“What do you say if we’d go out for a fancy dinner on a Saturday evening, huh, Areum?” The usual grumble of Mino’s deep voice asked.

I sent the tall man a childish smile while pointing a finger at his arm that was in a cast. “And how do you plan on eating, genius?” I and threw my legs over his, getting myself more comfortable on our currently shared couch.

“Well,” he began and placed his uninjured hand on my right leg, my knee with a light caress, “I was hoping that you would feed me…” he trailed off with a small smirk that made me laugh.

“I thought that your pride was bigger than that, Mino…”

“What do you suggest we do, then?” He mumbled out childishly, as if his ego was being damaged by my humorous words.

“We could go to HaeUndae…” I whispered dreamily, reminiscing of the beautiful night sky and bright street vendors’ lights that lighted up the beach of our first date; that was the place where everything truly began.

As if understanding my train of thought Mino’s head bobbed up and down wildly, a huge beam of a smile now painted all over his handsome face. “That’s a wonderful idea!” he agreed, adoration spilling from his eyes.

“Then it’s decided!” I beamed right back at him. “HaeUndae it is!” swiftly folding my legs behind myself I fell into Mino’s chest. “I’m sorry, you know.”

He kept quiet as I worded one from the many of my apologies spilled over these past two weeks.

“I really am.” Gripping Mino’s torso tighter I hid myself into his side so that the taller man would be only able to see the crown of my head.

His deep sigh and a rumble from his chest was what sufficed as his reply. “I told you countless of times already, you despicable girl.” He chastised me, just as he did for the past two weeks. “You have nothing to be sorry about. If anything, I should be the one to apologize, really. For dragging you into all of this mess.”

“But your arm…” my voice was starting to shake now, raw with emotion.

“Did you dream of what happened again?” He suddenly asked, wrapping one of his hands around me. I froze, my breath hitching in my throat as the scenes of gore flashed through my closed eyelids. “I see…” Mino’s voice trailed off and he dared not to question me again for fear of setting off my tears and breaking the big wall surrounding the dam of even more horrifying images from that night.

I slapped my cheeks internally and shook my head physically. “It happened two weeks ago, I’ll manage.” I whispered just above an undetectable noise, my hand sneaking to where Mino’s fingers were trailing over my exposed shoulder.

The splotch of skin was still red and raw there, twitching ever so slightly, but it was worth it. To hide that sickening mark of Kwon JiYong’s initials that were once burned into my skin as he held me his captive… The tattoo of small wings in black ink was definitely worth it.

At the thought of it, my body shuddered involuntary and I grabbed a bigger fistful of Mino’s short. “Do you want me to stay over tonight?” The observant man asked.

“Yes, please.” I mumbled, my eyes droopy as a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over me.

Noticing this, Mino scooped me in his chest, instructing me to wrap my legs around his torso as his uninjured hand was wrapped around my back, carrying me to my bedroom. I was hanging on him like a koala, too lazy to move and too sleepy to realize that the man holding me in his arms had his arm broken in two places.

“Will you be able to get yourself comfortable in the sheets without my help?” he asked with a chuckle upon seeing my displeased face when he moved farther away from my bed.

“I’m not that childish.” I grumbled, groggily grabbing the sheets and wrapping myself in, only leaving the top of my head visible.

“I’m going to the couch, then.” He informed me and turned to go.

“… Yeah…” I mumbled with rosy cheeks and soon after the door of my bedroom was closed shut.

As close as Mino and I had gotten over the months that I knew him, we never went beyond the usual pecks and kisses. Particularly not when both he and I counted ourselves guilty of what happened two weeks ago. We never dared talk about it more than was counted comfortable and pretended to act as if everything was okay.

Only that it wasn’t.

Mino’s cheer had seemed fake as he got me out of that damned place and even know, sometimes beneath his smiling façade, something more sad and desperate hid. I saw it in his eyes, since he was bad at concealing his emotions.

And even with myself, I still had trouble looking Mino straight in the eyes, each time seeing him bloodied, arm twisted in angles not usually possible for a human arm to twist, a blue eye and ripped shirt, gun in hand as he barked orders for his unit. It was a time that left me sick with guilt.

Now, as I lay in my bed, buried in my sheets, I needed his words of comfort, his warmth and his arm my back as sleep engulfed me. Instead I felt empty and cold. But I couldn’t make him stay here, for I was too shy and disgusted by myself.

Sure the tattoo of wings had hidden the brand on my shoulder, instead representing me as a free woman, but in my head I still had the vision of GD’s evil glint full of satisfaction when he brought the brand closer to my skin. I still remember the sound of my skin sizzling, of my own yells and screams, of the fainting pain that coursed throughout my body.

I shook my head again, trying to get rid of the tears that slowly slid down my face. “Stop, Areum. Don’t think. Don’t remember…” I begged of myself, bringing my knees to my chest and hiding my face into them. “Stop…”

The cuffs were digging into my skin as I slid down the seemingly endless wall, the man with red hair standing tall and proud in front of me. “You didn’t fight hard enough, Areum. It was disappointing, really. You should’ve used that knife.”

My head pounded and I saw red with my left eye, probably because of the blood that gushed down from my scalp. “ you…” I mumbled, tasting blood in my mouth, making me gag and instantly spit it out.

“Oh… Where did that language come from, Missy? Is that how your mother raised you?” The older man mocked with his eyes drawn into slits.

“Is this how your mother raised you?” I spat right back at him, fire igniting in my eyes as his jabs slowly got under my skin.

An echo from a hard slap resounded in the small chamber, the shackles hanging from the wall clinking as I stumbled to the side from the strong force, cuffs digging into my skin all the more and I felt a sticky wetness around my wrist.

“You will keep your mouth shut and wait patiently until that bastard Mino is coming to save you by giving me the money he is due. Am I making myself clear?” GD’s velvety voice threatened, his face uncomfortably close to mine as his harsh breaths washed over my lips.

“Oh, so you were mommy’s little boy.” I said without a waver in my voice, face blank of emotion, the only thought that swirled in my head was the fact that Mino will come soon.

My body bent over as his fist had nestled itself deep into my stomach. “Shut your mouth.” The man smiled with closed eyes and when they opened I saw an endless pit of darkness in them.

A shudder ran down my spine and I stopped talking just as was ordered.

“That’s a good girl.” His sugary voice praised and a rough hand ruffled my hair, making some stick to my visage covered in blood.

The next encounter I had with GD was a couple of hours later, when the said man got bored and came into the small, what I guessed to be, underground chamber with some bulky man carrying keys and a lighter. “Are you sure that Mino even cares for you, Areum?” GD had asked with a tilt of his head. “He’s still not there.”

Wanting to kick and scream at the man, I knew I had to bite my tongue to not spill anything that was unnecessary and so instead I sent him a thin-lipped smile, my closed eyes twitching with rage.

“Oh, I see you learn command quickly. You’re trained, aren’t you? I really can see as to why Mino might have liked you… You must be an awesome partner…” GD clapped his hands and beamed with a twisted smile. “Should I check whether this theory is correct? I’m sure Mino wouldn’t mind.”

“Take a step closer and I swear to God…” I threatened, my fake smile dropping to the deepest pits of hell and eyes snapping open in less than a second.

“Or what?” GD mocked, his eyes wide with excitement as he observed me. “Have you not yet realized the situation you’re in?” he cackled loudly and turned his back to me, walking to where the buff man was setting the small chamber in the wall, that was once locked, on fire, putting in a mental staff so that the flames covered the tip of it. “I’m going to have to enlighten you, then…” GD mumbled and his eyes raked over the metal staff with adoration. “Bearing the initials of Kwon JiYong you must know that you will belong to me for the rest of your sorry life, listening to my commands and acting just to please me.”

My knees were shaking as I realized what he was about to do and my tears quickly gathered in my eyes, just to spill over and stain my cheeks. I shook my head as GD took the staff and walked closer to me, the buff man twisting me around and slamming me into the wall, so that GD could have an easy access to my back. “Don’t get closer!” I screeched as the staff was nearing my trembling form. “Get the away!” I kicked and screamed louder, feeling my voice break as I choked on my tears.

He did not listen.

There was a loud rumble coming from a floor above the chamber that my weak form occupied and with barely enough strength to, I lifted my head up, rolling it back so that I could rest it on the wall behind me.

I heard curses and loud shots from bullets, making my eyes widen, horror once again taking over my body. The rumble soon reached the floor that I was on and through the wooden door I heard the already familiar voice of Kwon JiYong yelling curses at someone named Song MinHo.

Shaking my head from side to side a big, trembling smile graced my face as I realized that Mino had really come; that he did not abandon me, how JiYong had said. Mino was here to get me out.

True enough, soon after an ambush of bullets raining into the concrete wall supporting the wooden door, I heard Mino yelling commands to, presumably, the squad he was assigned by the police department.

A couple minutes later, the wooden door clattered to the ground and a bloodied and tired Mino stepped in, the gunfire still visible behind him. However, what caught my attention was his broken arm, shot at one point and broken at a lower. “Areum!” he had yelled with wide eyes, tears developing in the corners of them. “Oh my God, Areum!” he ran towards my weak form and grabbed me into his arms.

His hand was hair, and his voice let out the occasional `shush, everything’s okay` as I sobbed into his chest. Another nightmare from that night.

“What are you doing here?” I asked quietly, my voice breaking in the middle of the sentence.

“I heard you crying when I was walking to the toilet.” He answered bluntly, his on my head never stopping.

I let out a small, choked laugh. “That’s very romantic.”

“Why? Would you rather I was walking to the kitchen to make a grand morning fest for you? You know I can’t cook.” He asked, as if surprised by my words.

“You’re so cute…” I mumbled, hugging his torso and falling into another slumber, this time a calmer one, where I dreamed of our first date instead of the excruciating pain and blood.

“HaeUndae doesn’t seem to change, does it?” I asked quietly, hugging the coat around my body for more heat.

“Doesn’t seem like it.” Mino’s quiet voice agreed as we walked along the familiar shore.

The blue and red lights from the street vendors painted the dark sand into a bright purple, but the light was not strong enough to reach the dark, salty waters of which waves crashed against the shore. It was beautiful, just like the last time I came here together with Mino.

“Breath taking, isn’t it?” the man chuckled as he saw my wide of excitement eyes.

“It always was, to be honest.”

He stopped short in our pace and took my hand, spinning me to face him. “And that’s the simplicity of the woman that I came to love…” he laughed quietly, bringing his uninjured arm over my shoulders, pushing my face into the crook of his neck.

“You smell nice.” I noted, not at all embarrassed to voice my thoughts.

I felt Mino’s body stiffen under my arms and I chuckled from his surprised reaction. “Oh, um… Thank you.” He mumbled quietly, and as he pulled away hurriedly I still saw his bright red cheeks.

With a teasing smile, I pinched the tall man’s elbow and laughed even harder when he squeaked like a girl. “What was that?” I smacked him on the back, unable to hold in my banters of laugh.

“You surprised me!” he tried to defend himself, rubbing his palm against his face as if to hide his obvious embarrassment.

“You’re such a little child!” I laughed louder, hugging myself over my stomach as I felt it constrict from the exercise. “How funny!”

He huffed but soon enough I heard his own chuckled. “Well, at least my embarrassment made you laugh. So I’ll forgive you this time.” He mumbled, his voice low and shy.

“You know,” I began, and in a breath of air to keep myself calm, “I would never have thought that a man like you, so tall and manly, with voice deeper than the sea, would have such a cute persona. You looked very much fierce then compared to now.”

“So what? Do you not like me now that my fierceness has evaporated into thin air?” he pouted and crossed his arms.

I folded my hands and set a judging eye over him for a while. “No… I think I like you even more now.” I smiled and standing on my tiptoes pressed my lips to his soft cheek.

Seeing his eyes widen I giggled and turned around to run along the lit shore. “Yah! Areum!” he yelled after me, his steps scrunching in the sand. “You’re not fair!”

“Catch me if you can, then!” I laughed as I ran, and I heard his grunt before his hand wrapped around my torso, pulling me into his chest and spinning us around a couple of times.

“You’re a thousand years too young to run away from me, Areum…” he breathed with a soft glint in his eyes. “It was a good try, though.”

“And now what? You’ve caught me.” I smiled with a flirty twist and he smirked in response.

“Well… I guess I’ll just have to… Kiss you?” He questioned with a tilt of his head and placing me back onto my feet.

Slowly, as if not yet sure whether I was fine with it, he placed his lips onto mine, the softness melting my insides. It was cute how shy and guarded he was when with me.

Pulling Mino closer by his collar I crashed our lips harder together, letting my tongue slip in.

“Is this not how a kiss works, Mr Mino?” I questioned after pulling away.

He grinned at me and lead me to the stone stairs that lead to the street vendors by the beach and stared off towards the waves crashing at the shore. The waves that washed off our pain, and grief, and guilt and instead promised the two of us a brighter future together. With no more lies and dangerous jobs. With no more hurt. Only the two of us in a calm bliss called love.