chapter i

The sun slowly sets down, merging at the scenery of the sea. It was perfect for him as usual. He sighs. He does this everyday. He feels calm sitting there but now that the sun is about to disappear he somehow feels lonely again.

He's Lee Donghae.

He does this since he was a kid. Donghae was adopted several times as a kid. During those times, it was just him and his suitcase. He never really had true friends or something that he can call as his.

Not until he was adopted by the owner of the Sunhwa Marketing Group. At first Donghae hated who was about to adopt him because of his gender orientation. He was a gay.

It was not just actually because of that. When Donghae was a little boy, he was adopted by a well-dignified man. He showed him love and told him to be comfortable around him. He also gave him false hopes and false promises.

He showed him what a happy family felt like and showed him what how it felt to have a parent beside you, a father that can teach about things in life. A mentor who can mold him into a better person that his real parents would be proud of.

But everything was a lie.

One night, as he was tucking himself in his bed, the man who adopted him suddenly sneaked on his door and started his evil plans. He leaned in and started kissing him. He grasped his arms and eagerly devoured Donghae. It was his moment of ecstasy. On the other hand, Donghae kept struggling to get away.

He kicked his crotch and the man groaned in pain, holding it as he shouted. Donghae grabbed for the door ran away.

He quickened his pace and and sneaked through the gateway, his body trembling in fear, his sweat dripping from his body. He ran and ran until he realized he had nowhere to go.

A week, or maybe a month had already passed but here there was, wandering around the city with nowhere to go. He was starving. He never had imagined that this would happen to him. That life wouldn't be so good to him.

He thought everything was going to be okay the moment he stepped on that mansion. He never knew that tables would turn the other way around. He wrapped his arms around he's knees, sitting beside the bench at the seaside. He was been wandering here for awhile. This seat was where he always sleeps.

It feels safe, secure.

And he somehow forgets the traumatic accident that happened to him earlier. People passed by him, they were just staring at him. They would either roll their eyes on him or cover their nose because of his odorous smell. However, the helpless little boy would just cover his face and ignore them.

His tears were his only company at night. He would usually pick up food from the trash bin or get the leftovers from the restaurants. Rarely, some good people would spare him mercy and give him food.

But usually, he groans in pain and just drive his empty stomach to sleep.

"Ma'am, can I have some please?" He begged, his was dizzy and he was in pain. His vision was blurry but he kept hold of himself and tried to stay with his senses.

The lady gasps, "Ugh, leave me alone and go buy your own." The lady rolled his eyes. And started walking away, but then Donghae reached for her arms and gripped unto them saying, "Please? I haven't eaten for days."

He clenched his teeth struggling to keep his tears on his eyes. He doesn't want to show any point of weakness infront of the lady. "I'm hungry. please ma'am?"

"I told you...LEAVE. ME. ALONE!" The lady shouted.

I don't want to do this but you gave me no choice... Donghae confusedly darted his eyes from his hands to the lady's bag and grabbed it. The lady on the other hand, the lady started screeching for help. "Help me!" She repeatedly shouted amidst the crowd. "That kid stole my bag!"

He started to run and clutched the bag's lace with his hands. If I can do this, I'll probably have something to eat the next few days... He convinced himself out of guilt. That's right. He repeated to himself. It's fine Donghae.You just need to do this for your own sake, besides that lady seems to be a wealthy one. She has a lot of money.

His heart was thumping fast. His legs were aching. He doesn't have enough energy to do this but he had no choice. He knows that he's making a way to his demise. However, he beared in mind that it was where he was going anyway - no food, no water, no shelter.

Everything seems to work the same way.

It went on like that for over thirty minutes. Men were after him from behind. They passed over the trees, the shrubs, planted around the sidewalk's landscape. The sunlight's beam strectched sideways. His lungs were aching from pain. He struggled across, stopping where he was hiding wherever the men limped past.

Perhaps, they were her guards. Or probably, they were just commoners around trying to help those who are in need. The other area of the sidewalk was strangely empty except for the long wooden bridge that lay across.

"There he is!" He heard a voice from behind.

He started pumping his feet again with his drumroll heartbeat. He abruptly hit the ground, panic had devoured him. Pain shot his ankle but he pushed himself up and ran fast as he could towards the street. That's his ticket on his free way to escape.

He glanced back and saw them pointing his fingers at him. Another man wasn't quitting of chasing him. He had no idea where he was. But it doesn't matter anymore.

He wants to escape.

He needs to escape.

"Kid... kid..." Sharply, a lady in her breath. "Somebody! Please help us!" She cried.

For a split of seconds, Donghae blinked his eyes but everything was a fuzz. "Oh dear heavens!" An old lady shouted, her face was pale, utterly afraid of what's in front of her.

"Kid!" The first repeats. "Anybody! Help us!"

Sorry... he tries to say but there's no air. No word. People jumped back in fear. He was covered with blood. His head was bleeding badly. "We need to take him to the hospital! Severe bleeding might kill him!" His eyes bounces off from face to face hovering above him.

They're all strangers. Most of them are terrified. Some of the girls around him were crying in fear. The police showed up and tried to contain the crowd, but they were like magnets, drawn in by the thrill of someone's agony.

"Everybody! Move back!" He shouted. Everybody heard but nobody actually listened. No one moved back - everybody stayed on their stationary position. Without realizing it, they were forming a blockade between him and help.

"Oh my..."

He stared on a girl's eyes, they were probably of the same age. They were warm and friendly."My brother's coming. He'll help you. Stay with me."

None of the sound were clear enough for him to hear anymore. He felt somebody picked him up and carried him. The world fades to nothing. He was pretty sure he's near to his safe haven but he can't open his eyes to see things for sure.

"Is he gonna be okay Doc," A man whispered through the darkness. Donghae slowly moves his fingers, wanting himself to wake up.

"Yes, of course he will be. It's a miracle this little boy did not lose too much blood because if he did, he won't be able to survive. He needs to stay here. Maybe for a week or two, after some medications, he'll be back in shape and he'll be perfectly fine like he had always been."

"That's a relief..." The man says, darting his eyes from the doctor to the poor little kid.

"Are you his father?"

"No... no... I'm not." He answered immediately. "I was the... driver of the car which caused the accident but I will take care of every expenses here in the hospital."

The doctor smiled and walked out of the room. The man walked towards him and seated next to Donghae. "I'm sorry..." He muttered. "I should've been more careful..."

The man suddenly grabbed his hand and started caressing them. Donghae cried and removed his hands as he struggled from his bed. He started to shout for help as memories flashed into his mind. He covered his ears hearing the disgusting voice of the man who nearly him.

"Get away from me!" He shouted, but instead of a strong forceful tone, his voice was engulfed by fear, anxiety and hatred. He wanted to run away but the tubes connected to his body held him captive.

"Doctor!" The man shouted, asking for help.

In a split of second, the doctor suddenly rushed in seeing his patient throwing pillows and shouting in rage. "Get away from me!" He cried. The man pitied him. He wanted to hug him to ease him down but he knows that it's not a good choice.

He was just staring at him. He can't move his feet. He was panicking on the inside but on the outside, his face was stern, emotionless to be precise. He needs to move but he can't.

"Mr. Lee! Press that button beside you!" The doctor shouted urgently, he was holding unto the arms of the patient. "Mr. Lee!" He shouted once more.

Finally getting back to his senses, he hurriedly pressed the button and the doctor said, "Nurse Kwon, please go to Room 415 and bring the sedatives immediately."

The nurse went in and brought the sedative and gave it to the doctor. She accompanied him and held the patient's arms to keep him still but Donghae used all of the force that he has left to struggle against them. "Let go of me!" He ordered but the professionals around him didn't listen.

The syringe was slowly injected to him as he slowly loose his strength he gave Mr. Lee a dark gaze as his eyebrows furrowed in pain. He slowly shuts his eyes and the drug drifted him off to sleep.

"What happened doc?"

"It was probably anxiety attack." The doctor said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. On the other hand, the nurse took her way out and left the room.

"Anxiety attack?"

"Something traumatic must've happened to him. It won't be easy treating this boy. After his medications here in the hospital, I do suggest for you to take him to a psychiatrist before his condition gets worst."

Days had passed and Donghae stayed on his bed, he was either eating his food or going to the bathroom but he never spoke to anyone, not even once.

Someone suddenly knocked the door. Donghae worn his stern face for days and he has no plans of changing it. The door completely opened and young gorgeous lady went in.

He was astonished, of course.

In fact, it was the first time that his heart skipped a beat seeing a girl of his age. "Hey, " She greeted. Her voice seemed quite familiar. My brother's coming. He'll help you. Stay with me. He remembered.

It's that voice that saved him from his death and kept him holding on.

"I'm Lee Yoona, sister of the unfortunate careless guy who bumped you." She smiled at him and took few steps forward. She smiled at him and offered her hands, "Nice to meet you."

Donghae stared at her hands for a couple of seconds. They looked too soft to touch, fragile. So instead he just darted his eyes away and gazed at the corner of the room.

"Okay..." She pulled a chair beside him and sat in fron of him. "Look my brother's really guilty of what he has done to you. He can't really eat well. He doesn't sleep well at night too. I need to ask for a favor from you. Please forgive him. We will take full responsibility of you."

For a fourteen-year-old he should understand the circumstances but he doesn't want to. Yoona grabbed his hand and placed them on her cheeks. "I don't want to see my brother drowning with guilt." Her tears were welling up. "He has cancer. He only has a few time left. I don't want him to carry some guilt for bumping you accidentally."

Yoona's tears were forming on her eyes. "Please forgive him." His eyebrows furrowed. He, himself was guilty. That wasn't completely the guy's fault. It was his too. He snatched a bag and run across the streets. Everything happened so fast.

"Please?"

"I - I..." Donghae can't speak, he was stammering. Not because of her beautiful face, but because of his trauma. "T - try..." He went near her and patted her head. "D - don't..." He swallowed the lump on his throat as his tongue seemed to tangle inside of his mouth, "C-cry..."

She smiled at him and her eyes were lit from the insides, "I won't."

She suddenly pulled something from her bag. "This is for you." It was cookies. It was placed on a transparent container. "I made it... just for you." She casted an awkward smile but Donghae smiled and ignored it anyway. His cheeks were burning and to hide them from her, he took it and started eating them rapidly.

She chuckled at his cute acts and gave of her real smile - her one million dollar smile. "No one has ever visited you here aside from us," Yoona started. "Do you memorize your parent's number or a relative, maybe?"

Parents... He told himself. Sadly, he doesn't have that. Well, technically he has but he was abandoned. "A-abandoned... m - me..."

"You mean... you're an orphan? But how did you got out... from the orphanage..."

"E-escape..." He wanted to cry. It wasn't just a simple escape. From the orphanage, he was always been bullied by the other kids and always treated him as a castaway but when a man adopted him he experienced how it felt like to belong somewhere.

"Oh..."

The Lee family decided to take him in. They gave him everything he needed and treated him as a part of their family. When Yoona's older brother, Kyungsan died. Yoona decided to go to America and start anew leaving Donghae behind. He was extremly sad during those times but he promised Yoona that he'll be strong enough for her.

That he'll be fine without her.

Since then, they had no communations. Yoona said that Donghae reminded her of her brother. She wants to forget and to move on and this choice lead her to decide not to talk to him again. Donghae, however, had one regret in his life.

He never chance to thank her and he never had the chance to tell her that he loves her.

He was meters away from the bench since he started walking on his way to his car. His thoughts were still drifting but a lady suddenly approached him and said, "Uhm... excuse me?"

Donghae's eyebrows furrowed but his expression lightened upon seeing her face. She seems wonderful even if she was drowning in tears. He felt sadness from within but his heart was thumping fast like how it did with Yoona for the first time. After five long years, it happened again.

"Have you seen a locket?"

She's beautiful. Her voice was soft and gentle. They sounded like the breeze that piercing through his ears and giving him a tingling sensation. He can't get his eyes of her. She was too -

"Mr... A locket? Have you seen it from the chair you were seated?"

Donghae shook his head lightly and tried to keep himself steady but he can't help but to feel butterflies in his stomach, "N -no... I haven't seen anything placed there." He rolled his eyes and continued his breath as he tried to walk away but the lady suddenly clutched his arms and said, "Wait..."

Okay, keep it steady Donghae. He reminded himself.

He slowly turned to face her and his eyes fixed on hers. They were pleading without even muttering a word. "Are you... familiar around here?" She asked.

"Yeah... I guess you can say that." He murmured as shifting his attention on other things around him. The lady was completely bewitching him and doesn't want that to happen.

Not on their first meeting.

"Can you please help me find it?" She was crying. She removed her hands from his arms and wiped her tears away. "Please help me find it..." She begged, biting her lips.

He clenched his teeth. He was a bit running late with an important appointment. "I'm sorry miss. I can't do it." If I only had time to spare... I would definitely would.

"Please..." The lady persists. "Help me."

He checked on his watch he still has thirty minutes. That can be enough. "Okay..." He agreed to do it. "But I need to leave after thirty minutes even if we haven't even found it yet."

The girl nodded and smiled. Tears continued to swim on her cheeks. He took his arm and started to run towards the bench again. He stared at her hands holding unto him. He feels something strange.

Excitement? Anxiety? He wasn't really sure.

But the world seems to slow down with her. He felt a weird feeling of happiness poking his insides. This girl is surely a something for him.

"There it is!" She stopped running and pointed at the bench.

It wasn't there... Donghae looked at her confusedly. Weird... He took a few steps to the bench. Slowly, he reached for the locket and she heard him shouting, "Wait! Don't touch it!"

He picked it up but when he turned around...

She's gone.

Sorry for the wrong grammars or misused words. I've been typing this rapidly and I don't have enough time for proof-reading. I hope the chapter's fine. Please leave your comments below and don't forget to upvote and subscribe^^

- aegi-soojung