Unexpectedly, Jooyoung’s ankle healed quickly than she thought. All the time she spent watching her ankle healed was with Jaehwan. And during that curing period, never once Hongbin came to meet her, even secretly or by coincidence. That made her concern reached its peak. She should go out and search for him as the nightmare she had kept bothering her mind for a long time.

“Hey,” called Jaehwan breaking her thoughts immediately. She looked blank for a moment, earning chuckles from him. “What’re you thinking about?”

Shaking her head, her eyes averted up to the night sky. Inhaling deeply, she glanced at her companion that night. “It’s dark already. You’re not going home?”

Another chuckle could be heard from him.

“You were thinking of how to kick me out? How impressive,” he huffed in amusement.

Getting up, she pulled him by his arm, “Get up, you should go. I’m tired. I think I’mma go to bed early.”

“Wow, you never been this aggressive since we met,” Jaehwan looked at her in amazement. “You’re getting closer to my ideal girl.”

“Oh, come on. Did you just say something gross?” Jooyoung laughed as she pushed him away from the balcony of her house.

He flashed his best smile to her as he walked to his bicycle, “See you, sweet dream.”

She gestured with her hands, shooing him away. “Go away!” she yelled with a tone of joking. As she watched Jaehwan faded to the darkness of the night, her eyes then wandered around the house. She could sense Hongbin was around closer than she thought. The feeling of being watched closely appeared once again in her.

The night was unusually silent. Soft breeze blew to her as she let her hair flew along the wind. Walking slowly and carefully around the house, she felt she was getting near to him before she felt someone pulling her to his cold body. She stood frozen as her eyes widened in horror. She was astonished by herself that no scream left her lips.

“You’re looking for me…”

Jooyoung turned around to see someone that she had been searching for.

Their eyes met and she saw that guilty eye of him. “You can walk properly now,” he pulled an apologetic look before he averted his eyes down to her ankle.

“I do,” she spoke as she stared a long time at his face. How long had she not look at him since the day he sent her back in her room? Why did she feel that she hadn’t seen him for ages? As soon as her eyes averted to his covered eye, the terrifying image of her dream flew right through her mind making her to tremble in fear. Hongbin noticed the change in her face, “Are you okay?”

She shook her head, “I can’t stay out long, Grandma will notice I’m gone.”

“Grandma had gone to bed,” he confidently replied.

“You sure?” she questioned as she was about to move back into the house but Hongbin stopped her. “I saw the light out. You don’t have to worry.”

Silence filled the atmosphere for a moment before she opened her lips, “Let’s go to the lake.”

---

Arrived at the lake, Jooyoung walked closer to the lake as she inhaled deeply. It was a perfect night, her ankle had healed and she had been away from the lake for as long as her injury. Hongbin only watched her from behind, her action of bringing him to the lake managed to baffle him. What happened to her?

Realising that Hongbin was not beside her, she turned around to see him. “Come here.”

He stared at her in response, there was a confusion mixed with fear painted in his eyes. She could see that terrified look and she understood what was going on in his head at the moment. He must be in a total surprise.

Chuckles escaped , “Come. Don’t be afraid.” She gestured him with her hands, asking for him to come closer but he remained still with a total blank look.

Taking a step forward, she hoped he finally made a response but he turned his head to his left all of sudden. She followed his gaze before he found out he was already an inch closer to her. Surprise look spread on her face as her logic thinking defy what she had been experiencing.

“We need to hide,” he whispered close as she froze in his arms. “Allow me,” he added. “Close your eyes.”

Shutting her eyes, she held tight on him as he lifted her in his arms. She didn’t know what happened to her during the time she had her eyes close but what she knew was that she had put a huge trust on him. She knew he wouldn’t do anything to harm her.

…Even though he tended to hurt her every time they met coincidentally. But they didn’t meet that way that night.

Tonight was different.

“You can open your eyes now,” he whispered.

Slowly, her eyes fluttering open. The first thing she saw was his concern-filled face. A slight smile decorated his look, “You’re okay?”

She nodded as she got up and freed herself from his arms. “What happened? Where are we?” She looked around as she asked. They weren’t at the lake anymore; they were in somewhat high places. A place that she never thought she would be. In a way, it looked like as if they were hiding.

“We’re in the wood,” he answered short before he peeked from the holes among the bushes. “We’re safe here.”

Standing up, she looked around the area, scanning the unfamiliar place. She got goose bumps all of a sudden as soon as her eyes settled at what seemed like the lake that both of them had stood on. Rubbing her eyes, she scanned the lake once again to see that it was the lake where she sneaked to at night and her eyes couldn’t be wrong. Her heart beat faster as she froze on the ground.

It was impossible for an ordinary man to be able to carry a person with him up to the high areas that quick and without struggle, considering the bushes and lack of light.

Hongbin could smell the fear in her. It wasn’t like he wanted to get her surprise but eventually he couldn’t hide the fact that both of them are different, and should have not met at the first place.

“I’m sorry,” he spoke breaking the silence of the night.

Still facing away from him, she had her eyes glued on the lake. “What happened?” her voice could be heard tremble. She didn’t mean to make her sound vulnerable and frightened but she couldn’t help it. Lots of things flew in her head at that time that she didn’t know if it was a good idea to be there with him.

“I saw the others... We cannot be seen together by the others,” he answered, trying to explain but he knew it would be hard for her than it was for him.

“The others…? The drunkards?”

He didn’t response and she didn’t even dare to do any movement. She waited, not wanting to insist him. If he had chosen to be this bold towards her, he should go for it till the end.

“No, the others. The other restless souls like me…”

A drop of tear dropped from her eyes as she bit her bottom lips in disbelief. “So…” her voice croaked. “I’m friends with a monster…?”

He reached for her hand immediately to turn her towards him but she refused to being hold as she pulled her hand away, struggling to get free. “Get away from me!”

Seeing the tears and the struggling, he tightened his grip as he pulled her towards him with his inhuman strength. She collided towards his body and she stopped struggling immediately. Her sobs could be heard as she leaned on his chest.

“Listen to me. I can explain.”

She didn’t response as her sobs filled the silence and the darkness of the night. Letting her to digest settle down, he somehow regretted to meet her that night. If only they met at different night, this night might not happen. He would be able explain to her in a much better situation.

She then lifted her chin to meet eyes with him, he softened to the sight. “Everything’s explained,” she stated in a firm tone. “Let go of me. If you want to kill me, kill me right now.”

“No… No,” he shook his head. “I never have a thought of killing you.”

She snickered, “What else restless soul do? I never heard the rest of the story when one can see a restless soul.”

“Be a friend... I become a friend with you. You told me so, that I’m your first friend in this village.”

Her facial expression changed immediately, as she watched he relayed the fact.

“Right? I’m still your friend, right?”

~~~

A/N; An update!!! I’m so sorry for the extremely late update. I’m gonna finish this fic before I continue updating ‘Not a Bad Thing’. I’m so sorry, uni life left me a very limited time to update any but now I’m on my three months’ vacation, yay!