Just as I found myself comfortable in Leo's arms he laid me down on the bed in the nurse's room. A whimper escaped my lips and he smiled with amusement before walking over to the nurse asking for her help.

"What's wrong with her?" The short lady asked as she followed him over to my side.

"She fell during soccer practice and skinned her knees." He spoke for me. The nurse furrowed her eyebrows looking at the open skin on my knees. 

"I'll clean it with alcohol and give you a bandage, okay sweetie?" She spoke to me as if I were a child and I nodded.

"That's not all. There is something wrong with her ribs." He added. My mouth fell agape shortly after his statement. Was it obvious? Maybe it was my poor posture or maybe when he held me in his arms he felt something was off. How was that possible? Did he really observe me that closely?

"How did you know that?" I asked not able to hide the astonishment in my voice he smiled sweetly with his arms folded cross his chest.

"It's kind of obvious. You're not walking straight and you keep holding your sides. I noticed it when you first got on the field. I should've stopped you then." He articulated.  The nurse rubbed the soaked alcohol cloths on my knees making me grit my teeth at the stinging sensation before applying hello kitty bandages. Classy. She then proceeded to lift my shirt revealing my stomach and ribs. Leo looked away uncomfortably when he saw the bruises on my skin. I bit my bottom lip and stared at the corner of the wall awkwardly not knowing what to say or do. 

"Whoa...Honey, what happened to you?" The nurse exclaimed making an "O" shape as her eyes met the sighting of my bruises. I pulled down my shirt quickly. 

"I'm fine. It's just a bruise." I spoke nonchalantly. 

"Just a bruise? You have several. You need to have your ribs checked at a hospital. There might be a fracture." The nurse continued to urge me and I shook my head violently. There was no way I'd tell my parents about this. If it could be kept a secret forever, that's what I planned on doing. 

"I'm fine, it will heal." I sat up quickly trying to avoid their piercing eyes. Leo stared at me with a sympathetic expression.

"It will heal on its own, but it will be better if you take medicine as well." He tried to persuade me. 

"Thanks, for taking me here, but there is no way I'm going to the hospital."

"I can take you there." He offered politely. I rised from the bed before standing on my feet and clutching my ribs instantly.

"No, it's okay. You've done enough. Thank you." I bowed slightly now walking out of the nurse's room. I heard an exhale behind me before his big hand wrapped around my forearm. I turned around quickly to look at him. He spun his car keys around his index finger then, pulled me into the parking lot, leading me to his car. He put me in the passenger seat, buckling my seatbelt for me, closing the door then, got into the car himself. 

"Yah! This is called kidnapping!" I shouted and he smiled amusedly.

"No, this is called a teammate helping another." 

After shouting several times how I refused to go to the hospital we both agreed on getting aspirin for the pain. I was left in the car with the windows rolled down like a dog as he ran into the pharmacy picking up aspirin for me. It took fifteen minutes before he returned and decided it was time to eat. Of course, he dragged me along for this as well.

---------------------------------------------

"I really appraciate your hospitality, but I have to get home. It's getting late and I'm pretty sure soccer practice is over. My parents will be expecting me." I said nervously as we sat at a small table in a ramyun shop. He slurped his noodles before dabbing his mouth with a napkin.

"What's the rush? Besides, you haven't eaten any of your food. You have to take your pills with food." He acknowledged pushing the bowl of noodles closer to me. I scratched the back of my head and furrowed my eyerows. What were his true motives behind these gestures?

"Listen, I really really appreciate all of this, but I have to get going." I repeated hoping he would understand. Of course it went over his head again.

"Going where? To Hongbin's house to brainstorm how you will kick Namjoon off the team?" He pryed. My eyes widened in shock as he put the noodles in his mouth and slurped them up quickly again.

"How---"

"Did I know? You're not very discrete. I heard the whole thing in the hallway. You need to be more careful with constructing plans. If Namjoon heard he would destroy you. You guys already don't have the best relationship." He dabbed his mouth again with a napkin before giving me his undivided attention. I gulped as he sipped the sweet iced tea from his glass not breaking eye contact the entire time.

"Ok. I get it now. These sweet gestures, were for your own benefit weren't they. You just wanted to blackmail me? Ok, what do you want? What do I need to give you to keep this a secret?" I tried to negotiate and he shook his head with a smile on his face.

"Why can't a person do something good for another without expecting something in return? I don't want anything from you, Sujin and I never planned on telling Namjoon. I'm telling you for your own safety. Namjoon is vicious. I've known him for years. Your plan isn't a good idea, unless you'd like to be in a coffin." He reasoned. 

"What are you suggesting I do? Sit back and let him take everything from me? I've only been going to this school for two weeks. Two weeks and it's hell.  No one will talk to me. All they do is insult me and watch me fall. No one has lent me a helping hand besides you and Hongbin. Even my own cousin fell under his spell. What am I suppose to do?" I argued.

"If you're going to do something like that, you need more people on your side. Namjoon is one of our best players. It's not impossible to get him kicked off, but it won't be easy either."

"Are you saying you'll help me?"

"No. As captain I can not get involved in something like this, it could jeopardize my position. I just want to protect you from him. I knew when I heard him talk about you one day at practice that you were destined to be marked by him. I know what he's capable of...I will try to help as much as I can, but I hope you realize that there will be serious consequences afterwards. He may disappear from the team, but that doesn't mean he'll disappear from school." He warned me and I nodded. Was it all worth it?

"Why would you want to protect me, you don't even know me. Maybe, I did something to deserve this." I asked.

"Deserve this? Do you really believe that? I heard the story of what happened. He's just being a douche. I condemn bullying. I couldn't help Suna, but I can help you." His eyes went to another place as if he were having a flashback. I wanted to ask who Suna were, but before I could he took my bowl of noodles and poured it into a container.

"Eat it at home, but make sure you take those pills, okay?" He reminded and I nodded. It started to rain outside and he agreed to take me home before it got worse. Leo stepped on the breaks once the car met the curb of my house. On the stairs sat a soaken wet Hongbin and guilt rushed over me. I reached for the door handle when Leo touched my shoulder.

"The bruises...Did Namjoon---"

"No, it was Bora. I couldn't control my mouth in the locker room. I guess I got what I deserved." I nodded whilst smiling bittersweetly.

"Stop saying you deserve it when you don't. I'll talk to Bora about it." He offered.

"Oh, no! It's fine. You've done so much for me already. Besides, me and Bora aren't on the best terms, the last thing I need is another confrontation. I'd like to just keep this all a secret, if that's okay." I said softly whilst avoiding eye contact and he nodded in agreement.

"Be safe." He reached for the door handle before pressing the button and pushing the door open for me. 

"Thank you...For everything." I smiled then, got out of the car. He nodded awkwardly as his cheeks turned pink, I guess he wasn't good at receiving appreciation. He took off quickly and I ran to the drenched Hongbin. 

"Omo! You're gonna catch a cold. Why didn't you ring the doorbell?" I took off my coat and wrapped it around his shivering shoulders.

"I did. Twenty times, no one answered. I guess no one's home."

"Huh?" I tilted my head to the side before turning around now acknowledging the empty driveway. The car was missing. Where was everyone. I quickly dug into my backpack pulling out the keys and unlocked the front door.

"I'm so sorry!" I apologized moving aside to let the sneezing Hongbin through the entrance. 

"Gwenchana." He sneezed again. I quickly opened the closet, grabbing several towels. 

"I'll make you some tea. Take a shower."

"Mwo?" His eyes widened and his cheeks tinted red.

"You're soaking wet, you need to get out of those clothes."

"I have nothing to change in." He responded nervously with a stutter. I giggled at his cuteness before ruffling his wet hair.

"I'm sure my dad won't mind if you borrow something old of his. Just get in the shower. I'll provide the clothes, ok?" I placed the towels in his hands and he chuckled nervously.

"Arrasso...Komawoyo!" He left in the opposite direction to take his shower while I headed to the kitchen to start the tea. It was strange to be home alone at this hour. Eight o' clock and my family was no where to be found. My growling stomach reminded me of the delicious ramyun Leo bought for me and I decided to heat it up on the stove for me and Hongbin to share. On the refridgerator door was a post-it that I didn't notice before. I pulled the sticky paper off of the fridge before reading it.

Sujin-ah, this is your mother. We are very worried about you. You were suppose to be done with soccer practice at 6pm. It is 7:30 now and we are all very hungry. We had no choice but to leave for our reservations at the restaurant. We're sorry and hope you'll be home when we get back. Nari left you money on the counter if you want to order pizza. ~ Eomma

I scoffed to myself. They were so worried about me that they went to eat instead of having a search party look for me. What great parents! I took the money from the counter and put it in my back pocket, knowing it would be of good use to me another day. Fifteen minutes passed by the time Hongbin finished his shower and fully clothed himself in my dad's old attire. The clothes were oversized on his lean body and I giggled.

"Yah! Did you pick these on purpose? I look so weird." He whined.

"You look adorable. I should take a picture for memories." I teased.

"You better not!" He continued to whine which only made me laugh more. His eyes were genuinely scared of me snapping a picture of him in my father's oversized vintage clothes.

"I'm only kidding. I will only take a mental image. Deal? Here, eat this." I pushed the ramyun over to him along with tea. He thanked me immediately before consuming the food.

"What happened at soccer practice? I imagine it went well, since Leo dropped you off home. Or did he get to confess his feelings before me?" Hongbin joked. I picked a carrot out of the ramyun before throwing it at him playfully only to have him catch it in his mouth.

"It actually didn't go well. I got beat up."

"What? By who?" His mouth fell open allowing food to fall back into his bowl.

"Bora and her stupid minions. I mean I guess it was just karma for me breaking her nose. Even if it was an accident."

"Well, are you okay?"

"I don't know. Leo took me to the nurse and she said I might have a fracture. He wanted to take me to the hospital, but I said no."

"Why? Sujin, this is your health. It's important. This is serious." Hongbin scolded me.

"I know, but being at the hospital would take so long. I'm already home late. I didn't want my parents to find out about this." I rubbed my hands through my hair in distress.

"You should report her to our school president." Hongbin suggested.

"And make things worse for myself? No thanks. This is my fight and I'm going to handle it on my own. Anyways, did you think of a plan to get him off the team?" I changed the subject not wanting to think of Bora anymore. Hongbin's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Actually, yes. I did. But, this is a really serious plan. If we do this we have to be very careful not to have it traced back to us." 

"Omo! Hongbin, what have you planned?" I exclaimed and he smiled whilst rubbing his hands together like a villain.