Unexpected Encounter

"Wake up San! Quickly!" Tam yelled at his brother. "You are teaching today and you are already sloppy!"

"Ugh... Give me five min... hzzz." 

Tam stood over his brother's bed, adjusting his tie while watching San's sleeping face. "If in one minute I don't see you brushing your teeth, then I will call the school saying you want to resign," he threatened.

"WHAAAT!?" San jumped off the bed right away. "You can't do that!"

Tam smirked, "If you don't hurry up, you'll see if I can or not."

"You... you..." San was angry but was too afraid of his older brother to yell back. He swallowed his words and stomped to the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, he walked to the living room after a quick morning shower. "You going already?" he asked when seeing Tam already at the doorstep putting on his shoes.

"An important meeting today," his brother replied shortly. "Eat your breakfast quickly and go to school. Don't be a bad role model for your student," he reminded.

"Yeah yeah I got it," San replied. "Be safe," he smiled and waved.

Tam gave a slight sigh at his brother, knowing too well that San just wanted him to leave. "See you afternoon."

When the door shut, San's smile abruptly turned off. He yawned while chewing the sandwiches Tam made for him. "He's always so serious."

As he chewed, his eyes glanced at the clock. "Shoot! I'm going to be late!"

The school that San will be teaching is called Len Mi High School. 

Usually, there would be a description of what the school is like and how the students are and if there's any maiden and bullies and drama and bla bla bla...

[The author is too lazy for that]

...

After noon, school is over.

...

...

[Editor: Bruh.]

[Editor: face palm]

...

San walked out of school tiredly. Being a homeroom teacher, even a person with a high spirit and energy like him got drained as soon as school ended.

"I just want a nap before Tam returns," he yawned as he turned to the corner of his home.

That's when he saw someone sitting in front of their door.

"Who are you and why are you sitting here?" San asked as he reached his house.

That was when he saw a teenage girl, still wearing her school uniform. "That's Len Mi's uniform," he noticed.

"You know. The sky is about to turn dark. You should go home quickly. It's pretty dangero..." his word was cut short by what he saw.

The girl's uniform was a mess, with buttons missing and rip marks everywhere. Her arms and legs were full of bruises that had turned purple.

"Hey Hey! Are you okay!? What happened!?" his tiredness immediately faded away.

The girl didn't reply.

San looked around. "Did someone hurt you? That's why you ran here?"

She nodded.

"Shit!" he curses. "Don't worry. I'll call the police right now," he said and took out his phone.

The girl immediately reacted. She held his hand that was holding the phone. "No! Don't call!" 

Her voice was shaken and cracked. It was unbearable to witness how bad she was.

"Don't call? Are you sure?" San's eyes turned wide as he asked again.

The girl put down her head and nodded. With a shaken voice, she repeated, "Don't call."

San doesn't know what's the right thing to do. Should he just call anyway? But is the girl too afraid to report? Is she threatened by someone? He was conflicted.

"Fine. I won't call," he ultimately said. "But is there anyone I can reach out to you? Your parents perhaps?"

She shook her head.

"Even a friend works too."

She shook her head again.

San scratched his head. "I'm not too good at these difficult situations," he admitted. "It's getting dark now. Are you okay with coming inside? This is my house. My brother should be coming home anytime now. He could think of something for you."

The girl nodded.

"Okay! Good. Come in. I will get you some cookies and soda. Having sweets helps."

San waited for the girl to stand up but he saw that her legs were shaking. She didn't have any strength to even stand.

He felt terrible just seeing this. "My God. What kind of person could do this to you?" He wrapped her arm around his shoulder and supported her to get into the house.

After helping her sit down on the sofa in the living room and giving her the cookie and soda, they waited for Tam to return.

They waited in silence as the clock was ticking. During that time, no more word was exchanged. San changed his clothes and gave the girl his jacket to cover herself before going to the kitchen and staying there. He didn't want his presence to make the girl uncomfortable.

As for the girl. She took her time eating the cookies and drinking soda. Like San said, the sweets indeed helped her mood. The bruises were still aching but the pain had eased somewhat. 

Sitting on the sofa, she secretly looked around the room out of boredom. The house wasn't big, but it was enough for a family of three to four people. All the furniture is simple and modest, nothing expensive or extravagant. 

At the corner of the house, she saw some instruments: a piano, guitar, violin, and a drum set. 

From the kitchen, San peeked out to check how the girl was doing. When he saw her kept staring at their instruments. He walked out.

"Do you play any of them?" he opened a bag of chips and gave it to her.

The girl looked down shyly and shook her head. "No," she whispered.

"You can relax," San smiled. He then walked over to the instruments and came back with a guitar. "Since we are waiting anyway. I'll play something for you."

The girl hesitantly looked up and nodded.

"Now what should I play?" San thought. That was when an idea came to him. "We can try that," he smirked.

The girl didn't understand what he was thinking, but before she could wonder, San's fingers already started strumming.

"~La la la. The sun is setting, and the moon is rising.

~Brightness dimming, letting darkness take over.

~It is a dark, dark world. A cold, cold world.

~But even so, a strong heart smile that day.

~The path is dark, but the strong heart is clear as day

~The strong heart stood there, laughing at darkness

~Because a strong heart knows, a strong heart's strong

~Because strong heart knows, the sun will rise again."

Just when San finished, both he and the girl heard the door moving.

"Is that your new song? How cheesy," Tam commented as he came in.

Upon seeing a strange guest, his eyes sharpen. "Who is this?" he asked.

San spent time retelling what happened while the girl sat there in silence.

...

"That's all I know. I'm not sure what to do. That's why we are waiting for you," San ended.

Tam wasn't happy. He just had a very tiring day attending to troublesome clients. The last thing he wanted was a strange girl he had to think about.

He took off his tie and untucked his shirt. Tam then went to the kitchen and grabbed a cold cup of water for himself before sitting down with the other two.

"Getting the police was the correct call. Why did you not want that?" Tam asked, but it was more like an interrogation.

San could feel the immense pressure from his brother, so he tried to alleviate some of it. "You know. Her bullies could be threatening her or something."

Tam gave his younger brother a sharp look. "I can't decide if she doesn't tell us anything." He then turned to the girl again. "If you want our help, then you have to tell us why you don't want the police."

The girl was tense. She was too scared looking at Tam in the eye. She tried looking at San for some help but he just shook his head hopelessly. 

San knew that in a serious situation, Tam would not tolerate his bullsh*t.

The two brothers waited quietly. One minute passed, five minutes passed, then ten minutes. The girl still wouldn't say anything.

But the entire time, Tam didn't leave his eyes on her for a second. He noticed that there were instances when her lips would slightly open, but she would bite them back. 

"How about this? I would ask questions, and all you need to do is nod or shake your head," he proposed.

The girl nodded.

"Good. Are you being bullied?"

Nod.

"How long has this been? More than a year?"

Nod.

"Two years?"

Nod.

"Five years?"

Nod.

...

"Ten years?"

Nod.

San couldn't believe it. This girl was in high school and her bullying was more than ten years. That meant more than half her life she had been in pain.

Tam nodded. The case he feared worst is becoming more likely.

"Do the teachers and other students see these bruises?"

Nod.

"Did the teacher try to help you?"

Nod.

"Did the students try to help you?"

Nod.

San was confused. If the teachers and students both tried to help her, then who was the bully?"

Tam closed his eyes and asked, "Was it domestic abuse?"

The girl shook her head violently. "No!" she yelled weakly.

Seeing how the girl reacted. Tam looked at his younger brother. San now knows why she didn't want him to call the police.

Tam looked at the girl again. This time less intimidating and more persuating, "This is an issue that we can not handle. We could only call the police."

The girl shook her head. "Don't call," she told them.

"Ok. If you say so," Tam agreed immediately, so quickly that San was shocked. "Then we have nothing else to help you. Keeping you at our house could risk us being accused of kidnapping. Please leave immediately."

San wanted to say something, but Tam gave him a menacing look.

The room fell into silence. Slowly, the girl would fold neatly the jacket that San had given her and put it aside. She shakily tried to stand up and bowed to the two brothers, "Thank... thank you for... having me."

Tam nodded. "I'll help you to the door," he said softly.

He gently supported the girl's arm while guiding her to the doorstep. Meanwhile, San was thinking, "Ah! Tam is trying to scare her so that she can speak up. I see!"

As the other two walked past the kitchen, he became worried, "He's not really going to let the poor girl go right? She couldn't even walk on her own."

When the door opened and the girl stepped out, San panicked, "He's going to call her back at the last second right? Surely my brother is not a heartless demon... right?"

And the door shut.

"YOU ARE A FUCKING DEMON!!!" San shouted.