Roses; Changki

Chapter 4: Glass Scars

(OK but why does "glass scars" look so aesthetic)

"Uh, Nurse, I... I think he's waking up!"

My eyes flutter open, and I find myself laying on a rather uncomfortable bed. Although my vision is still blurry, I can see two dark brown orbs hovering directly in front of my face. The strange orbs blink, and my heart leaps. The rest of the boy's face gradually comes into focus, but I don't recognise him.

Apart from his eyes, he isn't conventionally handsome. His ears are covered with numerous piercings, along with a tattoo which snakes from below the collar of his uniform up to his left ear. His skin, pale with a greyish tint, is dotted with faint acne scars. Glossy locks of midnight blue hair tumble down his forehead, and the musky but sweet scent of fabric softer and cologne lingers on his clothes. He furrows his eyebrows together, and I feel my heart hammering in my chest - his looks are intimidating as hell, not to mention the fact that he is practically looming over me, in a strange room which I have no recollection of entering.

Out of instinct, I try to push the boy's face away from my own. However, lacking most of my usual strength, I merely brush the tip of his nose and lips with my fingers. The dark-eyed stranger pulls back, evidently surprised by the sudden gesture. He then smiles and stands up, turning to walk away. A tiny, strange part of me doesn't want to be left alone. But of course I don't say anything, and before I know it, he is gone.

Who was he? Why was he here? And why did he smell so familiar?

~

The nurse tells me that I passed out in the home room after an assumed panic attack. I was only unconscious for a few minutes. Luckily, she was already aware of my fainting tendencies (thanks to my parents, no doubt) so I will be able to go back to class very soon. As soon as my blood pressure returns to normal, that is.

She scribbles down some notes on her clipboard, and looks at the watch hanging on her shirt. "You should be good to go in five minutes," she says.  "Would you like to see your friend while you wait?"

My eyes snap towards the door. "You mean Hyungwon?" It feels like I haven't seen my new friend for ages, and I wonder if he dragged his tall ass over here to check if I was okay.

She looks at me with confusion, then concern. "Hyungwon? You mean Chae Hyungwon?" She spits his name as if it is a curse. I even think I see her body quiver with dread. "Good lord, no. Not him. I meant that other lad, the one who brought you here. He wanted to wait for you outside."

"Oh."

The scary guy? With the piercings? He waited... for me?

The nurse cleared her throat. "So, is that a no? Should I tell him to go?"

"Yes, uh, I m-mean no, I'll see him." I splutter. "Sorry. Thank you."

She hums and walks briskly out of the ward.

You always avoid strangers if you have the chance! What on Earth has gotten into you, Yoo Kihyun? You're going to humiliate yourself...again... Jesus Christ, I can already feel my blood pressure going up. You idiot, you idiot, you idiot...

Before I could stress my heart away, the ward door swung open, and there he was. He approached the bed with a wide grin, and I squirmed around until I was sitting up straight. He sat down cross-legged beside the bed, ignoring the chair that had been left out by the nurse.

"Hey." His voice is deep and smooth. He places a hand on his cheek and rests his elbow on his knee, so he is looking up at me. His eyes are so dark and shiny that they soften the rest of his appearance for a moment. Then I blink, and I'm scared again.

"Hi," I squeak. I feel my cheeks slowly turn red, and he laughs softly.

"No need to be nervous, I don't bite," he reassures me. "Do you remember what happened?"

I shake my head.

"Well, you were strutting through the home room like a legend until you saw a ghost or some shit. Then you pretty much threw yourself into my arms and BAM!" I flinched. "You passed out."

Oh... That's how I recognised his smell. He does smell damn good. Wait, what?

I pick at the skin around my thumbs. "So... You brought me here? And waited for me to wake up? Thanks, I guess. "

"No problem, sweetie. I carried you here like a princess."

He winks. 

I scoff, feeling a warm tingly sensation in the pit of my stomach that I haven't felt since... Well, since a long time ago.

"It's what any decent person would have done," he adds.

"Huh." I stop picking my cuticles, remembering a news article I recently read about infections and blood poisoning. "Sure."

"What? You don't believe that?"

I sigh, stretching my arms above my head. "No."

He runs his fingers through his hair, looking at the clock on the wall. "Well, my name is Changkyun. Nice to meet you." He looks back at my face, and hesitates. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Go for it."

"Why do you have scars on your face?"

I am taken aback for a moment, but I have this under control. I was expecting it, eventually.

I take a deep breath. "I was at a party, a friend got drunk and accidently threw a glass bottle at my head."

I recite the line that I had prepared, just in case. And the best thing about it - it's at least half true.

//sorry for not updating this book regularly XD I'm aiming for once a week, but seeing as my exams are pretty much finished I will be updating more frequently <33 I hope yall enjoyed this chapter! Also 1000 words yEeEt//