*Chaeyoung’s POV*

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After the car trip I was allowed to leave. In fact I was allowed to leave the entire facility. For good.

We hadn’t found Jimin.

We had found the place where I had been kept. But it had been blown to the ground.

No Jimin. No screaming woman. It was like nothing had even happened. Like before I had been taken. It didn’t make any sense in my head, which was why it was driving me crazy. The fact that there was nothing I could do to help them made me feel numb.

When I walked back to the lounge room, I couldn’t even look at anyone in the eyes. I kept staring at the floor, defeated. Was I giving up?

Was this me breaking my promise to Jimin? We had promised each other to leave that place together.

And yet I had been the only survivor.

”Hey how’d it go?”

I slumped down on one of the couches. Still unable to look up. ”Okay”, I told him. Even seeing Bobby couldn’t ignite that magical healing process in me. When I looked at him, he raised his brows at me and squatted down in front of me.

”That bad, huh?”

I swallowed. I was waiting for the bliss to hit me, looking into those bright eyes. But it didn’t. The numbness was there, perhaps to stay.

”Hey”, he rested his palms on my thighs. ”What’s going on?” His eyes grew worried.

I heard two pairs of steps walking towards us from the direction of the cafeteria. ”Is she okay?” I heard Hanbin ask.

Bobby kept looking at me, trying to find out which button to press. His eyes were trying to figure me out. So I chose to let them know the news.

”We found it”, I mumbled.

Hanbin and Jennie were there too, surrounding me and Bobby. I felt their eyes on me.

”You found the place?” Bobby asked, his voice filled with surprise.

”Yeah. But-”

”What about the corporation? Did everyone get caught? What about the other guy?”

I just shook my head.

”They got caught right?” Bobby asked again.

”No it was abandoned. Blown up”, I groaned.

All three let out a synchronized gasp. ”What?”

I told them about the construction site. Everyone had the exact same response as I had had. How had they not noticed an entire building being torn to the ground? It seemed impossible. There couldn’t be that many abandoned factories being blown up, could there?

Bobby groaned and hung his head. He was frustrated, but not in a way I was. He was happy that I was safe. I wasn’t. Or was, but I felt guilty about it.

”Well, at least you’re safe”, Jennie said quietly. Hanbin had wrapped his arms around her, like Jennie had been the one hearing the bad news. I couldn’t stop glaring at the standing boy viciously. Bobby rubbed my thighs with his palms. He tilted his head to capture my eyes. Once he succeeded, his brows rose up in a questioning manner. I just looked at his hands, as if my glare could somehow drill holes in them. The hands left my thighs in an instant.

”Right?” Jennie asked carefully.

All I could do was nod briefly.

---

The car ride back to Seoul started off sternly. All four of us just sat there in silence and looked out of the window. Maybe it was the most appropriate solution to my situation. I couldn’t exactly be jumping to the music, having a blast when someone I knew could be rotting in a cold cell. Or on his way to Paju. A shiver rushed through my entire body.

Hanbin and Jennie were sitting at the front, deciding which channel to listen to, while Bobby and I had gotten the backseat all to ourselves.

After an hour or so, Jennie fell asleep. I changed my position so that my legs had more space.

”Here”, Bobby said softly, trying to keep it down because of Jennie. He patted his thighs lightly. ”You can lean on me.”

I send him a curious look, but decided to do it, since my legs were killing me. I wrapped my coat into a ball of cloth and placed it on his lap. Then I lifted up my legs and rested my head against him. The position was heaven for my aching feet. I let out a satisfied sigh and closed my eyes.

Then I felt a light touch on my cheek. As I opened my eyes, I saw Bobby looking out of the window. His fingers were drawing shapes on my skin. Just like I had done the day before in the cab. I closed my eyes again and enjoyed the tingling feeling, submerging into it.

When I opened my eyes again, I realized that I had fallen asleep there. Bobby’s head was leaning against the window and his eyes were closed. I noticed the little plugs traveling into his ears.

His arm was resting on my chest, hugging me closer.

When I moved in order to get a better position, his arm adjusted to my movements, still keeping me close to him. It caused that little magical flame ignite in me again. Maybe it was the touch that made it special with him. I couldn’t figure it out. I slowly raised my hand to run my finger along his sharp jaw. His eyes flickered open.

I sent him