10 years ago:

You were crouched behind the playground slide as all the other kids ran off back to the childcare center leaving you alone while crying again.

You stretched your leg out and felt a sting as tears flooded to your eyes.

You tried to reach out and touch the fresh blood on the open wound on your knee when a hand pushed yours away before you could touch it.

"Yah. Do you have any idea how dirty your hand is? Do you want it to get infected?!" A boy who looked older, shouted at you and you started crying again at his outburst.

His eyes turned panicked and then quickly got you a tissue. "Uljima... Sorry..." Your head snapped up at that word. No one had ever said sorry to you before.

"I—I..." You started only to be stopped by your own new wave of tears.

"What happened to your leg?" The boy's eyes travelled down and his sympathic smile turned into a frown.

"Er... Nothing..." 

"It was those boys wasn't it?! Did they give you all these scars to?!" He half-yelled. Making you flinch.

You nodded meekly and his eyes darkened as he took a wet tissue and cleaned up the blood surrounding the word before propping you up to lean you against his shoulder as you limped.

"I'm Lee Jongdae. I'm in 1st grade. And i think pretty girls like you shouldn't cry so easily or get scars." He simply stated as your lower lip trembled slightly.

"Everytime they pushed me they told me i was ugly." You whispered subconsciously but he heard it.

"Those... Those kids are going to get it." 

He brought you to the teacher and she attended to your wound while you discreetly peeked at him through the corner of your eye. He walked straight up to the kids and told them off and they all ran off crying. 

That was the day you decided you liked him. He was your hero. The only one who stood up for you and the only one who stayed with you through thick and thin.

______________________________________

1 week before audition:

"Oppa! What song are you singing? Are you going to dance? But oppa i've never seen you danc—" You began blabbering. Jongdae ruffled your hair, making your cheeks heat up.

"Aigoo, i don't think i've ever seen you ask so many questions in class before." He wagged a finger at you as you both walked to the cafeteria side by side.

"But its in a week!"

"I know. Trust me ok? You trust me, right?" He asked you and you smiled brightly back

"More than anything."

_

Now:

It was the day of the audition and you, being the short petite girl you were, tip-toed and pecked Jongdae on the cheek right before he left the cafe where you both agreed to meet at before and after the audition. 

You gave him on last hug as he sneaked a peck on your lip. Just as you were about to protest, he whispered "For good luck." and left you smiling like an idiot at his back.

Your hand reached up and touched your lip. He had stolen your first kiss.

Sneaky bastard.

Everytime someone asked about it, the only person you'd ever thought of kissing was him.

_

"OMO. OPPA! You got into SM?! I'm so happy for you!" You shrieked and clutched onto his arm but he was rather stiff and awkward. You looked at him expectantly as he spoke.

"_______-ah... Since i got into SM... I think, we might have to break up. So i can focus..." He told you after a lot of hesitance. 

With that, your happiness all dissappeared and you dropped your hand dropped out of his, staring at him in disbelief. 

You opened your mouth to protest but no words came out. You quickly regained your composure before shifting your eyes to the cafe next door.

"Oppa! I'll... I'll go buy the drinks for us. Mocha frapp, right?" You smiled and pretended he hadn't said a thing. 

You turned and walked into the cafe and noticed the long queue but went on anyway. 

You bought the drinks and your heart started sinking as you stepped towards the door. You couldn't pretend nothing happened. He would just broach into the topic again.

You plastered on a fake smile and the walked out...
 To see him by the sidewalk right opposite the cafe, back on the wall, a girl pressed up against him and was kissing him. And he just stood there and let her.

"J—Jongdae ah." Your voice cracked and his head snapped up and noticed you. He pushed the girl abruptly away. 

"_______-ah." He started but you wouldn't hear it. 

Tears clouded your vision as you your heel and ran off dropping all the drinks onto the floor as the girl stared back incredulously. 

He kept yelling your name and for you to stop. You almost did a few times. You were so used to listening to him. Trusting him. Believing him.

The last thing you'd expect was for him to do this to you. 

He finally caught up with you and grabbed your wrist, pulling you to face him. Your tear-stained face glimmered in the sun and you yanked your hand out of his grip.

"GO AWAY. GET AWAY FROM ME YOU JERK!" You yelled, pushing him back and hitting his chest.

He kept telling you to stop and his voice cracked slightly.

"You want to leave me for her, right?! I know i'm not pretty or slim or sporty but i thought it didn't matter! I was so wrong." Your voice wavered and you kept crying. 

With one hard shove, you pushed him back hard and he stumbled so you turned and just ran, not looking where you were going.

There was a screeching of tires and you turned your head to see the bright light of headlights.

The world spun for a moment and you landed in a thud a meter away. Jongdae collapsed next to you and held you in his arms miserably. 

"______-ah! Stay with me! Don't fall asleep!" He kept yelling and you felt your eyelids getting heavier.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He chanted and his panic and remorse was written all over his face and your heart clenched. You found your voice and whispered softly,

"Remember when we... First met? I—" The metallic taste filled your mouth and you spluttered blood out.

"I was cr—ying and you y... Yelled at me?" 

He nodded despite tearsat the memory.

"And later... You said sorry? It—It's so similar now. Me... Injured, because i... let people hurt me. You saying... Sorry."

Air became harder to take in and your words got cut out a lot. He tried to tell you to stop talking but you couldn't. Not when you had so much to say.

"But this is different! You're in a critical state. The ambulance is coming. Hold on! Stay with me! I was so stupid. So stupid." His voice lowered to a whisper. 

Oxygen became really limited and you knew you weren't going to get another chance.

"I... I'm still... As careless... Aren't i? Letting people... Affect me so much."

You wheezed and he gripped onto your hand tightly as if to lend you his strength. His eyes were watering and he was frantically calling random people to call an ambulance.

His arms were stained with blood but he didn't care. All his life he knew he would murder anyone who hurt you. How ironic. 

The darkness began to set in and you smiled softly as your eyes fluttered shut.

"I love you, Jongdae..."

_