Demon's Tale

ELEVEN

THIRD PERSON POV

Chan Neul ran out from the school with tears streaming down from both of her eyes. The guard was shouting for her to get inside the school compound but she refused. She kept on running to wherever her legs lead.

She stopped just to catch her breath, when she turned, she realised she was already in front of the playground.

She sat on the swing and took out a pocket size mirror that Kris gave to her as a birthday present.

Opening the lid, she flinched and cursed under her breath when she saw her own reflection on the mirror.

Bloodshot, puffy eyes, reddish cheek, swollen hand, messy hair…

‘What kind of school is that?’ She questioned herself. She didn’t even spend an hour in the school and she already fear the school.

"Ma! What is that? An alien?!" A boy around 7 years old shrieked before he clutched her mother's pants tightly when their eyes locked with each other.

"Andrew, dāyìng wǒ, nǐ huì zhǎodào yīgè gèng hǎo de nǚhái jià gěi yīdàn nǐ zúgòu lǎo" The mother mumbled in Chinese and she shook her head in disappointment when her eyes meets Chan Neul’s.

Chan Neul lowered her head.

She checked her face on the mirror again.

“Alien? My face is that horrible?” She asked to herself.

“What’s wrong with people here? I want to go back to Jinan.”

"Kekekekeke, alien." A voice laughed behind her which made her startled, the mirror almost slipped off from her hands.

"Who are you?!" She turned her head but she didn’t see anyone.

The guy continue to laugh wholeheartedly, making her anger maximised.

“Stop it!” She shouted fiercely.

“I’m sorry.” A guy appeared behind her, out of nowhere. He stifled his laugh. "Here."

He handed a grey handkerchief to her. When she lifted her chin, he showed his shining, innocent smile.

Her eyes didn’t blink when she looked his face closely.

His skin was flawless, he looked like a doll.

“Miss?”

“Huh?” She blinked, then averted her gaze quickly.

"What did you said?" He asked in confusion. "No, nothing. Thank you for this." She said, still not meeting her eyes with his.

"Wipe off your tears, beautiful."

She blushed when she heard he said that she is beautiful. She lifted the handkerchief near her face and wipe away her tears on the cheeks.

"You looks new. What's wrong? Are you're being bullied?" He asked softly. "Kind off.." She said and tears started to fills in her eyes.

"Hey, hey.. Don't cry..." The guy hushed in worried. "Why are you nice to me? I looked like a damn drenched squirrel right now." She cried out without paying attention to what she said before. He stared at her in disbelief before he bursts into laughter.

"You're so good in describing yourself." He said in between his laughs.

***

“I lost her.” That was the words Baekhyun said before he stormed inside the house.

"You lost her?!" D.O asked in disbelief tone. “Why? H-how?!” He followed Baekhyun closely.

Baekhyun stopped abruptly and D.O bumped against him hardly. "I just let her run away for a few seconds but when I search for her back, I couldn’t find her." He plopped on the couch.

"That troublesome baby." Baekhyun mumbled while resting his eyes.

"Troublesome baby? How dare you called my baby like that?!" D.O hissed out. "She didn't fight much when someone bullies her..." Baekhyun blurted and he felt somebody pounced onto him, knocking the air out of him.

"Then, what did you do?!" D.O asked, he grabbed Baekhyun’s shoulder.

"I choke a guy, flips two tables.. That's all." He answered.

"What? You should just twists his neck." Xiumin groaned. "You should just cut off his head!" Chen told with crossed arms. Call me demon but I'm still the angel among all of them.

"Where could she have gone?" Tao scratched his head. Everyone was getting crazy because Chan Neul hasn’t come back home.

"It's already late.. What if something bad happened to Chan Neul?" Suho runs his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I don't think so.. I don't hear Chan Neul's shouting in help." Baekhyun said calmly.

“How come you’re so calm?!” Luhan asked in disbelief.

“What?” Baekhyun pouted.

In the midst of everyone turning into madman, the doorknob twisted and Chan Neul went inside after locking the door.

“I’m home.” She said softly.

"Where did you go?" All of them surrounded Chan Neul except Baekhyun who watched her from afar. "Oh…” She chuckled. “I lost on my way back home."

Baekhyun’s eyebrows furrowed.

He knew she lied, everyone knew.

He eyed her appearance.

She still had her puffy eyes and she was clearly hiding her injured hand.

"What happened to your eyes?" Kris asked in concerned. "Nothing." She shook her head and pushed all of them aside to go to upstairs.

"What happened, Baekhyun hyung?" Kai asked in confusion when Chan Neul didn't want to talk anything about it. Usually, it was Chan Neul who will be the one who nagged and complaint about everything when things didn't go right for her.

"I'll talk to her first." Baekhyun stand up then went to Chan Neul's bedroom.

Chan Neul was sitting on the bed, eyeing her bruise on her hand in silent. She flinched and hide her hand when she feels someone presence.

Baekhyun snorted. Her senses improved and becoming sharper, he thought.

"Where did you go just now?" Baekhyun asked and sat beside her. "Tell me everything. I'll not tell anyone."

Her lips pulled into a deep frown.

"I don't want to go that school again. I got bullied on my first day!" She cried.

Baekhyun immediately pulled her into his arms and patted her back soothingly. He let her cries on his shoulder, wetting his shirt. It took awhile before she calmed down.

Her heart-wrenching sobs turned into soft sniffles.

Baekhyun got up and took a first-aid kit on her desk to treat her hand.

He took her injured hand and put it on his lap before he took out the cream.

“Stay still.” He said to her and applied the cream on her soft skin. His free hand grabbed her hand when she flinched.

"Stop moving…" A groan escaped his lips when she kept pulling her hand away from him.

Without a warning, he applied the cream on her reddish cheek. “Ouch!" She hissed and slapped his hand away. "Don't be such a baby.." Baekhyun growled.

Chan Neul let out soft chuckles as he looks so cute when he’s angry which made Baekhyun glared at her weirdly.

"Even though you're such a jerk. But thanks, Baek." She said but Baekhyun lifted his eyebrow, waiting for another word to complete the sentence.

"Oppa.." She said flatly and he patted her head.

"Good girl."

***

Chan Neul is awaken the sound of birds chirping outside the house.

As she opened her eyes, she saw D.O stared out through the window in her room.

He seemed to be in deep thoughts.

"Why are you here?" She stretched her body and sat up on the bed. D.O turned, he flashed a warm smile, only for Chan Neul.

"You don't have to go to school today if you don't want to. I'll not force you." D.O said softly, he rubbed her knuckles.

"Baekhyun has told me about everything. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you." D.O apologized. His voice bares invisible pain that he felt for Chan Neul.

It hurts him to know someone hurt his baby.

"I'm such a weak person." She lowered down her head. "Don't say like that, you're very strong. It's just that you need to fight back, Chan Neul." D.O replied.

"Please.. Fight back Chan Neul. I don't want you to be bullied like I am." His voice wavered. The word bullied always triggered him and to know the one he loves is experiencing the same thing he experienced before, shattered his heart.

"What happened to you?” Chan Neul asked in careful, afraid he might be mad with her question.

D.O's lips curled into a small smile and he sighed before sat next to her.

"I am bullied for my whole life and I lived without a family. I don't know them. I lived in orphanage since I'm still a baby. The only thing that my parent left for me was my name, Do Kyung Soo.” D.O paused, he took a deep breath.

"I got bullied since my freshman year. Everything was getting worst day by day. The pain was unbearable. I was physically and emotionally wrecked.”

"How could.. How could they did this to you? You don't deserves it. None of it." She frowned, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

“That’s why Chan Neul, you should fight back. Don't let them bullied you. You’re different from me.”

“Unlike me, you have a family here. You have us so by your side. If things turned out bad, tell us immediately. We’re here to help and guide you. You’re never alone. Never.”