{ Eunjin POV }

Eunkwang held my hand as he weaved through the busy streets. I didn’t understand his actions but decided to ignore it. After walking for a few minutes we stood out the front of a small café. I had never been there before but it looked nice; the outside was a muted blue with large windows that reflected the cloudy sky.

“This is my favourite place to come to with friends.” Eunkwang looked at me with a wide smile and I couldn’t help but smile back. The door opened with the tinkle of a bell and a middle aged woman with a kind face approached us.

“Oh, what a cute couple you two make!” She announced loud enough for the whole café to hear while giving Eunkwang a playful nudge in the ribs.

“No, we’re not-” The woman cut me off and steered us to a small table near the back. I noticed her name tag said Seyoung. Seyoung was freely chatting with Eunkwang which left me to sit there like a confused dork. ‘Perhaps they know each other?’ I would ask Eunkwang once Seyoung left.

“So, what can I get for you two?” Seyoung asked brightly with a pen and notepad ready. I picked up the rustic looking menu but came to a halt once I saw the prices of the items. ‘1500 won for a cup of coffee?!’ These prices were ridiculous but Seyoung was looking at me expectantly, so I ordered a simple pot of tea. Eunkwang ordered a decaf cappuccino. Seyoung smiled again and meandered the kitchen at a leisurely pace.

“So, Eunkwang. It seems Seyoung and you are close?” I asked casually, slightly awkward at the circumstances.

“Yeah, Seyoung is a friend of my mother’s, so I know her pretty well.” He replied just as casually while playing with a packet of sugar. His face seemed to fall slightly and the atmosphere became really uncomfortable really quickly. I hastily thought of something to say to make things less awkward but the most obvious question came out,

“Why did you take me out today?” I mentally facepalmed.

“Well, I just thought that after yesterday, you might want to get out of that apartment and have some fun.” He said sheepishly while folding a serviette into a diamond. He seemed restless, almost nervous. Before I could ask why, Seyoung returned with our drinks and set them down on the table before giving Eunkwang a knowing wink and leaving again. Ok, now I was really confused. We drank in silence then I followed Eunkwang in silence to the front counter. As I pulled out my wallet Eunkwang pushed my hand away gently and said he’s pay for everything.

“It’s ok, I’m more than capable of paying.” He said while he handed his debit card to Seyoung.

“But, it’s too expensive!” I tried to convince him other wise but he had resistance like steel.

“You don’t like others paying for you, do you?”

“The best way to avoid debt is to not owe in the first place.” I said defiantly. I had lived by that statement since high school and planned to use it for years to come. Eunkwang just laughed and said goodbye to Seyoung before grabbing my hand again and walking out of the café. The sun was now completely obscured by the clouds and the temperature had dropped by a few degrees.

“So, where to now?” Eunkwang asked while looking thoughtfully up and down the street. I was taken aback by the question as I was so sheltered that I didn’t really know anywhere fun to go.

“Um, you can choose. I don’t mind where we go.”

“Hm, how about the arcade?” Eunkwang was already pulling me down the footpath. I just smiled and nodded, letting him pull me along.

{ ??? POV }

I saw Eunjin and that Eunkwang go into some little café. I followed and sat at a table on the opposite side of the place and held up a menu to cover my face. If either of them saw me here, they’d freak. A waitress came up to me and asked for my order in a quiet voice. I wasn’t surprised as I looked out of place in the bright and cosy café. My black hood covered most of my face and I wore heavy buckled boots. I just ordered a bottle of water and she scurried away from me. I watched the two from afar and noticed how awkward and uncomfortable Eunjin seemed. If she were with me she’d never be like that. Soon the two finished and went to front counter to pay. I spotted Eunjin taking out her wallet but Eunkwang refused. Well, at least he did one thing right.

I got up and followed the two out the door and stood behind them at a distance. I only caught snippets of their conversation but it sounded like they were heading to the game arcade. Perfect. It would be packed in the arcade, meaning I would probably lose them in the crowd. But then again it would make me much more hidden.

The two walked, or more like were dragged along on Eunjin’s behalf, down the footpath towards the shopping centre where the arcade was. I looked up at the sky and saw the clouds ambling along, growing darker by the minute. Thunder rumbled towards the North, it would rain soon and the muted flashes in the clouds signalled lightening. I pulled my hood down further and continued to follow the pair.

{ Eunjin POV }

The sky was darkening and I heard the faint rumble of thunder. Most girls were afraid of thunder and lightening but I loved it. Ever since I were a child I had always loved listening to the thunder grow and roar, and watch the fantastic lightening split through the sky. It seemed as though Eunkwang thought differently than I as he pulled me quicker down the footpath. The large shopping centre came into view and we rushed inside as the rain started to come down lightly. I spotted the racing simulators and literally dragged Eunkwang to them.

After four races, two tries on the basketball machine and one failed attempt at the Dance Dance game, we had used up all our spare cash and I was about to faint from the loss of air due to laughing too much. I couldn’t remember the last time I had laughed so hard; it had been years since I had felt so carefree. As we headed towards the exit Eunkwang sat me down on a small bench and walked off somewhere. This gave me some time to go over today’s events. Admittedly, I was a little anxious about coming out with Eunkwang, and not because Minhyuk might find out. It was really nice of him to take me out and have some fun, it felt like I had earned a more important friend now that he knows everything.

Eunkwang returned a few minutes later with his hands behind his back but two furry white things protruded from behind him. Puzzled, I stood up and cautiously walked over to him, he had a very bright smile on his face. From behind his back, Eunkwang pulled out a large fluffy white bunny. It has small black eyes and a pale yellow ribbon around it’s neck. I squealed in joy and hugged the bunny tightly while jumping around in circles. I know I must have looked like a mental patient but I had my eye on the plushies for months but I would never ask Minhyuk to buy it for me.

“I’m glad you like it.” Eunkwang’s voice snapped me out of my fit and I turned to stare, finally realising that Eunkwang had bought me a gift. My eyes widened and I felt my face grow red. ‘Wait, why am I blushing?! Eunkwang is my friend and that is all he will ever be!’ I commanded myself to stop those thoughts. Minhyuk is my boyfriend, whether I like it or not. Quickly changing the subject I pushed Eunkwang towards the exit, signalling it was time to leave. The sky was even darker than before, almost black which was highlighted by bright flashes of lightening.

“Well, this .” Eunkwang announced slightly annoyed.

“It’s not raining yet and thunder’s not going to kill us.” I looked up at him with a smirk. He just gave me a look that shouted ‘are you serious?’. I just started down the footpath at a relaxed pace while hugging the bunny to my chest. Eunkwang caught up and stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets while looking up at the sky worriedly.

“So, where do you want to go now?” I asked casually.

“It’s gonna rain soon. We should get you home.”

“But it would start pouring down before we got anywhere near my apartment.” I mean, we were almost on the other side of the city again.

“We’ll go back to my place and get my car, then I’ll drop you off. How does that sound?”

“Sure, but we better hurry.” A few splatters of rain were starting to drop and the thunder was moving towards us quickly. Our pace quickened and soon we were jogging down the footpath. I had no idea how far Eunkwang’s place was from here but I assumed it was still a few minutes away. The rain was coming down now and Eunkwang had grabbed my hand and was guiding me down the path. He tugged me into a tight alley that was strangely familiar; it was the same alley he had found me in the other day. The ground was extra slippery and my shoes weren’t best suited for wet weather. Soon I slipped and fell on my backside, my shoe flying off my foot and sailing out of sight down the other end of the alley. Eunkwang stopped and bent down to pick me up but I asked him to find my shoe first, I didn’t want him to have to carry me back to his place again.

He hesitated at first but soon ran off down the alley in search of my shoe. I pushed myself up on the wall and hopped over to a low brick fence and sat on the mostly dry surface. I wrung out my hair and rolled up the bottoms of my now soaked jeans. It was beginning to get cold so I wrapped my arms around myself. The alley was deathly quiet besides the sound of the heavy rain pounding on the ground and roofs of nearby homes and buildings. A figure appeared at the end of the alley and I leaned forward to see if it were Eunkwang or not. The sheets of rain obscured my view so the person was nothing but a blur, which was unnerving. Playing it safe, I just leaned back against the brick wall and waited for the person to leave, but instead of leaving they walked further into the alley, towards me. I ducked my head and huddled together as the person passed by me but when I looked up they were right in front of me. A wet black hood covered their face but they seemed very familiar.

“Um, can I help you?” I asked meekly, doubting they even heard me over the pounding rain. The person just laughed eerily but I was sure I’d heard that laugh before. Though they top half of their face was hidden behind the hood, I recognised that mischievous smirk. Jihoon. Remembering what happened last time we met, I shot up from the low fence and tried to run off down the alley. But before I could take two steps Jihoon had grabbed my wrists and pinned them to the wall behind me. He had removed his hood and he had the same bold expression he had last time we were in this situation. I forced myself to try and look serious but it quickly faded to fear.

“Let me go! Now!” I screamed at him but he just tightened his grip on my wrists. He just laughed roughly and leaned in further. I squirmed and struggled against his grip but he pressed himself harder against me. I was on the verge of tears and I began to wonder what I had done in my life to deserve such punishment. I felt Jihoon’s face getting closer and I squeezed my eyes shut but before I gave up all hope I let out a final scream for help.

Jihoon had crushed his lips onto mine and I whimpered. He was obviously experienced in this field but he was extremely rough and my back was aching from the surface of the brick wall. I had lost all hope in a saviour and I succumbed to Jihoon, going limp in his hands. But Jihoon was abruptly pulled off me and I fell to the wet ground in a heap. I forced my head up to meet the sight of Eunkwang holding Jihoon by the throat like last time. But this time Eunkwang was completely serious and his hand clenched like steel on Jihoon’s throat. His eyes were black and if looks could kill, Jihoon was be slaughtered.

“I thought I made it clear last time. Never.Touch.Eunjin.Again.” Eunkwang was scaring even me with his deadly stare. He threw Jihoon into the alley wall and picked him up again before punching repeatedly in the face. The sound of skin on skin made me cringe and Jihoon’s face was black and blue with a coating of blood. Soon he became silent and Eunkwang dropped him to the ground and gave him a ice cold glower before snapping back to his usual caring side.

 He crouched down and picked me up in his arms before sprinting out of the alley. He said nothing but I felt a mixture of safety and fear around him now. The rain was still pelting down but he ran as quick as ever and soon we had reached his apartment. Instead of going straight to his car, he took the stairs two at a time and hurled his apartment door open. Not bothering to take off his wet shoes he walked right into the lounge room and placed me down gently. I was shaking with cold and fear causing my teeth to chatter. Eunkwang went to touch my face but withdrew his hand as it was covered with blood.

“I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have seen that, but he…” Eunkwang trailed  off and drew his hand into a fist making his knuckles go white with rage. It looked like he would explode soon so I placed my hand softly on his put on a shaky smile.

“It’s ok, you were just protecting me. Thank you.” I looked straight into his eyes and squeezed his hand. Eunkwang meant a lot to me now and I felt flattered that he would go to such lengths to keep me safe. But what happened next caught me off guard.

Eunkwang put his other hand on top of mine and leaned towards me with a gloomy expression. I had no idea what he was doing but I was too confused to even move. He stopped a few centimetres from my face and looked at me intensely. I blinked several times and my face grew hot at the close proximity. I opened my mouth to say something but not a word came out. Eunkwang leaned in further and closed the gap between us, placing his lips firmly on mine. My eyes widened and I froze where I sat, my mind seemed to have shut down momentarily. Before I could realise what I was doing I found myself kissing him back, all my worries flew out the window. Soon Eunkwang pulled away and we stared at each other for a few moments in awe. ‘Eunkwang…just kissed…me? But…he’s not…’ My thoughts were jumbled and the throbbing heat in my face made it hard to think straight. But I was brought back to reality when something cold and wet slipped onto my foot, my lost shoe. Eunkwang stood up and walked to the front door again and looked at me with a raised eyebrow, meaning I should follow. We walked down the stairs in silence and he pulled the car out onto the wet road with ease. The ride back to my place was quiet and I was still in a state of shock at what happened. ‘Does he like me?’ That couldn’t possibly be true. I mean we had known each other for years but he never expressed any interest. Soon he pulled up at my apartment and I looked at him shyly from the corner of my eye. Giving him a quick nod in thanks I opened the door and rushed into the apartment before slamming the door and throwing myself onto my bed. Thousands of thoughts went through my head and I felt a sudden fatigue creep up on me, causing me to collapse on the heap of clothes and bags still lying out from my earlier excavation.

Hello Hello! Sorry this chapter took a little longer to update, i didn't much feel like writng on Monday. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't kill me because of Jihoon.

Comments and subscriptions are much appreciated.