Why does he have to walk me home?

Minji refused to turn her head and look at Baekhyun, but she couldn’t handle the silence.

“So, do you often force girls to let you walk them home?”  Oh my gosh, what did I just say?  She mentally slapped her forehead.

Baekhyun chuckled and Minji couldn’t help it, she had to look at him.  His eyes were crinkling at the corners and the left side of his mouth was quirked up.  He turned to look at her and she forced her eyes forward.

“I don’t think anyone makes you do anything, otherwise this afternoon might have ended quite a bit differently.  But to answer your question, no.  I avoid that kind of stuff when I can.  It gives girls expectations.”

Minji nodded thoughtfully.  “I see.”

“What about you?  Do you usually make guys beg for the opportunity to make sure you get home safely?”

“Not many people worry about my safety.”  Some hair had come loose from her ponytail and she tucked it behind her ear.   “In fact, you are the second guy to walk me home.”

“I’ll consider myself lucky then.”

They walked the rest of the way in relative silence.  Before long, they arrived at a large apartment building and Minji faced Baekhyun.

“This is my stop, so. . . Thanks.”  She dipped her head and started to go inside.  Once again there were footsteps behind her.  She looked at Baekhyun who raised his hands in a gesture of innocence.

“I just want to see you to your door.”

“That’s not necessary.  Good night.”

“A compromise then?  I won’t walk you to your door if you tell me your name.”

She paused with her hand on the door handle and exhaled a sigh.  “Minji, she said, then walked inside.

“Minji,” Baekhyun said to himself.  “Minji. . . I like it.”

*               *               *

Minji walked up the two flights of stairs to her apartment.  Before going in, she looked down the hall both ways.

Empty. . .  Good. . .

She stepped inside.  “Dad, I’m home.”  She put down her bag and went to her bedroom.  She sat on the bed and grabbed the picture frame from her night stand.

“It was such a long day, Dad.  I missed you.”  She lovingly caressed the frame holding her dad’s photo.  “I think I’ll like my new job.  You should see the studio!  It’s so big and there are mirrors everywhere.  I did a really good job cleaning them too.  My boss will have to keep me now.”

Minji set the frame down and fell back on her bed. 

“Dad, I’m so tired of being strong.  Why isn’t there anyone who wants to protect me?”  An image of Baekhyun briefly entered her mind and she shook her head.  No way.  He was just being nice since she saved his sister.

There was a knock at the door and Minji grudgingly stood up to answer it.  “Who is it?” she asked, opening the door as far as the chain would allow. 

“Hey again,” Baekhyun said.  “So before you get mad, remember that I didn’t walk you to your door, just like you asked.”

He stood there, a guilty, uncertain expression on his face with his arms up as if to guard himself if she attacked. 

She tried to stop it, she really did.  But once it started coming, she couldn’t stop it. 

She giggled.  No way!  I am NOT giggling!  She forced herself to stop laughing and quickly gathered her senses again, clearing .

“Fair enough.  You were true to your word.  What did you need now?” 

He stood there in a daze for a minute before he shook himself of it.  “Oh yeah, I need to borrow your phone.”

“Sure,” Minji said, pulling her phone out of her pocket.  She held it out and Baekhyun grabbed it and pulled his out of his own pocket as well and started pushing buttons.  “Wait, you have a phone with you?  Why did you need mine?”

He kept typing on the two devices, then handed hers back.

“There, now I have your number and you have mine.  I really do have to go now though.  I’ll call you later.  Get some rest.”  With that, he disappeared down the hall.

Minji gently closed the door and just stared at it.  What just happened?  Before she had time to contemplate it further another knock came at the door.  She shook her head.  Was he ever going to leave?

“You really should go home, you know,” she said as she opened the door.

“But I just got here.”

The blood drained from Minji’s face as she looked up, but not into Baekhyun’s eyes, as she’d expected.  These eyes weren’t warm and laughing.  They were cold, just like her ex-boyfriend’s. . .because they were her ex-boyfriend’s.

Zico leaned against the doorframe.  “Aren’t you going to invite me in, Min?”