Mir feels anxiety with numbers of strangers near him. Out of nowhere Seungho was there, with three other men. One clad in black leather jacket and jeans with biker boots. The rest of the two were the police officers, Mir could recognize the strict uniform they wears.

He stays in his room when his sister talked with all the four men in the living room. Mir fidgeting with his blanket, nervously biting his bottom lip. What happened? There must be something that’s going on. He’s curious about what’s happen but he doesn’t think he could handle being on the same room with four other men. None of the men makes him comfortable enough.

The copper haired took a peek from a small glass next to his door. From there, he could see the view of living room. They are all looks so serious. Mir could see the tense expression on his sister’s face. For times to times she will steal a glance toward his direction. Their eyes will met and her sister will smile slightly, but Mir knows something’s wrong.

 Also the other men seem really tense. The look in Seungho face said he could kill someone. The two officers are guarding the front door. The black leather jacket man’s the calmer. He had a stoic expression on his face while scanned the entire room with his eyes from time to time.

After the talk ended, the three persons rise from their seat and come near Mir’s room. Eunah opened the door. Mir looked at them with anticipation. He already feels trapped, but he ignored the feeling.

“Mir, I want you to meet detective Doojoon.”

Detective Doojoon nodded at him. Mir nodded slightly, panic rise up. “What’s wrong?” he asked reluctantly to the three.

“Detective Doojoon and officers will guard the house. You don’t need to be worry,” Seungho explained when Eunah seemed doesn’t know what to talk.

“Why?”

Now come the hard part. How can he explain to the victim that the criminal is free and will try to get him? If only Seungho knows how to tell Mir that. Doojoon clears his throat, took Mir attention to him.

“We predict the criminals will try to get you,” he said with stern voice.

Mir looked at him without blink. “Criminals?” he asked confused.

Doojoon looked at him with the same expression. The look brought sweat on his palm. There’s fear inside him. His mind might be doesn’t recognize the mean, but his heart does. When Doojoon opened his mouth, his world turned black.

“Yes, Mir-ssi. We’ve been tracking them and caught one of them. Unfortunately, one of them escaped and we still can’t figure out another one. You will be under supervision in a mean time.”

Mir’s breath became erratic as his grip tightened. “Right, that criminals,” he murmured.

Everyone see how Mir suddenly looked distance. His eyes look far away as his face became pale. His body then shaking as he forced back into that horrible night. He sees the darkness of that night. He feels the cold, damp, and pain from the night. He’s being held to the cold and wet asphalt and the man hovered above him, ripping his clothes, laughing when he’s pleading, crying.

“Mir-ssi,” the cold voice brought Mir back. His eyes now focused on the detective. “I need you to cooperate with my officers. Please don’t go anywhere without they knowing and do tell them if you get any suspicious contact.”

His stern command somehow calmed Mir down. He nodded weakly to the detective, doesn’t believe his voice. Doojoon nodded before turned toward Seungho. “Then I’ll take my leave. I need to interrogate the criminal. Soon he speaks up soon we could take another step.”

Seungho nodded and shook his hand. “Thank you for coming here.”

“It’s no problem,” Doojoon said. “Eunah-ssi, I appreciate your cooperation with us.”

Eunah nodded. “Thank you detective. Let me sent you,” she said and both of them walk to the front door.

They met with disarray Joon on the front door. His breath’s uneven as if he ran along the way and he’s coughing hard. He was being held by the two officers who looked at him suspiciously.

“Oppa!” Eunah snarled.

Doojoon signed the officers to let Joon go. They nodded and complied. Joon doesn’t even bother to lose his erratic breath by scream ‘I told you’ on their face. “Is he okay?” Joon asked.

Eunah calmed him right away. “He’s fine oppa, just a bit shock. Seungho oppa’s with him.” Joon feels so much better knowing the news. He finally paid attention to the man beside her. He recognized the detective. They met before, when the detective interrogated him about the incident.

The two men shook hands. “What happened?” Joon asked him, covered his mouth for cough and then ask another question. “You caught one of them?”

“Yes, he is at the central right now. However one of them escaped and we still have no clue about the other one. Mir-ssi will be under supervision to anticipate.”

Joon nodded but Doojoon could see the fear lurked inside his eyes. He found this interesting. Awhile ago, he saw exactly the same fear lurking from the victim, now he found it in someone who he sum up as the victim’s lover. Seungho doesn’t tell him the detail about it, so did another Mir’s friend that he’d interrogate. Everyone feel angry, sympathy with the incident. They all do their best to cooperate, but none of them looked hurt and scared like Joon does.

Usually when the case is about the and attack, victim’s lover or ex-lover will be on top of the list. This case is different. Right after the interrogation end, Doojoon scratched the name Lee Joon from his list. The criminals would never look that shaken like Joon did. It’s a poor thing he can’t get Mir’s verification but even without it Doojoon could swear that Joon isn’t the criminal.

There’s no way he’s the culprit except he’s a damn good actor and I’ll eat my detective’s license if that’s the case.

Once again Doojoon bid his goodbye after gave some instruction for the officers. When Doojoon drove away, Eunah and Joon get inside the house. They found Seungho still at the last position Eunah saw him.

“Hyung,” Joon called him, relief he’s here.

Mir perked his head when he heard Joon’s voice. In contrary from his earlier thought, he feels safe now with Joon’s presence more than knowing there are trained officers to guard him. Joon makes him feel at ease. He has a weird desire to raise his hands and tells Joon to…hug him?

”Joon, let’s talk outside,” Seungho said, cut Mir’s thought in mid way.

Joon followed the elder after checking on Mir fast. He’s glad that Mir is fine, shocked, but fine. Seungho looked tense and far than fine right now. It concerns Joon, tells him that Seungho will say something really serious.

He’s proven right when they were out of reach and Seungho finally landed the bomb. “We need Mir to verify the culprit.”

The younger of the two looked at Seungho like he grows two head. “But Mir isn’t ready for that,” he protested.

“I know,” Seungho replied. He saw it himself just while ago. “But it can’t be help. We have proves, but Mir’s verification will be stronger than any prove we had. It also could make everything easier and fast.”

Seungho watched how Joon shook his head in disagreeing. He too, feels like a bastard to tell him that but they really need that. What he doesn’t tell Joon is that they faced with a smart culprit. Whoever the brain of the criminals is make sure everything goes well-organized. He makes it looks like Mir attacked by delinquents, kept low profile. So far, their mistakes were keeping Mir’s alive and a small amount of skin under Mir’s nail that held one of their DNA.

“I don’t want to force Mir to do anything,” Seungho started, earned Joon’s full attention. “But I want you to at least try to talk to him about that. I’m afraid the longer we catch them, the more it will be danger for Mir.”

Joon finally nodded. Seungho patted his shoulder as a support. “I must go. This isn’t my territory anymore. I shouldn’t be here on the first hand,” he sighed, once again thank Doojoon secretly.

“Thank you for coming hyung, for everything. Thank you very much.”

Seungho left the house with both Eunah and Joon sent him to the front door. “So, what do you think?” Eunah asked Joon once they get inside.

The model shook his head. “I don’t want him to do that. I’m afraid it will affect him more than it already is, but I also don’t see any other way.”

Eunah sighed and rubbed his temple. “We should ask Dr. Kim about it. I’ve called her. She’ll come tomorrow. Mir was a bit shock with the entire situation.”

“Go to rest,” Joon told her, studied her tired face. “It’s enough for today. We’ll talk about it tomorrow with Dr. Kim too. I’ll take care of him.”

She wanted to calm her brother once again though Mir looked all better now, with no stranger at their house anymore. But her eyes are heavy and headache started to invade. Joon could take care of Mir just fine, so she nodded and walk to her room.

Joon watched until she disappeared into her room before turned and walked toward Mir’s room. The room’s door was still open. He could see Mir sitting on the middle of his bed, looking through the window with blank expression. Joon softly knocked on the door not to scare the younger.

“Hi,” he said with slight smile when Mir looked at him. “May I come in?”

Mir slowly nodded. Joon walked into the room, leaving the door open behind him. He pulled a chair next to Mir’s bed to the further distance before seat there.

“How are you?” Joon asked carefully while studying his expression.

“Isn’t it supposed to be my question?” Mir replied softly after a long moment of silence. “You are the one who sick.”

The fact that Mir said more than single word to him is not being missed. If the situation was normal, Joon probably grin from ear to ear. “I’m perfectly fine,” Joon reassured.

Mir doesn’t buy it even a slightest, seeing Joon once again coughing to the palm of his hand. But he decided not to take it further. Instead, he asked the second thing he wanted to know most. “What exactly happened?”

It took a long time for Joon to answer. They don’t really tell him about the whole thing of chase the culprits. Everyone tried not to mention anything related to the incident near Mir, knowing the effect that affect him.

“Are you going to leave me in the dark too?”

The question shocked Joon that made him immediately looked right to Mir. The younger once again looked through the window, now with stern expression.

“Do you know how scary it is? Being left in the dark?”

Mir clutched his blanket and bored Joon with his gaze. It’s not fear that patterned his eyes. It’s not anxiety either. It’s a strong flame of anger. Rage to the point that it shines in both his eyes. Joon gaped in awe seeing this side of Mir for the first time after the incident.

“I don’t like it when I feel like I can’t see the light. I hate it when the dark choked me.” Now there’s tear on his eyes, threatened to fall anytime soon. It’s not sad tears. It’s a tear for anger. “I hate it when I feel lonely and useless that everyone need to take care of me.”

“No,” Joon finally cut him, looking directly to his eyes. “You are not useless. You are not alone either. I won’t leave you,” emotion filled his voice strong, dominant. “God, I won’t leave you anywhere.”

Mir sat there motionless, never break the eye contact. He’s waiting for Joon to continue.

“We’re looking for the culprits. We’ve been searched for them since that night,” Joon told the younger, spared the detail. “One of them was caught not long ago, and another one escaped.”

“They’re looking for me.” Joon averted his eyes and clenched his fist hard. The image of Mir, laying unconsciously in a dark room and being strangled imprinted in his mind.

“They won’t get anywhere near you,” Joon growled, uncharacteristic violent rose to his voice.

“There are three of them,” Mir whispered softly. His voice afar and empty. “They are strong. They pinned me down, pressed me to the cold ground. They held me, ignoring my plea, my cried.”

“Mir,” Joon called out.

Mir can’t hear him. He’s lost too deep in his own head. His pupils darken with the memory of that night. “They laugh at me, mocking me for crying. They called me names. Come on , I know you will like it. You like to beg so much, huh? I’ll give you what you want.”

“Stop!” the voice snapped Mir back to the reality. He looked at Joon paled face. Joon watched him with unreadable expression. Still, Mir could see his tensed figure. What he said earlier affected Joon, hit him hard.

And it affected Mir too.

“You are here now Mir,” Joon said with tiny voice, his voice is nowhere near his usual calm, soothing voice. His voice is shaken, unsure. “You are safe. God, you are here and safe. No one can change that.”

Mir watched astonished, despite the coldness that struck him to the core, the changing in Joon’s eyes. Those eyes now looked back at him in fierce. “No one can take you away again.”

It’s a promise that Joon gives him. The words ‘from me’ are hanging between them, inaudible, but exist.

The younger hugged himself as his body shiver. Joon carefully pulled the blanket and dabbed it over his lover’s frail body. Joon is too shocked from what Mir told him earlier that he doesn’t notice that Mir doesn’t budge with their close space.

Joon was about to pull his hand to his side when Mir softly called him. “Joon,” he said, looking at the elder with uncertainty tinted his eyes. “I’m cold.”

The elder of the two tilted his head, can’t comprehend what Mir wanted him to do. He doesn’t even think anything close, so it caught him off guard when Mir voiced what he wants. “Hold me.”

He nervously looked when Mir move aside, giving him some space to join him under the blanket. He didn’t ask if the younger sure about it, though. He knew that Mir won’t say anything that he doesn’t certain of.

Slowly, Joon crawled up beside Mir, sitting next to him. Up to this point, their close distance seems fine to Mir. He just winced when Joon placed his arms around his body. Joon immediately stopped, and retracted his hand, but Mir shook his head.

“No,” he said, panic colored his voice. “Stay with me.”

So Joon complied and once again circled his arms around Mir, held him loose. They both are waiting. It took a complete five minutes for Mir to slowly move and rested his head to the crook of Joon’s neck.

Joon held his breath. He afraid a tiny move from him could fear Mir out. He can’t believe he holds Mir in his arms. He can’t believe Mir is in his reach. It feels like dreaming. The thought of it’s just a dream and he probably in his own room and dying crossed his mind. But even a dream is alright, he wishes to stay longer.

“You’re burning,” Mir murmured. His warm breath ghost on Joon’s neck, telling Joon that Mir is really in his arms. It makes his fever as small as a dot.

“I’m alright,” Joon reassured him. He loosens his loose arms when Mir shifted in his embrace. Mir brought a hand to rest on where his heart placed and Joon could swear his heart skip a beat.

“It’s warm,” Mir told him. Joon could hear his voice is thick with sleepiness. “I won’t break if you hold me tighter.”

Mir feels content when Joon held him tighter. Like he said, it’s warm and safe. He feels safe here, with Joon. Joon chased away the cold, the numbness he felt. Mir never feels this alive after that night.

“I want to remember you,” was all Mir said before he fell asleep.

Joon carefully his hand to Mir’s copper hair. He smiled in content when he feels Mir fell asleep. Slowly, Joon placed a chaste kiss on top of his head. “I’m waiting for that to come, sweetheart,” he said.

The world around them is a stumble mess. The escaped culprit that maybe is waiting his chance to harm Mir, the seemingly unending chase, the lost last culprit, and those nightmares that haunt both of them. All seems too hard for them to handle, but with Mir in his arm right now, Joon feels better, and its way more important than anything. He haven’t told Mir about the verify thing yet, but it can wait. Everything can wait.

Tonight, it’s only both of them.

***

Jay is sitting on the red couch, drinking his vodka when Lee Min stormed inside. His eyes were wide in anger and fear.

“They found us,” he spat, walking back and forth furiously. “Those police got Xin. They got him, damn it!”

Jay watched as Min threw tantrums and gulped some beer. “You need to do something.”

“I will think of some plan.” Jay walked slowly and poured some of vodka to his friend. “You can stay here.”

Min nodded and bang his head at the bar table. “That , we need to get rid of him.”

Jay sat next to him, slowly rubbed his back in comfort. “Xin will be alright. He knows what to do.” he softly Min’s cheek and tilted his head so their eyes meet. “You must know it too.”

Min snorted. “I know. I won’t mention about the boss ever.”

“Good.”

Later that night, when Min finally regained his composure and went upstairs to sleep, Jay entered the main bedroom and crawled up to the king sized bed in the middle.

“Min is here,” he said to someone that lay on the bed.

Jay heard that person snorted irritated. “You touch him?”

“To comfort him, Xin get caught,” Jay cooed, rubbing the smooth white skin.

“What? You want to tell me they will get me?” that person snapped, now turned to face Jay with anger filled eyes.

“They won’t,” Jay comforted. “I won’t let them.”

That person looked at Jay and pulled Jay closer. They’re hugging in the dark of the room. “I only have you Jay. Only you shouldn’t betray me.”

“I won’t.”

Written By: Honey June

Okay, so I hope this chapter will answer some of your questions.

I like how the story turn out, hopefully u guys too.

I think i give a lame name. it's funny how the culprit named "Xin" since it means heart in Chinese.

i don't think he has heart. 

Be healthy everyone, enjoy reading.