Can't Help Falling In Love | CHAELISA

Love 1

Walking in the middle of a cold busy street of Seoul, Park Chaeyoung wipes her tears streaming down her face; feeling lost, feeling hopeless, and feeling alone.

The universe must have been sympathizing, has decided to share and cry with her as the rain poured heavily. She glances above the night sky, hoping she would spot a star just to lessen the heaviness in her heart, but to no avail.

Putting her hand inside the back pocket of her jeans, she finds a couple of crumpled bills which she knew can neither feed her empty stomach nor pay a place to stay even just for a night.

The unending walk must have felt by her body now; feeling exhausted and hungry at the same time. She hasn't changed her clothes since she has ran off from the group of men who have been following her the day her mother was buried.

She feels her stomach grumbled, a sign of skipping three meals that she wasn't used to. If her mother was alive, she thought, none of this would have happened. Her mind went to the days before her mother died. It was lung cancer; couldn't be treated anymore since it was in its last stage. If only she had known before it was too late, maybe she had found a way to prolong the only person who cared for her.

Park Chaeyoung now hugs herself tightly, as if it could lessen the growing pain in her stomach or the cold she's starting to feel. And so she has to find a place to stay, at least she can rest for the night, and if she's lucky enough, could borrow some clean cloth to dry herself.

Her eyes wander; not too long enough before she heard a voice shouting, "That's her! Quick!", not waiting for another second, she runs her life away from the men running for her.

'Great', she thought. There's no better way to lose them but crossing the street, violating the street laws. Maybe she could sleep in the police station. Not bad, right? Or maybe not. Getting hit by a car was the last thing she could deal with right now. But they're getting near, and she doesn't have a choice.

Clutching on her, mumbles a little prayer, she closes her eyes and runs across the street in a stop sign. She doesn't care anymore. She's not scared to d-,

"Oh my God!"

If her strong hands can tear her chest apart, her heart must have been rolling on the street. It's the loud horn that sends her to that heart stopping feeling.

Still clutching on her chest, with heavy breathing and wide eyes, she stares at the person inside the car. Their eyes lock, and Chaeyoung's heart starts to beat faster than it was a moment ago.

Their staring was cut off when the men start to make their presence known, and that wakes Chaeyoung up from the small interaction, if it is really an interaction. Even if she starts running, her eyes couldn't leave the eyes that made her feel home again. But then, her life's a mess... And so she smiles before looking straight ahead and speeds off.

••••

Her feet are shaking, her head is staring to spin. She couldn't take it anymore, and so, as she sees a a bench, she forces herself for another steps, few more steps.

She wants to applaud herself for staying alive for a week, with these guys tailing her around, following her from her small village and upon realizing it, her body responds by shaking from exhaustion.

And when she hears one of the men's voice again, she knows she has to give up, and just give them the satisfaction of torturing her for running away and giving them a hard time.

"I'm gonna kill you!" The big guy screams in Chaeyoung's face as he catches his own breath.

One of them grabs the blonde's hair, making Chaeyoung groan in pain. She receives a hard slap for smirking at them, and she knows she's just making it worse.

"That's it?" Chaeyoung mocks and she receives another, but this time it's punch on her stomach.

She start coughing and when she feels the blood on her mouth, she looks over her shoulder and spits it at the man grabbing her hair.

"Fuck," the man curses and gives her another blow on her stomach.

"J-just kill me," Chaeyoung says, truly giving up her life.

The men start to laugh, and the big guy holds her chin, "Kill you? That would be a benefit to you," he grins, "Why not we enjoy you first? We'll just tell the boss you killed yourself since he wants you alive," they all laugh and some of them high-fived.

The look of terror is evident on Chaeyoung's eyes. If she could just choose, it would be a painful death than giving these guys the satisfaction of touching her body.
"J-just k-kill me," Chaeyoung says, it comes out like a plead.

"Bring her to that alley, we'll spend the next hours having her. But of course, it would be me first," the big guy instructs them and claps his hands.

As they are heading to the alley, with her on the guy's strong grip, she starts to close her eyes and tries to remember those eyes; those light brown eyes that feel home. And even if this could be her end, that short time makes her smile, and she feels ready.

She's thrown in the ground and receives a kick on her stomach, a strong slap that turns her head to the side, feeling dizzy and couldn't hear anything. She's sure she won't be able to open her eyes, nor talk. She waits another second but she feels nothing.

After a few minutes, she feels a hand touch her face. It feels different, but she forces herself to refuse the touch.

"P-please, no," she mumbles before her world blackouts.