Himchan’s POV:
 

I had no idea how long we spent in silence but just by looking at her, I could tell she was fighting off sleep. Yuri could be home any minute now, part of me cared and the other part of me didn’t and wanted to stay like this no matter what Yuri did.  JiHae’s eyes were slowly closing on her, as if she couldn’t be more perfect, she looked so cute falling asleep. Her head gently fell on my shoulder and I didn’t mind at all. Just looking at her, I felt my own eyelids slowly drawing to a close. No. I couldn’t fall asleep. If Yuri came home then both JiHae and I would be in trouble.

I ran my hand through JiHae’s hair, “Keep awake for me, okay?” I mumbled and she nodded almost asleep again. The sound of a loud horn in the background fully pulled JiHae up into alert.

“She’s home”, she stood and looked down at me guiltily.

“Help me with these”, I said quickly gesturing to the ropes on the ground. She adjusted them, not as roughly as Yuri would have, I was thankful for that. Her eyes looked down apologetically as she adjusted the last of my bounds just as Yuri had left them, “Go. I’ll be fine”, I half smiled. She nodded, quickly wrapping her arms around me and then disappeared up the stairs, leaving the room exactly as if she had never been there.

JiHae’s POV:

I sprinted up the stairs, regretfully leaving Himchan behind. I’d free him somehow. I locked the door and ran up the hall and into the living room and jumped onto the couch, just as Yuri stumbled in the door drunk, struggling to keep on her own feet,  a guy with her. He winked in my direction as they both stumbled past me and up into Yuri’s room. He turned back around and mouthed, “So pretty”, winking again at me. I shuddered as they disappeared, Yuri must’ve been really drunk to take him back here. The guy had to be in his mid-thirties while Yuri was only 22 and I had just turned 21, it was a big difference and a guy that looked like him with his uncombed hair, worn clothes and crooked smile.

Himchan’s hand gently held my face, his arms around me; a red and white picnic blanket, the sunset, the gentle crashes of the ocean waves on the shore in the background. I woke with the feeling of something tickling my cheek and down to my jaw. It felt odd, Himchan’s hand wasn’t moving, the continuous motion causing my eyes to blink open. I pushed myself back further into the cushions, coming eye to eye with the creepy, crooked-smile guy Yuri brought home. I was freaked out beyond belief my heart racing, my palms sweating and my body now fully awake and alert.

“You look pretty when you sleep, I wonder how you look when you’re sleeping with someone”, he winked and my face.  I pushed him away, standing and backing away from the man.  He followed stumbling towards me, the alcohol prominent when he spoke again, “Oh come on beautiful, be more like your roommate, hm?”  He wrapped his arms around me roughly.

“No”, I called out, knowing I’d have to think quickly. I kneed him in the groin and he stumbled. “Naww, come on baby don’t be like that”, he cooed sickenly.

I moved out of the way, when an idea struck. It was something I saw in a movie once. I continued backing out of the way and landed towards the front door, looking at him slowly approaching, still hurt from my previous blow.

 I quickly grasped the handle. “I’m nothing like her, never will be”, I mumbled as he took the final steps towards me. I flung the door open, allowing him to fall through the doorway and onto his face. I quickly closed and locked the door, my heart beating frantically against my chest. What the hell kind of guy did she let into our apartment? I mean he could of done something horrible if I didn’t wake up or think quickly enough. The possibilities alone brought tears up into my eyes and without much thought, my feet travelled down the hallway, my hand unlocked the door of the basement and I quickly sprinted down the stairs wrapping my arms around Himchan.
 

“JiHae? Is that you?” Himchan’s voice whispered. His voice instantly calmed me down a little, we only just met and yet he has this affect over me. I reached up pulling his blindfold down and reached around him loosening the ropes so he could get his hands free.

“Ji Hae, what happened?”

“Yuri. Guy. Home. Almost. Did. Things. To. Me.” The tears I was holding spilled lightly. I took a shakey breath and told him what happened more in detail. He automatically wrapped one arm around me, the other my hair.
 

“Shhh, it’s all okay now”, he whispered. “He won’t come back. I promise”, even though I knew there was a possibility his words still calmed me down. I nodded against him as he continued his hand through my hair.

“It’s all okay now, Ji Hae. We’ll get out of here. We’ll get Yuri to let me out, we’ll find you a new apartment, you can stay with me if you like. Or we can get you a hotel room until you find somewhere, we’ll make sure he’ll never hurt you or come near you again. You’ll be safe, I’ll protect you now. “
 

“Promise?” I asked looking into his eyes.

“Promise”, he sealed the deal with a kiss to my forehead and I knew he meant every single word.