Kyungsoo went home that day with a heavy heart. He thought about what Mina had told him. He felt so bad for her, having to go through all of that. He wished he would have been there for her from the beginning. Then she wouldn't have had to turn to Jaewon.

 

But there's was no way Kyungsoo could have been there for her. He had been living in the city that entire time. Kyungsoo thought about how much he complained while he lived in the city, about how he hated the lights and that they made his eyes hurt. Now, thinking back, the pain of bright city lights keeping him awake at night was nothing compared to the pain Mina had felt during that same period. 

 

Kyungsoo decided that since he couldn't be there for Mina in the past, he would be there for her now. He would be the one to protect, from all things, including Jaewon. 

 

The next day Kyungsoo went to school ready to talk to Mina, he wanted to let her know that he was he was here to protect to her. He searched for Mina before school, but he couldn't find her. He decided he'd have to wait until lunch to tell her how he felt. 

 

 

 

When lunch rolled around, Kyungsoo went straight to the cafeteria. He scanned the room for Mina and he saw her sitting at her usual table, this time there was no Jaewon beside her, she was sitting there looking at the floor. A girl was standing over her, yelling. "I don't even see why you try Mina! Jaewon doesn't even like you! He just uses you!" the girl yelled. "He only stays with you because you're a push over girlfriend who'll do his homework. He doesn't care about you! If he did, don't you think he would confessed to stealing those answers instead of making it look like you took them?" the girl asked, Mina didn't answer. She kept looking at the floor. "Do you honestly think he's gonna stay with you?" the girl asked, Mina still didn't answer, "Mina he's just using you so he can pass. Once he graduates he'll forget all about you and move on to bigger and better things. Oh wait, I forgot, he's already moving on to better things! Need I remind you that he hooks up with girls after almost football game?" the girl asked. This was when Mina had had enough. She stood up from the table and walked out of the cafeteria her eyes almost never leaving the floor. 

 

Kyungsoo followed Mina out the cafeteria, he found her in the same place where she was the day before. 

 

"Mina?" he called her. She didn't answer. She just sat on the floor, emotionless. Kyungsoo walked over and sat next to her. She put her head on his shoulder. "It's okay if you want to cry." he said, "I won't tell anyone." 

 

It was as if that was all Mina needed to hear. The tears came flowing out her eyes like a water fall. Kyungsoo knew that her tears were not just from the incident that had happened just a few moments ago. No, these tears had been building up for years, these were the tears she held back because she felt that she didn't deserve to cry. Kyungsoo held Mina, and wiped all her tears, he wanted her to get out all those years of pain right there in that classroom. He wanted her to be able to start fresh have a clean slate ready to accept more pain and sadness. But this time, there would be no pain or sadness, because Kyungsoo would protect Mina from all of that. 

 

When Mina was done crying, Kyungsoo wiped away the last of her tears. "Mina...." he called her name. She looked at him, Kyungsoo looked Mina deep in her eyes, "Mina Kwon, I love you." he said, "I love you more and than anything in this world, and I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me the most. But now, on this day I vow to you that I will be there for you. No matter what, I'll always be here. You can trust me, and I'll will do my best to protect to from anything that might hurt you. If I fail, and you get hurt, I'll be there to pick you up, and love you enough to make to forget all the pain you've been through." 

 

Mina looked at Kyungsoo ,at first she was unsure. She had heard this speech before and in the end she ended up hurt.

 

 But then, Kyungsoo kissed her.

 

 And in that, moment Mina did forget.

 

She forgot about her secret and Jaewon, 

 

she forgot about all the years of pain she kept bottled up inside her. 

 

She forgot about it all. 

 

All that matter was the boy who had his arms securely wrapped around her, his lips pressed against hers. 

 

It was in this moment that Mina was finally free.

 

Free of pain 

 

Free of hurting.

 

It was in this moment, 

 

Mina finally felt protected.