Minyoung wakes up to Bubbles nuzzling her shoulder. She gathers the puppy in her arms, realizing she can now lie on her back without wincing in pain.

While the puppy gets comfortable on her stomach, her bleary vision settles on that figure standing by the bed and blocking her view of the sunlight streaming from the window behind him. But he's the better view anyway.

Even in her sleepy haze, she can't help but think Changwook is handsome in a simple shirt tucked into his trousers.

"I can totally tell what you're thinking." She teases him right back, nodding goofily. Changwook sits on that small space between her and the edge of the bed, placing his palm flat near her waist. "How are you feeling?"

Minyoung hums, loving the feeling of his hand her face. It's invitation enough for him to dip towards her face and steal a kiss. She doesn't let him pull away though, holding his face close with one hand.

"Thank you..." she whispers, pecking his lips, "You heal me better than anything has in years..."

Changwook chuckles against her cheek, pecking her flushed face before straightening up. Bubbles is rubbing against his forearm from his perch on Minyoung's stomach. That's usually Bubbles' way of coaxing them to take him out.

"Take Bubs out for a walk okay? Get some fresh air. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

Minyoung hums in response, waving at him as he takes his coat and heads out. She sits up and stays there, playing with their puppy on the bed.

She reaches for her phone that she hasn't looked at since yesterday. As she expected, there are over 50 calls and texts from her friends asking if she's okay.

She makes a mental note to call Yunho's mother later to check on her. Right now she has to look for something to wear that can cover her neck because she read texts from hers and Changwook's oblivious mothers who plan to stop by later today after their new weekly ritual of brunching and complaining about their kids.

"Minyoung-ssi?" She jumps a little when Mrs. Hwang enters the room with a tray bearing a glass of smoothie and a cup of tea. "Have the ginger tea while it's warm. I was afraid you'd fall sick after getting wet in the rain yesterday."

Minyoung gratefully picks up the tea from the tray and lets Mrs. Hwang keep the smoothie on the bedside table. "I'm making jamppong for lunch. So don't fill up on donuts again. Actually, you shouldn't walk all the way to that shop with your foot. You just take a walk with Bubsy nearby okay? Changwook-ssi said you can take off the bandages if you want. And if you're perfectly fine, give me names. I'm the daughter of a boxer you know. I know 100 ways to whoop ." Mrs. Hwang even throws some swift punches in the air with self-produced sound effects.

"Ajhumma..." Minyoung gives her a watery smile. "Thank you... I don't know what... where I would end up if it weren't for you..." She guides Bubbles off her lap to sluggishly get off the bed. "Could you help me find something that will cover my neck? The moms will be here today, so..."

Mrs. Hwang glances at her neck and sighs, "Are you sure you don't want to report this? This isn't okay... that man should be punished..."

Minyoung wants to say that it won't happen again. Instead she blurts, "Am I pathetic... for not fighting back...?"

 "Oh honey..." Mrs. Hwang immediately gathers her trembling body in her arms. "Don't you dare think this is your fault. I know very well fear can be paralyzing. And who says you aren't fighting? You're not letting what that man did stop you from living. You're putting your past behind and moving forward. That is you fighting back. There's no one who can break you."

She's out of tears, the miserable ones. But these words warm her heart. Mrs. Hwang pulls away, beaming like a proud mother. "I know you're a fighter. You'll last. Now, why don't you take a shower and I'll pull out some clothing options for you. I have a few ideas."

That's how Mrs. Hwang styles Minyoung in a pair of shorts and a black tank top under Changwook's shirt that is longer than her shorts, buttoned only at the top so the broad collar almost hid her neck.

"My goodness! I'm amazing!" Mrs. Hwang marvels at her excellent styling while Minyoung arranges her hair to cover what little of her neck is peeking out of the collar.

Bubbles is nuzzling her slipper, a request to go out. He hasn't been outdoors since the day before yesterday and he's getting insistent about wanting to go out. The dog happily bounces alongside the feet that head out of the room and runs to its favourite scooter as soon as they are in the living room.

"Bubs is going to grow up lazy if you take him on the scooter everywhere." Mrs. Hwang sighs when Minyoung puts the harness on Bubbles and loops the other end of the leash once on the scooter's handle. "I make him walk at regular intervals. If he's on the scooter I don't have to worry over him running away."

Mrs. Hwang allows Minyoung's reasoning. In the few times she's taken Bubbles along while running errands, the puppy has the tendency to wander off. Somehow he's only obedient to Jaejoong and Changwook. Mrs. Hwang tucks a bottle of water and a few dog treats in the scooter's little basket before Minyoung heads out.

She's slower than usual with her foot. She doesn't limp but every few steps her foot would throb and she'd have to pause till the pain subsides. She'd either stand on the pathway with the support of the scooter or sit down if there's a convenient spot.

Bubbles doesn't mind, sprawled on the scooter and basking in the sun, tail wagging happily. The usual 20-minute walk to get to the donut shop takes over an hour, Minyoung notes while taking a breather in this relatively quiet area of the neighbourhood. Even though she's been visiting this neighbourhood for months, she hasn't explored the place until a few days ago.

And now she's sure she's taken a wrong turn. She can see the rooftop of their house from where she's standing but she has to somehow go around this other house she's standing outside. She's not getting very clear directions from her phone's GPS either.

Bubbles barks at her now that he's finished his little treat. He wants to go home as well. Her own grumbling stomach says it's time to go home.

She shouldn't have taken that small donut. It's barely sustained her.

"Don't tell your Appa we got lost okay? For all he knows we spent the entire time at the donut shop." Bubbles grumbles as if offended. "Okay fine! I ate the donut. But it was just the tiny little one. You on the other hand ate a whole bag of doggie treats!" Bubbles yips back at her to argue. "Yeah whatever! Let's just go home."

Minyoung puts her phone back in her shorts' pocket and starts dragging the scooter down the lane. She's hoping that the left turn at the end of the wide property she's standing next to turns towards their house she can see from here.

The walk lets her admire the modern design of this house from the outside. Changwook's house is modern and minimalistic. This one seems brighter with a more vacation feel. Both houses are a stark contrast to the house Yunho just bought.

The realtor told them that original owner of the house wanted the feel of a red brick townhouse in New York. While the other properties had wide gardens, that house had the massive indoor pool Yunho coveted for Jaejoong.

Minyoung also learned from the realtor that all the houses in this neighbourhood are different because some wealthy people would buy the property and build a vacation home to their individual aesthetic. But this neighbourhood lost its escapism value when the mall and theatre came up just outside it. But it's the right balance of isolated and still close to the city.

Mrs. Hwang and most of the staff were working for the previous owner, an old couple who opted to visit their kids overseas during the holidays and their vacation home became Changwook's new home. Now a lot of houses here are empty most of the year. Changwook and herself and now Yunho and Jaejoong being the only permanent residents.

But she notices some bustling in this house that's supposed to be empty. Minyoung hates to be nosy but she blatantly stares at the goings-on in the house as she limps slowly past the gate. There doesn't seem to be any person moving in yet. There isn't any stuff being moved into the house. Just a person or two seen moving about the house visible through the windows.

Minyoung assumes it's a prospective buyer looking at the place. Now she wholly expects Changwook to implode at the thought of socializing with potentially new neighbours moving into the house behind them.

Loud yapping and the scooter nearly falling forces Minyoung to look away from the house and give her attention to the puppy that has somehow rolled off the scooter.

"Hey you! The agreement to let you have your royal ride is you don't try to run away by yourself. Look what you did!" Minyoung crouches awkwardly on her throbbing foot to disentangle the leash that's somehow caught in the front wheel. The band has very tediously inserted itself in a thin gap above the wheel.

Even as her fingers try to release it, Minyoung is considering taking Bubbles out of the harness and carrying him and the scooter. She decides it would be easier to pull it out if there’s no dog on the other end and detaches the harness off Bubbles. At that moment, someone steps out of that expansive gate and instantly recognizes the dog and its striking blue scooter.

"Hey! That's the same dog on the scoot-" Minyoung had whipped her head behind to look at the person who just spoke and both gasp in shock.

Minyoung and Minho stare at each other for a long minute, determining if the other is real and if they are, what is the other going to do. Minyoung feels a growing burn in a throat like someone poured boiling water down .

Unknowingly her hand clutches her neck that's suddenly aching, remembering this man's hand had clutched her there only 24 hours ago. In a fit of panic, she undid Bubbles' harness completely and let the dog scamper away on its own. She barely registers some other voices in that house when she's hastily picking up the scooter. She intends to run away with it but she's not above weaponizing it if means not reliving the fearful pain.

But she had only made it two steps when suddenly she's being shoved forward. A wave of terror once again hits her when she realizes she's being pressed against the brick wall. An unforgiving grip is on her arm and a large hand is covering . Her voice is again failing her and she can