Etude of Memories

Chapter 5

Daegu Highschool,  10 Years Ago

Tiffany held the window ledge tightly. She had decided, before Hwayoung could do anything terrible to her, she would smash her head on the window glass. It was better to break her own head and die than to let Hwayoung taint her.

"Stay away...." Tiffany sent some warning. But Hwayoung only grinned.
"I'll do anything just to have you, Tiffany."

"But not this way...." Tiffany tried to reason with Hwayoung.

"After tonight, you'll be mine. You'll be only mine." Hwayoung grabbed Tiffany.

"Noooo!!!! You can't!!!!"

"Tiffany?" Taehyung turned around. He was sure he heard Tiffany's voice. He ran to check every classroom. "Tiffany!!!!" He shouted.

Tiffany kicked Hwayoung in the groin. That gave him a massive pain. Hwayoung ducked and groaned. She used that opportunity to run. But Hwayoung grabbed her leg. Tiffany stumbled onto one of the desks.

"TAEHYUNG!!!" She screamed for help. She knew Taehyung was nearby.

"Tiffany?" Taehyung heard her scream coming from inside the classroom on his right. He shook the doorknob, but it was locked. "Tiffany? Tiffany!" He banged the door.

"Taehyung, help! Hwayoung is gone crazy!" That girl tried to kick Hwayoung who didn't let go his clutch on her leg.

"Hwayoung?" All of a sudden, Taehyung felt a rage surge up in his chest. He took a few steps backward. In a second, he broke the door and bursted in. He saw Hwayoung who was still holding on to Tiffany's leg. Taehyung had never been this enraged before.

With all his might, he lunged at his classmate. "SON OF A BITCH!!!" He punched Hwayoung's face. He smashed his knuckles into Hwayoung's nose until it bled. Hwayoung didn't have a chance to fight back. It seemed that he would lose his consciousness.

Taehyung only stopped his lunge after Hwayoung passed out. He got up and saw Tiffany tremblingly cover her face. Her body shook.

Taehyung approached that girl and gently touched her shoulder. Tiffany opened her eyes and tears began to fall down like rain.

"It's alright, you're safe now." Taehyung smiled.

Tiffany instantly ran into Taehyung's arms. And she cried there.

Taehyung was taken aback. For a second, he didn't know what to do. But then he awkwardly put his hands around the girl's back and hugged her. "Shhht, don't cry. You're safe now."

Tiffany was still crying even after they had left the old building. Taehyung bit his lip. That girl must still be shocked by what had just happened. Taehyung knew they should tell their teachers about that incident and Hwayoung had to get some punishment. But the most important thing for the moment was to stop Tiffany from crying.

Taehyung squatted before the girl. He looked over his shoulder. "Let me give you a piggyback." He smiled.

Tiffany wiped her tears and shook her head. "You don't need to do that. I can walk."

"But I want to. I guarantee it will stop your crying. Come on. I won't offer a piggyback anymore tomorrow or any given day. This is your only chance."

Tiffany chuckled. She felt so embarrassed and ridiculous, but she wouldn't want to waste the offer.

Taehyung got up. He didn't think Tiffany would be that quite heavy. He must have overestimated his own power.

"You can put me down if---"

"Are you kidding me? I'll never take back what I have said. Just enjoy your ride, Tiffany Hwang."

Slowly, Taehyung began to walk towards their school's new building.

"Thank you." Tiffany whispered in his ear. "Thank you for saving me...."

Taehyung smiled. "No need to thank me. I promised myself that I would protect you and your smile."

Tiffany suddenly fell silent, dumbstruck. Did she just hear what she had heard just now?

Taehyung stopped walking. "What's wrong?"

"Wh-why do you want to... Protect my smile?"

Taehyung looked down. He shyly whispered, "because I love your smile."

Tiffany felt her heart pound her chest like it had never done before. "Why... Why do you like my smile?"

"Because...." Taehyung gulped. "Because it's beautiful."

Tiffany felt something burned her face. And her stomach was full with butterflies. She couldn't even describe what she felt that night.

"Do you only love my smile?" Tiffany half asked half teased.

Taehyung nodded.

"Hmm..., what if I refuse to smile again?"

Taehyung stuttered. He wanted to say a lot of things, but his tongue suddenly got numb. After two or three inhales, Taehyung finally found his voice again.

"I wish... Er... I hope... I mean... I want to see your smile forever...." He was so embarrassed of himself that he couldn't hold his head up.

Tiffany was so happy to hear those words coming out of Taehyung's lips that she couldn't stop smiling. She put her head on that boy's shoulder and tightened her hands around him while they walked the night away.[]

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