Her phone sat on her desk pitifully as she waited for a call.

A deafening silence echoed through her apartment as the young woman stood, waiting for the call, for the sweet coo of his voice. It was the voice she loved to hear at the end of the day; the one that sweetly questioned her and listened to all her problems before inputting his opinion. He was her shelter, her lover, and at the same time, the one she hated the most at times.

Jung Daehyun – the number one busy city man that Eunji knew of who had to take a client today, despite it being the weekend. He was a hardworking young man who never took no for an answer. Though he was often busy, he always took the time to meet his girlfriend and would often get scolded by his assistant for that.

Thinking now, she was always the one to wait for his calls. At this moment though, she shook the conflicting thoughts out of her head. Just one call from Daehyun was all she needed.

When her phone rang, anticipation twinkled in her eyes. She answered it in a heartbeat with an excited greeting.

“I’m back. Did you miss me?”

Her heart stopped at the sound of a different voice. It was the one that serenaded her to sleep at night in the past, the one the lulled her back to her dreams when she awoke from a nightmare. But he, he had become her worse nightmare.

Her eyes dilated as she struggled to conjure a proper response. Her arm stuck to her side and she began to perspire. Her voice got caught in and she felt her tears readying themselves to slip out. Though why, she didn’t know.

The man on the other line chuckled. “Aw baby,” he cooed. “You’ve been waiting for me to come back, haven’t you?”

Those are your own thoughts, she wanted to say to him. I never said anything like that. Yet her voice betrayed her, nothing coming out as she opened .

“I see you’re no longer in your old apartment. But don’t worry babe, I’ll find you.”

She gasped upon hearing his comment. She didn’t know which was more terrifying – the fact that he stood in her old apartment at this moment or his declaration that he'll find her. The phone nearly slipped out of her fingers. Her body grew cold and she could feel a gust of wind roll off her arms even though no windows were open.

“Baby, the chase has just begun.”

The phone clicked and a monotone drone replaced his husky voice. She shivered and crumbled to the floor, shaking mercilessly. Eunji buried her face in her knees with hopes to conceal herself from his wandering eyes, wherever they were.

Kwon Jiyong was back. She knew nothing was going to stop him from finding her. If anything did, they were as good as ghosts.

The phone rang again but her arms limped at her sides, refusing to answer it. She swiped her thumb across the screen, knowing it was the call she had been waiting all day. It was the voice that she had been endlessly waiting.

She knew she should tell Daehyun about Jiyong's return. But she couldn’t bring herself to raise her arm to answer the phone. The ringing ceased before she could react and she drowned herself in the silence of her home.

---

“Hi there, welcome to Coffeest. Is there anything that I can get you?” She asked the customer with her head ducked down.

“Is that how you treat your boyfriend?” The voice teased.

Her head shot up, gaping at her boyfriend’s presence. “Daehyun… What are you doing here?” She asked, dumbfounded.

“Picking up my sweet girlfriend who ignored my call last night,” he replied, tucking his long fingers under her chin. Stealing a quick peck from her lips, he smirked at her reaction.

She shoved him lightly as she hissed, “Not here. I’m still working!”

“So you’re implying that after work, I get to play with you all I want?” A smug look replaced his smirk and he crossed his arms in amusement.

“Mister, if you aren’t going to order anything, would you so kindly move to the side? I still have a few customers to tend to.” She gestured to the two other customers behind him who were grinning widely at the two youngsters.

Daehyun’s head shot to his left, sidestepping and flashed an apologetic smile to the old couple. They waved him off and began giving their orders to her. Eunji registered their orders quickly before directing them to an empty table, kindly informing to wait for their sweets and coffee. The old woman – possibly in her late 60s, Daehyun thought – immediately perked up, her eyes nearly disappearing from her smile. Wrinkles formed by her eyes, revealing all that she’s suffered through her years of living. Would they be like the couple when they’re old too?

Eunji returned back to her spot behind the counter, happily humming to a song. Daehyun quietly followed behind and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend’s waist.

“So is Your Highness ready to leave?” He rested his chin on her head. Eunji giggled and turned around.

“Just let me go tell Sooyeon-unnie I’m leaving now.” Daehyun nodded and watched his girlfriend’s back disappear into the kitchen that was obscured from the public’s eye. A smile crinkled on his face. He couldn’t imagine what he would do if he never met her. He may still very well be lounging in a bar at night, waiting for countless women to please him. Daehyun watched the two women converse with each other. As he continued to wait, he realized that their conversation wasn't going to end any time soon.

Good thing there aren't any customers at the moment, he thought. He trashed that thought soon after as a shrill bell echoed.  

A ring ricocheted through the shop but no one took notice of it. Only Daehyun felt the chills crawl up the back of his spine, the stranger carrying an ominous feeling with him as he sauntered in. His eyes narrowed at the heavily coated man. It was a relatively warm day today and all the customers lounging in the shop were wearing light clothing, nothing as heavy compared to the man's clothes.

His broad shoulders were a familiar feature but Daehyun couldn’t begin to imagine who it belonged to. His eyes were shielded from the sun by a pair of branded sunglasses and the stranger didn’t bother taking it off. This strange man carried a familiar threatening aura but unable to decipher anything only from his appearance, Daehyun decided to push the thought aside.

His girlfriend returned a while later, back into his embrace as he pulled her in. It was obvious she had a nice chat with her unnie and Daehyun took note of her good mood.

“Ready to go?” He asked.

Eunji nodded eagerly and Daehyun intertwined their fingers. Tugging on them gently, he led them out the shop, away from the mysterious stranger.

---

He couldn’t tear his gaze away the two and immediately tore his sunglasses away the moment the two exited the shop. The fury in his eyes grew with every waking moment as he struggled to refrain himself from flipping the table. Is this the person that took her away from him? After telling her he would be going on a business trip and pleaded her to wait for him, this was the result? He could have been playing with girls everyday if he wanted while he was gone these past four years, but he didn't. He remained loyal to her and fought against the urge to play with women. And what did she do during the four years he had gone away?

His anger soon subsided as an evil grin stretched from ear to ear. His chair made a loud squeak on the wooden floor but no one noticed. He left the shop and the shop’s serenity remained undisturbed, as if he was never here.

He would catch her heart again at all costs. He may have found her, but the real chase only just began.

---

“Daehyunnie! Where are we going?” Eunji questioned. He remained silent as they navigated the streets swiftly, Daehyun hoping to lose themselves in the busy streets of the city. Yet wherever he went, he could still feel the lingering presence of the suspicious figure from the shop.

They walked around the streets, checking out a variety of shops. Eunji rambled on about her day and Daehyun made his occasional inputs to encourage his girlfriend to continue speaking. Suddenly, a reminder popped into his head. There was a reason he pulled his girlfriend out shopping today.

Swiftly turning a corner, Eunji’s eyes widened in shock.

“Where are we going? This isn't our usual route." Daehyun looked down at his girlfriend and winked. “You’ll know when we get there.”

 

Daehyun cringed at the overflowing amount of cuteness of the store when they arrived but Eunji was flooding with giddiness. She stumbled in, with Daehyun following close behind. Eunji’s mouth hung open wide, bewildered at all the pretty things that sat patiently, waiting to be bought.

"You'll catch flies if you open your mouth so wide," he laughed, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“How did you find this shop Daehyunnie?” She mused happily. He shrugged but he was overjoyed himself that he had found this place. Whatever made his girlfriend happy indistinctively made him happy.

He let his girlfriend browse the merchandise alone for a while and disappeared to the back of the store, analyzing the couple rings. Which one would be perfect for them? He pondered in his mind. Huddling over the display, he wasn’t aware his girlfriend had sneaked up behind him.

“Boo!” She roared, snaking her arms around his waist. Daehyun immediately tensed but relaxed when he discovered it was only his girlfriend. Laughing at her boyfriend, she took a peek at what Daehyun was staring at so intently.

“Would you like one?” She asked, pointing to all the display.

“N-No, it’s fine,” Daehyun stammered. “I just thought…”

He didn’t need to complete his sentence before Eunji understood. She pointed at a simple one with a heart design.

“Let’s get this one,” Eunji suggested. “To remind us that we’re not complete without each other.”

Daehyun chuckled at her comment. “You’re so cheesy. And you’re always saying I’m the one with cheesy lines,” he taunted.

She began to protest when Daehyun picked the pair that Eunji had pointed out and paid for it. The salesperson smiled smugly at them.

“You guys look great together,” she stated. Daehyun let out a low chuckle, thanking her for the compliment. Eunji wandered off not too far from the cashier to browse something that had caught her eye. Something that looked strangely similar to her boyfriend...

By the counter, the salesperson slipped an additional paper into the small bag holding the rings.

“If you ever get bored, call me,” she told him in a soft voice, winking at him. Daehyun held back a snort and nodded his head.

Though Eunji had pretended not to notice, she had indeed seen the moves the salesperson pulled on her boyfriend. As they exited the store, she pouted angrily.

“Can’t she see your girlfriend’s right beside you?” She exclaimed furiously. “And yet she still had the guts to try and hook up with you!”

Daehyun turned to her and pinched her nose. “Aw, is my girlfriend jealous?” He teased.

“N-No…”

They stopped in the middle of the road and Daehyun pecked her forehead gently. “You know I’ll never accept anyone but you,” he whispered. “So don’t think of unruly things, all right?”

Her lips tug up into a sweet smile and she nodded obediently.

Daehyun dug his hand into the bag and took out one of the rings. Taking Eunji’s right hand, he slipped the ring onto her middle finger. Eunji’s eyes sparkled at his actions and she looked up into his warm gaze happily.

“Thank you,” she whispered. Daehyun said nothing, only closing the distance that separated the two. She melted into the kiss, slowly growing weaker in the knees. If she knew Daehyun was going to kiss her like that in the middle of the street, she would’ve declined. Such kisses always led to something else, something that couldn’t be done in the public.

He bit her bottom lip gently and Eunji suppressed the moan itching at . The heat spread to every tip of her body, each part of her body threatening to shut down. She pulled away from him before things got even more heated, taking shallow breaths.

Daehyun smirked at the effect he had on her before twining their fingers again. He pulled her along as they continued to chatter while checking the shops by the street.

Though they were having fun, the thought of the mysterious man still hadn’t disappeared from his thoughts. He probably shouldn’t have stopped in the middle of the street a moment ago. It revealed their location to everyone, the man included. Cautious of his surroundings, he glanced around. Every once in a while, he would check the window displays as they walked by the shops to check for the mysterious person.

And there he was; not trailing behind them but rather across the street, following their every step. Daehyun grit his teeth and pulled his girlfriend along, surprising the latter.

“What’s the matter Daehyun?” Eunji’s eyebrows knit worriedly as she looked up to her boyfriend. A hesitant smile spread across his face and he was careful not to let his worry slip out onto his expression.

“Nothing,” he breathed out. “Come on, let’s catch the bus and we can hang out at my house tonight.”

She nodded and they were lucky that the bus came at that precise moment. Though Daehyun had been careful not to let his worry slip out, Eunji had caught it. She could quite place what his worry was on. Maybe it’s just a simple matter, she thought to herself. A conflicting thought replied her naïve one.

But he has never hidden anything from me before.

Quickly climbing on, Daehyun checked to make sure the man hadn't boarded the bus either. Breathing a sigh of relief, he turned his attention back to his girlfriend who was now admiring her ring.

Eunji wasn’t going to let that worry her; he would tell her in all due’s time. If there was one thing that she could always rely on Daehyun for was his trust. He was never able to hide anything from her, whether she confronted him or he spoke up himself.

---

His target had abruptly boarded the now arriving bus. Caught off guard, a stream of thoughts invaded his mind. Where were they going? Brushing those thoughts aside, his first instinct was to run after the bus and attempt to board it. A string of curses escaped his lips as he raced towards the now departing bus.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to catch the bus successfully. He was only met with the exhaust from the bus, leaving him fuming. His eyebrows furrowed together, irritation knitted visibly on his face. Tousling his dirty blonde hair, he let out a disappointed grunt.

“Damn, I was so close.”

---

The night was spent cuddling on Daehyun’s couch while they watched movie after movie. Slowly though, Eunji’s eyes began drooping. She struggled to stay awake as they watched the movie about an assassin on the hunt for revenge. It was a very action-packed movie but she was exhausted from their outing. Not to mention the overflowing amount of emotions she felt today; she didn’t know how much more she could take.

“Daehyun-ah, I’m getting tired. Do you mind driving me home?” Her voice grew softer with every syllable, a sign that she was drifting off to slumber.

“Why don’t you stay for the night?” Daehyun asked, alarmed at her gentle demand. “I don’t mind, you can sleep in my bed.”

Eunji shook her head. “It’s all right,” she kindly declined. “I need to go home to change.”

Daehyun nodded hesitantly, unsure if he really wanted to send her back to her apartment. What if the suspicious man from earlier today was waiting for her there? Don’t be paranoid Daehyun. It was probably just your imagination, he managed to convince himself.

“Okay,” Daehyun finally said, complying with her request. “Just let me go grab my car keys.” He rose from his spot and disappeared into the kitchen.

Without the warmth of her boyfriend, she shuddered against the couch but soon found herself dozing off again. The young girl curled into a fetal position in hopes to stay warm, drifting off into a dream that only included her and Daehyun.

Her phone rang and she groaned a sleepy greeting into the receiver.

“Where are you babe?” His husky voice whispered angrily into the receiver. Eunji sat straight up, feeling more awake than ever.

“Stop calling me,” she hissed into the receiver.

“So you can talk to me now, can you?” He mocked. “Funny how you couldn’t utter a word at all last time we spoke.

“So it seems you’ve got yourself a boyfriend now. Is that why you didn’t speak last night?” A tinge of rage was present in his voice and she winced at his sharp tone.

“Have you been following me?” She snapped.

“I can’t believe you didn’t keep your end of the promise. I told you to wait for me,” he snarled into the receiver.

“I never said that,” she disagreed. “Those were your own thoughts, not mine.”

A menacing holler shook every nerve in her body, followed by a clack. The man on the other end had flung his phone on the floor and miraculously, it hadn't broken from the fall. A deep breath could be heard as the man calmly picked up the phone once again.

Frightened by the anger the once innocent young man displayed, she didn’t know if she wanted to reply to any of his comments anymore. Honestly, she wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

He began again, this time with an arrogant tone to his voice. “Babe, I told you that I’ll find you. And when I get a hold of you, you’ll be mine.” The husk in his voice startled her.

The line went dead again and her arm dropped to her side, the beeps quietly bouncing off the walls of Daehyun’s home.

“Hey, I’m ready to go sweetheart," Daehyun said, returning from the kitchen. He took a quick glance at her face when he received no response. Stunned, he found horror written all over her face. Worriedly, he walked around the couch and knelt down in front of her.

“What’s wrong?” Daehyun’s voice soothed. Wrapping his hands around her smaller ones, he could feel Eunji trembling.

“Could I stay for the night?” Her voice shook uncontrollably. He nodded but was shocked by her sudden change of heart.

Getting up from his position, he took the seat next to her. Daehyun wrapped his arm around her shoulder and brought her close. “Do you want to talk about it?” He asked softly.

Eunji buried her head into his chest, heaving and trying to swallow her sobs. He her hair in attempts to calm his girlfriend, but to no avail.

“He’s back,” she choked out between sobs. “Jiyong.”

Daehyun’s body tensed. His eyes narrowed upon the mention of his name and his mind ran through a mental check of all the things that happened today. Could that person following them possibly be Jiyong?

“He’s been following us,” Eunji said. “The whole entire day.”

Daehyun her hair in hopes of calming her down. “I know,” he mumbled. “I saw him.”

Not surprised at all by his statement, she asked, “What should we do?”

He pondered over his decision for a moment. With his mind made up, he stated firmly, “Firstly, you are going to take a shower. Secondly, you’re staying here for the night.

“I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

The frightened girl nodded gratefully and they rose from their spot on the couch. Climbing the stairs up, Daehyun led her into his room. His grip on his girlfriend never once loosened, fearing that if he let go, she would disappear. As he searched for a shirt for Eunji, his girlfriend glanced around. It wasn’t her first time in his room yet she felt the jitters, as if it was. She noticed his bedroom hadn’t changed except for the new laundry basket that now sat near the door.

Finally, he dug a t-shirt from his closet and a pair of shorts for her.

“The shorts may be a little too large…” He mumbled, rubbing the nape of his neck. Her smile reached her eyes and she took them gratefully from his hands.

“It’s okay,” she said. Holding the clothes close to her, she thanked her boyfriend and headed for the bathroom.

Still interlocking their fingers, Eunji dragged Daehyun towards the bathroom until they reached the door. The couple stood there briefly, staring at the door blankly as if it would open by itself.

“Do you intend on showering with me?” She joked lightly. But it was evident to Daehyun that she was still afraid.

“If you don’t mind,” he shrugged.

Eunji squirmed out of Daehyun’s grasp and slapped his shoulder lightly. He winced playfully and watched Eunji enter the bathroom.

With her back facing Daehyun, she shivered as if a tremor had struck her body. It was the last view he saw of her before the door closed on him.

He knew she was terrified. Ruffling his hair, he decided to stand guard by the bathroom to ease his restless heart. Leaning his back against the door, he listened for the turn of the knob and the running water before he could relax slightly. He listened to the sounds of the water banging against the bathtub and the walls. When the running water ceased, he listened for her footsteps. He needed verification of her safety and this was his only way if he wasn’t in there.

The door opened slightly and Daehyun nearly lost his footing. Eunji peeked out, amazed that Daehyun was outside.

“I’m done,” she said. He smiled and offered his hand out to her, which she gladly accepted. They retreated back to his bedroom and Daehyun quickly changed out of his clothes into something more comfortable.

“You’re not going to shower?” She asked him with a puzzled expression on her face.

He shook his head. “Would you really like me to leave you alone in this room?”

She shook her head fervently. “I didn’t think so,” he chuckled. “I don’t want to either,” he mumbled the last part.

Heading towards the bed, he patted the empty spot where he usually slept. Eunji climbed in, enjoying the fact she was being babied by him. She inhaled the scent of the pillow and the sheets that reminded her of him.

Swiping her bangs to one side, he pecked her forehead softly. “Sleep well love.” His lips lingered on her forehead a moment longer before pulling away.

He turned to leave but a soft tug on the hem of his shirt stopped him. Daehyun turned around again, meeting his girlfriend’s pleading eyes.

“Could you stay with me for the night?”

“Is that an invitation into the bed?” He inquired, raising an eyebrow curiously. She avoided the question and looked away. Taking that as a yes, he climbed into the spot beside her. When he wrapped his arms around her waist did Eunji finally feel safe. She snuggled into his chest, letting out a relieved sigh before drifting off to sleep.

Daehyun took a glance at his Sleeping Beauty and swiped his thumb across his cheek. “I’ll protect you,” he whispered. “I promise.”

Hugging her close to him, he left no room for space as he soon drifted off into his dreams.

---

“I’m sorry, I have to leave,” Jiyong said. Eunji abruptly rose from her seat on his couch, shocked at his news.

“Where are you going?” She demanded suspiciously.

“Business trip for the company.” He avoided her gaze and she glared at him.

Silence passed in the room, giving both parties room to think.

“No it’s not. It’s Dara isn’t it? It’s her, isn’t it?!” She screeched. Her fists clenched at her sides and she wanted to punch the man that sat in front of her so badly.

“I-It’s not what you think baby…”

“Really now?” She scoffed. “Then what is it about?”

Jiyong remained silent, twirling his fingers nervously. Millions of excuses ran through his head, but he couldn’t think of the perfect one to say. He didn’t love her anymore? He was too busy with work? They were all pathetic excuses, excuses he had used in the past to push her away. By now, she was practically immune to them.

She knew he was cheating on her. She discovered months ago after having seen the text message Dara had sent him while he was in the shower. For the past few months, she tested him in every way possible to see if he would confess to cheating. He never did; only giving her absurd reasons to why he had to come home late, why he always came home with perfume sunk into his shirts. Did he really think she was oblivious to his cheating ways?

She scoffed. “Forget it, let’s break up.”

Her suggestion made Jiyong snap his head towards her. “What? No!”

She ignored his protests and grabbed her bag, prepared to leave his apartment. He rushed after her and grabbed her wrist.

“Don’t go. Stay with me,” he pleaded.

She flung her arm away from his grasp and turned around to meet his gaze. “Give me one good reason why I should stay.”

“I love you,” he breathed out. “I love you so much. I don’t think I can continue living without you.”

“Then die. I don’t care,” she shrugged her shoulders with her arms folded across her chest. “You’re the one who’s been cheating behind my back. I think I have every reason to leave,” she shot at him. Her eyes burned with fire and she honestly couldn’t resist slapping him.

Flabbergasted, he ran his hand through his hair. How had she known he’d been cheating? “Don’t be like this Eunji. Do you have another man out there? Is that why you want to leave me so badly?” His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Eunji scoffed. He honestly thought shewas cheating on him? Way to blame someone else.

“You’re not even worth cheating on,” she muttered. “We’re over. O-v-e-r.”

She turned back to open the door but was only pinned against it by Jiyong. His eyes burned with a fiery passion as he stared at her angrily.

“Don’t think you’ll get away just like that. It’s not over yet,” he whispered huskily into her ear. He nibbled her ear and trailed kisses down her neck.

“I’m not going to let you escape.”

Eunji squirmed uncomfortably at their position, struggling to escape his grasp. His hands mercilessly tore her shirt open, revealing her black lacy bra.

“You can’t escape me,” he spoke in a low voice, his breath tickling the skin on her neck. “You’ll be mine tonight.”

Lust overtook him and the colour drained from Eunji’s face. An unspoken message sunk in the atmosphere: no one would want her after this if he got his way. His eyes had darkened to an impeccable brown, nearly black. He continued to bite her neck, earning painful cries from the girl. His hands trailed up and down her waist, his fingers tracing the characters ‘Kwon Jiyong’ on her skin.

She shivered and before Jiyong could violate her any more, she kicked him in the place where she knew would hurt most. He grunted a painful cry and Eunji took this chance to shove him to the floor before making her escape.

Once she traveled a safe distance away from Jiyong’s apartment, she received a text from him.

Next time, you won’t be getting away so easily.

She shuddered from his text and the gust of wind blowing on the streets. The streets were deserted except for the couple of teenagers walking by. She crossed her arms across her chest, hoping to hide her cleavage from any wandering eyes on the streets. Strolling to the bus stop and climbing on, she shivered like a madwoman. She had no jacket and it would be half an hour before she arrived home by the bus. By the time she reached home, she would be shriveled up like a prune.

Later on during the ride, a young man around her age boarded the bus and took the seat beside her. His hair was rebelliously dyed blonde and his eyes showed no hint of a smiling man behind it. She squirmed uncomfortably, hoping the stranger wouldn't notice her almost bare upper body. Unfortunately for her, she was wrong; the stranger had noticed her the moment he stepped onto the bus.

He took off his jacket and covered her chest with it.

“Here.” His voice came out a lot colder and sharper than he imagined but it was the act of kindness that moved Eunji.

“Thanks…” She mumbled. He nodded at her and hid his smile. She smiled too and looked out the window.

But the thing she saw out the window wasn’t something pleasant. She felt fear coursing through her body and she quivered uncontrollably.

Jiyong stood outside with an evil and furious grin plastered on his face. How he managed to stand there was beyond her.

‘I’m watching you,’ he mouthed.

His face contorted into something larger and soon she was consumed by the darkness in her tattered clothes.

“I’m watching you.”

The voice began boom louder and soon she saw him approaching her.

“Hey baby, it’s been a long time,” he said, the familiar evil and angry grin on his face. She backed away until she hit a wall, a dead end.

“No,” she whimpered. “Don’t come any closer.”

Only a grin from Jiyong answered her as he tore the jacket away from her grasp. “You’re mine,” he stared at her hungrily.

 

“Eunji, Eunji-ah! Wake up,” Daehyun shook her shoulders. It was dead in the middle of the night and Eunji continued to quake, her eyes shut tight. Daehyun worriedly gazed at her pained face, realizing that she was having a nightmare.

“Wake up baby,” he pleaded desperately. “It’s just a dream.”

Her eyes shot open and she frantically glanced around. Daehyun let out a sigh of relief and embraced her out of reflex.

“It’s all right, you’re fine,” he comforted. It was more to soothe himself; he was afraid she would disappear on him.

She slowly wrapped her own arms around his waist, biting back the tears. The memory was terrifying and the additional tidbit was horrific.

“It’s all right,” she repeated to herself, her voice muffled by his shirt. “It’s all right…”

They stayed in that position for a moment, listening to the sound of each other’s uneven breaths. For a moment, both Daehyun and Eunji could smile in the company of one another. They gazed into each other's brown orbs. Daehyun traced the outline of her jaw and brushed his thumb over her lips. He wanted to eat her up but he knew he would have to advance slowly. Eunji didn’t have such a good experience in the past. He began to close the distance between them and Eunji’s eyes slowly closed.

He stopped short with very little space between their lips. Eunji could feel his breath on her lips, tingling her senses. It was warm and intoxicating; she wished he would just take her right then. But Daehyun liked to tease and he said words that could only be heard between them.

“Beg for me,” he whispered mischievously.

Her eyes shot open and she glared playfully at him. “Shouldn’t you be the one begging me?” She questioned slyly, her palms pushing his chest away slightly.

He swiftly grabbed hold of her hands and closed the distance again, only leaving a small slit of space between their faces. Her hands were pushed against her own body with Daehyun’s lips dangerously close to her neck.

She winced, reminded of her nightmare. Daehyun felt her flinch and redirected his target back to her lips.

“I won’t hurt you.”

He sealed the promise with a kiss, both finally getting what they wanted. Before the heat in the room could escalate more, Eunji’s phone vibrated on his nightstand. He let out an annoyed sigh and their bodies shied away from each other. He told her to not answer it but Eunji insisted that she should, in case it was important.

She reached out for her phone, scrolling through the text messages to find the newest one. Her eyes dilated and she skimmed through the simple sentence a couple of times before a distraught expression replaced her previous one.

“Come back to me honey,” Daehyun whined. Receiving no response from his lover, he sat up and stared at his lover.

“What’s wrong Eunji?” He glanced at the handheld device and snatched it from her, worry bubbling at the pits of his stomach. His jaw fell when he read the text message, eyes scanning the few terrifying words over and over again.

 

Peek-a-boo, I’ve found you.

 

He swallowed a nervous gulp and glanced around anxiously. They exchanged an uncertain gaze and climbed out of bed. The rest of the house was poorly lit by a nightlight in the hallway and the two took wary steps down the hallway.

So far, nothing suspicious.

Their ears perked up at a particular sound coming from outside as they descended down the stairs. It sounded like the rustling of a bush and they froze upon hearing it.

A strange smell then infiltrated her nostrils and she wrinkled it in disgust. Was that… Oil? The sloshing of the liquid immediately alerted the two and Eunji rushed towards the front door. Daehyun however, tugged his girlfriend back.

“It’s coming from the front,” he whispered in a hushed tone. “Let’s escape through the back and head towards the forest.”

She nodded and allowed her boyfriend to guide them out. Moments later, a small part of the house was lit up and a flicker of fire rose to the air. Neighbours awoke to the heat and screams were heard in the far distance.

But that was the least on their minds.

They focused on running away, with only the moonlight guiding them. They ran into the forest that stood not far behind his home. The forest was enveloped by darkness, the trees eerily lit by the moonlight. Daehyun had never thought the forest could look so creepy. It was always a peaceful sight to behold during the day, a sight that often calmed him. Yet now, it was the thing that alarmed them the most. The rustling of leaves frightened them, indicating that Jiyong had caught up with where they were going.

As a matter of fact, Jiyong had planned for them to go through the forest. He was going to drive them to their death – possible his own too – but he wasn’t the least afraid. All he needed to do was destroy Eunji’s boyfriend and she would be skipping back to him.

They skidded to a stop in the middle of the forest, no longer able to find the road that often paved the way. Frantically glancing around, their only solution was to jump into the bushes. They froze when they heard pants slowly approaching. There was no use in running anymore; they had to confront him, whether they liked it or not.

The two turned around and was faced with a Jiyong breathlessly gasping for air.

“So we meet again Eunji,” he spoke once he began to breathe normally.

Showing no signs of fear (since there was no place to run to anyhow), she bravely growled, “What do you want Jiyong?”

“Is that how you treat your boyfriend?” Jiyong asked, pretending to be hurt by her outburst.

“Ex,” Eunji corrected him.

A small amount of fury flashed in his eyes but disappeared in the blink of an eye. Daehyun concealed her from Jiyong’s wandering eyes, glaring at the man before him.

“Get away from Eunji,” he spat. “You don’t deserve her.”

He raised an amusing eyebrow and crossed his arms. “Really now? Why do you deserve her then?”

The two continued to bicker and both visibly held back. As they bickered on, Eunji noticed a weird ticking. Curiosity struck her and she looked back. Her eyes widened and she stood on her toes, whispering in Daehyun’s ear.

“There’s a bomb.”

His stomach flipped twice but remained his angry composure. He glared at Jiyong while simultaneously thinking of all the ways to escape. They didn’t have much time left and the only way out of the forest was going back the way they came in. Clenching his fists, he whispered back to his girlfriend.

“Run in three…two…one… Go!”

They two ran in separate directions and Daehyun lunged for Jiyong, hoping to divert his attention momentarily from Eunji. The two struggled, both throwing kicks and punches at each other. Eunji fled hastily but skid to a stop when she realized the missing figure beside her. Where was Daehyun?

She took a short glance behind and her orbs dilated fearfully. Her boyfriend was fending Jiyong off, angrily glowering at his opponent and yelling nothing but curses at him. She stood to the side helplessly, unsure if she should intercept the fight or find a way to stop the bomb.

“Leave Eunji!” Daehyun cried out between throwing punches. “Go!”

She shook her head horrifically and she could still hear the menacing ticks of the bomb loud against her eardrum. Once the two stood for another round of kicks and punches, Eunji swiftly intercepted, grabbing the largest and thickest branch nearby.

Eunji didn’t know what had gotten into her. She felt the adrenaline rush in her veins and she knew leaving Daehyun wasn’t a choice. Using all her strength, she smashed the branch against his head, no doubt leaving a wound for the latter.

He stumbled back and Daehyun took the chance to kick him to the floor. Falling to the floor in defeat, Jiyong struggled to get back up on his feet and the two took the opportunity. Grabbing Eunji’s hand, they made a dash for the exit of the forest. They passed by dark trees that hung above them, leaving very little moonlight to seep through the openings to guide their way out of the dark forest. They didn't let that bother them though and focused on finding the exit to the never-ending forest trail.

With an exasperated sigh, they staggered out of the forest. A deafening crackle resounded in the sky and the whole forest immediately lit up in flames. It was as if Jiyong had dumped barrel after barrel of gasoline all around the forest in hopes of killing them both. The fire fumed onwards mercilessly, reducing everything that lived to ashes, leaving nothing but bare land.

Now it was only Jiyong who was trapped in the flames, and there was no way out.

Eunji held onto Daehyun tightly, afraid of collapsing as tears seeped out of her eyes. She was terrified but grateful that this was over. Jiyong deserved what he got and he couldn't destroy their happiness that she and Daehyun had built over the years. He wouldn't be back to bother her again – that was something she was truly grateful for.

The fire raged on and soon sirens were heard in the distance. Both let out a sigh of relief. Daehyun may have lost his house, but he still had Eunji and that was all that mattered to him.

But they overlooked something.

There was no news of a dead body in the newspaper the next two days. The only thing on the newspaper was a long article describing the crime scenes and the opinions of the police on the whole ordeal. They shrugged the thought away, thinking little of it. The fire must’ve burned the body to crisp, leaving nothing but ashes; that’s what they assumed happened.

That's not what happened at all.

But what they didn’t know wouldn’t kill them.