It came a little after thirty minutes past twelve that night; the very faint knock on the door that he would’ve missed if it wasn’t for the fact that he is a light sleeper. At first he thought, he was just hearing things – but when the knocks became persistent, and her voice calling his name sounding almost urgent, Doo Joon kicked away the covers in alarm and within matter of seconds – the door was already swung open.

The figure of her hunching in her pink satin pyjamas came stumbling immediately. He watched as her eyes widened up at him momentarily, before flashing a sheepish grin awkwardly.

“H-hey,” Nicole stammered a little as she slowly got up on her feet, holding onto the door frame for dear support. “Did I...disrupt your sleep or something...?”

“You scared me,” Doo Joon deliberately emphasized on the second word as his eyes scanned her head to toe. “I thought something had happened and you were...well – “

“Oh...I’m sorry,” she said meekly, biting her bottom lip hard. “I was just...uh – I couldn’t sleep. I heard something that awakened me and now I can’t go back to sleep. But well – “ she started to turn around and walk away, probably back to her own room. “I guess it was nothing...”

“Nicole – “

“Sorry for disturbing you in the middle of the night...”

“Nicole – “

“I will just go back now and...”

“You’re welcome to sleep in my room,” Doo Joon interrupted her loudly, clearing his throat a little too obviously. “I’ll just sleep on the floor.”

She whirled around in surprise. “What?”

“That’s what you came here for, didn’t you?” he grinned despite the awkwardness, and that was enough to make her sigh in relief (silently). “Come on, or you won’t be getting any sleep tonight.”

She didn’t need to be told twice.

: :

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Doo Joon asked as he pulled over the white Hyundai near the college’s entrance. He eyed Nicole who was sitting in the passenger’s seat, on her thumb, looking anything but assured. He sighed inwardly as he pulled back the handbrake.

“Look,” he began. “We can always go back and do this another day. Or you know, you don’t even have to do this – “

“But I want to,” she finally spoke up, lifting up her eyes to meet his gaze. “Ever since the incident...I put off everything else, including my studies. I quit halfway – but now I realised, I can’t go on like this forever.”

“Okay,” he said quietly. “I understand. But hey, if you feel uncomfortable or you just need to escape – let me know.”

Nicole smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Doo Joon.” She pushed open the door and stepped a foot out. “I’ll call you later once I’m done.”

“Call me if there’s anything at all,” he corrected her firmly. “Anything or anyone suspicious. If you feel as if you’re being followed, hit your no.1 speed dial and I’ll come over before you know it.”

She couldn’t help chuckling. “Alright, I’ll see you later then.”

Closing the door behind her, Nicole gave him one final wave as she watched him pull away from the entrance – leaving her alone for the first time ever since that day her house had been broken into.

She would be lying if she said she wasn’t afraid; in fact she was terrified – but she also knew she couldn’t go on moping around forever.

Taking a deep breath, she her heels and strode inside Chung-And University with a big smile on her face.

: :

Half-an-hour later, after dropping Nicole off at the college, Doo Joon arrived at the headquarters after weeks of being away.

This place, one which he used to call home – now feels distant and foreign. Ever since he ‘lost’ his partner in that sense, he’s been avoiding the whole thing, including the people he regarded as team-mates.

But today, he came with a purpose.

“Give me good news, Byung Hee,” he got straight to the point as soon as he walked into one of smaller rooms where he knew he’d find their team researcher. “Give me only good news.”

“Hello to you too,” the other male replied cynically as he pushed himself away from the table with the rotating chair and reached out his fist to hit knuckles with Doo Joon – to which the latter did distractedly.

“You’re no fun,” Byung Hee complained as he went back to hitting some keys on the white computer. “No macchiato, no food, no nothing and you expect me to – “

“Byung Hee.”

The warning tone in Doo Joon’s voice was enough to make his friend shut up.

“Okay,” he exhaled loudly. “No, we couldn’t track down the guys.”

“Damn it.”

“You know how they have practically an army to themselves. These guys are good – and I mean, really good man. There were no fingerprints, no hair, no anything that could help us tie them down. We even – “

“Is Junsu still there at the safe-house?”

“- tried to...uh yes. Yeah, he’s still there; safe and sound.”

“Good,” Doo Joon said quietly. “And what about that request I’ve asked of you?”

Byung Hee looked lost for a moment. After about five seconds, he snapped his fingers. “Ah that, yes. I took care of that. Nicole’s taking Drama & Film studies, isn’t she?” At Doo Joon’s nod, he continued, “She’s lucky to have two cute boys as her course-mates then.”

That piece of news didn’t settle quite well with Doo Joon, who looked as if he was about to strangle the life out of Byung Hee.

“I told you to send in two guys as extra protection – but I didn’t say they have to be cute.”

“Have to be or couldn’t be?”

“Does it matter?”

“Precisely! Does it matter if they’re cute or not?”

Doo Joon smacked the back of his friend's head, hard, before storming out of the room without another word – leaving Byung Hee speechless as to what had just happened.