1 – How Did We Start?

The house was always empty as it is. It will remain empty forever, for now. Unless if there’s a visitor. That house is always a place to avoid for everyone in the neighborhood. People knows all the rumors about that house. Some even emphasizing the rumors, saying that it was haunted or something.

But not today.

A woman, old woman to be precise, was walking to the house today. She passed a man, who turns out to be a local, and greeted politely. While the man was watching her, confused yet scared that she’s going to the house.

20. It was the number of the house. Everyone called it ‘The Haunted House’ or ‘House Number 20’ or even worse, ‘House of The Killer’. But the lady seemed didn’t care about it. She must have another intention, far from everyone’s expectation. As soon as she gets in, her steps gets heavier. Her eyes gets teary, her body is trembling.

“Jiae...” she called in her hoarse voice. “Jiae...”

She kept calling and calling. “Jiae... The house... it can’t be empty forever” she cried.

Who’s Jiae?

“Jiae-ya, please come out” she cried again. “Jiae-ya... Jiae-ya!”

Her gaze moved from the door, to the windmill, which is the only thing moving in this house. The windmill was the only thing alive, but she was never like it. No, not the windmill. The maker.

“Neo...” she glared at that windmill. “Micheonabwa. Nappeunya. Geugakhan saram! Its all because of you!”

“Why are you alive in this world?” she shouted. “Why? Even this thing... your creation that you made with your filthy hands...”

“You shouldn’t live!” she kicked the windmill. “Cho Kyuhyun, you shouldn’t live!!!”

The windmill’s broken. She cried again as she fix the windmill. Not just fixing it, she put some flowers as the accessories. She looked to her decoration, and smiled.

“You always love carnations....” she smiled. “And so the devil...”

“I’m sorry” she cried. “I’m really sorry, Jiae-ya”

Who’s Jiae?

Who’s  Kyuhyun?

Where are they now?

What happened?

Fifteen years ago.

Yeom Kwang High School, Nowon.

Cho Kyuhyun was sitting down, heading to the window. The teacher was busy explaining, but he had no interest to listen. His hand gripped hard to something. He looked inside, it was a brooch. Her mother’s brooch. He kept thinking about his mother, so hard that he forgot to study.

“Cho Kyuhyun!” his teacher called. Kyuhyun straightened up, his eyes pierced to the teacher. The teacher, Teacher Wang, looked angry to his student. Teacher Wang adjusted his glasses, but Kyuhyun was pissed off, hiding his fists under the table.

“Kyuhyun-ssi” he said. “What is it under your hand?”

“Nothing” Kyuhyun answered.

“I have to know that” Teacher Wang demanded. “What is it?”

“Nothing” Kyuhyun denies. He tightened his grip on the brooch. Teacher Wang became furious as he walked towards Kyuhyun.

Everything looked like a slow motion in front of his eye, he knew his life’s going to be over as soon as Teacher Wang took the brooch. Its even too late to hide the brooch. Kyuhyun widened his eyes, waiting the time that he’ll lose another of his belongings.

But then.

“Sorry sir, I’m late”

The door broke open, and there stood Han Jiae. She bit her lip, afraid of being scolded. On the other hand, Kyuhyun slightly smirked, that Teacher Wang is stopped by that girl.

“Han Jiae!” Teacher Wang’s voice thundered as he turned back.

“You know I’m not considering lateness” he said with anger in his voice. “Ten points. You lose ten points, Han Jiae-ssi”

“I-I’m sorry...” Han Jiae stuttered, “I’m really sorry, Sir”

But apology isn’t the thing Teacher Wang needs right now. Both knows that he’s rock-headed, wouldn’t accepting any rule-breakers. Teacher Wang exchanged glares from Han Jiae to Cho Kyuhyun.

“You know I don’t accept any rule-breakers” Teacher Wang started his lecture, but one of them cut it.

“Sir, rules are meant to be–”

“Broken” Teacher Wang cut it off. “Cho Kyuhyun-ssi, you broke fifteen points. Congratulations”  he smiled, a feeling that he gets everytime he won over his students. Besides, Cho Kyuhyun is a strong opponent, known for his sharp words and his habits of making ‘walls’ around him, or in other words, loner.

“Cho Kyuhyun and Han Jiae, please go outside” Teacher Wang demanded. “The rest of you, copy the notes on the board. The prefect should report me later if anyone’s becoming a rule-breaker again”

And so, Cho Kyuhyun and Han Jiae followed him outside. Jiae looked scared, while Kyuhyun looked pissed off. He put his brooch inside his pocket. Of course, he’s not lost from Jiae’s sight. Jiae looked back to the class, and found out that Teacher Wang is bringing a wooden stick.

“Cho Kyuhyun” he walked to Kyuhyun first. “Tell me, you’re holding something”

“I did not” Kyuhyun denied, or maybe lied is better.

“Open your hands” Teacher Wang demanded. Kyuhyun opened his hands. Empty. It made him angry and swung his stick to Kyuhyun’s hands, hitting both of them. Then, he swung his stick again, sliding into Kyuhyun’s pockets. He moved closer and trying to take the brooch from his pocket. Kyuhyun struggled but Teacher Wang shut him with his weapon. The brooch is out of the pocket, as Kyuhyun bit his lip, trying to struggle but Teacher Wang once again, had the weapon shut him down. Five on both hands, and three on his thighs.

“You’re having a girl’s accessory?” Teacher Wang didn’t believe what he just took. Impossible for a kid like Cho Kyuhyun to have woman’s accessories, unless for specific reason. It was his mom’s brooch after all, the important belonging of his.

“Answer me!” Teacher Wang yelled. Kyuhyun hid his fists under his pockets, he knew the minute he speak, it’ll be embarrassing. But then he had to. He still thinks this is a game of pride. Of course, he wouldn’t lose against a teacher.

“Its my mom’s” Kyuhyun glared to him. “Please give it back”

“You don’t even plead, boy” Teacher Wang replied. “You can take it after school. Don’t cry, alright? I’m still kind enough to return this”

“Or maybe not” he smirked as he walked to the nearest window. He stomped his foot to the brooch, then threw the pieces away. Jiae gasped, Kyuhyun cursed. He became angry that his teacher was hating him so much, even crushing his precious belongings and threw it outside.

“That’s too cruel, Sir” Jiae suddenly said out her thoughts. She closed with her hands for one second, but then she pursed her lips and moved her hands away. “He doesn’t deserve this far!” she continued.

“You don’t have to share your thoughts, Miss Han” Teacher Wang glared at her. “I thought I was about to give you five, but then, I have to do nothing but to double it”

He swung his stick to her. Five on her thighs and five on her hands.

“Stay there until the bell’s over” Teacher Wang glared at them once more, before he went into the class.

Kyuhyun’s becoming numb, slowly sat down. Tears fell from his cheeks, hands on his chest, then he started to wipe his tears with his own hands. Before he did that, suddenly he saw a white handkerchief.

“Use this”

He turned his head and found Han Jiae was offering him a handkerchief. He slowly took it and wiped his unbearable tears. It goes on for the next seven minutes. Han Jiae was curious, yet she’s surprised that its the first time a Cho Kyuhyun cries. She knew that he’s a loner, smart, even he’s smart enough to build walls from the other students, yet a lot of girls like him for his handsome face.

“Thanks” Kyuhyun slowly mumbled. It was too quiet, not audible enough for Jiae to hear. She kept looking outside the window.

“Hey” Kyuhyun tapped on her shoulder. Jiae turned, for a second she admired his handsome looks, but then her gaze moved to his hands, to the handkerchief.  “Thanks” Kyuhyun said.

“Your welcome” Jiae slightly smiled as she took her handkerchief. Deep down, she was happy. She can finally talk to him. During three years, sitting on the same class, seeing each other everyday, only talk if it really matters, those seemed boring for Han Jiae. She has been curious about this guy named Cho Kyuhyun. He was all like that: handsome looks, has a sharp tongue, anti-socialization, smart, smart enough to bring the school to win the Math Olympiads, yet he’s good at singing. How can she not resist him?

But Kyuhyun didn’t notice. Not at all. Not when her family was actually across the street. Not when her family come to his foster parents funeral. Not when her family found out he’s missing, turning himself into a darker world, when he stayed with a loanshark. Not when Jiae’s father brought ransom and released Kyuhyun, so he can come back to his house. The Han family cannot let him know, because he’ll reject everything, even if it is his needs. Kyuhyun doesn’t want to be pitied.

“Actually...” Jiae couraged to break the ice. “What happened... the brooch... it became so... important to you. What does that brooch mean to you?”

Kyuhyun glanced to her. He doesn’t know if he should trust this girl or not.

“It was my Mom’s” he suddenly said. He turned himself in?

Something that Han Jiae didn’t expect. “Which Mom?” she asked.

“My biological mother, of course” Kyuhyun said. “She must be crying out there, if she sees this”

“I’m sorry” Jiae’s voice croaked, trying to hold her tears. Afraid if he’s mad at her, in all of sudden. But Kyuhyun seemed too tired to be angry.

“Teacher Wang is the one who should said that” he coldly said. “Pitying me is not the way. I don’t like that”

“I’m sorry” Jiae bit her lip.

“Its fine” Kyuhyun said. “We won’t even talk again”

“Don’t say that” Jiae replied in worry. “I want to talk again, you know”

“But I don’t” Kyuhyun’s cold side refuses. “So please don’t bother me again. What happened now was coincidence”

“There’s no coincidence” Jiae denied. “And Kyuhyun, there’s nothing you have to regret for this. Don’t you need friends? Don’t you need help?”

“I don’t” Kyuhyun refused. “And I’m okay. Don’t worry a thing about me”

“But–”

“Why are you caring so much?” Kyuhyun cut her off. “Who are you, doing those things to me? Stop it. I can stand up by myself. Three years being a loner is no big deal. Its our last year, and we won’t meet each other”

“You shouldn’t care about me” he said the last line, tears falling from his cheeks. His lips pursed, his stare becomes cold, a glint of anger inside. He walked away, regardless his shoulder bumped Jiae’s.

“Tell him I’ll find the brooch outside” he said to Jiae before he ran away downstairs.

Did Jiae sad about his rejections?

Apparently, no.

Jiae was usual to rejections. She was rejected a few times with her sunbaes, who was her crush. But now, she found Kyuhyun’s interesting. Kyuhyun is always interesting to her.

Jiae looked outside, and Kyuhyun’s already searching on the ground.

I must help him.

Jiae sprinted downstairs, headed to the school field. But she was too fast, she tripped on the ground. She touched something. Something odd, and metal-like.

It was once Kyuhyun’s brooch. Jiae carefully took the tiny little piece. She looked at Kyuhyun who almost finishes his job.

Jiae again, sprinted to Kyuhyun. She smiled as she handed it.

“I got your last piece”

Kyuhyun looked confused, but then he took it. At first he was pissed off, but his heart suddenly beats faster. Another reason why he avoided Jiae.

“Do you want to go back to class?” she asked.

Living as a loner, doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a crush on any girl. Her words fail him to be cold like before. Somehow he melted.

“N-No” he stuttered. “I don’t want t-to...”

Jiae looked to her watch. “Me too” she smiled. He melted again at her smile. They walked to the school.

“Thanks, by the way” Kyuhyun said as he leaned to the tree, his gaze moved from the brooch to Jiae.

“Don’t mention it” Jiae answered. She examined the brooch, but she knows that he cannot hold it all time. So she took out her handkerchief.

“Hey” she called. “Give me the brooch”

“No” Kyuhyun rejected.

“Just give me” Jiae repeated. “The brooch. Give it. Come on”

“You think I would do bad things?” she asked. “Come on”

Jiae took the broken pieces from Kyuhyun’s hand, and she put it on her handkerchief. Then, she wrapped them up. She smiled and gave it back to Kyuhyun.

Kyuhyun was stunned. Deep down, he was. His heart beats faster than he thought. As if it can explode soon. He thought that this is the time.

“Jiae, actually, I like you. I dont know when, don’t even know why. Would you be my girlfriend?”

“Jiae, I’m sorry for avoiding you. I was too shy. I don’t know why this feeling came but... I like you”

“Jiae...”

“Jiae...” he called Jiae, but then again, too quiet.

Worse, the school bell was ringing.

“Oh, its the second period” Jiae looked to the school. “I’ll go back to the class. You want to come, Kyuhyun-ssi?”

“Y-yeah” he felt stupid now.

Good timing. Good timing, really. Maybe I’ll try next time.

Author's Note:

I think I'm going to be cruel for this one. This one is just a start.

By the way, send me your thoughts through comments! Highly appreciated.