Yoo Nara

The satin curtain slipped involuntarily out of my grasp, drifting back into place as it hid the mysterious boy’s house yet again.

With that one accidental glimpse, I was already curious. I had a sense, that he too, wanted comfort from some part of his past, and I was determined to give it to him. I knew, on too many occasions, what it felt like to be neglected. If there was a chance to help, I would take it. True, I wasn’t the most outgoing person in the world, but when it came to matters like these, I would give it my all to make a difference. I wouldn’t let someone else go through all the pain alone like I had done for so many years. After all, if we were just two lonely souls, at least we’d have each other.

Grabbing a pink cardigan from my dresser, I slipped outside into the sweet spring air, inhaling the scent of flowers and fresh cut grass deeply before crossing the street and knocking firmly on the wooden front door.

Minutes passed before I saw the white blind flip up as the person inside took a peek before deciding whether of not to open the door.

It didn’t surprise me at all that the eyes that greeted me were the same ones from before. But up closer, they were even more magnificent that I would have ever thought possible. Though the darkness of his orbs did contain the sorrow I had noticed earlier, the gold flecks that dotted his irises were what intrigued me the most. Glittering softly even in the darkness of his home, they gave me a sense of hope. Precious hope for myself and my future. That even though I might not come out of the storm unscathed, I would still survive.

I smiled timidly only to be interrupted by the unmistakable clicking of a lock and the corner of his lips turning up to embody a smirk.

“Go away. People like you aren’t welcome here.” his mouth seemed to say as he forcefully swung the blind back to the door, leaving me all alone outside, crushed in my efforts.

Nodding in understanding, yet not at all unnerved by his coldness, I reached into my pocket, pulling out a pen and a small notepad. I had come prepared.

Carefully, in my most legible printing, I wrote a small note before folding it precisely into quarters and weighing it down in front of his door with a stone.

Hi.

______________________________

Kris

I allowed myself to breathe deeply for a moment, resuming my position from before.

What the hell was she doing here? Was she outgoing or just plain dumb?  No girl in her right mind would just walk across the street and try and make friends with a complete stranger. She was lucky I wasn’t a kidnapper, or even worse, a murderer.

I sneered at the sheer stupidity of it all. Like I cared what happened to her.

Minutes passed before I even dared to check if she was gone. Standing up slowly, I tried to make out shadows behind the blind. When there was none, I gingerly raised the corner, just to make sure.

Blood rushed to my head as I saw what was waiting for me. The pounding of my heart got louder, blocking out everything else in the world. Stepping outdoors, I carefully unfolded the sharp, precise creases. My vision blurred, only to refocus on the two single letters written neatly on the center of the page.

This was what she was going to resort to? I scoffed, tossing it away.  I wouldn’t let myself forget what my purpose here was. I wanted to forget, not replace the hole in my heart with another troubled girl.

Turning on my heel, I headed back indoors just as a sudden breeze picked up, fluttering the leaves all around me into one chaotic tornado. I paused for a moment. Surely the wind disposed of that thing, right? It was only a single sheet of paper, so it must have gotten carried away.

With my heart still beating frighteningly fast, I swiveled my head acutely, looking behind my shoulder. Waiting there for me, hardly touched, was her note, swaying gently in the wind, yet held by some unknown force.

So I kept it.

______________________________

Yoo Nara

All too suddenly, I was running through a dark forest, looking for something that I knew was important. I looked and looked, yet I didn’t even know who or what I was looking for. With each step, cold rain poured down harder, creating a mud that seeped through the soles of my shoes. Ragged branches lined the side of the path, cutting through my arms and face as I sped through, still looking. I felt the pain, but I was still looking.

As the first bolt of electric blue lightning struck, I felt a warm trickle, running down my whole body. Horrified, I looked down, only to be greeted by the sight of hundreds of razor blades piercing my skin. Cuts emerged, more blood pouring out of the new wounds. I cried for help but nobody came to my aid. Slowly, I succumbed to the pain, standing within my own pool of blood, waiting for unavoidable death. In a sense, I felt precious relief. Everything was finally over.

But instead of the coldness that I expected to come, a warm hand suddenly enveloped my own, tugging me quickly away from my impending end, blades quickly fading as he walked faster.  I turned to look at my savior but his face was shielded by a dark hood, giving him a more mysterious aura. Perhaps he was dangerous, but I didn’t care, for his touch gave me warmth that mimicked my previous sense of relief. Hand in hand, he led me on the worn and winding footpaths of the forest, until all that remained of the past was the fog.

Unexpectedly, we found ourselves in the middle of a small clearing, trees lining the area, trapping us in our own world. The rain had slowed to a small drizzle, the sky clearing enough to let a lone ray of light pierce the canopy above us, unwavering like a spotlight.

And then, in a single fluid motion, I was crushed to his chest, his arms encircling my body as if to shield me from any impending dangers.

“I’ll protect you,” his uneven breathing seemed to whisper as his lips grazed my ear with the slightest of contact.

My eyes closed on their own accord, taking in his scent and committing it to memory. He smelled bittersweet; pleasant vanilla and spice, yet tinged with a distinct sadness as well. It smelled strangely like home. In this stranger’s arms, I was finally home.

Gradually my gaze focused, revealing the most beautiful boy I had ever seen, standing steadily before me. The symmetry of his face- the strong jaw, the straight nose, those piercing eyes- all on the perfect canvas of his golden skin, left me breathless.

His fingers lazily intertwined with mine, interrupting my stupor as he brushed the hair out of my face, his dark shining eyes boeing into mine, sending me swirling in the depth of his gaze. Lowering his mouth to my forehead slowly, he uttered a single line before planting a light kiss on my forehead.

“Don’t hurt anymore. I’m here…”

______________________________

I jolted awake, started to find myself transported back to the warmth of my bed, still surrounded by the books I had been reading before I succumbed to sleep. Turning to the left, the red numbers on the alarm clock signified that it was only 3:30 in the morning. The darkness and the silence made it the perfect time to think.

Pushing myself groggily up, I grasped my bed sheets and made my way to the seat by my window, letting them trail on the floor behind me as I walked. I sat down on the cushion and drew my blinds up, admiring the scene before my eyes; the darkness of the sky and the brilliance of the stars captivated me. For once, I wished the stars fell and settled on my window.

But seeing the darkness of the night sky brought back another familiar memory, the boy in my dream. The same boy across the street. Perhaps this was fate, us meeting today.

And so, just like that, I sat in the window ledge for the rest of the night, enamored by the boy, the stars, and my own mind until sleep came again and the darkness turned to light.

Hihihihi ~ Working hard to finish before the deadline.. (+_+)

Enjoy this mega chapter! Kris and Nara have officially met so look foward to Channie in the next one :3