It felt like a scene out of those police crime films his father used to watch a lot -- only this time, it didn't happen on a television set.

It was happening in real life. 

I shouldn't have left her behind.

As Hyuk weaved through the streets, he wished his car could speed up. But he could only do so much. Instead, he grabbed his phone and pushed loud speaker.

"They couldn't have gotten that far," he was saying, "Just block the other street. We can catch them there."

"I hope so, Detective," came Soo Ok's voice, "We've got it covered."

"Alright, call me if anything happens," said Hyuk urgently, keeping his hands on the steering wheel and stepping on the gas. He spent all his frustration by keeping his eyes on the road, trying to subdue that anger within him -- anger at the perpetrator for attacking a helpless woman and anger at himself for allowing this to happen under his watch. 

It was Ha Neul who noticed that Sun Hee was calling him. 

"Who the hell is FNT?" he asked, taking his brother's phone on the dashboard.

Hyuk froze.

"Uhm...that's Kim Sun Hee."

"Ohoh, so why FNT?"

"Just answer it."

"A nickname?"

"Answer it, hyung!"

Ha Neul rolled his eyes and pressed the answer button. "Alright, alright, geez, no need to get witchy with me," he said, "Hello?"

His hyung was silent. 

"Hello? Miss Sun Hee? Hello?"

Hyuk glanced at his brother. Ha Neul was looking at the phone then putting it on his ear again. 

"Miss Sun Hee?" he asked again. He looked at Hyuk. "I can't hear anything. Only mumbling."

The detective stopped the car. He took the phone from his older brother and put it on loud speaker.

"Miss Sun Hee?" he asked.

The two brothers listened intently and heard a small whimper. The countless times he's been with her, Hyuk knew it belonged to Kim Sun Hee. He could also hear movements in the background. There was some soft rustling; Hyuk believed her phone was in her pocket.

"Why isn't she answering?" asked Ha Neul, "Do you think she dialled you by mistake? Oh that girl should learn to keep her phone -- "

"Quiet," Hyuk shushed his hyung, listening intently. Ha Neul couldn't feel it, but Hyuk's years of experience taught him one thing: silence was usually deadly. In the case of a chatterbox of an actress, hearing just a whimper from her was bad news. Without wasting any time, he made a U-turn and drove back.

"Hey, what's going on?" asked his hyung. The detective didn't answer; instead, he kept his eyes on the road and fervently hoped to hear any signs of life from the other line of his phone. All they heard was shuffling, quiet steps --

And a blood curling scream.

Then, the line went dead.

That's when Hyuk realized what could've happened.

They arrived at the scene a bit late. Once Hyuk went inside, he saw that Kim Sun Hee's apartment was trashed and her door was wide open. Ha Neul said he saw a black car leave about three minutes ago. Without thinking, Hyuk jumped in his car and told his hyung to stay. He dialled, alerted people, and drove -- all at the same time.

Why did I leave her alone?

He made another right, following the only black car ahead. There were two figures in the car. Judging from the position of the one in the passenger's seat, it was lulling hopelessly from side to side -- meaning, the person was unconscious. Hyuk's eagle eyes only confirmed his suspicion: the stalker finally got his hands on Kim Sun Hee.

The streets were pretty narrow, so chasing the culprit was pretty difficult for Hyuk. Whoever the stalker was had a good sense of direction and no sense of respect as it ran without minding people. Fortunately, there wasn't much people walking around and if there were, they had the sense to duck or get out of the way. As the streets got more narrow, Hyuk realized the car was running out of places to go.

Ha, I'll get to them. 

There was a team waiting at the end of the next street. Hyuk was sure to get them.

He stepped on the gas.

As the suspect reached a nearby dead end, it suddenly stopped, surprising him. Before he could even react, the culprit got out, carrying an unconscious Kim Sun Hee on his shoulders and running out -- not towards the direction Hyuk was expecting. The man lagged Sun Hee and started running. Without wasting another time, Hyuk got out of his car.

"HEY!"

The attacker took one look at him and started running faster.

Hyuk's feet did the same thing. 

The kidnapper was burlier than he was, which explained how he ran rapidly despite carrying a woman on his shoulder. He made a right, a left, then another right. Detective Lee sensed the man was trying to confuse him. But Hyuk kept his eyes on the assailant, running wherever he did, keeping his eyes on Sun Hee's head, which lulled hopeleslly from one side to another.

I need to get to her.

After turning to another right, Hyuk's heart stopped.

The attacker was about to bring Sun Hee towards another black car waiting at the end. It had three men waiting.

What the hell?

His quick mind calcilated his chances and what the outcome would look like. If he didn't catch the man on time, he would drag Sun Hee inside that car (which looked like it had three others inside). The other teams were on the other side of the neighborhood and he was all alone. He didn't carry a gun with him, only his fighting skills, but that wasn't enough. They would probably beat him up.

It didn't look too good.

He wasn't going to give up, though. 

Hyuk could feel his knees giving up on him, his breathing getting the best of him. His vision was getting blurred by the minute. He could feel his body starting to slow down while the assailant remained steafast, about to reach his goal.

I can't...let them take her.

He needed a miracle.

As he was about to throw himself on the attacker, something strange happened.

An invisible force pushed the attacker aside, almost as if he was punched by a big fist. The impact was so strong, the assailant was thrown towards a nearby pile of garbage, leaving an unconscious Kim Sun Hee on the ground. Hyuk was almost blown away by what he just saw. He rubbed his eyes, torn between shock and massive relief. 

The kidnapper, groaning, tried to get up on his feet, but for some reason, he stayed on the ground, writhing in pain. He tried to crawl for Sun Hee, but the invisible force was stronger than him. He yelped, crawled, yelped again, and crawled again. Hyuk couldn't make sense of it; it looked as if the suspect was fighting with someone he couldn't see.

It was then he realized he had to get to Sun Hee.

He ran towards her unconscious figure just as the kidnapper was about to reach her. Before the latter could touch her, there was another strong blow of wind. Instead of affecting Hyuk and Sun Hee, the force threw the assailant away again. The detective immediately held the actress' unconsious figure in his arms, shielding her from the bursts of wind.

The other attackers in the waiting car were too scared with the sight. Without another word, they closed the car and sped ahead, leaving Hyuk with Sun Hee and the unconscious kidnapper.

The night was quiet again.

Hyuk lifted his head to look at his surroundings. So far, they were alone again. He looked behind him to see the kidnapper still in the midst of the garbage; Sun Hee, on the other hand, was also still in his arms. Her eyes were closed, but the expression on her face suggested anything but serenity. It was obvious she was taken by force, judging from the marks on her arms. 

He then looked around for the possible source of the force.

Meters away from him stood a tall figure in a rigid stance. The detective squinted his eyes, trying to get a good look, but his poor eyes couldn't make much of the figure's features. All he could see was that it was definitely a man with floppy hair. 

The man raised his hand and the next moment, he was gone.

Then the sirens began.

Before Hyuk could react, his eyes fell on Sun Hee again. 

He couldn't explain the feeling, but he was beyond relieved. The mysterious man hovered behind his head, but his focus was entirely on the actress who rested in his arms. 

Eventually, he heard footsteps running towards them.

"Detective Lee!"

"Hyuk!"

He saw Soo Ok running towards him, followed by his worried older brother. The team surrounded the vacant area, their sirens alarming the neighborhood of their presence. Hyuk's hoobae ran behind him, asking him if he was alright and if anyone was hurt. Lee Ha Neul, on the other hand, sat beside his little brother, ruffling Hyuk's hair, checking for injuries.

"Hyuk, talk to me," he said, "What happened?"

"Sir, are you okay? Detective Lee?"

Hyuk couldn't find himself to string words to make sense.

After a minute, he just said two words:

"Hospital. Now."

The doctors said the actress was drugged, which explained why she was unconscious when he came upon her. They told him it was fortunate enough that she wasn't forced too much; otherwise, she wouldn't be breathing. Apart from that drugs in her system and a few scrapes, Kim Sun Hee was in better condition. All she needed was rest and a few rounds of antiseptic. 

Hyuk watched from the opposite side of her room, through a window. Her friend Jin Hae was already with her, watching her friend with the same worry. 

The detective bit his lips countless times as he tried to mull over what had just happened tonight. It was quite a bit, but his mind tried to process. 

"Hey."

He looked at the sound of his brother's voice. Ha Neul stepped beside him, handing him a yogurt from one of the vending machines, straw already punched in. Hyuk accepted his brother's offer gratefully and took a sip. 

"Are you okay?" asked Ha Neul.

"Yeah."

"How's your scratch?"

"Got it covered," Hyuk said, showing his hyung the band aid. 

In silence, the two brothers gazed at the unconscious figure of the actress.

"So, she does have a stalker, huh?" asked Ha Neul.

"It seems like not just a stalker," answered Hyuk, sipping again, "It might be a group of stalkers."

"Huh, that's weird," remarked his hyung, "A collective of stalkers. I know stalking happens, but don't you think kidnapping is already going overboard?"

The evidenced gathered in the first car was enough to prove it was related to Sun Hee's stalker case. There was another camera inside and it contained more images of the actress. Similar to the first camera, all of her photos showed her going about daily chores, clueless to the fact that someone was taking her photos. Also, they were still waiting for the kidnapper to wake up. He was in another room, guarded by the police.

The doctors said his blow was too hard, he might've suffered from a concussion. 

"I know," was all Hyuk answered.

Ha Neul then looked at his brother. "Hyuk, I don't think it's just a simple stalker case anymore," he said, "If it is, it's hell of a crazy one. It could be something worse."

Detective Lee gazed at Sun Hee. She sported a few bandages here and there. 

"That's what I'm afraid of," he said shortly.

His mind drifted back to that tall figure he saw in the alleyway, the one who probably caused that invisible force. Hyuk tried to make sense of how everything happened; surely, no man could've done that. Was he imagining things? Did an invisible force really shove the kidnapper aside not once, but twice? And what was that man doing there? Who was he?

Whoever he was, Hyuk couldn't help but be grateful.

Whatever he did, it helped. Otherwise, Kim Sun Hee would be missing. 

"She'll be okay."

Ha Neul held his brother's shoulder, giving him an assuring squeeze. Out of exhaustion, Hyuk said nothing anymore. He just watched the actress, hoping that she wouldn't remember any of this. 

She couldn't remember what light looked like for a period of time. It was only when she opened her eyes did she remember.

The first thing she felt was a throbbing sensation in her temple. She cringed; it felt as if two men were beating her brain up. She couldn't open her eyes fully as she tried to battle the pain. Her hand automatically touched her forehead, where she felt a soft padding. It took her a moment to realize it was bandage and some gauze. 

Once her eyesight fully recovered, she got a better look of her hands -- both scratched.

What the hell happened?

In an instant, Sun Hee suddenly recalled patches of fragmented memories -- how she came in the apartment, spotted an unknown figure, the sound of broken lamps, and screaming. 

Oh my god.

She tried to sit up, but the pain in her head prevented her from doing so. She rubbed her throbbing forehead, cringing as she tried to soothe the pain. Sun Hee looked around the pristine white room and realized that she was in the hospital. Her small room came with the usual props they had during hospital scenes, except now, they were real. There was even a large pile of coats on the couch.

"Sun Hee!"

The actress stared at the door and saw her best friend coming in, holding a tray of soup and what looked like tea.

"Oh my god, you're awake," said Jin Hae, immediately set the tray down and sat beside her bed, "Oh my god, thank heavens! I was so worried about you!"

Sun Hee realized there was an IV attached to her hand, which stung like bad. She just looked at her friend.

"What happened?"

"Can't you remember anything?"

The actress closed her eyes. "I remember screaming," she said, "And then nothing after that." She paused for a moment and stared at the walls of the room again. "Was I...kidnapped?"

"Yes, you were," replied Jin Hae, "You were drugged, Sun Hee. That's probably why you can't remember much. The IV on your hand's detoxifying you from the drug. Good thing the detective came and got you. How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"

"Just my head and...ouch," she winced, suddenly feeling that soreness in her back, "The scratches are painful."

"Of course they would hurt! You were dragged by that worthless piece of garbage!" exclaimed Jin Hae angrily, "Why if he wakes up, I can't wait to strangle him! But the police need him for investigation."

"They caught the stalker?"

"He's in one of the rooms, honey. Unconscious. Don't worry; the cops are guarding him. He won't get away."

The mention of the police brought another person to mind.

"Where's Detective Lee?" asked Sun Hee.

"He's here," answered Jin Hae.

"Where?"

"Here -- asleep on the couch, see."

The pile of coats, apparently, was the detective. He was buried under layers of blankets and two thick coats, shielding him from the room's cold air. Sun Hee watched as he breathed under the cloth.

"He's been here all night," said Jin Hae fondly, "They were discussing your case with his superiors last night; his older brother was also here too, but Detective Lee sent him home. The detective, on the other hand, insisted he stay here."

"Why? He could've gone home."

"He said he can't leave you again."

Despite her bad condition, Sun Hee felt her cheeks reddenning at Jin Hae's statement. Before her friend could see, the actress laid down again and pulled up her blankets, trying to subdue the headache. 

"Yeah you just rest there, honey," said Jin Hae, "You've had a rough night. It's about time you get more sleep. I'll tell the doctor you're awake, but sleeping. Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine. I guess, I'll want food later," replied Sun Hee, "Oh and someone should tell my director I can't come in today."

"Already did, Sun Hee. I talked to your manager last night and they'll sort things out for you. Should I tell your mom -- ?"

"No! No, don't tell Mom. She'll freak out. I don't want her freaking out. She'll drag Dad out of Namwon just to see me," said Sun Hee, "I'll tell them when I'm okay and everything. I don't want her to worry."

Jin Hae looked at her with uncertainty. "Well, if you insist, I won't," she said, getting up from the chair, "I'll go see the doctor now and whatever you do, don't wake the detective up. God knows he hasn't had a decent sleep yet." Without another word, Jin Hae left the room, leaving Sun Hee alone with the unconscious detective. She glanced at the pile of coats where he slept. 

He moved a little, his face now faced where she can see him. 

Lee Hyuk's infamous bloody red lips were parted a little as he slumbered, basically dead to the world. One of his hands fell to the floor, but he didn't mind. Sun Hee guessed he was too tired.

She could recall him a bit from that night. She remembered his eyes as he looked down on her, the voices of people surrounding both of them. After that, it was back to black.

She held her blanket tighter as she turned her body to face him. 

"Thanks for coming to save me," she told him.

He didn't reply. but she took it that he understood. 

"You're completely cleared, Miss Kim. A night of rest will do you good."

Beside them, Detective Lee stood stoically listening to the doctor's recommendation. Jin Hae, on the other hand, was noting them down. It was only Sun Hee who remained relaxed compared to the two. She lazily looked up at the doctor.

"Can I request for chamomile tea in here?" she asked, "I think that will help me relax better, Doctor."

"I'm not sure the kitchen has tea, but I think you can ask your friends to buy you some." The doctor indicated to Jin Hae and Lee Hyuk. "I'll come back later to check on you, Miss Sun Hee. But for now, try to get some more sleep."

"Ah, that I will do. My skin already feels so pasty," she complained, touching her skin. The doctor left, leaving Jin Hae to fuss over her friend. Detective Lee, on the other hand, answered a text message.

"I'll get you some stuff that you need," said Jin Hae, "I have to meet my boyfriend now so I'll get some masks along the way. How does that sound?"

"That sounds good! Can you get me some tea too?"

"Sure. I feel like your mom," remarked her friend, grabbing her bag, "Detective Lee, do you need anything?"

He smiled politely. "No, I'm okay," he told her.

"Alright, I'll get going then," she told the both of them, "Detective Lee, will your friends be dropping by today?"

"Ah, some people from the station might."

"Okay, but make sure they don't stress Sun Hee out."

"Will do."

She nodded at the detective and let herself out of the room, leaving the two alone. Sun Hee heard the detective clear his throat as he faced her. They hadn't spoken much since he woke up this morning. He had to attend to phone calls and text messages. 

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Crappy. Everything hurts."

"I know. But the doctor said you'll be fine."

"But I have a scratch on my face," she complained, "Ugh, I'll have to see my dermatologist to get this treated. I can't show myself on camera like this."

"Well, at least you're alive."

Lee Hyuk was looking at her with that deadpan expression his face. Combine that with his deadpan voice, she wasn't sure if he was judging her or ... he was judging her.

"You're right," she said, after heaving a sigh.

"Can you remember what happened?"

"Look, I told Jin Hae that the last thing I can remember was that man standing in the kitchen," she said, "When he started to approach me, that's when I panicked. I broke the lamp my mother gave me. He also poked something in my arm."

"Those would be the drugs."

"Obviously," she answered.

There was a short silence.

"How did you find me?" she asked him, "I mean, you already left when he came."

"You called."

"I did?"

One of his thick eyebrows raised in confusion. "You called me, but you didn't say anything. My hyung answered the phone and when you didn't say anything, he put it on loud speaker. I heard some mumbling and then you screamed. That's when I thought something was wrong. We immediately drove back to your place," he explained, "When we got there, your apartment was trashed."

She racked her brains. "Really? I don't remember calling you..."

"Where was your phone?"

"In my coat pocket."

"The one you wore?"

"Yes."

It then hit her. 

"He's on your speed dial, huh?"

"I haven't even saved his number yet."

Carefully, she inputted the detective's name on his number -- the one he used to contact her for the very first time (albeit it was for business purposes).

"But seriously, he should be on your speed dial," said Jin Hae, "So one long press of a number is all you need to swoon."

"He will be. Just hold your horses." She finally hit enter and saved his number.

"So, what number will he be? Of course, he can't be number one. That's your mom," remarked Jin Hae, "2 is your Dad. He can be three-"

"No, that's my hairstylist."

"Wow."

After thinking, she assigned him a number.

"He'll be five."

"Why?"

"Cause it takes five seconds for him to genuinely smile."

Sun Hee's phone had an emergency keypad that activated once she pressed the side button. Given the countless times she's typed on it, her fingers already know where to go. 

She suddenly remembered pressing that button once she saw her attacker. Her fingers pressed five long enough to connect through the detective. 

So, it actually worked. 

"My speed dial," she told him.

The detective gazed at her. "I'm on your speed dial?"

There was a curious tone in his voice; it sort of annoyed her.

"Of course you are," she replied, "You were assigned to protect me, remember?"

She could hear that cutting tone in her voice. Granted, she was a little bit upset with the whole thing, but it wasn't his fault. It's not as if he intentionally wanted her to get kidnapped and he did save her.

"Miss Sun Hee," he began. She noticed the sudden shift in tones.

"I just want to apologize," said the detective, "This wouldn't have happened if I saw you all the way through. I shouldn't have left the moment you stepped in the gate. I underestimated your case. It's my responsibility to keep you safe. I'm sorry."

He apologized with such a tone she had never heard before. 

Tenderness?

Comfort?

She couldn't point it, but it felt so reassuring. And it didn't help that he looked at her with those eyes of his. Sun Hee finally got a good look at his face; he was also sporting a few cuts and bruises. He had a bandage wrapped around his arm and he looked so tired (But damn it, he still looks handsome. What serum does he take?). 

After a few seconds of silence, he spoke again. 

"I'll just be outside. My superiors might be here in a minute," he told her, "If you need anything, I'll be outside."

He nodded at her and was about to head towards the door, when Sun Hee jumped out of her bed.

She didn't know if it was the drugs; most likely, the drugs still had an effect on her. Because on a regular day, she would not be like this. She wouldn't be this brazen or sudden.

She wouldn't be wrapping her arms around the detective, hugging him from behind. 

A/N: Writing this fan fic makes me miss Goblin more, but I'm okay with that. I'm happy with watching Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. Still, I wish I could see LDW and YIN in one project, although that's unlikely. 

Oh and you might be wondering who that tall figure with the floppy hair was.

You know who it is.

I hope you're enjoying :) If you're a fan of Scarlet Heart Ryeo, I also have a fan fic for that! :) Also, let's be friends, shall we?