Frozen Rose (Langa x reader)

Chapter 45

(Y/n)'s POV

~A few days later~

My breaths came in quick and shallow. Blood streaked down the cut on my forehead. My clothes were crumpled and bruised, much like the state of my mind. The mud mixed with the minuscule cuts on my arms.

I hugged my knees, burying my face against them. The park was empty and the playground seemed an ominous being on this dark, lonely night. Tears threatened to fall but I wouldn't let them. I needed to be strong.

"(Y/n)!"

My mouth thinned into a narrow line. Now that my body was in tatters and my mind was a mess, I was beginning to hallucinate. This time, tears did fall but I refused to sob. I gritted my teeth.

"(Y/n)..."

Hands were placed on my arms before I panicked and grabbed them.

"I-it's only me," Langa breathed.
"I ran into him on the way here. Damn it, those stupid gangs. I swear I'll kill them. I shouldn't have left you alone," Jun exclaimed.

He had asked to hang out and left only to buy some snacks. Little did he know that a vengeful gang had been lying in wait. The spy they had on him must've gotten beaten up or else Jun wouldn't have known to come back so soon.

They wanted to do the same to me what uncle had done to them. I fought. I tried...until the guns were hauled from their jackets. Like a lamb before a lion, I let them punch me and kick me. Like a coward, I couldn't fight back because of a single gun.

"I have to report this to my dad. Please, take care of her," Jun said to Langa.

After one last glance back, Jun hurried away to report this incident, which would then lead to an all-out war. I remained quiet, all the while hugging my knees as if that would make me stop shaking.

Langa gently placed a hand on my shoulder. I didn't look at him. I didn't want to look at him. He was too bright for this dirty world. Nothing would ever change that, not even me.

It wasn't until he had his arms around me and my face buried against his chest that the first sob escaped me. He only embraced me harder as if that would help alleviate the pain...as if his will alone was enough.

"Crying isn't weak," he exclaimed softly.

I only clenched his shirt in my fists, silently letting the tears fall. He had his fingers in my hair, quietly stroking and playing with it. My heartbeat immediately slowed, the tension left as time passed by.

"Do you wanna go home now?" he asked.
"Let's stay a little longer," I whispered.

He continued to play with my hair. I relaxed in his embrace, wishing for this moment to last forever. Looking up at him, I noticed him deep in thought before eventually, he snapped out of it to meet my gaze.

My calmed heart once again began pounding, but for an entirely different reason. His nose was mere millimetres away from mine, his lips slightly parted. I noticed his eyes glancing at my mouth. Both our cheeks were flushed yet neither of us broke the moment.

Reluctantly I looked away only to realise my mistake. His lips grazed my cheek. I hurriedly stood up, ignoring the flushed redness of my cheeks. Langa's hand tightened on my own as I tried to walk.

"(Y/n)...do you...are you going home?" he finally asked, stumbling between questions.
"...maybe after a while."
"Come over."
"...eh?"
"I-I don't mean anything weird. I just...I didn't think your mum would..."
"...sorry, I'll have to take you up on your offer then."

He smiled. I let him lead me. The wind blew against our skin, making goosebumps appear on my arms. I clenched my other fist, refusing to shiver least it gave Langa another problem to worry about.

It wasn't long before we made it to his house. His mum was in the lounge watching tv when we entered. She looked over with a smile until her gaze fell on my stature. I offered a small smile though I couldn't tell what was going through her mind.

"What happened to you? Are you alright?"

She hurriedly took off her cardigan and placed it around my shoulders. I didn't let go of Langa's hand, even while she cradled my face in her hands and inspected the cut.

"Hasegawa-san, I'm-"
"Don't say you're fine. You need to get that treated. Why did my son bring you here?" she exclaimed.
"That's uhh..."
"*gasp* Are you going to do you know what?" she whispered.
"*blush* N-no! Not a chance! I mean, no ma'am. It's a personal issue."

She looked at Langa, who simply shrugged. She didn't however seem bothered by his half-hearted answer. Even if she did ask for a proper one, there would be no answer he could give. I hadn't given him many details.

"Come on, I'll help you with that."

I almost flinched when she reached for my other hand. She opened and closed her mouth, having noticed the action before retracting her hand and gesturing towards the couch. An embarrassed yet shameful look appeared on my face.

Langa squeezed my hand reassuringly. Having gotten used to my mum's hysterics, I had forgotten the normalcy of a mother's loving touch after getting hurt. Not only had I shown her something I should've kept hidden, I had made her feel uncomfortable.

"You've been holding my son's hand this entire time. Are you afraid of something or do you just like him?" she asked while cleaning the wound.
"I'm nervous and I...do like him but as a friend."
"You're welcome to stay the night, if that's why you came."
"Yeah, thank you. Also, sorry for intruding."
"No no, I'm happy that he brought a girl home."

I simply smiled, not wanting to ruin her mood. Langa had been quiet this entire time. I risked a glance his way, only to realise he had been staring at me very intently.

"*smiles innocently* Ma'am, does your son usually stare at people for no reason? Or does it mean he wants something?" I asked, hoping to tease him into a smile.