CHAPTER 7 : Overanalysis

I opened my eyes and started to feel burning pain in my cheeks. I was lying down in the back seat of a stuffy car with tinted windows. When I finally came to my senses, I grit my teeth in pain and tried to pull myself up. I looked outside and realized I was at the parking lot of the club. In an instant, memories of what just happened flooded in my head.

*flashback*

When I looked to my right, I noticed a tall man standing, looking at me. I couldn’t make much of his face because it was too dark, so I asked, “Who’s there?”

The tall man moved a step forward and I shivered. The light hit his face and I almost fainted. His hair covered a part of his right eye, but I could see that it was dark. His lips were pale. And his movements were slurred like he had too much to drink. I took a step back, frightened of what would happen next. I wanted to run but my body froze.

In an instant, the tall man had grabbed me. I fought back and retaliated but his strong hands clutched both of my arms. I tried to scream but his free hand muffled my cries and drowned it with the noise of the club. I started crying, looking around to see if someone was seeing what was happening. Before I could even plan my next struggle, the tall man had already hit me in the face.

Slowly my eyes started to close, and the last bit of consciousness I had in me disappeared.

*end of flashback*

Upon remembering what happened, I started to shake. Fear crept up on me like a shadow. There was not one time that I’ve been in danger. I started thinking of terrifying scenarios that might happen to me. I thought of EXO who probably supposed that I stayed in the room. Maybe they will realize I was gone. But I’m not going to wait. Not now when I have the chance to escape.

I forced my sore body to move towards the car door and pull the handle. The tall man who was nowhere to be found had probably ed me into the small space of the car making my body beaten up all over. In an adrenaline rush, I reached the handle and abruptly pulled it.

All of a sudden, my heart kicked into overdrive and my face turned pale. The tall man was standing just outside the door, ready to tear me apart.

“What the hell do you want?” I cried.

The tall man did not respond. Instead, he stared at me with eyes crazy-wide. The silence made me shiver, until there was no sound left but the vibration of the engine. Slowly, he entered the car and moved towards me.

“No!” I yelled and screamed but no one seemed to hear me. I moved back and hit the door. Blood rushed up my head and I kicked him not wanting to be defeated. I hit his face but it didn’t stop him from coming towards me, instead he became more insistent. When he held my left leg and tried to pull me, I struck my right leg on his ribs and he groaned in pain. I opened the door behind me and ran hurriedly.  

The almost empty parking space suddenly became hell to my unstable legs. I dashed as fast as I could, looking back at the car from time to time. I headed to the back door of the club but no matter how fast I ran, it still seemed too far away.

I looked back again and this time, the tall man was rushing towards me, his eyes even scarier. My eyes stay put on him while I hastened to the club. My tears slid in fire as it hit my sore cheeks. In a flash, my body bumped into someone else’s. My head screamed terror but when I looked up…

“Luhan.” My voice barely came out upon seeing the person I wanted to see the most.

“Luhan.” I breathed in relief.

“Luhan.” I felt a river of tears escape my swollen eyes.

Luhan’s blank face suddenly became infuriated, his brows furrowed. Without a word, he steadied me on my own feet then impulsively darted towards the tall man. He grabbed him by the neck and slammed him on the cold pavement. The tall man hurled to the ground and without delay, Luhan took him with one arm, his other hand clenching the man’s hair. He kicked him too many times to count and I shut my eyes in shock. The man had already passed out but Luhan kept beating him up.

I wanted to tell Luhan to stop because even I was starting to get scared. I was about to do so when EXO promptly arrived and saw what was happening. They went to Luhan in haste and held him back. He retaliated at first but after a few minutes, he calmed down. Kris and Lay then called the police while cautiously guarding the unconscious man.

“Let go.” Luhan said to Tao and Xiumin who held him on both sides.

They did as he asked and he headed towards me. I gazed at him not knowing what to think or where to even start explaining why I was taken forcefully. When he was just a few inches away from me, I opened my mouth to say something, but he walked straight ahead, his shoulder grazing mine. I pursed my lips and said thank you in my mind.

After a few minutes, the police came and the man was apprehended. He had been apparently notorious for taking advantage of girls in the club but until today, he never abducted anyone. The police said that he had escalated his crime since no one had really complained about him. As soon as the interrogation ended, EXO with Woo Jin and all the other assistants brought me back to the villa but Luhan was already gone.

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LUHAN’S POV

I sat at the balcony of the hotel with a bottle of soda in hand. Lay texted me that they’d be bringing Mina to the villa to make sure she was safe. He doesn’t text me a lot, but I bet he did it to guilt trip me. I wanted to tell him my assistant didn’t need 12 people escorting her home but I was too lazy to even get my phone. It’s her fault for being abducted anyway. Besides, Woo Jin, the golden boy, is there to save her.

“I thought you were allergic to alcohol?” I looked at the sliding door and saw Kris standing by it.

“It’s freaking soda.” I replied. I heard voices in the room and realized they were all back.

Kris took a seat beside me. For a while he was silent, like he was phrasing something in his head.

Then he blurted out of nowhere, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so worried.”

 “What do you mean?”

“Today, when Mina disappeared.”

Surprised, I choked from the soda I was drinking. Kris instantly patted my back and I coughed terribly. It took me a moment to recover and even when I did, I paused before replying.

 “You’re overanalyzing.”

“Am I?” Kris laughed as if he was dismissing the idea. I, on the other hand, stood up. I hate being interrogated especially about nonsensical things like worrying about my assistant.

Before I could leave the balcony completely, Kris said something that scattered my mind: “Just make sure Mina doesn’t think the same way I do coz this whole I-hate-you-but-then-I-save-you kind of thing you’ve got going – It’s bound for overanalysis.”

I gave him a what-the look and left the balcony immediately. I went to my room and took a long bath, thinking of what happened today. The first thing that came to mind was that Mina actually called me “Luhan” when I clearly told her not to do so. She is really absent-minded and clumsy. I thought of firing her again, but I figured she would do something stupid pretty soon, by then I’d be justified to actually kick her out. The hot water hit my hand and my knuckles started to ache, I saw small cuts that formed on it. I obviously hit the ert violently. But it wasn’t violent enough. If I had gotten my way, he wouldn’t be able to walk ever.

When I was about to go to sleep, my phone rang. It was my mom. I answered it quickly.

“Luhan. How have you been?” Her gentle voice made me realize how much I missed her.

“I’m okay mom, how are you?”

“I called to tell you I have good news. Me and your dad…” She paused. “Me and your dad, we finally made up.”

I was silent. I’ve heard that from her too many times. I don’t know if she was just saying that to make me not worry or she actually believes that dad would even have time to make up with her. She probably noticed my dismissal so she quickly changed the subject.

“When are you coming to visit us?” She asked.

“I’ll visit to see you as soon as I can.”

“Alright, take care of yourself. I miss you.” She was about to hang up.

“Mom?” I called out to her. “You’ll call me if something happens right?”

“Of course.” She assured me. And even though I knew it was a lie, I pretended to accept it as it is.

She hung up and I gripped my phone tightly. I shivered in disgust when I pictured that man making up with mom. Slowly, I drifted to sleep in worry.

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The next day, I woke up to cheers and loud voices. I heard Lay shouting something about touring the island. Can’t they see someone was trying to sleep? In a minute, I felt Xiumin budge me intensely, asking me to wake up. I swung my pillow on his head but he dodged it skilfully. He’s probably used to my hitting skills.

“Luhan! Get up, we’re going to tour the island today!” Xiumin was too excited for his own good.

“Leave me alone, I’m not going.” My voice was still slurred.

Tao came over to help Xiumin get me up. He pulled my left hand while Xiumin pulled the other in their desperate attempt to bring me to the bathroom. My eyes then shot wide open. I hastily loosened their hold on me.

“Stop it! I said I’m not going!” I spoke up in Chinese.

“Why?” Xiumin looked like he was going to throw tantrums.

“I’m not feeling well.” As soon as I said that, all of them circled around me.

They all started to feel my temperature in anxiety. Lay said that since I have fever they will just stay in with me. But I asked them not to, I needed some peace for a little while. Luckily, I was able to convince them to go on with their tour. On their way out of my room, I heard Lay say something to Kris.

“You know who to call.”

“Of course.” Kris’ voice sounded thrilled.

When they all left, I closed all the curtains and went back to sleep, smiling to my cleverness. As soon as I threw myself on the bed, my eyes got heavy. I was almost in dreamland when the doorbell rang. I dismissed it at first, but it rang and rang again and again. The whining sound of the doorbell pierced into my ears. Infuriated, I said aloud, “What is it this time?”

I dragged myself to the door like a zombie. I opened it slightly, leaving the top latch fastened. A smiling face greeted me.

“You’re up?” Mina beamed.

I gritted my teeth. Oh, you are so fired.

A/N : It took me a while to update since "Growl" came out! :D Hope you guys liked this chapter. :)