Chapter 1: Leon

My name is Alice; my parents had died a long time ago. And so, I am living lonely at my house, searching for someone to take me in, since I obviously cannot take care of myself. I'm only 16 years old, my birthday comes in May seventeenth, and it's quite tiring to wait for such a day to come when it is October here. I don't know what to do with myself anymore, ever since my mother had died weeks ago, I don't know what to do. Well, my mom is not DEAD yet, she's in the hospital, possibly recovering from her wounds.

My mom, she was a famous writer, she had written the book 'Ghost Cycle', which was about a girl named Lisa who is now living next to a boy, who seems so mysterious. I don't want to continue on, anyway, she, one day, was driving to work on car. I was with her; it was 'Bring Your Child to Work Day'. It wasn't moments after we exited to the driveway was a drunk driver driving towards us. We managed to survive, but my mom was severely hurt the most.

"Alice… I don't know if I will live… But, if I don't… Find… Leon… My friend…" she had told me before she was taken away from the ambulance. I couldn't come with her, I was sad because of that. And I do not even know who 'Leon' is… I wonder who he is; maybe he's a friend of my mother?

"Time for lunch…" I told myself as I stood up from my seat, and went off with my bag. I hung my bag over my shoulder and put on my sunflower hat. "I wonder where I should go today." I smiled to myself as I walked down the Taiwanese street; other people had waved to me.

"Hello, Alice!" I turned to see my friend, Im Yong Soo, a Korean pervert that moved on next to me, he seems to be like my best friend. "Are you going for lunch, da ze?" he smiled, not perverted but the normal way I liked it. He was so nice, but so perverted. I will not even say how he is perverted, okay?

"Yes, are you, Im Yong Soo?" I smiled at him, he nodded.

"Yeah, I'm meeting with Aniki!" Im Yong Soo nodded, "Do you want to come with us, Alice?" he said. He knew how much I respected Yao Wang, enough to think I have a crush on him. Well, I DID used to like him when I first saw him, but I had let go of those feelings already, makes me happy to see him though. Yao Wang may look like a girl, but he is really a nice man. He is Chinese if I remember.

"Sure, I might meet that Mei Mei you wanted to show me, she's your crush, ne?" I followed him down the street; he just blushed red and shook his head quickly. That clearly does mean he likes her, I wonder if she is worth to like, since all the boys he had past like always refused him. I feel a little sad about that, I mean, he is a loving guy when you get used to him.

Im Yong Soo just dragged me off down the street to the park; soon, I view a blanket that was held down with a basket. "Is that Yao Wang's..?" I asked, pointing to the basket. Im Yong Soo nodded.

I didn't see Yao Wang though, I saw Mei Mei, I think and another boy. I was amazed at how handsome he was, while he ate his mochi. I was blushing… Who was he? He's so… cute. "What are you staring at, Alice, da ze?" Im Yong Soo had said, pushing me forward to meet everyone.

"Oh… Hello there, I am Mei Mei!" Mei Mei had smiled, extending her hand out to me. I reached for it and shook it, I looked at the boy. "That is, Leon! He's from Hong Kong!" she smiled, "And, he's my boyfriend." She had said, I could feel Im Yong Soo tense up at that. He was probably affected in the heart, yeah, so he did like her before she said that last word.

"Nice to meet you, Leon, I am Alice." I told him, he nodded while eating another mochi. I watched him for a moment before turning away; he seems to have the same name as that person my mom told me to look for. Maybe that is him? Wait, which can be impossible somehow.

"Where's Yao Wang?" I questioned.

"My brother is coming in late." Mei Mei apologized, "Sorry for the inconvenience, are you dating him for something?" she excitedly inquired.

I and Im Yong Soo had coughed, "Wha… What?" I said in a stuttered way. That would never, EVER, come true in life.

"No, she is not." Im Yong Soo had smiled innocently. Mei Mei had giggled; Leon just rolled his eyes and stood up, walking off. I didn't like this; it wasn't even funny to me. Maybe if I just kick their butts and leave, I can just… "Oh, Leon… Why don't you show Alice around the park, da ze?"

"Why should I?" Leon had sent a glare to Im Yong Soo, "So you can flirt with my future wife?" Mei Mei had giggled again; it kind of pisses me off. It just gives me the vibe, the vibe she wants when she wants to make someone jealous.

"No! Why would I, da ze!" Im Yong Soo had frowned; Leon gave him a more heated glare. I knew how insecure Leon can be now, he doesn't like others being around Mei Mei, I wish that was me. Wait, am I in love? Why! I shouldn't love a guy like him! I don't even know him very well, how can I be in love already?

"Fine." Leon had quickly taken me by the arm and walking a distance away from Mei Mei and Im Yong Soo. It was actually kind of possible to see the stubborn and irritated face on Leon. I said nothing as he forced me to sit down under a tree; he sat on the other side of me. His force wasn't that hard on me, but it did hurt me a little. "So you're Alice, the girl Im Yong Soo was talking about." He simply said, his voice quickly changing with no emotion in them anymore, I felt like I was on air now from his voice.

"Eh… He spoke about me?" I just scratched my cheek.

"He just told us he wanted to invite you one day to our lunch days, I suppose, that's what he said." He calmly nodded to me. What was I supposed to say?

"Uh, I see." I just nodded.

He's not quite the people person, I think. I wonder how Mei Mei had gotten used to him being such a bipolar person, I… I didn't mean that. At least I didn't think it out loud, I think. "I suppose," he started, does he say 'I suppose' a lot? "I should show you around, right?" he looked over at me.

"Sure, I don't know why I don't know the park so well…" I sighed.

"It's alright."

I just glanced at him as he stood up; he picked me up by the arm and made me stand up. "Are you perhaps… a friend of my mother? Xiao Yua?" I looked at him. The question just came out of my mouth, he stared at me for a bit until he had turned around, and started walking.

"Yes, I am a friend of hers. I already know of the accident, no need to tell me." He had quickly said. I nodded, and quickly followed after him. What does he have to do? Just find him? What was I supposed to do now? I didn't notice he had stopped until I bumped into his back, "Alice Yua, I have a question for you."

"Uh… Yes?" I raised an eyebrow.

Leon was quiet for a whole minute, the wind only blowing my hair and his. His amber eyes seemed to burn deep into my soul, really deeply. "I am your protector if your mother dies, do you accept that?" I was silent, just silent as I looked down at the ground.

My mouth opened, "…I accept." I didn't know that I said that before I felt the FIREWORKS work in my heart, I truly, already, liked on Leon. Mei Mei's boyfriend. Was that a problem? My biggest mistake? What was it…?

END OF CHAPTER.