“I want to protect her…I want to erase the sadness in her eyes…”

               It’s not sadness that has taken over her eyes…its fear… the fear of being alone…

               Haera, from my point of view, is always lonely. Despite the strong aura overflowing her innocent eyes, traces of sorrow are present. Her eyes are the total opposite of her actions. As I remember, the first time I met her was three years ago, in the park near the kindergarten where my niece studies and it was still back in Busan. She’s a lost kitten back then.

               I saw my niece crying in front of a girl I never met before. Her hair is a rich shade of  brown which flows in waves adorning her peaches-and-cream complexion. She wears a simple black jacket layered over a printed top, she doesn't look very friendly too, maybe because of the sunglasses she wears?...

               “Excuse me” I asked her. She looked at me and asked why. “She’s my niece.”

               She looked surprised, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” She looked back to my niece.

               “What happened to you?” I asked my crying niece. She continued sobbing. Speaking between sobs I can’t understand what she was saying.

               “She fell off the old swing over there” the girl said. “Those stupid boys pushed the swing really strong and she lost grip on the rope so she fell.”

               I sighed. “Minha... stop crying. Uncle is already here.”

               The girl also sighed, “So your name is Minha? Haera-unnie, will take you to a clinic, do you want?”

               Minha shook her head. “She doesn’t like going the clinic” I told the girl.

              “Eh? But your wound will not be cleaned if we don’t see a doctor now…” Haera (as I heard) said. Then, Minha started to cry louder. Haera panicked and I find it cute that she’s worrying for my niece.

               I carried Minha on my arms, “Don’t worry we don’t need to go. Uncle will clean and heal the wound for you.”

               “Are you a god? How can you heal a wound, stupid?” I heard the girl said.

               “What?”

               “I’m offering help, are you not going to thank me?”

               “You’re arrogant” I said. “But thanks a lot for looking after her while I’m not yet around.” I looked at Minha and saw a pink band-aid with the words ‘heal heal’ imprinted on it. “Oh? Is this from you?”

               “Yeah” she answered with an unfamiliar English accent.

               “Thank you” I told her. “Her mom might be worrying so we need to go.”

               “Her mom?” I heard her asked silently.

               “Is there any problem?”

               “N-no, I don’t have any problem” she said while shaking her hands in front of my face. I noticed something written in her hands.

               “U-unnie… is…is lost” Minha said.

               “No, I’m not. I’m just kidding earlier, hahaha” she laughed but since I was looking seriously at her, she finally spit it out. “Alright, I lost a lot of things today…my phone, my wallet and the most important is… my way but you don’t need to help me, I can take care of myself, just go home. Her … mother… might be freakin’ worried” she said turning her back from us.

               “Are you sure? But you don’t have money, I can lend you mine.”

               “I’m okay” she replied in English and walked her way to the corner on the street.

               “Haera!!!” I burst out as soon as I open the unlocked door of their unit. I ran up to her as fast as I could. Grabbed her left hand, which is holding a something sharp, but not a knife more like just a thin blade, and hug her tightly.

Silence…

                                                                                          Silence…

                                             Silence…

                                                                                                                                       Silence…

Am I late? Did I make it in time?

                              Silence…

                                                            Silence…                    

                        Silence…

She pushed me with all her might but I didn’t let go of her…

                                             Slash…

Drip…

Drip…                                  

She stared at me…cupped my face…then wiped the blood from the unintentional cut she left…

                “I-I’m sorry” she murmured while stopping her tears. I feel so useless…if only I have the confidence like hyung.  “I’m sorry” she keeps on mumbling. I touched her forehead which is still burning in fever.

               “Its okay” I said as I put her into my warm embrace. “It’s okay…it’s okay now… I know you’re just scared…I know you were just holding back your tears… but let go of the past... let go of all the feelings you have carried all by yourself…I’m here, I’ll help you carry your burdens.”

She pushed me again, stood up and walk towards the kitchen sink…

               “How much do you know about me? You don’t even know a single thing about me. Stop pretending that you want to help me” she said while looking at the mirror with dreadful eyes she tried to grab a nearby knife but I didn’t let her touch it even the slightest.

               She tried to push me again but this time she lost her balance maybe due to dizziness so she had to lean on me…

               “W-Why am… I always…. alone?” she stuttered in between tears. Finally, she shed those tears, the tears that she had been ceasing a long time ago. Finally, she lets go of them. “I don’t want to be alone anymore…”

               “You’re not alone” I softly replied securing her in my embrace. “Aron-hyung is there to listen to you, right? Ren is also there, believing that you’ll soon open up to us…and I’m here, right now, I can listen to you no matter how late, how long, how dramatic it’ll get. So please don’t think that you’re alone because you’ve never been.”

               “I can’t believe I’m such an idiot…I should have forgiven him a long time ago…” she said losing her consciousness. Him??

               “Haera?” I tried to wake her but she’s really burning hot. I carried her in my arms and lay her on the bed. I covered her with blanket and fetch a towel soaked in cold water to help her bring the temperature down.

               I gave Aron-hyung a call. I told him that I might spend the night at Haera’s unit. He said that he’ll send JR to accompany us, I told him its okay but he insisted. I can’t sit still. I paced one minute after another. I sat and stood. Looked around her room, scan through her shelves. Picked a book that caught my interest, Family… that’s how it’s translated. It’s an English novel I’ve never heard of, written by an infamous author. When I flipped through the pages something fell out to the floor. I picked it up and saw that it is a picture of her with… Baekho…

               Continuously looking around their unit, I saw this small box on top of the dinner table, I lifted it and saw a small envelop beneath.

               “Happy 17^th Birthday, Haera” I read to myself. Then I saw this small name… “Joon Mino.” It’s from her dad…

               “You must have hated me ever since I left you and your mother in Jongin’s refuge. I don’t know if you’re even going to read this…still, I want to tell you how much I love you. You know what? I’m fixing our papers…Minyoung had finally agreed. We’re going to be a family when the papers get approved...You, me, Minyoung and JR… Haera, you really look like your mother and as time passes by...I can’t even differentiate the two of you…you had even showed the same attitude as her. I’m afraid I didn’t look after you while you’re growing…I love you and I always will. Happy 17^th birthday.”

               JR? Then a knock broke the silence I had formed… I opened the door, it’s JR. He entered and put the bag he’s carrying on the table. “It’s dinner prepared by hyung. How is she?”

               “She’s not yet—.”

               He didn’t finish my sentence instead he rushed towards her room as soon as he had dropped everything on the table. Sometimes I really wonder…what relationship JR really has with Haera…

a/n: OMG xDD lame? Of course not hehe...(am I the only one thinking - it is not?) How was it?

Wh-What? What picture with BAEKHO??!!!  I'm freakin' out here xD but I need to cut everything here for this chapter xDD and continue preparing and revising the next chappies...

And Minhyun, please stop being like that! Haera doesn't like you just come to me!! xDD I'm going to die because of you haha... Oh well, see what happens next~~ T.T this chapter is a bit dramatic(for me)... hehe xD I'm going to put alot of flashbacks from Nu'est members :3 so that we'll know more about Haera on their own POVs~~ 

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT poor HAERA?

Will Minhyun learn what is Haera and JR's real connection?? What's between her and Baekho? 

COMMENT~!!! Please leave a comment xD