Bang! 

 

Bang!

 

Bang! 

 

The door shook harder as the banging on the door continued to get louder. Their backs against the weak partition that was separating them from their living horror, continued to take the pain of the hits too. But it would've been much easier for them if it were about the force of the banging only and not the baggage of their guilt along with it.

 

Her uncontrollable sobs that were being muffled by his hand, tightened around despite knowing that she was having difficulty breathing. She didn't mind it though, knowing his intentions, she felt rather grateful for it at that moment.

But sensing the girl wasn't going to stop any time soon, he brought her closer to his chest and pressed her against it while wrapping his other hand around her shoulder and letting go of .

"Please," he whispered softly in her ears as his own voice shook.

Hearing him plead like that with that trembling voice of his made her want to cry all the way more. Because how could he, of all people, dare sound this vulnerable at a moment like this? He was supposed to be giving her strength, not making her realize that all that was left for them was to give up and wait for their turn patiently. But it hurt more because this time around he wasn't asking her to stop crying as usual. He was rather asking her to give up.

Give up on the guy, standing on the other side of the door.  

 

Any other time, she would've thought that he actually meant what he had said, given how he was a man of his words. But not now, not today.

She might have not really known him well even after all these years, but she knew enough to know that he couldn't bring himself to want what he was asking for from her either.

Because he too felt the desperation to save the guy on the other end.

 

And that poor guy probably knew it too. But the problem lied with him not being able to realize it anymore.

​Feeling helpless at their inability to do just absolutely anything, she closed her eyes and wondered, How did we end up here?

 

No.

 

Why did we end up here? What have we done so wrong to get punished like this?

 

All she ever wanted was an escape. An escape from this reality, like she used to as a child. She tried thinking about all the times she would get hurt and lie on that bunk bed of hers by the window & would wonder if there would actually come a time when she could really escape this hell that she thought she was living in and the little girl in her would get all hopeful about it just from imagining it.

Hope. Something Ma Anne had taught them and the only thing that had been left behind by the Pandora's Box. A simple but powerful thing that let her look forward to the day next.

 

"Another day, another chance to escape hell!" She would always recite. 

 

The same words now hung on her tongue, bitter. Because now it wasn't even possible in her wildest dream. Also no matter how much she wanted to flee from her current situation, the noise behind her kept her pulling back to it.

 

She tried shifting her attention and listening to his heartbeat instead. But his ragged breathing reminded her of their miserable condition all the way more.

 

 

And for what felt like an eternity, the awful banging continued, making their hearts jump a little more out every time. But everything has to come to an end and so had the banging. When it gradually began to subside, his grasp on her arm got stronger, making it quite the odd reaction. She looked up at him sensing his fear. A feeling she always thought was foreign to him.

But truth be told she was equally scared. Not knowing what was to come next scared them the most. Because the discomfort uncertainty can bring you is always immense. 

 

And just when they thought that it was all finally over, a faint voice could be heard that they could barely catch.

 

"This once only, please..."

 

They were sure it wasn't their senses deceiving them and they really heard it right, that is also in a familiar whimpering voice before a clear thud could be heard in the background and everything fell into complete silence.

Shocked, she looked at him. Even though nothing could have taken her aback at this point but watching a tear stroll down his cheek as he purposefully avoided her gaze, surprised her.

 

Followed by "Had he remembered all this time?" a thousand questions popped up in her mind. But above all, she questioned herself, if she had ever known him at all. A touch and a company that felt reassuring not just a moment ago, made her feel insecure now. But she couldn't even be mad at him at this point. How could she? For that, he was all that was left for her.

Being unable to assess any other emotion, she felt funny. Funny at the vulnerability of their existence.

 

"How pathetic!" she thought." Is this how we turn out to be in times of need? How much about the human nature are we to discover before death decides to take us away? Every time we allow ourselves to think that we know enough, the universe has to offer us something new. Again isn't it the universe that fools us into thinking that way? Does it love giving surprises? Even so, does it not know that its surprises are way too much for us sometimes? How can it not realize though? It is just so huge and we are just a microscopic fragment of it. 

And it can get so painful and tiring at times.

 

But then again, this world full of contradiction has to say that we only suffer from the pain that only we are able to endure. 

 

So tell me...how much more is it that we are to go?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

"So you are the new kid, huh?" the 12 years old crossed her arms as she bended her head sideways to look at the unfamiliar girl before her better.

 

"Yes and I'm Eun Ae, Baek Eun Ae!" the new girl introduced herself cheerfully, making the other girl throw Eun Ae an odd look while she ignored the extended hand towards her. Watching her unwelcoming attitude, Eun Ae put her hand down and asked  if anything was wrong. 

 

"Uh no, it's just that you have quite the energy." The girl unfolded her arms, only to place them on her waist. "Is that a bad thing?" Eun Ae wondered.

"Well, if you ask me, yes!" the girl replied without any hesitation, much to Eun Ae's displeasure. 

 

"Oh," her face fell.

 

"What she means is that you look too jolly to be here, at this orphanage." A new voice spoke up. Eun Ae looked behind the girl, to see a young boy around their age, casually strolling up to them with a book in his hand. 

 

"Myself, Kim Jongdae, and it's nice to meet you," he extended a hand towards her. Taking it in she introduced herself but Jongdae made it known that he was aware of it already.

"It seems like you have met Hygiene already," he said pointing to the girl beside them.

"I told you to stop calling me that, especially in front of strangers! Also, my name is Hyejin, not hygiene! It means intelligent, precious, and rare." The girl declared proudly.

"Same thing. Don't care."

"It's not the same thing and you should care, Kim Jongdae!" Hyejin shouted, which Jongdae blissfully ignored. Eun Ae chuckled at their interaction.

"Also, she won't be a stranger for long," Jongdae stated confidently. "And how do you know that?" Hyejin frowned.

"Come, I'll show you around," ignoring Hyejin's words once again, he motioned at Eun Ae who happily took after him, followed by a grumpy Hyejin who had decided to follow them quite reluctantly for some reason.

 

After roaming about for an hour or two, most of which was consumed by Jongdae's unnecessarily long descriptions and details about the place, Eun Ae got familiar with all the rooms and passages.

"You have a good sense of navigation," Jongdae commented after having observed Eun Ae for a while.

 

"Oh yes, thank you! I get that a lot!" 

A soft smile formed on his lips at the girl's gleeful behavior but didn't get to last long.

"Oooh, is the Kim Jongdae smiling?" a smirking Hyejin teased wiggling her eyebrows. "I smile a lot, if not for your nonsensical remarks all the time."

"Hey!" Hyejin slapped him at the back of his head. "I told you not to do that!" Jongdae retorted with an evident scowl etched across his face, as he smoothened his hair out.

 

"And are you planning to give this girl a tour around here for the rest of the eternity or what? Mind you, Jongdae, she needs to know human beings. Human. Beings! Not bricks, walls, and infrastructures. Not everyone harbours the same dream as you of becoming an architect."

"Tch! I'm not an idiot, I know what I'm doing. So, please keep quiet. Also, there's nothing wrong with passing your dreams to someone else. Who knows? They might be able to fulfill it in your place someday if you fail." 

"You sound like a parent."

"Don't have any, can't verify. So please, shut up!"

 

Jongdae turned to an amused Eun Ae, enjoying the scene before her. "Hey, come on. I'll introduce you to our friends now," Eun Ae's ears perked up at the mention of the word.

Friends. Something she had always wanted. But couldn't get to have.

To her this was really going to be amazing.

 

The girl was feeling so excited the entire time that the next moment she knew, they were already standing in front of a group of people who were chilling under a huge banyan tree, casually placing themselves on the tree ring.

"Oye, Jongdae! Who you got there?" a tall boy with big cute ears shouted at them.

 

"Jeez, Chanyeol. We are just here, you don't need to shout like that," Hyejin frowned at him before joining the others.

 

"This is Baek Eun Ae, the new girl!" Jongdae declared. 

 

"Did anyone just say Baek?" A beaming boy snuck up behind Eun Ae and began inspecting her, causing the poor girl to jump up in surprise. The boy's smile widened only, "Hello, I'm Baekhyun. Byun Baekhyun! But you can call me Bacon!"

 

She awkwardly