“Good Morning Everyone!”

You greet them as soon as you arrive in front of the dining table and flash them with the sweetest smile you have ever. Yes! Like what you always do in the morning and it becomes your habit.

“Good Morning Saeng!”

Your big sister and big brother greeted you back.

“Good Morning Chaeun.”

Your mom and dad also greeted you with a big grin on their face. That’s why you love your family so much and ended up in tears every time people at your school talks bad about your parents and family for giving birth to you as a mute. You’re not mute. You just don’t like to you communicate at your school since you were in the high school because you don’t trust people. Who knows someone might use your money when you become close with them.

“I’m going now!”

With a wave of goodbye, you pedal your bike with speed so that you can get to school on time.  Like always... You reach school exactly on time, you notice how loud and cheerful the atmosphere just a moment ago has turn into whispers, and all eyes now set on you.  But you simply ignored them and went directly to your classroom.

An aura in the class makes you feel different today. Good, mysterious and warm aura. Something’s made you curious about that person. You see a group of girls gathered around the table next to you. You can’t clearly see the person who sit next to you. You don’t care and just continue to walk to your table but a group of girls from there started making their way on you and stop you.

“Chaeun-shii, mind if we change our sit?”

Choi Yeo Ri, a at your school started asking you with an evil smirk on her face.

“Yah mute! Say something! I don’t give a damn to speak with a tree! Haish!” 

She pushed your head to the side with her forefinger until your back hit the edge of someone’s table. You close your eyes tightly and bit your lips to prevent yourself from groaning. You really feel hurt that time.

“You mute!”

She slaps you on the right cheek and you fall to the ground. Big hand has grab your arms and help you to stand again.

“You better watch your behavior. Burn your self and respect people especially when that person has got nothing against you."

That new students stand between you and Yeori with a disgusted face written on his face while he look at Yeori. For the first time, someone has protected you from being bullied. For God Sake! You are starting to feel secure and protecting. Without you realizing it, you've been watching him without conscious a tense situation around you. You snapped back into reality when your classroom teachers come in with a history book at her hand.

“Class! Back to your sit. Prepare your books and we’ll begin our class now!” Your teacher command with a strict tone.

The school bells ringing. You packed your things and headed to cafeteria but your way got blocked by the guy that has save yourself from that . Nervously, you tilted your head up to meet his eye and saw that he’s smiling at you. You froze on your spot while your heart start to beat wildly.

*OMG HEART!! STOP BEING CRAZY!* You whispered in your heart. You try to calm your heart from exploding. Hoping that it would back to normal but yeah… you just can’t deny that his smile alluring you. Its look like you wants to save that smile just for you and there is no way you would give the other see it.

“Hey! I’m Mark Tuan. You can call me Mark. I’m a transfer student. Nice to meet you!”

He held out his hand for a shake hand but you just stood there silently and watch him very intently. Realizing that you gave no response, he rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Err… May I know your name? Maybe we can be friends?”

He raise both of his eyebrows. As soon as you heard a word of ‘friends’ from him, something stops you from standing there any longer so you gave him a sincere yet beautiful smile to him and walk away. Mark stood there speechless.

“Wow….”

The only word he could described. Unknowingly, an appreciative smile appears on his face after the smile that you flashed him earlier.

In the cafeteria, suddenly you lose your appetite. You started thinking about Mark and his word about “friend”.

* why did he want to be my friend? I guess no one wants to be my friend. Did he just wanted to humiliate me? Just like the other at this school? * Wait! Why would I think about him? Urggg!! * You groan. You can’t help but think about him that day. Bells ringing again and it’s time for students to go back to their classes. When you arrive at your class, you spotted him sitting on his chair while his eyes never left yours. You felt uneasiness around your body. Without gazing back at him, you looked down to your feet and started walking to your sit.

“Hey Park Cha Eun!”

You flinch a bit as your eyes widened. You quickly glance at him for a while but quickly put your head back down before he could notice your surprised face. Unlucky you, He already seen your face.

“Don’t worry Chaeun-sshi, I won’t bite you. So just relax.”

He teases you and biting his lips from laughing. He can saw your red face. He found you are so adorable to tease. Your teacher come to begin your class again and you let a small relieve sigh escaped your lips. Your teacher interrupted you both so you no longer have a long conversation with that deep, husky and raspy voice. Did I mention that his voices are so y? That can blow every lady’s mind? With that thought in your mind, he let out a small chuckle like he can read your mind.

When school time finally end, you leave the class first. Mark started to follow you. He had hope you didn’t walk so fast so he can easily catch up with you. As you walk on your way to your home, you could feel someone following you. You turn around, but no one is behind you. Maybe it’s just a feeling. You continue your journey. Now you heard a footsteps behind you. You turn around again. Still nobody. *hmm…* you have an idea. You start running faster and go into a hallway. Mark also ran as fast as he could so he did not lose your track. Because you're a marathon runner, Mark lost track of your steps and he sigh with frustration.

“Where did she go? How come she is so good at running! Hmm… I think I should try tomorrow.”

Suddenly, he feel someone tapping his shoulder and he turn around. Shocking that you stand in front of him.

“She did… know I stalk her.” Mark smile shyly and feel embarrassed at you.

You raise your left eyebrow signaling him what is he doing right now?

“I’m sorry! It’s not what you’re thinking. I… j-just want to know w-where you live. Just that.”

Your suddenly frown and you back off a little bit.

“N-no! I… I… I want to go to school with you tomorrow. What a friend should do to his friend... right?”

With a red face, he explain it to you. You finally get what he was trying to say, smiling sweetly at him and showing your eye smile and nod.

“So... Can I?”

Mark eyes bulged out like an owl and jump excitedly. You nod again and start to walk forward. Mark at the back smiling non-stop like a child just get their toy from their parents. He followed you like a lost puppy.  Steal a little glance at your back while you two walking. Unknowingly, he already arrives in front of your gate house. He stared at your house with an unreadable face.

*So… she rich. Why would she want to hide it? Oh… maybe she just down-to-earth. What a nice of you Chaeun~*

He thought. You watch deeply at his face. You try to read his thought but as you saw his unreadable face, you not be able to catch what he is thinking right now. You give up. You walk into your house and wave at him. He wave back at you.

  After he knows where you’re leaving, he always waited you in front of your house so you two can walk together to school.  One day, you got a note that he is waiting you on the rooftop. With a grin, you run into the rooftop and opened the door. You froze as you swung the door open because you saw Choi Yeo Ri and her gang waiting impatiently for you.

“Huh… looked! How stupid she is to trust that the note comes from Mark. I thought she can recognize Mark’s hand writing. Hahahaha!”

They laugh evilly. It’s true. You can’t see any sight of Mark. He always be there for you if you need him but not this time…

Mark just walks back to the class after meeting his old friend, Jackson. They are both Chinese but in a different country. Jackson live in Hong Kong while Mark live in Taiwan. They both know each other when they was study in overseas. Back to Mark. He found that you not in the class, his heart suddenly feeling something’s bad happen to you. He don’t know why his feeling come so quickly like that. He searches for you everywhere. Cafeteria, field, bathroom and gym. But he can’t find you. When he start to make his way back to the class, hoping you were there already, he heard some boys and girls chattering and giggling talking about MUTE and ROOFTOP. Rooftop? He run to the rooftop and found you lying on the floor bleeding and bruises everywhere. He run to your side and lift you up in a bridal style. His heart crushed as he saw your condition.  His heart boiling in anger and sharp fierce yet scary eyes come out.

*Chaeun… please be strong. I promise you I’ll beat that person. I don’t care if that person is him/her. I’m sorry for not be there when you need me. Please… be strong.*

He whispered.

He hope you’re going to be okay and feel sorry for not being there for you.  As he lay you down on th