“Oh, great.”

EunHee stared at her phone. It had conveniently decided to run out of battery at the very moment she needed it most. She sighed. It was the middle of the night. It was dark, cold and the mist was so thick she could barely see the buildings. She was lost.

She probably should have left her friend’s house earlier, when it was still light and she could actually see which direction she was taking, but she didn’t realize how late it was until she stepped outside.

EunHee squinted into the darkness. The streetlights barely provided any light to see the ground, let alone the rest of the street. Going back wasn’t an option either, she didn’t know which way was back.

Why did her friend have to move to this part of town suddenly? It was a maze of alleys and small streets. So what if the rent was cheaper around here? She should consider her friend’s sense of direction first.

A shiver ran down her back. She wasn’t usually afraid of the dark, but on nights like this, lost outside, alone,… It seriously got to her. Her heels clicked softly on the concrete. The quiet of the night made it seem oddly loud though.

She stopped abruptly. Voices. She heard voices. Finally, someone she could ask for help.

Wait, male voices…

She hesitated. A girl on her own, going up to men she didn’t know, in the middle of the night? That sounded a bit too much like the making of a horror movie. She’d probably play the part that ends up dead.

But what else was she supposed to do? Wander around for the rest of the night? She shifted her weight to the tip of her toes and carefully made her way forward.

“… told you to check before we left.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.”

It was hard to see through the fog, but when EunHee got a little closer she managed to see two figures. One was hunched down over a backpack. The other was leaning against the wall, chuckling.

“Not going to help?” one of them grumbled.

“Hyung, you told me not to touch your stuff when I tried to help you pack.”

They seemed pretty normal. They didn’t sound drunk or anything. So… was she going to back away? Or ask for help?

“Just help me find it already.”

“Fine, fine.”

They both noticed her at the same time. The men stood up straight so fast, EunHee flinched and backpedaled out of reflex. Her hands curled around the keys in her pocket, prepared to stab, scratch, claw and scream. But they never moved from their spot. Just stared at her.

“Who are you?”

“I… I’m looking for the main road. Could you tell me how to get there?”

EunHee was extremely proud of herself that her voice didn’t shake after being startled like that.

“Which one?”

“Huh?”

“There are two main roads around here. Which one are you looking for?”

“Oh.”

EunHee racked her brains trying to remember what the road was called again. She’d only been here two times before and she never really paid attention to street signs. Her breath stopped for a moment. Where…? The two men weren’t in the same spot anymore, but stood right before her. Damn this fog, she hadn’t even noticed them getting closer. It was almost as if their movements flowed, faster than the human eye. Startled, she moved away a few inches and squeezed her keys so hard she was sure there would be marks in her hand.

“I don’t really know the name,” she stammered. “I think I saw a subway-station though. And a Starbucks.”

Now that they were closer she could tell they were only a few years older than her. The taller of the two, the one who looked the youngest, was staring at her in curiosity. The older one slung his backpack over his shoulder casually, but never took his eyes of her.

They were gorgeous. Even with the crappy street lighting she could see that. Beautiful brown eyes, a smile that could kill. And the other’s intense stare and velvet-like voice.

Any other time, she would have melted into a puddle just by passing them. In the middle of the night, though, it didn’t matter how gorgeous they were. She wasn’t letting them get any closer.

“That doesn’t really help, does it?” she concluded weakly when they didn’t answer.

They kept staring at her, but then the older one hummed softly.

“That might be Baker Street then.”

“Baker Street? Could you tell me how to get there?”

“Double-back that way,” pointed the youngest. “And take the second street to your left. Just follow it to the end and then turn right. That’s Baker Street.”

She gave a small bow.

“Thank you.”

“You do know it’s dangerous to be out here at night, right?” the eldest asked.

Did he really expect her to answer that?

“You have your cellphone with you, right?” the youngest asked. “Keep it close and be careful, okay?”

EunHee was sure she’d be touched by their concern in the morning, but right now she just really, really wanted to go home. The whole atmosphere was creeping her out. Like there was something else in the fog waiting for her. Her heart was threatening to pound out of her chest in fear. She smiled a little, thanked them again and quickly set off.

She found the alley she was supposed to take, nearly went past it again because of the thick fog and sighed in relief when she turned out in Baker Street. A bonus: it was the right street. She recognized some of the stores and managed to find where she parked. She heaved a shuddering sigh when she got in her car and locked all the doors. As soon as her phone was charged at home, she was going to send her friend a text.

‘I love your neighborhood. Thank you for the many heart attacks tonight.’

She wasn’t really going to send it. She’d never guilt-trip her friend like that. But it still calmed her nerves to rant in her mind.

“You big wuss,” she muttered to herself. “You met the two most gorgeous men ever and you were such a scaredy-cat you didn’t even ask for their names.”

But…. Maybe they’d be here at daylight too? She started the car with a smile, already making plans to visit her friend’s new place more often and perhaps take a few walks around the neighborhood. For work-out purposes off course. No ulterior motives what-so-ever.