The next morning you awoke before your alarm clock could sound. While your eyes were stinging from the lack of sleep, you decided you’d rather slip out now than sleep in and have to sit through Hea’s questions once she awoke. She was still unacquainted regarding the details of your disappearance, and you planned to keep it that way. The incident was something you’d wanted to put to rest, and you were well aware Hea wasn’t the type to simply let you do that.

 

 

After a quick shower, you whipped up a quick cup of coffee; which you then poured into a to-go mug. Giving sleeping Hea one last glance, you headed out the door. Parking your car in the spot that stated ‘teacher reserved’, you pulled out the keys to the building and headed inside. There was still two hours left until the school opened so you decided to clean the place up a little

 

 

Afterwards, you sat down at your desk and reached for the bottom drawer, pulling out a sheet of paper and envelope, a sigh soon following suit. Since the incident had occurred over the weekend, you hadn’t technically missed any days of work. Nevertheless, this meant that you also hadn’t gotten any work done, and since the year just began, you were to complete some major paper work for new students. Additionally, the curriculum was to be completed by Monday, which was today. You placed your face in your hands and sighed loudly.

 

 

No, Jung Hye. You can do this, you can do this. You straightened yourself in your seat and began writing the letter.

 

 

After about 30 minutes, you decided you were content with what was written so you placed the letter neatly into the envelope. The last thing you did was address it to Mrs. Choi, the preschool director.

 

 

Glancing at your watch, you still had about an hour until the students were to arrive.

 

 

 Just enough time for a short 30min nap.

 

 

 So after placing the letter on Mrs. Choi’s desk, you sat back into your desk chair and placed your head on your arms. As you drifted off into the land of dreams, you found yourself in the arms of a man. Tall and strong, he stood in front of you, a dark shadow cast upon his figure. He reached in to place a kiss to your lips, soft yet heated. “N-No! My first kiss.” You protested, covering your lips with your hands. The man grinned, as if he were content with your displeasure. The darkness in the room grew, yet he seemed to become more visible in your eyes. Then, he vanished. The next thing you knew you were standing in the middle of a long corridor. The blood red walls were covered in intricate paintings created by none other than Claude Monet. “H-Hello?” your voice ricocheted off the walls.

 

 

As you turned your body around, you noticed a figure at the end of the corridor. Tall frame, blonde hair, and a confident smirk. The man inhaled, and then slowly released a waft of smoke. He took a step forward, revealing his identity. “How was the kiss, Ms. Jung Hye?” he smirked.

 

 

“Kris?”                                                                            

 

 

….

 

 

“KRIS!?”

 

 

You awoke, startled by your own voice. The man in front of you just as troubled, took a step back. “Who’s Kris?” Joonmyeon inquired.

 

“N-Nobody.” You said before surveying your surroundings and focusing your attention back on the teacher. “I meant to say kids.” You clarified, flustered at your current state. “Are the kids here yet?” you asked, as you began to fix your appearance without a mirror. The man chuckled at the sight before him. “Not yet, there’s still 20 minutes left—err, are you alright Jung Hye?”

 

 

This caused you to stop your actions and stare at the man. His expression was somewhere in the middle of confused and amused. Unable to suppress your own laugh, you nodded. “I’m fine.” You chuckled, slightly embarrassed. Joonmyeon soon followed suit. “I guess you didn’t sleep well last night, huh?” he smiled.

 

 

You have no idea.

 

 

 

“Wait, how did you get that scar?” He asked, now pointing to the area under your eye. Your eyes followed his finger and you let out a sigh. “Oh, umm. Gardening accident.” You chuckled, quite obviously by force. Joonmyeon didn’t notice though. “I might have something for that in my office, one second.”

 

 

“No it’s alright. It’ll get better on its own-”

 

 

“No I insist. I’ll be right back.” He assured, smiling.

 

 

“Ah but-”

 

 

He subsequently left without listening to your weak protests. Soon, however, Joonmyeon returned with a Band-Aid and a fruit juice. He placed both of them on your desk and smiled. “Tshh- this wasn’t necessary you know.” You eyed him playfully. “Don’t act like you don’t like it, I’m the best co-worker ever, aren’t I?” he laughed.

 

 

“You’re my only co-worker, so yes I guess that does make you the best.”

 

 

The man smiled in the hopes that his gesture made your day just a bit better. And it had, Joonmyeon had that natural quality to him. He was a people person; he always knew how to make someone feel better—or at least less terrible.

 

 

After finishing your juice, you headed to the front doors and unlocked them; prepping yourself for another day full of songs and play; oh how you loved your job.

 

≫≫≫

 

 

Before the lunch break began, you waved goodbye to all the kids who had finished for the day. The afternoon set of kids would soon be arriving and while you loved all your kids equally, there was no doubt that the afternoon kids sometimes drove you over your limit. They were all adorable of course, just a little more crazy than the rest.

 

 

“Bwye Ms. Jung Hye.” a four-year old boy called Young Jun said. He reached up to you as if to ask for a hug.

 

 

“Goodbye Jun-ah, make sure you finish that puzzle I’m sending you home with tonight, okay? I’ll check tomorrow.” You smiled, pulling lightly on the boy’s ear.

 

 

“I willllll!” he assured, waving goodbye with his right hand while his mother held his left. You smiled, waving goodbye to the boy. That is, until, you caught sight of a black-suited man who was standing directly in front of the hallway window.  He squinted as if to confirm your identity and you felt your throat go dry.

 

 

No, this can’t be happening. Not at my place of work. Not where there are children.

 

 

The man continued to stare, causing a sweat bead to form along your forehead. The next thing you did was walk across the hallway, to the security office. “Mr. Han, there’s an unidentified man in hallway B. Please take a look.” You began, trying to sound calm but he could sense the panic in your voice. Mr. Han followed you to the classroom and you pointed to the window, which was now clear of any presence. “Where?” he asked.

 

 

“H-He, was right there just a second ago!” you insisted. Glancing around the classroom, you headed out towards the hallway. It was empty; there was nobody there at all.

 

 

“Ms. Jung Hye, it doesn’t seem like anybody is here. Still, if you see that man again please let me know.” He stated before taking his leave. You nodded and bowed slightly, returning to your desk.

 

 

There was no mistaking it. That man belonged to the same gang that kidnapped you days ago; Guozhi’s gang. But wasn’t it all over? You were sure that Kris had ended it all. So why were they still after you? What could they possibly want now? You bit your lip, hard enough to draw blood. If they had found your place of work they surely knew where you lived too, there was no doubt about it.

 

 

What do I do?

 

 

Could you contact Kris? But how? It wasn’t like you had his number. Moreover, you didn’t have the address to his mansion. As a result, you realized there was nothing you could really do but wait. Wait for them to realize that you didn’t have whatever they were searching for. But still, it was crucial that you take all necessary precautions. So you decided that you would discuss this matter with Mr. Han. Perhaps you could convince him to call in some extra security guards, just for a few days. If it was a matter of safety for the children, you were sure he wouldn’t reject. As for you, you decided that it would be beneficial to invest in some sort of self-defense weapon.

 

 

After class ended that day you headed home. Watchfully, you parked your vehicle in the underground parkade and turned off the engine. While the parkade was usually well lit, today it seemed as if some of the lights had fused. Without another thought, you pulled out your phone and called Hea.

 

 

“Hey, do you think you could come down to the parkade?” you asked. The girl agreed, asking no further questions as she was well aware of the reason behind your apprehension.

 

 

After the both of you stepped inside the small apartment, nothing was said. Hea decided it was better to give you some time, after all the experience must’ve been traumatizing. She hoped, however, that you would open up to her when you were ready.

 

 

The next few days went by smoothly. Although you had informed Mr. Han about the security situation, it seemed as if it had been  unnecessary. Perhaps you had imagined it; perhaps that black-suited man was nothing more than a parent after all. With that in mind, you drove home, parking in the familiar spot. Glancing at the flickering lights, you made a note to contact the building supervisor. As you stepped out of your vehicle, you felt an ominous presence lingering at the south end of the parkade, near the entrance. Grabbing onto your bag, you swallowed and quickly made your way to the elevator doors. While you were waiting, you noticed a car approaching, the headlights shone in your eyes and you looked away. The car drove down the parkade, eventually fading. Thinking nothing of it, you stepped on the elevator and headed home.

 

 

“I’m home.” You called, noticing Hea at the dinner table. She welcomed you inside and you sat down, glancing at the delicious food before you. “I’m sorry for pressuring you to tell me everything. It was insensitive of me.” she suddenly said, looking as if she had thought over her actions. You sighed, a smile forming on your lips. “Don’t apologize, its okay. Honestly, I just wanted to forget it ever happened.”

 

 

She nodded, understanding your reasoning. “I know.”

 

 

Hea glanced back at her food, picking at the carrots and potatoes. It was obvious the girl was dying to know so you decided it was best to just tell her. Besides, she was your best friend after all, if you didn’t tell her who would you tell?

 

 

…

 

 

 

“And that’s when his chauffer drove me home.” You finished, releasing a long breath. Hea just sat there, flabbergasted at the story that was just told. After a few moments she spoke, though still taken aback and wary.

 

 

“Who were those men though?”

 

 

“I don’t know. Kyungsoo told me they belong to The Black Dragons.”

 

 

Hea tapped a finger on her chin. “I think I’ve heard of them.” She recalled. You shrugged, reaching for the fork to pick up some cooked carrots. Hea soon interrupted as she walked around the table to give you a hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe.” She said, resting her head on your shoulder. “I don’t know what I’d do without you Jung Hye-yah.”You smiled, patting your hand over the younger girl’s head.

 

 

After dinner, the two of you sat down on the sofa to watch a movie. Hea began browsing through the selection, her banter as noisy as usual. There was one particular detail you left out during the story; and that was the kiss between you and Kris. While you didn’t think much of it, it was your first kiss and you sort of wanted to discuss it with somebody.

 

 

“Hea?”

 

 

“Hmm?” she hummed, content with the movie she had chosen.  

 

 

“About Kris-”

 

 

“Omo- I totally forgot to ask you. How was it living with a superstar?” she squealed, interrupting your train of thought.

 

 

“Well he-”

 

 

“I seriously still cannot believe you met Kris Wu. Although, wasn’t he in China? What is he doing back in Korea?” she asked. “And I can’t believe he used to be in a gang! That just makes him even ier!” she gushed.

 

 

“Hea!” you shouted.

 

 

That caught her attention. After bringing both of your legs up to the sofa, you took a deep breath and continued.

 

 

“He kissed me.”

 

Hea looked as if she’d heard wrong. “W-What? Who kissed you? Kris?” she asked. A nod was all she needed; her scream was nothing short of earsplitting. “Oh my god Jung Hye-yah, would it be bad if I said I’m kind of jealous of your situation?” she stated.

 

 

“Yes. Yes it would be.” You sighed.

 

 

Just then, a thunderous banging was heard at the door. The two of you flinched, gazes both trailing towards the door. “Who could it be at this hour?” Hea asked. Something didn’t feel right, and you felt a lump forming in your throat again. Unexpectedly, the stranger knocked again, this time a lot firmer and with force. Hea gasped, now understanding that this wasn’t just a neighbor or acquaintance.

 

 

“J-Jung Hye.” she said, fearfully clutching onto your arm. In an effort to comfort her, you ran your hand along her arm.  But you couldn’t deny the fact that you too were afraid. Frightened of what—or who, was behind that door. Cautiously, you stood up, suggesting to the younger girl that she stay back on the sofa. With every step, you desperately tried to convince yourself that it was just a neighbor; somebody harmless. But, you were certain it wasn’t, your odds had never been that great anyway. The banging continued and you held back a breath as you looked through the peephole. Right away, you stumbled backwards, the look of shock plastered on your face. 

 

 

 

---

A/N

Who could be at the door? comment below and tell me your suspicions! Also I just want to thank you all for being so patient, I kinda love you. OK bye.