Stars and Summer Skies (ZB1 Ricky X Female OC) [COMPLETED]

Ch. 11: Care, No Matter How It Comes

Yeoreum observed the toothbrush as she tilted it back and forth in between her fingers. It was a traveller's toothbrush, compact and easy to close and keep clean. It was also Ricky's. The same one he let her hold after brushing so his father doesn't find out that he ate cup noodles. She wondered if he ever got home safe, and if his father really did find no reason to get mad at him that day.

It's been several days now, but she could never bring herself to ask. And the summer season was passing by fast. It was almost autumn, and Yeoreum could feel the wind getting chillier now these days.

"You should wear a scarf," Yeobin, her younger brother, told her as he passed by her room just as she was suddenly scouring her cabinets for a thick enough jacket. "It'll keep your head warmer either way. It'll help you more, too, especially in the case where you suddenly need something for a bandage."

"Sure, sure..." Yeoreum responded without even looking at him. "Except I don't have a scarf."

"You can borrow mine."

"I'd rather not. They're all too boyish for me."

"Dad wouldn't agree."

"Of course! He wouldn't agree because I said it."

Yeobin rolled his eyes in response, before he briefly looked around him to make sure their father wasn't around to hear what his sister just said. He knew, too, after all. And it was best that he helped his sister keep safe from situations where their father might get too mad at her.

"You should buy one then... Or you can ask that rich boyfriend of yours to get you one that's not too boyish for you," Yeobin spoke, almost sarcastically, and Yeoreum replied with even more sarcasm.

"Haha. Very funny. Sure I'd ask him once I get the chance." Yeoreum then closed her cabinets after finding nothing. And then she looked up as she started to think of the possible contents of her wallet. Well, she had just about enough saved... and no clothes for the cold seasons coming just around the corner. "Wow... maybe I do need to go shopping."

"With your rich boyfriend?" Yeobin replied mischievously after having heard his sister.

"No. With my own savings, darn it," Yeoreum complained after thinking of how she wouldn't have any money left after she would go shopping. "Right. I wish I had a rich boyfriend!"

☆

Of course, Yeoreum knew that when her younger brother said "rich boyfriend", he was referring to her actually-rich companion, Ricky. She knew that his family had money. In fact, everyone at school did. Just...

She never wanted to see him in just that light. Nor did she want to see him as just a boy who's abused at home and actually attempted suicide once... "Once", as far as she knows.

In the end, Yeoreum went to school wearing two jackets on top of her uniform... and a brown scarf around her neck belonging to her younger brother. He insisted, after all. Though it was pretty ironic.

Because, frankly speaking, Yeobin was the only one of the male species who actually showed that he cared for her. Despite the fact that she used to hate him, because once he was born, it didn't matter to their father anymore that he had a daughter. It was the son that was all that mattered since then.

But it was also the son that was all that mattered to Yeoreum, too, in the end. Because as much as her younger brother cared for her, Yeobin was pretty much the only thing she found worth caring for...

That is, until Ricky.

The thought of the boy made Yeoreum make a beeline for his classroom. As usual, she was early, and there weren't much students roaming the campus. The start of the autumn season had made it so the sun would be rising later, and the hallways had a warm yellowish tint as she walked through them.

She was expecting to see him there again, despite how early it still is. After all, he was always early, too, during the times she decided to go to his classroom first thing in the morning. And she was expecting to see him there, sleeping (or at least, trying to), or reading a book.

But not this.

"Wait... no!"

The ceramic vase fell hard onto Ricky's arm, breaking into pieces upon impact. The shards flew in multiple directions, making Yeoreum flinch and move back, but a few remained implanted in the boy's arm. And as the dust settled... Yeoreum noticed the neck of the vase held tightly in Ricky's other hand. He was heaving, his face was wet, and he seemed angry as he looked down at his bleeding arm. And then he screamed, as he raised the sharp, broken neck of the vase again.

"No! Stop!" Yeoreum yelled as she ran to him and held his arm back before he could hurt himself again. But he was fighting her, and he was obviously stronger, and it was making Yeoreum more desperate to hold him back. And yet he looked angry, still. And his face remained wet with the hot tears streaming from his eyes. "Ricky, stop! Please!"

Ricky could only scream in response as he pulled his arm away from her grip, almost desperate to hurt himself, like he had lost all senses and the only thing he wanted was to dig the ceramic shard back into his arm. He raised the neck of the vase again, and he looked past Yeoreum and towards his vulnerable arm, bleeding and covered in cuts and shards from what was the bottom of the vase, and he cried as he swiftly let the vase down.

But Yeoreum grabbed his wrist with both hands this time, now. And she screamed, as well, and she cried, loudly as she tried to snap the boy out of it. "Stop, please! Please, don't do this... please..." Her eyes were wet and desperate, and her voice was shaking just as his whole body was. And he still gripped the vase tightly in his hand, but then he saw her eyes, and he froze. And his raging expression fell as he looked at her, begging and completely terrified.

Ricky was heaving, still, almost wheezing from all the emotions running through him. But then he let his hand fall to his side, and he hung his head as he began weeping. Yeoreum placed her arms around him when she finally felt him calm down, and she was crying, too. She was sobbing, and she hugged him tight, like she was afraid he would just suddenly... let go. Of everything.

The only thing he let go of was the vase. And it broke as it crashed onto the ground, and Yeoreum flinched and yelped. But in the next few seconds, an arm fell around her shoulders, pulling her close as Ricky placed his forehead on her shoulder. His bleeding arm remained hanging at his side. And for a moment, all that filled the silence of the empty morning were there quiet sobs and the sound of blood dripping on the floorboards...

What a mess. The whole situation was a mess. And both of them knew it.