“Stop! She’s gone!” Haemi began to feel his body ease up, though his breathing still unstable. She slowly released the grip around his waist once her mother was out of sight.

“Seh—“ the editor called out to him again, but her words were cut short. Sehun pulled away from her, his body language felt distanced once more. 

“Stay away from her,” he firmly warned. 

That was the last thing he said before taking off. A conflicted Haemi wanted to follow him, but she was caught up in such a horrible timing with work in the way. The image of Sehun’s outburst was still fresh in her mind, and that was easily one of the scariest moments in her life. But more than anything, she wondered what caused him to react the way he did. It was something that she had been accustomed to, but definitely not to this extend. Something happened during those five years. The thought of letting him slip away suddenly felt wrong to her. Haemi didn’t want to let him suffer alone anymore, not like this. As if her life depends on it, she bolted towards Sehun’s way. He barely managed to unlock his car until Haemi’s restless body beat him to the passenger side. She hurriedly invited herself in, securely strapped, and ready to go within the short minute it took for him to assess the situation. 

“What are you doing?” he asked, his face wore a puzzled expression. Sehun walked over to her side, crouching down to meet the girl at eye level. He grabbed the door handle, planning to her out but the quick-witted editor slammed the lock button as her last resort. A bewildered smile played on his lips, the writer could only laugh in disbelief after she locked him out of his own car. Seeing how ridiculously determined the girl was, he had no other choice but to join her in the driver’s seat. 

“I’ll give you one more chance to leave, or else you’re stuck with me for the rest of the day,” Sehun gave her a last warning as he readjusted his seatbelt. The lack of response made him start the engine, it was then when he caught a slight panic in her eyes. Accelerating at full speed, Sehun took off in a heartbeat when she deliberately refused to get off. With no destination in mind, he kept driving until he felt satisfied. Haemi remained silent throughout the ride, only until her phone went off. She cursed out loud when the caller ID came to her attention, forgetting the fact that she left work without an explanation.

“Where did you go?!” Mina’s voice resounded through, loud enough for Sehun to recognize as well.

“I’m sorry, something came up. Can you make up an excuse for me. It’s an emergency.” Haemi whispered the last part, turning her head away from the driver as she finished up the rest of their conversation. Mina only needed a good enough reason to comply, and she did just that. At times like this, she felt extra grateful to be working alongside her friend. The surprise phone conversation dragged on longer than she had expected, leading her to realize that Sehun drove them out of the city when she ended the call. hung with lips slightly parted as the familiar road became foreign to her now. 

“Where are we?” she asked him, finally ending the silent treatment between the two of them.

He shrugged, “Somewhere far.”

Sehun wasn’t kidding when he said that. The car ride felt endless at one point, and the few minutes Haemi took to rest her eyes turned to hours. Waking up to the gentle sound of ocean waves crashing, a light breeze swirled through the open windows that the driver had purposely rolled down. In her half asleep state, Haemi couldn’t help but to poke her head out for a quick inhale of that classic, briny beach smell. The car was empty by the time she woke up from her nap, but it wasn’t hard to spot Sehun strolling along the shoreline from where she was. 

Haemi caught up to him, only to follow quietly behind to give the writer some personal space. It felt like he needed it after what her mother did earlier today. When looking in front of her, the only thing she could see was his back, despite the vast ocean surrounding them. Unbeknown to the girl, her steps quickened as his began to cease. And when Sehun came to a complete stop, the clueless individual behind him ended up