Authors note: This is the first chapter of my first ever fanfic… let's just say I'm super nervous/excited. Feedback would be very very appreciated. Thank you! :)
The bruises were getting harder and harder to hide as the years went on, Gae Soo Jin noted one afternoon as she walked home from school. Debt and stress continued to pour onto her father shoulders, and she and her mother would be his stress relievers. The family was falling deeper and deeper into a hole of debt. There seemed to be no escape. Soo Jin and her family would have to work their whole lives to pay off the debt—if they were lucky. As the stress increased, the beatings became more frequent, more harsh. She was suffocating in her own home, and her only escape was the one person who she felt understood her the most—her mother.
And it was this mother that the high school student was looking forward to seeing that afternoon after school. The two had made plans to go out to dinner together; it was a rare luxury the two were planning for months now.
Soo Jin unlocked the door as quietly as possible, knowing her father was usually napping at this time. She tiptoed into her room and once inside, shut the door. The girl changed quickly out of her school uniform and into a cream-white sweater and jeans. As she pulled on her sweater, however, she noticed a small folded sheet of paper on her bedside table that escaped her gaze before. Upon closer inspection, she realized her name was hastily written on top. It was a note. Unsure of what she'd find, she slowly unfolded the paper and began reading what was written inside.
My dear Gae Soo Jin,
By the time you read this, I will be gone. On a plane, on a train, or a taxi, I don't know. All I know is that I will be far, far away from this place and the monster in it. I can't live like this anymore. I'm sorry. I will come back one day for you, if I can. Maybe not for a long time.
My love, you are still young. You still have chance of becoming something and living your life away from your father. I don't. And I do not plan to spend the rest of my life with him.
Again, I'm so sorry,
Omma.
Soo Jin could not believe what she had just read. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably and her vision blurred. A tear slipped and fell onto the wretched note in her hands, followed by many more. The note fell from her hands as she bolted from her room, not bothering to check her parents room knowing well that her mother wouldn't be there.
She left her house, and she ran. She didn't know where she was going, she just knew she didn't want to be there.
She finally stopped in front of what she briefly recognized as a cafe of some sort. She collapsed on one of the chairs outside, letting herself sob.
From inside of the cafe, a young man sat. His expressive eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion as he witnessed the scene in front of him. Choi Young Do, the young man, had been sitting in the cafe that Cha Eun Sang used to work at. He visited often, letting his mind wander to what could have been if she hadn't chosen Kim Tan. It was quite pathetic, but the teen couldn't bring himself to stop, even with an ego the size of his.
As he watched the scene with mild curiosity, the girl began to call out in distress.
"Omma," she sobbed. "Omma, how could you leave me?"
Young Do's interest spiked. Had she lost her mother too? Choi Young Do had just recently gotten his mother back.
"Why did you run away? Why didn't you take me with you?" The girl's cries faded away as she muffled her sobs with her hands. Young Do felt a pang of sympathy for the girl. His mind briefly flashed to the day his mother left him. His thoughts were cut short when he spotted a group of college boys saunter over to where the girl was sitting. They sat in all the chairs around her while she sat oblivious, her eyes covered by her hands. It wasn't until one of the boys shoved her shoulder did she jolt back to reality and notice her surroundings.
"Ya, chick, what's wrong?" One of them asked. His words were worried but he didn't sound concerned at all. The other 3 boys laughed menacingly, as if he'd just made a funny joke. Young Do tilted his head to the side, a mocking smirk appearing on his face. These punks were pathetic.
"Seriously, why's a pretty babe like you crying?" Another, who seemed to be the leader, teased as he ran his finger down the girl's face. Choi Young Do stood up before he could stop himself, ready to intervene however he noticed the girl had stood up too. She shoved through the group of boys and left. The boys chuckled to themselves shortly before following her at a distance. Young Do hesitated for a second as he fought himself.
Why should he go after the girl? Who was she to him?
She was just like you a few years ago, he admitted to himself begrudgingly. She had just lost her mother.
"Aish," he muttered to himself as he jogged out of the cafe. The group was gone, but Choi Young Do knew what direction they went in. He mounted his motorcycle and took off.
He stopped when he heard strange sounds. Shuffling of feet— several pairs of them. The sound of fabric ripping. Choi Young Do jumped off his bike when he heard a muffled cry, definitely female.
He arrived just in time to see four boys from the cafe surrounding the fifth boy, the one who had touched the girl. Young Do realized with a jolt that the fifth had the girl pinned to the wall, and the sound of fabric ripping was her sweater.
Without hesitation, Choi Young Do ripped the punk from the girl and hurled him at the brick wall. He then turned and blocked another boy's hit.
"Get the hell out of here before I really make you regret this," he threatened to the group. His voice deepened considerably and his jaw clenched as he tried to control his anger.
Young Do was a dick, but even he had his limits. What those boys were about to do was just cowardly. It was disgusting. If it wasn't for the girl right next to him, he would have beat them until they were bleeding from every hole in their body, plus more. He had a sudden flash back to the boys who had tried to make a move on Cha Eun Sang, until Young Do arrived. Now that he thought of it, the girl did remind him of Eun Sang, in some ways.
The girl. Choi Young Do suddenly remembered her. She had slowly slid down the wall and was now on her knees, shaking. Her sweater lay tattered on the ground next to her. She hugged herself partly because she wanted to cover herself but mostly because she couldn't stop shivering. The temperature was dropping to near freezing. Choi Young Do realized this and shrugged off his coat, placing it over her shoulders. He helped the girl stand, placing his hands gingerly on her shoulders and keeping them there even after she was standing. He took note of how she bit her lip to keep it from trembling—because that's what Young Do did. He looked away, clearing his throat.
"I'll drop you home," he offered. He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. The girl's eyes widened and her skin lost all color.
"You don't have a place to go, do you?" Her silence answered his question. He sighed, knowing he'd regret this decision sooner or later.
"Come with me. I'll let you stay for tonight." He grabbed her arm and dragged her to his bike. She hesitantly got on behind him, putting as much distance between them as possible.
"You might want to hold on tight," he advised her. She scooted forward slightly, holding onto the side of his jacket with a light grip. Rolling his eyes, Choi Young Do grabbed her small hands in his big ones and tucked them into his pockets. A gasp of surprise left the girl's mouth as she realized her front was now pressed flush against the young man's back. Secretly, Choi Young Do was doing this because in a weird way, he felt warm. Almost as warm as when Cha Eun Sang sat behind him on those rare occasions. She had never put her hands in his pockets though.
"It'll keep your hands warm," he excused his actions. The girl didn't respond. He felt her shaking though—was she shivering? Choi Young Do wasn't sure.
The ride to his house was silent and short. It was slightly awkward, and he was sure that the girl would remove her hands as quickly as she could. Surprisingly, she didn't, and for this, Choi Young Do was glad.
He was almost relieved when they arrived to his house. He felt her shift when they stopped. He turned to see her looking at his house in awe. He couldn't help a smile from gracing his lips and he struggled to hide it when she looked up at him. He noticed a red tint to her cheeks when she quickly looked away, embarrassed that she had been caught.
That's something my Eun Sang would do. Choi Young Do shook the thought from his head as soon as he thought it. She wasn'this Eun Sang. And why did he keep relating this new girl with Eun Sang? It was pathetic. He was pathetic.
He led her inside, knowing full well what her expression was. Her jaw was slack and her eyes wide, unable to full take in the beautiful house. He couldn't bring himself to look at her for some reason. He threw his motorcycle keys at a random servant and headed upstairs, the girl tagging behind him.
On his way, he ran into his mother, who was sitting in the living area.
Her eyes lit up as her eyes landed on her son. "You're home."
"Yes, Omma." He gave a quick glance at the girl behind him. It was obvious his mother was confused. "I'll explain later." He pecked his mother on the cheek and continued on his way.
He led her into his room. Out of all the rooms she could have easily stayed in, he wanted her in his room.
"Take a shower," he suggested, motioning vaguely at the bathroom. "I'll bring clothes for you to change into." With that he quickly left her to talk to his mother.
He found her where he had left her, sitting on the couch.
"Omma," he called. She looked up and her face lit up almost instantly.
"Young Do," She said as she moved over to make room on the couch. She patted the spot next to her, signalling him to sit. He did. She gazed lovingly at him, touching his face. He leaned into the touch. He would never get used to this, his mother's touch. He never realized what exactly he was missing out on.
"Young Do." She brought his wandering thoughts back to her. "Who is that girl?"
"No one," he replied mostly because he realized he doesn't know her name. "She needed a place to stay tonight."
His mother tilted her head. "So you just let her stay here?" She pouted her lips teasingly. "Why would you do that?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and Young Do scoffed.
"Omma!" He pushed her shoulder lightly, appalled at the obvious accusation. He tried to put on an angry face but found himself smiling, then laughing along with his mother. They struggled to recompose themselves but after some time they did.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot," Young Do spoke up. "Do you have any clothes for her to sleep in?" She nodded.
"I'll send them up." Young Do thanked her the stood up, ready to leave.
"Young Do?" Young Do turned at his mothers call. "Bring her downstairs afterwards. I want to have dinner with her." The young man shook his head, smiling.
"Of course, mother." He gave her one last smile before heading back upstairs.
In his room, he could hear the shower still on, meaning that the girl was still showering. He decided to change into sweatpants too, but as he changed he sunk into his thoughts.
Who was this girl? Choi Young Do was baffled. She had walked into his life not even a full hour before and he'd willingly let her. He was Choi Young Do, for crying out loud. He wasn't a charity—heck, he was the total opposite. Why was he letting this poor girl into his life with open arms?
Because she reminds you of Eun Sang. She reminds you of yourself.
"Aish," he groaned into his hands. A knock on his door jolted him out of his thoughts.
A maid was here, holding neatly folded clothes in her hands.
"Madame sent clothes for the lady," she said. Choi Young Do grabbed the clothes and shut the door without even thanking the maid. He sighed and opened the door again.
"Thank you," he muttered, to the maid who was still standing outside the door. Her eyes widened in surprise but before she could even respond, the door was closed again. What was he doing?
He realized the shower was off now. It had been off for a few minutes now. The girl was probably waiting for clothes to wear.
As Young Do approached the door, he began to hear muffled sobs. He sighed, leaning his forehead on the door. He listened to her cry for her mother for a few moments. He felt a tug at his heart and he closed his eyes. He could almost feel the pain, the heartbreak, the feeling of abandonment that he knew this girl was feeling right now. He pulled himself together and knocked on the door.
"The clothes are ready. I'm putting them on the bed, come out and change. I'll wait outside." He dropped the clothes on the bed and left, waiting outside the door.
After a few moments, the door opened a crack and the girl's head poked out.
"I'm dressed," she whispered. Young Do pushed past her and into the room.
"Good." He sat on the bed and studied her. She was wearing a simple white v-neck t-shirt and dark grey couldn't help but notice how the flattering V of the neck accentuated her collarbones, or how her sweatpants were slightly too big and hung low on her hips, and combined with the slightly lifted hem of the shirt showed a thin strip of milky skin. She shuffled uncomfortably under his intense gaze and cleared her throat. He finally looked away, clearing his throat as well.
"My mother wants us all to have dinner together," he announced loudly to fill the silence in the room.
"I'm not hungry," she countered. As if on cue, her stomach growled. Young Do lifted an eyebrow.
"Of course not," he teased monotonously. He then scoffed. "Nevertheless, my mother requested it and you should still attend out of respect."
She glanced down at her clothes. "Is it appropriate for me to go in this?"
"Don't worry, my mom's not like that." He stood up, grabbing her by the arm. He gave her a playful smirk. "Let's go."
He dragged her downstairs, and she stumbled behind him trying to fix her appearance as much as she could. Choi Young Do turned and gave her a wide smile.
He couldn't explain why he was in such a good mood. His heart felt light and his steps had a bounce in them. Nevertheless, the smile stayed on his face as he guided her through the house and to the dining room.
Gae Soo Jin's heart skipped a beat when he smiled at her. It was the first time he'd truly smiled. It came out of nowhere and left her short of breath. Even after he turned away, she found herself gazing at the back of his head. What was going on in this heart of hers? She didn't have any feelings for him, of course not. She barely knew him. But there was no denying that he was attractive. And he had saved her from those goons earlier. These feelings that made her heart flutter were probably just a result of her gratitude. And his good looks.
She was shaken out of her thoughts when they suddenly stopped walking, causing her to run straight into the boy's back. She peeked around him to see a marvelous dining room—no, it was more like a hall. Above her head was a ceiling so high it made her head spin, and hanging from it was a large, intricate glass chandelier.
"Woah," she breathed. She heard the boy in front of her let out a short chuckle. She pressed her lips together, embarrassed. He let go of her arm and went to sit down on the right corner seat, perpendicular to the single seat at the end of the long table. A maid ushered her into the seat across from him. She sat, feeling out of place in her sweatpants. The boy across from her had also changed into sweatpants, but he still seemed to fit in.
The door suddenly opened and the beautiful woman from before walked in. Soo Jin stood out of respect. The woman smiled warmly.
"Sit, honey," she said. "There's no need for formalities." Soo Jin smiled weakly and sat down again. The woman sat in the open seat at the end of the table and motioned for the maids to bring in the food. The table was soon filled with food.
"Thank you," Soo Jin said quietly as everyone began eating. "For letting me stay in your home, ahjussi." The woman smiled even wider.
"Don't thank me, child." She turned to look lovingly at her son. "Thank my Choi Young Do." He looked up at his name, with half of a piece of meat hanging out of his mouth. His mother smacked him on the head.
"Have some manners, Young Do!" Young Do let out a whiny 'Omma!' in protest, but obliged with a scowl.
So that's his name. Choi Young Do. Wow. Even his name sounds extravagant. Soo Jin liked the sound of it, though.
"What's your name, child?" The woman asked.
"Gae Soo Jin," she replied. Choi Young Do was suddenly listening. He whispered the name to himself, enjoying the way it felt on his tongue.
"I'm Yoo Kyung Ran," the woman replied. "But you can call me omma if you like. I'm Young Do's mother." Soo Jin smiled sadly.
"Okay," she said, her voice suddenly thick. "…Omma," she whispered the last part and looked up her. Soo Jin really hoped it wasn't visible that her eyes were glassy with tears. Young Do did notice, however. He remembered the day he had a meal with Cha Eun Sang's mother and the tears he felt when she showed such kindness to him. He wondered if this girl was feeling the same emotions that he felt that day.
"Here," Kyung Ran said as she held out a piece of meat to Soo Jin for her rice. Soo Jin accepted it gratefully and fought back the tears that threatened to spill.
This woman was so much like her mother.
"Ya," Choi Young Do exclaimed. "Stop trying to steal my mom!" It was his attempt to cheer Soo Jin up. It worked. She cracked a smile, but his mom slapped him on the head—for the second time. Choi Young Do found himself thinking it was worth the price to see the tears leave her eyes.
"Don't worry, Choi Young Do," she said. "I won't burden you and your mother too much by staying here more than one night."
"Nonsense," Kyung Ran dismissed her concerns. "You can stay here for as long as you like. Don't worry about it." Soo Jin smiled. She nodded, but she knew she wouldn't be staying here for more than one night. She can't avoid her father forever. She couldn't avoid her father for long. The mood lightened and everyone soon finished eating.
"I'm going to head upstairs now," Kyung Ran announced. "I'll see you two tomorrow morning." She kissed Young Do on the forehead and, surprising Soo Jin, kissed the girl on the forehead smiled and left, leaving the two alone. After a moment, Choi Young Do stood too.
"We should head upstairs too," he suggested. Soo Jin nodded and followed him back upstairs.
When they arrived in his room, he jumped onto the bed and collapsed while she remained standing.
"Are you waiting for something?" he asked. She looked around her.
"What room am I sleeping in?" she asked cautiously.
"This one," he answered as if it were obvious. Soo Jin was scandalized.
"Why would we sleep in the same room?" she exclaimed. "This house is huge, there must be a room I can stay in!"
"Ya, YA!" He shouted to shut her up. "Who's house are you staying at right now, huh? That's right. If I tell you to sleep somewhere, you sleep there, understood?"
"Understood," Soo Jin mumbled back begrudgingly. She looked around the room again. "Where exactly am I supposed to sleep?"
"That couch over there." Again, he said it as if the answer was obvious. Soo Jin scoffed.
"Excuse me, I can't sleep on the couch."
"Excuse me, would you prefer the floor?" Soo Jin scoffed. He couldn't be serious right now. But he was. So she scowled and settled in onto the couch. "For a person without a home, you sure are picky."
The room shuffled into silence after that. After a few minutes, Soo Jin spoke again.
"Choi Young Do," she called. He hummed in response. "Can I tell the truth about something?" He hummed again. "I actually have a home." He didn't reply. He was waiting for her to elaborate. "I have somewhere to sleep tonight. But my dad… I don't like him. He… he hurts me." Choi Young Do felt like his heart stopped. He sat up and gazed at her with such an intense look that Soo Jin thought she might melt.
"What?" His joking demeanor was long gone. It made Soo Jin's eyes well up with tears again. Her throat closed up again but she forced herself to continue.
"And my mom she…" she choked out a sob. "She left me today. I don't know what my father will do when he finds out. He's probably figured it out already. He's probably really angry. And if I go home he'll—" She had to stop. She broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. She shoved her face into the pillow on the couch, trying to muffle the sounds of her cries. Her petite form shook with the force of the sobs. Choi Young Do sighed. He was stuck. This girl was in the exact position he was in until less than a year ago. He was all alone during that time.
He wouldn't let this girl be alone during that time either. He decided in that moment that he would never let this girl go through what he went through. He was going to be there for her.
He got up from the bed and slowly walked over to her. He put his hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him, startled.
"Are you scared?" he asked. She nodded. "It's okay." He put his arm around her and she buried her face into the crook of his neck. He stroked her hair and shushed her.
What was this girl doing to this cold, broken heart of his? He had never acted like this before. He felt…wrong. No, not wrong, he just felt different. Almost like he'd opened his eyes after a really long time of darkness. He felt new.
He looked down at the girl on his shoulder. She'd fallen asleep. Carefully, he placed his arm under her knees and the other under her back and lifted her. With slow, smooth steps he walked to the bed. He studied her tear streaked face and sighed. She looked so troubled, even in her sleep. It made him want to protect her.
He placed her on the bed, pulling the covers over her. He turned and began walking to the couch. Before he took a second step, however, he looked back at the sleeping girl. After a moment's consideration, he placed a light kiss on her forehead.
As he lay on the couch a minute later, he struggled to sleep.
He barely knew this girl, but at the same time, he knew everything about her.