Nabi ran out of the pharmacy after struggling with the door. The crosswalk was flashing green, so she rushed out to the sidewalk on the other side of the road. Her body almost crumbled halfway as she walked across but thankfully, she made it. Her stomach ached as she breathed from her mouth.

The way the monster kicked her multiple times last night did a number on her. She didn't do anything to trigger it, other than being in the kitchen at the wrong time. Next time, she'd bring a few more bottles of water and milk to prevent the same thing happening again.

The sky turned a bit tenebrous today, just like yesterday. The cold autumn breeze sailed past her making her shiver, so she wore her coat over her jacket. She always liked this weather, since she could hide the scars without feeling feverous. Unlike when the weather is fair and sunny. There was a sense of warmth that she could only feel during gloomy or rainy days.

She opened the band-aid she just bought and placed it over the small violet bruise under the corner of her eye.

"Ah," she flinched.

Why can't my body get used to the pain? She rolled her eyes at the thought.

She took a deep breath before looking back at the pharmacy.

"Band-aid," Nabi ordered when it was her turn.

"Bundle of five?" asked Ahn Seolyun, the pharmacist, as she gaped at her.

Nabi nodded. She noted her name as she always bought stuff here before going to her lectures. 

Curiosity was painted on Ahn Seolyun's face. That was always the case every time Nabi went here to buy band-aids. 

When it was their first time meeting, Nabi messed her fringe, trying to hide the large purple bruise on her forehead. She would comb her hair using her fingers, trying to hide that reddish spot on her nape. Thinking that the pharmacist would find something wrong with her, she never gave her eye-contact.

"Do you need help?" the pharmacist called out as Nabi finished paying and was about to walk towards the door. She couldn't just stand there and do nothing.

Nabi stood there halfway near the doorway, her every breath was becoming cumbrous on her chest. Her eyes wandered as her vision became blurry. She found it hard to regain her composure. But when she finally regulated her breathing, she hurriedly pushed the door that said pull. Realizing she did it wrong, she struggled to pull the unusually heavy door. 

Seolyun looked at her leaving, nodding in affirmation before continuing with her work.

For Nabi, every time she hears the word help, she just seems to crumble. As she stared at the direction where she just ran out of, among the crowd of people, a familiar face walked past and stopped at the other end of the pedestrian crossing.

'Do you want to go home?'

'I trust you.'

What that boy said kept replaying in her mind. There was a sense of warmth in his low, soothing voice that made what he said comforting. Even if the words were stale. It sounded different from what she usually heard.

'Why don't you want to go home? Others don't even have one, you should be thankful!'

'Wow! You're so ungrateful. Your parents did their best raising you and you can't even express your appreciation.'

"You should wear a scarf." Nabi snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to find Nomura Shui standing beside her.

'Do you want to go home?'

Nabi failed to notice that the air turned a few degrees colder. If the temperature decreased bit by bit, the afternoon would be colder than usual. He had his coat draped over his jacket with its hood wrapped around his head. He should be fine, then.

'I trust you.'

"Shui!"

"Chungseol-ie!"

Placing her hands inside her coat pocket, she watched him wave to his friend. She couldn't help but smile a little as Shui ran to his friend and exchanged handshakes. She was used to being the outsider, watching people in groups, laughing together. People tend to be social beings and always found it difficult to function without others.

But Nabi had always known that she was different. She noticed that other people looked so lonely when on the outskirts, watching others group together. She'd never felt that way. But for some reason, she suddenly felt weird. 

Maybe there's really something wrong with me.

11:00 PM. Nabi arrived at the entrance of the apartment building where they live in. After punching in the code, the door opened. She walked in and pressed the elevator button. Waiting for it to arrive, her eyes wandered to their apartment unit number printed on the mailbox. There were a couple of envelopes there but she didn't even consider taking them with her when she stepped into the elevator. Her mother rarely came home to care. Her father would probably throw in a few more kicks because of it. 

I'd be grateful if he ended up killing me. She snickered. Just because I didn't bring the mail. 

Stopping on the fifteenth floor, she felt dismayed as she arrived at the doorstep of their house. She'd always wondered how she lasted for years always wanting to run. Wanting to hide. Wanting to crawl into the depths of nowhere, disappear and never come back. She didn't want to go inside. For other people, a house would always be their treasure. Their house would always be a place they'd always long for every day. A place of comfort, of warmth, of safety.

"Ah..." She sneered. "So that's a home."

But for Nabi, this house was like the tiger's den. The dragon's cave. The bed with the monster under it. And every time she returned to this house, she felt like moribund. A death waiting to happen. And every time, she squeezed another ounce of her limited supply of courage to survive another nightmare.

It's not like I have some other place to go to, anyway. So, she punched in the code and opened the door.  

//

Hi! Thank you so much for reading the second chapter! What do you think? Please don't forget to leave feedback or criticism in the comment section below. I'd be extremely thankful for you if you do!

This chapter is dedicated to shellywaltersauthor. You were the first person who followed me. I really appreciate it!

Rie