Eri slunk down in the driver's seat of her Porsche in the parking lot of Bunhong High. She watched as women walk to enter the arched entrance of the school. Suddenly overcome with a feeling of impending doom, her heart beat starting to quicken against her ribs. Lightheaded and disoriented, it took a moment for her to realize she was having an anxiety attack.

Once she did, she tried one of the strategies she'd found online, distracting herself by counting backward from hundred by threes.

It wasn't working, and it became difficult to breathe. In an effort to calm herself, she put her hand over her chest massaging it.

That didn't work either.

Now her ears are ringing.

Then she realized it was her phone. She fumbled for it in her purse. "Hello." She said, her voice a strangled rasp.

"Eri where are you?" Seokjin asked, sounding angry.

"My car. Parking lot. Bunhong high. Can't breathe."

"Okay, just sit back and relax. You're going to be fine. You know it's an anxiety attack. You talked yourself out one before, you can do it again."

"It's worse. Feel sick. Gonna throw up."

"Pretend I'm there with you, that I'm holding you in my arms. I wish I was you know."

"I wish... you... were too." She whispered, still having a hard time controlling her breath.

"We're not over Rii. Don't even think about it. I'll be home before dark, and we'll talk."

"That's what... it was last time, and then you... you went out with Sooah. She's here, you know. I saw her walk inside... with Jieun and Yeseul. I can't do it. I know you want me to do it. But I just can't. I'm having an anxiety attack and I haven't even stepped inside yet."

"Good girl. You did well."

"What are you talking about? I just told you I can't do it. I haven't been inside the school. I'm definitely going to embarrass myself and–"

"I'm listening. Your breathing's evened out. Your anxiety attack is over."

"Oh, I didn't notice." She hated her episodes. They embarrassed her and made her feel weak. She used to run from her cubicle and hide in the women's toilet when she was still a newbie at work whenever the stress was too much and felt her irregular heartbeat. Then after she got promoted and had her own office, she'd stay there everytime she felt like her heartbeat started to double and triple time. No one else saw her in that situation. That's why people think she's cold and aloof, and had her sh*t together all the time. But eventually she was able to live with it and it didn't happen often. It had been a while since her last one, until she came back here in Bunhong that she felt like she's been having it every other day. How could Seokjin want to be with her?

"Listen..." There was a long pause before he came back on the line. "I was calling to say I'm sorry. I messaged you last night but I didn't get a reply. When you started talking about suing Joon, I got mad but I–"

"I understand. He's your brother. He’s family and I'm just–"

"Eri, would you please let me finish?"

"No, I'm just letting you know that I'm not suing. It's just a habit from work. I can't punch erted clients or people with hidden agenda and dirty business so my phrase is always to sue. It's like a defense mechanism of sorts." She said. "And even though it's unfair, I don't know why this is happening to me. Haven't I suffered enough back in high–"

Seokjin cut her off with a sigh. "Can you give me a minute here? What I'm trying to tell you is that I wasn't thrilled you threatened to sue Joon, but it's not why I was mad. I was mad that you keep sabotaging yourself. Where is the confident woman I saw walking down the streets of Yeouido like she owned the place?"

Yeouido is part of Seoul's central business district. That's where her office building is located. But how'd Seokjin knew that? And saw? She was about to ask him but then someone knocked on her window. "Just a minute." She said to Seokjin, then rolled it down. There was a young girl unfamiliar to her. "Yes?"

"Hello, uncle told me to come and get you, and show you where the meeting is. He said you haven't been here for a long time and wouldn't remember where to go."

"Your uncle is who?"

"Seokjin. Kim Seokjin."

"And you are?"

"Dahye. Ahn Dahye."

"Thank you. That's very nice of you. I'll just be a minute okay?"

"Okay." The girl smiled.

Eri smiled back before rolling up the window, swallowing past the wedge of fear in . She put the phone back to her ear. "A girl named Dahye is here."

"She's Dana's niece, also in the student council. She'll be attending the meeting too. If you don't want to go, I'll call Joon to assign you to something else. But Rii, I think you should."

"Of course you do. You're the conquer-your-fears type of guy, I get it. But Seokjin, this might sound immature to you, but I don't want to save Bunhong High."

"The girls bullied you Rii, not the school. They're adults now, and life's not really been good to them. Hopefully that knocked some sense in them. If it hasn't, that's their problem not yours. Don't let them get to you. Call me after your meeting."

"Okay. Thank you for calling and sending Dahye."

"Wouldn't be much of a knight in shining armor if I didn't look after my girl, would I?"

"Wait, you know Kii's nickname for you?"

"Small town remember?"

"Sorry I didn't mean to keep you waiting." Eri apologized to the teenager. She didn't want to