Chapter 1 - Terribble Terror

"Who are you? Why do you always haunt me in my dreams?!"

"I am your future husband."

"That's impossible! I just turned eighteen! I can't get married!"

"You have misunderstood, Darling. I will not marry you now but return when you are nineteen. I will marry you at that time and then suck your blood until you die!" The fang-toothed man laughed out loud.

"NO!" I suddenly sat up, short of breath. My heart was pounding until it almost stopped beating.

Finally, I managed to break free from the nightmare trap again. I immediately looked around while hugging the bolster pillow so tight. Everything still looks normal. There was no hideous male figure in my room like in a dream.

Why do I always dream of that guy?

I grabbed my blonde hair while crying and sobbing. I'm tired of dealing with nightmares that have taken away my beautiful teenage years.

As a result of the figure of a man who has constantly terrorized me since I was seven years old, the fear of being loyal to play with me until I was a teenager so that I did not dare to express myself to the world, mainly interact with men.

In fact, I had trouble sleeping due to prolonged trauma which resulted in black drowsiness adorning my eyelids. Not infrequently, I have to take some sedative pills to fall asleep.

I looked at the wall clock. It is now half past six in the morning. It's finally time for me to go back to a routine that's scary and boring at the same time.

I was stunned to neutralize the beating of his heart that was constantly surging, then took a shower, changed into my school uniform, and went downstairs.

Arriving downstairs, I found my mother preparing breakfast at the dining table.

I changed the expression on my face to cold. I didn't want mother to catch me gloomy.

"Elena, let's have breakfast!" Margareth smiled sweetly at me while smearing bread with jam, but I kept silent and strolled past her toward the door.

"Hey! Elena! Hurry back! You have to have breakfast, so you don't pass out at school later! I'm tired of always being considered incapable of taking care of you because you're getting thinner!"

I ignored the screams of the mother, who kept calling my name.

I'm not in the mood to eat. I don't even care about the condition of my body, which is getting thinner like a mummy. It's all because of that fanged man, so I don't have the will to live anymore.

To me, everything feels empty, like a colorless black-and-white photo.

"Hi, Elena! Do you need a ride to school?" A young man smiled kindly at me while leading his bicycle.

I gasped in surprise and immediately ran screaming like being chased by a wild animal, so the young man was amazed.

Arriving at school, I immediately went to class and sat down. I never greeted anyone until my friends and all the teachers nicknamed me 'the mute girl', because of my attitude, which was always silent when asked or greeted.

I hate being in crowds. I always feel threatened because many men look at me hatefully and intimidating as if they are targeting me secretly.

I am still determining who this man constantly terrorizes; trying to find him in the audience is impossible.

Even though it was so tricky, I was sure that the fanged man was stalking me from a distance so he could be ready to attack me anytime and anywhere.

I took out a book from my bag and another set of painting tools. My hobby is listening to music while painting to divert fear and scorn from my classmates.

BRUK!

I gasped in surprise when a man banged his desk very roughly.

"Hey, Mute!"

I was shaking with fear. "W-what do you want?"

"Give me your money!"

I shook my head quickly. "I have no money!"

"Do not lie!"

"I am not lying!"

"Quickly stir him up!" Leo ordered his friends to search my school uniform bag and pockets.

The four young men's friends swiftly obeyed the boss's orders and gripped my hands tightly, while Leo's job was to search all my pockets.

"Let me go! Help!" I immediately screamed hysterically when the four men dared to touch her physically.

Even though they forcibly searched the contents of my bag, I didn't just give up. I thrashed so hard that they beat me repeatedly to keep me quiet.

"Shut up! Or I'll cut your tongue out!"

However, I screamed so that I could attract the attention of all the other students. A few seconds later, my class was filled with students willing to flock to watch me.

Instead of helping, they laugh with satisfaction when they witness my suffering. I was already known as an anti-boy girl, so they considered me an easy target to be bullied by many boys to eliminate the boredom of waiting for the bell to ring.

However, I couldn't overcome their grip strength, so they managed to search for me. However, they have yet to find a penny.

"Stop it! What did you guys do to that girl, huh?! Get away from her quickly!"

The crowd immediately fell silent. The room suddenly fell silent. They were surprised by the arrival of a handsome young guy wearing the teacher's uniform in their class.

Valko scolded Leo and his four friends, then ordered them to clean the school toilet.

"Are you alright?" asked Valko worriedly. He was about to touch my shoulder, but I immediately brushed it off.

"Don't you dare touch me! Get away! Don't come near me!" I shouted, sobbing. I hug the bag of fear. I seem to want to disappear from this evil world.

"Calm down. I won't hurt you. Introducing me, I'm Valko, your new teacher." The stranger smiled so that his dimples appeared. "Are you hurt?"

I glared at Valko angrily. Go! Are you deaf?!"

"Alright. I'm sorry. I'll leave if you feel uncomfortable with my presence." Valko leaves.

‡‡‡

I dashed down the sidewalk to hurry home. I gripped both straps of my backpack so tightly that my hands were sweating from meeting them. My head was lowered when I passed the men so I wouldn't stare at them.

Not infrequently, I hit many pedestrians who were passing by. Instead of apologizing, I even swiftly ran away.

"Hey! Watch out!"

I suddenly turned towards the sound. However, before I could see, a man suddenly pushed me when a car sped towards me so that I fell into the bushes.

BRUK!

A loud crash reverberated until it was deafening. Hysterical screams thundered through the crowded highway.

"NO!" I screamed hysterically when a man was hit by a car.

I ran over to the man to help him and knelt beside him. "Hey! Wake up! Please don't die!" I cried hard while shaking the man's body, hoping he would wake up immediately.

However, the man did not wake up.

How about this?! Did I kill someone?! I screamed, frustrated, and thought.

I don't want to be thrown in jail. Moreover, I have too many bird titles. One of them was a "weird and dumb girl". I don't want to add another championship as a killer.

"Hey! Get up! You can't die! If you die, my life will be even more miserable!"

I brushed aside the blood-soaked hair covering the reckless man's face to recognize him. However, I widened in shock when I saw the beginning of the man who had just helped me.

‡‡‡

"Ow..." Valko winced in pain as his head throbbed in pain.

"Thank goodness... Mister didn't die in the end." The sound of your sobbing made Valko dumbfounded.

"Elena?" Valco was surprised. "How did you get here?"

I couldn't stop crying so much. "I'm sorry, Mister…." I can't say more than that.

I just looked down, not daring to meet Valko's eyes. Now Valko must really hate me after that accident crushed his bones.

Valko laughed softly. "You don't need to apologize. You are innocent."

Valko's words sounded like bullshit. "No, Mister. I feel guilty for having committed a grave sin…. Mister was seriously injured because of saving me.

"It doesn't matter. The important thing is that you are okay."

I looked up slightly to look at Valko, surprised that those words had come out of the mouth of a strange man.

A nurse enters the room. "Mr. Valko. Now you can go home," the nurse surprisedly said.

"W-what?" I am surprised. "Isn't Mr. Valko still seriously injured? Why did the nurse send him home instead?"

"I am also confused, Miss. Because suddenly Mr. Valko's health condition mysteriously improved."

Valco was surprised. "Impossible! How could that happen?"

"I can't explain it scientifically either."

The three of us were dumbfounded.

"But thankfully, I don't have to ask the Headmaster for time off, so my salary is safe." Valko chuckled at me. He tried to break the silence between us. "Thank you very much. You're a good student." Valko patted my shoulder, so I reflexively stepped away.

"S-sorry, Mister, please don't touch me."

"I'm sorry! I forgot!"

After explaining all the results of the doctor's statement, the nurse said goodbye.

"I have to go, Mister. Bye ...." I walked towards the door and had to go home before Mother scolded me.

BRUK!

I heard a loud thump when I was about to head out the door.

"Argh!"

Valko's screams of pain made me turn back to him.

"Oh, My! Mister!" I rushed to help Valko when the man fell off the bed when he was about to stand up.

"I'm okay," Valko smiled and removed my hand when I was about to touch it. "I can stand on my own. You don't need to help me. I don't want to scare you or cry anymore. Go home, don't worry about me."

I'm stunned. I feel bad for Valko. "I-I'm fine, Mister. I promise I won't cry. Allow me to take you home." I had to lie, even though I was terrified to come into physical contact with that man.

However, I had no choice because Valko was seriously injured and almost died trying to save me. So, I must be responsible.

"If I may ask... why are you so afraid of men?" Valko looked at me curiously.

I tensed.