Thirteen Years Old

I opened the door to take a step out, accidentally kicking something in my way. Looking down to see the object I had just kicked, I noticed that it was a package. A nicely wrapped one that had my name written on it. Hurrying over to Dong Ho’s house as I had been asked to accompany him to “school” and back as a way of protecting him (well, it was nothing new- I’ve been doing it for a good couple of years now).

Dong Ho noticed the package I held in my hand and inquired me about it. In a rush, I told him I hadn’t had the time to see who it was from or open it. I would open it later when he was at class. Once we arrived, I stayed outside, waiting for him, opening the gift.

Last year was just a slice. This year, let it be two slices. Happy Birthday, Kim So Li.

On top of the box, I reread the note over and over again, staring down at the two slices of cake. Last year... was just one slice. This year would be two slices. A smile crossed my face as I thought of him. Why didn’t he just give it to me in person? When would he come back to stay? His writing- had gotten a lot of better during this time and so has my reading skills.

When Dong Ho stepped out of the room, he noticed the change of my mood. I showed him the gift I had received and he too, seemed to know who it was.

“I wish I could spend my birthday with him this year too.” I say as we walk back to his place. The streets have turned much quieter and from time to time, his tutors would move from place to place. It seems as though it was no longer safe for anybody to stay in one place. Most people were constantly on the move, quietly moving from place to place at random times. Dong Ho of course, was notified of any changes as his family held great power around this area.

“So Li,” I stop in my tracks, realizing how far behind he was. Turning to look at him, he continues. “Instead of going to my house now, why don’t we go to yours?”

“My place?” I asked surprised. “You know where my home is. It isn’t the safest area to be in, especially late at night. That’s when I usually celebrate my birthday.” I remind him and he nods his head, knowingly.

“Everything will be okay as long as you’re here with me, won’t it?” He smiles and our eyes meet. “Don’t forget about the power you hold right now.” Looking at him, I hesitated to bring him to my home, but after a moment I nodded.

“Fine, but stay close to me.” He takes a hold of my hand and it surprises me. Yanking my hand away from his, I shot him a glare as he shoots me a smile, shrugging.

“You asked me to stay close to you.” He’s teasing me and he takes a hold of my hand again and we head to my home, with me glancing down at our hands from time to time, thinking of how odd the gesture was. I’d never seen anybody holding hands like this, but I’ve done it plenty of times with Jun yet at the same time. Doing it with Dong Ho struck me as weird and I couldn’t help but think of Jun at this very moment.

How was he doing? I kept asking myself as if I subconsciously knew the answer. I didn’t and I was broken from my thoughts when Dong Ho began to talk about the new things he had learned about the past, giving me vivid details of how things were. We arrived at my home and Dong Ho immediately scattered his books all over my wooden table, pulling a seat next to him and patting it like usual to tell me that he was going to teach me more words and such.

As usual, reading was hard and he constantly corrected me. Irritated by the jumble of characters that were sitting in front of me, I pushed his book away from me and slumped down on the table as he merely smiled at my reaction to the words.

“Come on, Li. It’s not that hard.” He points out a couple of words and I shoot him a glare, cowering away from him.

“Not for you! You’re so smart!” I complain. “I think I’ll stick to holding a sword for the rest of my life. It’s not like I have a need for words anyways.”

“It’s really easy though.” I shoot him a glare and push my sword towards him.

“If it’s so easy, why don’t you try learning sword techniques? If you can easily master the sword, then you have every right to say that reading and writing is easy.” I challenge him. He shrugs and picks up my sword.

“Sure. It shouldn’t be too hard anyways.” The moment he said it, I was determined to make him regret it.

“It’s late.”

“Your point?”

“We should stop.”

“But didn’t you say it should be easy? This must’ve been nothing to you.”

“I’ll admit the sword isn’t easy!” He forfeits. I smile at his reaction as he slumps down onto the table, tired from trying to practice the basics of the sword. The sword wasn’t nearly as light as he thought it to be and undermining it, was his worst mistake. Taking a seat next to him, he lifts his head up and stares out the window at the dark sky. “Where’s your father by the way? Shouldn’t he be home by now?”

“I guess so. He’s been busy recently. I wouldn’t be surprised if he couldn’t celebrate my birthday this year,” I tell him and I put my sword away, the both of us just staring out the window. “I should send you home. It’s late already.”

“I want to stay with you until your birthday is over.” He says before I could get up. “At least let me stay until your father comes home, alright? Besides I’m too tired to walk anywhere right now.”

“Just like Jun...” I muttered to myself thinking about what happened days before my last birthday. He didn’t seem to catch those words and instead we talked for a good while as we waited for my father to come home. My father came home at midnight, according to the moon.

“Dong Ho? What are you doing here?” His eyebrows are furrowed together as he stared at the male next to me. “Let’s get you home. Your parents have been worried sick.” I stood up to speak to my father, but he cut me off. “So Li, stay here while I bring Dong Ho home alright?”

“Oh... okay.” I muttered, noticing the weird behavior my father sported. I would be demanding an explanation from him later when he returned home.

“Where are you going this early in the morning?” I asked, sleepily rubbing my eyes as I stepped out of my room upon hearing soft footsteps in the living room. Apparently my senses were heightened in the midst of my sleep and I could suddenly hear everything going on in the house. My father stood by the front door, hesitating before me.

“I have a meeting to attend to.” He tells me. “Listen, Dong Ho isn’t going to be attending his classes anymore. He’ll be staying at home and I think you should too.”

“What’s going on? Are there more intruders from the neighboring cities?” I question. “If that’s the case, I’ll be okay to step in and out of the house. You know how weak and slow minded they are. They can’t possibly be classified as a threat now.” My father shakes his head.

“It’s complicated. I don’t even know how to explain it to you. I’ll tell you more later. Just stay indoors for today.” With that, my father took a step out the door and left.

“There are sudden attacks here and there in the city. Our people keep on getting ambushed.” He murmurs as he sits by his desk, his back faced towards me. A few days had passed and more and more patrols were organized all over the city. There were usually a few groups that were hurt by the end of each day and it made it more and more nerve-wrecking for the Shin Group. The intruders outside the city became quiet and that made everything more worrisome.

“Where are they coming from?” I asked. “The other groups have agreed to not attack us- they know it’ll be their loss in the end, so who’s attacking us?” He seemed to be deep in thought as he buried his face in his hands.

“I would like to know too. I don’t want to be locked up in my house.” A couple of knocks were heard on his bedroom door. “Come in.”

My father stepped into the room, locking eyes with me and urging me to take a step out. Dong Ho noticed this interaction and immediately questioned my father about it.

“It’s nothing really.” My father says, trying to assure him. Like me, Dong Ho doesn’t buy it and my father clears his throat. “Starting from tomorrow, So Li will be taking on the day shift.” I nod my head and I can sense Dong Ho’s eyes on the back of head.

“It’s too dangerous!” He protests. “Li’s only thirteen, barely even fourteen. So far, the groups of people that have attacked range from their twenties to fifties!” Knowing that my father was powerless when it came to assignments, he marched over to his bedroom door. “I’ll have a word with my father.”

“Let’s not forget So Li’s not any ordinary teenager. I’ve already transferred my power over to her. She’ll do just fine on her own.” My father reminds him. I nod at my father’s statement and I tilt my head at a certain angle to point out the mark on my neck (that had a great resemblance to a tattoo).

Dong Ho was defeated. Asking for us to stay safe, I hung around his room for a while longer before heading home with my father very late at night.

Months Later...

I kicked a piece of the decaying sidewalk a few feet in front of me, while taking a look around the city. It was even more broken down than it had been. Old, useless cars were set on fire by the attackers (which I had never encountered in my months of patrol) and left to continuously burn. It was a sign that they would only grow stronger. When it rained and put the fire out, the attackers would light the car up on fire again to show that they would not lose so easily or readily.

“How lucky of him...” I muttered to myself as I thought about my worn out father at home. He would sleep during the day as his shift was at night. Yesterday, he was patrolling the streets in a group, when the attackers decided to attack. My father, being as strong as he was, fought the attackers off and managed not to get injured.

The sun was setting and the sky was set ablaze in streaks of orange and red, hurting my eyes. It brought some color into the city, but it was way too bright for my liking. It was also hot. After walking the whole day, I stopped by the park nearby my house and took a seat near the sandbox, staring ahead.

Looking around the park, I was reminded of how Dong Ho told me this was the place kids would visit to play back then. As of now, it was deserted and the jungle gym was falling apart. Sometimes I was startled when a bar or two fell from it. It would only be a matter of a time when the whole thing fell apart.

After sitting for a few minutes, I stood up and turned to leave. I would have to report my sightings to a higher up. Once again, today was nothing special. Nobody came to attack me, nobody was walking about the streets except for others under Shin Group. I gave one last glance at the park, remembering him and wondered how he was doing. The only thing I had was the note he had given me on my birthday and that was all. I almost couldn’t wait for my fourteenth birthday to receive another note from him.

Little had I known, things would’ve changed immensely by then.

A/N: So we're getting closer and closer to her fourteenth birthday! :) This only part one, there will be a part two that will lead up to what the story begins with. xD What do you guys think of this chapter? Comment below! (btw, next chapter will be a relatively shorter one for sure) o.o