Author's Note: This chapter's featured song is Kim Jae Joong’s “I’ll Protect You”. How many of you have actually been waiting for this song to be featured? C'mon, be honest. ^_^. Just like Chapter 16, you will find lyrics from this song throughout the chapter. Please press play now.

I want to protect you...
Until the day you come into my arms first

August 27: 7pm, Jeju Airport, Jeju-do

They manage to get seats out of Jeju for everyone. While waiting for their flight, Hayaley gives them her phone number. They plan to meet the next day since ‘the losers’ still have to pay for dinner.

Since it was a budget, no-frills airline, they get to pick their own seats. Hayaley is the last to board the plane. As soon as Chris sees her, he stands and gives up his seat, which is the aisle seat next to Jae Joong, with the excuse that he wanted the window seat but Jae Joong won’t switch with him. He crawls over Gun Hyuk seated right across the aisle from her to the window seat.

When they pulled away from the gate, it was raining outside and Hayaley could see that the wind is really blowing, which makes her more than a little nervous. Her fingers are digging into each other. She knows Gun Hyuk is trying to say something to her but her focus is off. Jae Joong has also noticed the rain and wind. He turns to Hayaley and finds her looking at him, with worrisome eyes. The plane is now rolling towards the runway and the rain has gotten heavier. Jae Joong extends his hand to grab hers.  

The captain has dimmed the cabin lights as the plane continues to roll down the runway. Hayaley tries to calm herself by closing her eyes and controlling her breathing. Having Jae Joong’s hand over hers does help. The engines rev and the plane starts to speed down the runway. Soon they were taking off. Unfortunately, due to the strong winds, the take-off is extremely rough. The plane hits turbulence right away, trying to fight the rain and wind as it climbs.

With every jerking, dropping and swaying movement of the plane, Hayaley’s ability to hang on begins to crumble and panic starts to set in. Her breathing becomes ragged and she feels suffocated. Jae Joong sees the change and becomes nervous himself, especially when she’s not responding to him calling her. This is a new reaction he has not seen before. He did the only thing that came to mind, throwing his left arm around her and pulling her towards him, wrapping her in his arms, his right hands hanging on to her trembling hands.

By now, other passengers are getting scared. Children are screaming and some adults are crying out in fear. With each violent movement of the plane, more and more passengers join the chorus. Hayaley is sobbing and trembling in Jae Joong’s arms. The other passengers screaming did not help. She feels herself being transported back to a very scary place. She is spiraling out of control.

Jae Joong her head, which is buried in his shoulder as her sobbing got more severe. He whispers in her ears, “It’s okay, it’s going to be okay, hang on, just hang on,” over and over again, as he hug her tighter and continue to her head. His voice is breaking through her spiraling nightmare, slowly bringing her back to reality. Her sobbing stops, only tears continue to trickle down.

As the plane breaks through the storm clouds and slowly stabilizes, Hayaley’s panic also subsides. She can feel Jae Joong’s hand her head and his arms around her. She slowly releases her tight grip