Saving You | BWS-RSO FF

Chapter 1 - Nice to Meet You, Friend

Music: There For You by Kim Na Young

"Losers won't get to eat and will end up starving to death!" The keeper yells as he orchestrates the biggest fight of every boy in the room.

One boy fighting another on one side, and another duel on the other side. The room filled with so much anger and lost actions. And, here I am, fighting with a boy I don't even know.

"Hurry it up!" The keeper yells again.

The boy in front of me takes a step forward and he punches me right on the mouth. I feel my head spin and my lip burning. My body almost loses balance but I try my best to stay standing. He walks towards me again and I dodge his punch but he shoves me and I fall to my back. My head hits the cage behind me and I close my eyes from the pain.

"Ya!" Someone says.

Opening my eyes, the boy in front of me pulls me to my feet and whispers to my ear.

"When I give you the signal, I want you to knock me down." He says.

I give him a questionable look and wonder where this is going. Why is he helping me? Shouldn't he be fending for himself?

"You haven't eaten in a while, right?" He says before putting his fits up to his face. "Fight me."

"What's your name?" I say as I copy his stance.

"Binbin." He says. "Now, fight me!"

Listening to him, I take a step forward and he tries to punch me but I dodge it and grab a hold of his arm. I look at him and he nods. Taking my fist, I lift it to his face and it knocks him down.

"We got a winner!" A keeper yells from beside me. "Anton wins!"

Taking a few heavy breaths, I put my hands down and kneel to the floor from exhaustion. That's the first time I heard my name spoken by them. Finally, after five days, I get to eat my first meal. My eyes drift to Binbin and he's still lying on the floor with his hands spread out. His eyes go to me and he gives me a look.

"You. Eat." He mouths.

"Let's go." The keeper says before grabbing Binbin from the floor and taking him inside a room.

I know that room. I've been there too many times that I can make my way around it even with my eyes closed. A dark and cold room with only the four walls keeping you company. There's a window at the top that shows the sky at night. If you're lucky, you'll see the stars in the sky. The door closes after them and I'm left in the boxing cage with the other kids who are still fighting for food. Another keeper walks toward me and looks down at me.

"Get up." He says.

Holding on to my knee, I try to lift myself up but my body is too heavy. I fall back down and he doesn't like this. I see his foot move and I already know where that is going. A few seconds later, a blow goes to my side and I roll to the other side.

"I said get up!" He yells.

Groaning from the pain his kick caused to my ribs, I hold onto my side in hopes of taking the pain away.

"Get up!" He yells again.

Pushing myself off the floor, I try my best to keep my balance while still gripping onto my side.

"Never be weak." He says. "Pain is for the weak."

Nodding, I stand straight up and try to catch my breath but it hurts my body to breathe.

"Let's go. Time to eat." He instructs before turning his back and walking towards the other side of the room.

Following behind him, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Looking at myself, I don't recognize the person in front of me. Bruises on my face, first covering my whole body, and my clothes all torn and the black turning to gray from all the dust – this is how I look now. Damaged and gone.

Letting out a heavy breath, I walk towards the door and push it open to find just another dark and dusty room. Walking forward, there's a table in front of me with a plate and only a small portion of food. This is what I had to fight for?

"Got a problem?" The keeper asks.

I nod my head before taking the plate and staying by the corner to eat my food. Downing the food as fast as I can, another kid walks in with a cloth covering his face and only his eyes are showing.

"Good job, Moon." The keeper says, his voice different from how he would talk to the other kids outside – including me.

The kid nods before taking the plate on the table and looking around. His eyes meet mine and he sits beside me.

"I'll be outside." The keeper says. "Make sure he doesn't go anywhere."

Leaving the room, the kid stays beside me and puts the plate on the floor. He grabs the back of his neck before the cloth reveals his face and it's not a boy.

It's a girl.

"Good job, Anton." She says before taking a bite of her food.

Looking at her, I think of the reasons why I never imagined there would be a woman here. Did I not pay attention to the kids in this room?

"I'm Moon." She says. "You haven't seen me around and that's what you're thinking, right?"

Can she read minds?

"I just arrived. Yesterday, I think?" She says while

Nodding, I take a bite of my food before speaking. She smiles before looking at me, her voice softer and almost mellow.

"Nice to meet you, friend."