A/N: I have decided to break the chapters into several more/subdivide them, because I found them too long and tedious to read through. I want to read these with minimal frustration. The writing and scenery remains the same. Sorry for the inconvience. ;n;

One

Winter arrived, the fresh chill briefly settling on her weary bones.

She wiped away the sweat forming on her brow after heaving boxes back and forth from the moving truck into her new residence. Chaerin plopped down on one of her packed, cardboard boxes and absorbed the neighborhood around her. Her neighbors consisted of an older demographic, the lawns occupied by hearty gents watering their wives’ gardens. While it was not much of her own crowd, she was fine, she could thrive in the silence.

Chaerin glanced at her photo-albums peeking from a battered box, faces of friends and family beaming in direct view; she smiled, cradled the pictures in her hold. She did choose this route.

She had moved away from her hometown in hopes of expanding her knowledge, perhaps settle on a career to pursue, and her independent streak refused to allow her to remain in her comfort zone. Her father used to , wholeheartedly believed she would be the wild child in the future due to her constant actions indicating her desire for independence.

Mingling or socializing would never be an issue for Chaerin, and she was a quick learner – she could only see success in her distant future (after tears and hard-work of course). The highly regarded institution KF accepted her into their arms; she was more than ready to join the school after a few years of community college. They provided a broad range of courses and offered just as many degrees. One had to resonate with her at some point, she mused.

Her features creased in concentration as she surveyed the buildings situated around her – she was directionally challenged and missing orientation did nothing to help her. Her manicured finger scratched the side of her head, her body simply wandering, willing the facility’s library to unveil itself. Frustrated she flung her map, the page ensnared quickly by the wind, leading her on a wild goose chase, until it smacked violently against the face of a passerby.

She had reached out to snatch the sheet, but she reacted far too late and came to crash against the stranger, her map stuck to his facial features. Heat pooled in her cheeks as she murmured several apologies, her fingers gently removing the thin slip of paper. Her pleas for forgiveness abruptly ended when she met his eyes – dark, endless orbs.

His stare was hard, almost menacing, it detracted attention away from his smooth, gorgeous features. A brief glance at her circled destination and he jerked his head to the left, leaving her forming question to die upon the sight of the library.

“O-oh. Thank you.” She responded only to see she held no audience. She flushed and knocked her head – how could she allow herself to be reduced to such a weak state? Chaerin pondered the answer, walking along the trail to her intended destination. His gaze was so intense, it had been almost frightening.

She never knew that someone could look so cold, so feral.

It was strange.

“We only have a tight spot available for the evening shift. Are you fine with that time period, Miss?”

Chaerin responded eagerly, “Of course! I’ll gladly accept what you can offer. It is my fault for arriving a little late. And I am only enrolled part-time at the moment, it shouldn’t pose a problem.”

The assistant clerk smiled, handed the proper documents to Chaerin. “Great, your hours should run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The library should be locked up right after that.”

The sun had begun to set by the time Chaerin left the library, her spirits elated by procuring her first job on campus. Now, the more difficult task of finding her way out of the campus awaited her. It would have been easier if the school provided dorms to actually reside in. She hummed, trying to make sense of her map.

Just when she decided to call it quits and follow her intuition – terrible idea anyway – she stumbled upon his presence once more, his figure leaning against the bark of an oak tree hovering over the ground like an umbrella. He snapped his head in her direction, his head creased in frustration. It startled her when he appeared beside her in a flash, his hand on her wrist. Anger kicked aside surprise, on the verge of voicing just exactly what she thought about him.

He whispered briskly, “Follow the lined up path of trees behind this oak and you should see your residence. The street lights should be on by the time you round the corner.”

Bemused, the brash trickle of her words died. “Thank you.” She searched his eyes again, curious as to why they seemed softer now.

“Go.” His husky voice urged, and she continued in the direction he addressed to her. Sure enough she found herself home. Chaerin glanced back, his name something she should have asked. She could use a guide like himself.

“Alright, Chae, I’m off! Mr. Lee should be here to lock-up after you finish your shift. Don’t stress it too much, hun.” Park Bom rambled, embracing her newfound friend, Chaerin. The young blonde laughed, waved away her friend’s worries.

“I’ll be fine, Unnie. Now, hurry along! I have a library to manage. I doubt your beau wants to be kept waiting any longer.” Bom blushed, but sent her friend an all too sly wink.

She cast her frizzy blonde hair into a bun and set to work alphabetizing some recently returned books. Chaerin had only spent a week on the job and secured a true, loyal friend in Bom. Bom was a social butterfly, instantly warming up to Chaerin, who could be a chatterbox herself when desired. The girls bonded over their love for fairytales and cheesy fiction.

While Chaerin was a second year, Bom happened to be a third year, leaving some disappointment; she would graduate ahead of the sophomore. It saddened her to think she would lose a friend so soon. She fiercely shook her head, casting aside the pessimism. She should enjoy what time they had left.

After wrapping up the last of her assignment, she knocked on the manager’s door. “Mr. Lee? My shift is up. I’ll be on my way, now.” The lack of reply forced her to crack open the door. “Mr. Lee?” She shuddered, he wasn’t in his office, and she couldn’t remember if Bom mentioned anything to note about odd habits.

Assuring herself that she couldn’t leave the library unlocked at such a late hour she picked up the keys on the rack in his office. Her eyes peered at her wristwatch, a 10:30 p.m. alerting her to hurry up.

Nimble fingers flicked off the switch and she briskly made her way to the glass front door. Her confident steps paused, the shattering wail of an animal seizing her attention. Hadn’t the school prohibited animals on site? Rational thoughts fled from her, replaced by a slight anxiety, her eyes scanning around the area as she fiddled with the lock.

Her friends back at home would never let her live this down – the one and only baddest female around town scared of a little noise? She couldn’t help but chuckle, her previous worries wiped from memory. Her body relaxed against the door, a soft sigh emitting from her lips.

Chaerin pushed a couple of loose strands behind her ear and prepared to head on down to the employee exit in the back when she felt a crash against the glass door. Stunned, she faced the perpetrator, a young boy ruthlessly pounding on the door.

“Open the door, please! You have to help me!” He turned left and right, his eyes wide with fright and desperation. He noticed her hesitation and insisted he meant no harm. “Please! I’m so scared. I don’t know what’s going on, but they will get me. Help me.”

If this was some sick joke meant to capture her for the night, she knew she could take on at least two of them, she mulled over. She unlocked the door and he rushed in, his first instinct to hide away behind the counter.

“Quick, lock it!”

Calmly she shut the door and bolted it. She made her way to the frightened intruder, his body curled into a ball, trembling.

“Hey, are you okay?” She kneeled beside him, her hand on his shoulder.

“I don’t know. I don’t know.” He prattled on, refusing to mention much more.

Concerned, Chaerin went for the phone near the desk, only to be intercepted by another fellow. She gasped, “Mr. Lee!”

“I saw the lights were off and came as quick as I could. Is everything alright?”

“Oh, I just-“She saw the young man’s quivering figure. If it was not anything serious, she wasn't sure she would like how it would reflect on the library's staff to call a panic over some prank. “Yes, everything is fine. I just reunited with an old friend. We were on our way home. You wouldn’t be able to give us a ride back at the entrance, would you?”

“Take care, now. And forgive my absence, I was occupied with other business.”

“It’s perfectly fine, Mr. Lee. Thank you so much for the ride.” She smiled and waved farewell to his disappearing car. The moment he was gone from sight, she latched onto the young guy and led her to his temporary home. He never spoke, his terror drained from him.

“You can rest here for the night,” She gestured towards her couch, a bundle of pillows and blankets planted beside him. “The bathroom is down the hall to your left. I don’t suppose you want any water?”

He remained mute, she took that for a ‘no, thank you’.

“Well, good night kid.”

Her hand hovered over the light switch, his focus honed in on the white on/off toggle. Murmuring she was cursed with a soft spot for helpless folks, be they young or old, she plugged in a night-light and headed off to bed.

She awoke the next morning dazed, forgetful of her newly taken in guest, so she jumped when she saw him casually eating some cereal at her dining table. The night before rushed back in full force and she had to sit down a moment, her hand clutching her head.

Processing fresh information, she scrutinized him, his attention on consuming as much cereal as possible. He was quite young, most likely a first-time freshman, his hair dyed a golden-brown, pushed up into a peak – much like a miniature Mohawk- his skin pale, his eyebrows thick. He had a good build for his age, he had to have an athletic bone in him.

“What’s your name?”

He flickered his gaze over to her. “Baekho.”

She smiled softly at him. “I’m Chaerin.”

He lowered his gaze. “Thank you.”

“Ah, don’t sulk on me.” She lightly scolded. “You’re welcome. But what on earth happened?”

He fell into a silence, his hands fidgeting with the spoon. Exasperated, she flicked his forehead. “Whoa, chill. I didn’t out you then, and I surely won’t now. It is very odd someone goes and panics during the night. So, spill.”

Baekho feebly murmured, “I honestly don’t remember. I can’t remember any of it. It’s quite terrifying and irritating.” He harshly blinked away a tear.

She gently patted his shoulder, pretending she didn’t notice his inner man slip up. “Well, perhaps it is for the best. Maybe it was nothing.” He merely finished off the last spoonfuls of his bowl.

“Do you have a place to stay?”

“Yeah. My friends must be looking for me, too.” He replied, a hint of a smile reaching his features.

Overwhelmed with maternal feelings, she hugged him. “If you need me, I’ll be here. Take care.”

“Ahh, what am I doing.” Chaerin released a long, deep breath and flopped onto her bed. Hopefully what he encountered wasn’t anything too serious. Maybe Bom would have a good two cents to throw in.