runaway | na jaemin [ HIATUS ]

chapter 1

[ "i'll be back by 3" ]

Xolia sat in her closet past 12, reading. She would've been using her phone, yet it was unfortunately left in the living room where her parents were arguing back and forth.

The seventeen year old sighed, wishing she had her earphones to block out the sound of raising voices and objects being pounded. Xolia has been dealing with this for as long as she can remember—one day her parents just turned on each other in the blink of an eye.

Eventually, the fighting ceased, Xolia flinching when the doors to her parents’ room slammed shut. Tiredly closing her book, the dark haired adolescent silently made her way into the living room, as to not gain any attention. It didn't help much when she stubbed her toe against a chair and knocked it down.

The door to her mother's room opened almost instantly, giving Xolia a mini heart attack. “What are you doing?” The older of the two asked accusingly.

“Nothing,” Xolia mumbled while looking down, “I was just getting my phone.” As she tried to walk past her mom, she was stopped and grabbed by the jaw. Even though her mother was shorter than Xolia, she had more authority.

“Look at me and speak clearly when you talk,” she reprimanded through gritted teeth. “You're just like your father, you know,” she continued, her grip on Xolia tightening, “you can never do anything right, you probably do this on pur—”

She cut herself off as Xolia’s father walked in the room, stumbling upon the new ensuing fight. Her father was always softer then her mother, so seeing Xolia being hurt got him worked-up. “Get away from her. She didn't do anything, leave her be.”

Xolia's mother scoffed, regarding the father with rage in her eyes. “Who are you to tell me what to do? It's your own fault she treats me with disrespect! All you two ever do…”

Xolia began tearing up, something she hates doing in front of her parents. It gets her in trouble, and her eyes blinked hurriedly in order to get rid of it. A tight feeling was in her chest as she listened to her parent’s increasingly loud yells, until she had enough.

Xolia tore away from her mother's grip, storming towards the front door and out of the house. She didn't bother to close the door as she left. Tears finally started falling, yet Xolia just got in her car and drove away.

She didn't know exactly where she was going—just that she was going somewhere. “Of course, I end up going to the one store where the clerk always manages to tease me about my appearance, great.”

Xolia half-heartedly exited her dark Impala, making her way to the entrance of her favorite Asian market. She took a glance at her reflection in the glass, taking note of her blotchy skin, then going inside.

The bells above the door jingled softly, which rang throughout the small store. “Hello, Welcome to The Asian Food Market, just yell if you need help.” Xolia searched for the familiar voice, and spotted him unstacking boxes at the other end of the store.

“Is it okay if I cry, instead of yell?” Xolia asked softly, voice cracking ever so slightly. The male stood up and looked behind him, perplexed. He didn't notice anything was wrong at first.

“Oh hey there, Xo! Haha, you look like a candy cane, today.” At those words, Xolia immediately broke out into choked sobs, which sent the poor boy into a frenzy of concern. “Oh my God, Xo, I'm so sorry,” he jogged over to the crying girl and embraced her gently, “was it what I said? I promise I won't tease you anymore, I—”

“No, you dummy,” Xolia interrupted along with a hit to his chest, “it wasn't you. It was my parents.”

“Again?” He added with curiosity.