“Hey! Stop it!” Actions paused with arms in the air. They looked up and spotted a tall guy – a trainee like them – coming their direction. Frowns appeared. Eyes were rolled. But nevertheless, they pulled their fists back. They frowned, rolling their eyes and pulled their fists back. “Let him go.” Thud. Hands dropped to their sides. “let him go” was heard and the others dropped their hands to their sides.

“What are you doing to him?” The tall guy, Wu Yifan, asked. He was an older trainee, but that doesn’t mean he earned respect from the younger trainees. Being foreign trainees, they were not respected and they were looked down upon.

“Teaching the new guy a lesson. Mind your own business.”

“Don’t you see you’ve done enough? Let him go.”

“Do you want to take his place? Learn your place, foreigner.”

Yi Fan grew quiet and pushed past the boys to help the beaten/injured trainee up. One look and he knows that he is a foreigner as well, just like him. He felt a surge of warmness when he saw the male. He knows that he has to protect him.

Bullying is inevitable. Kris would try to get into another agency but he knows he can’t. He signed the contract already and he can’t pay the heavy penalty fee for breaking the contract. Slowly, Kris and the new trainee – Tao – got closer and they were inseparable.

It was hard for them to get away from the other trainees whom bullied them often. Tao often got beaten into plump, receiving bruises from the other trainees. He got hit by some staffs in the management as well, but Kris was always there to tend to his wounds, caring for him and teaching him what to do.

Kris was no different. But he never spoke a single word to Tao, to the members, nor to his own family members. Why cause unnecessary worry and pain to those he love? He never wanted them to worry; he knew how much pain he could bring to them. So all he did was to remain silent and tend to his own wounds himself. Tao did notice a few times but Kris just brushed him away.

“Go do your stuff, Tao. I can handle this.”

“Don’t you have to work on that part? Go work on it first, I’ll come help you later. Just give me a minute.”

“I’m fine, go practise your Korean first. I’ll help you in a sec.”

But it all resulted otherwise.  A finger on the bruise.  A soft wince. Put pressure.  Yelp.  Snorting, Tao continued to apply medicine on Kris’ wound. Tao is stubborn. He is absolutely determined to tear down Kris’ walls and be the one who would always treat his all wounds, pain and hurt.

Kris was Tao’s protector and Tao was Kris’ guardian angel.

----

“Yi Fan, are you really going back?” Tao asked with a pout, looking at Kris with puppy eyes as he held onto the elder’s arm. Don’t look. No looking. Don’t look at him. Kris ignored the younger male, knowing that he couldn’t resist Tao and continued to pack for his trip back to his mother country.<