The church was situated roughly in the centre of the town, placed in the middle of the town square where memorials and headstones lay. Although the church was enshrouded in layers of thick vibrant green shrubbery, the gloom and dark aura of the place loomed about in the air around it, making the church one of the more isolated places in the town.

Of course, Krystal and her father did not live in that desolate building, but they were close enough to be disturbed day and night. The church had a ridiculous tradition of sounding its bells every hour, yes; even in the late hours of the night.

It wasn’t only the traditions and actual building that made the place depressing, a further look into the wardrobe of Krystal would make any modern teenage girl cry. There was no colour. No pattern. No design. Everything was either just above the knee, or below. Everything was sickeningly formal and ‘appropriate’.

It seems that the only thing keeping this disturbing town from an eternal sleep was the new and modern school located in the outskirts of Hensbrooke.

Whatever the architect did to the designs; it was genius. Using only a couple of words to describe the institute’s outer layer, it would read; a glistening white cathedral of bimbostic city children. Hensbrooke folk would be lucky if they managed to graduate properly from the school, and all the high society people treated the school as more of a punishment than education.

Sundays were the worst.

Each and everybody – including city originated students – were summoned to the church for daily mass.

This Sunday was no different.

Krystal exhaled rather loudly before subtly dragging her feet on the cold marble stones as she carried her Father’s bible to the front. He didn’t even utter so much of a smile at her, before taking the hefty book abruptly from her hands and began reading.

“Our Holy Father-”

Bang

A loud wood smacking metal sound echoed throughout the building as a tall, lean figure panted against the great oak doors.

“I’m sorry I’m late”

Krystal’s jaw almost fell off.

He was probably one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen; and she’d sure seen her fair share of eye candy. His tousled, bleached, blonde hair fell over his eyes in one of the iest grunge looks she’d ever seen. He was clothed in a thin nylon white tee that allowed her to ogle at his defined muscles which seemed to bulge under the confinements of his leather jacket that looked like it was just thrown on so effortlessly.

Needless to say, she was close to drooling.

But she didn’t want to be reprimanded, instead of questioning the new arrival herself, she allowed her father to do the deed.

Jaesung muttered under his breath slightly before almost gliding towards the doors in a regal fashion; he was after all, a pastor. Clutching the golden cross that hung from his neck he extended a hand to the stranger.

“Do you happen to be the new addition to the town?” He took no shortcuts and cut to the chase.

The mysterious stranger chuckled softly causing Krystal’s knees to almost buckled, “That would be me, sir. Aye. My father’s a bit busy currently, so apologies for his non-attendance.”

Krystal could see the tiny twitch in her father’s eye as he registered the casual tone in which the stranger spoke to him with.

“And, may I request your name?”

“Kai”

“Surname?”

“Just Kai”
 

Sighing to herself, she knew immediately that she would definitely not be allowed to associate with him.

“You know the new guy Kai? I bet every single girl would him if they had a chance”

Krystal’s ears perked up at hearing her mysterious stranger’s name, albeit she hated the cursing in that sentence, but her heart still thudded quite violently at the thought of being so intimate with Kai.

Glancing up at the attire that the girls that were discussing him so crudely, she registered the length of their clothes and most crucially, the opacity; their skirts were definitely above mid thigh so that there was much to be seen, almost too much, and the garments were so sheer that Krystal wasn’t sure she wanted to be any closer to them.

However, her self-esteem almost completely depleted as she looked down to what she wearing. A plain white dress that hung nicely just above the knees, and covered a large amount of skin. She might even consider the pseudonym ‘Mandu’.

She let out a breathy chuckle as a dark thought rang throughout her mind.

I have no chance.
 

A loud metallic clang sounded as another day was finally over, it was midnight. Krystal never knew how the town’s residents slept so soundly when each night they would be rudely disturbed by a church bell. Hastily, she let down her hair – something her father never allowed her to do – and pulled on her running clothes. She almost laughed at how ridiculous it was. Her father had so much control over what she wore, even when she was running, he had made sure that the attire was appropriate and covered everything.

It wasn’t the first time she’d done this, sneaking out was the only rebellious thing she could do under his watch. Swinging her legs over her windowsill and jumping elegantly off the perch, she was free again.

She immediately started jogging, knowing that her time was precious she savoured the rare moments of freedom. For whatever reason, it seemed that she had walked down the wrong route and she seemed to be getting closer to the forest that split the city from the town.

Almost instantaneously she span on the spot ready to turn back when right in front of her eyes was a shining motorcycle, and on it? Kai.

Needless to say; she almost fainted.

Krystal wasn’t exactly sure how to talk to him and tried to discreetly move around his figure, before she felt his hands on her waist and hoisting her up onto the seat.

“Wha-“ She managed before a helmet landed in her hands and the engine of the motor cycle roared to life.