My Dark Night

Prologue

Ten Years Ago (Age 8)

"I can't believe you're already leaving tomorrow." The boy mumbled in a whispering tone. He stared at the ground, not giving the person beside him a glance.

The soft breeze of air passed by the two kids, brushing both hairs as they stayed silent the whole time. The silence felt weird to both of them but none bothered to say a word as they think of the same thing.

Two straight years of spending almost every day with each other, it was finally time for them to part ways. Knowing that one of them will leave breaks their little, fragile hearts into tiny, crushed pieces.

The little girl beside him broke the silence as she quietly sniffled, tears forming in her eyes, "I... can't believe... it either..." she replied, halting between her sentences. She turned her head, facing the boy who is still staring at the greenery below, "I don't want to leave."

Slowly, the boy slid his hand over the girl's, holding it tightly in his. He looked at her with his dark eyes that's glistening from the light coming from the sun, "Ji Hyun-ah, don't cry, okay?" he smiled sweetly, "It's not like you're going to be in America forever, right?"

Ji Hyun lightly nodded her head, squeezing the boy's hand tighter. With her other hand, she wiped the remaining tears away from her face with her long, purple sleeve, "Let's promise that in the future, when I come back, we'll be boyfriend and girlfriend, okay?"

The boy was somewhat shocked but he continued to smile now knowing that Ji Hyun likes him back. He happily nodded his head as he lets go of his grasp of Ji Hyun's petite hand to dig into his jean pocket. The boy took out a silver, coin-sized, vintage-looking, locket that's rounded with whimsical spirals and floral designs with little clear diamonds in the center of every flower. "Here," he said, shyly blushing, "It cost more than I thought it was but I bought it anyways."

Surprised, the girl lifted her hand to receive the given necklace. She examined the beautiful object then noticed the little English word engraved in the middle that's being surrounded by the designs. She questioningly tilted her head, "Dream?"

Snatching the necklace from Ji Hyun's hands, the boy smiled at his friend, "You've always wanted to be a musician, right?" the boy reminded the girl of her wish to have a career as a professional singing idol. Ji Hyun nodded her head, "But your parents didn't approve." He said firmly, "When you look at this locket, remember to always follow your own dreams no matter what your parents say... and also... remember me."

Ji Hyun nodded her head once more, understanding where he's going with his little speech. She quietly listened to him as he continued to talk but she couldn't help but stare at his baby-faced features while he speaks with his angelic voice. For a moment, she became curious of what's inside the locket. "How do I open it?"

The boy gave her back the necklace, gently planting it on her open hand. He enjoyed seeing her smile as she tries her very best to open the locket using her little fingernails. The boy couldn't help but laugh as she puffed her cheeks in annoyance.

Ji Hyun abruptly handed him back the necklace, knowing that she's not going to be able to open the locket herself. The boy smiled at her as he takes the necklace, "Silly, did you not see the key hole on the side?" he giggled.

The girl became embarrassed, she blushed as the boy pulled out a silver necklace that has a small key attached with the same sized diamond placed in the middle. Carefully, he slid the key in, twisting it making a clicking sound. The locket opened revealing a sentence written in Korean on each side.

"Don't be trapped in someone else's dream." Ji Hyun smiled, reciting the words written on the left side of the locket. Her eyes gazed to the other side, "Together, we are bulletproof."

The boy peered his face closer to Ji Hyun's as he curiously stares at her, "Do you like it?"

"I love it."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

I can't remember his name anymore, his face, the sound of his voice, he's like a fragment of my memory now. Ji Hyun sighed as she throws herself on her soft, black-sheeted bed. Since I left, my life turned to shit and no matter what I do, I won't have the guts to face my parents. She thought, staring at the plain white ceiling above her. He was my first love... but... after ten years of not seeing each other, will he still remember me? Will he still remember the promise?

"That's so cute but the little boy sounded like a total rebel, why did you fall for him?" Ji Hyun's dark brunette friend – Suzy – questioned, tilting her head slightly as she stares at Ji Hyun's laying figure.

The girl began to smile, for the first time in this week. She recalled the memories of her being abused and tortured by her parents. There was only one person who dared to approach her own them: the little fearless boy. "When I was five, my parents were scolding me at the park, in front of other people." She began, telling the story of how she met her first love.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

There stood two tall figures, a man and his wife. Ji Hyun's memory wasn't clear enough to remember what she got scolded for on that day but she remembered the humiliation she encountered having tens of eyes staring at her during that incident.

Her parents yelled at her for some unknown reason. Her mother couched lower, meeting Ji Hyun's eyes as she lifts her hand slowly to smack her face. Ji Hyun prepared herself for the pain she's about to receive so she tightly closed her eyes and clenched her tiny fists. She heard a loud smack but it wasn't her who was being slapped.

Curiously, she opened her eyes to see a boy who stood in front of her, his arms were spread out and his expression was stern. Ji Hyun was bewildered and so were her parents.

The little boy parted his small lips to speak, "I'm sorry miss but you shouldn't hit your daughter like that!" he stated, staring right at Ji Hyun's mother who jolted back when she realized she slapped the wrong kid.

Seeing his face, the boy didn't show any signs of pain when he got hit, his position was still the same. Terrified, Ji Hyun got a hold of the mysterious boy, "What are you doing?" she whispered to him in a panic manner as she gripped his long-sleeved shirt.

He turned his head and smiled at Ji Hyun, the same smile that he gave her before she left for America. A smile that showed happiness but Ji Hyun knew the secret behind that smile: he was in pain. "Girls like you shouldn't get hit like that." He said with a high pitched voice.

Ji Hyun's father began to laugh maniacally, "What is this? Why are you trying so hard to defend our pathetic daughter?" he questioned, still being able to mock his own, blood-related daughter. "Who are you anyways?"

"She's not pathetic!" he began to scream at Ji Hyun's parents. The little boy lowered his hands, taking a deep breath before he spoke once more. "And I'm..." the little boy paused. "I'm her dark knight!"