"I love you, Kang Seulgi." She whispers. "I don't say it often. I probably don't show it often either, but I love you."

Seulgi turns to her, sighing. She's still pissed, but her heart always melts every time Joohyun says the three letter words to her.

Every. single. time.

Even now. How annoying.

"I've known you for years, I know how you are like. I never doubted your love for me. It's just that.. it hurts seeing you acted so recklessly when our lives are on the line. Not just mine, but yours too." She groans faintly, shaking her head. "It reminds me of the old days when you would work yourself to death for that freaking hospital. And this time it literally is the matter of life and death. I know how important being a surgeon is to you, but there should be a line somewhere, Hyun."

Joohyun nods, not knowing how to put her thoughts into words. She stays silent for a little while before muttering, "I didn't think he would actually hurt you. If I knew, if I could turn back time, I'd cooperate with him from the very beginning. I don't know why I'm like this.." She starts choking slightly. "He's right. A lot of us surgeons are really arrogant and unsympathetic. We're emotionally numb." She chuckles ironically. "I do love you, Seul. Or at least I feel like I do, but maybe you shouldn't trust me."

Seulgi moves to cover Joohyun's mouth with her hand, shushing her and shaking her head in disagreement. "You express love in different ways. You don't buy me flowers, you give me fresh-cut fruits. You don't buy me jewelleries, you pay for my medical check ups, HPV vaccines and all that annoying crap. You keep taking sips of my beer even though you don't like it only so that I'll have less to drink. You only started saying I love you because you know I like saying it to you. You're not into those superficial things that normal people are and I'm fine with it."

Joohyun pries Seulgi's hand from . "No, I say I love you because I want to."

"Yes, I know. But you didn't use to throw it around so casually and you only started doing that because I told you I like hearing it and I appreciate that."

"I forced you to do medical check ups and get vaccinated because jewelleries don't make you live longer and I want to spend a long, long time in this world with you."

Seulgi nods yet again. "Now that I'm older I've come to realize that I like your ways of expressing love more than materialistic things and public display of affection." She says as her mind wanders to the man sitting outside. "Hyun, listen. If you really love me, please don't get yourself killed."

Joohyun lets her words sink in before responding, "If things get worse tomorrow and you have the opportunity to escape, just run."

"No, we're in this together." Seulgi says after digesting what she meant.

"No, we're not. This has nothing to do with you. Seriously, there's no point for the both of us to d-.. to get hurt."

Instead of agreeing, Seulgi suggests for Joohyun to hold the report hostage tomorrow after getting it and use it to bargain with the man. The thought of him going away peacefully after getting what he wanted actually seems kind of impossible now.

Joohyun definitely doesn't want to take that risk. "This is my problem, not yours. I won't be able to forgive myself if something happened to you again because of me. This.." She touches her ear gently. "This is already painful enough for me."

Seulgi assures her that she doesn't mind taking the chance. She understands now that it's not as simple as following the man's orders, they need to come up with Plan B, Plan C, and as many back up plans as they could think of. However, there really are limited options when you have a gun to your head.

"No." The surgeon stays firm. "You have to save yourself and let me deal with my own mistake."

The blonde only shakes her head, never for a second considered that option. "We're going to be okay, Hyun." She finally says, even though she feels like she's only giving the both of them false hope.

Joohyun props herself up on her elbow, staring straight into Seulgi's eyes. "Please, do it for me."

"Enough, I don't want to talk about this anymore." Seulgi spats, forgetting to whisper.

Joohyun shushes her immediately. The next second, they hear footsteps coming their way. She moves back to her side of the bed, waiting with her heart pounding.

Sangmin appears at the door, checking on them. Seulgi looks back at him innocently while Joohyun shuts her eyes and hides under the bed cover.

"Kids, don't make me separate you two." He says, walking into the bedroom. "Shut up and sleep!" He commands, turning off the bedside lamp. He goes back outside, turning off the lights there as well before opening the curtain to let the lights from outside in.

After making sure that the coast is clear, Seulgi pulls the bed cover and whispers to her, "We're gonna be okay. Go to the hospital and get the report. I'll try my best here to get on his good side."

Joohyun shows herself. "I don't want to leave you alone with him."

"We don't have a choice."

She bites her lip, thinking. "I'll try asking him tomorrow if you two can come with me to the hospital. You guys can wait outside."

"Okay, that's a good idea." Seulgi nods approvingly. "But if he says no, don't push it. I can take care of myself. He doesn't seem to be a ert. The way he patted us down earlier was rather.. polite."

Joohyun thinks back, remembering how the man used the back of his hands to pat some sensitive areas and has to admit that Seulgi is right.

"Okay." Joohyun nods her head, weirdly feeling slightly hopeful for the first time since the man entered their apartment. "We'll be okay." She props herself up, cupping Seulgi's cheeks. "We'll be okay." She repeats like it's a mantra, leaning in to give Seulgi a kiss on the lips.

"Hyun, he can see us." Seulgi tries to push her away weakly. She looks past Joohyun and catches Sangmin in time looking away from them; yet another proof that he's not a ert.

"I don't care." Joohyun whispers, giving her one more kiss on the forehead. She then grabs Seulgi's chin, turning her head carefully and leaning in. She brushes her lips softly against Seulgi's ear shell, cautious not to touch the injured area.

Seulgi shudders at the attention she's receiving. To ease the tension, she jokes, "We did get to play doctor after all." She says, referring to the moment when Joohyun took care of her ear.

Joohyun lets out a small chuckle. "Sleep, Seul. I'll keep a watch on him."

"I don't think I can." She replies, coincidentally yawning right after. "But if I fall asleep, wake me up  later so we can take turns."

"Okay." Joohyun simply says, not really planning on waking Seulgi up. Her girlfriend deserves to sleep peacefully.

She's about to turn away when Seulgi suddenly touches her stomach.

"Did it hurt?" Seulgi asks.

To be honest, Joohyun has almost forgotten that Seulgi punched her. "I deserved it."

"You did." Seulgi agrees with her. "But I still am sorry. It wasn't too hard, right?"

Joohyun shakes her head lightly, giving her a smile. It was a merciful punch. Seulgi works out at the gym and the punching bag is one of her favourites. If her intention was to hurt, Joohyun would probably still be on the floor right now.

"You've put the ointment on your face, right? I can smell it." She asks, receiving a nod from Joohyun. "Okat. Good night, Hyun."

Joohyun smiles at how normally Seulgi said it. As if nothing happened, like it was just their usual bedtime. She plays along, "Good night."

Seulgi finds it incredibly hard to fall asleep until she cuddles up to Joohyun, inhaling the familiar lavender scent more prominently. Her comfort scent on her comfort person. Joohyun puts her arm around her and gives her rhythmical taps on her back, helping l