𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗽𝗶𝘁𝘆 || 𝒌𝒑𝒐𝒑 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒕 ᴮᵒᵒᵏ ¹ [MAJOR REVISIONS]

❝ 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀..❞(✔︎)

[ YEAR < February 2015 > ] = 9 years old ( international age )

❜ ─ Third Person's POV ─ ❛

Kala had come home from school about an hour ago. Her routine after every day was almost always the same now: quietly wash off the dirt, clean the bruises no one was supposed to see, and then carefully treat the wounds hidden beneath her skin. Today was no different. She sat in front of the mirror, her small hands steady despite the ache in her body. The skin-colored spray and careful layers of body makeup were her armor—her way to hide the battle scars she carried alone.

Concealing the bruises wasn't just about avoiding questions—it was about survival. No one outside a very small circle of people she trusted, including herself, knew the truth behind those marks. Not her family. Not her friends. Not anyone. Kala was a master at pretending. A master at smiling while breaking inside.

As she gently applied ointment on a fresh bruise along her ribs, her mind drifted to the past few months—the moments she barely escaped being found out, the times the pain was too much to bear but she refused to break.

— ✧ —

Her family almost found out about her wounds and bruises.

Only two months ago, her family had traveled to Thailand for a fan meeting to celebrate her birthday. The night before her birthday dinner, Kala was alone in her room, dressed in a simple sports bra so she could replace the bandage on the right side of her stomach. She was halfway through when there was a sudden knock at the door. Panic shot through her like lightning—without hesitation, she hid the first aid supplies beneath her bed and pulled on her shirt and a corduroy jacket.

Kimmon Warodom, a family friend she'd known for years, stepped inside. Kimmon was the nephew of her eldest aunt's husband, a kind soul fifteen years her senior who had always treated her like a beloved baby sister. Protective, warm, and endlessly patient. Seeing the look on her face—pale and haunted—he immediately asked if she was okay.

"I'm fine," she said quickly, crafting an excuse smooth enough to stop him from digging further.