The beating was getting stronger.

Their hands are getting heavier.

Your body is almost limping, almost falling, almost, dying.

A hand reaches out and touches your cheek. The pain in your body automatically vanishes. You reach out to your cheek and touch the hand of the person. "Kai...? Kai...?"

"Shh... It's alright. I'm here." The voice suddenly becomes real, and you can feel it near you.

"Kai? Kai."

"Kai? No. It's me. Sehun."

Your eyes immediately pops open. Sehun's worried face is the first one you see. His hands are resting on our cheek, your hands also on top of his. He is sitting beside you on the bed. Your eyes wander around and you're in an unfamiliar room. The clock on the wall says it is already afternoon. You practically slept almost a days since yesterday. You slowly sit up, but Sehun gently pushes you back.

"Uh uh. You better stay there. You need to rest to fully restore your health." He smiles apologetically. "I'm sorry if you're surprised. You're in my room. I couldn't bear to return you to that wicked home of yours. It's too much. We're going to get some help to get rid of them later, but for now, you have to rest."

You blink. "Sehun...?" Your voice is weaker than you expected, hoarse and dry.

"Hm?"

"How about your parents?"

He chuckles lightly. "On a business trip or something. Don't worry. We'll be fine." He stands up from the bed. "I'll get you something to eat." He smiles and leaves.

You gulp and look around one more time. The room is quiet. And it is a bit spacious, unlike your small attic room. The atmosphere is quite new to you. You're supposed to be happy that someone took you away from your wretched room, but somehow, you feel like something is missing. Or rather, someone. "Kai..." You slowly whisper.

Instinctively, you get up from the bed and trot around the room with wobbly feet. You stop and gasp as you see yourself in Sehun's full-length mirror. You are literally battered. Torn. Bruises are all over your body. You still had your uniform on, but some blood stains are visible on the left sleeve of your uniform. If only Kai was there, he'd immediately clean you even if you resist...

"Where is he?" You unconsciously say. It's been days since you last seen him around you. You'd only see him when you get out of the house and out of the school. He barely talks to you anymore. But he didn't show signs that he's mad at you. He just was... quiet. It suddenly made you wonder why he's not the one who helped you yesterday and had to tell Sehun himself.

You carry yourself out the door and down the stairs. You hear some noise from the kitchen and lead yourself there. Sehun is cooking something, his back facing you. You quietly tiptoe to one of the chairs in the dining table.

The screeching noise made by the chair jolts Sehun, making him turn around. "~~~~~!" He puts the pan down on the stove. "I told you to stay in-"

"It's alright." You smile. "I don't like doing nothing. I got used to doing something the minute I open my eyes in the morning."

Sehun looks at you in pity, understanding the pain you went through. "I'm sorry, ~~~~~."

"You don't need to be sorry." You place your hands on the table and play with your fingers. "Things just happen for