At least a day had passed, she was almost sure of it, counting the two meals they gave her. Sunny could feel the many bruises they left on her body while moving, but pain wasn’t her first problem, that was how to go back home.

From the various movies and series she had seen they should’ve already called her dad, right?

Her head hurt from the lack of sleep and the continuous overthinking, but she was powerless, a mere doll in the hand of her kidnappers and the people outside supposed to be looking for her.

She hoped Jimmy was okay too, he was her trusted chauffeur, with her since childhood.

On the mattress in fetal position, with her head between her knees she tried to be strong, to not tremble and face reality. Sunny developed a new habit to pass the time and not lose her mind. It was simple and effective, she pictured the various scenario of her turning back home, how everyone would act toward her. Her dad would hug her hard and kiss her head, watching that everything was at its place, probably already thinking if making the news public or not. Tiffany was clearly always in some stage of crying, maybe trying not to and smiling so big her cheeks must hurt. Then her new friends that she already got so attached to, Yuri and Jessica would certainly hold her into a three-way hug, asking if she was hurt, if they could anything to make her feel better. She found herself smiling just thinking of their faces. But as always there was a favorite part and it was Taeyeon shining big eyes meeting hers. She could picture clearly the tired swollen face, purple eyebags and pale complexion.

Then, Sunny was ready to bet it on everything, the girl would freeze not knowing what to do, what to say. It was a secure pattern, Taengoo incapable to move a single muscles in dramatic situation, especially with her. Sure in the moment of need she was fast, acted without thinking but when the danger passed it was as a ice shower hit her. And it was up to her to warm her up.

Maybe she was dramatizing the whole thing but she’d just throw herself at that small statue, bury her nose deep into her usually very cold neck, snapping her arms tight around her. She could feel her kisses all around her forehead, two hands firm grasping at her back.

I am allowed to be sappy, right? I am being kidnapped here.

Then her lucid dreams were interrupted by the boom of the door opening, one of the two man in masks entered with a camera. She put her knees down, gripping the blanket harder into her hands, telling herself to be strong and courageous.

“Alright now I need a pretty smile eh, look here and pose for the camera doll.” Sunny watched his hands adjust the zoom and then flash her few times. “That’s right, you are very photogenic. Now you need to know that your Daddy isn’t responding how we wanted to. Oh no, he is being an inconsiderate little .”

He took her chin between strong fingers, watching her through the black mask he had on. She smelled alcohol and sweat on him, making her almost turn her nose. “Let’s hope your little face makes him remember what we could do to it. Eh, what do you think?” She gulped down hard, her eyes getting teary and her lower lip quivering in fear. “Nothing to say? I thought so.” He released her face and without a word exited the room.

She couldn’t believe her Dad wasn’t obeying their orders, maybe she wasn’t so important as she thought before. Her heart was thumping in her chest so hard it was almost hurting, no there must another version, Daddy loved her. Sure he doesn’t know how to show it properly but that didn’t mean he doesn’t. They were trying to keep her scared, to keep her calm and obedient.

It must be like this, but…

It was officially the third day that Sunny was took.

They couldn’t obligate her to go to school, not in this situation. How could she go on with her life with her… with her friend who knows where, in the hands in some criminals.

“My love, you need to go, ok? Even just to distract your mind.” Her mom was trying so hard.

“I don’t want to be distracted.” Taeyeon knows perfectly that doing so she didn’t help anyone, but her mind wouldn’t let her rest, and she was adamant that it doesn’t stop.

She doesn’t deserve peace, not even for a moment, her heart won’t allow it.

Two warm hands moved to cup her face and she met worried eyes with hers. “Please then just go to sleep and try to eat later ok?” She wasn’t a good liar, not even a decent one, but she nodded her head two times trying to not evade that powerful stare.

Then she waited for the closing of the front door and run upstairs to get dressed. She couldn’t just stay immobile like this, she had to do something, anything.

The chill air of the morning brought shivers all over her body, making her rethink the leather jacket idea. She should’ve added at least a warm beanie.

The moment she put a foot in the car her phone started ringing, it was Yuri. “What are you doing eh? You stupid fool.” She stared at the phone and then all around her house. “Hmm Hello, Good morning to you too.”

“Cut the crap, I know you are not coming to school so why are you in your car?” Now she shivered for real, turning her head and not seeing anyone. “How do you know? Where are you freak?”

Then door of the car was snapped open and Yuri was on the seat, all wrapped with gloves, beanie and scarf. “What the ! Are you trying to give me an heart attack? Where were you?”

Yul snapped on the seatbelt and glared at her, then another door was opened, Jessica was on the back seat.

“You too? What the hell! Where you spying on me?” She got two identical sarcastic stares.

“What do you think, you idiot?” Jessi voice was cut with exasperation. “We were ing sure you’d do something stupid.”

Taeyeon huffed and started the car, her breathe visible in the cold. “I am not doing anything stupid. But I suppose you’ll come with me anyway?”

“Of course we are! You can’t be trusted on your own!” Yul shouted at her while removing her gloves and beanie, putting the last item on her blond head. “There, how could you go out with just that jacket.” She eyerolled but accepted the white item, slowly exiting her property.

“So, do you have a plan? Or are we going to just roam without a destination?” Maybe it was for the best that they stalked her.

“No, Jessica, I have a sort of a plan.” Jessica snorted and got her sunglasses on, hiding big eyebags and red eyes.

“Sure you do, and what it is?”

“Just shut up for a moment, I’ll explain it in due time.” She accelerated and gripped the steering harder.

Her captain friend already palmed her whole face growling. “Oh no, she thinks she is Jessica Fletcher.” The laugh escaped her lips, followed by the other two.

It all sounded ridiculous to her too. “Oh please, I can’t hope to be at her level.” They kept laughing, because they were together, because the world it’s less scary when you are with trusted friends. Taeyeon felt slightly better, that was the demonstration of how much they cared for her, she wasn’t all alone in this hell.

“So this is the exact point where they got her, right? I thought we could search all around, maybe trying to follow the road.” The signs of an abrupt braking were still evident on the asphalt.

“You think they didn’t call the police.” It was an affirmation and she felt the serious tone of Yul up the spine, it was not normal to hear it from , always smiling, always making fun of something.

“We would’ve heard it, be sure of it they didn’t. I think her Dad is trying to solve it with just his money.” Gulping all the anxiety she felt going around she tried to fix her stare on the road. “You see all around here patches of vegetation, with tall trees and all of that. They could be hiding in plain sight, right?”

“I don’t know Tae, if I were I kidnapper I’d go really far, not taking any chances.” Jessi was almost whispering, she could almost hear her analytic brain working. “But, if I were to be sure that the police would not be called, then, well maybe?”

Taeyeon nodded slowly, scanning the perimeter carefully. “That is exactly how I thought of it.”

“Well, Batman, let’s check.” Yuri made her smirk.

She felt a bit like Batman. At least in her black soul.

They spent half an hour to follow the road with attention, trying to find any sight, anything really. Until they saw traces of pneumatic in the ground, out of the street, that seemed to infiltrate deep into a wooded area.

“Ya, girls! Maybe this is it!” Taeyeon felt the atmosphere shift, the adrenaline pumping hard into her now hot blood.

“Yeah, maybe we should call the police Frodo.” Jessica always the voice of the reason, but they couldn’t.

“We can’t and you know that. Listen if you don’t want to come it’s okay to me, you are not obligated. But I am going anyway.” She wasn’t going to back out, even if she was afraid, even if her breathe hurt into her lungs.

An hand grabbed her shoulder, then another and she knew they would go until the end of world with her.

“Alright, then how we do this?” Her eyes felt teary and glossy, she was so thankful, she didn’t deserve any of them.

Her and Yuri were on foot, getting closer as possible to the little wooden house they saw. It was surrounded by trees and there was a green Jeep parked in the front yard. It was hidden but not too much.

Their hands trembled around their phones, ready to deliver the sign to Jessica, who waited far back into the car. It seemed like a good plan, if she didn’t see them for an hour or if they send the message she’d call the police. It sounded really smart and all. Taeyeon hoped for the best, her mind clouded with fear and doubts.

They got close slowly, trying to camouflaging at their best with the ambient. Every sound scared the out of them, nerves all alert.

Taeyeon didn’t want to have some kind of power more in all her life. She could sell her soul to a bit of invisibility or super force. Gritting their teeth they got until the yard, hiding behind a huge tree. From the tiny house came no sound of living creature. They studied each other’s faces, full of questions, not knowing what to do.

“And now?” She looked straight into her friend scared eyes and inhaled deeply.

“Now you wait here, I am going closer, so if something happens to me you advert Jessica.” Her tone was definitive, they both knew it.

But Yuri tried anyway. “No, we go together. I want to find her as much as you do.” They kept their stares fixed for long moments until brown eyes rolled back. “, since when you got this kind of authority eh?”

Taeyeon smirked a bit, all teeth and tension. “I am the leader in times of War, Captain.” And then she went out of their hiding.

Her legs trembled a bit but she straightened her posture, trying to look as a wandering student. Observing carefully for every suspect movement, her hands gripping the fabric inside her pockets.

She was almost at the green Jeep when the front door opened, a man with a black bear and with no air come out, his eyes immediately catching her.

She froze, her breathe got stuck into her lungs, if it didn’t she would’ve screamed for sure.

“Hey you kid! What the hell are you doing in my property?” His voice was harsh and it made her jump a little. He was getting closer to her, she couldn’t move. Yuri stay were you are please.

“I… I got lost…?” It came out very weak, she cleared , the man got even more close. “I was going for a walk but I can’t find my way back. Can you h-help me?”

“Kid, you’re supposed to be in school. Why are you wandering here eh?” He suspected something and she needed to be strong, to be sure.

“Well… I didn’t want to and I am escaping my parents. You know.” Tae tried to be confident but her voice was cracking. The man actually smiled a bit and she almost relaxed.

“Oh, but do I know you from somewhere, don’t I?” He was only few step away. “Yes, of course, so do want how your friend is doing?”

, , .

She blinked few times and then just started to run, her legs started to work again, her heart pumping as it never did before. She had the good idea to run the opposite of where Yuri was, at least. The man screamed and run with her. “Stop! You stop!” Taeyeon didn’t know where she was going but didn’t stop, she wanted to scream but her lungs didn’t let her, she needed to breath to run. And she wasn’t a great runner.

Eventually she heard the steps closer and closer to her, she cursed and tried go faster. In the end her damn foot got stuck in a root and she fall face first on the ground. The man was just on her and then it all went black.

She had her head in her lap, slowly caressing her hair, for… well it could be an hour or three, times ticked so different in that cement prison.

The anger she felt the first moments didn’t want to let go of her, she still trembled from it and sometimes the instinct to just strangle the blond was really strong. But now she couldn’t stop softly crying, her unconscious presence was giving so much comfort and strength it was unbelievable.

Sunny couldn’t really believe that girl tracked her down and found her, only to be kidnapped too. That was so dumb and stupid it suited her character so well.

She kept sweeping her tears away waiting for her to wake up and scream at her idiotic . And how are we going to escape from this situation anyway?

Someone was playing the drums inside her head, that was the only possible explanation for the headache she felt. Then opening slowly her eyes everything was turning as if she was in a washing machine. She grunted and tried to raise her head only to be stopped immediately.

“Stay down you idiot, you got at least a concussion there.” That voice, she knows that angry tone too.

Then the room stopped turning a bit and she felt something soft under her face and an hand passing throw her hair slowly.

“That beast must have hit you really hard, he said you tried to run. You can’t run Taeyeon! What the hell were you thinking? EH?” The voice grew in the pitch and now she knew exactly who was scolding her.

Taking away the hand from her hair and putting herself to sit up, her head protested hard but she didn’t care, Sunny was glaring at her.

Sunny was here in front of her, throwing knifes at her with tired bloodshot red eyes. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling and tearing, from both emotion and pain. She felt with her own hand the bump behind her head, it hurt so bad.

“I want to hit you so hard you’ll faint again.” Taeyeon snickered at the predicted threat. “How dare you to laugh!” She just hugged her so hard, hands flattening against her back, couldn’t really believe it. “They could’ve killed you! And for what? I am really angry Taeyeon.” She didn’t relent not caring that the other girl wouldn’t hug her back.

“I found you and you are okay, I don’t care.” She whispered on a sweaty neck, absorbing all the warmth she could get. “And I have a plan going on, don’t worry okay.”

Two hands gripped her shoulders hard a made her release the hold, amber eyes staring at her with worry. “What?”

Sure she didn’t expect it to go that way, but this was not fair in front of her skilled actions.

Taeyeon cupped her face feeling the skin slightly clammy and made big circles with her fingers. “Do you trust me?”

Sunny snorted. “No!” She blinked fast, that was just uncalled for. But then the brunette took both hands in hers and stared for so long she turned into a statue. “We’re going to end up both dead this way.” The raw fear in her voice startled her.

“That is a bit apocalyptic, don’t you think so?” There was something behind those big sad eyes. Sunny wasn’t someone so pessimistic nor someone to give up that easily. “What happened, they hit you? They did something to you?”

The girl shacked her head. “Not yet, they said my Dad isn’t responding how they want to.” Her voice cracked a bit. “I think they are going to cut one of my ear soon, t-to send it to him.” The hands in her were shacking and she hold them tighter.

She looked so scared, it broke her heart in two, why that damn man was resisting.

“That isn’t going to happen, I won’t let them ok? It’s going to be all okay.” She was promising something she shouldn’t but how could she not.

Taeyeon kissed her forehead, lingering a bit and then pushing her own against it. She brushed her little nose and tried to smile, even it was a tense one. “I am here, you are not alone. We’ll deal with anything together ok?”

She felt Sunny nod softly and then embrace her with both arms around her neck, claws gripping at her shoulders with desperation. Tae embraced her back, eliminating whatsoever space between their bodies, finally being able to breath a little, with the girl into her arms.

They stayed like this for what felt like an eternity.

“You know, you stink a bit.” The hold on her neck only got stronger, almost suffocating her.

“Shut up!” Taeyeon could only chuckle and kiss a chubby cheek.