BLOOD - Na Jaemin

I

Don't tell me this book is too intense, because it was supposed to be. You should read the next sentences with a careful mind. You don't even know what Jaemin or Hwa Young went through.

"Hi, I'm Park Hwa Young. Nice to meet you all," I introduce myself to this new school.

"Thank you, Hwa Young. You can sit beside Jaemin right there," the teacher points at the silent cold kid in the corner.

I walk and sit there. This assumed Jaemin keeps looking at his book.

"Hi, I'm Hwa Young. And you are Jaemin, right?" I ask, politely as possible.

He nods, but still doesn't look at me.

Who knows? Maybe he went through or going through the tough times too. The silence fills the room for a few seconds.

"Can I know more about you?" I say.

He doesn't reply to what I say. I look away from him; at my feet. All of a sudden, a paper is put on my table.

My name is an enough information about me.

"Okay, if that's how you want it to be. I may not know about you, but just know that I'm here for whatever you're going through. You can spill all the beans and I'll listen. I can tell from your cold as ice expression that you have no one here. Don't worry, I'm not like other kids," I say with care contained in my words.

He freezes for a second, then continue whatever he's doing. I wonder what's in his mind. I know there are pain concealed in his heart, what happened to him? Did anyone hurt this precious boy?

I take out my books and focus to the lesson the teacher is teaching, but my mind kept driving me to the other direction, but not long after so are my eyes.

That other direction was craziness... Or is it Jaemin?

I feel sorry for him. I look away from the boy again and focus back on the book. I write my number and my name on the notebook. I rip out that page from the book and fold it. Behind Jaemin, his backpack is leaning in the chair. Sneakily, I open his backpack zipper and put the paper in. He isn't aware of it.

Bell rings. This class could only be the only time I'll see you, Jaemin.

"See you around, Jaemin."

•••

"Hi, I'm home," I yell as I close the front door.

Of course, no one replies. It is supposed to be that way. I'm an orphan, living in this house with no relatives, because I'm the last Park in this family.

I walk to the kitchen, nervously, afraid something like what happened will happen again.

I'm afraid it will happen to me again. Even when the pain of dying wasn't happening to me, but the pain of losing someone was more painful. The most painful of it all? Watching him dead right in my eyes.

Watching his blood scattered all over the place.

Watching his body losing its soul.

Watching the disappearance of his life.

I let out some tears while entering the kitchen. My whole body shakes. As my feet step on the kitchen floor, I quickly take the bread left on the counter. With fast beating heart, I run to my room upstairs. I bit my lips too hard that it bleeds.

I'm afraid of the kitchen floor.