Strike laughed, “Again!” 

Some men started to beat Yongguk on the floor again. They kicked and hit the man who had his hands tied, defenseless. Strike laughed, “This is so fun! But do you know what would be better? If we get his brothers!!! Yah you!” He shouted at one of his henchmen, “Tell Rob and his team to go get his brothers here!” 

“Yes sir!” The guy headed down a floor.

Strike held up a hand, stopping the men from beating Yongguk. He shook his head, “I can’t believe you’re so stupid. You knew you wouldn’t win yet you still came. All alone, and just for some girl. Tsk. Tsk. But, she was something.” 

Lying on his side, he grit his teeth, ignoring the blood he tasted in his mouth, “What did you do to her?” 

The man seemed like an wild animal about to pounce on a human, Strike grinned. He liked it when he made people mad. Especially from the expressionless Yongguk. “What do you think I did?” 

“She’s got quite the body, y’know? I’m surprised you didn’t her before I did. She’s a dirty now.” 

“Don’t you talk about her that way!” Yongguk shot up and was about to shove him, but Strike only smiled and kicked him away. 

“Oh? Why not? Especially when I had so much fun cutting up her shirt and running my knife down . When I on her soft ski-”

“ you!” 

“Oh yes, it was a great .” Strike chuckled at Yongguk’s glare, growing more and more amused with his reactions. He just couldn’t wait until he tortures the girl in front of that fool after witnessing the beating and suffering of his brothers. This is going to be a fun night. “Yah, what’s taking them so long? I haven’t even seen Rob leave let.” He asked the men around him. 

“I’ll take a look boss.” said one of them and Strike turned his attention back on Yongguk. Before he even got to think about what to do to him next, he was interrupted by that same guy that went down to check on the others at first.

“Boss…?” 

“What?” Strike snapped back, turning his head towards his follower, but was surprised he wasn’t the only man he was seeing. Five other men was walking towards them now and that follower of his proceeded to punch one of them. He was knocked out by Jongup really quickly. 

— 

“Where is she!?” Yongguk landed a punch on Strike’s face for who knows how many times. Strike’s men were all either knocked out, tied up, or fled. 

“Hyung,” Zelo neared him, “we checked this entire floor. She’s not here.” 

“Where the did you put her?” The eldest brother yelled, grabbed Strike by the collar. Strike, who was now the one his hands and feet tied, sat quietly on his chair. His face was beaten to a pulp, but he still managed to make that annoying grin he always does, even if it was just a little. He wasn’t going to spill anything. 

Yongguk backed away from the interrogation and thought about it. There was just no way. She had to be here. But it didn’t make any sense, all the floors were checke- “Jongup and Zelo, follow me!” 

“Hyung! What about us?” Youngjae asked as the eldest suddenly dashed to the stairs as the two younger ones followed behind.

“Stay here and keep watch!” 

Jongup and Zelo ran, following quickly behind Yongguk. They entered lower level and Yongguk quickly asked, “You’re sure you checked all the rooms here?” 

“Yeah!”

“Okay.” Yongguk made a turn and headed down the lowest floor. Basement. 

“Check all the rooms. She’s got to be here somewhere.” Yongguk said and the three immediately ran and searched. They would occasionally call out her name as they looked around the rooms and moved some boxes, but they never heard a response. 

Yongguk ran to the other side of the room and jogged past the area, scanning and thinking where she could possibly be. All the rooms were just filled with stupid boxes. Just when he was about to lose hope and return to the middle of the room, something caught his eye. 

He looked at the chained and locked freezer. Strange. Why would you need to lock a freezer? A sudden realization came over him. 

“Min? Min? Are you in there?” He asked in a hurry as he pounded on the door. There was no response, but he had a strong feeling that she was in there. Yongguk started pulling onto the lock and chains with fear, looking around for a key or anything. It was no use, there was no key. “Damn it!”  

He let go and ran around nearby, in search for anything helpful. It didn’t even take a minute, but it seemed forever until Yongguk finally found something. Taking the crowbar out of a box, he ran back and immediately started to break the lock. It didn’t take long for him to break it, but again, he felt like it took forever. 

Throwing the broken lock aside, he unraveled the chains in a panic. “Min? I’m here! I’m here! Do you hear me?” 

Once the chains were off, he yanked the door open, and barged in looking around frantically. Not a second later, his eyes found her petite body sitting in a fetal position near him. Her head was tucked in and didn’t seem to notice him come in. What scared him more was how pale her skin was that it was almost turning blue.  

“Min!” He took off his jacket and quickly laid it over her shivering body, gently trying to wake her. “Minnie, wake up.” Her head moved up slowly, still shaking as her half closed eyes met his face.

“Y-Yongguk?” Her weak and raspy voice was almost inaudible. 

The said man wrapped an arm around her back and one under her knees, lifting her up. “I’m here. I’m here. Stay with me, okay? We’re going home soon.”

As soon as he walked out, Jongup and Zelo found them. “Noona!” They proceeded to take their jackets off and cover her, but by now, Min was just too cold to respond. Her dizziness soon led her to close her eyes and rest her head onto Yongguk’s shoulder. 

They headed back up to ground floor, reuniting back with the others. They gathered around Min, worried. As soon as Yongguk laid his eyes on Strike, a surge of anger rushed into him. Turning to Himchan, he gently handed Min over, and faced the others. “Get the cars. Keep her warm. Wait for me outside.” 

They did as told as Yongguk headed straight for Strike. Grabbing him, he dragged the gang leader towards the stairs, but stopped in his tracks as he spotted a barrel of water in the corner of the room. Must’ve been the one he was drowning Min in. An eye for an eye, he thought.

Yongguk took Strike by the neck and shoved him hard in the barrel. The drowning victim struggled as Yongguk firmly kept his head in the water. Strike was almost going to die, but Yongguk wasn’t going to let him go that easily. Pulling him back up, he dragged him downstairs to the basement as Strike coughed and gasped for air. They reached the freezer and Yongguk opened it, kicking Strike in. “Don’t you ing touch her again.” 

Yongguk slammed the door shut, locking it and not forgetting to chain it back up. He had broke the lock at first, so he kept the chains together with a random piece of metal. Finally, he left. 

— 

Min was sitting down in one of the cars, covered in jackets. Himchan was sitting in the driver’s seat, turning the car and heaters on. All the younger brothers were worried for her, they almost looked like they were panicking as they waited for the eldest to come out. The only one who stayed more calm than the rest was Zelo, ironically. The youngest sat with Min inside and held her cold hands between his. He tried warming them up as he tried reassuring her. “Noona, hang on. We’re going to get you home soon. Please be okay.”

One of her hands shivered her way and rested on his. She looked at him and whispered in a raspy voice, “I-I’m o-okay.”

Tears of both sadness and happiness rolled down his eyes as he went in for a hug. Her frozen face managed to warm up a bit and it let her to smile a little. Himchan looked through the rear view mirror, making eye contact with Min and they shared a silent exchange of happiness and relief with each other. In the corner of his eye, he saw that Yongguk came out, signaling the rest of the boys to take the other car. “Zelo.”

Zelo let go of Min and turned around. Without a word, he seemed to get the message. “I’ll see you at home Noona.” Giving Min one last hug, he opened the door to a concerned Yongguk, who pat his head and let him join his brothers in the other car. After he got in and closed the door, Himchan started to drive away from the car scene, with the other car following close behind.

A hand started to reach for her face, but it never got there as Yongguk retracted it. For some reason, he didn’t feel like he had the right to. It didn’t help that Min seemed to look away ever since he got in. It seemed like she didn’t want to see him at the moment, but she was way too cold for Yongguk to care. He took off his shirt and put it on her, slightly removing the jackets covering her. The next thing he did was lift her, sitting her between his legs and her back to his chest. He wasn’t even thinking, but it just happened like it. Like an instinct. It was how he thought she could feel warmer. He took back the jackets to once again cover any of her exposed skin. Suddenly, he felt her move. Her movements were weak and slow, but he knew she was trying to struggle her way out of the intimate position. Sighing, he hugged her from the back, trapping her. Eventually, she stopped and he was finally able to cover body with one last jacket. 

Holding her tight but gently, he enveloped her of him. Still warm from the anger and fights he had earlier, Yongguk made sure he held her with as much skin contact as possible, not bothering the coldness he felt with it. Min on the other hand, was unbelievably feeling warming by the second. She could just feel the heat radiating to her whole body. Her back could feel his bare upper body sticking on to her like a turtle shell, protecting her from anything and giving her the warmth she needed.

They stayed like that the whole ride. No words exchanged. Nothing… except a few drops of wetness Min felt on her exposed neck. He was crying.

—

After turning on the faucet to warm up the water, Yongguk headed back to Min, who sat on the counter of the sink. He lifted her down and stood in front of her, hesitating to help her with her clothes. “I got it, go take care of yourself.” Min said, as she now was just regular cold. Her hands reached the end of his shirt and was about to lift it off of her, but realized he didn’t move a bit. She kept her eyes down, “What.” 

He was still hurt, emotionally. A surge of guilt lingered within him as he took in the sights of bruises, cuts, hickeys, and blood that stained on her body. There were a lot more under his shirt as he recalled the time he first saw her. One of his hands lifted to feel the temperature of her arm. “I know you’re cold, but I can’t let you turn the water any higher.” He said, voice raspy. 

“I won’t, don’t worry.” She said as she lightly pushed away his hand, “Go.” 

He didn’t know if she would be okay, but he knew he had to go. Everyone just need some time by themselves to clear their minds. Tearing his eyes away from his source of happiness and sorrow, it took all his might to leave her alone. She was here and safe in their house, but to Yongguk, it seemed like she would disappear again if he let her out of his sight. “Don’t stay in for too long.” he said, slowly shutting the door. 

Taking care of Min was his first priority, but he knew he had to take care of himself first and that’s what he did. He came out of the shower to a clean and bandaged Himchan. The latter tended to his injuries, letting him know the brothers were already tended and preparing some food downstairs. “They really want to see Min. How is she?”

Yongguk sat still on his bed, letting Himchan bandage his arm that wore a cut. “Okay, hopefully.” 

Himchan finished up and stood up, “How are you?” 

“I’m fine.” 

“I’m not talking about your injuries.” 

The older one looked at his bother, “She hates me. She hasn’t even looked at me ever since we left that building.” 

Himchan sighed, “Trust me, she doesn’t hate you. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.” He said, murmuring the second half.

“What?”

“Nothing. Let me talk to her and everything will be fine.” 

“But-” 

“Relax, your turn will come.” Himchan smiled as he pushed him out and shooed him downstairs.

— 

“He thinks you hate him.” 

Min blinked as Himchan tended to her cuts on her feet, “He’s not wrong…ow.” 

“Sorry,” He chuckled as he bandaged the last of her cuts. “I think you should talk to him. You know, tell him-“ 

“Tell him how I feel?” She finished for him as he nodded. Min sighed, “Did you know, I thought I was actually going to die in that freezer.” 

“I thought about a lot actually… I thought that, if I died, I would’ve never seen you guys again and I hated it. If I died, I wondered if you guys would have missed me. If you guys would have remembered me or even find me.”

Himchan took her hand, “Of course we would’ve, Min. We were worried about you the minute you stepped out the house. You mean the world to us. We’re a family, remember?” 

Min gave a small smile, “I knew one thing though. If I had died, I would’ve missed you all so much. I didn’t want to die yet. But I was so scared.” Tears started forming and Himchan slowly comforted her with a hug.

“I was so scared.” She repeated.

“Its okay now.” He whispered, patting her head. They pulled away from each other and Himchan wiped away her tears, “You don’t have to be scared anymore.” 

Min sniffled, “I know. But you don’t understand. ‘Just leave me alone, Himchan.’ ” Himchan looked confused until she finished what she was saying, “Those could’ve been my last words to you…” 

And ‘I hate you” could’ve been my last words to Yongguk…

“It’s alright. You needed some time alone, and no one knew that was going to happen.” 

“If I had known-“ 

“You couldn’t have.” Himchan said, not letting her be all negative and such. “There’s nothing to regret, okay?”

“… I would’ve regret not telling him how I felt.” 

Himchan looked at the girl, “Why don’t you tell him then?” 

Min didn’t respond as she debated whether to do so. Himchan smirked, knowing the answer before she even knew herself. “Don’t worry, you have time. Come on, they’re all downstairs waiting for you.”

Everyone greeted Min with hugs and some with tears, each expressing their worry of her. After seeing her warm and well, the brothers could finally breathe in peace now. It was late already, but it felt right as they took in some warm food in their stomachs before they went to bed. 

The brothers came to bid her goodnight in her room. She stood by the doorway, “You guys don’t need to come up and say goodnight.” 

“Noona, I love you, you know that?” 

Min embraced Jongup and nodded in response. Zelo jumped in and joined in on the hug, “I love you too noona!” 

“Hey, stop hogging her.” Youngjae said as he shooed them away and hugged her himself. “I love you. Sleep well noona.” 

“I love you too! Sweet dreams.” Daehyun said after Youngjae gave him his turn for the hug.

Himchan was the next in line, “I love you. Thank you for being in our lives.” 

Everyone nodded at that. “Yes! Thank you!” 

Min smiled at all the love she was receiving, “I love you guys too, each and every one of you. Thank you for being in my life. Thank you… for saving me today.” 

“Thank you… for saving us.” Himchan said, ruffling her hair. 

“Wow hyung, way to take all the good lines.” Daehyun said, making everyone chuckle.

Himchan rolled his eyes, “Come on guys, let the girl sleep. We can play tomorrow.” 

The boys reluctantly agreed and gave Min another round of hugs before they left. The hall was now empty aside from Min and Yongguk. 

“Um…” Yongguk rubbed the back of his neck, “Look Min, I’m really sorry for everything I’ve done. It’s all my fault. You were hurt because of me. You almost died because of me. I made you run away and everything Strike and his men… did to you… it’s my fault. I’m sorry.” 

Min listened to every word he had to say, noting his sad tone and teary eyes that were too hurt to look at her. He continued, “And I’m sorry for everything I’ve said about you and Kris. I have absolutely no right to say anything about that or to stupidly accuse you of things like that. And, about those things I said to you about Hyosung. She-“ 

“Yongguk.” She had to cut him off right there. No way was she going to listen to him talk about her again even if he was apologizing about her. The boy finally looked at her in the eyes.

“About Strike and his men… I want you to know that they didn’t do anything… serious to me. I didn’t let them, so don’t feel bad about that. And about everything else? It’s not your fault so stop apologizing. To be honest, I actually think it’s my fault because everything would’ve been fine if I had only just told you…” 

Does it even matter now? It’s not going to change anything and it might still ruin our relationship. Wake up Min, you almost died! Just tell him already! But-

“Tell me what?” He asked, breaking her inner conflict.

“Tell you that I…” She breathed in and out, “… I love you. From the moment we first met actually.” Min sighed as she looked down, scared of seeing his reaction. Her eyes shut closed, embarrassed and confused until she heard something. Laughter. She looked up at the culprit. Yongguk was still lightly laughing. It wasn’t a mocking laugh nor a haha-thats-a-funny-joke laugh. It was one of those oh-my-god-I-am-so-stupid-realization laughs. His light laugh didn’t last long and as he looked back at her with all sincerity, Min noticed the tears he cried. 

“Why are you laughing?” 

He sighed, “Because it took three words and almost losing you for me to realize that… I love you.” 

Shocked, Min could only look at him. As awesome as it sounds, it also wasn’t. Could she even believe him? It didn’t make any sense because he had Hyosung all this time. Thankfully, Yongguk went on and explained.

“Min, from the very moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were special. When I got to know you, I came to realize that despite your size, you were strong and independent. You didn’t need any help or protection, but the longer I spent with you, the more I wanted to help and protect you, in whatever way I could. All this time though, it was you who helped and protected me and my brothers. You became my friend, our friend, and took care of us and loved us. You’re my savior and I love you for that, but that’s not why I love you.” 

“I love you because you have such a big heart. You put others before yourself, even at times when you shouldn’t have. You are open minded and forgiving. You’re honest and carefree. You’re fun and childish, yet you’re loving and mature. You’re so real. You’re you. All this time, I thought it was only respect, admiration, and appreciation towards you that I wanted to be next to you and live my life with you. But I’m an idiot because I finally realized that it was love the moment you said you hated me. The last thing I wanted to hear was that you hated me. I rather die than for you to hate me because you’re my life and my life is literally yours to take. You saved it, remember?” He chuckled.

“I know I did a lot of stupid things and I’m sorry. To be honest, I never even loved Hyosung. I don’t even know why I started dating her in the first place. The only person I’ve ever had feelings for is you, Min. I love you… I can’t explain it but I just do, okay? I’m sorr-” 

Min gently put a finger to his mouth and shushed him, smiling and nodded understandingly. In a flash of a moment, he pulled her to his chest and embraced her like with all he could. Like he could finally hug her for real. Like everything was real and it wasn’t going to go away. “Do you hear it?” he suddenly asked.

Not only did she hear it, but she felt it too. His heart beat against his chest. The warmth of his body that wrapped her so safely. Min nodded as he kissed her head. “It’s beating because of you.” 

They pulled away from each other and Min looked at him with an unbelievable smile, “That was so cheesy.” 

Yongguk flashed his famous gummy smile, “I can’t help it, but it’s true. Without you, there won’t be me.” 

She smiled again and diverted her attention to her surroundings, not being able to contain herself. Her eyes caught the glass doors that connected to the balcony behind Yongguk. It was raining outside, but that didn’t seem to bother Min anymore. 

“Are you ready for more cheese?” He asked, making her look up at her again.

“What?” 

He smiled, “I wanted to do this the day I met you.” 

Yongguk, with his strong yet bandaged hands, firmly but gently took a hold of Min’s face and pressed her lips with his own. Their eyes closed and hearts opened. Love has finally blossomed.

For the first time, Min finally felt secure and satisfied. She had a family of her own. Brothers to love and brothers who loved her. She had friends who cared for her as much as she cared for them. And she was finally free from feeling unloved from the person she loved.

For the first time in her life, she didn’t see both painful and hateful memories of the past, instead she found light and happiness… when it rains.

END

A/N: OMG and there you go, my first fanfic that finished!!! FINALLYYYYY!!!!! I hope you liked it and I’m sorry for taking so long to update! I had some trouble writing this last part :0 I legit cringed the whole time I wrote the last scene omg >.<

Fun fact: this capturing scene / thing was the idea that started this whole story lol and I have no idea why I named Strike Strike, it should’ve been something like Sharkie (HAHA jk jk) or something, something gangster-y LOL nvm (oh well, what’s done is done)

Thank you to all my subscribers, upvoters, and commenters for encouraging and giving me your thoughts, love, and support!!! I hope you all enjoyed this supposedly long one shot turned story ;D Have a nice day and I love you all!!! <3 <3 <3