You entered your room and closed the door behind you, as unexplained tears rolled down your cheeks. Everything was too overwhelming. In his arms you felt like floating, your feet couldn't find the ground under you and you let yourself delve into his warmth, clutching to him for dear life. When he pulled away, it felt like you were dipped into the cold sea at once and pulled out forcefully, gasping for air. You gave in to him, surrendering completely to the invisible strings tying you together. He secured his hold around your body with his long arms, trapping you near his heart and finding his way on your lips. Your lips moved against his, fireworks exploding in your head every time he at your lips gently. Your heart lurched in your chest at the sudden loss. The pout on his face and the sorrow in his eyes ignited a silent fire in your heart.

Was this not what he expected our kiss to feel like? Did he feel nothing? Did he suddenly realize he didn't love me anymore? Thousand ideas roamed your head when he averted his eyes away from you. Was it that bad?

"We shouldn't do this."

The phrase repeated itself in your head over and over again. You remembered how he yelled at you when you said the same exact thing; we're not allowed to do this. He was furious. You remembered, very clearly, how he grabbed your arm and forced you to listen to his confession. What happened? Why did he stop himself when you were there, in his arms, giving in to him and kissing him back like he always wished?

That frustrated grunt he let out after you left meant something, but you couldn't comprehend the meaning behind it. You let out a sigh as you wiped your tears away before flopping on your bed and staring at the ceiling. Half an hour ago you were feeling drowsy and wanted nothing but to fall asleep, but the kiss somehow alerted your senses and stole sleep away from your eyes. It left you in a state of bewilderment. The more you thought about it the more you realized that you actually liked it, you loved it, loved everything about it. His soft lips nibbling on yours, his hands rubbing your back ever so gently, the knot forming in your stomach with every second, his captivating scent; a mixture of coffee and perfume trailing around his neck. Everything left you dazed. You wanted to sleep, you wanted to stop the drumming in your heart and the unstoppable thoughts in your head, but you couldn't. This only made you think about him more.

What could he possibly be doing?

He was standing outside your room, his hand hanging in the air as he pondered on the thought of knocking on your door. His heart screamed your name and begged for him to break into your room and take you in his arms again. When he leaned closer to you and asked you if he could kiss you, he didn't know what to expect. He was afraid you'd push him and run away. He was scared. But when you nodded, his heart banged in his chest and he realized he's been waiting his whole life for this moment. It was worth everything he's been through.

It was exactly as he imagined it to be, even better. He delved into the sweetness of your lips on his and momentarily forgot about his surroundings as he pulled you against his chest. He wanted to feel you, feel your presence and believe that you're back, you're his, you're here. Those quick seconds were enough for him to realize he's never been out of love with you. His feelings for you are what kept him alive, and now that he could finally pour his love out for you, he felt exuberant. His soul was set free again and his heart broke away from its shackles.

But then... everything went dark. The birds chirping in his head died down and he was forcefully brought back to the cruel reality. I'm nothing but a servant, a servant who will bring nothing but sorrow upon himself and the woman he loves.

He found himself pulling out of the kiss, staring at you before pushing you away and asking you to leave. He regretted it the second you were out of sight; beat himself up for not claiming you properly. It took him a few seconds to decide to run after you, to try one last time to fight the voices in his head. You were inside your room already. He stood in front of the door for a couple of minutes, his heart calling your name and his hand hanging in the air, few inches away from knocking on your door. His head dropped on his chest and he turned around and went back to the kitchen, with a tear rolling down his cheek.

You were unaware of his conflicted presence outside your room. You were having your own inner conflict. You tossed and turned in bed but his face was the only thing occupying your thoughts. It was after the digits on your clock announced that it was past 5 a.m. that you could finally doze off. When the sun crept into your room through the lace curtain, you pulled the comforter over your body and buried yourself under it.

You woke up at around 12, and wondered how your family didn't try to wake you up or send someone to check on you. You grabbed your phone and saw a text message from Hakyeon, another from Eunji and a missed call from Seokjin. Hakyeon was telling you that he was out with his mother and Nana, while Eunji was out with her parents and sisters, trying to prepare for the upcoming wedding. As for Seokjin, you were sure he was calling to check on you since you were absent for a few days due to your sudden illness. I'll call him later, you thought to yourself when your tummy grumbled. You got off bed, took a quick shower and went downstairs.

The house was surprisingly empty. It was you and the maids, each minding her own business. Your eyes roamed the place looking for Taekwoon but he was nowhere to be seen. You asked one of the maids to make you something to eat as you sat down in the living room. Flipping through the channels for something to watch, you wondered if Taekwoon was at college. What time did he go to bed last night? Did he have enough sleep? You shook those pitiful ideas off your head. If he doesn't care about me, why should I care about him?

The maid came back with a tray and placed it in front of you, you thanked her and ate your lunch in silence, trying to keep Taekwoon out of your thoughts. A weird feeling tugged at your heart when you looked around the house and noticed that the security guards weren't around. You remembered your father saying something about getting rid of them since he felt like you were no longer in danger. You weren't sure about that yet and it somehow made you feel a bit worried.

After eating your lunch, you moved to the study room. Your father mentioned it once that your mother had kept a number of her favorite books for you to read when you grow up. You looked through the titles of the books and grabbed one when you heard a knock on the door. One of the maids let herself in as she said:

- Excuse me, ma'am. A man at the door says he's a friend of yours. Shall we let him in?

You remembered Seokjin's missed call. It must be him!

- Let him in and tell him I'll be there in a second.

You put the book back on the shelf before leaving the study room and walking toward the living room. You took a quick look around you and saw Taekwoon entering the house using the back door. Even though you were still upset with him, somehow his presence was comforting. You were suddenly wondering if he'll get upset seeing you sitting alone with Seokjin. I don't care.

You walked into the living room with a smile on your face. Your smile soon disappeared when you realized that the guest was not Seokjin, but rather an odd looking man whom you've never seen before. He sat on one of the sofas, his legs crossed and an uncomfortable vibe surrounding him. The window behind him was open and you saw a black car parking in the middle of the entrance. You felt anxious as you took another step toward him.

- How can I help you?

You asked as you looked at him suspiciously. He stared at you, his eyes cold and scary, before standing up. You instinctively took a step backwards when he took two wide steps towards you.

- Did you like the renovation we did to your room?

He spoke with a low, husky voice and had an evil smile on his dirty, chapped lips. You swallowed hard and turned towards the door when you realized he had to do with what happened a few weeks ago. Before you could run out of the room he grabbed your arm and pulled you inside forcefully before closing the door.

- What do you want from me? You took what you wanted. Just leave me alone!

Your voice was shaking as you tried pulling your arm out of his hold.

- Do you think you're smarter than us? We know you locked it with a password, so give it to me and we'll leave you alone.

- I have no idea what you're talking about.

He let go of your arm and grabbed you by the shirt collar. You yelled:

- Help!

- Stop resisting and give me the ing password or I'll kill you right here!

The door was pushed open and you saw Taekwoon and another servant grab a hold of the man. He pushed you on one of the sofas before punching Taekwoon's face and pushing the other servant before running toward the open window and jumping out of it. The servant got up and tried following him when he saw him get into the car that had been waiting for him outside the house. Taekwoon instructed the servant to call the police before turning toward you. He kneeled in front of you and pushed a lock of hair off your face before cradling your cheeks between his warm hands. He studied your face in concern before asking:

- Are you okay? Did he hurt you?

You were in a state of panic. Everything happened too quickly and you were barely breathing. Terrified and shaking, you struggled to give him a sign indicating that you were okay. Your mouth was dry and your lips were trembling, unable to form the simplest syllable.

When he figured that your little trembles were meant to assure him, he got up and pulled you in his arms. He held your body tightly against his and you wrapped yours around his body, seeking shelter in his safe embrace. He gave your back a few gentle before saying in a soft voice:

- Let's get you out of here.

He walked you out of the living room and into the kitchen as he called one of the maids to get you a glass of water. You were shaking violently as you clung into him, his arms securing their hold around your shivering body.

He helped you sit down on the kitchen stool and then sat down next to you as he handed you a glass of water. You took a sip and put the glass down. He placed his arm around your shoulder as he asked:

- Who was that guy?

- I... I don't know.

You stuttered as you failed to control the shivering of your body. He pulled you back into his arms, tucking you under his chin as he rubbed your back gently. You whimpered a little before saying:

- He... he knows the people who broke into my room but... but I thought it was over. The police said... they said they took what they wanted and I thought... I thought they'd never come back again.

He involuntarily kissed the top of your head as he whispered:

- I won't let them near you again.

The kiss was gentle, a tiny little peck, but it somehow brought you back to reality. You suddenly realized you had your face buried in his warm, firm chest. You pulled out hurriedly and glanced at him with teary eyes. He pulled his arms away as his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Before you could comprehend any of what was happening, a maid came running into the kitchen saying Nana and Hakyeon were back.

When Nana walked into the kitchen, she frowned when she saw how close you and Taekwoon were sitting. He cleared his throat and got off his seat when she asked:

- What happened? Why are you crying?

She turned to look at Taekwoon:

- And why do you have blood on your face?

- They won't leave me alone! They came back and they were here! Inside the house!

You threw yourself in her arms. She patted your back and looked at Taekwoon again:

- Can someone please explain?

Taekwoon wiped the trail of blood off his face before telling her of what had happened. Nana's eyes widened in shock as she listened carefully to what Taekwoon said.

- Did you call the police? Your father?

She asked when you pulled out of her arms to wipe your tears away.

- We called the police as soon as we could, Madam.

Taekwoon assured her. She placed her hand on his shoulder and then patted his cheek lightly as she said:

- Thank you for looking after her.

His cheeks heated up as he smiled shyly and murmured:

- No Madam. It's my duty.

Sometime later, your father, Uncle Kim and a couple police officers arrived. You were asked to retell them of everything that happened; what the man said, what he looked like. Your father remained with you the whole time, patting your back as you narrated what happened to the police officers. Taekwoon and the rest of the servants were questioned as well, and their rooms were searched. Your father had his own suspicions which stated that the man had links inside the house since he only dared to come when everybody was outside. You did not suspect any of the servants but you were too nervous to say anything.

The rest of the day went on like this, you being questioned by the police officers, Taekwoon being questioned by them and by your family, and your room being searched, as well as some other rooms in the house. Everybody was tensed, worried that this would happen again. To avoid such things from happening in the future, your father brought the security guards back into the house and even requested CCTV cameras to be installed around the entrances.

After almost 6 hours of investigations and searching around the house, the police officers left after assuring you that they will track down whoever is threatening you and that they will contact you as soon as they do. You could finally go back to your room. Nana asked if you needed someone to stay with you for the night but you assured her that you'll be fine.

You were physically and emotionally exhausted from the whole ordeal. Every time you remembered the man grabbing you by the collar you felt a shudder go through your body. You laid in your bed for a couple of hours, staring at the ceiling and wondering why the man asked you for the password. You couldn't remember ever locking your USB with a password since nothing saved on it was credential. If Taekwoon wasn't home I might have... you shook the thought off your head and sighed in relief. Your heart was racing in your chest when you remembered how he pulled you in his arms and hugged you tightly. The butterflies in your tummy unleashed when you recalled the gentle kiss he left on the top of your head and the warmth of his embrace surrounding your body. The clock on the wall ticked along with your heart beats as you thought of everything he did. If he still cares about me, why did he push me away? He seemed more worried about you than your father. His secure hold around your body was more assuring than the security guards roaming around the house. Something about him kept pulling you in his direction, while he put barrier after barrier between his heart and yours.

You pulled the comforter over your body and tried to get some sleep. Your tummy grumbled, as if announcing its protest against any attempts to sleep with an empty stomach. Due to all the mess the investigations caused, dinner was served hurriedly. You didn't eat much as you were too stressed out to worry about food. It was past midnight and you wondered if Taekwoon was still awake. The searches were bothering him. He seemed to hate the intruders walking into his tiny room and turning it upside down. He looked flustered when one of them picked up your book and threw it on his bed. He ran toward his bed, picked the book up and held it tightly in his hands. Why does he still have it?

A few minutes later the phone in your room started ringing. You flinched as you stared at the phone in fear. Who could it be? You picked it up very slowly before placing it on your ear. You remained silent for a couple of seconds, wondering if you'll hear the man's voice yelling from the other end of the line. You almost sighed in relief when you were greeted with a pleasantly familiar voice.

- Hey.

You said when you recognized Taekwoon's voice. I wonder what he wants.

- Do you... do you want something to eat?

Your heart pounded in your chest. Is he a psychic?

He paused for a second and then added:

- You... You didn't have dinner so I... I thought you might be hungry.

How did he manage to notice that I didn't eat much at dinner? You kept this question to yourself as you thought of something to say. Even though he saved your life, in a way, you weren't willing to let him go easily.

- I don't feel like eating anything. I just want to sleep.

- Oh, I'm... sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up.

He stuttered.

- It's okay.

You said in a soft voice, and waited for him to say something in return. You thought he'd apologize again and hang up. Instead, he cleared his throat and asked:

- How about some milk?

What is he trying to do?

You remained silent for a couple of seconds.

- Are you there?

He asked, his voice a mixture of worry and dejection. You felt a wave of guilt wash over you, but you still needed an explanation of what he'd done last night. It wasn't something you could get over easily.

- Why are you doing this?

You asked, and it seemed that he was taken aback by your question.

- W... what?

He stuttered again. You took a deep breath and then said:

- Last night you literally pushed me away and now you're in a way asking me if you could come to my room.

- I... I'm sorry.

You waited for him to say more, to explain himself, to say anything. Instead, he remained silent, much to your annoyance.

- Good night, Taekwoon.

- Wait...

He paused for a second and then said:

- I...

You let out a sigh when he went silent again.

- I need to sleep.

A few seconds of silence passed before he said:

- I'm sorry ma'am, Good night.

He said and hung up. You held the receiver in your hand, unable to comprehend that odd addition to the sentence. Did he just call me ma'am? Blood boiled in your veins. How could he call me ma'am after everything he'd done? You got off your bed, put a robe on and ran downstairs toward the kitchen.

He hung up and let out a frustrated sigh. Did I really have to say ma'am? Turning to look at the books in front of him, he let out another sigh. Just when I thought I could use this as an excuse. He had planned to ask you for help, again, so he could spend more time with you and try, in a way, to make up for what he did last night. Apparently, you were still upset with him. What he'd done might have left you feeling bad, but you could never imagine how it made him feel. He flopped on the kitchen stool and placed his head between his hands. He imagined that things would be better when you're back, but now that he was letting his severe awkwardness get in the middle, things didn't seem to get better at all.

You stormed into the kitchen to find him sitting to the kitchen table with his head between his hands. Without knocking, and wanting very much to startle him, you snapped:

- Did you really have to say that?

He lifted his head up abruptly and darted his gaze in the direction of the intruding voice. His jaw dropped when he saw you standing in front of him, your hands resting on your waist as you stared at him in anger.

- What are you doing here?

He asked. You took a step in his direction, took a deep breath before saying:

- I'm here to say that you confuse me! You really do!

You glanced at the papers lying in front of him and then added:

- More than chemistry confuses you! Can you imagine that?

- I... I don't understand...

He stuttered, looking more flustered than ever. You rolled your eyes and crossed your arms in front of your chest as you said:

- Of course you don't! You yell at me for pushing you away and then you literally kick me out of the kitchen! Are you trying to play hard to get? If you are, then I can be player two.

He got off his seat as he asked:

- Is this about the kiss?

Omg, he's still asking!

- Yes it's about the kiss! You can't kiss me and tell me you love me and then call me ma'am! You can't do that Taekwoon! You just can't!

- I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!

Seeing him struggling to hide the blush creeping into his cheeks, you let out a sigh. Was I too harsh?

- You can't keep apologizing either! You need to speak up, tell me what's going on.

Your tone was demanding. You really needed answers.

You could suddenly hear some rattling. Someone was coming downstairs, rather hurridely. You stared at Taekwoon as you whispered:

- Someone is coming!

His eyes widened in fear as he tried to find a place to hide you.

- Go to my room.

You rolled your eyes.

- You wish!

He pushed you inside his room and into a closet as he said:

- This is not the time for bickering.

He closed the door before going back to the kitchen to find your father standing in front of him. He swallowed hard before asking:

- How can I help you, sir?

- What was all that noise about? Who was here?

You could hear your father yelling at him. A cold drop of sweat traveled down your back when you imagined your father breaking into Taekwoon's room to find you inside his closet. He'd kill me. He'd kill us both!

- The stray cat was back again. It was hiding under the counter and I had to kick it out.

You took a deep breath as you waited for your father's response. It took him a few moments to reply, and you were sure he was staring down at Taekwoon in suspicion.

- Good. Don't forget to clean the kitchen before you sleep. God knows what that dirty cat has left around the kitchen.

- Yes, sir.

You looked at your phone. It's 3 a.m.! Who cleans the kitchen at 3?

A few seconds passed before you heard Taekwoon sighing in relief before opening his closet and looking at you. Instead of the previous fluster, you saw a different, inexplicable emotions in his eyes. Is he embarrassed? Is it because of what my father said? Or maybe because of the way he was probably looking down at him? Or... or maybe because I was here to witness it all?

- He left. You can go back to your room now.

He said in a defeated tone, and it broke your heart more than you thought it would. You stepped out of the closet before going back to the kitchen. He followed you before collecting his books and disappearing inside his room for a couple of seconds. When he was back you noticed that he had left his books inside the room.

- What about your quiz?

You asked, and he lifted his head up slowly and stared at you for a second before answering:

- It's due next week.

His demeanor suddenly changed, and you couldn't fight the urge to ask:

- Why do you look so upset?

He remained silent for a couple of seconds before saying:

- Nothing, ma'am. Just go back to your room, please.

He's back to calling me ma'am again!

- Taekwoon!

You almost yelled but he averted his eyes away from you as he begged:

- Please!

You grunted in annoyance before saying: 

- I hate you!

He clasped his hands tightly until his knuckles turned white without looking at you, so you turned around and walked out of the kitchen. 

It always takes him a few seconds to decide to run after you. He followed you before you could climb the stairs and grabbed your arm. You turned around to look at him with a frown on your face.

- What do you want?

- I am sorry. 

- Stop it! 

He let out a sigh, his hand still grabbing yours. 

- I will... I will explain myself. But not now. I... I need time. 

You looked at your watch and then said: 

- How long?

- Can we... talk tomorrow? It's getting very late and... you should get some sleep. 

You thought for a second. Should I give him a chance?

- You have until tomorrow to give me all the answers I need. 

He smiled faintly as he said: 

- I will. 

All your annoyance suddenly disappeared when you saw his lips lift up in a smile. Why do I feel hot? Trying to keep your composure, you pursed your lips and then nodded before saying: 

- Fine. We'll talk tomorrow. 

He hesitated for a second before letting go of your arm. It amazed you that you totally forgot that he was grabbing your arm the whole time. You spent a few seconds staring at each other and all you could think of was how vulnerable he makes you feel when you stare at him like that. He cleared his throat and then said: 

- I... I'll see you tomorrow then. 

It's 3 a.m.!  You suddenly remembered. He should be sleeping!

- I will. Good night. 

- Good night. 

You turned around and climbed the stairs to your room, unaware of the smile on his face slowly fading as he went back to the kitchen.