Chapter Three     
fool me once

The psychology teacher was at his study, having a little moment with some papers from school today and then found Nara's paper which grabbed his attention for a moment. He dropped the other papers and focused only on the single paper in his hand, wanting to know what was happening to this one student lately and maybe this way he could find out about it. With a deep breath, he started reading the contents quietly and making sure he was the only one who heard and knew about this.

Kim Nara
Psychology Class

I'm scared. I'm very scared. But no, I'm so confused. My boyfriend who died apparently appeared again in my life, and strangely I feel happy like... I don't even know if this is real, why am I happy? I don't know what to do, I'm scared but I miss him. Heh, I'm happy that he's back. Thinking of this is real made me happy and excited, like who doesn't? He appeared to me briefly sometimes, and sometimes he only texted. I'm scared, happy, confused at the same time you know?

I

Sorry, I don't know what else to write.

I think that's the whole feeling I felt recently that I wanna pour.

OMG I SAW HIM AGAIN.

Will I be crazy by writing this? I'm sorry, everything just makes me nostalgic, and you told me to write everything. So here I am, Mr. Lee. This is what I'm feeling lately. Sorry, maybe everything is just a hallucination, don't mind this really.

He sighed and leaned back on his chair, I need to make sure she's fine first. He stood up and grabbed his jacket from the hanger and also his car key, rushing outside to reach his car which was parked in front and decided to visit her. This is not good. On the way, while he was driving anxiously, he saw someone who looked like her at a park and he could saw her running through the bushes and trees. He slowly followed her by driving slowly, luckily the street was quiet at the moment. He kept following her until he saw she was being captured by someone from behind her as she struggled to release herself, making him who witnessing from afar panicked. Nara?! He followed the line of sight where she was taken inside a car by the figure and they drove away, he wondered who could that man be. He decided to follow them, they were stopping in front of her house and came out revealing her face and Jackson's face. It wasn't a bad guy... He sighed in relief and stayed there a little while to make sure she would be fine. I'll just talk to her tomorrow. He smiled in relief knowing she was okay and then looked around before he started his engine, only to saw a note with red-blood tint pouring down on his window, shocking him.

GET OUT OF THE WAY
IF YOU WISH TO STAY ALIVE!!!!

He gasped as his jaw opened, and then got out from his car, looking around the area. What the hell?

She tried to run again but she was suddenly pulled from behind by someone with covered by a hand of a man which surprised her. No matter how hard she tried to release herself from the man, the man was twice stronger than she was. She couldn't do anything anymore. She tried to scream but it wasn't loud enough due to his hand covering her tiny lips, making her unable to scream loud. "Ssshh!" He calmed her down and then let go of her to turn her around, so they were now facing eachother. It was Jackson. He placed a finger on her lips to make her quiet and prevent her from screaming loud like she attempted to. "Hey, are you okay? I saw you running, Nara," he said in concern. "Is something wrong?"

She was shocked and gasped through her breathe. "Oh my- I'm so happy you came!" She said hugging him tightly, feeling safe. There was nothing more relieving than finding her friend in this kind of situation, she wasn't sure of what was going to happen if he wasn't here. "Thank you for being here, Jackson!"

"Let's go inside my car first," he said taking her to his car. He knew she was relieved and so did he, he was worried something might happen to her at that moment since she looked panic and dead pale. "Is everything okay?"

"Just drive me home now, please. NOW!" She pleaded while hugging her own arms together, feeling uncomfortable looking at the quiet park with lack of lamps. He did what he was told and decided to ask her on the way because right now she was still shocked maybe. On the way, she saw Sehun walked to the convenience store while taking off his jacket's hoodie. What is he doing? She frowned at the thought.

"Do you mind telling me now? Is there anything you want me to know?" He asked in concern while driving down the road, trying to break the silence between them.

"D-do you remember when I asked you about Mark being alive?" She replied weakly, she had his jacket wrapped around her tiny body, thanks to him. She hugged the jacket tighter. A breathe was released into the thin air. "...I think someone killed him."

He widened his eyes and for one moment he was quiet like a statue, he didn't know how to react. "W-what- so you're saying he is murdered?" He stuttered while replying to her statement, feeling panic and a little nervous about what she just said to him. "How?"

"Yeah, maybe. Mark's number has been texting me lately. And the "friend" whom I said I'm going to meet earlier? That's him. And he isn't actually Mark." She told him the truth while hugging the jacket around her tighter, her body felt drained because of the shock, she didn't know how much longer she would hold on with the terrified, emotional and confused feelings inside her of her. She shivered remembering the figure that appeared and telling her that he isn't her boyfriend, it made her emotionally sad that at the end Mark isn't alive either. Although she didn't witness him being dead nor saw his dead body, she got the news of him being dead from Jackson whose source about the news was unclear. But really, for one moment, she felt like she had hopes, the text messages made her feel like she had hopes about him. And yes, she was stupid for letting that creepy stalker came into her life.

"Why didn't you tell me about it?" Jackson asked, hiding the nervous feeling in him. Freaking hell, this is complicated. "Who is he then?"

"I... I have no clue." She said a little terrified, she didn't understand why was this happening. Ofcourse, she didn't. It turned upside down drastically without she een realized at the first place. She saw him holding her hands, rubbing it, comforting her. At least he was attempting to with his best. She managed a fake smile.

"We gotta get you home first, alright?" He told her in cocnern and rubbed her hands again gently. She only nodded and adjusted her seat position, trying to find comfort. They didn't talk at all on the way, he let her had her own moment after the terrifying shock tonight. Once they were arrived in front of her house, Jackson opened the car door for her and took her inside the house where they saw her sister was cleaning.

"Hey, Nayeon noona," he greeted with an awkward smile, still hugging Nara in his arms. "She is too tired today. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought her to the cinema...."

Nara looked at him with a small smile lingering on her lips, he wasn't telling her sister about the truth, how gentle. She knew that he knew she didn't want him to tell her sister about tonight. "Don't be sorry," Nayeon said approaching them with an understanding smile. "Thank you for taking her home."

Jackson nodded and then looked at Nara. "Come one, I'll take you upstairs."

"No no no. I'm good now. Thanks."

"You sure?" He raised an eyebrow and looked at her. She nodded. "Okay then, be safe." He smiled and held her hands once again before he left the house. She went upstairs slowly, taking a deep breath, trying not to sound strangely terrified in front of her sister.

"Are you okay?" Nayeon asked strictly, standing at the bottom end of the staircase way, looking up at her in concern yet a little stern. "What is it today?"

"Nothing, another hallucination. I'm fine, unnie," she replied with a convincing smile while looking down at her before she continued walking upstairs to her room, leaving her sister. It felt strange how she used to find Mark was already lying on her bed watching TV or just sleeping, but not anymore. All the hopes, the memories, the expectations... all gone. She sat on her bed once she got in her bedroom and shut her eyes, letting all the negative energies and thoughts out and calmed herself down.  She was terrified—no, she didn't know anymore—words were impossible to describe her life right now. Siiiigh, she sighed quietly on the bed. Taking her phone out of her pocket, she opened her inbox and saw a few messages coming in. With a deep breath, she opened the messages and started to read each of them.

"Why did you run :("

"Did you just leave me alone? Aww, it broke my heart."

"Well then, chagi, it's okay maybe you're just nervous. I'll just visit you later tonight and then... I'll see you tomorrow. ^_^"

Stop it ! She shut her eyes, cursing inside her head and dropped her phone on the bed next to her and exhaled a deep breath.

"Are you okay?" A voice came behind her. It was Yongguk, he was coming out from the bathroom.

She gasped. "Whoa, oppa, you're here?"

"Yeah... I figured out that the more I tried to ignore you, the more I miss you. So here I am, back inside your room." He smiled sweetly and fixed his hair on the big mirror near the corner of the room.

"Talking to you at school today doesn't mean I'm already allowing you to come here..." She said with a deep familiar frown as she stood up and placed her hand on her head and walked around. "But fine, only tonight okay? What's happning in your house?"

"My mom is bringing some friends," He said shrugging and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Oh, she nodded. She knew the friends he meant were men. He talked to her about them once, the cirumstances whenever those men came. Truthfully, it was heartbreaking. "Sorry. Were they the same friends?"

He sighed quietly, maybe almost emotionally. "Yeah, they brought cards and stuff, making my house a casino like always. I just can't stay there tonight."

She walked to her bed, approaching him and grabbed a fistful of his hair and leaned her forehead against his, knowing he was having a hard time right now. His mom provided a place for those men to do gambling and casino secretly, and one who won get to sleep with her and have to leave some money the next day. Sometimes those men who didn't win also leave some money. That was how his mom gain a lot of money, it hurt him because he couldn't stand hearing his mother every night or even screaming yet he couldn't do anything about it. His mother should have not been woo by anybody else besides his father, but knowing that his father died and her mother had no money, she had to do that. Easy indeed, but her self esteem should have been more than those money. "I'm sorry," she said sadly as he nodded. She then leaned back and walked to the bathroom. "I will be back,"

"Where are you going?"

She gestured to the bathroom. "Cleaning myself."

Nara was there again, inside a nice-looking building of her school. She walked in the hallway cautiously, thinking that her stalker was probably around her. She felt unsafe and will always felt so, because her boyfriend wasn't actually alive like what she was expecting earlier. Her heart broke again into pieces thinking of how her stalker got his number... or maybe his phone to text her. It meant her boyfriend was probably murdered by her stalker. I have to be strong, she mused, I have to be smart and find out who is he. She said in her head and kept walking until she heard someone called her name.

"Nara, can I talk to you?"

It was her teacher, he was in front of his personal office. She turned around and nodded before walking over to his office slowly.

"What is it?" She asked innocently, knowing nothing at all, walking inside the office.

"Sit there," he said as he sat on his own seat and grabbed her paper she submitted yesterday. He looked uneasy. Why? She asked to herself, a deep familiar stern frown was seen on her forehead as she wondered. "Regarding to your paper, I felt strange, very strange. You wrote it emotionally, and then it sounded a little clamish and goes back repeatedly. This symptoms may lead to a mental disorder. Are you okay? I know you miss Mr. Tuan, he's a great student. But this? You're gonna have to see a psychologist to check up on you."

She gulped hard, trying to process his words through her brain. Mental disorder...? She refused to accept the fact that she was suffering a disorder. "What?"

"I know it surprises you, don't worry. It's nothing big, but if you don't take care of it, you'll be drawn into it." He told her in concern and gave her a file, which she hesitantly received.

"What is this—?" She stuttered while reading the file name. Kim Nara, she said in her head. "How- how do I take care of it?"

"That's a file contains your current condition as I have analyzed. I state a few things you can do. But generally, don't let any terrors or anything else pushes you down. If you're strong, it'll be difficult for things or people to influence you mentally." He told her while gesturing to the file he gave and grabbed his phone. "Do you have anyone following you lately?"

"N-no, no, I don't think so. Why?"

"You're lying."

"No, why do you think I'm lying?"

He showed her a picture of the note on his car window which was written with red blood tint from last night. "Because when I'm following you last night, this happened. I think someone isn't happy with guys following you."

She saw the picture and gasped in shock.

"Okay, kids, that's all for today," teacher said while getting his stuff tidied. "Remember to do your group task and submit it by the end of the week. No submission means no score for each members in the group. That's it."

Nara nodded, at the same time quietly cursed because she got paired to Myungsoo, Sehun and Jongin in a group. She wasn't happy of Myungsoo, he was too creepy to be true, he might be her stalker. Or maybe one of them...? She widened her eyes thinking of it. She saw them looking at her before looking at each other, it was intense. She quickly walked away, and went outside to catch up on Jackson who was waiting for her since they went home by the same pathway.

"Sadly, I'm not your group partner," he pouted playfully and walked outside to the parking lot. She laughed and hit his arm playfully as well in response. He chuckled happily with her, "But I will look after you. I don't care how, but I will."

"That's sweet of you."

He nodded and brought her to his car without caring about the three other students who were her group's partners. "Will they be fine?"

"I think so, I told them to come to my house by their own." She replied calmly while looking at the slowly walking men behind the car through the small mirror and exhaled.

Jackson nodded again and continued driving to her house and dropped her there before hugging her and left after that. This is gonna be a looong day, she sighed and ran upstairs to drop her bag at her desk. At the moment she remembered the conviction and passion Mark would kiss her with, the feeling, the desire he clearly felt for her... she really wanted to cry out in frustration because her instincts were screaming at her that it wasn't a dream, she wasn't crazy and sure there had to be something to this!—He must be alive somewhere, she got the feeling and she was sure it was true.

DING DONG! She heard the dollbell rang, pulling her back to reality. She got up, walking outside her room and ran downstairs to see who it was and as she opened the door, she saw the three boys were already on her doorstep. "Oh, hey," she exhaled the breath she took and gestured to the inside of her house. "Come in."

They nodded and walked together inside and sat at her living room as she closed the entrance door, they didn't talk until she said, "Prepare things first, I will be back."

"Want me to accompany you?" Sehun asked with a smile toward her. What a sweet smile.

"No, I'm good~" She smiled back and walked upstairs to wash her face. She went to her bathroom, cleaning her face at the sink counter with her facial soap and dried her wet face by wiping it with her towel. She then walked to her bedroom to grab her phone and saw she has one message notifications and once again it made her super nervous.

"It's nice to actually meet you today,
You look beautiful as hell, I can't breath right now, I guess that's your fault.
So, mind giving me some breathe by kissing me maybe?"

With that, she was left groggy as her eyes widened. We met today?!

   Author's Notes   

Yayyyy, finally an another update! Are you guys excited for more? OMG OMG OMG I certainly am! What do you guys think of this chapter? Can't wait to hear from you all in the comments section. Your comments will be one of the best gifts for my birthday that is on May 5th, also happy birthday to Baekhyun on May 6th! So please guys comment what did you think of the chapter, it will mean a lot to me! Also, finally I have an amazing trailer for this story. Check it out in the foreword to watch, a must watch! BUT SERIOUSLY, A VERY VERY MUST WATCH. Tell me what do you think of the trailer too okay?! Mwahaha bye lovelies xoxo

Next on Sincerely, Your Dead Boyfriend — "Turning Point"