HyeYoung knew that she had only seconds to decide what she would do. To get in the van with the delinquents or to attempt to escape and run away.
 
HyeYoung took a deep breath and decided to make a run for it. She knocked the leader down and ran as fast as she could. But, unfortunately, HyeYoung tripped over a small pebble and lost her balance. She got up and tried to run again, but someone held her back.
It was the leader. He was not happy. "Hmm, feisty are we?" He slapped HyeYoung and pushed her to the floor. "You're mine now babe." He started to on her neck, claiming her as his.

"Mmphh! Le-leggo of mee!"

"Uh-uh. Not yet." He crushed his mouth over hers and bit her lip, forcing her to open . His tongue roamed around leaving a sticky feeling to HyeYoung. She felt disgusted and lifted her hand to smack his cheek. Furious, he pulled her up and dragged her to the van. "Now you ARE getting in."
 
"No she isn't. Let go of her."
 
"Who said that? Show yourself." The man let go of HyeYoung and put his fists up.
 
HyunJoong walked up to the leader and shook his head. "I don't want to fight. Just give me the girl and we're fine."
 
"No way! Boys, let's give our guest a welcome party."
 
"Ye." The three cracked their knuckles and dove at HyunJoong. HyunJoong dodged the blows and kicked them where it hurt the most. He pushed them away and ran towards HyeYoung. The leader smirked as he picked the girl up and s his arms around her waist. He began to her ear, waiting for HyunJoong's reaction.
 
"Let go of her!" HyunJoong was pissed off. He ran to the leader and was about to punch him when he suddenly collapsed to the floor. One of the boys had snuck up behind him and pushed him. He
snickered as he punched HyunJoong again and again.
 
"Enough." The leader stopped the boy and walked up to HyunJoong. "Pretty boy, you're no match for my boys. Get out of here while you can."
 
HyunJoong was not going to leave until he was sure that the girl was safe. He couldn't understand the feeling of why he just HAD to protect that girl. He pushed the leader and threw a couple of blows at his
face. With his legs, he kicked him in the stomach, showing no mercy.
 
HyeYoung's eyes widened as she remembered how HyunJoong had fought in the same way that one time she had almost been years before. One of the boys took out a bat and was slowly approaching HyunJoong. HyunJoong wasn't paying attention to the new danger in back of him; he
was too preoccupied with the leader. The boy was raising the bat, getting ready to smack HyunJoong in the head.
 
HyeYoung shut her eyes as she jumped at the boy, getting hit instead of HyunJoong. The blow knocked her out and she fell to the floor. The last thing she saw was a pair of eyes that were much too familiar.
 
Jaejoong had been walking around the city. The other members had escaped from practice to get pizza. Bored, he had decided to check on HyeYoung and went to her restaurant. All he saw was her getting hit.
"HyeYoung-ah!"

He ran to her and saw her shut her eyes at the sight of him. He looked up to see who the culprit was and saw HyunJoong fighting a gang of four boys. The bat was in the hands of a short boy with a cap. It was
him. That short kid had been the one who struck the girl in his arms. Jaejoong took out his phone and checked the time. He picked HyeYoung up bridal-style and placed her in HyunJoong's car. He ed his shirt, revealing a muscle shirt underneath which exposed his buff body. He took a deep breath and ran towards the four delinquents.
It was unexpected--the attack by Jaejoong. He pushed two to the ground, kicking them both in the stomach, making them twitch in pain. HyunJoong took advantage of the distraction and punched the leader, pushing him to the floor. He wrapped his hand around the leader's throat and said, "It's your call."

The leader grunted in defeat. He called over the rest of the boys and they ran away.
"HyunJoong. The girl."

HyunJoong awoke from the trance he had been in. He frantically searched for her, afraid of what had become of her. He suddenly remembered how she had dove in to the rescue, hurting herself. For a
pathetic and worthless fool like him. "W-where is she?"

Jaejoong crouched on the floor, exhausted. "She's in your car. T-take her to the hospital. She's hurt."
 
"But what about you hyung?"
 
"I'll be fine. Just take her. I can't take care of her anymore. It's pointless. She can't keep it from you any longer." Jaejoong walked away, limping. He didn't look back at his friend. He didn't want him to ask what he meant.
 
HyunJoong rushed to the hospital and HyeYoung was accepted right away. The doctors wouldn't let him in the room she was staying in until a few hours had passed. The doctor told him that the girl was fine. She just needed to take a break from work for a while. He handed HyunJoong her wallet which had been found on the floor. The doctor bowed and walked off to see another patient.
 
HyunJoong opened the wallet out of curiosity. It was pink and organized well. There were several cards and only one of them showed her picture. She was born on November 20, 1986. His eyes widened at
the date. It was the same as the HyeYoung he knew. He looked for more information that could confirm his suspicions. In one of the pockets, here was a photo which was folded in half. It was of a young girl
standing next to her mother. There was no doubt that the girl who was in the hospital room was the girl from his high school. His first love.
 
He walked in the room and saw HyeYoung staring out the window. HyunJoong sat down on her bed, saying nothing.
 
"Mianhae." The girl looked at HyunJoong as she placed her hand on top of his.
 
"Waeyo?"
 
"They took the money. All of it."
 
"That’s all you're sorry for?"
 
"Well I don't think I did anything else wrong. I mean--"
 
"Stop."
 
"Hmm?"
 
"You could have gotten killed for jumping in between us like that."
 
"Well you didn't see him...and I thought, I though--"
 
"You thought that your life wasn't as important as mine. That you could just perish away again. And not leave a trace of anything. That it wasn't important how I felt."
 
"What do you mean?"
 
"Were you ever going to even tell me?"
 
"Huh?"
 
"HyeYoung-ah. Did you think I wouldn't find out?"
 
HyeYoung’s shoulders stiffened and she looked down at the floor. Had he found her out already? "I don't know what you mean."
 
"Goddamnit HyeYoung! Do you think I'm a pabo? That I didn't care! That I left you behind because I just wanted to! Well no! I didn't. I had my reasons. I blame myself for not contacting you, but you--you left
me! I came back with roses, hoping you'd forgive me. And all I found was nothing. Nobody at all."
 
"But. I never saw you. I thought you did leave me. Yah! I have feelings too! How was I supposed to feel? The day after you had confessed your love and even kissed me, you left!"
 
"Want to know WHY I even left?"
 
"Ok, why?"
 
HyunJoong told her everything. From the problems with his parents to the difficult life for him as a runaway teen.

“Did you ever go back to your house?” HyeYoung couldn’t believe…no she didn’t want to believe anything she was hearing.

“Yeah.”

“Were they proud of you?”