"What the hell, Shownu?!"

"You shouldn't blame me for being a sore loser!"

Piyoon and Shownu were at the arcade. They wanted to build up their appetite since they weren't hungry just yet and Shownu had won three games in a row. He smiled victoriously while Piyoon threw a small tantrum. "Once more!" she demanded.

He laughed, "You know what the results will be. Plus, aren't you hungry?"

"No way, I'm going to beat you this time," she said, swiping the money card on the machine twice. He watched her as she did so before the game started. He was planning to give her this win because he was starving. As he was absentmindedly playing, he thought back to that blonde-haired man back at the park. He wanted to ask her about him but he was afraid she was just going to brush him off again. For some reason, he didn't want that and it wasn't like he knew her very well either.

"I'm winning." She rapidly pressed the buttons in the last few seconds. "Yes!" she cheered loudly and then covered in embarrassment. Shownu laughed loudly. Finally, they would be able to eat.

They headed to a Vietnamese based restaurant which was famous for pho and spring rolls. From what he heard, it was pretty delicious. "Ever had pho before?" he asked once he ordered for the both of them.

She shook her head. "I don't eat out a lot. I usually eat home cooked meals."

He felt a pinch of jealousy. "Your parents must have a lot of time."

"They're rarely home," she said, taking out the utensils. "My grandpa cooks for all of us. I don't think my parents even know how to cook. What about your parents?"

He looked at the TV. "...I rarely see them."

"Workaholics?" she guessed and he nodded. "And then some."

"What do you mean?"

"...I don't like what they do."

"Because you rarely see them? I'm fine with my parent's work. They're part of the government."

He smirked. "Just an hour ago you were telling me to go away and now you're a talking machine. Weren't you just screaming and cheering back at the arcade, too? I didn't know you had this side of you."

She blushed a bit but shrugged it off. "I've come to terms with it. You're annoying so the more I talk, the less you do."

He frowned. "Hey!" Before he could saw anything else, their steaming hot bowls arrived. The waiter placed their bowls in front of them and bid them a happy meal. Piyoon watched Shownu add in the sauce and mint leaves to his bowl before trying it herself.

She was adding the sauce when a gunshot suddenly went off in the restaurant, breaking a lightbulb. Everyone screamed and dropped down to the floor. Piyoon jumped in surprise when the shot fired and scalded her wrist with the soup before Shownu was able to pull her down under the table. He noticed her gripping her wrist and asked out of worry, "Are you hurt?"

"I burned myself," she said in a shaky voice. A second gunshot ran and she inched closer to Shownu, her whole body tense.

"Come out Sapphires!" the shooter yelled and waved around his gun. Everyone screamed. Shownu held Piyoon close and tried to cover her view from the shooter.

"Shut up!" the man yelled. "I'm not afraid to shoot anyone so shut up and stay where you are! Don't you dare call the police!" The restaurant came to a deadly silence. "Now, where are you Sapphires? Come out! I don't even know why you sickos even have them. They're corrupt! Have any of you even seen the news?" The man looked at the TV but it wasn't on a news channel.

"Give me the remote!" he demanded. "Give me the remote or I'll shoot someone!" People screamed when he waved his gun around. A man stood up with his hands in the air and went behind the counter to give him the remote. The man pushed him to the ground after he got what he wanted and changed the channel.

"A shocking event happened today when a Sapphire is suspected of killing its human this evening. Officials haven't released an official statement but what we do know, is that a neighbour reported a gun shot and when police arrived both were pronounced dead at the scene. We don't know if someone shot the victim and fled after placing the gun in the Sapphire's hand or if the Sapphire shot him. We will have to wait until we receive an official statement."

"See?" he pointed out. "Sapphires aren't meant to live alongside humans. They're murderers!"

"We don't know that for sure," someone spoke.

"Who said that?!" The shooter went ballistic and shot another light bulb. Screams ran through the restaurant. Piyoon squeezed her eyes shut tight and held her ears as Shownu held her closer.

"That was your final warning! Sapphires are the reason the world is so corrupt. Murders, burglaries, heists; all assisted by Sapphires. They make it so freaking easy to plan it through. They don't have any weaknesses; they can transform by command and they don't have a conscious! They do whatever their human tells them. They're inhumane slaves to the world of evil! I'm going to tell you one last time: Sapphires, show yourself and no one will get hurt."

A few seconds passed by when a middle aged lady stood up. "I'm a Sapphire, so don't-" before she could even finish her sentence, he shot her on the shoulder. It went through her and she screamed. Then, her human stood up and before she could even say a word, she was shot in the head. The both of them fell down, lifeless and the people around them screamed and crawled away from the mess.

"Shownu..." Piyoon quietly cried. "Sh," he hushed. "Don't worry, someone will help us." He tried to calm the both of them down. He was sweating with fear after seeing the two get fall down through the barrier of chairs he silently built around them while Piyoon was crying silently against his chest.

Then, the glass walls of the restaurant shattered. A bullet was shot and a painful scream was heard. Suddenly the place was swarmed with the SWAT team and police. "You're safe," they declared. Relief washed over the whole place and cries were heard. Among them were Piyoon's cries after she heard that they were safe. Shownu rested his cheek on her head as he allowed her to cry on his chest. He rubbed her head as he repeated, "We're safe, Piyoon."

Along with the news of the murder, the news of the hostage was all over the area. As soon as the police were notified and the SWAT were dispatched to the scene and the situation was quickly taken care of because it was only one man that held the hostage. They shot the glass and shot the man in the leg, before men held him down.

After the commotion, they escorted the hostages out of the scene. When Piyoon got up, her eyes automatically traveled to the lady who was shot in the head. Although there was a white sheet covering her and the Sapphire, there was still a pool of blood on the floor. Her stomach churned at the sight and held on to Shownu's shirt. He noticed and pulled his arm away from her grasp to hug her shoulder as they were led out.

The two of them were sitting on the edge of the sidewalk with a blanket each. They gave their statements and were checked for injuries. She got her burn treated and Shownu was just fine. After that, they were given water to drink while they waited for her ride. Shownu didn't bother contacting his parents and waited with her. Piyoon couldn't stop shaking so he had to hold her like before and console her with reassuring words that was meant for the both of them. He wanted to joke around to make the mood a bit lighter but he wasn't able to muster up the energy to do so.

His phone rung and he picked up the unknown number. He cursed when he ended the conversation with the other person on the line. "What is it?" Piyoon asked. "Your parents aren't coming?"

"It's nothing."

"It's something," she observed. "You don't have to stay with me. My brother will be here soon." He stared at her, unsure if it was right to leave her by herself when she was shaking like a leaf. "Go," she said. "I'll be fine."

Shownu stuck his hand out in front of her. "Give me your phone." She dug through her purse and handed him her phone. He saved his number on it and gave it back to her. "If anything happens, call me. I'm going." She watched him stand up and disappear into the crowd behind the yellow line. She sighed and looked at her hands which were still shaking with fear so she placed them in between her thighs.

One by one the hostages left the scene and the crowd at the police line slowly thinned out. Piyoon was getting nervous as she waited for Jimin and Riley. They were taking too long and while she waited, her thoughts began to wander to the image of blood back at the restaurant. She shut her eyes tight and covered her ears.

Then, someone shook her shoulder. She looked up expecting to see Jimin but it was only an officer. "Miss, are you alright?" She nodded. "Do you want me to drop you home? You've been here for a while." She shook her head. "They're coming," she told him. "They're coming," she told herself.

The officer didn't question any further and left. Another ten minutes went by, then twenty, then thirty. There was still a small crowd and the police were finishing up with the crime scene. "Miss," the officer approached her again. She stood up and gave him the blanket. "I'll be going." She headed towards the direction of her home and stopped when she heard her name. She looked up to see Jungkook in front of her. She was so shaken up with fear that she didn't even feel his presence but now that she was staring right at him, his presence felt stronger than before.

"Come here," he spoke. He spread out his arms and gave her a gentle smile. Then, she broke. She tried so hard not to cry when her head kept going back to the scene and the thought of Riley and Jimin forgetting her only encouraged her but she clenched her fists and bit her lip so tears wouldn't fall. Seeing Jungkook smiling in front of her made her lose control. Piyoon quickly walked towards him and hugged his torso tight. Tears of relief rolled down her cheeks as he hugged her back, one hand her head. "I'm sorry. I should have arrived earlier." Piyoon shook her head against his chest as she cried.

Once she calmed down, he carried her on his back as they headed to her house. There was a comfortable silence around them as they were enjoying the other's presence.

"Where were you?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Where I've always been," he answered.

Her grip around him tightened so he stopped to hoist her up a bit. "How could you just leave me?" she asked in a small voice. "I told you I didn't care what anyone else thinks."

"I didn't want to ruin your relationship with your family."

"It's already ruined," she mumbled but he still heard her.

"Piyoon!" She looked up to see Riley in his wheelchair in front of them. Jungkook set Piyoon down. "Riley... What took you so long?" she cried. She thought they forgot about her.

He wheeled towards them. "I'm so sorry. Are you alright?" He stood up and hugged her as she nodded and cried in relief against his chest.

After she calmed down, she sat on the wheelchair while Riley pushed her down the road. Jungkook was walking alongside her and holding her hand. He wasn't allowed to disappear from her sight. Riley watched the silent interaction of the two and then he thought back to the atmosphere of the house. "Jungkook, where will you go after?" he asked not aware that the two wanted to avoid the question until they reached the house.

Jungkook looked at Piyoon who was staring at the road in front of her. "There's an organization," he spoke looking back to the road, "that houses abandoned Sapphires. I've been told to go there by my human when I was Deregistered. Not many know about it because it's not a government organization although they have a good chance in passing the second bill."

"Why didn't you go there in the first place?" asked Riley.

"...I was waiting for him to take me back." He looked at Piyoon who was still looking ahead. He gave her a gentle squeeze but she didn't respond.

In a short while, the three arrived. They stopped at the front porch but no one made a move to go inside. The two were still holding hands, staring down at their feet while Riley was staring at the house.

"I'll head in first," he announced, leaving the two alone. After he entered the house, they still didn't move. It wasn't until rain started to fall that they ran towards the porch with Riley's wheelchair. The two looked at each other and laughed at the situation. He took her hand in his again as if it was the most natural thing and they watched the rain fall.

"Is it far from here? The organization?" asked Piyoon.

"It's close," he replied. "Closer than the distance to Sapphire Square."

"Is it safe there?"

"It is. It's very security tight. There won't be many Sapphires because it's not well known in this area."

"Then, I'll visit you. I'll see you every one or two weeks. But maybe not so much this month; it's exam month. But after that, I'll visit you a lot."

He chuckled. "Alright. I'll look forward to your visits. What will you bring as a present on your first visit?"

"A set of clothes," she answered. She pinched the hem of his t-shirt. "You've worn this ever since you left me on that hill." She didn't mean to make him feel guilty. She said it without realizing. Out of nowhere, he pulled on the hand he was holding and wrapped his arms around her body. Her eyes widened and her chest thumped loudly.

"I really missed you," he confessed. "I really missed holding your hand. It gave me a lot of comfort."

She relaxed in his arms. "Is that why you never let go of my hand the entire time?" she teased with a smile. He nodded against her shoulder and she laughed, his hair tickling the side of her neck.  "I hope you can comfortably find your Sapphire."

Piyoon's lips went flat when he said that. "I don't think I can see you again if I do."

Jungkook grabbed the sides of her arms and pulled away. "How so?"

Because if I do, that means I won’t be able to see you anymore, she thought. "You know why..." He felt a slight sad aura from her and understood. "You should go. It's getting late."

He nodded. "You go in first. You don't have classes tomorrow, right? Come with me." She nodded and headed inside. The door closed and her back leaned against it. She waited until his presence was gone before she started to head to her room.

Stopping, she noticed the TV on, illuminating on Jimin who was curled up in a ball on the couch with his blanket half on the floor. She wanted to go to her room, pretending she never noticed him. She was still mad and confused as to why it wasn't him. Why didn't he come when she called? Why was he sleeping on the couch when she could possibly be hurt? She felt a bubbling anger deep in her stomach but she decided to let it pass. She took in a deep long breath and blew it out slowly.

Heading over, she picked up the blanket from the floor and adjusted it over his body. She made sure the blanket was properly adjusted over him. Then, out of slight anger, she covered his face with the blanket before turning off the TV and headed to her room.

Downstairs, Jimin wasn't really sleeping. He was actually waiting anxiously for her to arrive home. Before Riley left to get Piyoon, they had an argument. He refused to be the one to get her because he thought she wouldn't be happy to see him.

        "Do you really think Piyoon is someone who cares about that? She was part of a hostage situation and that's what you can think of right now?! There         was a gun involved and she may have gotten hurt. Didn't you promise Taerin you wouldn’t let anything happen to her? Why are you so selfish?"

       "Yes, I'm selfish!" he yelled. "l would rather have you go check on her because l don't want her to feel disappointed to see me. All I did to her was                    ignore her, yell at her and tell her how I would die to save her mom. Do you think she'll be glad to see me? Do you think she'll hug me and cry on my           chest? No, she won't and I'm afraid of that."

        "How selfish can you get? She's the one who's afraid right now. Even If I leave right now, I won't be able to get to her in another hour based on my                condition. You can run and arrive in half the time I take to get there. So shut up, put away your selfish pride and go!" Jimin only stared straight into            his eyes so out of frustration, he let out an angry groan and left the house in his wheelchair.

Jimin headed upstairs and stopped in front of her door. He sighed and leaned his forehead against the wood. There was this regretful and uncomfortable feeling in his chest. Of course, he was sorry for the way he treated her but never had the pride to say it out loud. Recently that feeling in his chest rose whenever he saw her and it irritated to heck out of him. The last time he felt like that was when he and Taerin got into a big fight when she was in her mid-twenties. And twenty years after, he got that uncomfortable feeling in his chest again and he knew it could be relieved if he would apologize and be forgiven but his stubbornness got in the way. He refused to admit he was wrong for sending Jungkook away because he knew he would hurt his human. But why did he have this feeling in his chest when his human was content? He didn't know and it frustrated him. Why was Piyoon affecting him so much?

---

Didn't expect it to go this way did you? Haha. Welp, Jungkook is back and he has a safe place to stay! No more worries.