Chapter 2: His Smile (1/1)

Bang! I banged the door of my bedroom while my merciless dad was murmuring about me again. I wasn’t listening. I laid my body on my bed while covering my face and ears with the pillows. I don’t want to listen. It hurts my ears. I closed my eyes forcing myself to sleep, but I can still hear dad’s voice. I still kept closing my eyes. I pressed my pillows hardly on my face and ears. I don’t want to hear those words again. But this has been my life already, being scolded everyday, seeing intense glares at me by everyone. I don’t want to live anymore. What’s with the loud music? I could see everyone jumping at their places, waving their bright lime green light sticks. Now I found myself at a concert. Their light sticks lit the dark hall, while a band was playing on the stage. People at my sides started pushing me.“Hey! What’s up with you people?”No one listened to me. I realized I was holding the same light stick as theirs. It had a name “EXO”. EXO? I don’t know who they are. Suddenly, the main singer started singing the lyrics.“When everything just makes my whole world sinkI won't give up, I'll never breakI'll live up this life, I'll go on this dream...” Those lyrics, I have heard them before. I stared at the band playing. I don’t know these people. Suddenly, the drummer caught my attention.“Chanyeol! Chanyeol!” A person at my back kept shouting this name. That name is so familiar. I looked back at the stage, back at the drummer. Then someone pushed me forward, making me go through the crowded people until I reached the first row. Now I could see the drummer clearly. I stared at him trying to remember his face. I knew I met him.Now their song has finished, the drummer smiled and raised his drumsticks. The crowd started shouting.That smile. I saw that smile from before. I then remembered the guy at the rooftop. He is that weird guy at the rooftop, writing random lyrics he could think of. I could remember how corny his lyrics were. But why does the song sound so good? It seems like the lyrics fit with it.He stood up and stared at me. He smiled and tried to say some words. I couldn’t hear him but I read his lips saying “Thank you.” I looked around at the people. They suddenly disappeared. I didn’t hear screams anymore. I was the only person left at the audience. I looked back at the stage and he was the only band member left. The instruments the band used were gone. Only me and Chanyeol were left in the hall.I suddenly felt nervous. Why am I here? He suddenly approached me. I didn’t move at where I’m standing. He unexpectedly asked me.“What is your dream?”I didn’t speak. I don’t know what to answer. I don’t know what I dream of. Then I realize I don’t know anything about myself.     He moved closer to me. This time I felt more nervous. Now we’re a few inches apart. He gulped so hard, and I was thinking he’ll tell me something. I lifted my face up to look at him. He’s so tall. He’s so handsome. He has a weird character, but this time he looks so cool. My heart started to beat so fast. I was waiting for him to speak, until a few seconds after, he did.“I…I…”“Eunice!” Someone called my name. I looked around searching who it was.“Eunice!” It called me for the second time. Chanyeol gave a sigh. “EUNICE!” The door broke open. I jumped off my bed. I saw my mom and she looked so worried.“Eunice! Your dad!” My mom continued her words with fear. I asked her why and she asked me to accompany her to the hospital.  `*~*~*“He’s in good condition right now. You just have to give him a lot of rest. Excuse me.” The doctor left us. I breathed hard. I’m glad to hear my dad is okay. I’m glad my dad won’t scold me already. His blood pressure went high because of me. If he doesn’t want this to happen to him again, for sure he’ll stop nagging me at useless things.I sat and looked at mom. She seemed so worried until now.“Mom, dad is okay. You don’t have to worry.” I told her to at least ease up her worries. But she’s not looking at me. Is mom mad at me too? At home, she usually blames me for breaking my dad’s mood. But this time, she’s quiet about it. After all, it’s still dad’s fault that’s why this incident happened.Now, I’m walking down the hallway at the hospital when unexpectedly, I saw a familiar guy sitting in one of the benches at the hospital lobby. He was looking down blankly at the marble floor of the hospital. I felt pity at him, he seems so worried. I approached him and recognized it was Chanyeol.Before I could speak, he sensed I was coming, so he looked at me. His face had wrinkles and few pimples start to appear. It wasn’t as smooth as his face on my dream. He recognized me and slightly bowed his head. I sat beside him, as if I was about to tell him something. But my mind suddenly went blank. I don’t know what to tell him. I just met him yesterday. He eased up my bad mood when he suddenly told me a story about the sky and his corny composed lyrics. I felt sad. Even though I hated my dad for a number of times, I felt sad knowing about his condition. After all, I still have a heart.“Hey pretty.” I heard his voice which disturbed me.“What?”He whispered his words to me. “I said, hey pretty.”Is he acting up again? I don’t know how to respond. I looked around, trying to ease up the awkward atmosphere.“You’re blushing!” he gave me a grin, teasing me while poking my cheeks. I tried to get away from his pokes.“What are you doing?” I was irritated.“Cheering you up. You’re like sulking there. Are you guilty?”“Guilty? Pssh, why will I be guilty?”He just smiled at me. “I can feel people.”I kind of agreed to that. Aside from his weirdness, he can read moods. And again, he knows what I’m feeling right now. He’s trying to ease my mood, like what he did to me when I met him at the rooftop.“I won’t force you if you don’t want to share.” He gave me a smile again.What did he mean? He wants me to share my problems? I’m not a friendly person, and honestly I don’t want friends. No one understands my feelings, even my parents. And I just met him. I can’t trust him right away.“How many times do you smile a day? Don’t you get tired of smiling?” I asked him in a hard tone.He replied me with a laugh. “No. Because it eases up the bad feelings. You don’t smile, right? I pity your brain. The blood in your head is boiling.”He continued to laugh, while I’m getting more irritated.“Sorry I haven’t brought my notebook. This time I should’ve written some lyrics. Thanks!” He still continued laughing, amusing himself. Because of annoyance, I left him at the bench without hesitation. I can hear his voice from behind. “Hey pretty! See you at the rooftop tomorrow!” I continued walking briskly down the hallway.