She couldn't control her body properly due to the shock, but when the person hugging her tightened his grip even more, Callista came to her senses.
Callista looked to the side. Only his hair was visible as the person was sinking his face into her body. However, with just the scent of his body, Callista could immediately recognize the owner of the body that was hugging her.
"What's wrong, Ric? Why are you suddenly hugging me?" wondered Callista.
Not getting an answer, Callista spoke up again. "Can you let go of your embrace? It's too tight to make me claustrophobic," she said matter-of-factly.
In the same position, Aric raised his head to look at Callista's face. "I can't let go of my embrace if you haven't undone your intention to suicide."
Hearing Aric's words made her silent. For some reason Aric's words were ringing in her mind, making her pupils feel like they were spinning. What did this man just say? Suicide?
Aric slightly shook Callista's body to wake the girl up.
"Why are you daydreaming, Illis? Tell me quickly, you're not going to continue with your plan to suicide."
Callista stared at Aric without blinking, a second later her stomach felt a tingle at hearing him. The light laughter of the girl he was holding, made Aric slightly loosen his embrace.
"Why are you laughing? Did I guess wrong?"
Callista wiped her watery eyes, looking at Aric's puzzled face. "You did guess wrong, Aric."
His eyebrows knitted together listening to Callista's justification. "Then why did you climb the parapet?"
Callista shook her head still with laughter that had not stopped. "Do I look like a narrow-minded girl? I wasn't suicidal, I just wanted a clear view of the city streets."
Aric bowed his head, relief welling up in his heart. Fortunately, his estimate was off. How surprised he was to find Callista sitting on the barrier. Spontaneously he ran over and held the girl.
Unconsciously, the corners of his lips pulled up to see Callista who could laugh freely. But the smile was short-lived, his eyes accidentally staring at an unpleasant sight.
Aric grabbed Callista's wrist. "What happened to your legs?"
Callista's laughter immediately stopped. Her hands spontaneously moved to put her socks back on. But her movement was restrained by Aric's hand.
"Let go of your hand, Ric!" Callista said in a slightly high tone.
Aric did not care about that and continued what he wanted to do.
"Excuse me," he said briefly and then immediately lifted Callista's body bridal style. Callista was surprised because her body suddenly floated.
"What are you doing now, Aric?"
Aric ignored Callista's anger. He slowly lowered Callista on the bench seat not far from them. After doing so, Aric knelt with one foot in front of Callista.
"How did you get this wound? Not even just one, but all over both of your legs."
Aric stared intently at Callista's legs wrapped in bandages. What else had happened to that pretty-faced girl? Not enough with the incident a few years ago, the incident that almost got her run over, so what was this? Why was it only pain sent to Callista?
Callista was silent. She had to hide this from her friends, she didn't want them to face that sadistic psychopath. She didn't want the people who mattered to her to be hurt by him.
Aric looked straight ahead, Callista was now looking away. "Is this hard for you, Illis?"
Callista was still silent.
Aric immediately seated himself right next to Callista. His palm reached for Callista's left palm. Grasping that one tiny hand with both hands.
"You just need to know that I will always support you, I will always be by your side, Illis. No matter what."
Callista who heard it began to melt, looking at Aric's beady eyes that radiated worry. It turned out that Aric had not changed since then, he was still the same little Aric who always tried to protect her. Although her world seemed to be turned upside down in just a matter of days, the people around her were still the same.
Aric was still stroking the hand of someone who meant a lot to him.
"I won't ask you to tell me, I won't force it if you don't want to, Callista."
Aric straightened his gaze, looking at Callista's eyes which had become glassy. "However, I wish you could share your pain with me. I don't want to see you hurt again."
Unconsciously, tears fell from the shelter. Callista who realized that immediately rubbed her eyes roughly. Her heart warmed at Aric's words. She was just touched to know that there was still someone who wanted to be the one to support her fragile self.
Without warning, Aric brought Callista's body into his arms. No longer a tight embrace, Aric only gave a small strength to embrace Callista.
"Cry if you want to cry. Let out all your emotions. I will always be there to be your back."
Words that again enveloped her heart with warm feelings. Until it made the pain she was holding back become pushed up and want to come out. In just a matter of seconds, Callista's crying became more intense. The wailing sobs made Aric's heart feel like it was being squeezed so hard, that he too felt suffocated.
"I-I'm tired, Ric. I'm tired," Calista said in the middle of her crying. Her words faltered. Her back was shaking violently.
"It's okay, Illis. I will be the energy for you to feel tired. It's okay, let out all your sadness," Aric said.
His left hand moved to lightly pat Callista's back. He didn't know what this little girl was going through, but he couldn't find out when the owner of the information didn't want him to. He would respect her privacy.
Minutes passed with the sound of Callista's sobs as accompaniment. Callista, who had been burying her face in Aric's broad chest, now pulled herself from his embrace. She wiped away the traces of tears. All parts of her face felt wet with tears.
Callista's eyes were perfectly round. "Your uniform got wet because of me," Callista said haltingly because of the sobbing that still hadn't stopped.
Aric smiled sweetly in response. "It's okay, Illis. I have plenty of spare uniforms in my locker."
There was a very thunderous sound of the entrance bell. Aric turned to look at Callista after looking around due to the sound of the entrance bell.
"Ah, it turns out that the entrance bell has already rung." Aric took out the handkerchief that was always in his pocket and rubbed Callista's cheek with gentle movements.
"It's impossible for you to go to class with your eyes swollen." Aric looked back at Callista's pair of round eyes.
"'Should we skip class, Illis?" After saying his suggestion, Aric then rose to his feet.
"As well as compressing your eyes, we also need to fill our stomachs at the cafeteria. It's not good to spend the day on an empty stomach."
Callista took one of Aric's hands. "Please hide this from the others," Callista pleaded with a serious face.
Aric again displayed his sweet smile. "Of course, I'll keep it a secret. You can trust me."
Callista nodded in understanding, now feeling calm.
"Thank you."
"What are you waiting for, Illis? Should I carry you again? We have a mission to accomplish in today's truancy plan."
Callista gave a small chuckle. "Yeah, we have a common mission to accomplish."