The Girl He Promised To Protect

My dearest

The heat is beginning to subside as the sun is going down. Naomi and Nelson take a seat on the bench by the riverbank overlooking the bustling of the metropolitan Capital City.

"Promise me, from now on, never turn your back on me again." He muttered.

Naomi paused, staring into the eyes of a boy who wanted to be with her persistently. Naomi lost, her stone-cold heart of hers melted little by little, starting to warm her from the inside.

"Naomi..."

The way he speaks her name awakens her soul. Urging her to feel human again. After the bad encounter with her uncle, she has no reason to be happy anymore.

In her subconscious mind, man is a monster. Being strong, they only wanted to conquer the females and threaten the weakest.

But...

Why is there another one other than Samuel Jin in front of her, denying every thought that she had of a male?

"Naomi? Hello? Are you alright?" Nelson waved at her face, trying to get her attention.

Directing her view to the other side, Naomi sighed, "Why? I don't understand. "

Exhaled into a long sigh, he relaxed to a comfortable position, looking dreamily towards the borderless deep blue sea. "I don't understand either. The attraction is great. I wanted to be near you, but you always rejected me. Why?" He said without gazing at her.

Clearing her throat, Naomi moves a bit, putting some distance between them. " I don't know you. What if you are a bad guy? I don't want to just simply talk to anyone."

Nelson, with a smile on his lips, peeked a glance towards Naomi, who turned crimson cheeks all over again. "Well, I won't hurt you. I'm very assured. You saw me hundreds of times with Lana around. How am I just anyone to you?" His eyes were curious, searching for answers in Naomi's face.

"You are annoying." Naomi returned to him with a cold gaze.

A series of giggle outbreaks escaped from Nelson's lips. "Oh Naomi, I love your attitude, I found it cute. Let's just befriend already, alright?" He uttered, extending a hand to establish a pact between them.

Naomi stared at his rough and broad palm. It didn't resemble him, as a student who only studies looked sturdy and masculine. Is it because he enjoys extreme sports like superbike? Samuel Jin's hands are much more slender because he is a pianist. Yet, it's more likely a warm refuge. She didn't understand the emotion that she had at the moment. Is she finally affected by his empathy? She had never felt this way.

"Naomi?" He reached out to place a hand on the small of her back. There was a hint of concern in his voice. "Are you okay?

"It's nothing." Naomi's answer implied her hesitance. "Just why are we escaping from school just to sit by the riverside, huh?"

"You might need an escape, just relax for today. You had been studying too much, I didn't even get a chance to see you."

"You are going to get me in trouble."

"Well, with me around you will be fine. Just enjoy the view, will you?" His eyes fluttered shut, inhaling a deep breath.

"Hmm," Cleared her throat. "About Samuel," Breaking the silence, "Could you please not reveal anything to anyone."

With his eyes still shut, he replied, "I like you, how can I give you a chance to like another guy?"

Annoyed, Naomi was about to hit the unreasonable silly guy beside her, Nelson's eyes snapped open, and instantly caught her wrist and had her flabbergasted.

"Hey..."

"Maybe you have been betrayed, but be fair, I could be the one who stays, Naomi." He said softly as he released the grasp. "So, can we be friends just like before again?"

Shifting her gaze from Nelson's pair of eyes, she stuttered. "You will never understand."

"Then make me." He snapped.

A single warm tear slid down from her empty stare, she quickly wiped it away.

Standing up, she took a step away from him.

"You are too late, Nelson. Even if you do it right, I'm already ruined." She whispered, which could only be heard by herself.

Recalling the first time he saw Naomi shedding tears, he doesn't want her to go through it again. He went to her, both hands on her shoulder, and he soothed her, "No pressure, Naomi. Maybe I really don't understand. But please know that I'm here. You can come to me. Alright?"

She nodded, giving in to the unsettling emotion that had worn her out, she let Nelson embrace her, running his strong hands at her back, comforting her.

Then, I will protect the dirty secret hidden as long as I live... Naomi told herself.

_______________________________________________

"Don't get hurt again," Samuel said as he settled himself in the driver's seat.

He had parked beside a shop lot to get supplies from the pharmacy while Lana waited in the car.

Lana looked down, with a hand still covering her cuts. She knows that Samuel is getting fussy again, and replying to him is not an option.

Taking out the medical wipe from its pack, he commanded, "Let me see."

Hesitated at first, she finally let Samuel clean the wound area, or there would be more interaction between them.

Holding the nervousness accompanied by the racing beats of her heart from being too close to Samuel, she bit the inside of her jaws as Samuel put ointment on the wound.

"Hold on a little. Almost done." He consolated her while he prepared the sterile skin-colored dressing to place on the wound.

Checking for one last time on the area of the wound, his enclosure had Lana worried that he might hear her racing heartbeats and that she might pass out for suppressing her breath for some time.

"Done." He exclaimed, satisfied with his work.

Sigh. She exhaled slowly and steadily to avoid any suspicious action that would lead to Samuel's investigating mode. The temperature is rising and her palms are sweaty even when they are in an air-conditioned vicinity.

"I hope it won't scar, or you might need a dermatologist to fix it," Samuel said while he put the used supplies into the plastic bag he brought in.

Pressing the dress with a palm, Lana casually replied in her lowest tone, "Hah, I wasn't even pretty without a scar, though..."

"Say what?"

Samuel's sudden act of staring back at Lana startled her.

"N-nothing,... I mean, "She paused as the information that she overheard from Sunni rushed into her mind. "Sam, there is something bothering Naomi."

"Yeah, what is it." In his gentle tone, he asked in curiosity, stopping his intention to drive away from there.

"Sunni said that Mr. Bong is Naomi's maternal uncle."

"Her uncle?" There is a long pause as he tries to be able. "I have never heard or seen anything related to them when they are around."

"Exactly, I'm thinking this is the reason for Naomi withdrawing from us. There must be a reason she doesn't want to expose the relationship between them. Hence, it's stressing her up." Lana averted her face for a moment and struggled hard with the complicated emotion bubbling inside of her. " I should be there to comfort her. I don't think she even had a chance to bid farewell to his cremation. She is always at school, this will break her apart."

"Lana..." Samuel hesitated, searching for the right words to say. "Don't make it bother you too much. Since we know this, maybe we should go and visit her this weekend."

"Ah, you are right," The unease lifted from Lana's features instantly. "It's been a long time since mom prohibited me from going to her place."

"Mentioning your mom, how are you going to explain the cuts on your face?" Samuel reminded her.

"Dang...,"

"Oh-oh... I smell trouble." Samuel grinned from ear to ear. "Take this." He put a pack of dressing supplies on her lap. "Make sure to keep the cut dry before you put the ointment on it. If you do a good job of taking care of it, there will be no scarring."

"Ah, I hope mom is sleeping when I get home later." Lana sighed with a long exhale.

"Yeah, let's hit the road, we are going to be late for tuition." Samuel, with a grin on his face, replied and they moved from the parking.