(Play the video and turn on the loop, please)

This whole chapter will be on Maya's P.O.V

Have you ever fallen in love in the most unexpected way?? Well we did. Which leads us here.

It was in mid school when he transferred to Busan. A random boy who's shy as hell. We used to tease him for being this much introvert, and embarrassed all of the time.

Who became my life at some point. KIM TAEHYUNG.

A shy boy who I fell in love with. His hair would be pressed all the time. He knew nothing about fashion, or how to talk to girls. You might say he's a little bit tense to be in a new environment, but no. He was like this in normal time too. Once I saw he was being bullied by some random boys, and he didn't even fight back. Poor fella!!

One day the teacher gave us work as a pair, so I was about to choose my friend, but then the plot twist came. She said the first rolled student will team with the last rolled student. And this is how the teams will be made. Mine was 15 and his was 61. so we've to be a pair. I am still thankful to that miss, who took the 1st step.

I groaned in frustration because he literally didn't talk or interact, so how would I complete my task? I got up from my seat, and sat beside him. I looked at him, with all anger, but he never dared to look back. I sat a little bit far from him, thinking he's a weirdo. He might not smell good, but to my surprise. not only did he smell good, but his whole self was really admirable. Like he could be a popular guy just by walking over some random girl. So why did he hide himself like that I wondered.

" Listen you bitch!! Help me finish this as soon as possible, or I'm literally gonna put glue in your pants. You got it?" He didn't even look at me, and nodded quickly.

" Good! Now back to business. Do you know how to solve this question?" He looked at the textbook." It's a lil bit tricky but let's try." For the 1st time he looked at me and smiled.

I got off guard by his sudden gesture. I blinked a little. " Can you solve it? This is not the only task, so we don't have time."

" Trust me. it'll be done in no time." he again smiled a little. He took the notebook and started solving the question. I peeked a little, because it felt like he sat like his life depended on it.

I rolled my eyes and started to draw doodles in my notebook.

" Done." I lifted up my head and saw he solved all the questions. I looked at him and well.

I'm doomed......

It was like I was seeing him for the 1st time.. well he smiled for the 1st time I guess..

"Ms. Min and Mr. Kim, please bring your notebook to me.."

We looked at the teacher and saw most of the students had already submitted their papers, so we didn't waste time, stood up and walked to the teacher.. She took the notebook and started checking..

" Hmm. Who solved all of these? ".. We looked at each other and Taehyung was about to say we both did but I stopped him..

" Taehyung did all of them miss... I was having trouble with these, so he solved all of them and he even taught me how to solve them.." Yeah I didn't like him that much, but I don't take credit for someone else's work..

" Wow, I'm impressed... 1st with the task, and then your honesty.. Taehyung.. you mistook two questions and other than that all are okay.. So I'm giving these two to Maya.. Taehyung might help you but I want you to solve it.." We nodded and bowed a little, took the notebook and went back to our seats...

" You shouldn't do that for me.." Taehyung said lowly

" Bitch I didn't do that for you.. I knew she'll point out some mistakes.. Besides, you're not gonna sit beside me in the exam right? So I've to learn it by myself.. Now stop talking.. you're disturbing me..."

He didn't reply, and started focusing on something else.. After the class ended I straight stood up and left the bench without even saying anything to him.. I've never realized I left something which meant so much to me, will become much more than that to him..

Our days were passing like this and I never interacted with him in the meantime.. But you know something called destiny? Well that thing brought us together again..

" What happened??.." She asked

" Nothing much, just he saved me from getting expelled.." I replied to Areum..

" Huh?"

" Yes.. I was about to beat someone's ass but TaeTae stopped me.."

" TaeTae?"

" I called him with that.. He loves this name.." I saw she looked down a little and then smiled..

" He always saves people, but when it's about him.. He can't do that.." She chuckled.. " Huh?"

" Nothing.. That's a story you should hear from him.. But how did he save you that day?"

" He just told me some random teacher is calling me.. And when I realized he lied, that douchebag had already left the school.."

" Then?"

" I was about to beat TaeTae instead but stopped.."

" Why?"

" Nothing just... I saw him with some kids, playing, behaving like he did nothing a moment ago..

He was very happy with them. He was kinda weird, but innocent. He was looking too innocent to me. I didn't know why I was smiling that time, but I realized one thing.

This weirdo will be a hell of a ride to me.

If I start to talk about how we fell in love with each other, you'll start snoring. Because one he didn't know how to talk, and me. Well, I talked too much. We've had some mutual friends, which made a way to meet us literally fucking everyday. So you know those gestures we do in love at the 1st sight. We used to look at each other, when the other one was not, and when our eyes met, we both got shy. I always found him cute.

Until one day I had to transfer to another country. My father got bankrupt so we had to sell off our things to pay the debt. The day I was about to take off. He came into my house, without even informing me. Somehow he got to know I'm moving.

That was the last stroke for us. I opened the door and saw a crying TaeTae. I was a little bit surprised to see him, because I had never given him my address.

" Taehyung?"

" You're leaving?" He asked suddenly and I got a little bit off guard.

" Well yeah. We've to move. Why?" He looked at me with teary eyes. Something I couldn't handle till now. I had never seen him cry. He just smiled everytime we saw each other so his crying face was literally hurting me.

" The feeling is mutual." Areum says and I look at her .

" What? "

" I-I-I mean Taehyung must have felt sad when you cried in front of him right?"

" Hmm yeah. He used to leave all of his work, just to be with me. but not every time, because I forced him to concentrate on his work. Anyway, moving on."

He said nothing, just looked at me, it was too awkward to me so I gestured to him to come inside. and he did. As soon as I closed the door, I turned back and he suddenly hugged me.

My heart skipped a beat, and my face filled with a shocking expression. He started crying again. " Please don't leave. Please." He buried his face on the crook of my neck, and I hope you know what happened when boys did that.

" Yeah pretty well." Areum sighs

"I held him, and he hugged me even more tightly. I didn't understand why he was behaving like this. It's true we might feel something for each other which we wouldn't express of course. But never have I realized TaeTae is feeling something more for me." I laugh a little and look at her. Her head hangs low, and she's smiling a little bit.

I sighed. It took me 15 minutes to separate him from me. He was really sobbing like a lil kid. When he calmed down a bit I looked at him softly. " Why this much affection all of a sudden??"

" I just-" He gulped a little. " I don't know. I've got used to seeing you. I don't know how you've become the reason for me smiling." You know I got confused like what the fuck he's saying?

" Taehyung, you're confusing me."

" I know. it's like. It's like." I put a hand on his shoulder, and brought him to my room. He might want to say something but can't. I let him sit on my bed, and brought him a glass of water. I sat beside him.

" Look, I've to go to my parents house in an hour, so I don't have that much time. but I really want to know what happened to you. Can you please tell me?"

He hesitated a little and then revealed something that shook my world.

" M-my family." He gulped really hard.

" Mhmm. your family."

" They torture me everyday."

" Why?" Scolding, or get punishment from parents at this early age was normal to me, but why he's expressing this as torture.

He then stood up and started unbuttoning his shirt." Taehyung the fuck you're doing!!? Get the fuck out of h-" I couldn't finish my words and he was done with his shirt. He removed it and faced me with my eyes wide.

His whole upper body is filled with scratches and scars that looked like someone used a whip kinda thing .

I stood up and looked closely at it. Most of them looked fresh. Like someone whipped on the same place repeatedly .

" Wha-Taehyung what is this?? Who did this I."

" My family hates me Maya." He said. His voice broke as he started crying

" Bullshits. Why do they hate you?? You're so good at everything. Why they'd-"

" They use me Maya. They fucking use me for their satisfaction. They beat me whenever they feel angry, they're alcoholic and force me to drink that too when they're totally drunk, and when I refuse. They start to beat me like shit Maya."

" Why are you telling me all of this when I'm gonna leave and don't know when I'll be back???"

" Because you were the one who didn't know anything about it. Still made me smile or made me feel those things I've never felt before. Those give me strength to survive my family. I'm the only child of them. but they never treated me like one."

" Is there something I can do for you?" He looked at me for a while and came close to me. I just blinked sometimes.

" Maya." He held my hands and intertwined with his ones.

" Do I mean anything to you more than.. Friends??" He directly looked at me, more than into my soul.

I couldn't even blink, nor say something. I didn't know what happened to me. I really didn't know. I took a deep breath and gulped." What do you mean?"

" I meant." He licked his lips, and came close to me. " Can I give my 1st kiss to you?" He didn't let me say anything. He closed his eyes and just pressed his lips on mine.

And stole my 1st kiss too

I still remember how he was blushing, like I was blushing too, but he was like a red tomato. We never realized we both have the same feelings for each other, which we hid from one another.

After we're done. We couldn't look at each other, but still I was confused. " Taehyung." He looked at me and I looked back too.

" What was that?" I asked concernedly

He sighed. " I like you Maya. I never let you show, or took any step that you'll find out. Because I come nowhere in front of you. I felt scared that you might hate me if I approached you. So I. just.. But the moment I heard you're moving I didn't think anything, and ran here to give you something I've saved only for you."

I took some time to process what he just said. He actually told everything I was about to say to him. He continued." I know what you're thinking. All of a sudden I'm saying all this too, on top of that my personal stuff.-"

" That's okay. You could have informed me before. So that I could help you as much as I can."

" Nobody can Maya."

" But why?"

" My friend. Whom I hangout the most. He tried to help me too, but my family portrayed it as him trying to drug me, to the social worker. They investigated a lot, and found out nothing about my parents, also found out he was innocent too, and well after that as a punishment. His parents transferred him into another school. I don't even know where he is now."

" So what do you want me to do?"

" Don't leave me please Maya. Please no one makes me happy as much as you do. You do nothing, still your presence is a destruction to me. If you leave I'll be in that hell again. Please Maya I'm begging you please don't leave." He folded his hands as he was requesting me. I held his hands

" Taehyung stop being like this. It hurts me. Please. Look at me please." He looked at me, and I kissed him on his forehead. " Look, I don't know what I did that makes you feel this way, but I'm sorry to say I can't stay. I don't have any money with me, and my family doesn't give me pocket money that much, so I'll save and stay here. Also I've already transferred from this school. I'm sorry but I can't stay" He lowered his head and started sobbing.

I lifted up his head and made him look at me. " Do you really have feelings for me??"

He just nodded. " C-Can you wait for me?? You suffered a lot, without me. So can you suffer all of this only for 2 years. just for me?? I'm gonna finish my college as early as possible, and will come back to you I promise. Will you wait for me?"

He lowered his head again but I held it, and kissed him again." Taehyung I'll be with you in any way possible. Just trust me. I'll come back, and fix everything. Right now if I could I would take you with me, but I can't. There is nothing I can do for you for now, but I'll make sure you don't suffer anymore. Promise me you'll be safe??" He was sniffing.

" Promise." I smiled a little, and hugged him." I like you too." He hugged me even tightly. We didn't realize how much time passed, until my phone rang. It was my mom.

I let go of him, and took the phone. " Yes Mom?. Oh I'm on the doorway. I'm leaving. Yeah. Okay. Okay." I hung up the phone, as he back hugged me." Don't go." He started rubbing his nose on my bare neck.

" Taehyung." He groaned a little and turned me to face him. Suddenly I realized he wasn't wearing his shirt back." Taehyung put your shirt on. People might think we just had sex."

" I don't care about it. All I care about is you. Beside." He came close to my ear and whispered. " I can make the rumor true. If you want it. Just tell me." I became a red tomato instantly, and pushed him too hard.

" Bitch." He chuckled, held my arm and pulled me to him." Only yours."

" Gosh Taehyung I'm getting late." He sighed and finally let me go. I finished my packaging and got out of the house. We hoped in the car and started driving. We stopped a little bit away from Tae's house. I looked at him. His face was lowered. There's no sign of life in it. I sighed." Taehyung." I put a hand on his shoulder." I'll be back. We also will do facetime everyday okay?? We've got so many things to catch. You won't even realize when time will pass and I'll be back. and then we'll do something about your family, okay?"

" Why does it have to me??"

" What?"

" Why have I found you, but you can't be with me? Why always me Maya??"

I bent over him and held his face." Because I'll be the one who is gonna change your life. And good things always take time okay?? I'll be here with you." And I kissed him one last time.

He opened the car door and got out." I'll be waiting for you."

" I'll come back to you. no matter what happens." I sighed, and started the engine, and drove off.

But never have I realized I made the biggest mistake leaving him.

I didn't look at her while talking, but when I did, I saw she was tapping her toe too fast. It was like she was not okay. she was feeling kinda.. frustrated??

" Areum you okay??"

" Huh??" She shot looked at me." Oh yeah I-I'm fine. I was actually processing everything. Don't mind, okay??"

" Yeah sure." Something off with her. Though I'm seeing her for the 1st time. But still, the concern she was showing in the 1st place. Right now she's getting desperate to know more. Who is this girl?? Does she have something with TaeTae??

" Maya. What did you mean by the biggest mistake?? What happened?"

I look at her once then look at my lap. " I should've taken his words seriously. in the last 2 years. Whenever we talked. Either he was hiding from his family. Or he was somewhere where nobody could find him. Or when we facetime. Every Time new bruises appeared. Day by day I realized something."

" Which is?" She looks at me and I sigh.

" He started to forget events, also moments."

" This is a part of bipolarity."

" WHAT???" I shout.

" Calm down. Taehyung is diagnosed with Bipolarity. Stage 4. I mean the last stage. This is the reason I'm here today." She says

" What do you mean?"

" I mean I don't know what happened in his past. I didn't have any leads either. I had some objects that actually don't make sense with each other. Until I found you."

" How did you find me??"

" Taehyung himself introduced you to me."

" Huh? Where is he now?? Wha- Is he here? Let me go, Areum. Why-"

" Maya. I'm not here to make your healed wound bleed again. I'm here for a reason. I'm a doctor. who is counseling him. I can cure him, but before that I need to know about him. If I tell you you might not believe me, but he basically forgot everything from the past 2 to 3 years. I was giving my everything to make him remember anything. Like anything. and he said your name. and then when I came here to give him some therapy. He found you and well I'm here."

" Areum."

" I understand what it feels like when you find someone you have been searching for a long time. I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about him. I know you want to meet him, but just to let you know. If I take you to him now. He may forget everything he remembered. Sometimes it's better to wait for good things to come, you said a while ago right?"

" Areum please let me see him once please."

" Even if I want to. I can't. He's taking rest which he needs for the things I'm about to ask him. I want you people to meet once a situation comes in my hand. The moment I'll get to know Taehyung is ready to meet you. I'm not gonna waste a second." She smiles a little.

" So what do you want to know?? And I think I just wasted your time by telling my love story."

" That's where you're wrong, love. I got a wild idea why you mean so much in his life, 2nd what was his childhood like, and 3rd why he has changed. You don't even know how much information you just gave me."

" So. Tell me what else you want to know. Do you've any questions to ask??"

" I want you to tell me everything like you were doing. If I ask you some questions I might miss some important information which I'll need in future. So I've only one question for you." I look at her concernedly

" What happened when you again met Taehyung?"

I sigh and close my eyes, and start revealing what I've buried in my heart.

All the time. All of the time I was away from him. I realized not only he's living in a toxic family, but they're snitching his freedom from him. He was a topper in our class. Every teacher loved him. He was so good at math. He wanted to do his higher study in business management. His dream was to have his own company. But his own family didn't let him do that. They wanted him to study engineering. I gave him so many ideas on how to approach his family, but I saw more brutal bruises in his face the next day.

I was losing my mind. Neither I could go back, nor I can bear he's in pain. He used to tell me everything. I was a diary to him, where he put everything that was happening.

" Tell me something from the diary. like what his parents used to do with him, or his daily life, anything you can remember."

" Well he used to get up early in the morning and do the house chores. Actually not chores. He used to clean bottles of alcohol, the mess his parents created the whole night., The vomit, the ripped dresses, and papers. He even showed me once when his parents were mixed with dust and dirt. even he couldn't recognize where they were. "

" And about the beat??"

" They used belt, some sexual weapon people use for BDSM you know??"

" Don't tell me they used those on him."

" Well you can't believe a drunk person. But as far as he told me. They just beat him with those whip things, nothing more than that. They use them while they do sex. and well"

" Yes?"

" They tied Taehyung at that moment and let him see whatever they were doing.."

" WHAT THE FUCK??" Areum shouts.

" Yes. They not only tortured him physically, but also mentally. Imagine a boy who is forced to see his parents having sex that also in the nasty way. Alcohol and drugs literally brainwashed them. They used to find pleasure in TaeTae's scream, and his tears. And me? I've to face how my TaeTae was changing time by time. When I used to ask him about last night's incident. He totally forgot about everything. It was me who used to tell him what he had faced last night."

" So his bipolarity starts from an early age then."

" I don't know about your medical terms, but I was really concerned about him, so I finished my graduation as soon as possible, and returned to this country."

" So you're telling me no one was there for him at that time??"

" No Areum. He was right when he said I was the only one he has."

She sighed a little." Hmm. Then?" I look at her and smirk.

" Then I showed my real face.."

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