{ Minhyuk POV }

The sky had turned a flat gray signalling the sun would rise soon. The metal swing I sat on was cold and dewy from the night before and my hands felt frozen. Swinging back and forth slowly all night gave me some time to think. But it seemed I had not yet figured out why Eunjin would act the way she did. After all these years shouldn’t she know that I was the only one who could touch her? I thought over my actions from yesterday and concluded that while I may have hurt Eunjin, she had to know what I felt about her and fraternizing with other men. I couldn’t handle going through that situation again…

The sun had begun to rise over the horizon and it cast a blinding light on the playground I was in. I wasn’t ready to go back just yet, so I would stay here and think for a while longer…

{ Eunjin POV }

My dreams that night were more like nightmares. Flashes of the past with Minhyuk crossed my mind and then disappeared and were replaced with the frightening images of his deadly glare. I woke up on the cold hard floor of the bathroom. I had slept slumped against the wall all night and my backside paid for it. Placing a hand on the vanity I tried to push myself off the floor but I instantly drew my hand back. Examining it I saw the glass shards still embedded in my hand with smears of dry blood surrounding them. I remembered last night and cringed at the awful memory. Shoving it out of my mind I stared to pick out the bits of glass and throw them down the sink. It was very painful as I assumed it was already infected and the skin had started to heal over, causing extremely sore scabs to form. Grabbing the same bottle of antiseptic as last night I splashed some of it on my hand and let out a yelp at the pain before hastily wrapping a bandage around it. Hoisting myself off the ground my hip screamed in protest, walking would be torture for a few days.

I looked into the mirror and saw myself; only I was so very different. My hair was knotted and flew out in all directions, my skin white as a sheet with dark purple bags to add and my eyes seemed all the more afraid. ‘What do I do now?’ I thought helplessly as my reflection stared back with the same expression. Sighing I decided to take a shower and try to relax, even if just a little. Once I was done I re-bandaged myself and painfully walked into the lounge room before carefully sitting on the lounge. I couldn’t just sit here and stare at the wall all day so I the TV and watched a drama marathon, not really paying attention to the actors on screen. After about two hours of sitting around the doorbell rang. I contemplated whether I should even answer the door but whoever was on the other side of it wasn’t leaving any time soon it seemed. I groaned in pain as I pushed off the lounge and shuffled towards the door, noticing the clock on the wall stated it was now noon. I fumbled with the doorknob before opening the door just a crack.

“Hello?” I asked quietly while half hiding behind the door.

“Eunjin? Is that you?” A familiar musical voice filled my ears and I stuck my whole head out to confirm my guess. Eunkwang stood at the door with a soft smile.

“Hey, I came to see if you alright. Can I come in?” He sounded so sincere that it struck a chord in my heart. Fully opening the door I stepped aside to let him in. I walked down the hallway and he followed, but just as we were about to enter the lounge room I remembered the smashed photo and blood on the wall. Whirling around I pushed Eunkwang into the kitchen and shoved him down into a chair.

“I’ll make some coffee!” I announced nervously while putting on a weak smile.

“Minhyuk’s not home?” Eunkwang asked lightly. I didn’t care whether he came home or not.

“Oh, no. He got called into work early today.” I laughed shakily at my lie. He seemed to believe it as he just nodded and watched as I took out two mugs from the top cupboard. It was a reach for me but I grasped the handle of one of the bright yellow mugs. The stretching had agitated my hip and I cringed and dropped the mug in my hand. The sound of my yelp and the mugs crashing to the floor had startled Eunkwang, causing him to jolt up out of the chair. Noticing me he rushed over and checked to see if I was alright, this time I couldn’t hide the pain I was in.

“I’m so clumsy, I’ll get the dustpan!” I stumbled out of the kitchen and down the hallway in an attempt to escape. I couldn’t let him find out about it. God only knows what would happen if anyone found out.

As I was about to place my hand on the doorknob for the second time today, a hand shot out and grabbed my shoulder softly but with enough force to bring me to a halt. Eunkwang pushed me until my back hit the wall and placed his hands on either side of my head, trapping me. I closed my eyes and clenched my fists in order to not spill everything. I didn’t want to see his eyes boring into mine in an attempt to provide answers to his un said questions. Instead of an interrogation about my odd behaviour, all I felt was a warm hand on my cheek. Opening my eyes I saw Eunkwang staring down at me with sad eyes and my heart was beating much harder than before. He didn’t say anything but just took my right fist and gently pried my fingers apart revealing the loose bandage. He slowly unwrapped it and exposed my raw skin. His brow knitted together in either confusion or anger but he didn’t stop at that. Still holding my hand he moved his other hand down to my waist and lifted up my shirt just enough to reveal the bandage and the long, dark bruise. He finally met my eyes and a dozen different emotions were present in them. I didn’t know what to do, he knows. He now knows everything and I can’t say anything that would convince him otherwise.

We just stood there and stared at each other for a few moments before he snapped out of it and pulled me into a tight embrace. My eyes went wide and my face flared up, this wasn’t normal behaviour for Eunkwang.

“Cry.” That one word that escaped from his lips caused me to release all the tears my body could hold. I gripped onto his jacket and cried into his chest while he stood there with a stony face shushing me and my hair.

I don’t know how long I stood there in his arms and cried, but soon my eyes became heavy and my sobs lessened. My throat was raw from the gasps and gurgles that escaped and my head pounded. All I could remember next was a pair of strong arms carrying me as I drifted into a heavy sleep.

{ Eunkwang POV }

Now I know. I know what has been happening behind closed doors for four years. My best friend and my only love were in a fractured relationship. It sickened me how brutal Minhyuk could be and even though I knew what probably brought on this behaviour, it is still no excuse. When he had first started dating Eunjin I thought he had finally moved on from the past but obviously I was wrong.

But while all these negative thoughts and emotions collided in my head, I relished in the moment of Eunjin finally being in my arms. She spilled out all her emotions and her sorrow stained my shirt. I hated to see her in such pain but I felt as though I could heal her. It would take time but I would release her from this hell and see her genuinely smile again.

‘But could she love me back? Did she still love Minhyuk despite the abuse?’ Question after question wracked my brain until I could no longer think straight. The vow I made to love Eunjin silently seemed flawless when I made it, but now cracks were starting to appear. I gazed at the woman in my arms and thought about what it would be like if I had been quicker that day in high school. Maybe we could have been together and lived happily ever after like in the fairytales. But I knew this was far from any fairytale.

After what seemed like hours of hearing Eunjin’s sobs and having my arms wrapped around her tightly, she loosened up and her breath was slow and even. She was asleep. I picked her up and cradled her against my chest as I made my way to her bedroom. But as I walked into the lounge room my foot crunched on something. Taking a step back I saw a shattered photo frame that had once contained a photo of Eunjin and Minhyuk. I felt hollow inside as I stared blankly at the torn photo. ‘I have been blind the past four years. But now I can see everything. Perhaps I would have been better off blind…’ Numbly I raised my head from the photo and saw a smeared handprint of dried blood on the wall. ‘Eunjin’s hand…’ She had suffered so much pain and I didn’t know. I felt horrible, like I should crawl into the shadows and never see the light of day again.

After wallowing in my emotions for a few minutes I proceeded to walk into Eunjin’s bedroom and place her gently on the bed, tucking the sheets in around her. She looked more peaceful than before though still plagued by fear. My heart felt like it was going to shatter like the photo frame, but you can’t just buy a new heart. Leaning down I gave Eunjin a soft kiss on her forehead before turning around and leaving. I would become her guardian angel, someone to look over her. And maybe someday, with a of luck, she would become my angel…

{ Minhyuk POV }

The sky had darkened and the street lamps were beginning to flicker to life. That whole day I sat on the swing and thought. I contemplated my life and everything in it, from past to present to even dreaming about the future; whether it be a dream or nightmare. Sighing I pulled myself off the swing and strolled to my car taking in the orange sky. I wasn’t ready to forgive Eunjin, but I would give her another chance. And if she broke our promise again… well I don’t know what I would do.

Double update today! WOOT WOOT! Sorry if this chapter is slightly disappointing but it had to be done.

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