Chorong POV

“mom?” I asked as I entered the house.

Strange. It was silent. My parents would tell me if they went out.

“mom!” I shouted as I walked around the house searching.

I walked to my parents’ room and I heard some muffled voice. I knocked on the door, but there was no response. I continued hearing muffled sounds, so I decided to open the door.

When the door opened it revealed both my mom and dad being tied down by ropes onto chairs. There were three guys wearing masks and holding guns.

“how unfortunate for you to come home at this time.” One of them said.

“w-who a-a-re y-you?”

“come here.” He said.

I looked towards my parents and I see them shaking their heads, their eyes were telling me to run.

“stop!” the 2nd person yelled at hit both my parents.

“DON’T HURT THEM!” I shouted.

I fell onto my knees and started crying.

“lucky day for you, Park Chorong. We only need one of them dead. So it’s your choice. Your mom or dad?”

“none of them. J-just take me!” I said between sobs.

“no can do kiddo. Choose, or else we will kill them both.”

“stop please! Why are you doing this?!”

“CHOOSE!”

“NO!”

“alright, you asked for it.”

Two of the men raised their gun and pointed to my mom and dad. Then I see them cocking their gun and was ready to pull the trigger. In a blink of an eye the triggered was pulled and I heard gunshots.

“NOOOOO!”

I shot up from my bed and started panting like crazy. I tried to look around, but it was dark. Where am I? I felt something on my legs, so I touched it and it felt soft. Oh. It’s my blanket. I’m in my room. I still felt my heart pounding like crazy, I was also panting and sweating a lot.

I was too scared to continue sleeping alone, so I took my phone and texted the one person who makes me feel the safest.

Bbom-ah…I need you, please reply.

I pressed sent and then held onto my phone tightly afraid that if I let it go, I’ll lose it. My thoughts changed back to my nightmare. I was thinking how scared my parents look. The image of their head bleeding twist my heart into a million knots.

I checked my phone and didn’t see any replies from Bomi. Is that pabo sleeping? Or is she playing her Panda Pop? That little . I need her and she’s busy.

I was about to try to lay down again, but then I suddenly heard some sounds outside. Are the other members awake? What if…what if it’s those guys from the dream?! My door slowly opened and I see the silhouette of the person. I couldn’t tell if they were a girl or a guy, it was too dark. They raised their hand I noticed that they were holding something. What if it’s a gun?!

“AHHHHHHHHH” I screamed and felt tears run down my cheeks.

The nightmare was true. They're back to kill me now.

“hey hey, it’s me!” the person said, revealing that it was Bomi.

That didn’t calm me down, I continued hugging my knee and cried. Bomi came to my bed and sat on it.

“unnie, what’s wrong?” Bomi asked softly.

“y-you p-pabo!” I said hitting her.

“you can hit me all you want if it makes you feel better.”

“Bbom-ah…”

I continued hitting her, but then I stopped and wrapped my arms around her.

“there there.” Bomi said rubbing my back.

I rested my head into her neck and cried softly. Bomi continued hugging me tightly, sending me all her comfort.

“why didn’t you reply to my text?” I asked, my head resting on her shoulders. I finally felt calmed. 

“I was playing Panda Pop…”

“seriously!?”

“blame Eunji! She beat me!” Bomi defended herself childishly.

“you two are a bunch of five year olds, you know that?”

“yes I know, you tell us that all the time. So unnie, what’s wrong?”

“I h-had a nightmare…”

Images appeared in my head and I started feeling scared again.

“do you want to talk about?”

“not at all.”

“alright, let’s lay down and sleep, okay?” 

Bomi gently lifted my head and then helped me lay down. Then she laid down beside me, she plopped her elbow and rested her head on her hand. She was staring at me lovingly as I was laying down.

“go to sleep, okay? I’ll be right here protecting you.” Bomi said kissing my forehead.

“promise you’ll stay till the sunrise?”

“even better. I’ll stay by your side forever, how does that sound?”

“cheesy, but I like it.” I gave her a quick peck on the lips.

“okay go to sleep now.”

Bomi put her hands over my eyes forcing me to close them.

“alright alright!” I said grabbed her hand off my face.

I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. I felt protected and safe being in Bomi’s arms. After what felt like hours, I still couldn’t sleep.

“ahh I can’t sleep.” I whined.

“so close…” Bomi mumbled to herself.

I guess she was about to fall asleep, but with my whining it woke her up.

“you can sleep if you want.” I said.

“no I’m fine, I’ll sleep with you sleep.”

“that might be never.”

“want me to tell you a bedtime story?”

“yes please.”

Hmm a bedtime story, I wonder what kind of story will she come up with.

“so once upon a time…

There was a princess, Park Chorong, who lived in a gigantic castle. She had a lot of servants and maids around her, yet she still felt lonely. She would wander around the castle mindlessly. She would ask the servants and maids to play with her, but they’re always careful around her, they would lose on purpose just to please her.

One day while walking around the castle she noticed a girl running around the garden. Chorong got closer to observe the girl. The girl was running and laughing by herself, to any person they’d think she’s crazy, but to Chorong, she admired that girl. Admired her for how she can have so much fun by herself.

Chorong decided to go greet the girl and ask to play with her. So Chorong started walking towards her, but the girl didn’t noticed Chorong, so the girl ran straight into her causing Chorong to be knocked onto the ground.

“my lady!” one of the servant shouted, going to help Chorong.

The other servants immediately grabbed the girl. The girl looked at Chorong with a confused expression.

“yah, aren’t you going to apologize?” Chorong asked staring at the girl.

“why? You’re the one that got in my way.” The girl said casually.

Never had someone talked to Chorong like that. She was taken back by this.

“omo, I’m so sorry!” a maid ran to Chorong and knelt down.

“why are you sorry for this girl?” Chorong asked.

“she’s my daughter, I’m so sorry. I had to bring her with me today, please pardon her just this once.” The maid pleaded.

“let her go.” Chorong said.

The servants let go of the girl.

“thank you thank you!” The maid said.

“so what’s her name?” I asked.

“Yoon Bomi.” The maid answer.

“please tell her to be careful and not to run around here.”

Chorong looked at Yoon Bomi one last time and then walked away. As Chorong walked away she couldn’t help but think about her. Yoon Bomi was so carefree. Did she not know who Chorong was? For the first time in Chorong’s life, she finally felt like an