Chapter 11: Welcome to the Darkness II

That night Eun Yoo came over to Sehun's place. She picked up the clothes he had carelessly scattered all over the floor and separated clean from dirty, loading the laundry machine. She cooked a simple meal, placing the food on the table after covering it with plastic wrap, just in case Sehun was hungry when he came home. She tidied up the place, wiped the dust and washed the dishes. Doing all this for him had become a habit and she felt warm in her heart knowing that she was helpful and useful. This was a way to show how much she cared just like Sehun had his own ways of showing her how much he cared. Their relationship was simple like this. No up and downs, always steady and peaceful. She did her own thing and he did his own.

Knowing that he had plans to have dinner with Jongin she suspected they'd stay out late, maybe even go clubbing. It was good news that the two had finally resolved their argument. Sehun had been so terribly sad and heartbroken without Jongin by his side, Eun Yoo had seen that even though he had tried to hide his feelings. He rarely opened up but she had learned to read him during all the years they had spent together. She knew that the two guys treasured each other, they were best friends after all and that friendship meant the world to them. Another reason to look up to Da Hyun who had so bravely pushed them to talk it over even if it meant causing such a scene.

Suddenly there was a loud bang at the door and Eun Yoo wondered who it would be so late, it was already past 10pm. Whoever it was, they were impatient, banging on the door repeatedly, each bang louder than the previous. Neighbors would be bothered if this kept going on and there would be complains. A bit startled she hurried to open the lock, maybe Sehun had forgotten to take the key? But it was not his style to cause a ruckus. Maybe he was drunk then?

A gasp left Eun Yoo's lips and her eyes widened in shock, raw palpable fear striking her when she saw two brawny men. Sehun was there too but he was in no condition to bang on the door, he was nearly unconscious. Supported by the two men he barely stood between them, his body limp, his head hanging low. His clothes were torn and dirty, covered in fresh and still wet blood stains.

The man on the left flashed a sleazy smirk and the one on the right kept a stern face. They didn't say anything, only pushed Sehun inside and he collapsed on the floor in the hallway, in pain. Eun Yoo stood there motionlessly, her hands trembled and she quickly lowered her gaze, tears of panic gathering in her eyes. Her heart beat restlessly, worry and anxiety mixing, causing her to grow numb. And she only snapped from her shocked state when she heard receding footsteps. The two men left just like that, she peeked into the corridor and saw bloody trail on the floor, her face turning even paler at the sigh.

Soon worry overpowered the fear in her and she slammed the door shut, falling on her knees next to Sehun. She had seen him hurt before but always in the hospital, never had she witnessed him in such weak and painful state, in such a terrible condition. He was still conscious and he groaned quietly when she touched his shoulder. Eun Yoo tried to gather her thoughts, wondering what to do, whom to call. She knew he hated it when his family got involved, he didn't wish to worry his mother and sister and he didn't get along with his father. Searching his pockets Eun Yoo found his phone, with now cracked screen, and quickly dialed Jongin's number. He didn't pick up, his phone was turned off and she was directed straight to the voice mail.

“I'm... fine”, Sehun mumbled through gritted teeth. His half lidded eyes tried to focus on her teary face but he was in too much pain. His body was in a state of shock from the beating he had received and he could barely move. “Don't”, he took a sharp breath, “worry.”

Once Jongin had left the club Sehun had downed his beer thinking about leaving as well. On his way he stopped at the bar counter for a few shots, just because he felt like it. But he soon felt dizzy and he instantly knew why. One of his drinks had been spiked. He looked around trying to spot anyone familiar, any suspects, but the world suddenly became blurry and shaky to him, smoky air and flashing lights too suffocating. He needed fresh air.

When he stumbled out from the club he was greeted by four men in casual clothes, several pairs of arms grabbed him and he was pushed on a backseat of a car. The next thing he knew was pain and smell of blood, glass breaking and shards cutting through his skin. Everything became a blur, colors mixed together and faded away, the world became black and white, and terribly quiet. He didn't know how long the beating lasted, didn't know why it stopped or who took him home. But suddenly he was lying on the floor and Eun Yoo was beside him and he hated to see her so worried.

For a moment her face disappeared and he couldn't feel her soothing warmth beside himself anymore. That was because she had darted to the window, slightly pushing the curtains apart, just enough to peek out. She saw two black cars parked carelessly on the yard and four men loitering around, smoking and talking loudly, laughing in vulgar manner, even peeking up as if knowing she'd be watching them. They looked like little ants for she was so high and they were so far away below her yer she felt like they were giants, she could almost see the mocking looks on their evil faces.

Eun Yoo shut the curtains in panic and spun around, her eyes landing on Sehun's tortured body. He tried to push himself up but slumped back on the floor, breathing heavily, almost hyperventilating, almost like in panic. The blood stain on his waist only grew bigger and a sob left Eun Yoo's lips. She didn't know what to do. She knew that he needed to be taken to the hospital but what about the gangsters downstairs? Wiping the tears off her cold cheeks she rushed back to his side, falling on her knees beside him again, her gaze sliding over his body, examining the injuries. He was saying something but his speech was incoherent and voice too quiet. She dialed Jongin's number again but the result was the same, she was directed to the voice mail.

Chewing on her lower lip Eun Yoo sniffled uncontrollably, her trembling finger sliding over the phone screen as she went through the contacts, wondering whom to call. Who would be able to help in such a situation? Someone she could trust. She barely knew any of Sehun's colleagues or friends. She knew Jongin and then her eyes fell on another familiar name: Kang Woo. She remembered that he was out of the country but tried calling him anyway, his number had expired. Finally her eyes fell on 'obnoxious ' and she wondered if that was Da Hyun.

“What the fu.ck do you want now?” unsatisfied sharp voice grunted but Eun Yoo was only relieved. She took a shaky breath, not knowing how to begin explaining. “Are you going to speak or not? Stop wasting my time”, Da Hyun snarled. “I'm busy.”

“It's... it's me...” Eun Yoo muttered. “I...” she sobbed, tears falling from her eyes. Somehow she felt so relieved to hear Da Hyun's voice.

“Unni? Why do you sound so...” she asked with concern. “What happened?”

“I don't know”, Eun Yoo spoke heatedly, her voice shaky and wavering. “There are men... and Sehun”, she chocked on her tears. “I'm scared.”

“Where are you?” Da Hyun asked calmly, her voice deep and firm. “I'll be there in an instant so tell me where you are.”
“I'm...um..home...”

“At Sehun's?”

Eun Yoo nodded but soon realized that Da Hyun couldn't see her. “Yes”, she muttered.

“How many men?”

“Four I think.”

“Okay, I get it”, Da Hyun let out a small sigh. “Unni, listen to me. Don't worry, I will be there soon and everything is going to be all right. Take a deep breath and calm down. Are you hurt anywhere?”

Eun Yoo shook her head, pressing the phone closer to her moist cheek. She sobbed, taking in a sharp breath.

“Are you hurt?” Da Hyun repeated her question. There were background noises like doors slamming and shuffling, indicating that she was moving.

“No but Sehun he...” Eun Yoo pursed her trembling lips together, even bigger tears filling her eyes. “Sehun...”

“Calm down”, Da Hyun said firmly. “Calm down and wait for me. I promise that everything will be just fine.”

It was hard not to believe her when she sounded so content and rest assuring. Da Hyun's words didn't make Eun Yoo's worry and shock disappear magically but she now felt a bit better, comforted and hopeful. Wiping her face dry with the back of her hand she shifted her eyes at Sehun. He lied limply on the floor, his face propped on his arm. A groan left his lips when she touched his shoulder.

“Sehun”, she called out in quiet voice. “Can you hear me?”

“I'm fine”, he mumbled. “I'll just rest... just rest a bit. One minute.”

He shivered wildly, closing his eyes and biting his teeth together. Familiar bitter taste spread in his mouth and no matter how much he tried to control it he failed. He somehow managed to push himself off the floor before whatever he had consumed earlier traveled up his throat and spilled from his lips. Eun Yoo scrambled on her feet and went to get water and a wet towel. She pulled him away from the mess and forced him to drink, wiping cold sweat off his face. Sehun's eyes closed, consciousness slowly slipping away from him and his body fell limply against hers.

“I don't want to remember.”

With tires screeching loudly a white SUV curved in front of the apartment complex building followed by yellow Subaru WRX, trapping two black BMWs in between. Doors slamming and loud curses, in no time eight men were engaging in a full fledged street fight. Alarmed by the loud noise, whoever happened to see the scene first, called the police. Meanwhile Da Hyun was already standing in the elevator with Hong Kyu by her side. They exchanged glances, one irritated and the other one thoughtful, both silent. Soon they were standing in the same elevator on their way down, Hong Kyu had Sehun on his back and Eun Yoo stood silently next to Da Hyun.

The ride to the hospital was adrenaline filled with Da Hyun behind the wheel, trying to lose another car which was trailing them. The two cars flew through the streets, their speed raising dangerously high, leaving behind smell of burnt rubber and exhaust gas. Da Hyun drove fast but smooth, maneuvering the steering wheel skillfully, drifting to smooth the turns. Still, Eun Yoo thought that they were going to die, she thought so at every turn they made, her heart almost jumping out from . She was sitting at the next to groaning Sehun who was hanging in between consciousness and complete darkness. Meanwhile Da Hyun spat curses while Hong Kyu kept giving her directions in amused tone of voice, clearly enjoying the ride.

“There are no serious injuries. We have stitched the cut on his waist and there is one fractured rib, it will heal with time. I have prescribed lotion for his bruises. He will have to take it easy for a while if he doesn't want to suffer from more serious internal bleeding.” Doctor's voice was indifferent, even lethargic. “Other than this, his body is still suffering from shock.”

“What about his head?” Da Hyun asked in a hushed voice. “He has suffered a head injury not so long ago.” She remembered from the last time she had accompanied Sehun to the hospital.

“The MRI scan did not reveal anything unusual.”

“That's good then.”

After having a talk with the doctor Da Hyun called Hyuk Jae to tell him about what had happened. He was on a business trip in Japan so he couldn't come over but his voice filled with worry and utmost concern. He sounded relieved after hearing that everything was fine but not quite rest assured. Seizing the moment Da Hyun asked about Sehun's earlier head injury and Hyuk Jae revealed that his son had been hit by a car and that he had lost parts of his memories due to a serious head injury, he had literally been on the verge of death. The older man's voice sounded so miserable Da Hyun couldn't help but think that this all was so tragic. She peeked into the ward and saw Eun Yoo sitting by Sehun's bed, holding his hand and staring at him intently. It was a relief that she had not been hurt and Da Hyun let out a small sigh.

“DaDa...” Hong Kyu stopped beside her with two cups of coffee in is both hands. He had gone out to take a look if the car which had been trailing them was still around. To his relief it wasn't. Then he had seen Starbucks and realized how much his body craved for caffeine, it was in the middle of the night and he felt sleepy. These kind of action was more or less usual in his hectic life so he didn't feel too shaken up. How he saw it, Da Hyun was calm too. It would take much more than a little gang fight, a man covered in his own blood, and fast paced race to make her nervous.

Much, much more.

And a lot less...

“What a mess”, Da Hyun groaned as she took a seat in a chair by the wall, leaning back in a relaxed manner. Hong Kyu stood in front of her with the take away cup at his lips and his free hand tucked in the pocket of his straight pants.

“Feels like old good days, huh?” A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

Da Hyun sighed, taking a careful sip of the hot coffee. “I don't like this.” So many dark thoughts crossed her mind and she shuddered.

“It can't be helped”, Hong Kyu said matter-of-factly. “If you were Kang Min, you'd do the same.”

Da Hyun's brooding eyes darted at him, her face stiffening. She clenched her jaw and her brows furrowed.

“You'd do even worse things”, Hong Kyu taunted, his smirk growing wider.

“I don't like to play dirty and you know it”, she scoffed.

“Yeah?” Hong Kyu cocked an eyebrow. “Tell me what would you do if you lost the CEO position to him?”

It went without saying that she'd go on a rampage and do unimaginable crazy things to get it back. She'd completely sink in the darkness.

“I wouldn't go around killing people, that's for sure.”

“Maybe”, Hong Kyu shrugged, momentarily shifting his gaze away from her. “Maybe you would.”

“Don't you think something doesn't add up?” Da Hyun asked with a frown, ignoring his teasing. “He wouldn't have killed father if he didn't have someone backing him.”

“Well, who do you have in mind?” Hong Kyu bit on the edge of his cup. She shrugged.

“I have no idea.”

“Yeah, this is kind of weird”, he agreed.

“I wish he didn't have the tattoo”, Da Hyun muttered, covering her face with her palms. “Everything would be so much easier then.”

“See”, Hong Kyu smirked knowingly. “You'd go after his life first.”

Where it's dark there is no such thing as an easy way out.

Da Hyun wanted to go home but Eun Yoo grabbed her hand pleading her to stay. The latter was still shaken up by everything, fear sill present in her features. So Da Hyun decided to stay and keep Eun Yoo company, Hong Kyu stayed for a bit longer too. The tree of them chit chatted outside the ward for some time but soon Eun Yoo went to sit beside Sehun's bed again, she was extremely worried no matter how many times Da Hyun rest assured her that everything was fine.

At some point Da Hyun was left alone with her thoughts. All those heavy, gloomy thoughts. She wondered why did it have to be Sehun even though she knew why. Kang Min knew a lot of things about her, for example he knew how loyal she was to people she respected and Hyuk Jae was one of those. She respected him as much as Mr. Choi, the man her father had trusted the most in the whole world. In fact Mr. Kang and Mr. Choi had started the company together even before Da Hyun had been born.

Her father never stopped talking about this man, always speaking only good about him. No wonder, because Mr Choi was a wonderful person. He was married and had two daughters, a loyal husband and loving father. He worked diligently and always helped Da Hyun when she had difficulties in her life, he was always there supporting her. Even when her father had not approved of her working at the company, Mr. Choi had always encouraged her to try harder. Just like Hyuk Jae, whom Da Hyun considered almost like her own family. He was a kind and caring man with warm heart. She sincerely cared about him and Kang Min had spotted this weakness. She would never forgive herself if one day Sehun got seriously hurt because of her.

But could she really blame Kang Min for going to such lengths? He had cut ties with his own family, he had agreed to marry a pregnant woman and accepted the child as his own, he had worked at the company trusting that he'd inherit it. But one day he found out that all the promises were mere lies and this came after years of hard work he had poured into becoming a worthy successor. Now then he was going to get divorced with Mi Rae and kicked out from the family empty handed, and he would not be able to go back to his own family ever again unless he wanted to become a traitor. In other words he lost everything he had worked for, all his sacrifices turning out to be meaningless. He had lost everything, even his face. His pride had been shattered and he most definitely felt betrayed. No wonder he was so angry. Anyone would be.

Still, Da Hyun blamed him a little. It had been his own decision to leave his own family. He had hurt Mi Rae with his violent and abusive behavior, that alone was good enough a reason for him to be stripped from all his rights to the company. He didn't get the CEO position because of his underhanded shady ways of conducting business. He lacked in many aspects when it came to the management. He hurt and killed people, he even tried to her. How could Da Hyun not blame him?

However, the most she blamed herself for letting things get this far. She walked back and forth in the hallway outside Sehun's ward, which was her family's personal ward. She leaned her back against the wall and brought her gaze to the ceiling, letting out a frustrated sigh. She sat on one of the chairs beside the wall just the opposite from the ward and stared at the tips of her shoes. Once in a while she'd peek inside and see Eun Yoo sitting in the same exact position. She had not moved for a few hours, only sat there staring at Sehun and holding his hand. Dang, she was actually stubborn.

“Are you all right?” Da Hyun finally decided to approach the woman, handing her a bottle of water. Eun Yoo looked up, her big melancholic eyes softening Da Hyun's heart. The latter flashed a small rest assuring smile tilting her head to the side.

“Will he really be okay?” Eun Yoo asked with hoarse voice.

She stared at the water bottle before finally opening it. The memory of his big accident was still fresh in her mind, how she had been waiting outside the ICU for hours, not knowing what to expect. How she had waited for him to wake up from coma, listening to pessimistic words of the doctors:“It's unlikely for him to survive.” Three days, it took him three days to open his eyes and smile at her. Three torturous days of heart wrenching pain and sorrow she would never forget.

“He just needs to sleep off the shock. His body went through a lot but like the doctor told us earlier he didn't suffer any major injuries”, Da Hyun explained calmly, her voice soft and soothing.

“But...” Eun Yoo shifted her gaze from him to the female beside herself. “There was so much blood.”

“Only twelve stitches, that's not so much”, Da Hyun grinned. “I suspect he fell on a broken glass or maybe he was thrown thorough glass and that's how he got that cut. Maybe a glass window or something. Or maybe a broken mirror”, she rubbed her chin, her eyes concentrating on the drip bag. “Anyway, that's not even important.”

“I wish I could be as calm as you”, Eun Yoo muttered, lowering her gaze. She put the water bottle away after taking a sip and took Sehun's hand between her palms. In her point of view it was admirable how well the younger female had handled the situation.

“It's normal to be shocked about these kind of things”, Da Hyun sat on the edge of the bed, tilting her head to the side while trying to lock her gaze with Eun Yoo's. “First time when I saw a dead bod-” she swallowed, her smile stiffening a little. “I mean, everyone gets scared.”

“I'm afraid that this might repeat, I mean...” Eun Yoo mumbled. “What if something worse happens? Why is this happening?”

Da Hyun sighed, running her hand through her hair. There was nothing she could say to rest assure Eun Yoo that these kind of situations wouldn't happen again and the latter noticed it. Her eyes filled with tears and she chewed on her lower lip, dropping her head. What if Sehun wouldn't survive the next attack? Why were so many bad things happening to him?

And seeing all that despair, Da Hyun didn't know how to comfort this fragile woman. She stood up and wrapped her arms around Eun Yoo's shoulders, leaning down to hug her, to pat her back in a steady rhythm. And she had no idea how much this little gesture meant for Eun Yoo, how much it actually soothed her nerves. She wrapped her arms around Da Hyun's waist and buried her face into her shirt, sobbing quietly, letting tears flow. Da Hyun hushed her, hugging her closer, whispering calming words. And she felt so guilty, so terribly guilty.

“That's right, let it all out.”

Secretly she wished she could do so too.

After crying for quite a long while Eun Yoo finally calmed down, and she felt embarrassed to death. Da Hyun accompanied her to the bathroom and back, making sure that everything was all right. It was obvious crying and letting it all out had helped Eun Yoo to finally get over her shock. She was still shaken but a lot calmer and more relaxed. She couldn't have been more thankful to Da Hyun for staying around, the latter kept talking about irrelevant things to distract her. Eun Yoo came to a conclusion that Da Hyun was a warm and lovely person with kind heart. She actually liked having her around and wanted to know more about her. Maybe they could become friends. This thought warmed Eun Yoo's heart so much she even blushed, the shy person she was.

Da Hyun glanced at the clock on the wall, it was 20 minutes past 4am and she hadn't slept a wink. Once again she was loitering in the corridor, finding it awkward to stay inside the ward with the couple. She felt like an extra person who was meddling even if there was nothing to meddle in. Opening the door slightly she peeked in and gasped in surprise when she saw that Eun Yoo was sleeping on the bed together with Sehun, in his arms to be precise. Not expecting to see something so private she quickly closed the door, her heart beating madly in her chest. Her cheeks flushed and she felt like she had seen something inappropriate even if it was just two people sleeping together.

Backing away from the door she went to take a seat in one of the chairs, sliding low and spreading her legs forward. She tucked her hands in the pockets of her jeans and let out a sigh. The hospital was safe and she could have gone home but she had decided to stay until the morning, just in case. She was also planning to contact Sehun's mother in the morning and thought about lying that he fell down the stairs or something, she didn't want to make anyone worry too much.

For a moment Da Hyun thought about Jongin and wondered about his relationship with Sehun. Had the two made up for good? Did they still love each other? What about the engagement? Everything seemed so complicated with Eun Yoo in the picture. Just what had Sehun gotten himself into? But Da Hyun quickly lost interest in this weird love triangle and started wondering about Jung Woo's murder, about her father and Kang Min. She had no idea how to handle this dangerous situation. First of all she wasn't even sure what was going on and second, she would have preferred to not know at all. But she wasn't sure if she could act indifferent anymore.

Finally tiredness took over Da Hyun's body and mind, her eyes kept closing on their own. Deciding to take a short nap she crossed her arms over her chest to keep herself warmer and tucked her chin into her chest. The chair was not the most comfortable but she was too worn out from a long day at work and all the extra action. A small smile lingered on her lips when she thought about the chase earlier, her new car was pretty good. She could take it to the race tracks one of these weekends, maybe Hong Kyu would join her. Or maybe that wouldn't be a good idea...

It was him who had taught her how to drive and it was her father who had enjoyed watching car racing instead of horse racing, apparently there was more thrill to it. Being reckless and defiant she could beat Hong Kyu behind the wheel while failing to control him when it came to karate. They used to race each other on the race tracks completely legally as a form of weekend entertainment but Da Hyun just had to try it on the streets. She got caught after damaging her father's car and promised to never do it again. That had been a changing point in her life, she decided to become a lady. Concentrating completely on the company she forgot about everything else, even herself. The old good times were now only a bittersweet memory and maybe that was for the better. Maybe.

Not that many hours had passed when Da Hyun woke up with a startle due to a sudden jolt of the chair, someone had kicked it. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Kang Min's arrogant face, he looked to be pleased with himself. Dressed in a pair of jeans, collar shirt and v-neck pullover he stood tall in front of her, his eyes scrutinizing her messy appearance. Skinny jeans, messily worn hoodie with a tee peeking from under it and a leather jacket, she didn't quite look like the usual Da Hyun.

“Not a stupid move to hide him here.”

“What the fu.ck do you want?” Da Hyun mumbled sleepily. She straightened up and quickly combed her hair with her fingers. Wondering who had placed a blanket on her lap. Maybe a nurse, maybe Eun Yoo?

“What do you think?” he spat. “Are you handing me the company's shares or not?”

“What makes you think I would?” Da Hyun scoffed. She stood up, facing him bravely. Since she was wearing boots with high heels her eyes almost reached to the level of his and this made her feel bigger than she was.

“Let me see...” Kang Min rubbed his chin and while pretending to think about something he glanced at the direction of the ward's door.

“My stance won't change no matter how you hurt him”, Da Hyun's voice came out decisive and firm.

“Are you sure?” Kang Min flashed a mocking grin.

Placing her hands on her waist Da Hyun looked away from him for a short moment, narrowing her eyes. “Then why haven't you killed him yet?” she asked as she brought her gaze back at his face.

Kang Min's eyes darkened upon hearing her comment and his brows furrowed, his lips formed a straight thin line.

“Is someone holding you back?” Da Hyun taunted, raising an eyebrow. The corners of Kang Min's lips twitched downwards. “Did you forget?” her voice turned colder with every word. “As long as you are his underdog you are mine underdog as well.”

He slapped her cheek. It stung like a lash but Da Hyun didn't let out a sound. She her lips uttering a dry chuckle.

“Watch it if you don't want to spend the rest of your life our shoes.”

He scoffed, flashing a small cocky smirk before slapping her again, this time so hard she let out a silent hiss. Her dark brooding eyes found his once again, her gaze unyielding and stern.

“If I was you”, Kang Min said with warning undertone. “I wouldn't push it.”

“And if I was you”, Da Hyun spat. “I would stop now.”

“Why would I stop? Tell me even one reason.”

She angled her chin higher. “We could settle without casualties.”

Kang Min uttered a mocking laughter, covering his lips with his fist. “You never fail to amuse me... What do you think I have been trying to do all this while?”

“Funny enough you are asking for valuable things but never offer anything in return”, Da Hyun commented dryly. “Yet you expect to see results.”

“No, sister-in-law. I am giving you a chance to redeem yourself. Isn't that valuable enough for you?” After all, he had lost too many valuable things to her without getting anything in return. Simply too many.

“Redeem myself?” Da Hyun scoffed. “Don't make me laugh”, she paused, shooting him a glare as she clenched her jaw. “You steal and then you threaten. That's not business, that's a crime.”

“You are really good with this innocent act of yours...”

“That's because I am innocent unlike you!”

“Maybe a little”, he chuckled. “But that's about to change. Either you give me what I want in exchange for your remaining innocence or then I will force you to dirty your hands for good.”

“Useless lowlife”, Da Hyun spat. “I'll never sink to your level no matter what.”

“You don't seem to understand”, Kang Min leaned closer with a taunting little smile. “You have so much to lose, so many things I could easily shatter. For example”, his eyes fell on her lips. “Your pride.”

“I'm daring you”, Da Hyun hissed. “You just try...”

“Oh I will try”, he mocked. “I will.”

“And you will fail just like up until now. You will always fail. Do you know why?” Da Hyun glared at him. “Because you are a balless little dog running after what will never be yours. Believing in miracles, that's quite childish. Do you also believe in Santa Claus?” she taunted.

Clenching his jaw muscles Kang Min swung his hand at her face, slapping her even harder than before. Her head tilted to the side from the force but she didn't dodge when yet another slap came, tearing her dry lower lip. Drops of blood trickled down her jaw but she didn't wipe them away, her darkened eyes always finding his, the unyielding arrogant look in them driving him crazy. She was prepared to take the next hit when his hand was suddenly stopped in midair and then thrown back at him.

“You hit her one more time and I will rip your arm off”, Sehun snarled, sending a death glare at Kang Min.

“The prince charming is here to save the day”, the latter mocked. “Looks like my boys were too gentle with you yesterday...”

“Sure”, Sehun uttered a mocking laughter, holding his chin higher. “Why don't you send them again. I'll be waiting. Didn't you promise to break my legs? I am disappointed you haven't done so yet.”

“Mind your own business”, Kang Min spat.

Sehun glanced at Da Hyun who stood beside him with indifferent look on her face her cheek burning red and swollen. She crossed her arms over her chest giving him a sideways glance.

“Not leaving yet?” Kang Min shoved Sehun's chest. The latter gritted his teeth slamming his palm into the former's face. Kang Min gasped from surprise the attack caused him, his head tilting to the side.

“Why don't you leave instead?” Sehun scowled at him. “No one wants you around here.”

“Dare to do that again”, Kang Min spat, his eyes flaming with anger.

Sehun didn't reply, he didn't feel like it. He only stared at Da Hyun.

An hour or so earlier he had woken up his body aching everywhere. Too uncomfortable to lie around he went to look for a nurse to ask for pain killers and eventually wandered to a small grocery store by the hospital to buy snacks. He had woken up once before during the night to find Eun Yoo sitting by his bed, she had looked terribly tired and shaken up so he had pulled her into the bed. She had cried herself to sleep in his arms and he couldn't stand to see her in such condition. Later he had found Da Hyun sitting outside the ward, sleeping in the most uncomfortable position yet with a smile. He had assumed she had somehow helped Eun Yoo to get him to the hospital, he couldn't remember much of what had happened the previous evening. Seeing how uncomfortable Da Hyun had looked he had enough heart to drape a blanket over her. And now when he was coming back he witnessed her being hit repeatedly. It was hard to understand her way of thinking. Why would she take the beating when she was not a person to accept such treatment?

After a long silent moment, Kang Min shifted his narrowed eyes from Sehun's face to Da Hyun's. She looked at him sternly, her dimmed eyes showing no emotion.

“By protecting him you are going against me but not only me”, he warned.

“That's my problem”, Da Hyun spat arrogantly.

Sehun glanced at her with a frown.

“You are digging your own grave”, Kang Min scoffed. “Let me give you one advice”, he leaned closer to Da Hyun's face. “Stop him before he destroys you.”

There were choppy memories of blood and death. Vivid memories of the dangers darkness held within, cold, painful, hopeless. There was nothing much what Sehun could recall from those blank four months, like a black hole in his memory. But what he could recall made him feel nauseous. His heart would beat irrationally and he'd start hyperventilating. He'd panic. This was one of the reasons why he didn't want to remember. But no matter how he tried not to think about it when he had woken up on the hospital bed he had woken up with a memory. Memory of blood, blood on his hands and clothes. Not his own blood, but someone else's. In a cold room with tiled walls and floor, someone's voice giving him instructions. He couldn't remember what the voice had said exactly, he just remembered it had been giving him instructions. “Careful with the boxes and don't forget about the ice. Ice is the most important.”

Sehun fixed his eyes at the blood on Da Hyun's chin while she was sending Kang Min away with a glare. Finally she looked at him, from head to toe, concluding that he looked horrible in his blood stained, dirty clothes and he smelled bad. She noticed that he was holding a small plastic bag in his left hand.

“You have some...” Sehun said absentmindedly, his eyes on her chin. “Blood.”

She only gave him a nonchalant look, soon flicking her eyes elsewhere. She her cracked lower lip, the taste of blood spreading in . Then she flinched when he brought his hand to her chin to wipe the blood, only smearing it further. She slapped his hand away and quickly wiped her skin clean with the sleeve of her hooded shirt.“Go in there and rest.”

His eyes found hers and he stared intently, familiar frown settling on his weary face. She had helped him once again for reasons she would probably never tell him.

“Why did you let him beat yourself?” he asked unexpectedly, his dark gaze boring into her, searching for her soul.

“Just because”, Da Hyun answered indifferently. “Don't think about ridiculous things and concentrate on ge-getting som....”, Da Hyun's voice faded away when Sehun moved closer to her, cupping her cheek, the one which wasn't hurt. His face inched closer, his eyes searching hers. His beautiful, mysterious eyes giving her no hints about his intentions.

“What are you doing?” she frowned, pursing her lips together.

“I know how he feels”, Sehun whispered, tilting his head to the side.”You must be driving him crazy with your stunts, hmmm?”

A small sardonic smirk tugged at his lips and he leaned even closer, his nose almost touching hers. Da Hyun didn't budge, she stared at him sternly. He didn't expect her to do anything, he knew she would keep her poker face just to prove him that she was not affected. Probably that was also the reason why she had let Kang Min hit herself, to prove him that nothing he did would ever break her. She'd take whatever came her way, completely unaffected. How annoying. Like this she was intimidating even impressive, Sehun couldn't deny. He couldn't ignore how attractive she was whenever she acted this way, like she was invincible. But he also hated her for being this way because it only complicated things, made everything harder for him.

“Thank you”, his voice softened, his eyes remaining as mysterious as ever.

“What's your problem?” Da Hyun hissed, taking a step back, escaping his closeness for it made her feel uncomfortable.

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