TWENTY SEVEN

(Seorin's POV)

(A/N) Trigger warning: mentions of blood and self harm.

  I watched as Ji Hun disappeared down the street in the direction of the food stalls. His confession had been most unexpected. But in a strange way, I had always known. There had always been a special, tender touch to everything he did for me.

  It was getting a bit chilly and I drew my coat more tightly around myself. There were some glittering pieces of broken glass near my feet and I idly pushed them around with the toe of my shoe while waiting for Ji Hun to return. Suddenly a voice whispered in the darkness behind me, "Park Seorin?"

  I whirled around, pulling my cap down over my face. There was a figure standing in the shadows. I didn't answer and peered into the darkness, trying to see who it was. The figure stepped into the light and I saw that it was a girl of about 18 or 19.

  "Park Seorin?" she asked again. The girl was skinny and was clad untidily in baggy jeans and an oversized sweater. Her messy hair was chopped short, its jagged edges reaching her jaw. There was a long scratch running the length of her cheek.

  "Why do you ask?" I frowned. I was pretty sure she wasn't anyone I knew.

  The girl took a step forward and I eyed her warily. "Why did you do it?" she asked sadly. There was something chilling about her tone.

  "Do what?" I asked bewildered.

  "You know what I'm talking about," she replied, her voice having the same chilling sadness as before.

  "I'm afraid I don't know what you are talking about," I said firmly "You must have the wrong person."

  "You're Park Seorin," she said "Everyone knows you now." The girl stared at me through dark, emotionless eyes. I took a hasty step back. Is she a sasaeng??

  "Excuse me, I have to go. And I have no idea what you are talking about," I said, starting to back away. The girl suddenly swung to my right and I stumbled backwards, turning reflexively. It was too late when I realized that she had successfully cornered me; with a wall behind me and the girl in front, I had no where to go.

  "What do you want?" I demanded, glancing frantically in the direction of the food stalls for Ji Hun. The girl suddenly dropped to the ground on her knees and I looked at her in surprise. When she stood up again, there was something glinting in her hand. I recoiled in horror when I saw what it was.

    A jagged shard of glass.

  The girl looked at me, her dark eyes now glittering with a mad light like the glass in her hand. "I'll ask you again," she said "Why did you it? Why did you steal him away from me?"

  "I-" I started, trying to swallow the fear lodged in my throat. The girl took a threatening step towards me and I backed up to the wall. Just then, there was a sound of footsteps and a voice asked, "What's going on here?"

  A middle aged couple were looking in confusion from me to the girl and the sharp piece of glass in her hand. I looked at them pleadingly, urging them with my eyes to help me. The girl seemed unfazed by the audience and didn't move away from me.

  "She's a thief," she said "She has stolen something from me." I shook my head frantically at the couple.

  "Well, I'm sure you can talk it out," the man said "Why don't you put the glass away?"

  The girl shook her head. "I want him back," she said firmly "I'm not leaving until then."

  "Him?" inquired the middle aged woman.

  "Sehun. The love of my life," she said "My reason to live. He was mine. Until she stole him away from me." The girl's eyes glittered with a crazy light. I had a feeling that she wasn't in a right mind. The couple seemed to sense it too and the man started approaching us carefully.

  "I'm not exactly sure what is going on," he said, holding out his hand slowly like he was trying to calm a cornered animal. "But let's put away the glass first shall we?" The man was just a few paces away from us when suddenly, in one fluid movement, the girl grabbed my collar, pushing me to the wall and whipped the shard of glass in front of her. The man jumped back just in time, barely missing the sharp point of the glass.

  "Stay back!" the girl snarled, tightening her grip on my collar. I stood stock still, hardly daring to breathe. She's crazy. Actually crazy. The couple took a step back and watched us warily.

  As the girl stretched out the shard of glass, I caught a glimpse of her inner arm and my stomach twisted. The soft skin of her forearm from her wrist to the elbow, was a mess of cuts and scars. Some were old and fading and some were much newer. A few were red and swollen and oozing blood.

  An old man came down the street and stopped in astonishment when he saw us. He looked around him in confusion. "Um is there some filming going on?" he asked "Am I disturbing it?"  

  The middle aged couple shook their heads in panic and the old man widened his eyes. "What the hell is going on?" he demanded. The girl's grip on the shard of glass tightened and I saw the sharp edges slice into her palm. Blood started dripping down her arm but she didn't seem to notice it.

  The old man's look of horror mirrored exactly what I was feeling. Behind him, I saw the woman slowly pull out her phone and aim it discreetly at us. The old man seemed to have got over his initial shock and was now looking extremely furious.

  "I don't know what you young people are playing at, but you better stop it this instant," he started advancing towards us angrily. I shook my head frantically, knowing that one wrong move can provoke the girl to causing great damage. She was obviously mentally unstable and rash actions would only make matters worse.

  The old man was still storming up to us. I had a feeling that he thought that this was some sort of joke; just young people messing around. "You think its funny playing mafia?" he demanded "And being girls too. In my time girls had dignity, not like the shallow fools of this generation. Go home before I call the police."

  The girl glared at him defiantly and slowly, deliberately, brought the shard of glass up to her neck, making the old man stop short. "One more step," she said "And I'll slit my throat and die in front of you. This isn't any of your business. Go away."

  "Look here-" the old man started and gasped as the girl pressed the shard to her neck. I watched in horror as the sharp edge kissed her throat, drawing a line of blood. I felt sick. The girl seemed more focused on hurting herself than hurting me, which wasn't necessarily better. My mind reeled, looking for a way out of this situation. Where is Ji Hun??

  The woman came forward, her eyes wary. "Hey," she said kindly "We can do this another way. There's no need to harm yourself or anyone else. Put the glass down. I know you don't want to do this."

  The girl let out a bark of crazy laughter, making the scratch on her face ripple. "How do you know what I want?" she asked, her voice dangerously low. "All I ever wanted was Sehun. I know everything about him. His favourite food, colour, number, restaurant and his schedules, his clothes size, his shoe size, and what he does during his free time- I know everything. I spent my entire youth for him, but he chose her. Without him, my life is over." The girl paused and turned to me. "And tonight, you are going to see just how much pain you gave me when you took him from me. I'm going to die and my blood will be on your hands. And if anyone tries to stop me, you're dying with me."

  I stared at her in uncomprehending horror. She looked back steadily, her dark eyes menacing. The hand holding the glass to her neck was steady and I realized that she was serious about this twisted plan of hers.

  "You can have him!" I blurted out "You can have him ok? Just let's not do this." I glanced at the couple and the old man. They were looking desperate and helpless. Call the police! I urged them silently. And where the hell is Ji Hun?! I looked in the direction of the food stalls.

  Just then the old man caught my eye and mouthed something. But before I could figure out what he was saying, he suddenly clutched his heart and groaned in agony, starling everyone. With the girl's attention on him, her grip on me loosened unconsciously. The old man was now writhing on the ground in pain with the panicked couple beside him. The old man caught my eyes again and mouthed something. This time I understood the single word he uttered; run.

  Without thinking twice, I twisted to the side, managing to loose the girl's grip on me and scrambled away. But I was too slow. With lighting speed, the girl spun and drove the shard of glass into my stomach.

  Blood spurted. There was a scream and several hands reached to grab the girl but she was already gone, twisting out of reach and disappearing into the dark. I was more surprised than in pain. I looked down to see the glass protruding from my stomach, warm blood flowing down my side.

  Suddenly, the pain exploded. Hot and searing. With each breath, agony shot through me and I gasped, feeling a coppery taste in my mouth. The air was full of the smell of blood. I could feel hands gently supporting me and a voice saying that it was alright, the ambulance was coming. 

  The world reeled. My knees gave in and I crumpled to the ground. Then everything went black.

.  .  .