When Kan Mi opened her eyes, the first thing to cross her mind was the fogginess of it. Everything swam and wouldn't stay focused or lit for a long time. When she felt she could finally see straight, she noticed the latter wasn't important at all. She could see the outline of the walls about her, but that was only because her eyes had adjusted to the darkness in the time she had been unconscious. It was darker than it had been in the park, and she could see no light filtering in from anywhere.

 

Her stomach's growling echoed in the room. It wasn't a growl that usually, she could laugh off in embarrassment. This growl hurt and she hunched over in pain, alongside it. That's when she noticed another problem – thick ropes wrapped around her arms and torso. When she leaned back, Kan Mi found they kept her bound to a chair. As her body woke up, she could feel it. Her dress tangled in her legs,bunching at her feet. She shrieked when over those feet, something crawled over her toes. She was much too scared to wonder just what it could be.

 

Light burst in and Kan Mi jumped at the sudden sound of a metal door being slammed open. She had to squint to look at the silhouetted figure standing in the light. “Who's there?” She received no response, but the figure walked closer to her. She felt her body stiffen on instinct in fear, her hands balling up in fists. As if that would do anything. As if she could fight back.

 

A thought crossed her foggy mind and it had her relaxing. She gulped past the fear and opened her parched lips. "Joon?" Her voice was harsh and dry - how long had she been here?

 

The figure walked about her and kneeled to look up at her face. The light reached her pupils and slowly, she could see the angry glare coming her way. "Try again, Ahn Kan Mi."

 

The fear came back full-blast and her body froze again. "Mir..."

 

The boy gave a mock nod of respect. "Hello."

 

With the light, Kan Mi looked around. This room - it could very nicely double as a dungeon. Tall cold brick walls disappearing into darkness - taller than she could see. In the corner, although she hated it, she could see what had crawled over her feet - a family of rats picked over the dead carcas of one of their owns. "Where am I?" She looked back at Mir, expecting him to answer. He did not. "How...how long have I been here?"

 

"Three days - you took your sweet time waking up, didn't you?" Mir's glare intensified and Kan Mi could've sworn she heard him growl. "Princess." He hissed.

 

"What did you do to Joon-ah?" She snapped, although how she had the confidence to do so was beyond her.

 

"Joon is safe from you and that is all that matters." He snapped back, causing Kan Mi to jump as he shot up and towered over her. Kan Mi pulled her arms in as close as they could be, trying to look small and meek beneath him. She again heard that growl. "How could you? You keep saying you love him - how could you poison him? You put a bomb in his car - you were going to burn him alive. Did you know that? Even if he survived, do you know how much pain he would be in? He wouldn't be able to live with himself. How could you do that to him and say to love him with all your heart." Kan Mi sighed and refused to look at him. Mir reached out and forced her to look at him. "Answer me! How could you do that to him!?"

 

"I did it because I love him. I'd rather have him maimed and mangled than for him to suffer in silence in a relationship with you!" Kan Mi screamed back as she ripped her jaw away from his grubby hands. "You make him do aegyo, make him hug you, and you fight with him. That's not what he needs. He needs a woman in his life who he can love with his whole body, not just somebody who uses him as a cuddle toy, ready to throw him aside. He needs a woman, not a disgusting little boy like you!"

 

The only thing stopped Kan Mi's rant was Mir's hand striking her across the cheek. She screamed, not moving her head to face him again. But she did speak again. "You see? Joon can't love someone who hits a woman. That's beneath him."

 

Mir relaxed, bringing his arm back to his side. She heard him take a loud exhale. "You're right. He doesn't deserve somebody as violent as that. But that just means he doesn't deserve you." He leaned closer, his breath hot on her ear. "But when I'm done with you, then and only then, is when I'll be just the same."

 

Kan Mi felt a chill rush over her spine and slowly, she turned back to face him. "What...what are you going to do to me?"

 

Mir didn't answer her. The air was heavy with their silence that stretched enough for that chill to run over Kan Mi's entire body.

 

Suddenly, the light behind Kan Mi reflected off a piece of silver metal. Kan Mi's mind registered it as a knife and she froze even more. Mir let it dance before her eyes for a turn or two before diving it down into the ropes. With a flick of the wrist, they were cut and fell down at the legs of the chair. Kan Mi's breath picked up as she looked up at Mir. Mir would not deny that he was happy at the fear in her eyes.

 

"Run."

 

Kan Mi sat there in shock, chest heaving up and down in exaggereated breaths.

 

"RUN!" Mir raised the knife in a threat that was taken well. Kan Mi fell out of the chair, towards the door. She stood and stumbled a few times as she tried to feel her legs once again. By the time she reached the threshold, she picked up her dress and began to run.

 

Mir watched her go, fingers tight about the handle of knife. As she escaped into the light, he closed his eyes and let out a breath. Perhaps he was selfish, perhaps he was just as deranged as Kan Mi, but in his head - before he left the room as well - he reminded himself, "For Joon."