Jungmin had blindfolded Semi before shoving her into the back of a car, but when he hauled her out again after only a few minutes driving, she was very surprised that he cut the ropes on her wrists and ankles.  A blast of cold air hit her, and from nearby traffic and voices, she realised she must be outside.  She dearly wanted to ask what was going on, but Jungmin scared her, and so she bit her tongue instead, waiting for further instruction.

Instead, the car door slammed and he drove off, leaving her shivering.  Stunned, Semi stood there for several moments, wondering what on earth to do.  Was this some kind of test?  Was she being watched?  Was he just leaving her there for Luhan?

Nearby, she heard a drunken man yelling to his friend, but the reply was drowned out by a sudden roar of traffic.  But nearer, though, closer to her – there was nothing.

It was still several long minutes before she tentatively reached up and pulled the blindfold off.  Her eyes didn’t take too long to adjust since it was dark and the small alley she was standing in had no street lights, but she could see some on the intersecting street, which had traffic rushing up and down it.  Semi took a tentative step forwards and then stopped, looking around.

She was alone.  Utterly alone.  Completely and utterly alone in a place she didn’t know, and for a reason she didn’t know, either.  Why had Jungmin left her?  Was she being watched?  Would somebody shoot her if she tried to walk away?

Her breath stuttered in and small patches of it condensed on the air in front of her.  She could feel her legs trembling and the world began to spin dangerously.  After a few seconds, she sat down heavily on the freezing pavement, dropping her head between her knees in an effort to stabilise herself.  I can’t pass out – I can’t have a panic attack – not now, please….

It was difficult, though, to try to keep herself calm.  There was normally somebody with her, and as the tears began to burn at the back of her eyes, she found herself craving Sehun or Minseok, or even Youngsaeng, just to help her breathe, to make it seem easier.  With a trembling finger, she traced Youngsaeng’s square on her calf, trying to inhale and exhale with it.

It only partially worked, and as she continued to do it, Semi began to get more and more panicked.  Why wasn’t it helping her calm down?  It had eased everything so quickly when Youngsaeng had done it.  Was she really so incapable of looking after herself—?

“Miss?” slurred a voice above her.

Terror shot through Semi and she curled up as tightly as possible.  He’s come to take me away.

“’Ey, Miss.”  The man’s voice was closer now, and then a hand latched around her arm and pulled it out of the protective ball she’d curled up into.  Semi tried to scream, but she couldn’t force the air out.

“Whoa.”  The man reeled for a couple of seconds, clearly intoxicated.  “Miss, y’alright?”

For several long seconds, Semi stared up at him, tears threatening to spill.  It didn’t quite make sense, but he didn’t seem like he was going to harm her.  He actually sounded concerned.

Bursting out in sobs, Semi flung herself at him.  “Please, take me to the police!”  She broke down.  “Just take me to the nearest police station!”

“Whoa,” the man repeated, pushing her off him.  “S’that way.”  He pointed behind him to his right.  “Not far.”

Still sobbing desperately, Semi hugged him.

“Er, Miss, I ain’t dating you.”  He prised her off him again, but by this stage, Semi didn’t care.  She staggered a couple of steps on her sore ankles and then tottered towards the main road, almost forgetting to turn and wave a thank you at him.

“Welcome, Miss!” he shouted back with an accompanying burp, and then she was out into streetlights and everything was suddenly just a little less terrifying.

It still didn’t stop her running when she saw the large sign just a hundred metres ahead of the Seoul central police station where Lay and Chen worked.  If this was all some cruel joke that had been set up by Suho, or if Luhan was suddenly going to snatch her up out of nowhere, or if she was suddenly going to be shot, she didn’t think she’d be able to take it.

But right up to reaching the glass doors at the front of the building, nothing happen.  No shots were fired, nobody plucked her off the street, nothing.  She burst through the doors and into the foyer, where she promptly collapsed in a trembling heap, unable to actually comprehend fully what had happened.

The place erupted into chaos within seconds, but she only managed to look up when somebody called her name.  Raising her head, she saw Chen and Lay standing there in a heated debate, Jongin beside them and tugging frantically on Lay’s arm.  Minseok was the one who had called to her, though, and with two brisk steps forward, he had her in his arms.

“Oh, thank God,” he murmured.  His entire body was trembling as he pressed her tightly against him.  Semi didn’t move, still stunned that she was actually safe and Suho had actually let her go.  “You’re not hurt, are you?”

It took a while to gather herself together, but Semi shook her head.  Minseok inhaled unsteadily and sat beside her, pulling her into his lap.  The fingers from one of his hands tangled in her hair as he clutched her close again.

With that, the remaining adrenaline left her body and she slumped against his chest, not even bothering to fight off the waves of exhaustion.

Minseok wouldn’t let go of her, whether it was holding her hand or an arm around her waist or shoulders.  It was oddly reassuring.

“Please, can’t it wait?” he asked Chen a third time, Semi almost in a doze as she relied on his body to prop her up.  “She’s traumatised.”

“It’s only been a few minutes and we don’t want to let the trail run cold,” Chen argued.  “If she can tell us—”

“Can’t you just check the security cameras?”

“Kyungsoo has her emerging from a side street from a block that had all its power cut ab