13

the bad boy helps

THE CAB CAME to a stop slowly and Akari gave the needed cash before getting out and standing in front of a house. It was small, at the end of the street but had a huge backyard to play around.

It was once her home.

Now, it's just a house.

She walked closer towards the house as the whirring of the cab took off and the street came to a peaceful silence, Akari noticed its details in her each slow step. The red colour of the front door was withered and needed a new coat. Looking at everything around her, each memory passed through her mind like photographs— her playing around the porch, her falling and scraping her knee in the front yard, her having a small birthday party and her parents taking her pictures.

The keys in her hands dangled.

It was near sunset and her intoxicated state from the morning was long gone, leaving only the edges of it here and there along with a mild headache. She took a deep breath.

She usually did this with Ha-eun by her side— who she had promised that she wouldn't go alone here without telling her when her best friend had asked her earlier. But, Akari just couldn't stop herself. She just needed to do this.

Maybe, it's time for her to do this alone.

She inserted the keys in the hole and only then did she notice the slight tremble in her hands. It was terrifying as her breaths quickened and the door unlocked, opening to a living room that was once live with colour but now a dull boring brown, small dust flying everywhere with the sun-rays beaming down in between the curtains hanging from the long arched windows.

She walked in, the door closing shut behind her and breathed in what's remaining of her once beautiful home. She glanced at the stack of shoes beside the door and gulped. They brought back many memories and she welcomed each one, unable to stop herself or distract herself. The photos hanging on the wall only made her choke up as she suppressed a sob. She gulped down each heavy breath with light footsteps until she reached the garage door, immediately feeling lachrymose.

Unlocking it, a tear slid down her left eye, making her blink several times to push the tears away forcefully, hand going over her shirt, feeling her beating heart increase its pace.

The mustang parked neatly in the middle of the garage door sent a shiver down her spine as she collapsed, losing feeling in her legs, leaning against the doorframe for support. Another tear slid down and soon came more, row by row but she remained silent, it never became a loud sob— only silent tears that only she could understand the pain of. Guilt, anger, pain reeled inside her heart, making it slightly difficult to breathe.

She tried to remember Ha-eun's voice, words of encouragement and advice she gave her every time they did this but they were muffled and she didn't know if it would be the right thing to call her. Akari didn't know if she can speak at all.

She didn't know how long she stayed in that position but when she realised that her phone had been ringing for a long time in her pocket, she quickly got it out to see the time and notice that she had been in that position for over three hours. There were so many notifications but she locked her phone, keeping it on the table beside her because she didn't want to indulge in any of them.

Akari sighed before slowly getting up, knees wobbling slightly. She changed her clothes robotically like it was a routine she had to do before grabbing the bag of tools lying on the side. She muttered the words, 'Stay Strong' like a mantra in her mind, fingernails digging into the palm of her hand every time she felt like crying.

Walking towards the Mustang, she opened it up, the dust flying to her face as she turned away, hair in a bun and ready to work on the stubborn car which she had been trying to fix for long now. It was a very important thing that she had to do.

To fix what she did wrong.

Hours passed by and her energy was drained— all the drinking, the partying, the crying and then the travelling got to her and she was extremely tired but she was determined to go on. There was ink on her arms and she was sure there was ink on her face.

As tears tried to escape from her eyes, she bit her lower lip to suppress them as hard as she could as she turned the coil. After hours of trying, none of her methods seemed to work well and the exasperation seeped through her as she let out a heavy sigh.

That's what the instructions she had read said.

But, it wasn't working.

And, Akari became frustrated by the second as another tear slid down her left eye and she choked, trying so hard to control the sob that was fighting to leave her chest. She threw the wrench in her hands on the ground, leaning against the car for support as she took in a deep breath, looking at her bare feet.

"A-Akari?"

Akari looked up at the sound, slightly flinching as her blurry eyes adjusted themselves to focus on a familiar warm face— Julian Jones. He was standing in the doorway of the garage, heaving and eyes wide like he had run a marathon. He was dishevelled, like how he looked every time he woke up on her bed. It felt like home seeing him.

Before Akari could even slightly open her mouth, she was stumbled back, attacked with a tight hug as Julian held her close to him, his hands everywhere around her.

Her tears were frozen as her body was adjusting to the shock, to the warmth from Julian— only realising then how cold and freezing it was in the garage. She was sure she looked like a mess but she could feel herself relax in his touch, which only seemed to get tighter.

"Julian," She breathed out, her voice sounding raspy and in need of hydration. He immediately reacted to her, backing away and looking at her tear-stricken face. She coughed, wiping her nose. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Never mind that. You need water and you need to rest." Julian pressed his lips into a thin line, worry etching his face. "This address was in the old phone you gave me. It kept notifying me to go to this address today. I woke up on the kitchen table and saw that you had disappeared. I panicked cause you always leave me a text before you leave," Julian took in a deep breath, rushing each of his words like he wanted her to comprehend what he's saying, "I called you and texted you so many times and you weren't picking up. I didn't know what else to do so I decided to come here."

Akari let her mind slowly understand what he was saying. Julian didn't take his hands off of her, resting on her upper arms, grip firm like he would lose her if he lets go.

"I'm sorry for making you worry," Akari spoke up after what seemed like a long time.

"Hey," Julian frowned, hands cupping her face gently to make her look at his eyes and she could feel her heart filling up with warmth already. "You don't have to be sorry about this at all." He paused, eyes so understanding and caring that Akari felt like it had been so long since she has seen those emotions directed towards her like that. "I understand how difficult it is for you. And, I'm here for you." Julian spoke, rubbing her left cheek as a slow tear slid its way down.

"Let's get inside." Julian spoke softly and Akari felt numb, nodding slowly as she followed his lead into the house, looking back at the car and wrench on the floor.

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AKARI WAS SITTING on the couch in the living room of her old house with a cup of hot chocolate in her hands. It was raining outside and it was nearing two in the night. Akari could feel her temperature rise and she knew she might be catching a cold. Julian had ordered food for them to eat and he was currently standing in front of a shelf— a shelf of trophies that were all Akari's.

They have been silent after getting inside— it was a comfortable one. Akari needed time to get her thoughts straight. She was watching Julian, it seemed to help her calm down. She had someone beside her, someone who looks like they care, someone she can trust. It made her feel safe— but somehow it was also different from when she was with Ha-eun the previous times.

"You won quite a lot of debates, speeches," Julian spoke up, looking at her before turning away to look at the trophies on the shelf. "All of them in the first place,"

Akari smiled slightly, not saying anything to Julian but hugged the blanket around her that Julian had found upstairs tighter. She looked at her cup of hot chocolate.

"You shouldn't be out," Akari spoke up. "The police—"

"I know." Julian turned around. "You think I wouldn't know that?" Julian slowly walked towards her, and she could see the gears in his head spinning like he was thinking his next words, "I wore a hoodie and mask. And, I rode from there, using Ha-eun's bicycle. Sorry for that—"

"It's twenty-eight kilometres away." Akari gasped, placing the hot chocolate down on the table as Julian took a seat beside her. "You rode the whole distance? Are you insane? Your wounds, are they all fine? Tell me if you are hurt anywhere right now. You must be stupid as hell to come here. Show me your ankle wound—"

"Akari..." Julian whispered, breaking her panicked state as she looked at his eyes, swirling with an emotion similar to what she had seen earlier in the morning. But, this time, she could understand it and her heart picked its pace. "I'm fine." It was just a second but Akari's eyes caught Julian's eyes looking at her lips. Akari's eyes did the same and she looked back at Julian's eyes, which just seemed so inviting and warm that she wanted to lean into his arms and stay there for long as she could.

"I-" Akari spoke up, turning her head to look at the cup of hot chocolate, grabbing it as she avoided eye contact with Julian. "I think I'm catching a fever." She sighed, trying to calm her beating heart as she could feel the tension in the air.

"I got the medicine while I was buying food." Julian spoke, after what seemed like ages and Akari didn't dare look at his face. "It's in the bag. I had doubts that you might catch a fever."

"Thanks," Akari whispered, almost too softly that she doubted if Julian could hear it.

"So, this is your house...?" It started as a slow question and Akari realised that he's testing the waters to see if he can open the conversation on this topic. Akari remained silent for a while, only answering with a slight nod.

She knew what the next question would automatically be. 'Where is everyone?' She waited for the moment, fingers gripping the cup in her hands a little too tightly.

"Were you trying to fix the car, the Mustang, back there?" Julian asked in genuine interest and Akari sighed, relaxing as she wasn't expecting that question but she was grateful at the same time.

"Yeah," Akari said, finally looking at him to see that he had never turned away. "It's a stupid old car," Akari muttered. "I have been trying to fix it for a while."

"I can help you." It was an immediate response and Akari perked up, eyes slightly widening at Julian.

"I'm a mechanical engineering major." Julian reasoned with a smug smile and whatever he was doing was lightening the atmosphere and Akari felt herself give in to the warm feeling emitting off of him. She slowly relaxed into a small smile. "Can I?" Julian asked, looking ready for rejection.

"You can help." Akari nodded. "I would like that." She smiled back as Julian smiled, one hand squeezing her right thigh reassuringly as he nodded in understanding.

"So, we are staying here?" Julian asked. "It's freezing outside and I don't—"

"We will stay." Akari cut him off. "But, can we just sleep on the couches here." Akari gulped, slightly fiddling with the ends of her shirt. "I don't want to go to the bedrooms." She breathed out, each word tough to get out of her chest.

"Ok." Julian nodded. "I can sleep on the floor and you take the couch."

"You take the couch." Akari immediately responded. "You need it more—"

"No." Julian pushed her back down from getting up. "You need the couch now." Julian leaned towards her face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and she felt frozen at these intimate actions. "Let me take care of you, Akari." He said it like he meant it in more ways than one.

Akari didn't know what to say except stare as he moved away to pick the pillows and blankets from the bedrooms. She could hear him rummaging around and it was comforting for her to know that he was here beside her. She felt safe.

And, for the first time, in a long while, the living room in the house felt warm again as Julian Jones entered it with a bunch of toasty-looking pillows and blankets in his hands.

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Hope Akari will be fine soon. This is so bittersweet. What do you guys think? Please vote and comment. It encourages me. (: