I went off the trail, into the unsteady, complicated forest ground. But just like what the pest said, I stayed close to the trail, following it.

 

A loud bang echoed, sending the birds flying out of the forest. I stopped in my tracks, my heart beating painfully against my chest.

 

“Jiyong!” I gasped, eyes wide. I turned around and started running back towards the house. Due to my haste, I stumbled a lot of times, tripping with some outgrown roots, fallen and broken branches and small rocks.

 

“JIYONG!” I called loudly this time, my voice rising into hysteria. I ran and ran until I saw the thinning of the trees, the surroundings getting lighter. I was about to call for the pest again when a hand covered my mouth. I was about to pull it off when I felt my arm got twisted behind me. I whimpered a little.

 

“Keep quiet!” a voice hissed in my ear.

 

“What-” I started when I felt the hand off my mouth, but it was soon replaced by a cloth. I struggled but the person was too strong for me. And I must say, she’s pretty good in covering my mouth with one hand and my arm with her other hand. Yes, the person is a she, there’s no mistaking that voice. When the cloth was secured, she then grabbed my other arm and pulled it behind me. Then, I felt something wrapped around my wrists. I’m being tied. And my feet were bound, too.

 

She let me go and turned me around. I looked at Seohyun’s face. Why is she doing this? She then pulled me with her and pushed me through the bushes. I fell hard on my side, feeling a few thorns scratching my arms.

 

She straightened up and put a bright smile in her face. My eyes widen. What the hell is she doing?! I tried making sounds but she ignored me. She then cleared and walked away from me. “Jiyong!” I heard her call sweetly. I started breathing hard and looked around. I tried to push myself up but it’s no use since both of my hands were tied. So I started kicking to move myself. I squirmed and crawled like a worm, finding a way back to the house. I didn’t mind the scratches and some pointing pain.

 

Dang it! What does this mean? Why Seohyun did tie me? What the hell is going in? Why did someone fired a gun? And what happened to the pest?

 

I continued squirming until I saw two feet in front of me. I looked up and saw an unfamiliar face looking down at me. I knew it’s the end of me when I saw the triumphant look in his face. Then, a sneer came to his face. “Oh, yes!” he breathed gleefully. “The boss would be ecstatic. Oooh, for sure I’ll be rewarded for this.”

 

Cold dread washed over me. I started crawling away from him but, it was no use. He easily stopped me by stepping on my back. “Hmm. Should I inform the others?” he mumbled to himself. “No, I don’t want to share my glory.” He pulled his foot away from my back and knelt beside me. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and turned my head upwards. He looked at me closely. “Who did this to you?” he asked, amused, then chuckled as I made senseless sounds. “Not that I’m complaining, but I’d like to thank that person for making my job easier.”

 

Tears started falling down on my cheeks. The guy looked at me closely, his eyes narrowing. Then, a surprised expression came over his face. “Oh my, oh my, oh my!” he muttered. “You’re prettier up close Hmm. So soft,” he added, his fingers running up and down my cheeks. Then, he scooped me up and threw me over his shoulders. I started struggling, but he’s just too strong. I let out a muffled scream as he squeezed my . I started sobbing harder.

 

“Don’t be impatient, little one. I promise to send you to heaven. We’ll take it really slow,” he laughed. “Ah, the boss wouldn’t mind if I get a taste of you first, would he? He just said to get you at any cost, but not kill you. But he didn’t forbid us to touch you, did he? Hmm. I’m excited. Tell me, are you a ?”

 

He was laughing maniacally as I continued my lame attempts to protest and escape him. He walked over two or three minutes deeper into the forest. Then, he stopped and looked around. He then bent down and put me down on the cold, moist soil. With the broken light coming through the tick branches, I looked at his face closely. His hair was strangely reddish brown in color. His dark eyes were half covered with his bangs. He was well-built and really FUGLY!!!

 

I saw him sneer at me before turning me over, making me lie down on my stomach. I tried to scream again but of course, it was useless since my mouth was all covered up. I felt the ties bounding my feet loosen, and then I felt his hands on the waistband of my sweatpants. I started crying really hard, my tears falling endlessly. He pulled my sweatpants down, leaving my underwear still on. He whistled low, and then his hand started roaming my legs up to my thighs, squeezing along the way. I cried even harder, trying to shake his hands off me.

 

Jiyong! my mind screamed the moment he hooked his fingers on my underwear. But of course, it was useless.

 

“Jesus! You’re so smooth,” he exhaled. I closed my eyes tightly. I don’t want to think anymore.

 

Through my muffled sobs, I heard a thud, followed by a surprised grunt then another thud. Did I go numb? I can’t feel his dirty hands on me anymore. But it turned out I was wrong because I felt hands on my ankles where the sweatpants were gathered. I started struggling again.

 

“Stop struggling,” a voice came over me. The sweatpants was put back on me, my bound feet and hands were freed. I turned around and removed the cloth off my mouth. I saw the pest and the girl. I pushed myself up and pointed a shaky finger at Seohyun.

 

“She’s a traitor!” I burst out. Seohyun just rolled her eyes at me.

 

“No, she’s not!” the pest fired back.

 

“She bounded me! She-”

 

“She did the right thing!” the pest cut off, shouting! “If she didn’t do that, you could have been caught already! I told you to go back but your stupidity and stubbornness ruled out! And if only you’d stay in the bushes where Seohyun left you, this wouldn’t happen!”

 

“I heard a gun!” I defended myself. “I heard a gun! You can’t blame me to come back and find out what’s-”

 

“What?!” he shouted again. “So what if you heard a gun? So what if I was shot? So what if I’m in danger? Can you do anything about it? Can you help? No! You’re just going to ruin and endanger everything and everyone!”

 

“Jiyong,” Seohyun cautioned.

 

But the pest ignored her. “You’re the most stupid, the dumbest person I’ve ever met!” the pest continued. “You can’t even follow simple instructions! You keep on disobeying everything! Putting all of us in jeopardy! You know what? Maybe I shouldn’t have stopped this guy from you maybe that would teach you a lesson!” he thundered, kicking the unconscious body- or was it dead?- of the guy on the ground. I stared at him, appalled.

 

“Jiyong!” Seohyun exclaimed. “Dara almost got ! How could you say that? She didn’t-”

 

“No, Seohyun,” I said, surprising myself at how calm and steady my voice was. “He’s right."

 

Seohyun looked at me disbelievingly. I stiffly took my shirt and sweat pants off me. I knelt to the ground and started shaking the unconscious guy

 

“What are you doing?” Seohyun asked.

 

“I’m trying to wake him up!” I gritted, controlling my voice from shaking. “I’m going to ask him to continue what he’s doing so I’ll learn my lesson,” I shakily said, my voice finally breaking to pieces. Before I can stop it, fresh waves of hysterical sobs started shaking my whole body. “Wake up!” I screamed at the guy, shaking him hard. When he didn’t budge, I put myself on top of him, crying hard but I was quickly pulled up by soft, gentle hands.

 

“Dara,” Seohyun said, holding my arms tightly as she continuously pulled me away from the guy.

 

“No, let me go!” I cried. “I want to learn my lesson! I deserve it! I’m nothing but a stupid, brainless stubborn spoiled brat who’s a burden to everyone!”

 

Seohyun’s arms were now wrapped around me tightly as I kept on struggling against her hold. I endlessly kicked my feet against the ground, crying. “Jiyong!” she called.

 

“Dara, stop. You’re overreacting,” he said. “Get dressed. We can’t afford to waste time tending to your childish fits.”

 

It took me a while to calm myself down in spite Seohyun comforting me. I mumbled thanks as I finally composed myself and put my clothes back on. “Where are we going now?” I bravely asked.

 

“We’re going to look for a place to stay,” Seohyun answered as the pest ignored me and started walking up ahead already.

 

“What happened?” I whispered as we trailed behind the pest. It was then that I realized that both of them were carrying some stuffs.

 

“When we found out you were gone. We separated to look for you. I was heading back to the house when I heard the gun. That’s when I realized that they found us. Then, I heard you scream Jiyong’s name. That was really dangerous, you know. So, I grabbed you and hid you and acted like I’m the one who screamed Jiyong’s name. When I came out of the forest, the guys were already pointing their guns at Jiyong. My arrival took them by surprise, they were distracted. Jiyong took advantage of it. He was able to take two guys while I fought one. I don’t know why the guy who found you didn’t fight with his companions. Maybe he’s too much for a coward or he just distinguished the differences between our voices.”

 

I was silent for a while, letting my mind absorb everything she said. “Why don’t we just ride a car and-”

 

“We can't afford that. It's too risky,” she snorted. “Jiyong's face is plastered all over the country; he's being accused as your kidnapper. If we travel by road, we can easily get caught since the cops are also after us now.”

 

“Kidnap?” I gasped. “But who would-”

 

“Your absence won't go unnoticed,” she sad.

 

“But if the cops are after us, maybe that's a good thing! I mean, I can explain what's really going on. The pest wouldn't have to-” I stopped as she laughed out loud.

 

“We can't do that,” she chuckled.

 

“Why?” I asked.

 

“We don't know who to be trusted nowadays, even the cops.”

 

A moment of silence passed.

 

“What about the gun? Did someone get shot?” I asked and looked up at the pest up ahead.

 

“No, they were just threatening Jiyong. Huh! Like that would scare him off.”

 

“Is. . . is he really that? I mean, is he that fearless?”

 

“You can say that. But like the saying goes, there's always an exemption to the rule. I only know one thing he's scared of.”

 

“Really? What is it?” I earnestly asked.

 

“Can't tell you. It's his secret to tell,” she shrugged.

 

I fell silent for a moment again. “Don't you think it's funny how we can talk without pissing each other off now?”

 

She shrugged again. “I don't really hate you. I'm just pissed and jealous.”

 

I looked at her, my jaw dropping open. Seeing my look, she laughed lightly. I kept an arm's length distance away from her after what I heard. Jeez. This girl can be scary, too.

 

By noon, we stopped, ate a prepared meal and took a rest. Then, we started walking again. I kept my silence as the pest and Seohyun started talking of options on where we're going to stay since we can't forever hide and live in the forest.

 

We stopped again as it started to get dark. The pest then started building a tent while Seohyun started building fire after gathering dry woods. We ate cold canned good and bread this time.

 

“Dara, you can use the tent,” Seohyun said.

 

“What about you?” I asked, still confused as to how we're not fighting anymore. Odd, eventhough the day isn't really a good one, I think I just earned a friend.

 

“We're staying up outside,” she said.

 

“Oh, I see,” I mumbled. “Well, goodnight then,” I said.

 

“O-kay,” she said, raised brows. I looked at the pest and sighed. He was gazing intently at the fire. I finally went inside and silently cried myself to sleep.