The tears flowed down Saetbyeol’s face as she sat outside the restaurant. Sniffles filled the environment as she swiped at her face with the sleeve of her shirt; cheeks flushed and eyes red as she tilted her head back.

Why was she feeling like this?

Why was she getting so worked up about the two of them talking? It’s not like her and San were a couple or anything like that. They’re just friends and they seem to be able to relate to one another. Mirae is the more open and outgoing type, so it’s makes sense that San has taken an interest in her. Besides, it’s not like Saetbyeol attempted to talk to him.Her constant cold and distant demeanor towards him pushed him away as she continued building her walls higher and higher. It’s only natural that this happened.

She didn’t hate either of them, but rather herself for standing by and not saying or doing anything.

Allowing the tears to flow freely now she pulled her hood up over her head and lowered her head, her hair falling around her face like a black curtain to hide her face, biting her lip to silence any sobs that escape her lips.

_

5 hours earlier

    “San, why don’t we focus on the way in which the corpses were disposed?”

    Looking up from his notepad he glanced at her through his bangs, making a mental note for a much needed haircut.

“I mean, we could, but I feel like people would get bored with reading that because it doesn’t spark their interest. They want to know who did this and their intent - not why the corpses were stacked the way they were.”

    Saetbyeol puffed her cheeks slightly, becoming somewhat annoyed with the man standing before her. Lately, he had been getting under her skin with his sudden spike in disagreements towards all of her ideas and suggestions.

It was definitely getting to her.

Noticing her frustration, San cleared his throat as he straightened up, “Well, we could mention it briefly in the article, but I don’t think it should be the main focus.”

    “Never said it was going to be the main focus, but okay, we can add it somewhere in the middle,” her reply was a bit bitter as she lifted her shoulders into a shrug before turning her back towards him. She was already irritated and now, he was only making it worse. Heaving a sigh, Saetbyeol began making notes by each paragraph to signify their future placements in the article.

    The two remained in silence for what seemed like an eternity, the only sound deriving from the clicking of keys on her laptop as soft music played from the overhead speaker connected to the device. Pausing for a moment, San studied her demeanor.

He could feel the frustration radiating from her aura causing him to bite his lip - he never intentionally tried to make her angry. He wanted her to be happy, but to be honest, the sable haired male had noticed a change in her mood since he went to her house.

Was it something he did or said? She’s known for being cold, but not like this. What happened to cause her mood to change so drastically?

    Noticing her eyebrows scrunch as her fingers pinched the bridge of her nose, San broke from his thoughts. She was getting more and more agitated with each passing second, so he wanted to comfort her, but how? How could he when he didn’t even know what was bothering her? San felt his own self grow agitated. Could it maybe be about what he had said earlier when she voiced her article suggestion? If so, he didn’t mean to hurt her feelings - it’s not that it was a bad idea, but rather related to the readers’ desires. He just knew what people wanted.

Well, for the most part.

Suddenly Saetbyeol rose from her chair, avoiding looking at San as she walked off towards the bathroom. Glancing over, San noticed that she had altered her portion of the article significantly to coincide with what he said the focus of the article should be.

It’s definitely about what I said earlier, he thought to himself.

Quietly cursing himself, he leaned back in his chair as his throat rumbled into a long groan before smooshing his face into his hands. He had to make this up to her somehow.  

Thinking of ways to turn her idea into the primary focus, he quietly watched she returned; her body sinking back down into the chair as she remained mute. Tilting his head, his eyes surveyed her appearance - hair tips slightly damp, eyes slightly red and puffy. If San had made her cry, he’d never forgive himself. Clearing his throat, he opened his mouth to speak up, but a familiar voice calling out their names beat him to it.

“Saet! San!”

Saetbyeol’s best friend, Mirae, squealed in excitement at the sight of them working peacefully together, or so she thought. Prancing over towards the pair, she hoisted herself onto Saetbyeol’s desk as she leaned in to get close, more specifically San. Flashing a bright smile, the bubbly female playfully kicked her dangling legs, “Who’s hungry? I found this great restaurant that you both should check out with me!”

“Mirae we’re still working. Can we-”

“No! You’re always working! I understand that you want to solve this mystery, but you need to take a break,” she whined, cheeks puffing in defiance. Saetbyeol was aware of how stubborn her best friend was, so ultimately, she knew Mirae wasn’t going to give in.

Sighing in defeat Saetbyeol turned off her computer and nodded as she slowly stood up, “Okay, you win. Let’s go.”

Smiling wide, Mirae lead the way as the trio exited the office. As the cool evening air greeted their bodies, the small group shivered; their hands immediately tugging their coats closer as they made their way to Mirae’s car. San slipped in after Saetbyeol as Mirae revved the engine, not a word spoken between the two.

The tension between Saetbyeol and San was apparent as Mirae peered at her best friend. She wasn’t sure what was going on with her, but she could definitely tell something was wrong. Deciding to hold off asking her until they went home, Mirae shrugged as she coordinated the restaurant’s route. Feeling a bit awkward, San decided to try and ease the awkward silence as he started up a conversation with the girl behind the wheel; Saetbyeol completely silent as she stared out the window, drowning out their words as she focused upon the blurred atmosphere outside.

Upon arrival, the three exited the car - San and Mirae continuing their conversation as they walked ahead of Saetbyeol who trailed behind them. The silent female watched in awe at the sudden closeness of the duo before her talking like they had known one another for ages. Huffing in frustration, she followed a slight distance away as the hostess lead the trio to their table. A soft exhale pushed through Saetbyeol’s nose as she ran a hand through her hair - tonight was going to .

Mirae slid into the booth nesting directly across from San, Saetbyeol sliding in after him, ensuring the distance between the two of them was to her liking. Noticing this, San frowned . He wanted her closer, but what could he do? She was obviously upset with him about something more than just the article incident.

After placing their orders, Mirae decided now was the perfect time to play 21 Questions with San. Sipping her water, Saetbyeol sat there as she listened to the pair learning more about one another; laughter rumbling in response to something one of them said. She wanted nothing more than to join the two, but she didn’t know how. The only person she ever opened to was Mirae, so to play such a game with San, or even just his presence, caused her to remain mute. At this point, as she watched the duo smile and snort, Saetbyeol felt a twinge in her stomach. She was starting to feel like a third wheel, which only seemed to upset her more.

“I noticed you seem to be a very organized person, San - almost to the point of OCD. You also don’t seem to eat a lot which makes me wonder - are you on some sort of special diet?”

Clearing his throat by the sudden questions and her awareness of his organizational preferences, San shifted in his spot. “You could say that I just like to know where everything is without unnecessary clutter. As for my diet, I want to stay healthy and fit, so I watch what I eat. Also, I usually have big lunches, so I’m not usually very hungry during dinnertime.”

“That must be pretty tough. I wouldn’t have the willpower to live that type of lifestyle, to be honest. I’m healthy, but not that strict,” Mirae responded in admiration towards his dedication just as their meals arrived.

Glancing at Saetbyeol from the corner of his eye, San watched as she sat there - chin resting in one of her hands as the free one grasped onto chopsticks as she idly shifted food around. A frown formed on his face - he wanted nothing more than to talk to her, but Mirae wouldn’t let either of them get a word in.

He could tell Saetbyeol wanted to talk, but he wanted to hear her speak directly to him rather than having her friend do it for her. At the same time, the expression Saetbyeol wore conveyed her true feelings - she didn’t want Mirae to speak for her either, but her limited knowledge in sparking up conversations built a barrier, so she just sat there in silence.

Reluctantly, San shifted his eyes from the girl sat beside him and onto his water glass, pausing to take a drink, before focusing upon Mirae. Eyebrows knitting together, the sable haired male squinted slightly as the curiosity that been gnawing on him the entire night intensified. There’s something about her friend that ignited a sense of familiarity within him. Almost as if he’s met her before - maybe in passing or briefly in the past, but something about her was definitely familiar to him.

Just the mere act of sitting in the same vicinity as her, felt like deja vu.

Biting his lip, San sighed. He was determined to figure out what it was, but for now, he was growing tired of the game that had slowly turned into a mild interrogation. Mirae might just be a curious person, or asking on Saetbyeol’s behalf, so San did his best not to snap at her as he opted to answer all of her questions patiently.

“Are you sure we haven’t met somewhere before, Mirae? You seem so familiar to me and talking to you is both comfortable and familiar,” San asked suddenly, staring intensely at her.

Blushing slightly, she cleared , “I don’t think so. As far as I know, meeting you through Saet has been the first time we’ve met.” She paused before smiling sweetly as she added, “And this is the first time we’ve ever really spoken to one another.”

“Maybe you’re right. I could be mistaken, but you seem familiar to me,” he shrugged as he took a sip of his water; mind still racing still trying to conjure up any prior memory of her.

“Maybe I just have one of those personalities,” Mirae laughed as she took a drink of her water as well, eyes glued to the table as she awkwardly shifted in her seat.

Unable to handle the situation further, Saetbyeol placed her napkin on the table before excusing herself. As she pretended to make her way towards the bathroom, the dark haired female made a sudden turn for the door as she walked out into the chilly atmosphere. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she tilted her head back - being outside in the cold was better than sitting in there with those two.

They had been talking amongst themselves for a good thirty minutes, not once acknowledging her presence or including her in their conversation. She was hurt and angry - how could her best friend do this to her? And how could San ignore her like that? He had always been good at making sure she was included, but tonight, it’s like she wasn’t even there; not even a mere thought in either of their minds. They were so absorbed in one another, it made her sick..

San was confused by Saetbyeol’s sudden departure. Chewing on his bottom lip, he kept glancing towards the bathroom, anxiously awaiting her return. Today had been strange. It was one thing for Saetbyeol to be cold towards San, but to be silent towards Mirae? Extremely alarming.

Fifteen minutes passed and still no sign of Saetbyeol.

“Should we go look for her?” San piped up as Mirae nodded in agreement; the pair paying for their meals before beginning their search for Saetbyeol. Mirae checked the bathroom first, but only to find it completely void of people. Confusion and fear crept into both of their bodies as they shared a glance before jogging towards the door in efforts to check outside. A unified sigh of relief escaped their lips as they spotted Saetbyeol sitting on the concrete curb. Head hung low and hair covering her face from view of passersby, she wiped away the last few tears that remained on her face.

“Saet! What are you doing out here?” Mirae asked, rushing up to her best friend before kneeling in front of her, worry painted upon her face.

“Oh, I just wasn’t feeling very well, so I stepped out for some fresh air,” Saetbyeol responded as she looked up at her best friend smiling, hoping that her face didn’t give away the fact that she had been crying.

“Maybe we should go on home. It’s getting a little late,” Mirae responded as she helped Saetbyeol up, linking their arms together in an effort to stabilize her friend as the duo turned to face San. Saetbyeol couldn’t bear to look at him - never would she allow him, or anyone, know that she was jealous of Mirae and San talking all night and the sudden closeness the two of them seemed to share. She didn’t even want to admit to herself that she wanted that with San - the type of friendship where they could both talk for hours without running out of things to say, laughing at each other’s lame jokes as well as sharing inside ones. She wanted to feel comfortable with him like she did with Mirae, but she couldn’t help but feel like her best friend was nabbing this opportunity from her.

Saetbyeol wanted to be close to San.

“I can walk you two home if you’d like. It’s not safe for girls to be out alone at this hour,” San interjected, sliding up beside Saetbyeol, wanting to support her as well if necessary.

Waving him off with a gentle smile, Mirae shook her head, “Thank you, but we’ll be okay. I won’t let anything happen to her.”

“Very well then,” he nodded. “Be safe, you two. Saetbyeol, I’ll see you tomorrow at work. I really am happy the two of us are working together and I’ve gotten the chance to get to know you a bit better.” Smiling, San bid the girls a good night before turning away from them and began making his way back to his own home to finish personal tasks before the day ends.

Hearing his words Saetbyeol’s heart fluttered in contrast to the rolling of her eyes. She was still upset from today’s events, so while she enjoyed hearing his words, her stubbornness forced her to conceal her slight giddiness. Leading Saetbyeol by the arm, Mirae walked beside her friend as they ventured down the street towards their apartment. The two walked in silence - the only audible sounds coming from dogs barking and the chatter from busy restaurants as patrons entered and exited the buildings.

As the pair rounded a corner, caution suddenly washed over Mirae. Feeling every hair on her body stand on end, she darted her eyes around the surrounding area. With gritted teeth, her brows furrowed - no sign of life besides them. As calmly as possible, senses still alert, Mirae coaxed Saetbyeol to walk faster; the best friend immediately noticing Mirae’s sudden change in behavior. Tensing up a bit, she does as she told as she, too, becomes more aware of their surroundings.

In an effort to abandon the feeling of being followed, the girls turn down a street they don’t normally venture down. For a moment, the atmosphere was still until the sound a throat clearing behind them echoes in the night air. Feeling their bodies lock up, the girls spin on their heels, eyes immediately focusing on the source of their fear - two heavily built men, grins strewn across their faces, as they towered above the duo. Positioning herself in front of Saetbyeol, Mirae stared intensely at each of them, eyes darting back and forth with every move they made. Jaw clenched, she stood tall with her shoulders pushes back.

She was ready to defend her friend.

“What brings you two beautiful ladies here tonight?” The slightly shorter, but stockier male asked; slyly gesturing for his partner to follow him as the two slowly started to creep forward.

“That’s none of your business, and I highly suggest you leave us alone,” Mirae snarled, body tensing as she pushed both her and Saetbyeol back in an effort to keep some semblance of distance between them and the strangers.

“Oh, a fighter. I like a girl with guts,” The taller man smirked as his eyes scanned up and down Mirae’s body, tongue gliding across his lower lip as his friend rubbed his hands together.

Mirae’s skin crawled, his words making her sick to her stomach, but she remained standing tall - she wasn’t about to let them lay a hand on either of them. The men took another step forward, the girls retracting backwards in response. Feeling rage beginning to boil her insides, Mirae glared at the creeps once more, “I’m warning you, stay back.”

Clearly these men weren’t taking her seriously, let alone seeing her as any sort of threat, but they had no idea of the beast they poked.

Gently pushing Saetbyeol back, Mirae lunged forward - bringing her fist up, ready to connect with the shorter man’s cheek, but her attempt failed. Mirae was strong, but her strength did not compare to either of the muscular men before her. A sharp cry fell from her lips as the shorter male wrapped his hand around her fist, smirking, before he harshly tossed her off to the side like a ragdoll. Saetbyeol squealed as she saw her best friend wince from the pain of falling on top of a stray broken beer bottle; blood beginning to lightly soak her sleeve.

Saetbyeol’s eyes darted back to the two men who now had their sights set on her. Terror flowed through her veins. She didn’t know how to properly defend herself let alone take on two insane bodybuilders. Backing up, she could feel as the tears stinging her eyes began to affect her vision. Saetbyeol wanted to scream, but wouldn’t allow her to make any sort of noise. She had to get away from them in order to find help, but suddenly, it was as though her body had forgot how to function.

“Run Saet!”

Snapping out of her stupor, she glanced quickly at her friend before quickly turning on her heels as she began running as fast as she could manage down the vacant street. As the men began following after the fleeing victim, Mirae jumped to her feet as she made a mad dash towards them. Taking advantage of the fact that they forgot about her presence, the injured female jumped onto the smaller man’s back - arms wrapping around his throat as tight as possible in hopes it would render him unconscious.

The man’s large hands gripped her arms tightly, surely to leave bruises the next day, but Mirae refused to allow him to overpower her. She had to protect Saetbyeol, she promised. With her newfound strength, along with the adrenaline rushing through her veins, she continued holding on until his grip slowly began loosening on her arms.

She was winning.

Saetbyeol, on the other hand, continued running - trying to find anywhere she could to get help. Spotting a porch light just ahead of her, she forced her legs to move faster, but to no avail. The man's large hand connects with her left shoulder, pulling her back. Tripping over her own feet, Saetbyeol crashed to the ground, her previously injured ankle buckling. A wave of terror washed over her body as she peered up with wide eyes - she knew she was in serious trouble. She was alone, unaware of where she even was, let alone if Mirae was alright. Opening to scream for help, the man lurched forward as his hand clamped over her lips.

Smirking down at her, Saetbyeol tried to pull away from him -  the rough concrete scraping up the palms of her hands. Clawing at his hands, the man pulled back with a hiss and Saetbyeol took the opportunity to try to run away, but the sharp pain that shot up from her ankle caused her to fall back onto the ground.

A laugh emitted from the man before her as he watched the small-framed female try to back up. Slowly, he followed her - cracking his neck side-to-side before stuffing his hands in to his pockets. As her back connected with the brick wall behind her, Saetbyeol knew she was in trouble.

What was she to do now? She had nowhere to go.

Frantically, she searched her surroundings as she reached for a nearby broken bottle. Her trembling caused her to fumble with the jagged glass as it pierced through her skin; her grip that tightened around it as she held up the pathetic weapon causing the wound to tear a bit wider. Holding it up, she swallowed hard, “Stay back.”

The man just stared at her, laughing. He knew she was no threat to him - that she was an easy target.

Knocking her hand aside, the bottle to flew from her hand and shattered a few feet away. Weaponless, Saetbyeol raised her arms to shield herself, but the predator pinned both of her hands behind her back as his free hand made its way up to her cheek. Leaning down closer, he gently trailed his fingers down her cheek and then back up to cup the side of her face.

She could feel bile make its way up - she was going to be sick.

Leaning in closer the man planted a wet, sloppy kiss on her cheek. The scent of liquor lingered on his breath as he whispered a mere inch or so from her lips, “Such a pretty girl.”

Chuckling, he leaned in closer as he brought his lips closer to her’s. Saetbyeol knew what was going to happen. Closing her eyes tight, she waited to feel his disgusting, alcohol soaked lips against her dried ones, heart racing as she squirmed under his grasp.

But they never came.

Slowly opening her eyes, Saetbyeol took in the scene unfolding before her. The man was being pulled away from her by the collar of his shirt, his hand releasing her wrists to grab for the figure that was holding onto him.

The newcomer was much smaller in size and stature compared to her attacker, but the aura he gave off chilled Saetbyeol to her very core. As she wiped at her eyes, she blinked at the hero whose figure she knew as well as she knew her own.

San. San was the one saving her, but how did find her?

At this point in time, however, she’d never been more happy to see him. Admittedly, Saetbyeol was afraid for him; he looked like a little kid compared to her attacker.

But size didn’t seem to matter in this situation.

San threw the guy to the ground as if throwing away a bag of trash. Grabbing the predator by the front of his shirt, he raised his right arm back before bringing it down to ram into the right side of the man's face. The sound of shattering bone filled the air as Saetbyeol watched in shock and fear as San repeatedly punched the guy, blood beginning to soak his fist. The look in San’s eyes was one of pure rage, a shiver shooting up her spine as she realized the twist of events - he was going to kill this guy. The man’s body was limp as San continued to ram his fist into his face. Blinking quickly as she assessed the situation, Satbyeol’s screams mixed with the crunch of crushed bone.

“San, stop!

Jumping up, she quickly made her way towards the pair despite her throbbing ankle. Wrapping her arms around his torso, she held him tight, hoping to snap him out of his murderous rage before he did actually succeed in killing the guy.

Feeling him relax beneath her body, San let go of the lifeless man - his body falling down with an audible thump.  The world stood still for a moment as Saetbyeol steadied her eyes on his stomach; the fabric that moved ever-so-slightly an indication that he was still breathing. Sweat dripped from his temples as San’s own body heaved with ragged breaths. As he calmed down, he  whirled around to take Saetbyeol into his arms. If he held her any tighter, the two of them would become one.

“Are you okay?”

His voice was shaking with fear as he tried not to think what would’ve happened if he had shown up a minute later. Mentally cursing himself, San gritted his teeth -  he should’ve insisted on walking them home. It was neither his nor the girls’ fault, but he couldn’t bear the thought of anything worse happening to Saetbyeol.

Feeling her small frame start to shake against his body, she nodded into his chest. He wrapped his arms tighter around her, reassuring her that she was safe. Realization of what had just happened set in rendering her unable to speak.

Burying her face in his chest, inhaling his familiar scent in hopes that it would help calm her, Saetbyeol allowed the tears to flow freely. She was safe, but Mirae - where was Mirae?

Pulling away, arms still gripped around his waist, Saet looked around frantically.

“Where’s Mirae?”

“She’s okay. I ran into her as she was finishing off the other guy. She told me to find you.”

Nodding, relieved that her friend was safe, she leaned against San once more. She was so exhausted. Feeling her start to go limp in his arms, San quickly scooped her up, holding her close to him. Saetbyeol leaned her head against his shoulder, eyes closed. Completely sapped of all energy, she managed a strained, “Thank you,” before nestling her face into the crook of his neck.

“I’m glad I made it in time. I heard a commotion while I was on my nightly run, so I went to go see what was going on. I wasn’t expecting to see you. I didn’t hesitate or think twice, I ran as fast as I could to get that guy away from you.”

Feeling her nod against his shoulder in understanding, San continued to make his way down the street. He decided to take her back to his place, he wasn’t taking no for an answer so he didn’t even bother asking or telling her. He didn’t know where her friend went or when she’d be back, but he was not about to leave Saetbyeol alone. Gripping her frame tighter, he rounded the corner, spotting his apartment just a few feet in the distance.

Mirae stepped out from the shadows of a nearby alleyway. Watching San carry Saet down the street to his place, a wave of relief and gratitude washed over her. She knew her best friend was safe and in good hands and while she wanted to be with her, in her current state, it was wise not to. She needed to calm herself before she could face Saetbyeol again. It’s been a long time since she felt that much anger - enough to the point of making her nearly losing control - but she would’ve done anything to protect her friend, she was worth it.

“Thank you San. Take good care of her for me,” Mirae smiled at the two of them before turning away and making her way back to her little studio that she had for moments like these.

Closing and locking the door behind him, San made his way into the bedroom. Switching on the light with his elbow, he gently laid Saetbyeol down onto his bed. Seeing that she had fallen asleep in his arms, San carefully removed her shoes before pulling the covers over her.  Retrieving the small first aid kit from the bathroom, San returned to the bed as he went about cleaning up her cuts; ensuring he got every piece of dirt and gravel from the wounds. Once bandaged, San tucked her arms back under the covers. Taking in her sleeping figure San’s eyes scanned over every small detail of her face, memorizing every inch of her sleeping frame.

Bringing his good hand up, he the loose strands of hair away from her face. Feeling her subconsciously press her head against his hand, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips, voice soft as he whispered, “What am I going to do with you?”

Giving her hair one last , he rose to his feet - walking around the other side of the bed to grab a pillow and a spare blanket from his closet before making his way to the door. Glancing over his shoulder, San took one last look at the woman sleeping peacefully in his bed. With a smile strewn across his face,  he switched off the light on his way out as he ventured into the next room.

Spreading the blanket out and positioning the pillow to suit his preference, San sunk down onto the couch. Burying himself under the blanket, welcoming its warmth, he closed his eyes in exhaustion. Thinking once more of Saetbyeol safe and asleep in the next room, San smiled sweetly before giving into the sleepy abyss that called to him.

“Goodnight, Saet.”