My dearest

The hot day of the day is beginning to subside as the sun is going down. Naomi and Nelson take a seat on the bench by the riverbank overlook from the bustling of the metropolitan Capital City.

"Promise me, from now on, never turn your back on me again." He muttered.

Naomi paused, staring into the eyes of a boy who wanted to be with her persistently, Naomi lost, the stone-cold heart of her melted a little by little, starting to warm her from the inside.

"Naomi..."

The way he speaks her name awakens her soul. Urging her to feel human again. After the bad encounter with her uncle, she has no reason to be happy anymore.

In her subconscious mind, man is a monster. Being strong, they only wanted to conquer the female and threaten the weakest.

But...

Why is there another one other than Samuel Jin in front of her, denying every thought that she had in a male?

"Naomi? Hello? Are you alright?" Nelson waves to her face, trying to get her attention.

Directing her view to the other side, Naomi sighed, "Why? I don't understand. "

Exhaled into a long sigh he relaxed to a comfortable position, looking dreamily towards the borderless deep blue sea. "I don't understand either. The attraction is strong, I wanted to be near you, but you always rejected me. Why?" He said without gazing into her.

Clearing her throat, Naomi moves a bit, putting some distance between them. " I don't know you. What if you are a bad guy, I don't want to just simply talk to anyone."

Nelson, with a smile on his lips, peeking a glance towards Naomi who turned crimson cheeks all over again. "Well, I won't hurt you. I'm very assured. You had been seeing me hundreds of times with Lana around. How am I just anyone to you?" His eyes were curious, searching for answers in Naomi's face.

"You are annoying." Naomi returned him with a cold gaze.

A series of giggles outbreak escaped from Nelson's lips. "Oh Naomi, I love your attitude, I found it cute. Let's just befriend already, alright?" He uttered, extending a hand to establish a pact between them.

Naomi stared at his rough, and broad palm, it doesn't resemble him as a student who only studies, they look sturdy and masculine. Is it because he enjoys extreme sports like superbike? Samuel Jin's hands are much more slender for he is a pianist. Yet, it's more likely a warm refuge. She doesn't understand the emotion that she had at the moment, is she finally affected by his empathy? She had never felt this way.

"Naomi?" He reached out to place a hand on the small of her back, there is a hint of concern in his voice. "Are you okay?

"It's nothing." Naomi's answer implies her hesitance. "Just why are we escaping from the school just to sit by the riverside, huh?"

"You might need an escape, just relax for today. You had been studying too much, I didn't even get a chance to see you."

"You are going to get me in trouble."

"Well, with me around you will be fine. Just enjoy the view, will you?" His eyes fluttered shut, inhaling a deep breath.

"Hmm," Cleared her throat. "About Samuel," Breaking the silence, she finally has spoken, "Could you please do not reveal anything to anyone."

With his eyes still shut, he replied, "I like you, how can I give you a chance to like another guy?"

Annoyed, Naomi was about to hit the unreasonable silly guy beside her, with Nelson's eyes snapped open, and instantly catch her wrist had her flabbergasting.

"Hey..."

"Maybe you had been betrayed, but be fair, I could be the one who stays, Naomi." He said softly as he releases the grasp. "So, can we be friends just like before again?"

Shifting her gaze from Nelson's pair of eyes, she stuttered. "You will never underst-tand."

"Then make me." He snapped.

A single warm tear slid down from her empty stare, she quickly wipes it away.

Standing up, she takes a step away from him.

"You are too late, Nelson. Even if you make it right, I'm already ruined." She whispered which only can be heard by herself.

Recalling the first time he saws Naomi shedding tears, he doesn't want her to go through it again. He goes to her, both hands on her shoulder, he soothed her, "No pressure, Naomi. Maybe I really don't understand. But please know that I'm here, you can come to me. Alright?"

She nodded, giving in with the unsettling emotion that had worn her out, she let Nelson embraces her, running his strong hands at her back, comforting her.

Then, I will protect the dirty secret hidden as long as I live... Naomi told herself.

_______________________________________________

"Don't get hurt again," Samuel said as he settled himself at the driver's seat.

He had parked beside a shop lot to get supplies from the pharmacy while Lana waits in the car.

Lana looked down, with a hand still covering her cuts. She knows that Samuel is going fussy again, and replying to him is not an option.

Taking out the medical wipe from its pack, he commanded, "Let me see,"

Hesitate at first, she finally let Samuel clean the wound area, or there will be more interaction between them.

Holding the nervousness accompanied by the racing beats of her heart of being too close to Samuel, she bits the inside of her jaws as Samuel put ointment on the wound.

"Hold on a little. Almost done." He consolated her while he prepared the sterile skin-colored dressing to place on the wound.

Checking for one last time on the area of the wound, his enclosure had Lana worried that he might listen to her racing heartbeats and that she might pass out for suppressing her breath for some time.

"Done." He exclaimed, satisfied with his work.

Sigh. She exhaled slowly and steadily to avoid any suspicious action that will lead to Samuel investigating mode. The temperature is rising and her palms are sweaty even when they are in an air-conditioned vicinity.

"I hope it won't scar, or you might need a dermatologist to fix it," Samuel said while he put the used supplies into the plastic bag he brings in.

Pressing the dressing with a palm, Lana casually replied in her lowest tone, "Hah, I wasn't even pretty without a scar, though..."

"Say what?"

Samuel's sudden act of staring back at Lana startled her.

"N-nothing,... I mean, "She paused as the information that she overheard from Sunni rushed into her mind. "Sam, there is something bothering about Naomi."

"Yeah, what is it." In his gentle tone, he asked in curiosity, stopping his intention to drive away from there.

"Sunni said that Mr. Bong is Naomi's maternal uncle."

"Her uncle?" There is a long pause as he tries to connect the clue. "I have never heard or seen anything related to them when they are around."

"Exactly, I'm thinking this is the reason for Naomi withdrawing from us. There must be a reason she doesn't want to expose the relationship between them. Hence, it's stressing her up." Lana averted her face for a moment and struggled hard with the complicated emotion bubbling inside of her. " I should be there to comfort her. I don't think she even had a chance to bid farewell on his cremation. She is always in school, this will break her apart."

"Lana..." Samuel hesitates, searching for the right words to say. "Don't make it bothering you too much. Since we know this, maybe we should go and visit her this weekend."

"Ah, you are right," The unease lifted from Lana's features instantly. "It's been a long time since mom prohibited me to go to her place."

"Mentioning your mom, how are you going to explain about the cuts on your face?" Samuel reminded her.

"Dang...,"

"Oh-oh... I smell trouble." Samuel grinned from ear to ear. "Take this." He puts a pack of dressing supplies on her lap. "Make sure to keep the cut dry before you put the ointment on it. If you do a good job of taking care of it, there will be no scarring."

"Ah, I hope mom is sleeping when I get home later." Lana sighed to a long exhale.

"Yeah, let's hit the road, we are going to be late for tuition." Samuel with a grin on his face replied and they move from the parking.