I found myself standing in front of the house, staring up at its tall and intimidating stature. My eyes moved slowly from window to window, labeling each room that was being hidden by the glass and dark curtains. I’d been here so many times before, both on the inside and outside. I’ve come to love this house so much that I often found myself standing on the front porch, just wanting to be there in its presence. Thinking back, it’s hard to believe that I was once afraid of coming here. The local stories about the house would always scare me, sometimes even to the point that I shed tears.

But that was all before I met him.

With him, I feel safe. With him, I had no fears. With him, I feel things that I’ve never felt with anybody else.

He helped me overcome my fear of this house. We’ve been here together so many times that he’s turned this home into some kind of “beacon” for the both of us.

He would always be with me, no matter where I go. He’d walk with me to school every morning, and walk with me back home every night. I don’t worry about being in danger anymore since I know that he’d protect me. He has saved me from many things: from deflecting a football that was kicked too far to grabbing me back onto the sidewalk when a car driver nearly hit me. In a way, he was my guardian angel.

My peers at school thought that he was a bit mysterious and they’d always stay away from him. They told me that they don’t get a good vibe from him. Some of my friends worry about me, too. “He’s always looking at you,” they say, or “He’s being scary! It’s like he’s infatuated with you!” But whenever they bring it up, I always tell them the same thing, over and over again.

“Don’t  judge someone before you get to know them.”

And that response would always stop them from talking about him, at least, in my presence. After knowing him for so long, I’ve come to realize that everything that they say about him at school is all false. He isn’t the cold, heartless boy that people said he would be. In fact, he’s the completely different. Yes, he’s handsome - along with his almond-shaped eyes, a beautiful smile and a caring personality. His heart was so large that he wouldn’t hurt a fly. But, he never shows that side to anyone...except to me. When we're alone together, it feels like heaven. Just being in his presence was calming and enough to bring a smile upon my face.

For him, he’d always be smiling at me, with his occasional blush that painted his cheeks, and he’d do one of the things that he loves to do. He’d sing to me. His voice is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard. He’d bring me onto his lap, hug me from behind and sing as we rocked back and forth. No matter what, I’d always manage to fall asleep in his arms as he sang. He’d always wake me up, and I’d still be in his arms. We’d stay like that for a little longer before he’d me back home.  He’d walk me to the front steps of my house, kiss my cheek goodbye and wait till I was inside. That’s how our days usually ended. I wouldn’t be missing him too much, since I’d see him again every morning. Once the next sunrise peaked over the horizon, my heart would flutter at the thought of seeing him again. As I walked out the door, he would be there, leaning against the gates that border my house. I would smile at him as I put on my shoes. I’d run over to him and he’d chuckle as I hugged him. Then, we’d link arms and head over to school. We would both be happy that we were side by side once more.

But today...it was different.

He wasn’t there at the front gate of my home when I came outside. I thought he might have been running late, so I waited for him. But as time went by, I started to become worried. As the time for school to begin came closer, I reluctantly started off to school by myself. I tried to tell myself over and over that he might have slept in or he was running really late. Without him, I walked into our homeroom, feeling as though something was missing.

I searched for him through the school day: in his classroom, the library, even the gym. With each class period that went on without seeing my guardian angel, my heart sank deeper and deeper. My friends had sensed the strange mood I was in, but I always shrugged them off whenever they asked about it. By the time school was over, I knew something was wrong. Knowing him, he'd have a terrible fit about missing a school day. It only took me a couple seconds to finally realize what was going on. I didn’t know why I didn’t sense it before, but now it was crystal clear.

It was happening again.

It was always clear to me that Hongbin wasn’t like any other person I’ve met.  The way he approaches things, how he responds to others, how he walks, even the way he holds his head up while doing something; it all contributes to the fact that Hongbin isn’t exactly who they think he is. I’ve known this for a long time. I know that it isn’t  because of his past or because of how he’s treated that sets him apart from everyone else. It was simply because he was...different.

I continued staring up at the house, my body feeling drawn to it as if I were a magnet. I had a feeling that I was supposed to be here - that he was here. And he’s been here. If he was here for a while, that explains why he wasn’t at school today.

...was he waiting for me?

Suddenly, the noise of shattering glass and faint crashes filled my ears. It sent electricity down my spine and goose bumps rippled across my skin. Concern and fear stirred within my stomach. I didn't need any more confirmation. He was most definitely here; I could sense his presence inside. I didn’t hesitate to move. My feet took off straight for the door, dropping my book bags and thermos on the way in. I didn’t need my textbooks nor did I need my tea. All I knew was that I needed him and he needed me.

We never locked the door. We weren’t afraid that someone would come inside and claim the house as their own. Even the troublemakers in the neighborhood knew better than to make their new homes in an old, rotting building. My hands clumsily wrapped around the doorknob, gripping the metal thing so hard that my knuckles instantly became white. With a harsh push, the door opened with a groan and I was pulled inside.