It was the second day for Jooyoung’s injured ankle and it hadn’t recovered fully yet. She wasn’t allowed to leave the house and it started to get on Jooyoung. She needed to get out of the house because staying trapped in the house was not in her to-do-list once she arrived at her grandmother’s house.

Exploring the village and at the same time enjoying the peacefulness of living in the rural area were the main reason she took a break from college and left urban city life. But there was always stuff that kept her from doing what she wanted.

That night in her room, staring at the ceiling, she was thinking of a way how she could pretend in front of her grandmother regarding her twisted ankle. Tossing around on her bed, her eyes wouldn’t shut until she could think of a way to get away from home the next day.

She really wanted to go out so badly that she would consider sneaking out once again that night if her ankle condition allowed her to. However, what if she fell again while trying to drag her feet all the way towards the lake? Would she have the strength to crawl back home, that was absurd.

Pushing the blanket on her, she sat up and dragged her leg to the window with the crazy plan still in her head. She wanted to see if the moon was bright enough to shine her way towards the lake. Looking up, her ears caught shuffling sound from her right. Alerted, her head instantly turned to the direction of the sound coming and she was taken aback to see someone was actually there.

“You,” she called and the mysterious person came out from the darkness. Even though he was hiding in the dark, she could tell it was him since the moonlight fell on his legs. She noticed he had kept wearing the same outfits for these past days. Don’t tell her, he hadn’t had cleaned since the first time they came across with each other.

Eyes glued at the ground, Hongbin didn’t have the courage to look up into her eyes. He had been watching her since yesterday, to be exact, since they saw each other. It became his new hobby and he all of sudden felt that he found the reason why he was trapped in the same world as humans.

Jooyoung noticed he hadn’t said a word and he was just standing there, like a tree. Did he expect for her to get angry? She had no reason to do so, even though it was questionable to have him out of her window in the middle of the night.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” she asked in lower volume, feared that her grandmother would found out. Lifting his head up to make an eye contact with her, he found out she was looking straight to him making him to look away instantly, “I’m happen to be around…”

Jooyoung couldn’t help but to snort against his answer, he was using the same answer to reason his presence. How could someone be to be around at scheduled time, he must be hiding something? Moreover, outside of her window, he had no reason to walk around outside her window.

“Okay, I accept that excuse.”

Hongbin didn’t get by what she meant but he could see she had this small smile on her face while nodding her head. “How’s your leg?” he asked to get rid of the awkwardness.

Heavy sigh escaped as she tilted her head, “No good news, I still can’t go out and I’m trap in this house.” Sighing again, “I hope I can sneak out again.”

Hearing that, Hongbin’s eyes lighted up as the idea came rushing in his mind. “Sneak out then,” he casually suggested, raising her eyebrows. “With my ankle’s current condition I can’t go out easily.”

Leaning his back against the wall, he had his arms crossed against his torso, “Who says you need your ankle to go out?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, couldn’t figure out what he was trying to say. Staring at him, he was still avoiding her eyes and was facing the other way. Only his side profile visible to her and without her expectation, he glanced to her as their eyes met. “You don’t need your ankle when you have me.”

---

“Are you going to walk slowly again?” Jooyoung asked as she tightened her grip, almost choking him but he acted as if it wasn’t bothering him. He still had the icy cold feel on his skin and Jooyoung had no intention to bring out the topic.

“What? Do you want me to run instead? I’ll drop you and hurt you and broke your hips, is that what you ask for?”

“Not running, I mean, you won’t drop me if you increase your speed a little…” she explained and he pretended he didn’t hear anything, still stubbornly paced slowly towards the lake. He had the strength if she asked him to run, only if she had the strength to hold him tight but he purposely choose the snail-paced speed as he loved the warmness he got from carrying her.

“Don’t worry, we’ll arrive at the lake even with this speed. Can’t you trust me?”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you… But it’s me that getting sleepy and I’ll be heavier to be carried.”

The sound of his chuckles reached her ears as she glanced, trying to see his face but her eyes could only manage to see his deep dimple. “What so funny?” she asked, somehow felt offended after the mention of her weight.

Halted, he adjusted her on his back. “Trust me, you won’t fall asleep.”

Continuing his slow-paced walk, she decided to remain quiet, silently praying that it wouldn’t take a long time to arrive and became torture instead for her. As he promised, Jooyoung’s sight was greeted with the calmness of the lake as the moonlight fell on the lake, showing its beauty.

Gently, he helped her got off his back and he took a seat beside her, on her left. There was a wide gap between both of them that one person could fit in. Jooyoung breath in the cold air and her heart set into ease as she enjoyed the view in front of her.

Staring at her, he scanned her features from her side profile. From her eyes, the bridge of her nose, the tip of her nose, mouth and down her chin. He had the ability to touch those beautiful features but he had no reason to give if he asked her permission.

Jooyoung could sense his stare that she glanced at him instantly, causing him to quickly turn away. Noticing that, she cleared as she turned her head to have the lake’s view in front of her. “So, where do you live?”

Glancing back at him, “Is your house somewhere near Grandma’s? We always run into each other.”

Hongbin kept staring ahead of him, being more cautious around her. He could not let the feeling of wanting to stare and exploring her continued and get into him. He must control his mind. She was not anything like him; he must keep that in mind.

He took time to answer her question, giving Jooyoung opportunity to scan his side profile view. She remembered the dimples she saw that appeared for the first time since she met him. “Are you going to leave my question unanswered?”

“Uh…?” he asked as he glanced at her quickly. Their eyes met and her stare sent him thousands of unknown feelings, but he certainly knew this feeling. He had this feeling before; it was something that he missed so much since he stopped being a human.

Letting out nervous laugh, Jooyoung was once again was greeted by those dimples. “I think we should go back, it’s getting late and we spend enough time here.”

“What? No?” she frowned as Hongbin stood beside her. “It’s not even five minutes. This is not fair! Your slow walk took most of the time.”

Already turning and giving her his back, Hongbin shut his eyes in pain. He tried to control this feeling that grew bigger in him. He shouldn’t let this normal human behind him to get involve with him, he shouldn’t cross the border. He should be aware of his limit, but this girl kept pulling him over his limit…

“Nope, I’m going to stay a bit longer. You can go back by yourself if you want to. I don’t need your help-”

Before she could finish her sentence, Hongbin had already pushing her down, pinning her down causing her to lay on her back. Hongbin’s hand had already covering together with his forefinger in front of his lips, shushing her for whatever reason he hid. Terrified, she obeyed as her eyes staring directly to his uncovered eye, bewildered and lost.

Her racing heartbeat reached Hongbin as he had pressed her body with his. He hoped he didn’t crush this poor girl under her with his strength and weight. He didn’t mean to hurt her but his ability to be aware of others presences lead him to do what he was doing.

Feeling suffocated and fooled, she furrowed her eyebrows as she attempted to peel his hand out of her nose and mouth. Struggling, Hongbin shot her a glare and the sound of old men singing and laughing getting closer. Jooyoung stayed still immediately as she shot her eyes to the direction of the source to see where the sound was coming from.

Fortunately the grass and bushes around the place they were lying was left to grow and uncut. At least, the grass helped covering both of them from being seen by the passing old, possibly drunk villagers. Hongbin could feel her heartbeat pacing faster every second, and he couldn’t ignore the warmness that at that time conducting to him.

He lowered his head, getting closer to her face and Jooyoung couldn’t help but to feel embarrassed with what was happening to both of them. She never had and let a guy to get close to her, especially with a guy who she hid from her grandmother and had unclear background.

Her ears caught that one of the man decide to do his business on the bushes and grasses around them, which explain why Hongbin and her was getting closer. Jooyoung prayed silently that the intoxicated villagers would leave faster so that they didn’t have to be in that position for a long time. His weight and cold body starting to make her feel as if a corpse was crushing her to death, the logic that she held in her mind since she started taking science class shattered. He supposed to feel warm, not cold…

Shutting her eyes, her ears stopped hearing the voices of the villagers and she felt cold air breeze passed her as Hongbin lifted himself away from her. “I’m sorry…” he apologised. “Are you okay? You can get up now. They had left.”

Jooyoung remained unmoved for a while before she got up and gave him her back. She had no idea how to face him after what he had done to her. Her heart still beat fast, the terrified feeling still lingered, not to forget the embarrassment.

He must having his fun time that he be able to feel her body.

Lifting her uninjured leg, she managed to send a kick to his leg, shocking him. Grabbing on his leg, he gave her puzzled and dissatisfied look, “What are you doing? I was trying to help-”

“Yeah, help whatever. You must have so much fun.”

Puzzled, he tried to help her get up but she pushed him away. “Get away from me. You almost crush me to death. You’ve done nothing but hurting me.”

Her words sent sharp tug to his heart instantly, he fully understood what she was trying to tell. He also fully understood the fact that the villagers wouldn’t see him but he couldn’t help but to let his mind and his desire to control him. He had to shamefully admit that he purposely got closer to her face. That feeling was enough to drive him to be this crazy.

She avoided his gaze and he tried to make an eye contact, “Look, I’m sorry that I almost cost a life but I had no choice-”

Trying to stand up, she forced herself to walk with his uncooperative leg. He tried to help her by grabbing her arm but she kept pushing him away. The fact that she knew she wouldn’t be able to go anyway far with her ankle made her to curse on her life’s fate. She just had been taken advantage by a guy who she barely knew and she was now unable to get away far from him.

“Let me help,” he refused to give up no matter how many times she tried pushing him away. He knew he was at fault; he should have kept his feeling contained.

She stopped pushing him and sat still. Letting him to do whatever he wanted, but still avoiding his gaze. Gently and carefully, he scooped her up and picked her up. As he adjusted her position in his arms, she naturally wrapped her hands around his cold neck.

Instead of lifting her on his back like he usually did, he lifted her with his arms. Her attempt to avoid his gaze getting harder as they were now facing to each other but he quit trying to make an eye contact with her due to the fact that he knew, she wouldn’t like it and it could worsen their situation.

“I’ll walk you home faster. Don’t worry. You can sleep, I promise to send you home safely.” There was a hint of remorse in his voice and he avoided himself from looking at her. Getting ready, he began to walk slowly but not the snail-paced speed she always complained.

After several steps taken, she collected her courage to glance at him; he could see the beautiful stars spotted night sky above him in the process. It was a waste, that she couldn’t spend good time to stare at the starry night and she knew it was not a good night to be mad.

Honestly, she didn’t mean to appear mad in front of him but she couldn’t help but to hide this sudden fluttering and embarrassed feeling. She knew, lifting her this way was heavier compare to when he had her on her his back, considering the distance he had to walk. Focusing back to the guy who willingly to sneak her out from Grandma’s house, the moment when he was getting close to her face suddenly flashed back in her mind.

She could feel blood rushing up to her cheeks and she felt hot all of sudden even though she was surrounded by his cold temperature and cold air night. Hongbin knew she was gradually melt away from her angry feeling but to avoid the angry feeling to come back, he purposely didn’t look at her.

Jooyoung shut her eyes to stop the flash back to play in her mind and hoping that once she opened her eyes, she was already in her room, comfortably tucked in her bed. Hongbin put on courage to glance down at her, who had been sleeping soundly like a new-born baby.

He sighed inaudibly and stopped on his track, taking the opportunity to scan her face once again.

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A/N; Hi my lovely readers! hellomiraa is back!!! I know I’ve abandoned this for like four months but don’t worry anymore. I’m going to fulfil your wish to continue writing this fic and my other fic. (Please give love to my other fics too).

Oh my God, I miss writing :’) Hope this chapter don’t disappoint. Enjoy!