Jessica gave a small stretch on the bed, scratching her head sleepily as her brain booted up. Slowly, she trudged to the living room after washing up, still clad in her pink polka dot pyjamas after her brain had registered that Yuri was not beside her. “Yu~ Ri~” she mused, waltzing into the kitchen as she followed the aroma of freshly toasted bread.

“Morning,” Yuri answered nonchanantly, looking up from her newspaper at Jessica who sat down beside her.

“What’s for breakfast?” Jessica asked, grinning widely as she examined the table, “So, today is toast day?”

Yuri answered with a nod of her head. “Want anything to drink?” she asked.

“I’ll have coffee.”

Yuri gave another nod of her head as she poured some coffee for Jessica. “You like it sweet right?”she smiled, adding in more sugar and milk before passing the hot beverage to Jessica, who was already enjoying her breakfast. “You’re in a good mood today.” Yuri stated, setting Jessica’s cup down on the table.

“Well, we did get some free ice cream yesterday night and you did lose seven hands in a row to me in poker,”Jessica giggled sticking her tongue out playfully at Yuri, “On the contrary, I can understand if you happen to be in a bad mood since you have to grant me one wish after losing so many hands in poker last night.”

“Yeah, you just keep gloating, alright?” Yuri replied sarcastically, finishing her coffee before she strided back to her room to get ready for work.

“You owe me one wish, Kwon Yuri! One wish!” Yuri heard Jessica remind her just before she closed the door behind her.

A flick of her finger was all that Yuri needed to lock the door. “Jessica,” Yuri said to herself, trudging herself to the bed and reaching under it to pick up an opened envelope.

The brown envelope contained a picture; a picture of something that was priceless in Yuri’s eyes. A deep, long sigh escaped Yuri’s lips as she read the letter that came with the envelope for the second time.

“Shh.” Yuri hushed her pet back to sleep when she saw it twitch when she shifted herself out of bed. After she was sure Yurin was sound asleep, she tiptoed into the living room, closing the door almost silently behind her.

It was 5 in the morning, the air was fresh but cold and Yuri’s thin cardigan offered her little protection against the cold morning wind that blew in her face as she stood at the corridor outside her apartment, enjoying the fresh air. “Maybe he’s really gone for good.” Yuri said to herself, relieved, though there was a voice in her head that said otherwise.

“I guess I’m going to have to buy some new rings.” She chuckled to herself, touching her collarbone casually to remind herself that the rings that she had kept for three long years had been stolen from her. “Or maybe I won’t,” she smiled grimly, knowing that those very rings symbolised a relationship that she had treasured for years and they were not something that could be replaced.

“Even if I bought the exact same rings and had them carved with the exact same words…” she paused, taking a long sigh.

However, before she could finish her sentence, someone else finished it for her.

“It wouldn’t be the same now, would it?” a cold, taunting voice snickered.

Yuri spun to her left, only to hear light, quick footsteps travel down the steps. “Hey!”she yelled, sprinting towards the stairwell but whoever was running down the steps had disappeared.

She knew who it was.

“Eunhyuk.” She said bitterly as she picked up an envelope that had been left on the floor by Eunhyuk.

“If you want these back, then meet me at 8p.m tonight at the place where you abandoned me.” Yuri read the message out to herself, her heart feeling as though it had been pierced with an acid-tipped arrow at the last three words.

“Yuri?” Jessica’s honey-like voice seeped through the door, “Yuri open the door.”

“I’m fine, sica,” Yuri replied, rushing to the bathroom to have a quick change of clothes before she opened the door for Jessica.

“Just having a little trouble with the jeans,” she lied, “My tummy was protruding because of the heavy breakfast.”

“Need a diet buddy?” Jessica joked, sending electric shocks up Yuri’s back when she tickled her.

“No need,” Yuri replied with a forced smile, “I’m going out tonight, I’ll ask Taeyeon to drop you off after work.”

“Why? Did Leeteuk throw you something to do at the last minute again? Because if he did, you can tell him to go himself.”

“No, I’m just meeting a friend for dinner. I’ll be waiting in the car downstairs, be quick alright?”

As the door closed with a small click, Jessica turned, looking back at the door while she changed out of her pyjamas. “You’re a bad liar, you know that?” she mumbled to herself, throwing on a fresh set of clothes before pouring some cat food into Yurin’s saucer.

The first rays of light that peeked over the buildings shot directly into her eye, eliciting a groan from the girl who had been rudely awoken. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the warm, early morning sunlight that was now hitting her face and in minutes, she was half awake.

“Piss off, Sun. I’m not done with yesterday yet.” She mumbled, flipping herself onto her stomach to avoid the unwelcome sunlight.

“Yoona ah? Wake up! Time for breakfast!” Another girl called out, knocking on her roommate’s door like a woodpecker.

“Shut up, Jiyeon ah.”  Yoona groaned, putting up a small fight when her roommate when her blanket got snatched away.

“You told me to remind you that you had something important to hand in today, remember?” Jiyeon sassed, smirking when Yoona jolted upright as though she had received an electric shock.

“Good morning.” Jiyeon greeted, “Breakfast is on the table.”

“Morning,” Yoona responded, “Today is french toast day right?

“Correct,” Jiyeon nodded, dragging Yoona into the kitchen before she headed for work.

“Go get ‘em girl!” Jiyeon yelled out just before she closed the main door.

“Get what?” Yoona asked, “The files I have to deliver, or the french toast?” However, her roommate had already left.

An hour later, Yoona squeezed herself onto the already packed bus, weaving her way through the crowd so that she could grab onto a pole to balance herself. “Sorry, sorry,”  she bowed, apologizing to everyone whom she knocked onto on the bus.

“Sorry!” she apologized when the bus made a sharp right turn, sending her into a middle aged man standing beside her.

“It’s okay,” the man replied.

Yoona noticed a sparkle in his eyes just before she turned his back on him. “What was that all about? He looks like som - What?”

Something, or rather someone was applying pressure on her rear. Yoona started to panick; the bus was too packed for her to move elsewhere and the files in her hand were too valuable for her to accidentally crumple them if she decided to hit the molester with them. “ !”  she thought to herself, desperately trying to shake the man off.

As she peered over her shoulder to see who it was, she realized that it was the same man whom she had bumped into earlier. She gave an intense glare at him over her shoulder, but the man simply gave a snicker and continued touching her. His hands were now slowly pulling her skirt up. “Just two more stops.” Yoona told herself but at that moment, she felt her skirt fall back into place.

“Yah!”

People around Yoona turned back. Relieved but curious as to what happened, Yoona also turned and she saw a man grabbing tightly onto the ert’s hand. “Yah! Let go!” the man yelled.

“Scum.” The other replied, turning back to glance at Yoona, “You alright?”

“Yeah I’m fine.” Yoona replied timidly, taking a step back in shock when her saviour kicked the man out of the bus the moment the doors opened.

“T-thank you.” She said in a volume barely audible over the sound of the roaring engine of the bus.

When Yoona got off the bus, she noticed that the strange man who had saved her also got off. “Thank you.” She said again, bowing her head towards the man, who returned the courtesy.

“You work here?” he asked, looking up at the impressive building of Seoul’s police department headquarters, “And yet you couldn’t defend yourself?”

“I’m in the research department.” Yoona answered, “I’m sorry but I have to go, my boss is expecting me.”

“I’ll be down by the café just across the road. Let’s go grab a bite together once you’re done.” He replied, smiling as he limped across the road.

“I never said I wanted to have lunch w—“

The man simply gave a disapproving wave of his finger without turning back.

A while later…

“Annyong hasaeyo.” Yoona smiled politely, standing demurely in front of the man with her chin tucked in.

“Have a seat,” the man smiled, “Waiter!”

“Excuse me. But could we have our lunch elsewhere? I don’t have much money with me.” Yoona said, smiling apologetically to the waiter.

“It’s on me.”

“What?”

“I said, it’s on me.”

Yoona’s eyes widened in shock at the man’s words. “But you saved me, I should be the one treating you to lunch.”

“Look at it another way,” the man said, gesturing for the waiter to come forward once more, “I’m in a good mood because I just cashed in my pay cheque so just sit down and take it as though you’ve earned yourself a free lunch.”

“Okay, I guess.” Yoona said as she sat down reluctantly, ordering the cheapest set meal in the menu and asking for plain water while her benefactor ordered a 3-course lobster deluxe meal.

“What’s your name?” Yoona asked out of the blue while they were halfway through their meal, after having stayed in complete silence for nearly half an hour.

“Eunhyuk.”

“Eunhyuk-ssi, why do you keep staring at me? Is there something in my hair?” Yoona asked, grabbing her phone from the table to use the front camera as a mirror.

Eunhyuk simply pushed her phone away. “It’s not that.” He smiled, pushing his chair closer as he leaned forward, moving uncomfortably close to Yoona’s face.

“Are you afraid of me?” he asked, observing that Yoona was pushing herself away from him and trying to avoid as much eye contact as possible.

Yoona’s silence fuelled Eunhyuk’s short fuse and he flew into a rage on the spot. “What the ?! Why do all of you fear me?! Is it because of my face? Is it because I look like a punk?!” he yelled, pushing the table aside before pinning Yoona’s shoulders to the chair.

“Look at me!” he commanded, his face contorted into something that looked almost less than human.

Yoona, who was shaking violently in fear in her chair was helpless as the waiters and café staff were easily kicked away by Eunhyuk. “Could you please… Let me go?” she asked, tears of fear running down her cheeks while she sobbed uncontrollably.

“It hurts.” She added.

“You look just like my older sister.” Eunhyuk whispered to Yoona, his voice cracking when he mentioned the word ‘sister’.

“Please. Eunhyuk-ssi,” Yoona whimpered, her shoulders feeling as though they were about to crack from the sheer force that Eunhyuk was applying.

“It hurts. Please, I wanna go home.” She sobbed, crying even harder when he exerted even more strength after the staff all lunged at him in a last attempt to pull him away from Yoona.

But as soon as he was torn away from Yoona, Eunhyuk suddenly turned violent once again, yelling and screaming for him to be released as he squirmed under the weight of six men. Yoona stared at him blankly, not knowing whether she should show pity or run away in fear; she could see a hint of sadness even though he was glaring intently at her. Something was telling her to reach out for him, but another beast-like howl was all the confirmation Yoona needed to take off onto the street

Eunhyuk, on the other hand was thrown out of the café by the service crew after having been weighed down for over ten minutes. Alone once again, he wandered into a deserted park, an old park hidden amongst bushes that were unusually thick.

“Noona.” He said, over and over again as he held his head in his hands, sobbing uncontrollably, letting himself immerse in his own past.

“The place where you abandoned me…”

I didn’t abandon you, don’t accuse me.

“Lies. All lies.”

I grabbed your hand remember? I tried to hold on I really did.

“Well, maybe you should’ve held on tighter. My leg, it’s ruined. My dreams are ruined because of you.”

Look, you can still be a police officer, you can walk, right? You could still be an officer.

“I wanted to be spec ops. You destroyed my dreams. You wrecked my life.”

I tried my best. Even after you fell, I went down to look for you but you were gone.

“I was never gone, you just didn’t look hard enough.”

I tried!

“Lies. I will make you pay.”

Don’t do this… Please…

“If you want these back, then meet me at 8p.m tonight at the place where you abandoned me.”

“Yuri. Yuri.”

Yuri gave a small grunt as she pushed herself upright, blinking a few times before looking at Jessica. “You were mumbling in your sleep,” Jessica giggled, “You haven’t changed at all.”

Yuri scratched her head, still feeling rather worn out since the nightmare didn’t help rest her mind much. “I guess I haven’t.” she replied in response to Jessica’s statement.

“Didn’t you say you needed to meet someone? It’s already 7, you should get going or you’ll be late.” Jessica smiled, passing Yuri her jacket before skipping into the bathroom to put some make-up on.

“You’re going out?” Yuri asked.

Jessica turned and looked questionably at her. “Well, my stomach isn’t going to fill itself, now is it?” she smiled before pushing Yuri out of the bathroom

Yuri suddenly grabbed tightly onto Jessica’s hand, causing the other girl to be taken aback. “I’ll be back. I promise.” Yuri stated.

Jessica cocked her head to one side, furrowing her eyebrows at Yuri’s sudden statement. “Of course you will.” She smiled, “Now, go! I wanna pee! Shoo!”

Silently, Yuri stood at the door with her head bowed, staring at her feet as a train of thoughts ran past her mind. “I’ll be back” was all she could say before she made her way out of the house.

Yuri walked on the stone pathway, lit up eerily by the dim moonlight that barely gave her much to see in the pitch darkness. Occasionally she would hear a small rustle in the bushes on the side of the path, indicating that a small animal was nearby. Minutes ticked by and Yuri made a left-turn when she reached a T-junction, walking onto a path which was pitch black and empty.

With trees blocking most of the moonlight and the foliage getting thicker, Yuri could only rely on her memory of the place to make her way to the rendezvous point. The bushes were getting thicker and harder to pass by, the trees were getting more and more packed, making it harder to move in a straight line and to make things worse, everything was pitch black.

But out of nowhere, after pushing true another bush and smacking another large leaf out of her way, Yuri found herself standing near the edge of the cliff. “You made it.” Eunhyuk commented smugly, appearing out of the shadows.

“Eunhyuk, I don’t wanna do this.” Yuri pleaded, taking a step back.

“Yuri ah.” Eunhyuk called out, smiling at her as he held out two ziploc bags, each with a disassembled gun inside.

“Come here.” He said.

Yuri’s breathing was getting ragged and she was taking small steps back while Eunhyuk advanced on her. “I said,” Eunhyuk repeated, except this time in a loud, threatening voice that echoed in Yuri’s ears, “COME HERE!”

Timidly, Yuri inched towards him until he was about two metres away from her.

“I wanna play a game with you, Kwon Yuri.” Eunhyuk smiled, swinging the two bags around casually, “I’m pretty sure you know what type of guns these are.”

Yuri gave a small nod. “10mm caliber, 6-round pistols.”

“And I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with the game, hide-and-seek, and by that, I mean the one we played as part of ‘training’ when we were in the academy.” Eunhyuk asked again.

Yuri gave another understanding nod, her face remained straight though her heart was racing

“We used to play that game so much,” Eunhyuk chuckled, massaging his temples, “And we wagered meals and collectible figurines. It was fun back then.”

But all of a sudden, his eyes turned stone cold as his piercing glare struck fear into Yuri, amplifying the fear that she was already suppressing. Yuri could feel her fingers turn cold and her lower jaw was trembling uncontrollably. “Eunhyuk, can we please n—“

“SHUT THE UP!” he bellowed, pointing the barrel of one of the guns at Yuri, causing her to jump back and break into a fighting stance.

“They aren’t loaded.” He laughed hysterically, clearly trying to mock Yuri.

“Are you ready?” he asked, “You know the rules right?”

Yuri gave a nod, knowing that she had no choice but to play Eunhyuk’s game otherwise her promise to Jessica would be void. “Good.” Eunhyuk said, showing Yuri a thumbs up before turning it downwards, “You’re going down.”

“Enough talk, what are the wagers?” Yuri asked, putting on a tough front in an attempt to bring Eunhyuk’s morale down.

“Scary,” he mocked, laughing uncontrollably in a high pitched laughter, “What’re you going to do? Break my other leg?”

“I’ll break all your limbs if I have to.”

“Tonight’s wager,” Eunhyuk began, reaching into his pocket and fishing out a steel chain containing two rings, “Are these.”

Immediately, Yuri’s instinct was to try and make a dash for the rings, hoping to retrieve them without needing to go through a fight, but her efforts proved futile. “Ah ah ah,” Eunhyuk waved his finger at her disapprovingly, holding the rings dangerously close to the edge of the cliff, “No cheating. Oh I almost forgot to tell you something. Tonight, we have two wagers.”

“What are they?”

“Tonight, the winner gets to keep the rings,” he paused a moment, snickering unpleasantly to himself before finishing his sentence, “And their lives."

"Their lives?" Yuri questioned, feeling a little bit nervous at the priceless wager.

Eunhyuk replied with a sly grin. "The loser's life will be at the mercy of the winner." he snickered.

"I won't lose." Yuri replied.

"I'm sure you won't." Eunhyuk mocked.

Hey guys, hope you were happy with this update ^^ I feel kinda sad though, many of my readers have left or are busy and have no time to read nowadays. Sigh, can’t say I blame them though. The number of worthy fics to read on this site are also getting lesser. Personally I don’t enjoy many of the fics nowadays. Yes I do read it’s just that I don’t comment. When I do comment on your fic, you better be honoured, haha. I know some of you might be authors yourselves and I would really want to see if I can find good fics so leave me a comment if you have written a fic that you personally feel is worthy of mention or if you have any good recommendations for fics. Now that AFF has the reply comments function, I will reply to most of the comments I see. I want to get to know my readers better.

Anyways, the next fic that I’ll be updating is.. The girl who watched time. Do check that out, click the subscribe button if you like it, I already have one chapter of it up. Yay okay well, for me, school’s starting soon and I’m currently working part-time too but as much as possible, I’ll write chapters for you guys, so keep supporting me alright? Really appreciate it if I could get more support.

Thank you all and that’s all for now. If you feel confused, feel free to ask me but I won’t divulge anything that may spoil the story for you. Alright that’s all.

Time out~