The next morning, Bada woke with bruises still tender, her body aching in places she didn't even know could hurt. Every movement reminded her of the beating Saeles had given her the day before. Her friends noticed her sluggishness and paleness, but Bada waved them off with weak smiles and sniffles.
"I… I'm fine," she whispered, voice cracking. "Really. Just tired."
She knew she wasn't fine. Her arms throbbed, her ribs ached, and her pride was shredded. And yet… even as her mother scolded her for lingering in front of Saeles's house, even as her friends begged her to rest and take care of herself, she couldn't stop thinking about the girl inside.
By the time school was over, Bada's resolve had grown stronger. Pain didn't matter. Rejection didn't matter. Beatings didn't matter.
She had to see Saeles again.
Her footsteps carried her through the neighborhood like automatic machinery. Each step was painful, each breath a reminder of the violence she had endured.
And yet, when she reached the house, she crouched behind the same lamppost, clutching her backpack, trembling—but refusing to leave.
The window was slightly open this time. Saeles's shadow moved inside, striking the bag with precise, brutal rhythm. Bada watched, biting her lip, tears silently streaming down her face.
"I… I'll be here tomorrow too… I'll always be here," she whispered. "I don't care… I'll never leave…"
It was irrational. It was dangerous. It was pure obsession.
But for Bada, it was love—the only kind of love she could comprehend.