when everything is falling apart and you’re inches away from death and you’re with a weird person and he is thinking that you’re not making sense and it seems like molly is not having an effect.

     He is living alone. The walls are full of pictures of him with an old woman. There’s a wacky picture of him and he looked like a horse. Everything in this house is so giddy. There are chairs and table and cabinets but no electronic devices except for his new cell phone sitting on the wooden cabinet.

     I sat on a sofa which is kind of “vintage” because of its faded color and the smell, god! How old is this sofa?  

     He gave me a glass of cold water. “Breathe. Tell me when you’re alright.” He said as he sat beside me.

     After a few minutes, I found myself crying, again. “Let’s get out of here, Hoseok.”

     “Why? We have to go to school tomorrow!”

     I placed the glass on the mini cabinet beside me. “My stepdad is going to kill me. He is looking for me right now. He is mean. He is a monster. If he finds me, he’ll surely kill me. He hates me. Please... Hoseok...”

     He knelt down on the floor facing me. He examined my face like there’s something wrong. “Are you stoned?”

     “Hoseok! I will tell you everything but first, please please please let’s drive out of this city.”

xxx

     He packed his things up. Probably a few clothes and his cell phone. He is wearing a plain yellow sweatshirt and pink pajamas which he was wearing earlier . Maybe it’s because I was rushing him.

      I was leaning on the windows of the bus crying. Does Molly make you more depressed? I put my eyes on him. He is asleep. His mouth is slightly open. How could he sleep when I am on the verge of dying?

     I put his head on my shoulders so he can sleep better. I closed my eyes. I don’t know where we are going. Away... maybe.

xxx

     My head hurts a bit but I think the effects of the drug are slowly disappearing. Last night was so depressing. I let a boy drugged me and he kissed me and I kissed him back. Joonki was looking for me and I know that he would kill me and he laid his hand on my mom. Can my life be more dramatic?

     We stopped at an old house in Busan. An old woman embraced him, “Ohh! Finally, you brought a girl!” Her hair is curly and she looks like a typical old Korean mom slash grandma from Korean dramas.

     Hoseok pouted and said, “Granny! I missed you so much.”

     His grandma smiled and put her eyes on me. “Pretty child, what’s your name? Is Hoseok a good boy friend? I am sorry he’s such a pain in the .” Her eyes disappear whenever she smiles.

     I didn’t get to respond because Hoseok cut me off. “I’m hungry.”

     The house was enough for a small family. There are a few furniture and appliances like radio, TV and stuff. I wonder why Hoseok doesn’t have any on his flat. There are photographs of him and his grandma. They look so happy. Where are his parents though? Everything in this house is giddy too and has a relaxing vibe.

     Grandma asked Hoseok to go to the market and buy some things. She said we will be making Kimchi. Hoseok went to the market and I was left with his grandma. She kept on staring at me and randomly smiling like, she really scares the out of me. Long face’s family is so weird. I grabbed my cell phone inside my bag and saw text messages from my mom and Joonki. They are threatening me. I shook it off because I don’t want to think about anything. I want to rest.

     “You look so tired, what happened?” She asked as she made her way beside me. She put her hand on my thigh with a concerned look on her face. “Do you want to rest?”

     “I’m okay, grandma. I just have a lot going on. You know, typical teenager.” I replied without looking at her. I don’t want to cry. I am sick of crying.

     “This is the first time Hoseok brought a girl here. I guess you’re his girl friend? You look so good together.” She giggled; her curls bouncing.

     “I—“ I didn’t get to talk because she started talking.

     “You suit each other because you’re different from each other. Hoseok isn’t a typical teenager. He is special. Well... at least to me.”

     I guess she is trying to tell me a story.

     “His mother is so beautiful just like you. She has this coloured hair, her face is so angelic and they’re really close with each other. Eundong, her mother found out that her husband, my son, died in an accident. He was a seaman. She was so depressed. She stopped eating and later on, she stopped talking to people. She wanted to be alone so she left Hoseok, her son, to me. She said she’s going to find herself. I told Hoseok that Eundong was in a vacation and will be back soon. But, she did not come back. One day, Hoseok turned the TV on and there was a news about a woman who was found dead in a hotel room.” Her eyes melt and her lips formed a straight line. I gasped on what I just heard. I was just wondering where his parents are and now I am getting all the answers. Shocking answers.

     “The autopsy states that her esophagus was ruptured. She binged and binged and then purged and drank a bottle of vodka and her body was so weak that her esophagus was ruptured. There was a drug found inside the room. The news identified her and asked if anyone know about her. I found Hoseok crying his eyes out. I wish he never knew about that. That kid was traumatized that we stopped turning on these appliances. He was so scared. I was, too. I hope you don’t leave him because I am afraid that that incident will happen again.” She wiped the tears that came out on her eyes. The tears of a loving parent. A guardian. A grandmother. 

     I’ve always thought that Long Face is such a weird kid. I guess watching your mom lifeless is really heartbreaking. If I were him, I wouldn’t switch on these damn appliances too.

xxx

     After a few hours of making Kimchi and eating them, I decided to go outside. Maybe for a walk or for a fresh air or to cry again. I guess I took a small amount of Molly. Well, I was stoned for a moment and it made me ‘more’ depressed. I haven’t said anything to Hoseok. Not a bit. I guess he’s waiting for the right moment or maybe he thinks that I am really not making sense at all.

     I sat on a rock beside a river. The water shows the moon and the stars. The wind is colder and everything is at peace. I am at peace.

     “The moon is so beautiful when everything’s at peace.” As soon as I heard that voice, I know it’s him. He sat beside me with his cell phone on his hand.

     “You’re not making any sense.” I chuckled as I look up. The moon is indeed beautiful. The wind is cold, the sound of water is calming and we are sitting under the moon and the stars are the witnesses. Hoseok saved me from Joonki.

     I looked at him and noticed that his eyes are glittery. The light from the moon makes his skin glow. His hair is as black as the night sky and his smile is as pure as him. This boy suffered a lot than me but here I am being so depressive and stuff.

     He looked at me and smiled and that smile shocked me. What a weird kid!

     “You know what... You remind me of my mom.” He said.

     “Because I ran away from home too?”

     “Oh... So she told you.” Sad words came from his mouth. I shouldn’t have said that.

     “I’m sorry.”

     He shook his head and he gazed at me. “I was going to say you remind me of her because you are both beautiful. You’re beautiful.”

     “No. I am not beautiful. I am... a mess.” I replied then shush him when he was about to say something. The quiescence of this place is what I've been longing for.

sorry for updating this story sooo late :> 

-sawakoshawol