I had a normal life.

Uneventful, average…a mediocre existence really. 21 years ago, I was born...I grew up….and here I was. I was going to medical school, and I was one of the smartest students in my batch. My parents were proud, I was on my own. Everything was perfect….until that day….

 

That day…

 

My alarm woke me up at 6 in the morning, like everyday. I crawled out of bed and headed to the bathroom. My best friend and housemate SooMin was coming out of the bathroom. She looked down at me. “Aigoo Chae, when are you gonna grow up?” she asked. I stood up and nudged her out of the way. I was not a morning person and I didn’t want to start off my day with childish name calling. Once I finished my routine I headed to the kitchen. SooMin was reading the newspaper intently while she sipped on her coffee.

“So, anything happen over the weekend fart-face?” I asked casually as I poured myself a bowl of cereal. SooMin choked on her coffee. “Did you...just call me...a fart-face?” she spluttered. I shrugged nonchalantly. “If the shoe fits…” SooMin was about to respond but then my cell phone started to ring. “Oooopsss...gotta run, see you later Soo-Soo!” I chortled as I ran from the kitchen. I barely had time before I saw a spoon whiz past my head.

“You missed!” I yelled. I could still hear SooMin cussing me out as I closed the door. She’ll cool down by the afternoon. I checked my phone and groaned. My parents were calling me. I sighed and answered the phone. “Eomma?”

“Annyeong CHAERIN!” she screamed into the phone. I rolled my eyes. “You don’t have to scream into the phone Eomma, I can hear you.”

“Mianhamnida,” she said sheepishly. I sighed. My parents were quite old, much older than a lot of parents that have a 21 year old daughter. My mom was nearly 40 when she conceived me. She always tells me that I was her own miracle, her cheonsa.

“I’m just calling to find out about your namjachingu.”

“Eomma! I don’t have a boyfriend and I don’t WANT one!” I whined. I crossed my fingers behind my back. My mother was at that stage of her life where she wanted grandchildren. I shuddered. My mother clucked her tongue. “This will not do my child! I want to be a Oehalmeoni!”

“Eomma!” I screeched. I did not want to have this conversation right now. “Eomma I have to go now, I have classes!” I said hurriedly.

“Arraso cheonsa! Have fun, tell me about the boys!” she said and hung up.

Unbelievable.

I shook my head and quickly gathered my stuff for school. Once I got everything ready, I left the house. As I was walking on the path towards my university, I felt someone cover my face with their hands. “Guess who noona!”

“Hmm….let me guess. Since you’re the only one who calls me noona, I’ll have to say...Kai?” I replied sarcastically. Kai uncovered my eyes and stood in front of me, slightly pouting. I giggled and pinched his cheek. “Aw!!! Sho Shweet! My little dongsaeng!”

“Ya! Watch it!” Kai said, slapping my hand away from his cheek and looked around. He glared at me. “Ya! You’re only older than me by 6 months okay?” his voice went ridiculously dark for a second and I couldn’t help my own voice getting hitched. I met Kai when he was a freshman and he always looked at me like I was the only one in his eyes, which is really flattering if I could be honest ;)

“Arraso Kai-sshi,” I said humbly, bowing my head. Kai laughed and he became my loveable dongsaeng once again. I smiled at him. Kai gave me an intent look and suddenly laughed. “Noona, you have a milk moustache,” he whispered. My eyes widened and I freaked. “CRAP! Why didn’t you say something?” I began to wipe my face viciously with my sleeve. Ugh, the one time I don’t check myself before I leave the house! Kai smiled and held my face with his hand, tilting my chin to meet his eyes. OMG….he is fiiiiiiiineeeee!!!

Shut up Chaerin!!!

But he’s like….sooooo kissable!

Chaerin!

Pfffff….you’ll never let us have any fun. Our ovaries aren’t getting any younger you know!

Okay, that’s just wrong.

“Chae?”

“Huh?” I snapped back to reality. Kai was giving me...well he was giving a y smirk, and I was tensing with excitement. Eomma won’t have to wait long now for those grandkids!

Chaerin!!

Just as I was going to say something witty, a ball smacked me in the back of my head. The impact made my eyes go cross-eyed as I stumbled away from Kai like a drunk. “Whowazzit?”

Real smooth Chae.

“Hyung! You should be more careful!” I heard Kai say as he grabbed me. He looked down at me and frowned. “Chaerin, are you okay?” he asked, concerned. He brushed my hair out of my eyes. I gave him a dazed smile.

“Sorry Chae, didn’t see you there,” a voice said. I turned slowly to look at the man that made me spasm. My future husband…

Lu Han.

He jogged over to me, also giving me a concerned look. I think I giggled like a maniac.

Yup, Lu Han’s giving me a weird look. I tried to give him an appropriate answer that hopefully won’t be on the lines of ‘Can I procreate with you.”

“I-I’m fine.” I said hoarsely. Success!

“Good...well see ya later,” Lu Han said and left. I whimpered inwardly.

“Ya! Did you break Nooooooo Naaa? Why is she whimpering?” a new voice interrupted, crashing my day dream of my wedding to Lu Han. I glanced at the new owner of the voice, my frenemy on campus, Oh Sehun. A pretty okay kid but when he was bored, never be around him. He was very mischievous and liked to play pranks that often had me as his object of choice. From colouring my hair green, to making me walk around school ALL DAY with a dark chocolate stain on my . You can see why I cringe when I’m around him.

“Um...I’m fine Sehun. I don’t need anything. I should get to class. I’ll see you later for tutoring Kai. Bye,” I said and hurried off without looking back.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I walked into class and most of the good seats were already gone. I noticed LuHan was already surrounded by his usual admirers. There was even a guy staring right at him with a dreamy expression on his face, his lips. Ugh!

I stumbled over to the closest seat and took out my supplies. I heard a girl laugh and I turned my head. The girl, Jessica was laughing loudly at something my beloved husband Lu Han said, her hand rubbing his shoulder. I shuddered. Jessica’s eyes flickered over to mine and she gave me a small smirk. I rolled my eyes. I was best friends with Jessica and Tiffany since I could remember. Then, out of the blue Jessica stopped talking to me. Now, I think she considers me her enemy. Fany turned her head in my direction and gave me a small wave. I couldn’t let her know I was shaking with anger on the inside. I took a calming breath, smiled back and listened to the lecture, dreaming about my married life through most of it.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

When my class finished (don’t even ask me what class it was) I ran out of there. I still had one more class to go too and I was tempted to skip class when I bumped into someone.  “Omo, I’m so-oh, hey Bacon!” I said, smiling. My best friend Baekhyun stood in front of me, wearing a tired smile. I knew Baekhyun since I could remember because our parents were friends. Of course, the only downside to this was the fact that we were practically engaged since birth. I took a good look at him. He was cute, with large brimmed glasses and chocolate brown hair. The sunlight hit him in a way that made him appear as though he was glowing.

Hmmm...I could be Mrs. Byun.

I linked arms with his and walked. “So, how’s life Bacon?” I asked. He groaned. “Ya Chaerin, don’t call me that in public. I have to go to school here you know.”

“Sorry,” I giggled. Baekhyun looked as though he was battling life itself. He had dark circles under his eyes and his usual soft voice sounded as though he had to make a lot effort. We reached the class we shared together, a biology lab. I let go of Baekhyun. “Bae, go home. You look like crap.”

He chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll do that,” he said softly. He gave me a look that gave me goosebumps. Before I realized what was going on, he pressed his lips to my forehead. “Be safe Chae,” he whispered and left. What was that about?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It was an afternoon like any other afternoon. I had just finished my classes and I came home. After I took a shower, I put on my black sweat pants and a pink sweater with a dog wearing glasses. I quickly tied my long black hair into a ponytail and sat down at the table to study. I had a test on cellular respiration and I didn’t want to slack off…

Suddenly the book was ripped away from me.

“YA!” I yelled out indignantly. I tried to grab the book from my best friend SooMin, who simply clucked her tongue at me. She flipped through the book casually, ignoring my frown. “You know, if you continue like this, you’ll become blind from all this reading.”

“YA!” I repeated, making a grab for the textbook. SooMin chuckled and hit me playfully on the head. I pouted and rubbed my head. “You shouldn’t be so mean to your elders,” I said, taking the book from her. SooMin frowned. “Only by 3 months!”

“Yes, 3 months more of experience than you!” I said, giving her a wicked smile. SooMin rolled her eyes. She knew better not to challenge me. She checked her watch and smiled. “Well…I have to go. I have…places to be…”

“Oh yes...stalking your beloved Onew….”

“We have a class!” she snapped. I laughed and turned to look at her. Her face was slightly pink. I didn’t bother pursuing the subject after that. A cranky SooMin was not a fun SooMin. I let her go with her pride intact, to her cooking class or something (I don’t remember the specifics anymore but it had something to do with chicken. I know that much). I sighed and went back to my readings.

Sometime later, I heard the turn of the knob. SooMin must be back. I adjusted my glasses, rubbing my eyes. I must have been sitting there for hours. Sure enough, a tired SooMin entered the door.

“Chaerin, there’s some guy outside waiting for you.” she said. I frowned. I didn’t know a lot guys personally beside Baekhyun, Kai and Sehun...although I would be lying if I said my heart wasn’t waiting for a certain angelic man by the name of Luhan.

“Who is it?”

“Dunno,” she replied as she collapsed on the couch. “He just asked if you lived here and I said yes.”

“YOU WHAT?”

“And I told him I’ll let you know he was waiting for you,” SooMin continued as though I didn’t say anything. I stared at her. “You have GOT to be kidding me!” I said. She shrugged.

“SOOMIN WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU????? HE COULD BE SOME CREEPY STALKER OR A !”

“Chaerin….”

“YOU TOLD HIM WHERE I LIVE!” I gasped. SooMin rolled her eyes. “Yeah….because he said he knew you...some cousin or something…”

Cousin?

That was a little better I guess...although which cousin out of the hundreds that I have would come to visit me at school is a whole other matter…

“I’m not stupid Chae. It’s not even dark outside. I wouldn’t have you going outside while it’s dark. PLUS...I got him to wait near the entrance is. That way a security guard will be there if it turns out to be a creepy stalker.”

“SooMin!”

“Just saying,” she said hastily. I sighed and got up. There was no point in arguing. If he had talked to SooMin already, it was out of my hands.

I didn’t know that I was signing my death warrant with each step that I took. Each breath that I took was a step closer to my doom.

The sun was setting when I got outside, turning the sky into a painting of yellows and oranges. I wrapped my arms around my body and squinted. There was a guy standing there, turned away from me, facing the sun. He was wearing a leather jacket and leather pants. His blonde hair appeared to be glowing. I shivered unconsciously. Whether from the cold or the sight in front of me, I’ll never know.

The guy turned around and my breath hitched in my throat. He was handsome….hot even but that wasn’t what got me.

His eyes appeared to be glowing. I had light brown eyes but his eyes were like little pools of fire….

And those eyes were staring right at me.

There was a moment where we both assessed each other, then his cold facade broke into a smile.

“Hana, it’s been a while. Where have you been hiding yourself?”