Innocent | k.t.h

Divergence

It was already the next day, Saturday.

When I rushed out of Hyejong's apartment and went to the alley, I found nothing.

No green eyes,

No stranger,

Nothing.

I got another message from the unknown.

It read,

Unknown number: Why are you always near the alley, do you want to see me that badly?

Me: It's none of your business.

I'm still trying to figure out who they are and I'm not having any progress.

Why do I keep messaging them back?

They are a stranger,

I don't know them,

We don't have any connection,

So why?

I don't know.

I was sitting on my bed while scrolling through my phone, I was on social media.

I got another message.

Unknown number: I see that you're on social media.

What?

I looked around my room and at the window that was not closed.

Moving closer to it, I looked down.

No one was outside, and I could not see anyone. The alley was near my apartment but it was on the other side.

Me: Are you stalking me?

Unknown number: I've always have been.

Freaked out, I closed my window and pulled down the blinds, making my room go completely dark.

Looking back at my phone, I stared at the screen.

Do I respond?

Do I call the police?

Do I move away?

No, I'm going to text them again.

Me: Who are you?

Unknown number: I'm the one who will claim you as mine.

I'm going crazy now. I can't function properly knowing that someone is stalking me, someone knows what I'm doing, someone that knows where I go to school, someone who knows that my little brother is sick.

Unknown number: You're too innocent you know?

Now, is it a bad thing to be innocent?

I'm not like all the girls in my grade,

I don't fool around with boys,

Create a bad image for myself,

I'm prude,

Conservative,

And most of all,

I'm proud to be innocent.

Someone started to bang on my door urgently, so I hurriedly stood up and approached the door.

Opening it, I saw a mess.

Haneul looked tired, her hair was messy and her eyes were swollen.

"Jaeyong stopped breathing." She managed to say.

And that's when my world stopped.

It crashed onto me.

Everything fell onto my shoulders and I felt my heart crack.

"Get him to the hospital."

And with that, Haneul rushed back to his room and carried him to the door.

Opening it, I let them go out first before locking the door.

The hospital, was ten blocks away but we had to get there quickly, so I took the car.

It's very rare when we use it, because everything is walking distance but now, we urgently need it.

Getting into the drivers seat, Haneul sat in the back with an unresponsive Jaeyong as I stepped on the gas pedal.

In a few minutes, we got to the hospital.

I dropped Haneul and Jaeyong off while I went to park the car.

My phone rang again, but it wasn't a call.

It was a text message.

It was from them.

Unknown number: Why are you going to the hospital?

Me: Why does it matter? Why are you stalking me? Leave me alone please.

They read my message, but did not respond.

Scoffing, I parked the car in the hospital parking lot and rushed to the E.R.

As I got in, I saw Haneul talking to a doctor not far away.

Running, I managed to catch up with them and hear them talking.

"I'm sorry, but I do not know if he will survive."