Author's Note: Thank you so much guys for the support! All the comments, the votes, the subscribers... Thank you for sticking up to this story until the end :) I'm terribly sorry if I didn't update it immediately. This is actually finished long ago but I felt it was lacking in a lot of aspects so I decided to rewrite the whole chapter once again. Hopefully, you are satisfied with the ending :)

-☠🕳☠-

After Grandmama sent me home, she dragged my parents away to their room. After they went out, mom was close to tears and hugged me tight, telling me over and over again that it was alright. Dad was caressing my hair, comforting me through all of this. I thought they were going to get mad at me, but they didn't.

Even after a few days, I still get nightmares about that day. It still felt real to me, waking me up in the wee hours of the night with cold sweat running across my face. Soohyun would be there to witness episodes of me crying or screaming, and sometimes even both. My mind was creating faces of their own, the people I consider as true monsters. They were now living in my head, hitting me at my weakest where it hurts the most.

I tried to live my life as normal as it was back then. Through the day, I try to pretend like nothing happened, but at night, that's where the scary thoughts come. I couldn't go back to the time where everything was normal. My family was doing their best to comfort me in my state, but somehow, I kept missing Hanbin's warmth.

I always remember how he'd make me breathless, how close he was to me. He made me forget everything in his embrace. It seemed like a spell, the way he was doing that.

I miss him terribly. I miss the little things he do to me, how he'd create a ripple but result into something greater, deeper than I've ever felt. And I didn't know that those meetings I've had with him would make me treasure him even more.

He wasn't just a mere stranger or a knight in shining armor, he became... Something more.

"Unnie!"

Soohyun's voice brought me back to reality, back to the peach-colored walls of our bedroom. At a corner beside the door was picture frames hanged neatly, making me go back to those moments I felt happy. It brought a bitter feeling inside my chest. Not for now, maybe.

"What?"

She shifted from our bed, softly creaking as she did so. "I've been thinking about it... And I actually kind of saw that Hanbin guy."

I composed myself and put on the neutral face I could muster, trying hard to mask the delight I felt when I heard his name. "You did?"

"Yeah, but it was that time where you came home late at night. I remember falling asleep while studying that time. Mom just got me curious when she mentioned the guy's name."

My shoulders slouched down and let my head rest on my side of the bed. It was an old memory.

She sent me a look, her eyes almost disappearing as she did that. Even though we fight like kids, there was a connection between Soohyun and me. She'd know right away what I was feeling even if I just shrug it off. And right now, her eyes were telling me she knew I was harboring some feelings for him even though I wasn't admitting it to myself in the first place.

"But you know what, unnie? He looks hot! A real man. If you didn't know him first, I'd snatch him. Hearing the stories, I'm falling for him already," she teased.

Hearing her praise Hanbin made me jolt out from the bed and playfully hit her arm away. "Yah. Don't you dare."

The lines on her eyes creased into a smile I couldn't help but adore. "Just kidding, unnie. Want to grab that strawberry ice cream you love?"

Strawberry ice cream... The thing that started all of this...

My mood went sour all of a sudden and turned my back to her. It made me recall those stupid decisions I did in the past. "I don't want to."

"Then can you come with me please? I want to get some ice cream."

"No."

"Please? It's in the middle of the afternoon."

The afternoon got me. It's been a while since I've stepped foot outside the house after what happened. I didn't really want to do anything dangerous right now. If it was a trip to grandmama's house, I'd gladly encourage it, but with her in Taiwan right now...

"If I come with you, does it come with a free snack?"

"Yes! I mean, no!"

I was already grabbing my jacket before she could even protest. "No taking back of words now, Soohyun-ah."

"Unnie!"

I didn't really want to go, but no way will I let her go out of the house alone.

We arrived at the all too familiar store after walking out for a few minutes. It was pretty crowded, a sight very unlikely to see at night. At an aisle, there was a child tugging the hem of her mother's skirt incessantly asking her to buy whatever he was pointing at. A college student was hanging out by the coffee machine, the dark circles under his eyes getting deeper as he drank a steaming cup of coffee in possession. At the table by the window was a group of three policemen lightly joking around while eating a hot bowl of ramen.

I went from aisle to aisle, picking my favorites and putting them in my basket without worrying about the cost. I'm with my bank Soohyun anyway.

As Soohyun begrudgingly take out her wallet to pay for my snacks, we heard someone barking out of the store. It was too loud even the other customers inside took a look.

Observing more, I realized that it was Bobby. He was barking relentlessly. As soon as I saw him, a foreboding feeling came out. But I tried to keep it under control. I didn't want to assume anything was really happening.

I went outside and went to Bobby, kneeling down to face him. "Bobby, what's wrong?"

As I was close enough, I noticed the red-colored piece of torn cloth he was holding between his jaws. He raised his mouth at me, urging me to take it.

My mind went blank when I realized what it really was. It wasn't even red to begin with. It was blood.

I suddenly thought of Hanbin. The events these past days were flashing on my mind one by one. The familiar feeling of dread crept into my mind. No.

He barked louder, somehow telling me that I need to do something fast.

With trembling hands, I mustered up the courage to show the bloodstained cloth to the officers I saw inside the store.

"I-I think we need your help," I almost incoherently muttered in front of them.

One officer took the cloth from my hands and examined it closely. Afterwards, he looked at the other two and nodded. They looked alarmed, making them stand up almost instantly. "Where to?"

I led them outside to where Bobby was waiting. "He might know where he is."

When Bobby saw the officers, he immediately ran. We ran after him.

"Unnie!" I heard Soohyun call my name. "Where are you going?"

"Go home!" was all I could say to her. I could feel something wrong but I want to see Hanbin safe.

Bobby led us to a narrow alleyway, away from the bustling crowd. It suddenly became quiet and very isolated. There were puddles everywhere, making our shoes get wet as we run. As we go farther, the rotten smell from garbage cans overwhelmed my nostrils. I almost tripped at a nearby bin before making a final turn, our eyes being welcomed by the sight of a group ganging up on someone laying on the damp cemented floor of the alleyway.

"You nosy little ... Sticking your nose where it shouldn't be..." Someone irately grumbled as he kicked that person on the ground.

The officers blew their whistles, alarming them. The group stopped and faced us.

Seeing them together, I froze on the spot. My heart started palpitating, beating in an almost erratic pace. I could feel my knees get weak again and my hands getting clammy from sweat. The nightmares came back to me in a flash, going from one place to another, taking me from the worst to the scariest memories I've tried to bury at the back of my head. I thought I could. But it didn't. All it took was just a look from them and they'd pull the trigger. They were...

Their faces flashed with recognition as they saw me standing with the police. They weren't wearing their shady get-up and I could see their faces clearly. Even though I didn't have the chance to see them well back then, I knew it was them. They were harboring an aura that felt like death and something vile among other things. If it would've been visible, it'd be dark, like the stares they were giving to me right now.

They backed away from the person laying on the ground with their hands raised, with untroubled sneers and vicious looks, making me believe something was just about to unfold.

I couldn't help but get horrified. All the blood on my face was drained at the sight. The fear that grew from the back of my head was true. It was Hanbin on the ground, badly beaten up and almost looking lifeless.

I attempted to run close to him, but an officer kept me at arm's length and prevented me from doing so.

One person from the group smirked and gripped Hanbin carelessly on the collar, raising him up from the ground. He brought out a knife from his pockets in a flash.

"Wrong move, little miss." He proceeded to point the tip of the pocketknife he was holding to Hanbin's neck, making my breath hitch. "You messed with the wrong guy."

The police raised their guns as one officer pulled me away behind him. "Drop your weapon!"

He just laughed like a crazed man. "You think you have the upper hand? Think again!" he bellowed as he dragged Hanbin closer to him, the tip of the knife dangerously touching his neck.

"Don't!" I instinctively screamed in terror.

Bobby barked beside me, startling the group. He lunged forward, biting one of the men's legs. He panicked and struggled to get away from Bobby. It was a bold move but an effective one as the attack disoriented the three.

The officers saw the chance and fired a warning shot, dangerously close to the shoulder of the man with the scar. I couldn't help but scream when I heard the gun go off. It also startled the man holding Hanbin and dropped the knife accidentally. He simultaneously let go of Hanbin, along with Bobby removing his jaw on the other man, and the three ran away. But the officers were quick on their feet, the two chasing after them while one stayed to check Hanbin's condition and called for backup.

I immediately ran towards Hanbin and knelt down, almost tearing up at his state. The white shirt he was wearing was now stained with blood. Suddenly, my chest reverberated with a bitter laugh. It seemed funny to me, the way I thought that it represented everything. Innocence being smeared with cruelty and viciousness, damaging the once peaceful piece.

"Hanbin..."

He was barely conscious but right as he saw me, he tried to get up. "Hayi..." he tried to speak.

My trembling hands caressed the side of his face. "Don't say anything. We're gonna make you feel better, alright?"

He looked like he tried smiling, but winced after. As he did this, I only noticed the big gash on the side of his lips.

Without saying anything, he reached for my hand. "Feel better now... Thanks..." he whispered coarsely. Alarm bells rang though my head as his eyes wavered, dangerously killing the light I loved seeing through his lids. I didn't know why, but I felt that if he continued doing that, I'd never be able to see him open them again.

I gripped his hand tightly, in a futile attempt to get through his unsteady consciousness. "Hanbin, don't close your eyes. Stay with me!"

He coughed, slightly coating his mouth with blood. I felt more urgency to keep him awake as I saw that.

"Tired..." This time, he muttered inaudibly, as if it hurt him to speak.

"Damn it, Hanbin. Stay with me!"

I only heard an incoherent grumble from him, a poor attempt to force out a chuckle even though we both knew he was having trouble breathing by now.

I faintly heard the officer call for an ambulance. While waiting, I kept Hanbin company. He became my comfort through my darkest times and I want to return the same. I tried to get his mind off from the pain he was feeling right now by talking about grandmama in Taiwan, how I manipulated my sister into buying me all sorts of things, and bringing up that one time where he stole the last cookie from the plate.

Time passed by and before I knew it, the ambulance already arrived. The alleyway was narrow so they didn't have a choice but to bring the stretcher over here. I let go of his hand as they put him on the makeshift bed and carried him all through the way outside.

I followed him. At his state, I do not intend to leave him right now. I sat at the bench beside his stroller after they wheeled him in. Bobby was barking by then, insisting that he come with us. I didn't want Hanbin to worry so I let Bobby sit on my lap.

The familiar sound of sirens faded as the ER personnel closed the van. After a few seconds, we took off. Hanbin was already hooked to an oxygen mask, fogging in intervals as he fought hard to breathe. It seemed like his condition was worsening at an alarming state.

He was looking at me, mirroring the pain he was going through right now. It looked like he was on the brink between keeping up with his consciousness and succumbing through sleep, making me instantly hold his hand. Bobby raised his head, whining as he did so. He reached out his arm to lean on Hanbin's chest and when he did that, I saw Hanbin's gaze falter.

"Hanbin, don't you dare close your eyes. If you die on me, I'll send Bobby to the nearest animal shelter. You can't trust me to take care of your dog."

He squinted, looking like he was attempting to shoot me a dirty look. I didn't care, I just want him awake.

"I want to say a lot of things, and if you leave me and Bobby, you might never get the chance to hear them. So for goodness' sake Hanbin, you better stay awake."

I felt his grip on me tightened. He looked like he wanted to say something but was badly struggling. It hurt me more as I watch him do that so I quickly shut him up.

"If you still want to speak, overcome everything. Just like how you did in the past. I know it's hard right now but please endure this. We'll get through this, okay?"

I aimed nonsensical threats to him through the ride. I did everything just so he could stay awake. The hospital wasn't far so we arrived there in a short time. The personnel were quick on their feet and carefully dragged Hanbin's stroller out of the van, leaving Bobby and me alone. I got out of the vehicle and proceeded to enter the emergency hall, almost following him through the emergency room if the nurses just didn't stop me.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I know I have to be calm at this point of time or else I'll go crazy. At the process of organizing my thoughts, I decided to call Soohyun to tell her what happened. She understood and told our parents about it.

As I talk with my sister on the phone, I eyed Bobby curiously who was standing on all fours facing the tightly shut emergency room door.

My attention to him faded as another man arrived at the emergency hall, panting. He looked around my age. He was tall with foxy-like eyes. One thing that stood out from him was the plaster on his right arm. He looked like he was hurt recently.

He was scanning for something throughout the hall, and at one point, our eyes met. His eyebrows were creased while his eyes were dark with trepidation. But I quickly turned my sight on something else, the white walls of the hospital in front of me apparently.

"Where is Hanbin?" Sitting pretty close to the nurses' desk, I heard him. I quickly whipped my head at his direction. Who is he?

"Are you a relative of Hanbin-sshi?" the nurse asked in a formal tone.

He caught his breath before answering. "Close. We're like brothers. How is he?"

Without even knowing, I stood up and approached him. As the nurse in front of him was fumbling something over her desk, he turned and glanced at me furtively, before creasing his brows in doubt.

"You know Hanbin?" I noticed how his expression tensed when I mentioned Hanbin's name. "He's right over there," I continued while pointing at the door of the emergency room where Bobby was still standing robustly.

He tilted his head as he noticed something. I didn't miss the surprised look on his face. "Bobby?"

As if to confirm his doubt, he almost dashed towards him. "Bobby!" he exclaimed as he leaned down and stretched out his arms. Bobby took the invitation and immediately jumped to his embrace.

The question forming inside my head was still not answered.

He stopped patting Bobby's head as he glanced up to me. When he realized I was staring at him for too long already, he stood up and bowed in front of me, making me bow too.

"I'm Jiwon; Hanbin's best friend. But you can call me Bobby."

If possible, I got more confused. "Bobby? Is that the name of his dog?"

He chuckled with a carefree smile on his lips. "That bastard... He wanted to name their dog after me. Hani also wanted to name the dog Bobby and I couldn't help but surrender."

At the mention of Hani, his eyes looked bleak. I'm guessing it was the name of Hanbin's sister.

He shook his head as if to dismiss some thoughts and finally let the dog down to the hospital floor. He returned to his original post in front of the emergency room after.

I saw him glance at my hands and I just realized that it was stained with blood, Hanbin's blood. His smile quickly faded and it turned grim. Without even asking for an explanation, he immediately understood what it was.

He didn't say anything about it and helped me get some alcohol from the nurses' desk. Flustered, I quickly excused myself and went to the nearest sink I could find to wash it away. I couldn't help wincing as the colorless water got mixed with the crimson color of blood. To say it was unsettling was an understatement at the least.

When I finished, he was already sitting at the chair infront of the emergency room. I sat opposite of him.

"I'm Lee Hayi by the way, a friend of Hanbin," I started to clear out the awkwardness after what happened earlier.

He nodded curtly. The cheerful expression I've seen on his face earlier was gone. He clasped his hands together in a praying motion, pursing his lips together in a grim line. It looked like the worry he was trying to hide increased tenfold.

"...What happened?" he started out after a brief moment of silence, his voice almost a whisper.

I looked at him momentarily before replying. I told him the story of how I luckily found Bobby asking for help at the convenience store, up to the point where Hanbin got wheeled away to the emergency room. He brought his head down after that, a gloomy expression mirroring his darkened orbs.

"Anyways, Hanbin talked a lot about you," Bobby, the original bearer of the name, started, to steer the distressing topic away.

I was startled at this revelation. Why would I be a topic of conversation between them?

"He did?"

He looked like reminiscing something from his memories and then broke out into a knowing smile, a 360-degree turn of emotion earlier. But I just brushed it off. I knew he was trying to cheer up. "Yeah. He did."

My fingers nervously fidgeted on my lap. I didn't know the extent of Hanbin's stories so I could only expect that it wasn't anything harmful.

"I do hope it's not the embarrassing ones," I commented, thinking about how much I cried in front of him.

"Were there any embarrassing scenes you had with my best friend he's not telling me about?"

I quickly picked up the teasing tone on his voice. "No. I don't think so."

His gaze at me then turned skeptical, raising a brow. "You're not dating him or anything, aren't you?"

I quickly waved my hands in front of him, dismissing the possible thoughts running through his mind. "No! We don't have that kind of relationship."

He laughed a little to lighten up the atmosphere, although it came out forced. "Just kidding."

After talking to him for a while, some police officers arrived. There were about four to five of them. They also came with people dressed like detectives, bearing strong auras as they strode through the hall.

One of the detectives approached me and showed his police badge. He had an intense but composed gaze in his eyes, making me immediately turn to him. "I'm Detective Song Minho. Mind if I ask you some questions?"

There was no room for objections so I agreed, not before sending Bobby a look. He just nodded reassuringly at me.

I answered a couple of questions after, mainly about what happened to Hanbin and about the event that took place by the seaside. I'm guessing they already dug up the police report grandmama and Hanbin reported there.

A fellow comrade of the detective also asked Bobby some questions, and I couldn't help but overhear their conversation.

"Hanbin's sister was a victim of the missing teenagers case. I was supposed to be with her that night but got knocked out cold. When I woke up, I was suffering from a fractured wrist and elbow. It explains why I had this," Bobby paused as he raised his plastered arm.

"—Nothing was the same after that. He'd go out every night wandering around the place where his sister died in hopes of those bastards coming back. And I guess they did. If you want full details, go ask him. He doesn't really tell me anything about his mysterious disappearance every night."

The detective nodded as he scrawled through his notebook, noting what Bobby said.

The tiring and relentless questions from the detectives were over after what felt like an hour. Before we knew it, the doctor from the ER finally went out, startling the dog Bobby and running back to the real Bobby's arms. The doctor removed his surgical mask and looked around. "Where's the family of the patient?"

There were only Jiwon and I, so we stood up to represent as his family.

"How's Hanbin? Is he fine?"

"Thankfully, he was saved before he went into a very critical condition. We stitched a lot of his wounds, but he'll be fine after a lot of rest. Don't be alarmed as it'll probably take him days before he could wake up again. He took the most hit on his right arm but if he recovers smoothly, he could use it after a few weeks." I instantly looked at Jiwon. He couldn't use his right arm too.

The news brought instant relief in me. I was glad that he could recover from it and didn't involve some life or death situation. I didn't know what I'd do if the news turned otherwise. He was becoming too much of a part of my own world and for him to disappear just like that would be unbearable.

We simultaneously bowed in front of the doctor. "Thank you very much, doctor."

We saw Hanbin get wheeled out of the ER after. Although he was now dressed in a hospital gown, we could see a lot of bandages wrapped around his body. He seemed better now compared to what he looked like when I found him at that alleyway. But it still hurt my heart seeing him like that.

After a few moments, we were now permitted to enter Hanbin's room. Seeing his weak state closer, it couldn't be any more heart wrenching than it was before.

There was total silence from the both of us. Jiwon put Hanbin's dog on the floor and immediately seated himself to his side.

I took a seat on the sofa across Jiwon and didn't speak for a while. The acquaintance I only knew now had his eyebrows creased and a frown marring his face. He looked like he was on the verge of crying as he stared at Hanbin. Shaking his head, he quickly dismissed the thought of crying in front of his best friend.

"Yah Hanbin, you prick. Told you many times not to do something dangerous..."

He went silent all of a sudden. He was looking at Hanbin's sleeping state, his eyes clouded with turmoil. Then unexpectedly, he snapped.

"Do you want me to lose you too? Are you ing kidding me, Hanbin? A year hasn't passed since Hani left us and you want to leave too? How am I going to deal with that Hanbin, huh?"

Hearing no response, his eyes glistened, now b with tears. Sniffling, he wiped the tears away angrily. "If you leave me, I'll leave you too. I'll find another best friend who's a lot better, do you understand?"

But it seemed that what he said made it harder for him not to shed his tears. He went silent and bowed his head down, concealing his sentiment in front of me.

Seeing Jiwon like this made my heart break too. Hanbin was a big piece in Jiwon's life and I could see that. Somehow, I understood his agony. I may not meet Hanbin for a lot of times but it aches me seeing him like this.

I badly wanted him to be awake, despite knowing the fact that he needed the rest he could take right now. Even if the doctor said that he was fine already, I'll only believe his words until Hanbin opens his eyes. I wanted to talk to him about a lot of things, things left unsaid before. And I craved to hear his answers right now. But I know I shouldn't be greedy.

The sun has fallen behind an abyss of clouds, succumbing to the darkness and slowly disappearing as hours passed by. The night-lights coming into view as the rays of the sun died away. If my mom wasn't frantic on the other line as I answered her call, I wouldn't get out of the hospital doors to come home. I wanted to stay, but I couldn't.

-☠🕳☠-

Twenty-four hours a day passed by in a flash. And another... And another. I couldn't remember anything besides looking at Hanbin's calm state. I conversed with Jiwon a lot of times, telling me stories about the both of them to keep our mind off of Hanbin still not waking up.

Bobby was not in the room with us. I volunteered temporarily to let him stay to our house. My parents were more than happy to take care of him. I faintly remember them talking about their pets when they were younger. Button, Choco and Charlie were the names of their dogs if I recall correctly.

As we converse about Hanbin trapped in a room with a bug, the topic of conversation suddenly stirred in his sleep. Jiwon and I both went silent and watched him slowly open his eyes. It made Jiwon bolt up from the sofa and press the nurse call button.

"Hanbin..." I blurted out, still in shock. He looked disoriented, but his eyes felt alive.

I saw how he squinted for a while and looked around. "I'm not dead, am I?"

Hearing this, Jiwon quickly whipped his head around from talking to the speaker to send a glare at Hanbin's direction. "Yah, you rascal!"

At Jiwon's response, he let out a low chuckle. "Stupid... I'm too young to die."

His doctor, along with some nurses, rushed in a moment and checked his condition. They asked him numerous things, also briefing him about his condition. After a while, the doctor nodded.

"Everything is stable, resulting in a fast recovery. He could get discharged after a few days if his body keeps going like this," the doctor informed us as he write something from the chart.

We thanked the doctor as they leave the room. The heavy feeling I had every single day Hanbin wouldn't wake up was lifted off my chest.

He asked for some water and I scurried off to fetch him some. After he gulped down the last drop, he looked at us seriously.

"What happened to those bastards?"

Jiwon and I exchanged glances before I answered his question. "The police are just waiting for your statement. Their court hearing is scheduled next week. Because of you, they got the break they needed after a few years since the first case started."

Jiwon sent him a meaningful look. "Do you see the enormous flowers around you? They're all from the families of the victims, sending their thanks. You're pretty famous now."

Hanbin went silent for a while after we answered him. There was some kind of tranquility mirrored in his eyes then slowly, his lips curved into a bitter smile.

"I feel relieved, but I also feel empty. I know it will not bring back Hani, but at least I did something to avenge her death."

Something about his statement made my chest fill up with delight. He said it as if he was finally relieved of some of the pain he was feeling after the death of his sister.

Hanbin's food was wheeled in after. He cheered up when he saw the food getting pushed on the side of his bed. Those few days resting must be catching up on him.

"Jiwon, feed me," he casually said and pointed a finger to his opened mouth.

Jiwon shifted his gaze at him and gave me an apologetic look instead. "Uh... Hayi? Can you do me a favor?" He raised his plastered arm at me. "As you can see, Hanbin and I can't use our arm right now..."

I immediately understood what he was trying to say. I nodded in return. Anything for Hanbin.

I sat myself on the space beside Hanbin's bed and pulled the table near to me. As I tear away the transparent film covering his food, I observed the faint tint of rogue creeping on his cheeks in contrast to the stoic look he was displaying.

I was also quite shy about it too but I just waved it off. Imagine the hunger he must've felt after resting for a few days.

"Don't think much about it," I replied to make him comfortable.

He just nodded as a reply. I didn't miss Jiwon's teasing look as his eyes shift from his best friend to me.

I picked up the spoon and scooped up some food on his plate. Raising it in front of him, he awkwardly opened his mouth and took a mouthful.

Jiwon cleared his throat, his lips itching to grin from the situation at hand. "Which uh reminds me, I also need to get our lunch so I'll leave for a bit." He quickly picked up his wallet resting on the bedside table and sent us a toothy smile. "Be good while I'm away, okay?"

Without even hearing our reply, the room echoed with the soft thud of the door.

That Jiwon... Which goes to show how much of a mischievous kid he is. I knew it was one of his distinguished traits after talking to him for three straight days. It would always be fun to him whenever he teased me about Hanbin, sending me to blush blatantly in front of him. Yeah, he was no fun really.

Hastily dismissing the uncomfortable air between us, I returned to my job and fed Hanbin.

I was really close in front of him, making my heart pace irregularly than the usual. He was making me relive the moments when we were close to each other. It didn't help that he chose to look at me while I was feeding him. I know I wouldn't control the butterflies flying around my stomach if I returned it.

"Hayi."

"...Yeah?"

I was still averting my eyes, pretending to act normal in front of him.

He was in the process of chewing his food and I couldn't help but think that he looked adorable doing that. No matter how charismatic he acted in front of me, there were really rare times when he would look cute in my eyes, like exactly this moment. It was enough to make my heart race.

He caught my hand holding the spoon and gulped down the food he was chewing earlier. Clearing his throat, he continued. "I missed you."

"H-Huh?" My hand softly trembled under his hold. Hearing those words roll from his lips excited me all of a sudden. It made me think if it was possible that he was experiencing the same thoughts running on my mind the days I felt empty without seeing him.

Seeing the look on my face was enough for him to send me a grin. "I said I missed you."

I put down the spoon I was holding on the plate, making him remove his grasp on me. "Oh..." I just slurred dumbly.

"You know," he started. "I remember everything you said that day I thought I felt like dying."

His words made me go back to that day he was sent to the ambulance. Reminiscing that particular memory made me fidget awkwardly beside him.

"That..."

His gaze at me didn't falter and if anything, his eyes were mirroring some kind of mischief. "You said you have a lot to say to me." He brazenly made his face closer as he whispered, his breath tickling my ear. "What is it, Hayi?"

"You need to eat first, Hanbin. Store some energy..." I countered instead, choosing to steer the topic away.

I could feel his eyes search for something on my face before going to lean back on the bed and sigh. "Fine."

Delighted that he didn't push the topic further, I continued feeding him until there was nothing on the plate. After giving him a glass to drink, I pushed the table away and stood up to go back to the couch in front of his bed. I didn't miss the frown on his face as I did that.

"Where are you going?"

"Do you need something else?"

"I feel cold."

I immediately rose up and fixed the temperature of the heater. Afterwards, I turned to him. "Better?"

He just shook his head and hugged himself. He went back from laying down and putting the blanket up to his nose.

Worried, I stood beside him. "What's wrong?"

"I feel cold all of a sudden, Hayi. Can you help me?"

I just nodded. "What do you want me to do?"

His eyes flickered at me for a moment before looking at something else. "Can you stay beside me?"

The sudden request startled me but I quickly composed myself. "...Like lying beside you?"

He nodded without saying anything and sent me an apologetic look.

"Do you want me to call a nurse?"

"No. I feel like it'd be gone after I feel warm."

Well, I did say I'd do anything for him so...

"Okay."

He scooted over and gave me some space to lie down. I raised the blanket and slid down beside him, careful not to touch the IV drip connected to the only useable hand he has right now.

"T-there? Happy?"

I mentally cursed myself for stuttering. The feelings I tried hard to hide from him would be too obvious if I keep doing it like this.

He turned from his position and faced me, paralyzing me as he did so. The butterflies were back again, crazily running around on my stomach. The affectionate look on his eyes wasn't doing me any better.

"No," he simply answered. He casually pulled me towards him and made my arm envelop him to an embrace. The way how he responded to my hug was too natural when he skidded closer to me.

"Can you please tuck the blanket over us? I still feel a little bit cold," he requested with an innocent spark in his eyes and the way how childish he said it made me want to squish his cheeks. He didn't know he was acting adorable in front of me.

I followed his order and as I did that, I felt him get comfortable.

"Thank you," he mumbled out while sending me a smile, making me melt all over again. I didn't know I buried my face on his chest when he did that. I just did what I had to do to hide my blushing cheeks and when I realized my mistake, I attempted to go back to my original position.

"Don't," he warmly whispered and felt his hand crept behind my head and prevented me from doing so. He settled his chin on the top of my head and without noticing, he started caressing my hair with his thumb. He was really sending me on cloud nine.

Weirdly, I didn't feel awkward about it. If ever, my heart was beating faster... like his. Because I was this close to him, I could feel our hearts in sync. It made me think: Does he feel the same way I feel about him?

The bliss I felt under his embrace was making me close my eyes and feel this moment longer. I wanted to preserve this on my memory forever.

I heard him mumbling something to me but I didn't get to hear any of it as I felt his warmth lulling me to sleep.

-☠🕳☠-

A field of tulips was in the horizon, varying from yellow to lavender to scarlet gradients. The rays of the sun didn't feel too hot against my skin as the cool breeze made my skirt sway in its direction. From afar, I could see a bungalow in the middle of the field, with the distinct red brick roof sticking out. I couldn't make out the rest of the bungalow because of the field laid in front of me.

"Hayi," I heard someone call my name. The familiarity in his voice was enough to make me smile. I'd recognize that voice from anywhere.

I turned around and saw him standing there, holding some roses without thorns with a tender smile shown on his lips.

"Hanbin!" I animatedly responded and ran towards him. When I went closer, he handed me the roses he was holding. Afterwards, he cupped both of my cheeks before softly landing his lips on my forehead. The gesture made me blush.

He grinned in return as he saw the pinkish tint on my cheeks and slid his hand towards mine. He urged me to go to the field of the beautiful flowers but I stopped on my tracks. It made him look back at me with worry etched on his face. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want the flowers to get damaged."

Hearing my silly answer, he chuckled and ruffled my hair with his other hand. "Don't worry."

Those comforting words were enough for me to follow him. We arrived in front of the bungalow in no time. Seeing it close made me gape in wonder. There was a wonderful patio in the front, with a wooden garden table laid on the side. The front of the house was also decorated with colorful patches of flowerboxes, ranging from tulips to roses to dandelions.

He stopped in front of the door and turned to me. His eyes were emulating some affection as he looked at me like that. "Are you happy?"

I nodded enthusiastically. "Of course I am."

I saw the satisfied look on his face and in turn, pulled me closer to him. "I'm happy too..."

I'm happy with you.

My eyes fluttered open as I woke up with someone's warmth engulfing me. It was Hanbin. I was now back to the white walls of the hospital. But the dream...

I smiled as I realized it was the first time in weeks I didn't get nightmares. He was really the cure.

I couldn't help but sweep the bangs off his face to see him clearly. Looking at him this close, I saw how his long eyelashes would flicker in his sleep, how his lips would move from time to time and his relaxed facial expression, as if he was having a nice dream. It made my heart flutter again.

Someone coughed loudly, startling me. My eyes widened when I recognized that voice. I knew very well who it was.

Seeing me at this situation wasn't helping so I removed Hanbin's hold on me, carefully so that I wouldn't wake him up.

When I successfully got out of the bed, I narrowed my eyes harder to adjust to the light coming outside of the window. I didn't remember it being this light here...

"Seriously, you should keep the blinds on. It's irritating to the eyes..." I began.

The person in front of me just tapped her foot and crossed her arms before sending me an annoyed look. "Really unnie? That's what you say after getting caught in the arms of a man?"

"Soohyun," my voice became dangerously low as I welcome her hostility. Beside her was a smirking Jiwon, obviously teasing me.

"What time is it? Does mom want me to go home already? But it's still too early," I started instead, to beckon away the rude tone I sensed in Soohyun.

"Exactly," she replied, her gaze at me still steady. "It's nine in the morning."

It made me confused. How did that happen if Hanbin woke up around in the afternoon?

Then my eyes widened in realization. I picked up my bag on the couch and held on Soohyun's arm to drag her away. "Yah, let's go home already. Mom and dad will kill me!" I yelped as quietly as possible. I was afraid I'd wake up Hanbin with my voice.

She just sighed in return and removed my grip on her. "It's okay. Jiwon oppa here answered one of mom's calls and told us what happened. But when I visited today, I didn't know that what he meant sleeping on the hospital meant sleeping on Hanbin-sshi's bed..."

I lowered my head in embarrassment. This brat... Am I really her older sister?

"Hey, there's no shame in there. Maybe Hanbin is not feeling well, I suppose?" Jiwon began to lighten up the atmosphere.

"He said he's cold but didn't want to call the nurse so he asked if I want to stay beside him." I paused as I notice Jiwon's smirk growing bigger and Soohyun's expression slowly relaxing. She bit her lip to keep herself from smiling and just nodded, gesturing me to continue. I groaned in exasperation. Are they really going to do this to me?

"Don't put naughty thoughts in your head! What are you two even thinking? Aish..." I faced Soohyun who couldn't help but grin right now, looking awfully similar to the man beside her. "Soohyun, let's go home first. I need to wash up." Afterward, I gestured towards Jiwon. "I'll come back later."

Seeing that she wasn't intent on leaving yet, I dragged her away from the room. "Hey, unnie!"

We were already outside of the room so I sent her a glare. "Stop it. You will not hear anything from me."

"You didn't tell me he's your boyfriend."

I couldn't stop the blush spreading on my cheeks at her comment. I stopped in my tracks and immediately hit her arm. "Yah! That's not it! He's cold... Cold!"

She rolled her eyes in return. "Yeah, right," she sarcastically remarked and continued walking along the hallway.

"Don't you dare tell this to mom and dad!"

All I received was just a mischievous laugh from her.

This brat...

-☠🕳☠-

I couldn't sleep that day. And all for the good reasons. Even if I told myself to sleep, the memory of Hanbin beside me would enter my mind and send my heart to race faster than ever before. I feel giddy just by thinking about it.

I kept on tossing and turning on the bed, my mind replaying those moments with him over and over again. I wouldn't even notice it, but I keep on grinning widely while I do that.

With him the last thought on my mind, I slowly succumbed to sleep. I dreamt another good dream with him again.

Hanbin was discharged out of the hospital after a week. The case we were involved with had a nationwide coverage, but our real identities were protected, as we were only minors.

The last few days were eventful for all of us. With the court hearing decided, I was called to stand as the only living victim the suspects had. Facing them again was hard, but I got the full support of my family alongside Jiwon and Hanbin. They were sentenced to life in prison. Everyone rejoiced, glad that the ten-year case was finally closed.

After everything had died down, Hanbin asked me to come with him to visit his sister. I agreed wholeheartedly. Hearing stories about her made me think how great of a person she was. As I saw her pictures, I couldn't help but say that she was really beautiful. She looked around the age of Soohyun.

After our midterm break, Hanbin decided to transfer to our school. The girls, much to my chagrin, welcomed him fervently. But he held my hand after that, publicly telling them off. I felt like I was on top of the world when I saw the look on their faces. Take that. He's mine.

"Hayi."

Hanbin's voice beside me broke me out of my reverie. I opened my eyes and turned to look at him. "Hmm?"

The breeze was softly brushing away the bangs on his face. Seeing him wearing our school uniform was still making my heart race to this day. He really looked more handsome than ever.

We were at the garden area of the school where just a few students hang out, mainly because it was pretty far away from the school grounds. But I didn't mind; it was an escape from the commotion around the school.

He went silent for a while, his eyes flooded with warmth as he look at me. It seemed that a lot of thoughts were running through his head.

As if something clicked inside of him, he leaned over and tucked my hair behind my ear. As he went closer, the distinct musk of cinnamon and vanilla he always wore conquered my consciousness. I always thought he smelled heavenly, but with him close to me like this heightened all of my senses.

His gaze travelled to meet mine, reflecting some kind of unexplainable emotion. It made my heart pound faster against my chest; the flutter around my stomach getting back again.

He sat on top of the wooden garden table under the shade of the biggest tree in the garden, crossing his legs casually as he did so. He had his manly charm on for me to see. As I sat beside him, he automatically wrapped his arm around my shoulder, making me lean my head against his. After everything that happened between us, the skinship was pretty normal.

"I'm sorry I almost kissed you," he started after a few moments of comfortable silence.

My mind got confused at his statement. I moved from leaning against his shoulder to glance up at him, frowning as I did so. "When?"

When he saw he expression on my face, his chest reverberated with a low chuckle. "Just now."

"You didn't."

He just shrugged and pulled me close to him. "Yeah. I just settled to fix your hair."

"What's the point of admitting it if you will not do it in the first place?" I retorted. We were seriously doing this push and pull thing to each other the past few days to the point that it wasn't even funny.

I felt him stiffen beside me and I didn't miss the heavy sigh he let out after.

"What do you want me to do, Hayi?" he gently whispered as he brushed my bangs away.

It was my turn to stiffen. His eyes were hypnotizing me, disabling me to speak. I could only hear the beating of my heart ringing in my ears.

"W-What do you mean?" I managed to say.

"You're really making it hard for me to resist you, you know that?"

The ability to speak got caught in my throat. I understood what he meant, and I knew we were both craving for it. He heaved a sigh and removed his embrace on me, choosing to put his hand on his pockets. It seemed that he was more troubled now than earlier. I didn't miss how he bit his lips and just looked at the ground, making it harder for me not to surrender to his charms.

There was no confirmation between the two of us, but we knew what type of relationship we belonged. It's just that we didn't have the chance to talk about it because of everything that we've been involved lately.

"Well... We both know what we want," I mumbled as I playfully twirl his necktie between my fingers, not missing how his breath hitched as I did that. So I have this kind of effect on him, huh?

I watched him struggle to keep his composure intact. Afterwards, he closed his eyes to calm himself. When he opened them, his face displayed a cool expression, staring at me intently.

He caught my hand playing with his tie and turned the tables once again. "Stop," he commanded with conviction in his tone.

I didn't reply but just glanced at him instead, prodding him to reveal his thoughts.

"I might lose control," he replied huskily with an expressive look displayed on his eyes. It only made my blush deeper, if possible.

"Sorry." I removed his grip on my hand and averted my eyes. I honestly didn't know I could make him feel like that.

"Seriously, Hayi. Don't play with me," he continued as he frustratingly ran his fingers through his hair, flickering his gaze over me once. "I was just asking to make it official."

I gave him a enticing smile and did the first move by wrapping my arms around his neck. "I already told you. We both know what we want."

Understanding my reply, his lips curved into a grin and leaned closer to seal it with a kiss.

THE END.

Author's Note: You, yes you! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STICKING THROUGH THE END! Haha, I'm really sorry for the cringe-worthy ending XD I read it again and again to the point of doubting if it's really good for you. But I can't really rack my brain to make it better. Plus, the last scene was inspired heavily by listening to princess Hayi's FXXK WITH US & OFFICIAL, explains why she's being a tiger XD

Anyways, thank you so much for the support! Expect more HanHi stories from me to come!