“H-hey don’t cry,” he attempted to soothe me, moving closer, enveloping in his warm embrace. “We’ll be fine. We’ll be ok.”

Just a few minutes more, while my panic attack has now dwindled down to sobbing with bouts of hiccups, the elevator doors above us slowly being opened, finally shedding us some semblance of light. Johnny peered down at me, wiping a few more traces of tears from my eyes, smiling as he mouthed ‘we’re saved’.

We could hear the firemen as they struggle to open the heavy doors, shouting to stay put. As if we had anywhere else to go!

I turned towards my companion as he attempted to mask his chuckles, apparently I have not been cured of my foot in mouth disease and I said out loud again. I just ‘hit’ him on his arm hoping to make him stop but it just made him laugh more at my feeble attempt. And it also backfired because all I got was a sample of how muscle-y his bicep was. Damnit! I need to stay focused. I can’t let our rescuers see me making googly eyes.

They finally were able to open the doors, not fully, but enough space to let Johnny and me thru it. Johnny hoisted me up to the waiting arms of the rescuer, I am praying very hard that the movement does not cause any more stress on the elevator lest I end up dying with sliced arms.

The rescuers rushed to assist me out and I was free. They had medics with them as well, now checking for any bruises or trauma. I could hear them pulling Johnny out, though I assume they didn’t have any issues grabbing on to him, him being a giant and all.

After the medic deemed that I was clear, he asked me if I would like to his jacket. I had to wonder why when he turned his face away from me and murmured that my skirt was too high up so he was wondering if I wanted to cover up.

I checked myself and found that my skirt was indeed high up my leg, higher up that what it was supposed to be. I immediately stood and pulled down the hem of my dress to cover myself up. The medic release a sigh of relief that he can finally look at me again without the need to blush or whatever. , this guy shouldn’t be thinking dirty thoughts!

I bowed down and thanked him and rushed to where my friends were. They immediately enveloped me in a group hug, telling me how glad that I was ok and that they were so worried about me. Yoo Jin asked how I was feeling. “Just a tad bit tired and really hungry.”

We heard a ruckus of loud laughter and I found Johnny giving manly hugs and fist bumps to two other men who, I assume, were his friends.

Hyeri and Yoo Jin immediately went to them, their eyes lighting up and their face plastered with silly looking grins. One guy, with his side hair shaved, gave Hyeri a hug, while the other guy whose complexion reminded me of Casper took hold off one of Yoo Jin’s hands. I could only raise an eyebrow at the scene before me. I don’t think I’ve been stuck in the elevator for that long for them to instantly have boyfriends.

My friends turned to face me again and introduced the men they were with. Hyeri was with someone named Ten (ooh, so this is Ten!) and Yoo Jin was with Jaehyun. Both friends of Johnny.

Since Johnny and I have escaped without a scratch or scrape, they all decided to go home themselves and continue the sleep that we interrupted. I could hear both men asking to accompany the girls down to their cars, es of course said yes. Now I’m stuck here with Johhny, and I felt his own arm wrapping around my torso, leading my body to freeze up on contact.

“Why the sudden cold shoulder?” he whispered to my ear, our cheeks just a hairline away from pressing together.

“N-n-nothing,” I stammered as I tried to wriggle my way out of his grasp. “Just tired, I guess?”

“Tired? Really? Seriously Seon Ah, what changed?”

“You ask what changed as if we’ve been in a relationship and now on the verge of falling out.”

“Not in a relationship, yet,” he quipped. “Fine, then what’s wrong?”

“There’s nothing wrong, I swear. We’re good.”

I felt his arm around me again, both of them this time. He moved my hair to the side and pressed his lips on the side of my neck, just below my earlobe. “If we’re good then can you answer my question now?” he asked. I could feel the vibration of his words on my skin and it made me shiver.

“What question?” I asked, making it seem like I don’t know what he was talking about.

“Will you go out with me Chang Seon Ah?”