Chapter 4: Saved by the Boys

I thought of this before. I had practiced a little self-defense, but the moment the guy with scars all over his face started grabbing me by my arms, my mind went blank. My feet did the work, and started running. My throat coordinated with my feet and I shouted, “No! Go away!”

I kept on running, but the guys ran faster than me, they made me look like I was walking on the moon. They caught up with me as I reached the alley, almost three blocks away from the playground. Yes, I ran that far.

One of the teenage looking guys grabbed me by my left arm, and the other one by my right, and the scar face guy started ripping my clothes off. I felt his hands land on my front, and the tattoo guy started pinching my behind, and I started crying. No, I can’t be . Please, somebody help me.

I gathered all my remaining strength, and kicked the tattoo guy backwards, head butted the scar face guy, and elbowed both the teenagers. I didn’t know where I got the strategy, but I was more than thankful for it. I started running again, tears falling down my cheeks, and I kept shouting, “Somebody, help!”

And then I tripped.

It was the stupidest thing to do when your life is in danger. Tripping. Damn it. Why now? I landed on my chin and I felt the blood oozing out from it. I didn’t know who did it, but one of the guys grabbed me by the ankle and started dragging me around. It hurt a lot. I heard them laughing.

My head ached, my eyes hurt from crying, and I looked really horrible: unruly hair, ripped off clothes, bloody chin, and a very dirty face from the dusts on the cement when I was dragged. I swore I was going to die, until I heard someone shouted, “Hey!”

I saw five tall figures approaching. No, six. I mean, seven. I was not in the mood to even count. I was nearly dying, but I still heard them shouting.

“Hey, you ugly . What the hell are you doing?”

“Are you talking to me?”

“Why? You’re the only in here. Let go of the girl.”

I was starting to pass out. And then I heard groans, and grunts. I figured they were fighting. And then I felt someone approaching me and helping me up. And everything went black.

I woke up seeing a very girly face, and before I could get up, he said, “Are you alright?” I opened my eyes more, and sat up. The boy said, “She’s alright! Hyung! All of you! Come here!”

And then six more boys came into the room.

I almost thought they were the rapists from the playground, but then one of them said, “It’s alright. Don’t be afraid. We won’t hurt you.”

“Hey, Gyu hyung, don’t talk like she’s from outer space. We saved her from certain death, and I’m pretty sure we don’t look like those rapists,” he raised his brows.

“Whatever, Nam.”

I looked at them while they talked, like I was watching a badminton game. I looked at whoever talked. I started crying because of tiredness, and the feeling of being alone. The first day of looking for my friend was pretty much a failure, and I felt really depressed. The girly faced boy sat beside me and tapped my back and said, “There, there.”

I wasn’t able to process anything they were saying. I didn’t understand a thing since I was a bit preoccupied by the thought that I almost died. My chin hurt, and I noticed there were already bandages on it. These guys weren’t so bad at all. But I still cried.

The seven of them just looked at me while I sobbed hard. And then they started talking.

“Don’t worry about it. The rapists are now in jail. They’ll never touch you anymore.”

“Yea, Dongwoo is right. We beat the hell out of them a while ago,” and I heard a laugh.

“Shut up, Myung. You don’t know how to fight.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Gyu? Nam? Dongwoo and Myung? This couldn’t be. Of all people who could have saved my life, why them? Why INFINITE? I was about to spaz, but no, I was still emotional. They still didn’t know I recognized every single one of them.

I looked at them with teary eyes while Dongwoo and Myung  re-enacted the fighting scene they had with the rapists with Hoya, Gyu and Woohyun as their audience, Jong stayed beside me, made sure I felt comfortable, but that one guy was just sitting in the corner, looking really pissed. Sungyeol.

The handkerchief Sungjong had given me some months ago was in my pocket. I pulled it out, and wiped my tears away. I wasn’t sure, but Sungjong was a bit alerted to the sight of the handkerchief. I acted like it was nothing, like it was mine, not his.

I heard Sungyeol stood, and said “Why do you cry like it was such a big deal?” Everyone stopped and looked at him, like he said the most terrible thing a human can say. He continued, “I mean, it’s your fault you went that way. You know it’s dark in there.”

And then I realized he was talking to me. How could he say such things? I got so angry that I forgot I was crying. I stood up, and said, “Why do I cry like it was such a big deal? Do you actually know what I am going through right now?” I advanced at him. Everyone stayed quiet, and lent me their ears. “Can you imagine your best friend getting lost and, like, no one was interested in looking for her? Can you imagine being deprived from sleep because of thinking what could have happened to her? Can you imagine yourself trying to look for your missing best friend on your own, and almost dying in a gang ? Can you imagine ALL of that?”

I ran for the door, left the INFINITE dorm and started walking. How could he? I was so, so angry. I was his fan, but after everything he said? Like he didn’t care if I was or killed? I mean, the rest of the members were helpful enough to beat the hell out of the rapists, especially Jong, who always tried to cheer me up. But Sungyeol? I respected him a lot. Now, my respect for him popped like a bubble and disappeared in mid-air.

My anger level lowered as I kept on walking. Now is the right time to get some sleep and go back to the hotel. But then I realized..

Where was I? I was lost. I remembered passing out, so I didn’t actually know how I got there. And it was in the middle of the night, so there weren’t any cabs in sight.

Great. Now I have to go back to the boys’ house to ask for help.