"The night has a thousand eyes, And the day but one; Yet the light of the bright world dies, With the dying sun. The mind has a thousand eyes, And the heart but one; Yet the light of a whole life dies, When love is done."

- Francis William Bourdillon

CHAPTER 6

Last period had ended; everyone is busy chitchatting except Yoona. She slowly went out of the classroom. She is not feeling well. She feels warm, and her head is aching terribly. Earlier, the pain in her head had been subtle, but now, it’s almost unbearable.

She reached the stairs, slowly taking descending steps. She was on the fourth step when her head just exploded with pain, making her lost her grip on the handrails. She felt so dizzy. When she tried to move, she discovered that she had lost her bearings. Everything is spinning.

Only when she heard the shouts of the people around her did she realize that she is falling towards the floor, but she couldn’t control what is happening now. She felt herself fly, and then everything went blank.

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Siwon felt his phone vibrate, he procured his phone from his pocket. It was his mother. He answered it.

“Umma.” He continued to walk the length of the hallway. “yes umma....I will....of course...yes”

He is almost at the stairs when shouts from nowhere began. He saw a girl pointing at the upper part of the stairs; he turned his head towards it. “Oh my God” To his utter horror, he saw Yoona almost falling from the stairs.

He dropped his phone, and immediately ran towards the girl. He was at the bottom stair when he caught her. He realized that he has been holding his breath, and released it when she held her in his arms. Relief spread through his entire being.

“Yoona-shii” he called, but she did not answer. He laid her on the ground, holding the upper part of her body. He tapped her cheeks, but no response whatsoever. She is unconscious. He felt her forehead, and realized that she has a fever.

Ignoring the consistent questions of those students who saw the incident, he placed his left arm on her shoulders, and his right arm on her knees. He lifted her up and started to walk fast towards the infirmary.

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“Good thing you caught her siwon, or else the damage would have been worse” the school doctor informed him.

He is sitting at the bed beside Yoona. She is still unconscious. He was so damn worried about her that he decided to ditch his basketball practice and accompany her. He will just explain everything to his team mates later. Well, I think they already know, as every new incident here spreads like wildfire in the entire school. He thought.

He looked at Yoona. She’s so peaceful when she’s asleep, and she’s so beautiful. My sleeping beauty. He thought. He chuckled at the word ‘my’.

“Since it is dangerous if she goes home alone, I think you should accompany her.” the doctor suggested.

“That’s my plan doc.” Siwon answered.

“Where am I?” a soft voice spoke. Siwon turned his head. The sleeping beauty is finally awake.

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Yoona tried to get up, but went back to bed when everything started to spin. She clutched her head.

“Where am I?” she instead looked at the boy who was sitting near her, and to the man in white standing a good distance from her bed.

“Are you okay now? Yoona-shii?” the boy, whom she recalled as a person named Siwon, spoke. There’s a trace of worry in his expression and voice.

She did not answer. “What happened...?”Then she remembered everything, her head bursting with ache, how she lost her balance, and how she went flying and lost consciousness. Oh. She silently uttered.

“How... did I get here?” she asked, although, she already guessed the answer.

It was the doctor who replied. “You almost fell in the stairs; good thing Siwon here caught you, or else something much worse would have happened.”

She looked at Siwon again. He was still staring at her with those intent eyes. They were like that for a period of time when the doctor coughed. She immediately diverted her eyes to the doctor, the boy did too.

“It is most advisable if you are accompanied by someone when you go home. Siwon here presented to bring you home.” The doctor smiled.

“no.” she replied. She slowly raised her body, she signalled Siwon to stop when he tried to help her. She rested her back at the headboard. “No. there’s no need for him to accompany me. I can manage.”

“You are not going alone Yoona-shhi” Siwon spoke. Yoona raised her eyebrows.

“Miss, you are not yet stable. It would be better if you are with someone.” The doctor looked at her seriously. “Now, I don’t want any student get involved in a much more dangerous situation just because of their own hard-headedness.” Yoona’s gaze dropped.

“Then it’s settled. Here’s your medicine.” The doctor handed her a small paper pack.” If you’ve rested enough, you can leave.” The doctor then entered an adjacent room.

Silence fell through the entire room.

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“don’t bother.” Was the response of Yoona when Siwon immediately helped her the minute she shifted her legs and tried to stand up.

“I insist. You are not well enough.” Siwon replied. Ignoring the girl’s consistent denial, he put his arm around her and slowly raised her up.

When he had hoisted her up, she suddenly brushed his hand off. The action made her lose her balance.

“Hey!” Siwon reflexively grabbed her right wrist. “You almost fell over again. Why don’t you just cooperate with me Yoona-shhi? “

She coldly stared at him and didn’t respond. Siwon’s gaze involuntarily dropped from her face down to her wrist. He noticed something, a disfigured part of her flesh...a scar.

When she followed his questioning gaze, she instantly tore her hand away. She leaned her other hand to the wall opposite.

Siwon stared at her “what is that?”

“None of your damn business.” She icily retorted. She walked past the door bit by bit, still supporting herself by leaning on the wall. She did not bother calling Siwon.

He caught up with her. He again tried to aid her, but she dismissed his offering hand. “Just.Dont.” she pierced daggers at him.

But siwon just smiled. She’s angry. This is what she looks like when she’s mad. He thought. It’s an improvement. At least it wasn’t that empty expression before.

“Are you mocking me?” she raised her voice.

“No” he answered, still smiling “we are on the wrong way. Let’s turn back.”

“Why?” she snapped.

“Because the parking lot is on the other way”

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Yoona was seated at siwon’s car, a black Lamborghini, while the latter was driving. Stubborn, rich kids. She furiously thought.

They were crossing a familiar route. Siwon had earlier asked her address.

A deafening silence had fallen between them. They had stopped their bickering, or rather, Yoona had stopped her squabbles. She went back to her cold, blank demeanor.

It was Yoona who broke the silence first. “What do you want?” she coldly stated. She did not look at him; she was staring at the street.

Siwon was puzzled “what do you mean?”

“For helping me. What kind of compensation do you want?”

Siwon chuckled. “Is that a ‘thank you’? Don’t mention it.”

She did not respond. She just let the silence fall again.

It was Siwon who broke the silence this time.

“Be my friend.”

Be my friend......