Chapter Text
Cecillia was usually known all around the town for being sweet, when her friends told everyone else that she was ‘a bit weird’ nobody tried to accept it because everyone saw the girl as an obedient little doll, helps everyone and has a ‘bold and very revealing’ style according to the neighbourhood grandmas.
Nobody would like to be talked about like an object, neither did Cecillia.
The gossip really did seem to affect her life, making her check twice before leaving home, trying to cover up nice enough to not be called a nun or a whore. Yet nothing worked, and from time to time people’s voices were getting louder.
Obviously not nice for a girl with a
traditional and people-pleasing parents.
She tried to convince herself that it was all jokes and nobody thought that way, deciding to start making more friends just to prove. The first weeks with everyone were nice until they start to talk their disturbing minds, either sexualising her or obsessing over her to points it would get to stalk her.
Obviously not nice for a girl who is new into her adulthood, thinking she was loved and supported.
Eventually, she ghosted all her friends and even the childhood ones, thinking they’re all the same no matter what. It was sickening her surrounded by people who she’s sure yet not so sure that they think nice of her.
Cecilia’s routine consisted of going to college, laying on the school grass, and studying.
Gossip and rumours were easily spread when the girl stopped socialising and cut off ties, she was always seen no more than a doll.
Pretty girls were always the victims of society and tradition.
The girl slowly stripped her former self off, acting weirder than usual, smoking more, letting her hair fall messy around her head and on her chest refusing to eat. It was all visible, nobody cared except to tell her that ‘being too skinny isn’t attractive.’
Cecilia always lost it whenever someone’s comment included words ‘people’, ‘men’ and attractive’.
With growing hatred towards the society and tradition, she would find herself sneaking out and standing in front of a cheap club at the outskirts of the town, every night. Dizzy and weighting like a feather over her heels, she walks like a glorious bee towards the entrance and disappears in bright blue and red lights.
Men didn’t care of the amount of her privacy they took, they liked ruining girls who are specially young and known around the town.
Minho wasn’t different of any other man. Well, maybe he was. He would sit down every Saturday at the club, drinking yet keeping track of the amount he consumes, sometimes around the dancing with women but would never dare to touch them unless they gave him consent while they’re fully sober. And because of the difference, he got violated multiple, which ruined him when he was already struggling to be as a poor farmer who eats once every four days to save his money. As much he was ill in the head yet so attractive, he never had a love that lasted, and he refused to be in a relationship until he was sane and stable.
Another Saturday spent at the club, he watched while standing at the corner of the room, the way people danced and laughed. Oblivious, he felt a hand around his wrist pull him to the dance floor, when he was finally stood steady and his vision became slightly clearer, the first thing he noticed was a pair of soft pale arms clad in black lace wrap around his neck and scratch his nape gently. Minho closed his eyes as hot breath smelling like cigarettes and a sickly sweet odour hit his face, dry lips coated with the sweet taste of cherry and sugar moved against his, gentle and teasing. He smiled into the kiss and started moving his lips harder against hers. His hands rest on her waist, caress and squeeze, while one of her hands touched down his bicep as the other still massaging his nape, up to the ends of his hair. When Minho pulled back from the kiss, forcing his eyes open and try to recognise the girl he was kissing, waiting a few moments for his vision to adjust, he immediately recognised Cecilia, his former neighbour’s daughter before Minho moved out.
Feline green eyes half closed, coal-black hair messy, her skin white as snow, her jawline and cheekbones sharper than the last time he remembered. She looked like a mythical creature, pupils constricted as he brushed a few hairs away from her face.
She leaned in his ear, whispering some of the dumbest jokes he’s ever heard which he found weird in this moment, he pressed his forehead against hers, and started laughing a little without even noticing it with the loud music deafening his ear a little, he found his lips against hers again.
Minho felt so dizzy yet his mind couldn’t stop thinking of her jokes and the way her hands moved, thinking of how awkward all her moves are and for a moment he feared she was forced in here and he feared hurting her, and within a single blink, he found a man’s arm around her waist and roughly yank her away from him.
He started for a second, watching her make out with another man and Minho’s lack of movement resulted in him getting pushed out from the circle people were dancing at.
Minho immediately reached out to hold a table, breathing heavily with his hand over his chest. He turned around to view the crowd, walking backwards as he tried to spot Cecilia. He sat down, his heart raced as he searched for her, he didn’t fathom why but he felt that he needed to get her out of here.
He found his hands quivering, closed his eyes, and tried to take in a breathe as he ran his hand in his hair before he jerked when he felt someone jump into his lap, he opened his eyes wide in panic before he noticed it was Cecilia, he calmed. She seemed so much dizzier as she dipped her head to press a her lips on his jaw.
“Hey, duck. I haven’t seen you in a long while. Didn’t you miss me?” She spoke sweetly, smiling as she continued her path, Minho sighed and wrapped his arms around her tightly in fear of losing her again.
“.. yes, ceci, I did” he stammered and closed his eyes before getting surprised again when she rested her thighs around his waist and positioning her hip on his. He gasped and grabbed her waist, pushing her to straddle his thighs instead, and when she pulled away and looked at him, confusion washing over her face, and she noticed the tender look in his eyes.
Before she could react, Minho pulled her into a hug, one hand on the back of her head while the other tight around her “I really did..” He added, feeling her hide her face in his neck, and wrap her arms around him, hands squeezing the muscles of his back. He heard mumbles whispered into his skin which he couldn’t understand until he felt the collar of his jacket becoming damp.
He quickly stood up and picked her outside of the chaos, walking to a bench at the side of the club, sitting down but she stuck to his lap, and he didn’t feel to push her away, she appeared to be brittle at the moment.
He stroked her hair carefully as she continued to mumble about her college and family problems, how she comes here to try to forget.
He noticed himself heartsore and slightly guilty listening to her, remembering the nights he would hear her father’s screams and the shattering of some furniture during arguments, he always felt like he did something incredibly wrong for not intervening back on those nights.
When she regained her composure and stopped crying, he tilted his head to press a few feather-light kisses on her head and forehead.
She gazed around before she saw the damp areas of his grey jacket turning a darker shade, looking up at him if he was mad about it, he just smiled at her and brushed his thumb on the skin under her eye, damp eyelashes tickling his fingertip.
“It will be alright..” he whispered, she nodded back twice and smiled shyly, it was the most genuine she has shown anyone.
Cecilia pushed herself to sit beside him and he put his hands on his lap, they stared at each other for a short moment before Minho blushed and looked away, giving him a tight smile.
Her smile widened with his reaction, reaching out to rest two fingers over his wrist and he looked back at her.
“Why did you move out, Mr.Lee?” She asked softly, trying to break the silence.
“I wasn’t getting paid well in my previous job and couldn’t afford living there anymore, and please call me by my name, sweetheart” he explained, letting her add another finger.
“.. so, what are you working now, Minho?” She asked, tilting her head curiously for the light to hit more, and he could easily notice the way her pupils dilated as she looked at him.
“Farmer, what do you study?” he replied simply, looking down at his wrist where Cecilia’s fingers start moving so carefully over the popping veins and few cuts.
“Medicine..” she said in a quieter voice. He let her trail over the track of a few veins, looking up at him when he shivered as she touched a particularly sensitive cut, he blushed terribly and she laughed.
She pulled her hand and continued to stare at him, noticing the sharper lines of his cheekbones and jawline and visibly thinner fingers and wrist.
She remembered the days where he would drag her to her house when he saw her hanging out with boys, and when she would mumble complaints and when she would wrap her hand back around his, he would flinch, and when she would try to flirt with him, he would shake his head while hugging her and say “you’re still a child, ceci, don’t be messy”
.
.
“Is there something on my face?” He asked, making her snap to the reality of the situation they are in. She smiled “No, but I was wondering if you had eaten dinner yet..”
Minho blinked in surprise, “No..” he answered, looking up at her as she stood
“Me either, should we go to a restaurant?” She said, extending her hand to him.
He hesitated for second then nodded, taking her hand and walked with her.
“My motorcycle is over there..” he declared, trying to not look at her too much.
He helped her sit behind him and adjusted his helmet over his head before he felt her head over his shoulder.
“Double R’s”
He patted her hand twice in agreement and smiled under the dull glass, riding in medium speed because of his lack of trust in the hold of him.
They sat opposite of each other, both staring before giggling awkwardly and looking away.
Cecilia was the first to break the silence, “Do you always drive so slow?”
“No, you weren’t holding well, and I was scared if something happened and you would get hurt.” He explained, slowly making his gaze to look back at her.
“Well, next time I’ll squeeze till I bruise” she joked, making them both giggle.
After their food arrived, they didn’t talk much, only cracking jokes from time to time and he would tell her to focus on food. When she joked about how men easily fall for her in the club, he looked up at her, not weirdly but as if he was looking at the girl beneath all the trauma and acting. The teenager that once believed she was loved for the person she was.
“Are you wearing something beneath that?” He asked
She tilted her eyebrows in surprise, hesitating for a moment “..No”
He nodded and took off his jacket, handing it over to her
“Wear it and zip it” he demanded
“Zip what?”
“The jacket”
Cecilia nodded and did as he said, feeling shame warm over her chest. After a little while, he spoke “don’t look like that, I don’t want you to be hurt..”
She looked back at him “I’m not sixteen anymore”
“Not only teenagers do foolish stuff” he replied.
And for the rest of the time, they didn’t talk until they decided to pay and leave.
“Do you still live at the same house?” He asked as they stepped onto his motorcycle again
“Yes” she replied, actually squeezing him brutally this time, he let out a whine and slapped her hand, laughing.
“Don’t be scared, duck. I want you to be fast this time.”
He nodded and wore his helmet, thinking she won’t notice the fire warning over his neck and ears.
Through the ride, he felt her move her hands up and down his waist and remained calm as he busies himself with the road.
When they reach her house, she jumps off and walks towards a rope hanging from the rooftop and stood in place for a second before turning around.
“Can you help me with something?” She asks and Minho takes off his helmet, walking behind her toward the rope,
“Oh, I expect the jacket next Saturday” he said in a half joking manner
“Saturday? Very specific, why?” She asked
“I’m at the club only at Saturdays.” He replied and she nodded.
She took off her heels and gave them to him, “Tie the rope around the strings and that’s it”
He watched as she climbed the rope then he proceeded to tie the heels and when he tugged at the string, she pulled it up.
“Thank you, good night” she leaned down and talked.
“Sleep well,” he replied, walking as Cecilia blew him a kiss and he winked back at it, smiling in process.
Minho sat on his motorcycle as he watched her walked on the rooftop to enter through the open window of her bedroom, then wore his helmet and rode away.
That night, she decided to go to the club only on Saturdays, and wore the jacket to college all week.