Darkness. That was all she could see as her feet clumsily carried her down the quiet streets and alleys of Hongdae. Something paced after her; unknowing of who or what it was. All she was aware of was her fright and panic as the night rain soaked through her clothes clung to her body. It was surprisingly quiet considering Hongdae was renowned for it's vivid nightlife and culture, anybody that still wandered the vacant streets were probably to intoxicated to consciously pay attention to the running girl.

Minah had stumbled many times; her knees and palms grazed with cuts and blood; and she felt weak with exhaustion.

Where was she even heading? She had long left her quiet neighbourhood and found herself racing through the neon lit streets. Never once had Minah let herself compelled to visit Hongdae, the partying and alcohol and club culture was never something that had appealed to her character; thus she had no idea where she was headed. She felt the presence of the thing behind her approach faster and faster, and so at the last minute, turned a corner sharply  down a small alley and continued to run. She didn't know how long she would have to run for, or if she would ever outrun what it was. The thoughts clouded her mind and she became preoccupied with trying to find an answer that she definitely did not have. Her head was in such it's own little search that she failed to notice a figure in front of her before she collided with them, sending her tumbling to the ground once again. The stranger on the other hand, had remained on his feet and was crouching down to become level with Minah.

"Hey" his voice was soft to Minah, and she stared at him with with wide eyes, frozen with fright. Under the multi-coloured lights, Minah could still make out tufts of washed out pink peeking under the hood that covered his head. His eye brows knitted together as he reached out to touch her shoulder. "Are you okay? It's late and it's dark, what could you possibly be doing out at this hour alone?" Minah would've got back to her feet and started to run again, but something about the boy was alluring, and she didn't feel the need to take flight from him. "Why were you running?" His voice snapped her out of her daze and she frantically looked around her, remembering why it was that she was running.

"There was- something w- I was being chased by someone, no, something. I- I-" Minah stuttered to get her words out as she constantly searched around her for the thing she was running from. Her shoulders fell with slight relief to see that she hadn't been followed here. But the relief was washed away with another wave of panic as realisation hit her. It was the early hours of the morning, she hadn't the slightest idea of where it was that her feet had taken her, and she was still on the floor with a stranger staring at her - probably thinking that she was insane. She scrambled to get to her feet as her palms stung and the cold wind thrashed at her wet hair and clothes. A warm hand found her shoulder again.

"There's nothing here now. You're okay." He too got up. "Come with me. It's dark and cold. You must be tired and freezing. I'll have you fixed up." Minah didn't want to go with him, although she didn't feel the need to run either. She didn't know him, and although he seemed kind, he was too kind; there was something about him that did not settle with her. But her head was conflicted. Where else did she have to go? It was too late to call a cab, as well as her having no cash or belongings with her, and still in the dark about her current whereabouts. The figure began to walk back into the light of one of the main street, and carried on upwards. "Or you can be my guest and stay out here for the rest of the night." She hurried up after him, shadowing behind him slightly as the building he was leading us towards became clearer in her sight.

It was a sleek and large apartment complex; it must've been at least twenty floors high. Several of the windows were lit even at this hour, all the way up to the very top. It was definitely a step up from the small bungalow that she lived in alone; a single apartment probably cost more than her own small home. Minah swallowed hard and tried to calm her erratic heart beat. 

The walk to the entrance of the lobby was silent between the two, only the soft fall of the rain and the gravel beneath their shoes was audible at the dead of night, along with the dull thus of music from the clubs and the chatter of the few still out on the streets.

Minah stared up at the complex in front of her and as the boy took a key card from his pocket, unlocking the glass door and pushing it wide open and stepping in first. Minah stopped marvelling at the exterior of the architecture as her eyes locked with the stranger in front of her, who was patiently waiting for her to step inside. Hesitation stopped Minah from moving forward any more before she let out a breath she did not realise she was holding in, and stepped over the threshold of her accommodation for the time being. 

"Thank you" a barely audible whisper left her lips as nervously twisted the rings other finger. But she was met with no reply. The large door slammed behind Minah as the stranger carried on silently to one of the elevators, making her flinch with slight shock. The two stepped inside, and the stranger pressed the button for the top floor. The elevator ride to their floor was silent. 

"The top floor...That must mean that you live in the penthouse, right?" She tried feebly to create a conversation to loosen the tension between the two. But the stranger didn't reply to her question. Out of the corner of her eye - despite the hood that shielded the majority of his face - Minah could see that the stranger didn't once look at her, only staring straight ahead at the doors. She shifted nervously in her place, absentmindedly pulling at a loose thread on her sweater. after was seemed like countless minutes of gruelling silence, the doors opened to a small  hallway that lead to a single door. Again, the boy swiped his key card before punching in the code pad to the side, pushing the door open afterwards. Surprisingly, he held it open for her to make her way in, which Minah did so, hesitantly. The sound of the door locking behind the two made her flinch. 

Had she made the right decision to take him up on his offer? 

Something in the atmosphere changed as they became shut away from the night outside. There was an energy that Minah could feel in the place, something that she had not experienced before, something she could not put her finger on or explain. The large penthouse felt tense - electrifying and cold, yet also inviting and warm in an odd way. It unsettled her. She swallowed hard and decided that she had made the wrong decision. She opened to belatedly decline the invasion, but a voice in her head stopped her. 'Relax Minah, it'll only be for one night. You can do this. You can borrow a phone in the morning and arrange a way to get back home. You'll be alright.' Her subconscious tried to reassure and sooth her frantic thinking. She tried to calm her composure as she took in her surroundings. The foyer- of where she was currently stood - was of a circular formation, sleek and modern. The floor was a veined marble, so clear at Minah could see her reflection beneath her feet. The foyer split into multiple different directions, leading to the other areas of the penthouse, with a single spiral staircase to the left of her at the entrance.

"Come, I'll show you to your own room." The stranger began to ascend the large winding staircases. Minah followed suit, her fingers dancing along the hand rail, all the way to the second floor. She was so unused to the luxurious life that she wasn't even aware that a penthouse could have more than one storey. The place was huge; large enough to become lost in if you were not familiar with it. Minah made a mental map of her path so to not become lost on her way out tomorrow. The boy lead her down a long corridor and into one of the last rooms, pushing the large oak door open. Upon seeing the room, Minah stopped in her tracks to admire the intricate detailing of the room. A four post bed sat in the middle of white walls, adorned with contemporary art pieces, and and black furnishings placed around the room. An extravagant chandelier hung from the high ceiling, and cast beams of light and shadows on the walls and burgundy rug. "The en-suite is just through that door. I'll leave some fresh clothing outside for you, as well as fresh clothes for you tomorrow morning." And with that, her turned away and left her to her own company. Minah couldn't help but notice a slight change in the stranger as soon as he entered the house. Outside, he seemed considerate although the two were merely strangers, but as soon as he crossed the threshold, he seemed cold; almost as if he was bored with her and disregardful, thinking he was of higher importance. Sure, he gave her a room for the night and dry clothes, but it felt as though it was because he felt obliged, not because he wanted to help the poor girl. 

Minah shook her head and shivered, before passing through to the bathroom and undressing from her wet and dirty garments. The hot water poured over her body and took the chill off of her, sighing in content at the newfound comfort and warmth. She cleaned the dirt and blood from her hands and knees; hissing at the pain as she tended to her mild wounds until it had subsided. She took her time in the shower, partly appreciating and lathering the delicate scented soap through her hair and body, partially hoping to avoid the tense energy that Minah felt outside of her room and in the solitude of her own company. 

'I suppose that I should at least get some rest as soon as I can, I'd have to oversleep an overstay my welcome any more than I have done,' Minah thought to herself, and at that thought, turned the water off and wrapped her body in one of the towels provided to the side. Gingerly, she stepped out from the shower and unlocked the bathroom door just enough to reach outside and make contact with the pile of folded pyjamas that the stranger had promised. The maroon silk fabric was nothing Minah had ever felt before. The material was delicate and luxurious between her fingers, and felt ever so soft as she pulled the silk shorts up her legs, and buttoned large the shirt, leaving the cuffs to fall two inches or so past her fingertips. She dried her hair to the best of her ability without the aid of a hair dryer; her shoulder length black hair falling in damp waves and her fringe just below her eyebrows. 

She exited the bathroom, folding her towel and damp clothes at the door, leaving them to dry for the night. At one of the far walls of the bedroom was a large window that stretched from the ceiling to the floor.  Minah slowly made her was over to it, marvelling at the view of the clear night sky, a calm contrast to the vivid neon lights of Hongdae below her. The crescent moon shone brightly, like a silver pendant, and stars were dotted across the black sky. The night, oddly enough considering earlier events, was one of the things Minah found comforting. It was a constant for her, the moon and stars remaining a permanent reoccurrence overnight. Even if she could not see them, she knew that they were there. The girl smiled to herself. Lost in her own tranquility, a wave of exhaustion washed over her, and her eye lids felt heavy. She turned around to find a wall clock in the corner of the bedroom, the hands on the face pointing to half past three in the morning. Minah yawned to herself, stretching her arms above her head before making her way over to the grand bed, pulling back the sheets and sinking into the mattress. She sighed to herself, and succumbed to the night. 

.....

a.n. this is an idea I've had now for a while for got7 story, and so i  thought why not? 

((this story, along with my other works are also published on my wattpad under the same author name, just in case you happened to stumble across the two and think one was plagiarising the other))