He was running. Still running.

It's what he does anyway. It's nothing new. The scenario was pretty much the same -- total darkness, an endless alley, challenged fears, and an unknown figure running after him.

The one thing out of the ordinary in this picture was the other person he was running towards. He rarely ran towards a goal -- he was always running away. But in this case, he was running to a slender figure clothed in white trimmed with gold.

He just had to get there.

But like all of his dreams, it ends in the most unpleasant way.

Hyuk gasped for air as he sat up, jolted awake by a nightmare. He could feel his heart pounding wildly against his chest, sweat beading on his forehead.

His breathing was deeper than usual.

His hand touched his forehead and felt the dampness. He was sweating despite the cold air in the room. It took Hyuk another minute to remember that he was staying in a shady motel and that Kim Sun Hee, the actress, was alseep on the bed. 

He glanced at the bed to see if she was there, if she was fast asleep.

Except her bed was empty.

What in the name of -- ?

Immediately, he got out of his makeshift bed to get a better look at the scene. Kim Sun Hee was definitely not on her bed; he was just staring at the mess of blankets and pillows. He checked to see if there was a light in the bathroom -- nothing. 

The frazzled detective walked around the tiny room, looking for signs as to where the actress could've gone. Instantly, the thought of the stalker getting the best of him threatened his confidence. How could a suspect win under his nose? He got out his phone and was about to call the station when he noticed the small balcony. She could be there.

Hyuk budged the sliding door open.

She wasn't outside either.

Where is she?

He was a man who rarely panicked, but he did worry. The detective went outside the small balcony and looked at the city lights, racking his brains for his next step. Where could the actress be? He would be in trouble with a lot of people, but that wasn't the first thing on his mind.

He just wanted to know where she was.

As he was gazing at the city, his eyes fell on the ladder beside the window. 

Could she--?

Without wasting any time, he carefully got up on the metal railing of the balcony and lifted himself to climb up the rickety metal ladder. He took one sturdy step another and eventually, ended up on the motel's rooftop. It was then he realized their room was at the top most.

Just like the other areas of the motel, it was a shabby rooftop. There was a rust water tank, some dead plants, and discarded metal furniture. On the opposite side, he saw a tall figure standing behind the railing -- she was wearing a white flowing dress (Who wears such a nightgown to sleep? he asked himself).

The figure was hard to miss.

"Miss Sun Hee!" he called out.

Kim Sun Hee was startled with his sudden appearance. He saw her jump a little as she turned to face him, her face relieved at the sight of him, but also annoyed.

"You scared me!" she exclaimed, "God, like a ghost!"

"Well you scared me too," he argued, "Don't go missing all of a sudden."

She placed her hands on her hips. "Why would you be scared?"

Her voice was teasing him, as if trying to provoke some sort of specific answer. Of course, Lee Hyuk wasn't going to play with her games.

"I'd lose my job if I lose you," he told her flatly. That wiped away the small mocking smile on her face. Instead, she heaved a sigh and frowned.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I just...needed some fresh air. It was too stuffy in the room and that balcony was too small for my life. I needed to get out of there. I just...had a nightmare."

Her tone was not the typical sunshine-y, optimistic, and whining voice of Kim Sun Hee. For a second, Hyuk felt bad for reprimanding her as she looked at the sky and fear in her eyes.

"What did you dream about?" he asked.

She hesitated for a moment, but took a deep breath. "I was just trapped in the middle of a dark room," she said, "I was all alone and this voice...that...stalker's voice kept talking somewhere. He told me that I could never escape and that I would be his forever."

Sun Hee shivered and Hyuk couldn't blame her.

"I felt so suffocated when I woke up; I had to get out of there," she said, "I'm sorry."

She wrapped her arms around herself. 

Lee Hyuk felt bad for how he reacted to the actress. He wanted to apologize for being so rude and demanding, but he couldn't. He rarely said sorry to anyone -- even to his family and the criminals he locks up. Instead, he just stood there and watched Sun Hee as she collected her thoughts. 

"Detective Lee, can you do me a favor?" 

"What's that?"

"I need you to distract me."

"How?"

She looked at him curiously.

"Tell me the story of your tattoo."

Hyuk was a bit taken aback with ther request. He wondered why she'd ask that out of nowhere, but he remembered that she did see him half- hours ago. 

"Please," she said, "I just need to get my mind off things."

Sun Hee hoped fervently that detective would give in to her request. She already had a rough night -- all thanks to that nightmare. She needed something to distract her from their shady hotel and all the unpleasantries surrounding it.

Plus, she really was curious. 

The detective seemed hesitant with what she wanted. He was looking at her, then at the sky, then at her again. Could he be offended? Did he think she was too gutsy for daring to ask about that tattoo on his back?

But she wanted to know.

"I...I got it when I first got hailed as Rookie of the Year in the office," he told her.

"Rookie of the year?"

He rubbed his head sheepishly. "It's this awards thing at the station, sort of like those awards shows you see on television, but just for fun," he explained, "You get an incentive and some bragging rights."

"I had just been at the station for a year and I did better than I expected. So, during the awards night, I was surprised when they awarded me the Rookie of the Year award."

"Okay, so where do the wings come from?" she asked.

"I'm not done yet."

"Oh, sorry."

The detective looked at the stars.

"It was also during the awarding ceremony I earned my nickname -- the Grim Reaper of Violent Crimes," he continued, "At 24 years old, I got an award and a nickname. That must've meant I did something better than good."

"I always pictured Grim Reapers as these angels of death. My older brother used to like death metal when he was in college, so I saw plenty of those in his stuff. So, when they told me I was a Grim Reaper of the unit, I wanted to seal that claim."

"And what better way to keep that mark forever than with a tattoo?"

It was only then he looked back at her.

"The artist did a pretty good job, don't you think?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered, "It looks pretty cool, actually."

She wanted to ask about the scars, but the detective already turned his back.

"C'mon, Miss Sun Hee. It's not safe for you to be out here at this time of the night," he said, "Plus you'll get cold."

He had a point. She was shivering already.

Without another word, he headed back to the ladder with Sun Hee in tow, still amazed at the little story he just told. She didn't know he was that sentimental. He didn't look the part at all. 

But she was glad.

The detective headed down the ladder first and he did so stealthily. It took him only seconds to reach the bottom. He waited for her.

"Wait, so...you're going to just wait there?" she asked.

"Yes. Don't you need help?"

"You might see things you shouldn't see!" 

"Like?"

"Oh you know!"

She crossed her arms, hoping he'd get the message. She was wearing a skirt and he was just down there. Detective Lee couldn't understand what she said, but eventually, he realized. 

"Alright then," he said, "Are you sure you can come down?"

"Of course I can! I came up here!"

He shrugged. "Okay then." He stepped inside the the room, leaving Sun Hee on her own.

How did I do this again?

Getting up the ladder was easier than getting down, she just realized. Sun Hee placed one foot down and felt the wobbly metal, causing her to step back. How could the detective go down so seamlessly with that rickety ladder? But the most important question was: how did she get up? 

Damn it, she thought, trying her best. No matter how she tried, she felt like falling. Taking another deep breath, Sun Hee held unto the metal ladder and did her best to go down. She was doing fine until the third step when her foot slipped and she fell.

"AH!"

She closed her eyes, expecting the excruciating pain of the cement. 

Instead, she felt arms.

Sun Hee was shaking violently when she felt a pair of strong arms holding her. She opened her eyes and realized that Lee Hyuk managed to save her on time. He was looking at her with those strong pair of eyes, his bloody red lips parted a little in surprise. His arms felt so assuring, she knew that he would never drop her. Not in a million years.

She could stare at him forever.

But it was getting awkward. 

"You're heavy," he said, breaking the silence.

That woke her up. Immediately, she got out of his arms.

"Excuse me?" she remarked, "Are you saying I'm fat?"

"What? No. I just said you're heavy."

"That's synonymous to fat!"

"Says who?"

"Says a lot of people!"

Detective Lee rolled his eyes at her.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?"

He completely ignored her and went inside, leaving a scandalized Sun Hee who started checking out her arms and her stomach, seeing if there was fat. She looked at the Detective's back and scowled. 

Detective Lee, on the other hand, couldn't help but smirk.

Hyuk sipped his poor excuse of a coffee and cringed. He suddenly hoped he had gotten a yogurt instead, but it came with the free breakfast so he had no right to complain.

As he sat in one of the tables of motel's poor excuse of a restaurant, he took another sip, ignoring the plate of eggs and luncheon meat. He wasn't that hungry yet and he figured he needed something to distract him when Kim Sun Hee comes. 

When he woke up, she was still fast asleep, snoring loudly and hair all in disarray. He didn't want to wake her up; he had a bad feeling that if he did, she would pull his hair out. Besides, he didn't know what time her filming was, so he decided to leave her be. It was fortunate that the station didn't force him to report today; after all, they were the ones who forced him to stay with the actress.

Just as he was about to finish his cup, the door of the restaurant opened and in came Kim Sun Hee, stunning the pair of middle aged men in the corner.

She made some changes to her wardrobe today. It was amazing how she managed to fit clothes and makeup in her bag. Judging from her face, however, she was obviously frazzled with something.

Could it be her hair? She doesn't have a blowdryer, he thought, Or did she not put enough moisturizer or something?

He watched as she complained to the ajhumma by the counter, insisting that she can't eat high-calorie meals. But when the old lady said they didn't have any of the gluten-free things she wanted, Kim Sun Hee gave up. Grumbling, she took a plate just like Hyuk's and said no to the cup of coffee. He silently applauded her for the wise choice. 

When her eyes fell on him, he suddenly understood why she was annoyed.

God, was it because she thinks I called her fat?

She plopped the plate down and glared at him.

Yup.

Fortunately, Lee Hyuk was the master of keeping things cool and professional.

"Good morning, Miss Sun Hee," he said, "Are you eating that?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

He glanced at her plate then at her. "Looks like you had a bad morning."

"Of course I had a bad morning!" she hissed, "The shower was too cold again and they ran out of towels. Plus, I can't eat much of this. It's going to ruin my diet and make me...fat."

She eyed him as she speared an egg resentfully. 

Hyuk set his cup down. He figured he had to set this straight; otherwise, he might never hear the end of it.

"Look, I didn't mean to call you fat last night, alright?" he explained, "I just said you were heavy and that's a big difference from fat."

"I don't see any difference."

"Yes, if you look it up in the dictionary, they're different," he said.

"But you made me feel fat."

"Well, you're not fat. I'm telling you right now."

She didn't trust him. He sighed.

"Miss Sun Hee, for the record, I don't think you are fat. You're far from fat," he told her.

"What am I then?"

He sighed. 

"You're slim and pretty," he said, "Prettier than the other girls I've seen."

"Really?"

She was eyeing him. 

"Really."

And he wasn't even lying. 

For a moment, she just stared at him. Hyuk wondered if he said something wrong again (it was a reflex from his past relationships; he trained himself to think he had done something wrong). Seconds later, she just smiled at him and gratefully ate her greasy piece of egg. She said nothing more for a while, leaving Hyuk to wonder about her again. 

What is it with this woman?

She smiled more than often as she ate. He shook his head, taking the nearest newspaper and flipping it open.

He used it not just to read, but to cover his smile.

"Do you have everything you need?"

Sun Hee checked her bags and nodded.

"Yes, I didn't leave anything behind."

He surrendered the key to the front desk ahjumma and handed out their payment. The latter lazily accepted everything he handed out and wished them a good day.

"You could've told her their bathrooms ," said Sun Hee, "Otherwise, people wouldn't come to this motel."

"That's what you think," said Hyuk, shoving his wallet inside his back pocket. 

She just smiled at him and went ahead.

She's smiling more than usual, he thought, That's new.

As they exited the motel, the sun blinded them. Sun Hee immediately took out her sunglasses and put them on. Hyuk, on the other hand, faced the light head on. Compared to last night, the stream of motels didn't seem as sketchy as they did. The sunlight must've painted the neighborhood in an entirely different light. 

"So, you've met a lot of pretty girls, huh, Detective?" she said as they walked down the street.

"Huh?"

"Oh you heard me," she said, "You've met a lot of girls?"

They made a right towards another alleyway.

"Yes."

"Tons?"

"I wouldn't really know."

"So, are you a player?"

He stopped in his tracks, causing Sun Hee to stop. She turned around to look at him.

"What?"

"I just think I can't be with a man who doesn't know how to play the field a little."

"You're too uptight."

"I would rather be with a player."

The memories stopped him.

"Hey, Detective Lee?"

Kim Sun Hee was waving a hand in front of his face.

"Are you okay?" she asked, "You spaced out all of a sudden."

He looked at her sternly.

"Miss Sun Hee, call me other things," he told her, "But never a player."

Without another word, he walked ahead of her, trying to subude the memories in his head. He hated the fact that her careless words triggered unpleasant images in his head. She had no idea, but he was still annoyed. He could hear here heels running after him.

"Hey, come back here!" she was saying, "What did I say?"

He tried to shake it off. 

"WOAH WHAT IS THIS?"

Detective Lee Hyuk froze right on the spot upon hearing that familiar voice. He was clueless to the fact that Kim Sun Hee was still babbling behind him, complaining loudly. The woman continued chasing him and ended up bumping on his back.

"AH!" she exclaimed, rubbing her forehead then glaring at him, "HEY! What did I say? How dare you turn your back on me like that?!"

But Lee Hyuk was no longer listening. Sun Hee sensed that.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" she told him, nudging his arm, "How rude are you? What the hell are you staring at?"

She then looked ahead and noticed that Lee Hyuk was staring at a burly man walking gaily towards them, a satisfied grin on his face. The man was unfamiliar to Sun Hee, but the Detective must've known him. 

Lee Hyuk, on the other hand, gulped as his hyung bounded towards them, smiling mischievously.

"LITTLE BROTHER!" exclaimed Ha Neul, looking at him then at Sun Hee, "What's this surprise?!"

Hyuk gulped again.

A/N: I'm watching Strong Woman Do Bong Soon right now and funny enoug, my fave JiSoo's character is also a detective from the Violent Crimes unit. AHH inspiration! Also, I saw LDW's Vogue photoshoots. God, he is on a roll! How I wish we could see more of him and Yoo In Na!