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Pure

Pure

Aera held onto her stomach as she ran. The bright lights were only a mere blur in her vision. She pushed her way pass people not caring about all of the shouts and glares that she was receiving. Hot tears brimmed in her eyes. Her stomach screamed in protest to stop running, but her legs thought otherwise.

Run. Run. Run!

Her mind only told her to run. Run for her life. If she was caught again, there was no telling whether she would survive or not. If she was lucky, they would sell her to another dealer; but that was something she feared the most. For she would not know if her new "owner" would be worst than her last.

She ran into another person causing them to yell, yet she ignored them and continued on.

"Yah! Watch where you're going!"

She ran and ran and ran, having no clue where she was going. Her legs began to burn. She was now reaching towards the outskirts of Seoul.

BAM!

She ran into someone, but because her legs were aching, she finally fell to the ground. Her breathing was fast and hard. She looked up afraid of the person she ran into. What if the person was one of the dealers looking for her. But, when she looked up, it was someone that had warmth in their eyes. Not lust, evil, nor anger, but pure warmth and concern.

"Are you okay?" the person bent down towards Aera as they scanned Aera's body. "My goodness, what happened to you?"

Aera's body was covered in rags and bruises. The person's eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Aera crawled backwards, afraid to be touched by anyone, but this person in front of her made her feel a bit safe. This person was a rather old lady.

"C-can you help me?" Aera's quiet voice asked.

The grandmother almost had tears in her eyes. She reached out to Aera.

"My dear child, of course. Oh, how you have been suffering," she offered to help Aera to stand as she searched her body for injuries.

Aera hesitantly reached out to the old lady's hand and held it. It was warm and welcoming, unlike Aera's; cold and unsure.

The grandmother picked up the bags of groceries that she had dropped when Aera ran into her. Aera held onto the grandmother's hand and looked down. She occasionally looked around their surroundings to see if there were any men running towards her with angry expressions. Slowly relief began to grow in Aera's body, but she still felt like those bad men were somewhere, watching her, waiting for the right moment to attack and take her away. Aera began to feel worried about the safety of the grandmother. Aera was about to let go of her hand and run, but didn't when she saw that the grandmother was walking towards a black fancy car. Aera's eye brows furrowed in confusion and fear.

Was the grandmother a trafficking dealer too?

Aera began to shake out of fear. The grandmother looked at Aera confused and worried.

What has happened to this young lady?

The grandmother gently rubbed Aera's hand.

"Child, it is okay. This car will take us somewhere safe. I promise you," the grandmother said. "I will always be with you. I won't leave you, okay?"

Aera had to look down to the old lady, since Aera was taller than her. Aera hesitantly nodded. They both got into the car after the chauffeur opened the door for them. When they got in, Aera slowly put on her seat belt. She looked out the tinted window and held her hands together.

What am I doing?

The car began to move. It seemed like they were going even further out of Seoul. To the quiet part, to the part where no one really lived. Aera jumped when she felt someone grabbed her hand. Aera looked to her left to the grandmother.

"What...what happened to you?" the grandmother asked, wondering if that was the right question to ask.

Aera looked at the grandmother for a few seconds, thinking about what to say. Should she tell the grandmother? Should she really trust her? Well, it would be too late to not trust her, Aera was already in the car going who knows where with this old lady. Aera looked down to their interlocked hands. Aera pouted. Tears began to force their way up as she thought about how terrible she had been living for the past three years.

The grandmother quietly sighed when she received no answer.

"How am I supposed to help if I don't know what's wrong?" she asked.

Aera looked up at the grandmother again. She wanted to tell her, but she was scared to. What if the grandmother threw her out right when Aera told her? Aera was scared to be abandoned again. But, because the grandmother had help her, telling her was the least Aera could do.

"I..." Aera said in a quiet voice, as if she hadn't talked in years, "I...I was...I was sold...when I was seventeen."

Tears fell onto her and the grandmother's hands.

"My parents," Aera sobbed, "th-they s-sold me. They abandoned me. Th-th-they...they l-left me."

The grandmother's grip on Aera's hand tightened. She felt tears make their way up her eyes. The grandmother pitied the girl greatly.

What terrible parents would do this?! The grandmother was outraged, but she kept it in as to not scare the young lady.

The grandmother hugged Aera as she patted her back.

"It's okay now. You're safe. I will protect you now. Shhh, it's okay," the grandmother cried along with the girl.

Even though they had just met. The grandmother felt a strong bond with the girl.

They finally reached their destination after five minutes of driving. Aera had her head rested on the grandmother's shoulder with her eyes closed. When the car came to a stop Aera looked outside the window. Her eyes widened as she looked at the grandmother in shock.

"T-This is where you live?" Aera asked.

The grandmother smiled and nodded.

"Yes, it is where my master lives. I am the main maid that works for him, so I live here with him. He is like my own grandchild."

Aera went rigid at those words: my master.

The grandmother noticed how scared Aera suddenly looked and mentally scolded herself for her choice of words.

"Don't worry child. He is very kind. He will let you stay. I am sure of it," she said.

Aera looked at the grandmother and nodded.

I trust you.

They got out of the car. Aera looked at the house before her, scratch that, the mansion before her. Aera looked around. There were no cars on the street, nor any houses. This mansion seemed to be the only "house" in sight. The mansion was huge and beautiful. The grandmother held onto Aera’s hand. She bowed to the driver and walked into the mansion. They walked into a side door. The grandmother opened the door with a set of keys that she had and walked in. She held onto Aera’s hand the whole time. Aera looked around the mansion, afraid, unsure, and confused.

Why do I feel like I’ve seen this place before?

The grandmother brought Aera through a large hallway, where no one was in sight. They reached a set of stairs. They walked up the stairs and walked into a room nearby. This mansion seemed like what a royal would live in. The grandmother shut the door behind them and made Aera sit on a couch. She quickly went into a closet and got some clothes. Aera looked around the room. It was bright and made her feel safe. Those men would never be able to find her here.

Am I really going to live here?

“Here you go,” the grandmother said.

Aera looked up at the grandmother. She took the clothes and bowed her head in respect.

"T-Thank you."

"Go and take a shower. The bathroom is right through those doors. I'll be sitting here and waiting for you. Take as long as you need."

Aera nodded and slowly made her way towards the bathroom.

Aera walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She set the clothes in her hands on the counter. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes became hot as tears threatened to fall. She clenched her fists and cried silently. Her arms, legs, and stomach was showing due to the torn up clothes that she was wearing. Bruises colored her skin. Bruises that were proof of past fights. Fights where she fought against men twice her size. She took in a shaky breath and took off her rags of clothes. She looked at them with a sad expression.

-Flashback-

“Get back here you little wretch! You think you can run for the rest of your life?” the man yelled as he grabbed onto Aera’s hair, making her fall to the ground.

Tears flooded Aeras’s eyes. The man grabbed onto her waist and pushed her onto the ground. He pinned the both of her arms to the ground. He smirked at her.

“My client said that you almost bit his ear off. Now he wants a refund! Do you know how much you cost?!” he yelled angry.

Aera spit in his face.

“Just give him the money back then,” Aera said viciously.

The man scoffed.

“Do you really think I still have all that money with me now?”

“It’s your fault,” Aera spat.

“No, it’s your fault, now you have to pay for it,” the man smiled.

Aera’s eyes widened as she knew what he meant, she was scared, but knew that he wouldn’t succeed because he never did...with her. She always found ways to get out of these kinds of problems; knocking him unconscious or kicking him in his family jewels, but today God must’ve answered her prayers, for right when the man was about to continue his sinful deed, police cars were heard in the distance.

The man panicked and his workers began flooding into the room.

“Gather all of them! We’re moving!” he yelled.

Aera took this chance and ran for it.

-End of Flashback-

Aera was washing her hair. This was the first time in three years being able to use actual running water. Whenever the “girls” needed bathing, they would just have water thrown on them by the workers, sometimes hot boiling water if the “girls” ever did something extremely bad. Aera was scorched with hot water once. Luckily it wasn’t a whole bucket of water.

Aera looked at her arms. A bruise had now formed from the man’s strong grasp. Tears fell down as she finally lost it. She sat down in the shower and hugged her legs close to her body. She sobbed out loud, hating her past. Hating all the people who hurt her. Hating the bruises that decorated her pale skin.

The grandmother sat outside the shower. Slowly tears dropped down her cheek as she listened to the poor girl cry.

~~~

“I won’t ask you what happened to you anymore, but I would like to know you name,” the grandmother said.

Aera and her were sitting side by side on the couch.

Aera looked down to the ground.

Han Aera...my name.

It had been three years since the last time she ever spoke her name. Three years since anyone asked for her name. Three years since someone had said her name.

“A-Ae...Ra,” she said quietly, “H-Han...Han...Ae...Ra. Han Aera.”

The grandmother looked at Aera shocked as she sat back a little. Aera looked at the grandmother a bit confused.

Han Aera?” the grandmother asked.

Aera nodded.

The grandmother immediately embraced Aera. She began sobbing while stroking Aera’s hair.

“My poor baby. No wonder I knew you looked familiar. Aigo, my baby,” the grandmother cried.

Aera was confused. She gently pushed the grandmother away.

“D-Do you know me?” Aera asked.

The grandmother wiped her tears.

“It’s me, Aera ah. Minhwa Halmeoni,” halmeoni cried.

Aera furrowed her eyebrows. Sudden realization rushed through her face.

“H-Halmeoni?” Aera asked in disbelief. “Halmeoni?” Aera began to cry. “Halmeoni...Halmeoni.”

Minhwa halmeoni nodded.

“Mm,” she hugged Aera. “Halmeoni ah. It’s halmeoni.”

She pulled back from the hug to look at Aera.

“Oh my, how could your parents have done this to you?” she asked sadly.

Aera looked down and cried.

It was her halmeoni, no not her blood related grandmother, but a grandmother she knew since she was young. Minhwa halmeoni was like her real grandmother. She always took care of Aera when she was younger, but only until she was ten years old. That was the same year Aera met Minseok.

~~~

Aera was washing the dishes. It’s been almost a week since Aera has been living here, yet she has still yet to meet this so called “master” of Minhwa halmeoni. When her and her parents moved away from Seoul, halmeoni had no one else to work for, so she sound a new master to work under.

Aera finished washing the dishes and wiped her hands on her apron. She took it off and set it on a hook in the kitchen. She walked to the kitchen table and poured herself a glass of water. She took a sip and turned to her left, still drinking the water. Her eyes widened when she saw a figure in front of her through the glass cup. She dropped the cup, shattering it. She took a step backwards. She stared at the person in front of her. It was a man, no younger than her. He was wearing a black suit. His bangs were up. His eyes were big and round, yet they looked tired. His face was stoic. Aera blinked multiple times.

Minseok?

The man just stood there, staring at her. Aera’s eyes traveled down to the broken cup on the ground. She looked up back at the man and bowed.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

This man must’ve been the master. But, he looked like her childhood friend: Kim Minseok. She shook the thought away and went to grab the dustpan and broom. The man just stood there, watching her every move, wondering why she was there.

Halmeoni came rushing in when she heard something break.

“Aera ah, what ha-”

She stopped her sentence when she saw her master in the kitchen. Her eyes widened.

“Master Kim, when did you get home?” she asked.

Aera stopped sweeping.

Kim? Kim Minseok?

Aera shook her head and continued sweeping.

No, it’s not him.

The man turned to look at halmeoni. He pointed to Aera.

“Who is she?” his voice sounded cold like the winter wind.

“A-ah, Aera shi? She is a new worker that I hired. Is that fine with you, Master Kim?” Minhwa halmeoni asked.

The man looked at Aera then back to Minhwa halmeoni.

“It’s fine,” he said. “I’ll be going to bed.”

“Yes, Master Kim,” Minhwa bowed to him.

He left upstairs to his room. Halmeoni walked up to Aera and made her stop sweeping. She checked Aera for any injuries.

“I’m fine, halmeoni,” Aera quietly said.

Halmeoni sighed.

“Aigo, you really are careless aren’t you. What if you had gotten hurt?” she asked concerned.

Aera smiled, knowing that someone was actually caring about her.

“I’m really fine...halmeoni...is your master’s name Kim Minseok...or Xiumin?” Aera asked.

Halmeoni looked at Aera confused.

“How did you know?” she asked.

Aera’s eyes widened.

Minseok? Is it really you?

“I-I used to have a friend name Kim Minseok. They...t-they look alike. Master Kim and Kim Minseok.”

Halmeoni had hope sparkle in her eyes, but it immediately disappeared.

Halmeoni shook her head and took the broom from Aera and finished sweeping. She took Aera’s hand and took her to the living room. Halmeoni made Aera sit down next to her. She held onto Aera’s hands.

“Aera ah,” she said softly.

“Mm?” Aera asked.

“Master Kim...he lost his memories when he was twenty years old. He...he got into a car accident. Both of his parents perished. That was when I started taking care of him. I didn’t know that you and Master Kim were friends. I know nothing of his past, other than the last four years,” Halmeoni said.

Aera looked at her shocked.

L-lost his memories? Car accident?

“S-so, he doesn’t remember anything?” Aera asked.

Halemoni shook her head.

“He doesn’t.”

Aera had hope that she was finally go to find someone that she used to know. Someone who used to be her best friend when she was younger, but now, he was gone too. She stared at a picture frame that was hanging on the wall. She stared at it for a rather long time, looking at the faces of everyone in the picture. Sure enough there standing beside Minseok were Mr. and Mrs. Kim. Minseok’s parents who were like her very own.

~~~

Aera sat on her bed. She stared outside the window. The dark sky, moon, and stars comforted her. Whenever she thought that she was alone, she would look at the sky and feel the presence of the night sky.

The entire mansion was quiet. Everyone was asleep, but Aera. She couldn’t sleep. There was only one person on her mind: Kim Minseok. She wanted to go talk to him, but look at her. She was a victim of human trafficking, she was now just a mere maid that worked for him. What if he was different now? What if he looked down on her for being so useless and poor? It hurt Aera to think like that, but she couldn’t help it. Minseok had forgotten everything, he could have been a new person now.

~~~

Aera was cleaning the living room, when suddenly the doorbell rang. She was about to go answer it, but Minseok came walking down the stairs to the door. Aera quietly watched Minseok, reminiscing about their past. She just wanted to go and confront him, tell him who she was, but she couldn’t. He opened the door. A woman walked in. She was just a few inches shorter than Minseok. She looked elegant, but had this evil aura around her. Making Aera greatly dislike her. The more Aera stared at the woman the more she began to think that she had seen her before.

Minseok brought the woman into the living room. Aera kept her head down as she wiped off the tables in the living room.

“So, how are you doing, Nayoung?” he asked.

Aera’s eyes widened.

N-Nayoung?

A lightbulb went off in her head as she remembered who she saw that lady from. Aera remembered before she left her home of a mansion, Nayoung wanted to marry Minseok, but he refused to marry her. He hated her with a passion, she was an evil person. No one liked her. She didn’t even like Minseok for who he really was, she only wanted his money.

What is she doing here?

“I’m doing good,” she beamed, “I just can’t wait for the wedding! We’ll be such a happy couple!”

Aera’s eyes widened. She pieced everything together. Nayoung was taking advantage of Minseok’s memory loss. She felt a tinge of jealousy and anger. Jealousy because she liked Minseok, and anger that Nayoung was doing something so awful. Aera immediately stood up right and walked towards them. Minseok looked up at her and gave her a stoic gaze.

“Yes?” he asked.

Nayoung turned around. Her eyes widened.

“A-Aera?” she asked.

Her eyes were beginning to fill up with fear.

“How dare you?” Aera narrowed her eyes down on Nayoung. “How dare you! You know how much he hated you!”

Nayoung took a few steps back. Minseok looked at Aera and Nayoung confused. He was getting angry at Aera, how could someone like her act that way towards his’ fiance? He stepped forwards and glared at Aera.

“How dare you step out of your place? You are just a mere maid working for me. I only took you in because of Minhwa halmeoni,” his voice was cold.

Aera’s heart shattered.

“Minseok, it’s me. Han Aera,” she said.

Minseok ignored her and looked at Nayoung, who now had a smirk on her lips.

Nayoung had an advantage. Minseok didn’t remember Aera.

“I don’t know you,” Nayoung said.

Aera scoffed.

“Don’t lie.”

“Han Aera shi, I was trying to be considerate of Minhwa halmeoni, but I’ll have to let you go. I do not stand for people who disrespect the Kim family,” he said.

Aera shook her head. No, he couldn’t marry her. That woman was just pure evil.

“Minseok, please. I’ll try to help you remember,” she begged.

“I don’t want to remember,” he said.

Aera’s eyes widened.

“Minseok ah.”

“Don’t talk to me like that. We are not close, and I don’t believe we ever were either. Leave.”

Aera clenched her fists and resisted the urge to release her anger on Nayoung. Aera stared deep into Minseok’s eyes. His eyes that she used to love.

“Fine. I hope you’ll remember what a monster Nayoung really was,” Aera said.

She stormed out of the mansion with what she was wearing and nothing else.

~~~

Aera ran through the dark streets of the outskirts of Seoul. She was so angry at him. He wasn’t anywhere close to the old Minseok anymore. It broke her heart, but there was nothing that she could do. She ran wherever her legs took her.

Minseok sat down onto the couch and ran his fingers through his hair.

“I’m sorry, Nayoung,” he said. “I should’ve trained her properly.”

Nayoung smiled and shook her head.

“No, it’s fine.”

Minseok rubbed his temples as he felt a migraine coming.

“Nayoung, I don’t think I can go out today. I’m getting another headache,” he said.

Nayoung looked at him worried, although she didn’t feel worried. She was just acting. Nayoung nodded and smiled.

“You should rest then,” she said.

Minseok nodded and walked Nayoung to the door. She left and he went back upstairs to his room. He laid on his bed and thought about Aera. Something about the tears that glistened in her eyes made his heart pound hard on his chest. He sighed and shook his head. Moments later a soft rap was heard at the door.

“Come in,” he said.

Minhwa halmeoni walked in. She had a bright smile on her face.

“Master Minseok, I found something that could help you!” she yelled in excitement.

Minseok sat up as Minhwa halmeoni ran towards him. He sat at the edge of the bed. She sat next to him. She handed him a book, a photo book. He opened it up to the first page. It was a picture of him and a little girl right beside him. They were hugging with big smiles on their faces. Minseok’s heartbeat raced as he stared at the picture. He could see a memory of some sort flashing through his mind. He could see the girl and him running happily around a park. He could feel his heart yearn for her.

He flipped the page and looked at more pictures. This time it was a picture of them, again. They were making peace signs towards the camera. He felt his heart shatter. He didn’t know why but these memories were so beautiful and painful at the same time. He pointed to the girl in the picture.

“H-Halmeoni, who is that girl?” he asked.

Halmeoni looked up at him with a big smile.

“She’s here! Han Aera, the-”

Minseok stood up immediately and ran out of the house. His migraine was worsening, but he ignored it. His migraine was due to the memory surge that was happening at the moment. Everything was coming back to him.

Aera, Han Aera.

He ran to his car and got in. He rolled down his windows as he searched hard through the night to find her.

“Aera!” he yelled out. “Han Aera!”

His heart beat was racing with fear. He had lost her once when she moved away, he wasn’t going to lose her a second time.

“Han-”

“Let me go!” a high pitched voice screamed.

Minseok immediately recognized that voice as Aera’s. His eyes widened in panic.

“Aera!”

“Don’t touch me!” she screamed.

Minseok jumped out of his car and followed her voice.

“Let-”

Minseok could see two men dragging Aera towards a van. Her eyes were filled with terror as she tried resisting their strong grasps. Minseok ran towards them and punched the one closest to him to the ground. Aera looked up scared, only to see that it was the boy that she fell in love with.

Minseok?

The man covered Aera’s nose and mouth with a cloth. She couldn’t breath. She tried prying the man’s hands off of her, but it was no use. White spots began clouding her vision, before everything went black.

~~~

Aera felt her head pounding with pain. She felt the space around her, she was on a bed, a soft bed. Her eyes shot open in alarm. She sat up and looked around the room, scared. Two arms suddenly grabbed onto her, she pushed the person away and screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Don’t touch me!!!” she cried.

“Aera! It’s me!”

“No!!! Don’t touch me!”

She was scared. She didn’t want to go through any of this again. There were so many times where she was knocked out, only to wake up in a bedroom, where a man was waiting for her.

“Please! I’ll do anything, just don’t touch me,” she cried as she pulled the blanket sheets closer to her, to protect her.

Her eyes were darting everywhere, except on the man that was with her.

“Aera, please,” the voice said.

“I’m sorry,” she shook her head, “I won’t run away again, just please,” she sobbed.

“Aera,” the voices spoke softer this time, “It’s me, Kim Minseok.”

Aera’s eyes slightly widened as she looked at the man sitting beside her. Indeed it was him; Kim Minseok.

“M-Minseok?” her voice choked.

He had a small and worried smile on his lips as he nodded.

“Mm, it’s Minseok,” he said.

Aera suddenly remembered when he kicked her out of the house.

“No, it’s not you,” she said coldly. “Y-You-”

“Aera ah, I’m sorry. I remember everything. I’m so sorry. I won’t do that to you again, Aera.”

Tears builded up in her eyes. She wanted so much to just hide in his big strong arms.

“Minseok,” she said softly.

He nodded.

“Mm, Minseok.”

She sobbed as she held the blanket sheets tighter.

“I won’t let anyone touch you again. I promise,” he said.

Aera looked at him in the eyes.

“Minseok.”

That was all that she could say at the moment. Minseok nodded and cautiously went closer towards her.

“Aera,” he whispered.

He slowly wrapped his arms around her, protectively and held her close. She leaned her head on his chest as she continued to sob.

“Minseok.”

Notes

I wrote this one-shot after attending a workshop about the terrible stories of trafficking. It's a truly sad and sickening subject.

Comments

I remember this story... It used to have more chapters...
I'm glad you're starting it again! I love this story!!
Fighting, eonnie!! <3

@StarrMunoz16

Thank you :)

Nubci Nubci
3/12/16

I love this story...