Requested by: KaiCynical
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Ailah's POV

Another day woke me up. It seems peaceful downstairs, for now.

Since I take night baths, I tied my hair to a messy bun and changed into my uniform, preparing for school.

I head downstairs and made breakfast for 2 with two coffees as well. After a few moments of silence the yelling began.

"What do you think you're doing sleeping on my bed?!" Mom's voice echoed in the house.

I couldn't hear my father's response. He probably still was sleepy. I sigh for a bit hearing her scream once again early in the morning.

With that, I took my depart. I walked myself to school, alone as usual. I could see my schoolmates walking with their friends or looking pretty going to school. Then I wonder, would I ever have a life like that? Being with friends, being happy every day. I never felt that kind of life.

"Look, it's her. She looks even scarier with her hair like that." I heard a girl whisper behind me.

"Right. She gives me the creeps. She looks like an evil spirit wandering around." another one responds

I stop on my tracks feeling the weight of depression pulling me down.

"Omo! She's gonna haunt us! Run!" They started running right pass me.

Instead of that happy normal life, I lived the opposite.

My name is Ailah, and I've been a social outcast my whole life. I have one older brother, he ran away a year ago and left me with my parents. I do not know where in this world he is now. My parents are in a complicated relationship, they bicker often, and it gets too physical sometimes that I get affected too.

I don't know how long I can be strong for.

"Ailah, my best friend of all time. You look beautiful with your hair up today." That familiar voice compliments me.

I looked up to see Junhui bending down to my level with his face right in front of mine.

"So I looked monstrous before I tied my hair?" I say blankly

"No. You look cute daily" He giggles lightly. "Let's go!"

He walked ahead of me then stopped immediately when he noticed I didn't follow after him. He frowns at me.

"Jun" I call out to say something

"Bro!" His friends popped out of no where and clung on to his shoulders.

One punched him by the arm "You almost got cursed by that girl. Didn't you know she's bad luck?"

"Yeah man. Stop hanging out with her." another advised him and turn his disgusted face to me. "Just look at her. Gross"

I sigh. And walked towards them

"Woah!" they parted away from me as I passed by them. "Scary"

Just stop being around me Junhui. Although he is the best thing that ever happened in my life, I can't risk having him judged like that.

"She isn't like that!" I heard Jun defend in the back.

I shake my head. Please stop it Jun. There's no use. They will never accept anyone like me. The world does not like my presence.

I head to my class and saw my desk in the corner of the room filled with trash. Trash. That's all I'll ever be.

I gulped down the urge to cry and stayed calm. I grabbed the trash can and cleaned my table.

"Geez. The students here are such jerks." Jun came right by my side and cleaned my desk with me. "They're such meanie butts, right?"

I laughed a bit with the term he used. Junhui, you dork.

"Oh? She just laughed. Is she bewitching Junhui to be friendly with her? I knew she was a witch! Why would Jun hang out with her otherwise?" the talks began in the class again.

Why do they have to comment on every thing I try to do? Is it a crime to have a little happiness in this gloomy world? What did I ever do to them? Does my existence bother them that much?

If they want me gone, gosh, they don't know how much I really want that too. That's what we all want right? To get rid of the no use Ailah?

"HEY!" Jun yelled at them "If you're just gonna talk trash then why don't you step in a trash bin? You're making it harder for everyone to clean that filthy mouth of yours."

"Jun, it's fine." I whisper to him shaking my head.

"But-" he was about to protest but I gave him a face that says just-don't-mind-them and he just groaned and shut up.

"Why? What's up with Jun? Taking her side. I'm telling you she cursed him already"

My grip on the crumpled paper tightens. I placed the bin aside after we finished tidying my desk.

"Go to your class now. I'll head to the rest room." I excused myself and went to the girl's bathroom.

I stare at my own reflection. The world's greatest mistake. I, Ailah, am a mistake in this world. I should keep that in mind. There's no good that you could ever possibly bring. Nothing. You're nothing.

"You monster." I growled at myself.

"Gosh! That scared me!" A girl came in the bathroom looking startled. "Yah! Why are you just standing there? Fucking creepy."

I looked down to avert their gaze.

I was about to make my way out when someone pulled the back of my collar and lifted it up. "Where do you think you're going?" she asks me

No. Not again. The last time I didn't answer her, things went wrong. So I answer her quietly "Class"

"Wrong. You're staying here." she threw me to a cubicle. "It's more of your style. Don't you think? Gloomy, cramped, filthy." she laughed

"Your face annoys me so much. Clean that face of yours. Huh? It's so dirty" another girl splashed my face with water.

They quickly left after hearing the bell. Filth. I laughed by myself looking like a mentally ill person. Right. That's how much they hate me. That's all my worth will ever be.

Third Person's POV

Gym time came and Ailah changed to her P.E. uniform. Today they were gonna play basketball.

Ailah felt uncomfortable when their teacher let her play. Usually she remains in the benches, but through some girl's persuasion she was forced to play. She didn't know their ulterior motive for letting her play but she tried her best to cooperate.

No matter how good she was in basketball, no one ever knew that, aside from Junhui. And despite being in the game, no one dared to pass the ball to her.

That's what she though until it happened.

"Ailah!" someone shouts from behind her but as she turns the ball hits her face.

"Oh, my bad" the person behind the mischievous act says sarcastically and gave a high five to her friend.

Ailah lets out a sigh and stood only to stumble on her balance. She felt dizzy from the impact.

"Are you okay?" The teacher asks and she answered positively and said she just needs to rest.

That time Ailah left the gym and finally had enough of everything. Her heavy footsteps took her towards the school pool. She never learned how to swim and to her luck she could never reach the bottom of this pool.

"Mianhae oppa." she apologizes silently and wiped her tears away.

Before her brother left her, she promised him one thing. She promised that she'll continue to be strong while he was gone. He was gonna come back for her. But now she had to apologize.

"Oppa, I tried. I just can't continue like this. Why did you have to leave me? I can't fight alone. You know I need you but you're not here. I realized how weak I am. A weakling pretending to be strong when I am not." She sobbed.

Ailah stopped 5 feet before the pool. I should end it where it should have ended. The world seemed to lack gravity as she ran swiftly. Each step she took felt light and she flew towards the pool.

5 years ago, she drowned in this very pool. She nearly died, her lung capacity decreased drastically and acquired difficulty in breathing. This time in that state, she was sure she'd end it all today.

Without any shout for help or regret, she struggled to breath. Little by little, Ailah began to swallow the pool's water. It was beginning to hurt her after inhaling so much water. Losing consciousness each second she finally weakened and lost the ability to gasp for air.

While Ailah was attempting her final farewell. Jun had a tingling sensation in his classroom. He found himself running around the hallways as if he sensed something terrible was happening. Junhui did not know what or why he was running, but he had a feeling it was Ailah.

The moment Ailah was losing contact of this world, right on time Junhui jumped in the pool towards the almost lifeless body floating.

"Come on. Stay with me." Junhui says as he reached her and pulled her to safe land.

Due to the last incident of Ailah when she drowned, Junhui trained for CPR just for this situation again. But honestly, he would rather have wasted that knowledge seeing Ailah safe than to use it again when she drowned.

Before anything else he called on the emergency phone in the pool for help. Then he turned his full attention towards the girl.

"Ailah! Hey! Can you hear me?" Jun asks shaking her shoulders only to receive no response.

It was either he risk her life waiting for help, or risk her life in his hands. With anxiousness and confidence, he chose the latter.

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2 weeks later .  .   .

"I am not leaving your side" Jun said appearing in her room which was now located in his own apartment.

Ailah managed to survive from drowning the second time around. And sooner than ever, her parents were arrested for child abuse and her bullies were given the consequences of their actions. They also found out her brother lives next door to Junhui but since he couldn't afford to pay for his sister, she couldn't stay with him. And Ailah? Let's just say she was now under Junhui's surveillance in his own household.

"Junhui, I'm seriously gonna call my brother to kick you out." Ailah laughed at him.

"Not my problem, you might do something stupid once I'm out of sight" He frowns at the girl

The teenage girl felt happy to see Junhui worried about her. After all, he saved her from her depression. Despite wanting to die, she was still thankful to be saved. She got to reunite with her brother, the most important person to her. And for that she felt happy to be alive.

"I won't do anything stupid again." Ailah tried to shoo him off.

"You better not. If only you knew how scared I was of losing you." Junhui said crossing his arms and looking away. The boy felt shy all of a sudden and Ailah found it cute.

"I'm sorry~" she pokes his cheeks "I'll make you dinner!"

Jun shakes his head "You'll hurt yourself. Can you please stop trying to hurt the person I cherish the most?"

Ailah pout "I never harmed anyone! Why are you suddenly accusing me?" She yelled at him

"Cause you keep hurting yourself!" he whined messing his hair

She fought back raising her voice a bit but still soft as ever "What does that have to do with the person you cherish?"

"Cause you're special to me!" Junhui looks back to her who seemed surprise at his answer. There was no turning back on his words. It was too risky when she might disappear so suddenly "You... I would blame myself if you got hurt without me knowing. So stop hurting her. The girl I like."

Ailah who seemed to be processing his words stood up and pushed him out the door "Alright, alright. I won't." She stopped when he was finally out the door. Junhui looks at her with a face known as worrisome.

Ailah pats his head "Okay. I'll stop harming her in exchange for my hero to..." she paused and held his shoulder to give him a kiss on the cheek "make ramen for dinner."

She steps back to her room and closed the door waving at him.

A smile crept out on Junhui's face before he danced his way to the kitchen. "Her hero. I'm gonna go make some ramen~"

End of Imagine

Author's Note: Greetings 2019! I want to tell you all to have a very nice year ahead! I will try to be better too, for you and myself!

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THIS IMAGINE BOOK THOUGH IT SUCKS! I LOVE YOU ALL!

Happy New Year~