Neon (Hong In-pyo) 139 Dreams

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ: *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ:. ☁

Thunder boomed so loudly that it jolted you awake and shook the entire school building. You squinted through the darkness, rubbing the top of your head where you had hit it on the desk. Rain was pelting the windows of the classroom like angry wasps going in for the kill. You peered out the window but the darkness mixed with the thick downpour made it impossible to see very far. You tugged your phone from your pocket, tapping the power button. It was just past one in the morning.

You sighed, debating on just going back to sleep but you tended to sleep for long periods of time and you didn't want to face him if you failed your mission. What was his problem, anyway? He's a grown-ass adult sending a high school kid to do his dirty work. And you weren't even getting paid for it. It was honestly a crime in every sense of the word, but what choice did you have? He had adopted you for this sole purpose and it was the only reason he provided you with a place to sleep and food to put in your stomach. Failure meant being kicked to the curb. Though you found yourself wondering if that was really the worse alternative here.

With another sigh, you pulled yourself to your feet, hearing your back crack from the poor position you had fallen asleep in. 'Maybe next time I should choose a place other than the floor...' You stretched your arms above your head, stifling a yawn before grabbing your backpack off the floor and heading for the door, sliding it open so you could peek your head outside, checking the hall for any signs of life. There was none, of course, but better safe than sorry. You wondered if there were slimes around you at that moment, but you couldn't see them even if they were. You didn't have any special abilities like he does, you were just a normal person with no special skills to speak of.

Your footsteps echoed down the hall as you made your way toward the school's basement, using your phone's light to guide you. You had no idea what was in the basement, but he was desperate to get his hands on it. It must be important, too, because the basement door wasn't just locked, it was chained and padlocked. Your fingers curled around the lock and you gave it a quick tug but it didn't budge, not that you expected it to. 'How the hell am I supposed to open this?'

With a frown, you did a quick online search on how to pick a lock, but that required a bobby pin or a safety pin, neither of which you had. 'I bet there's one in the teacher's office, though.' You turned on your heel and headed back up the steps and toward the teacher's office. It was unlocked thankfully, allowing you to slip inside with no effort at all. You tried the closest desk to the door, but it didn't have what you needed. Neither did the next one or the one after that. 'Is that... a dirty magazine? Gross!' You scowled, slamming the drawer shut.

Footsteps echoed out in the hall and you froze, trying not to make a sound. Who the hell would be at school so late? 'Probably someone up to no good, just like me...' The footsteps were getting louder as the person approached the teacher's office. You quickly glanced around for a place to hide and you darted under the closest desk just as the door opened. You held your breath as a beam of light swept across the room.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

You recognized that voice. It belonged to someone that you had come to adore, after all, and you found yourself crawling out of your hiding place before your mind could stop you. The beam of light fell on your face and you winced, bringing your hand up to block it.

"Y/N-ssi?" In-pyo called, bewildered. "What are you doing here?"

"I fell asleep in class and just woke up." It wasn't technically a lie. He didn't need to know that you had purposefully fallen asleep there. "What about you, seonsaengnim?"

He shifted uncomfortably and you could guess that he was there for a similar reason. You didn't know how deeply ingrained he was with whatever was in the basement, but you knew he was doing his best to protect it. He was the only one with the key, which he kept with him at all times. "I couldn't sleep, so I came to check on the school."

You smiled as you approached him. "You're so diligent. This school is lucky to have you."

He seemed embarrassed by the compliment, shifting again. "Do you need a ride home?"

"Yes, please. Thank you."

He smiled softly, nodding his head as he stepped aside to let you leave the room. You knew what was waiting for you at home and you weren't looking forward to your punishment, but it was worth it if you got the chance to spend some time alone with the Chinese teacher. You glanced at him, biting your lip. He really was quite handsome and kind to boot. He kept his lessons interesting to keep the students engaged. From the moment you laid eyes on him, you knew he was special and you felt drawn to him. You wanted to know more about him but you didn't get many chances to do so.

He felt your stare and glanced at you, his eyes meeting yours. Your breath caught in your throat, lips parting. Even in the dark, he was beautiful. His eyes shimmered like gemstones and you found yourself reaching out to him, your hand resting against his cheek.

"What are you doing?" he whispered, his shoulders tense but he didn't pull away.

You hummed softly, running your fingers down his cheek and to the side of his neck. "I'm admiring a work of art. Is that wrong, seonsaengnim?"

In-pyo swallowed hard before finally coming to his senses and stepping back away from you. "We should get you home before your dad gets worried."

You held back a snort at such a ridiculous idea, choosing instead to just nod.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ: *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ:. ☁

You glanced around the hall, checking to make sure no one was watching you but you hadn't made any friends when you transferred so no one was paying you any mind. You descended the steps, stopping in front of the basement door. It was still locked up all nice and tight, but this time you were prepared. It would be your first time picking a lock, but you had spent days watching YouTube videos while you recovered from your injury, inflicted as punishment for your failure. You huffed at the memory, feeling the cut on your lip throb angrily. 'Bastard. He'll get what's coming to him,' you sighed deeply, resting your forehead against the cold door. 'Who am I kidding? He's rich and powerful, nothing will happen to him. Bastard.'

Shaking your head, you kneeled down and pulled out the bobby pin from your pocket, sliding it into the keyhole of the padlock. The videos made it look easy, but it was far from it. You twisted the pin this way and that, tongue sticking from the corner of your mouth as you concentrated on the task at hand, but the lock wouldn't budge. What were you doing wrong? You were so focused, in fact, that you didn't hear the approaching footsteps nor did you realize In-pyo had appeared until he was right behind you, clearing his throat to get your attention. You jumped in surprise, the bobby pin hitting the floor.

"Y/N-ssi, what are you doing?"

"Uh... I was just, uh, checking to make sure the door was still locked."

"With a bobby pin?"

"My hobby is testing locks to see how strong they are."

"Look at me, Y/N-ssi."

You released a breath, slowly standing up before turning toward him, taking note of the way his eyes widened, raking over your face.

"What happened to you?" His hand brushed against the bruise on your cheek and you winced. It was mostly faded by now, but it was easy to see if someone was close enough. Your lip was split, dark bags beneath your eyes, and a cut above your left eyebrow. "Is this why you missed a week of school?" His mind was reeling. If you looked this bad now, how bad had it been a week ago? "Who did this to you? Are you being bullied?"

His genuine concern made you smile. "I'm not being bullied."

In-pyo's brows furrowed at the lack of answers. Someone had clearly hurt you but who? And why? You always kept to yourself and you spoke to people with kindness and respect no matter who it was. He couldn't think of a single reason why anyone would want to hurt you.

"Don't think too hard, seonsaengnim," you chuckled softly, pressing your finger between his brows. "You'll get wrinkles. Though I'm sure you'd still be attractive even with them."

"Don't try to change the subject," he muttered softly, pushing your hand away. "Tell me what happened."

You glanced down, eyes finding the bobby pin. "Let's make a deal."

"What?"

"I'll answer your every question truthfully if," your eyes met his and he was surprised by how serious you were being. "You let me in the basement."

"Why do you want to go down there so badly?"

"Why?" You echoed with a frown. "I think I might die if I don't get down there."

"What?" He found himself stepping closer, his eyes searching yours. "Why would you die?"

"Do we have a deal?" You held your hand out to him.

He hesitated, staring at your hand. He didn't want you in the basement because he knew it was dangerous, but he wanted to know what happened to you and why you wanted so desperately to get into the basement. "Fine," he finally sighed, motioning for you to step aside so he could unlock the door. Your heart raced within your chest as the door creaked open and you squinted at the darkness. "Let's go."

Guided by the light of his cell phone, the two of you slowly started to descend the stairs. You glanced at In-pyo, knowing it had to be hard on his leg and you frowned. You were just thinking about grabbing his hand when his foot slipped, a cry of surprise passing his lips. In the blink of an eye, you grabbed him around the waist, keeping him upright, your hand resting over his racing heart.

"Are you okay?" you asked softly.

He sent you a grateful look over his shoulder before pulling himself from your grip. "Yes. Thank you."

You held your hand out to him and he blinked at it, making you wave it up and down. "Give me your hand. The stairs are dangerous in this darkness."

In-pyo wanted to protest, to say that he was perfectly fine and didn't need any help, but his slip up just moments ago proved otherwise. So, he reluctantly placed his hand in yours, feeling your fingers curling around him. It was warm and comforting, and he didn't miss how you purposefully matched his pace so he wouldn't struggle more than he already was.

"Jeez, how big is this place?" you muttered. "And why are there no lights?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. "Is there something you're looking for or did you just want to come down here?"

How could you explain that you were looking for something but had no idea what? He had sent you there to find something within the basement, some kind of hole. But there were holes everywhere, the basement was old and bordering on decrepit. Was it a specific hole? You wondered if there would be a neon sign pointing to it, telling you that 'hey, this is the hole!' The thought made you snort, earning a look from In-pyo who was still waiting for your response.

"I... I'm looking for a hole."

"A hole?" His eyes widened. How did you know about the hole? Why were you looking for it?

"Yeah," you nodded, not noticing the concern that now sat on his face because you were glancing around you. When you spoke again, it was more toward yourself. " I'm beginning to wonder if that bastard is just crazy. What's so special about a hole in a basement? "

"Y/N-ssi," In-pyo stopped, tugging on your hand to get you to turn and face him. "Is someone forcing you to look for this hole?"

You met his eyes and nodded.

A frown tugged at his lips and his eyes raked over the wounds on your face. "The same person that hurt you?"

"Yes."

"Who is it?" He didn't know what he would do with the information, it's not like he could do anything to protect you, but he wanted to know. He needed to know.

You gave his hand a squeeze and smiled softly, but it didn't reach your eyes. "His name is Song Jinhyuk."

That name sounded familiar to him. He tilted his head to the side as he tried to grasp why and then it hit him. "Your father?"

Your nose wrinkled at the title. "I prefer to call him by adopter or bastard."

He hesitated for a moment before reaching his hand up and resting it against your bruised cheek. What was he supposed to do? His job as a teacher is to look after his students, to protect them, yet he couldn't do anything for you. Well, that's not completely true - there's one thing he could do. "I'll take you to the hole."

Your eyes lit up, surprised by the offer. "Are you sure? You've done so much to keep it hidden. Are you really okay with just handing it over?"

"That night I found you at the school... you didn't fall asleep on accident, did you? You were here trying to get into the basement and when you failed..." he frowned, his thumb rubbing across the skin of your cheek. "He attacked you. I can't protect you against him, but I can give you what he wants so he doesn't attack you again."

Your heart skipped a beat, your hand resting over his. "If you keep acting like this, seonsaengnim, I might fall more in love with you."

"More?" he replied, surprised. "You love me?"

"I do."

His lips parted but no sound escaped, his brain still trying to process what you had just told him. An internal dilemma raged inside of him - he definitely liked you back, but he felt as if he would be crossing a moral line if he entered into a relationship with you, his own student.

You chuckled. "You think too much, seonsaengnim. If you don't feel the same, that's okay. It's pointless if it's forced, ne?" You started forward but he took you by the wrist and pulled you back, his arms wrapping around you until you were tucked securely against his chest.

"I can't promise that we can be together, but... I can't let you go. I want to protect you, Y/N."

You leaned against him, a smile on your lips. "That's funny because I kept thinking how I wanted to protect you . I guess we'll just have to protect each other, then."

He nodded, hiding his smile in your shoulder.

☾ ⋆･ﾟ:⋆･ﾟ: ⋆.:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ:. ☁