Chapter 6

Melody walks to her house. She let out a sigh of relief. She felt like her heart would drop when noticed the guy almost caught after her.

She pushes her hair back. As she stood in front of the front door, she could hear crashing and yelling. Melody’s hand stop from twisting the knob. Somehow, she felt something was wrong.

Melody twisted the knob and push the door slowly. She peeks from behind the door only to see Frank throwing and breaking stuff.

“Where is Melody!? I need to lash out my anger now!!” he screamed drunk.

He threw the vase on the floor, kicking the couch and smashing the stuff. The scene makes Melody gripping the knob tightly. There is no way she will come home and be beaten up by him.

She slowly closes the door and turns around. It getting dark and she didn’t know where to go to distract herself before coming back home. Melody continues to walk from her house.

All the walks lead her to the city. She just enjoys watching people here and there. That’s when she realised she had arrived at Uncle Woo’s mobile store.

“Uncle Woo?” Melody pushes the door.

“Sweetheart? Is that you?” Uncle Woo came out and saw her, “Oh, it is you. What are you doing here, sweetie?”

“Just have my...night walk,” she smiles, putting her hands in her hoodie.

“Sweetie, it's too dangerous. You should have someone accompany you,” the old man slightly scolds her.

Melody just chuckles. She sits at the barstool. “You still open?”

“I’m about to close. There’s a lot of phones I have to fix,” he sighs, scratching his head.

“You should hire someone to help you, Uncle,” she said. Her fingers playing with the screwdriver on the counter, “You getting old and old, you can’t handle everything by yourself.”

“Oh please, are you trying to say I’m weak now?” Uncle Woo playfully glares at her.

“I mean, I’m not wrong,” she smirks.

Uncle Woo pinches her cheek causing her to whine, “Uncle...”

“Mind your words, young lady,” he scolds her playfully and lets her cheek go.

She giggles. She keeps watching him repairing the phone. He looks so professional in Melody’s eyes. A random question popped into her head.

“Uncle, how did you know how to repair the phone? Or any gadget?” she questioned.

“My father taught me. He taught me everything and it became my passion. I open this shop and that’s how my life getting better,” Uncle Woo explains.

“Getting better? What do you mean?”

Uncle Woo chuckles, “Well, that’s how I met my wife. This shop contains a lot of memories of me and her. This shop is where we met, fell in love, fought, had kids and lived.”

Melody looked around the shop and she could see a lot of framed pictures hanging on the wall. No wonder this shop makes her feel a family vibe.

“Because of her, my life gets even better,” he continues.

“You sound... delighted,”

“Of course, I am, sweetie,” the old man smiles. “You will understand it one day.”

“Me? How?” she frowns.

The old man smiles and ruffles her hair, “One day, you will find a man that makes you fall in love. Make you feel something that you never had. A man who will treat you like some kind of precious diamond. A man that could give you the life and will die for you.”

“Once you had him, you feel more than delighted, my dear,” Uncle Woo slightly pinches her cheek before getting back to his work.

Melody just stays still, processing his words. Falling in love? A man? She never thought of it but after he talked like that to her, she started to wonder about it. A love from someone that not even her family has ever crossed her thoughts.

Her hands clenching, thinking of letting a new person into her life.

“What if...he’s not the one?” she blurts out.

Uncle Woo looks at her for a second before back to his work, “Well, you got smacked the shit out of him.”

His answer makes Melody chuckle.

“I mean, it’s true though. But, you can’t keep pushing people away. Sometimes, you have to give them a chance. Who knows...” he wiggles his eyebrows, “They might...catch your heart.”

Melody rolls her eyes and chuckles. She twirled with her fingers.

Suddenly, a bell rang.

Uncle Woo lifts his head, “Oh, gentlemen, we are closed.”

“Well, well, well. I didn’t expect to find you right away,”

The voice makes Melody stiff. She recognized that voice very well even though they just met. Uncle Woo looks at them in confusion and turns to Melody who looks stunned.

She slowly turns her body and there they are. Three of them standing there with a few guards behind them. Damian wearing a black turtle neck with black pants and a coat hanging on his shoulder.

“You can’t run away this time, bitch!” Matthew scowls.

“Calm your dick down, Mat,” Victor sighs.

Melody chuckles nervously and gets down from the bar stool. “Um...hey...”

“Don’t you ‘hey’ us!” Matthew glares at her.

“Give our stuff back,” Victor firmly speaks.

“What are you talking about? I don’t have it,” she innocently speaks.

“Don’t you act innocent here!” Matthew getting frustrated. Even that innocent face almost got him, he wouldn’t fall this time.

Uncle Woo frowns to see their interaction. He looks at Melody who looks nervous and states, “Sweetie, do you know them?”

“Um...yeah. They...uh...my friend!” she grins.

“Friend? I didn’t know you have a friend,” Uncle Woo surprised to hear that from her. This is the very first time he heard she had a friend.

“A friend? A friend your ass. You steal our—”

Before Matthew could finish talking, Melody beat him to it, “AH!! I remember! You guys come here to hang out right!? Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I forgot about it.”

The man frowns in confusion. Meanwhile, Damian stays with his expression, emotionless. Uncle Woo let out a slow chuckle.

“How can you forget it, sweetie? It's rude,” the old man speaks.

“I got a lot in my mind,” she chuckles.

“We’re not—”

“Well, uncle. I got to go now! See ya!!” Melody waves at him. She went to them and looked at them with pleading eyes, “Let’s go guys.”

Damian stares right into her eyes. He glances at the old man behind the counter who still looks confused. Since he understands what this girl trying to do, he decides to play along. He exhales heavily, closing his eyes.

“What are you—” Once again, Matthew's talks got interrupted.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Damian smiles mischievously.

He wrapped his arms around Melody causing her to tense. She could feel the dangerous aura from him.

“We going to have so much fun, Melody,” Damian grins.

Before they step out of the shop, Melody glances at Uncle Woo's face who seems happy that she finally got a friend. She wishes she could yell that they are not her friend. They shut the door and led her to the nearest alley.

Melody's back hit the wall.

“Now...let ‘hang out’ shall we?” Damian crosses his arms on his chest.

“Oh uh...”