▲▼ CHAPTER 31

     "Hey I'm going off, sure you're fine on your own?" Jaebum called out, placing his folded apron and dried towels into one of the cupboards. The café was slowly turning much peaceful as the day came to an end. You heaved a sigh of immense relief, finally you were done with the peak hours and was able to squeeze some time for you to rest. You waved your towel towards Jaebum, "I'm fine, now go home!" He laughed, sliding his bag right onto his broad shoulders before leaving the chic café . You did the last clean up before plopping yourself down onto the chair, staring into space. The night was extremely cooling and from your own workspace, you were able to witness the admiring scenery of the town. The vibrant lights coming from the cars and streetlights accompanied you throughout the whole evening.

         Just before you were about to close down the cafe, a light ring from the bell was heard - indicating that there was a customer. You poked your head from the pantry and sure enough, there was a customer who was engulfed in an all-black clothing together with a matte black snapback. From it's broad shoulders and chest that was potrayed, you guessed that the customer was probably a guy. He then took the seat near the huge glass window, fiddling with the menu. He too had his hoodie over his cap. Fishing out the clean notepad from the pockets of your apron, you made your way towards him to get his order. A mysterious yet tensed aura can be felt as soon as you were nearing him. He seemed scary - partly because he was wearing black, everything. "Just one black coffee." He called over, still looking down onto the menu. Only his deep and husky voice was heard. You nodded, quickly jotting it down and placing it onto the counter before calling out his order. Meanwhile when his beverage was being made, you sat right behind the counter. Without a doubt, you would glance up towards him and something bothered you.

         First of all, he doesn't seem pleasant or friendly at all. Secondly, his dark aura and raspy voice meant harm - at least to you of course. It bothered you how he would always fiddle with the menu right in front of him or even with his phone, locking and unlocking the screen. Other than that, you never had the chance to get a good look of his face. At times like this, you had to be aware of your own surroundings. Who knows, he might be a burglar or even worse, a serial killer. The loud bell coming from the kitchen jolted you from your daydream as you took the steaming cup of coffee into your grip. Your hands trembled as soon as you were walking on the way to his table. He then muttered a thanks before placing a crisp two dollar note onto the table. Every now and then, you would find yourself staring onto the silhoutte of his body. His well-built shoulder yet slim waist was so familiar and thinking of it sometimes made your hair stand upright. Eventhough he was mysterious, it made you more curious to know about him. Before you were able to take a small peek to his direction, you realised that a pair of eyes were looking directly to you. The guy had his head tilted slightly to the side, allowing you to only see his pair of eyes. Oddly, you were not able to see his full face and you were honestly bothered by it. Now, he was the one who kept staring at you. As you glanced up, you were sometimes fast enough to catch him looking at you and his eyes reminded you of someone so familiar. But unfortunately, you were not able to put a finger onto it.

         The bell on the top corner of the door rang again but you were unaware since you were so absorbed into staring his mysterious back. Then came another husky voice, "One latte please miss." You quickly repositioned yourself, wiping the counter and taking out the dirtied notepad. Right then, a hearty laugh was heard - a very familiar one. Your eyes wandered and you saw the light hazelnut brown tousled hair together with the high cheekbones that created a small dimple on each cheek. You then rolled your eyes in annoyance. Daehyun decided to drop by your work after a long evening jog, maybe even deciding to walk home with you. You called out for another order of coffee and rested your arm onto the counter.

         That was finally the last order of the day. But eventhough the cafe was closing soon, the guy in his all-black clothing was still busy sipping down his already cooled black coffee. You cleaned the counter and the other used tables. The man swiftly landed the cup of coffee back onto the table and stood up, adjusting his hoodie. You waited, standing by the corner of the pillar. He walked pass Daehyun, moving towards your direction. You bit your lower lip as you realised how he cocked his head to your direction, you an intensed stare before leaving the cafe. You saw how his dark silhoutte moved pass through the crowds, pushing through with all his might. Daehyun looked up from his drink and pursed his lips, "You know that guy?"

         He was odd but his aura that was overpowering somewhat left the café in a different solemn mood. You snapped from your thoughts, shaking your head in reply to Daehyun's question. The once light salmon sky turned into a much darker blue-black that contrasted the city lights. Thank goodness the day ended earlier than you thought it would, cleaning up the last bits and pieces of breadcrumbs on the other tables and locking up the café. The night in the city never failed to amuse you with it's lively atmosphere. Eventhough the time had almost reached midnight, the loud honks coming from the bustling cars and songs blasted aloud from the stores filled the whole neighbourhood. You wandered through the area, finding a suitable place to fill up your stomach after a whole tiring day. Daehyun let out his witty smile, holding you close by his side whenever a huge crowd came by.

         He can never describe how great the feeling is being able to surround his arms around your small shoulder blades. It may be something small to others but to him, it gave him the impression of having the power to protect you. He never had the chance to show how much he cared for her in the past. As the vibrant city lights flashed upon your duey face, another sincere smile was tugged to the end of Daehyun's lips. There was this certain feeling that made his stomach went topsy-turvy and his heart thumping with full eagerness whenever he glances to your face. It was unexplainable but he knew that deep inside, it was a good kind of feeling that he would want it to last. Finally, your brittle legs were starting to cramp. You surrendered, leaving the city behind and trudging back home. As soon as you reached the front steps, you collapsed onto the couch.

         Daehyun let out his infamous laugh, "Long day eh?" You then groaned, unhooking your crossbody bag and tying your long light caramel hair into a messy bun. "God, I can lose some weight working there." There, another knot was twisted in Daehyun's tummy. He let out a dry chuckle to himself, walking towards his bedroom. He admired how you had a dry humor. Even in times which are tensed and serious, you are still able to crack up a small yet sarcastic joke. As soon as the night sinks in, both of you went under your covers to get some beauty sleep. You yawned, stretching your body while tossing and turning onto the bed. It was late at night and eventhough your body was tired, your mind wasn't.

         You closed your eyes again, attempting to fall asleep but to no avail. Biting your lower lip, you started fearing the dark. As the night creeped in even further, whispers came into action. They became even distinct as time goes by and it was haunting you, calling out your name in the dark. You shivered, grasping your covers tightly till the presence of the purple veins could be seen. Think happy thoughts, you muttered to yourself. Your eyes were closed shut and you tried to regenerate your mind. You thought about the times you had with your grandmother and Daehyun. Any happy thoughts that would recall to you, you tried to use it as a force to stop the nightmares or hallucinations from bothering you. Thankfully, it did. The whispers drifted away from you. The voices started to fall and it seemed almost defeated.

         That was when you were wrong.

         A loud hiss was heard and before you knew it, a  dark silhoutte appeared through the cream wall. The temperature in the room fell drastically and you found yourself snuggling deeper into the warmth of your blanket. The dark silhoutte seemed so familiar. It had a broad shoulder that instantly flashes a mysterious aura. Other than that, it had an authorative vibe - as if the person was someone so confident. You didn't imagined it as danger. Then it hit you, with the all-black clothing, he was the customer from your café . He was the one that had been staring at you intently. A blazing light came scorching onto the carpeted floor and the skinny, milky-skinned gal appeared. You gritted your teeth and your stomach dropped. "Leave me alone. I don't need you." Then, there was a shrieking laugh that rang through your ears - so distinct that it may even break a glass cup. She growled, shuffling her feet towards your direction and you covered yourself using the thick woolen blanket. Growling, you shot a glare at her but she did not seem threatened at all. "Right when you thought you lost me, I came back." She said in a matter-of fact tone and let out another sarcastic laugh.

         Each step that she took seemed to affect the temperature as it fell little by little. Your fist was still clenched and you contained both your anger and fear. "You missed me." She stated as you rolled your eyes. You loathed, you never wanted to see her again. "They're after you." The night came to a still and you peeked up from under the covers. Her eyes were glinting in the dark and of course her pearly white skin was smooth-looking as usual.

         Eyebrows furrowed into a straight line and wrinkles formed in the middle of your forehead. There were no smirks neither small smile that was tugged to the end of and the straight lips that she gave proved that it was something serious. You shuffled through your covers, repositioning yourself and straightening your back onto the bedrest. You gulped down a huge ball of saliva, "What're you talking about? Nobody's going to get me." The voices in your head came into action again as all of them tried to speak at once. You squinted your eyes and shook your head from the sides - they were going too loud - maybe even screaming on top of their lungs to warn you upon your oncoming mishap. Whimpering, they didn't seem to lower their voice and it screeched through your ears, instantly hurting them.

         You screamed, begging them to stop as you held both of your palms closely to your ears. Soon, the loud screeching noises cannot be heard anymore and they lowered their voices. Then came a harsh wind that slapped you right across your face, followed by a whisper that was so near to your ear. "They are searching high and low, ready to pull your throat out." Your stomach churned and the atmosphere turned still again, all you heard was the sound of cars driving past the wet road. Who exactly were they talking about? Your eyes blinked numerous times and your vision was blurred. The bright yellow light that came from your nightlight gleamed around her milky skin, starting to fade and so did her. She walked towards you, moving closer to your bed side and slowly leaning down while scrutinizing your face. Her jet black hair drapped beautifully onto her shoulder as you admired her slightly teal-coloured pupils. "You're their next target." Her warning seemed so terrifying and the tone that she had in her voice was serious.

         A cold shiver went down your spine and it was a different kind of cold. It was a cold that made you curled up like a hedgehog and made your stomach churned, feeling as if you were drowning in the deep sea bed. Your eyes narrowed throughout the whole room and he was still there. The dark shadow that overcasted the creamed wall was still present, standing right in front of you. His all-black clothing called for danger and she warned you yet again with her most deeper tone. A sharp sensation came ringing through your eardrums and you can barely hear anything. Before you knew it, death was right in front of you. Your heart thumped rapidly and there was nowhere you were able to escape. Your legs kicked the blankets as they fell to the cold ground, hands gripping onto the bedrest as tight as you could. The dark shadow that was standing right in front of you was by now floating in mid-air. You let out a shrieking scream, calling for help with all your heart - telling her to stop this. She only shook her head in dismay, shuffling her way back near the window pane and apologised.

         "There's no way I can help. It wants you." She repeated again and this time, the loud ringing sensation that rang through your ears stopped. The shadow before you grew bigger, his hand lifting up by itself and potraying a sleek and shiny revolver right to your direction. Your lips trembled and your throat felt extremely dry like the Sahara desert. A soft whimper escaped from your mouth while he clicked the revolver to load the bullet up. Your body shook, fear engulfed your small body and you were stood rooted on the spot.

         He flexed his fingers and with a loud growl, he clicked onto the revolver to release the bullet. You screamed on top of your lungs, the veins from your elongated neck was too visible that it seemed as if it was going to burst any minute. A loud bang on the door alerted you but it did not stop you from continue on screaming. Your body felt numb and once again, the temperature dropped. The whole room felt as if it was in the North Pole. You gasped for air, clenching your fist to pound upon the mattress - trying to break yourself free from the sudden cold that washed your entire body. Before you were able to get a hold of yourself, you felt a huge warmth enveloped your whole body. You were shivering like a small puppy yet the whimpering did not stop. Your eyes shot open again to the wall and this time his slender hand reached for your small neck, gripping tightly like a rope. You choked and you felt the grip tightening onto your gullet. The tears from your tear ducts fell freely and you used your hand to grasp onto your neck, trying to free the grip. You felt the warmth engulfing you again and also a low voice calling out to you. You cried, murmuring for help in a distressed state. Right when you thought it was the end for you, the threatening shadow vanished into thin air without having much to say. You screamed for help, bawling your eyes out but at the same time trying to calm yourself down. You were too caught up in your own emotions that you did not even realised Daehyun was holding on to you so tightly.

         He grabbed your small body as soon as he was able to barge into the door that was oddly, locked. It was a nightmare listening to you screaming your lungs out and crying for help. Daehyun shivered, never in his entire life had he ever saw such situation and it was even a pity when it happened to you. He held you closer to his chest and he could feel how your small body was trembling terribly under his. He your hair to reassure you and kissed the crown of your head, "Everything's going to be alright." You sobbed, snuggling in deeper into Daehyun's embrace. This was terrible. After what had happened, you hated the nights. Your thoughts that the nightmare might be leaving you, doubted it.

         This was merely a bad omen of your death, at least that was what you actually thought. You shook your head vigorously in denial, "They're going to get me. ing hell, why does everything have to be about me?" Daehyun merely bit his lower lip. Seeing you breaking down at this stage made him weak. There was nothing he could possibly do except for a heartfelt hug that he hoped would calm your own thoughts.

         If he could do anything to relief your pain or heck, make your life even better, he would. At this point, nothing else mattered but you. There was nothing too important other than you, and Daehyun had to understand that he had to be there for you. You needed him and likewise. Without much questioning, he pulled you into his embrace again but this time he picked you up swiftly like a toddler, placing you onto bed. You held his hand, thinking that he was going to leave you. Instead, he walked around the bed and plopped himself right beside you. Gently, he interlaced your fingers between his and gave it a litte squeeze. "I'm not going anywhere. I told you, I'm here whenever you need me." A stray tear left your eyelid and your mind was jumbled up with different thoughts. Your heart was aching, shocked from both the fear and anxiousness.

         Everything was a shock and you had no idea what you should be feeling at that point. Your mind was racing like a bullet train. Who was finding you? Are you finally going completely insane? You sobbed, lips trembling and bawling out the tears again. " my life. everything!" You threw the pillow right onto the wall, lashing out your anger. You were furious, this was far more than what you had expected. Daehyun took a hold of your wrist and placed both of his palms onto your cheeks, pushing strands of hair behind your ear and wiping off the excess tears. "Hey hey.." He shushed you, finally getting your full attention. Your dark brown eyes met his slightly light brown ones that contrasted beautifully during the night. His beautifully flawless face and chubby cheeks that would rise to turn into charming cheekbones caught your attention. "Everything's going to be alright as long as I'm here." He repeated his words once again and surely enough, you felt much more at ease.

         His honey-like voice was so soothing to listen to but your lips could not stop trembling on it's own. You shook your head repeatedly again, denying the fact that it would eventually be alright. You doubted it, it will never happen. Daehyun placed your forehead onto his, slowly your hair and rubbing your cheeks soothingly. "I'm never going to leave you. We're going to go through this together, okay?" You sat still for a moment, blanking out in space and scrutinized his charmingly sculptured face. You then pursed your lips, heaving a loud sigh.

         "Please don't leave me," You pleaded, throwing your body back to his embrace. You needed him. He was the only person that you could and want to rely on. Daehyun snuggled into your hair, "Never." He whispered near your ear.

dammit guys, sorry for the long wait of update!

i had my end of year exams which is finally done so yay x)

thanks so much for waiting (i know you hate me for the lack of updates)

really trying to do my best to update more tho

stay tuned & hope you guys liked this chapter xx