A click closer || Ren

11

But before he could-

Thyme's fist met his face.

A sickening crack echoed in the stadium as the boy stumbled backward, clutching his cheek in shock.

Thyme's eyes were dark with fury. "Did I tell you to do anything?" His voice was low, dangerous.

But she didn't care.

She took a shaky breath, grabbed her broken camera with trembling hands, and ran.

She ran past Thyme, past his gang, past the echoes of their voices calling after her.

She just ran.

She didn't care about school anymore. She grabbed her belongings, her vision blurred with tears, and left the building without looking back.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she ran-her legs moving on instinct. She didn't stop, didn't breathe, didn't think. She just ran.

The broken pieces of her camera clutched tightly in her hands.

She didn't know how long she had been running until she finally reached the repair shop.

Bursting through the doors, she barely managed to catch her breath before she rushed to the counter.

"Please-please fix this!" Her voice cracked, desperate.

The shopkeeper, an older man, looked up from his work, startled by the sudden intrusion. His gaze softened when he saw the broken camera in her trembling hands-and the tears streaming down her face.

He hesitated before saying gently, "Miss, this camera... it's in terrible condition."

She shook her head furiously. "I don't care how bad it is-just fix it! Please, I beg you!"

Her hands gripped the counter, her whole body trembling.

The shopkeeper sighed, taking the broken pieces from her hands and inspecting them.

After a long pause, he finally nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

She let out a shaky breath, relief washing over her, but the pain in her chest remained.

It was now afternoon, and she had been waiting anxiously, sitting on the small bench inside the shop. She had barely moved, her hands gripping the edge of her seat, heart pounding with every passing second.

Finally, the shopkeeper walked out from the back, holding her camera carefully in his hands.

"It's done," he said.

She shot up from her seat, rushing to the counter as he placed the camera down. Her hands trembled as she picked it up, inspecting it. It wasn't perfect-there were still scratches, and some parts had been replaced, but it was whole again.

Tears threatened to fall again, but she quickly blinked them away.

"How much?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The shopkeeper told her the price.

Without hesitation, she pulled out her phone and transferred the amount. Almost all of her savings-gone in an instant.

But she didn't care.

This camera was everything to her. More than just a device-it was a piece of her past, her memories, her parents.

She clutched it close to her chest, whispering softly, "Thank you."

The shopkeeper gave her a small nod. "Be careful with it this time, young lady."

She nodded, wiping her eyes quickly before turning to leave.

She stepped out of the shop, the cool air hitting her face as she took a deep breath. The weight in her chest hadn't completely disappeared, but at least now, her camera was safe.

She turned it on immediately, her fingers trembling as she scrolled through the photos. Relief washed over her when she saw that everything was still there-every picture she had taken, every memory preserved.

Her grip tightened around the camera, as if holding it closer would somehow bring her parents back.

Then, her gaze dropped to her hands.

Blood.

Small cuts littered her palms, a reminder of how desperately she had tried to pick up the broken pieces. Her knees stung as well, the dull ache making her realize just how hard she had been forced to kneel in that stadium.

She swallowed hard, pushing the pain aside. None of that mattered now.

She had to keep moving.

She finally made it home, her steps slow and heavy. Her body ached, her mind exhausted from everything that had happened. As soon as she stepped inside, she went straight to her room, locking the door behind her.

She sat on the floor, hugging her camera close to her chest. It was safe now, but for how long?

Her fingers hovered over the files on her laptop, the images and videos she had gathered-the evidence that could ruin F4.

But what was the point?

Her camera had already been broken once. If she tried again, they wouldn't just stop at that. Thyme had given her a warning, and she knew he wouldn't hesitate to go even further next time.

She took a shaky breath and pressed delete.

One by one, the files disappeared.

When it was done, she shut the laptop, staring blankly at the screen.

She should've felt relieved. Instead, all she felt was empty.

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Soo how was the chapter did you like it and does the song fit the chapter? Well anyways, yeah.

Bye! 💓