The next day, Byun Aemi woke up at the junkyard, with her clothes ripped and her body aching from all the blows she received the night before. With very much difficulty, the girl forced her body to get up, groaning at each movement that sets her body into pain. 

After being successfully seated, Aemi felt sore on her lower body and tears immediately streamed down her face, in shock and in utter disgust of herself. 

She shifted her ripped clothes from one side of her body to the other, glaring at the marks and scratches on her tainted body with blurry eyes. She was sure that the bruises were caused by the blows and attacks to her body but the marks and scratches weren't. It definitely were caused by something else. 

Lying down again on the piles of smelly junk beneath her, she eyed the bright blue sky as she let the warm and hurtful tears fell abundantly. Her knuckles unconsciously turned to fists, the anger she's starting to feel skyrocketing immediately. 

What did she do wrong to deserve this kind of punishment? 

All she ever wanted for someone to look at her and befriend her for being herself, not because she was Baekhyun's cousin. 

She just wanted people to love her as she were, not because she was a Byun. 

But then, maybe she was selfish for asking those kinds of things. And maybe, this was her punishment. 

-- 

Ever since the accident, Byun Aemi came back to her old self, if she didn't gotten any worse. She would lock herself for all day long and refuse to talk to anyone. Everybody in the household went all horrified when they've witnessed her come home with bruises and wounds on her body, and a tear streaked face. 

The head maid immediately called for the ambulance and she was admitted in the hospital for a week for full recovery. 

During her admission to the hospital, Aemi refused visitors because she can't take the expression of disgust swimming on their orbs. 

However, it was the fourth day of her stay in the hospital when Byun Baekhyun crashed the door of her hospital room open, amidst all the warnings and calls from all the people outside. 

Aemi, who had her back turned towards the male immediately bolted up from lying, eyeing the guy who was huffing incredulously. 

"Oppa..." 

She muttered in surprise and the guy only glared at her. She shifted her gaze behind him, where the shocked health workers were gawking at them and she quickly avoided their gazes, she hated the fact that they were looking at her in disgust. Instead, the female focused her gaze to the blanket covering the lower half of her body. She unconsciously fisted the sheet, feeling dread washing over her.

"Leave us alone to talk," Baekhyun announced as he eyed her knuckles that were turning white from gripping the blanket too much. 

"But sir," one of the nurses spoke, worried that this unknown visitor would hurt the patient. "We can't do that, we're sorry. We're here to ensure the patient's safety—"

"I wouldn't hurt her, dang it!" the older Byun hollered, glaring at the nurses outside of the room in pure annoyance. 

"I am also a Byun!" He huffed. The workers outside went stiff at the intensity of the visitor's gaze. The nurse bowed once more, "I'm sorry sir, but were just following the protocols." 

Baekhyun rolled his eyes. "Fine, just wait there and get ready to kick me out if I do something inappropriate!" He dismissed before stomping towards Aemi's bed. 

As he approaches, the girl tightened her grip to her blanket even more, her eyes widening every time her cousin take a step closer to her. There was something in his gaze. However, it was far from the ones she would always get these days. He didn't look disgusted or revolted about her.

Realizing this, tears immediately brimmed her eyes, her brows furrowing as she tried her best to keep the tears at bay, her teeth catching her lower lips which happened to be chapped now.

Upon reaching the foot of her bed, Baekhyun sat down on it slowly, not cutting the staring contest he has with his cousin. He smiled at her lovingly when one tear fell without the younger's consent and he reached out to wipe it gently. Aemi flinched ever so lightly and he immediately shushed her, his fingers lightly brushing her cheeks that started becoming red because of the crying onset. 

When she had calmed down, gulping as to not let more tears fell, he opened his mouth to ask finally.

"What happened?" He cooed at her, and that does it. Her tears that she was trying her very hardest to contain broke out like a dam and she lifted her hands to cover her face as she wailed like a lost child. 

Byun Baekhyun's heart shattered to pieces, seeing her current state but if he doesn't ask the important question, he knows she wouldn't be able to heal. So instead of taking his question back, The guy draw neared towards his cousin's place, enveloping her in a comforting hug as he tapped his fingers on her back lightly, waiting patiently until she calm down and become ready to open up to him.

"It's okay, I'm here. I won't let anyone hurt you." He whispered. 

-- 

Baekhyun's fists tightened at every information that he receives from his cousin, his anger rising up in a very fast pace. He knows that she's got that rotting attitude but he didn't know she was that wicked. He didn't even know that people like that exists in the present times. Im Sua's obsession with his friend is immeasurable.

"Aemi-yah." 

He spoke, the younger looked up at him flinching instantly upon seeing the anger in his eyes. 

"oppa—" 

"I'll avenge you." 

Was his thrift and dark answer before he smiled at her lightly, getting a hold of her trembling hands. 

"In exchange," the older eyed their joins hands, smiling a little. 

"Would you see a therapist so you'll get over your trauma? Don't worry I won't leave you there." 

"no," she squeaked her refusal, her eyes darting to the sheets covering her. 

"Aemi—" 

"If you're feeling disgusted of me too for being like this. Just go." She cut him off, ushering to pull her hands but he held it back. 

"We were never disgusted of you. That's your fear appearing real. You only see that, not us. Please I'll accompany you with every sessions so heal for me, okay?" 

If it was her parents who were talking her into seeing a doctor, Aemi would most probably have refused but then, because it was her favorite cousin, with nothing but sincerity in his eyes, the female's heart immediately melted. She turned her gaze to their joined hands and that's when her eyes widened. 

"Oppa! you're bleeding!" She exclaimed, darting her gaze back to the holder's face. Baekhyun raised his eyes to smile at her, fondly. 

"Well, I crashed the door, I didn't realize the wood will cut through my skin" he joked to lighten up the mood. When he was about to pull his hands away, Aemi pulled it back, panicking.

"No! No! you need to be healed too!" The older bumped his forehead with the younger lightly, closing his eyes as he savored this feeling of being in the same space as her. He smiled. 

"That's great," he whispered and Aemi eyed him embarrassedly. "My cousin's back now." 

Soon, a small smile found it's way to her face and she realized one thing...

Byun Baekhyun is the only one she needed. If of it was for him, then she will do her best to heal. 

--

Soon, Aemi got discharged from her admission to the hospital and after a few weeks, she started seeing a therapist alongside her cousin, Baekhyun. 

However, in contrast to what the guy promised, he wasn't always with her at her appointments because of school matters. The girl didn't mind it much though, because she knows how much her cousin's course means to him and she couldn't put herself to ask him to accompany her every time. 

In secret, whenever Baekhyun isn't free to go with her, she would just schedule another appointment to when he was available. 

It's not like he wouldn't know, though. She was just very afraid to go with anyone other than him after the ambush. She knows he would understand. 

During her appointments at the facility, she met another person that made her heal even without Baekhyun's presence. 

Soon, Byun Aemi found herself seeing her therapist, recovering fast with the help of him. 

But then after a few months on her treatments, everything changed when Baekhyun's view in this matter changed drastically. She was broken hearted and felt betrayed that she never told him about her recent worries anymore. Letting herself fall to despair.

--

"Why did you do it?" Baekhyun asked, his eyes fixated on the book they borrowed. 

At his question, Sua lifted her gaze from the book she was reading. A scowl immediately formed in her face. 

"What?!" She snarled in a harsh tone before she scanned their surroundings. 

Luckily, every one else in the library was minding their own business which meant that their voices were tolerable enough. 

She whipped her head back at her boyfriend's friend. "What the heck are you saying?!" 

"Aemi," Baekhyun looked at her hard and his hunch was starting to be proven when she stiffened, albeit lightly. 

"It's you, right?" He cocked one brow at her and she gulped almost audibly.

Baekhyun knows a couple of months has already passed but he just couldn't drop the idea of having this vixen admit to her crimes. It's not like Aemi and his relationship could still be saved, however he wants to try his luck to win the girl's trust once more.  

Again, she turned to the other students before turning her attention back at him. "What are you trying to say?!" She argued. 

At her response, Baekhyun rolled his eyes before leaning back on his chair to glare at her. He crossed his arms before speaking. 

"Why did you do it?"

Sua let out a 'tsk' before she fisted her knuckles beside the book, glaring back at the guy who shifted his attention to her fists. 

Baekhyun smirked. "You don't want to speak? or you simply can't remember what you did anymore?" 

He inhaled a breath before smirking yet again. 

"You're the one to set up an ambush on her, weren't you?" 

She breathed heavily and the guy knew that he was right.

So it was really this vixen, huh? 

"L-Let's just finish the articles or C-Chanyeol would—" She tried to speak straight but the bile growing at the pit of her stomach is holding her back, making this ridiculous guy able to cut her off. 

"That's right, Chanyeol wouldn't be very pleased if she knew it was you who did that to his model."

Baekhyun's smirk widen even more when she started bearing sweat at her hairline. He was enjoying every word of torture directed to her. 

He might not be able to avenge his cousin an eye to an eye but he can threaten her with words. And Byun Baekhyun was always good with words. It's just a matter of time before Im Sua would break down. 

"He might break up with you." 

That does it. All of a sudden, her breathing became drastically uneven, her eyes widened to the size of saucers as she looked at him in horror, beads of sweat on her soft, delicate skin. Her body trembled profusely and Baekhyun ended up losing his smirk, his brows furrowing as he frown at her current state.

What's wrong with her? 

Soon, one of her hands reached to clutch the front of her shirt, still breathing raggedly. 

Slowly, Sua was leaning her body towards the table as she could hear her ears ringing and her vision turning hazy. Her face contorted in pain and her skin started becoming pail and that's when Baekhyun realized that something was wrong.

"E-e-emergency!" 

Baekhyun shouted in the silence catching everyone's attention. Standing up, he looked from side to side to searched for the librarian.

When he did so, he shouted again, "There's an emergency here, please call an ambulance quick!" 

He might hate this girl to her guts but he wasn't that much of a jerk to kill this piece of junk called Sua.

Everybody inside made a run anywhere else, to probably call for the university's clinic and some probably to call the ambulance. 

When Baekhyun motioned to follow the librarian to her office, where the telephone was located, a hand stopped him from doing so. He flinched at the coldness of her trembling hands yet he forced his self to look down on her. 

There, on the table, leans Sua's head, her face contorting in pain, beads of sweat on her forehead and her hand clutching the front of her shirt where her heart is located. Obviously, she was in deep pain. 

"Don't," She gasped loudly, her eyes opening up shortly before closing again. Baekhyun frowned at her, nevertheless leaned closer when she opened her eyes to look up at him.

"Don't tell my f-father you triggerred my—" another gasp. "anxiety a-a-attacks..." 

After saying that, Sua lost consciousness, her hand that hold him dropping to her side. Baekhyun's eyes widened.

"Im Sua!!!" 

~end of chapter 23~ 

A/N: Ho ho Ho! Another cut! I didn't know I'll be having a part three for this flashback story but oh well, I want to go in details before moving on to the other parts and bombs of the story, so I hope you guys wouldn't mind. No worries, the cafe scene (with Chan and Hana) will continue, XD. I'm just focusing on the other parts first. Hope you guys would be able to patiently wait.

Uhm, I dropped a hint here, I hope you guys would be able to grasp it. It's actually super easy, if I talk about it, that is hahahah so I chose not to anymore or you'll immediately guess it right. Just wait for the other chapters and learn about it ^.^

And belated happy first birthday celebration in the army Kim Junmyeon-ssi!!!! I wish you all the luck and wishing you a good health as you serve your country (TT^TT) Still crying about his absence but hey, he was in the army, folks~ He was serving his countrymen, let's all be proud at him and cheer for him always~ 

Let's not cry anymore. We'll see you in 2021! Uri Leader-nim!!!

laidbacknewbie