Chapter 158: First Love

It was evening by the time AiLin and the delinquent had gone back to the bus that would drive them back to the nearest station of AiLin’s house. The delinquent had sat near the window while AiLin sat beside him, staring at the seashell that she had taken for herself, the one that looked so similar to his eyes. As she clutched to it, the breeze lulled her to sleep. Her eyes were closed by the time she knew it, her sleepiness overtook her. The delinquent was surprised when he felt her weigh leaning over him and turned to see her head that had powerlessly leaned on his shoulders.

He would usually despise being touched by a woman, any female regardless of their ages which had even scared his own mother. Yet, he didn’t feel any repulse upon coming in contact with AiLin. At first he was confused of the reason for his aversion being nowhere to be find when it comes to AiLin but he soon realized the reason why so easily. Unlike the other women who had caused him a deep scar, AiLin had always come to him with sincere and genuine attitude. For some reason he felt that she really looked at him, not only with her eyes but with her heart.

It coaxed him to do the same, to understand her as she had understood him, to come closer to her and destroy the boundaries between them. He closed his eyes, his sleepiness also being coaxed by the warm presence on his shoulders. He leaned his head on her forehead, falling asleep as the bus began to play a music that seemed to only help their sleep became even deeper than before.

When he came home, the delinquent had gone to his father’s office, standing before the desk as his father had stopped his works to listen to him,

"I want to help someone," said the young delinquent, "She needs our help. Her family is currently abusing her. The other adults told me I should talk this out to her school about her parent’s abuse."

His father seemed genuinely concerned but more than that so surprised that his eldest son had came to ask him for help, something that he had never done before. He eagerly stood up and agreed to the idea but paused as he seemed to think of something, "Have you asked her what she feels about reporting her own parents to the school? Considering the victim in mind is the most important for this."

"What do you suggest father?" He asked, understanding that he wasn’t used to taking care of such matters and needed his father’s insight as he was much older and smarter than him.

His father maturely decided, "Your final exams will be next week if I’m not wrong, how about starting to help her by making sure she doesn’t spend much time in her house? Father will try looking into her family and if there is a way for us to lend our strength for her."

The young delinquent nodded to his father’s words at once, he decisively said, "I don’t want to get hurt even further."

"I understand, I wouldn’t want that either but if we forcefully bring this matter to school, I’m afraid that her family will pull her away from the school suddenly and make sure to hide every abuse they have done to her, pulling it under the rug. That would make her more miserable and harder for us to lend our strength for her. How about bringing her to our house? She should feel much safer here."

The young delinquent smiled, "Thank you father, I’ll do just that."

His father seemed happier than him to see that his son was trying to protect someone, especially a young girl when his son had seemed so wounded that he wouldn’t even want to touch his mother without throwing up or throwing a panic attack. He seemed so relieved seeing that his son had stepped out off the room with a firmer posture, his expression was so much brighter than usual, like someone who was finally free from shackles around his ankles and wrists.

Since then, AiLin always found herself being followed by the young delinquent. It was odd at first as he would often skip classes, not that it mattered to him since he’s smarter than the rest, studying alone instead with the teachers. But now he made sure to never skip class to tail on her, always beside her or behind her steps, always there when there were groups of people who were trying to create troubles for her.

It had gotten to the point where he became known as the "guard dog of the fox". AiLin wasn’t sure when she had been called a fox but since then the young delinquent was called as the "dog" of that fox which was both funny and cute to her.

"So?" AiLin was studying in the library accompanied by him who was quietly reading a difficult book in French, "I don’t think you’re here to study with me."

"I am studying," he replied while flipping the page and she turned the cover of the book, pointing the title.

"It’s a romance book! And the script that’s most often used for the theatrical plays," she spoke, "I love the characters here, especially Oscar and Hannah. Hannah is such a beautifully written female character of the century, she’s genuine and strong, I wish to become like her."

The young delinquent closed his book and looked at her seriously with his eyes slightly narrowed, "You like theatrical plays?"

"Of course! Whenever I can, I mean whenever I saved up money from lunch, I would always use it to buy tickets to the opera."

Even though the young delinquent was sure AiLin came from a wealthy family, she had to cut her lunch money bits by bits to save up for tickets. This explain to him that though her parents didn’t fully stop paying for her lunch, they only did the necessary allowance so they wouldn’t be found out for abusing their own daughter. Meanwhile AiLin herself never had allowance. Was that why she was always eating a piece of candy while studying? Because she couldn’t afford buying snacks?

"What kind of plays do you like?" He asked curiously, "Maybe any actress or actors?"

"Oh I have a lot! Are you interested?" AiLin closed her books, walking toward to sit beside him and happily told him about all the plays she’s visited, the best plays she had watched and the actors and actress that she admired the most. She would act out the part of the scripts she loved the most while he watched her, impressed by all the acts she did and how lively her eyes had became again once talking about all the plays she had watched.

He felt the happiest seeing her so animated talking about all the characters she had loved and her reasoning. It was only then did he realized that she had always been bubbly but that was taken away by her parents who didn’t think that she was enough.

Despite the wounds hidden under the clothing, AiLin was blinding.

"Let’s watch those theatrical plays one day."

"Yep!" AiLin said happily.

When AiLin opened her eyes again, she found herself back in the reality, staring at the ceiling as Dr. Mei had gone to pick a glass of water for her to drink from. AiLin took it while she dazed and stared at the glass for a very very long time.

She finally spoke up, "I didn’t remember that there was someone like that in my life."

Dr Mei seemed genuinely silent as she looked back at the writings she had made regarding AiLin’s psyche. She finally talked up to her again, "I’m afraid that I have to tell you this as well, Miss AiLin. There is still a lot of things that your mind had blocked you from remembering the ugly memories that you must have begged for it to be erased. From what I had heard before you were taken away to prison, you suffered a terrible head injury."

"Yes, I was hit by a statue," she responded, recalling that part really well, "Does that cause for my memories to be so distorted?"

"I’m afraid so, we would have to do a CT scan for you soon," answered Dr. Mei as she closed the documents.

"Is the appointment done? But I don’t think that I’m done with finding all my memories," AiLin said, red eyes as she had been tearing up as she spoke about her pasts, something she doesn’t seem to be aware of.

Dr. Mei politely refused the idea, saying kindly to her, "If you push yourself to the brink, it would only cause for your memories to be more closed by your own head. I wouldn’t want more reasons for you to feel hurt, we are here to try and heal you, Miss AiLin," Dr. Mei then touched her hands and smiled encouragingly, "You have done so well today. We should continue the appointment at the same day next week, what do you think?"

Curious of that young boy who she had forgotten, AiLin eagerly nodded her head, "Of course. I shall come again in time."

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