The door shut and the lights went off.

“Oppa?” Niki panicked. “Oppa! Where are you?” Beads of sweat formed at her temples.

“Kyuhyun oppa! Where are you? Get me out of here!” Niki was getting flustered. Where was her hero when she needed him? She couldn’t take it anymore and screamed for her life.

“Niki ah, where are you?” Niki heard a familiar voice. It’s Kyuhyun! “Oppa, I’m here! Help me!” She shrieked. Kyuhyun ran to where her voice was coming from. He found himself in a room with a crying Niki. “Niki-ah, what were you doing here?”

Niki jumped into his arms, sobbing. “Oppa, I’m so scared. Why were the lights suddenly switched off? We’re not going to die, are we?”

“Silly girl, of course we won’t. It’s just that the electricity went off since there is a thunderstorm, and the door probably closed because the wind was so strong. It’s okay, we’re safe now.”

“Oppa, it’s so dark. I’m still so scared.” Niki clutched Kyuhyun even tighter. She was afraid of being stuck in a place where darkness reigned supreme.

“It’s okay, I’ll tell you a story. It’s our story…” Kyuhyun carried Niki to a sofa nearby, starting to reminisce their past.

☆☆☆

“Hyungs, I’ll be making a move now! See you next week!” Kyuhyun bade goodbye to the rest of Super Junior. He heaved a sigh of relief as he was finally able to take a break. They had just finished their promotions and their manager had promised them a rest. Kyuhyun was going back home for a while as his parents missed him dearly.

“Yobuseyo?” Kyuhyun’s cell phone rang while he stepped out of the lift.

It was his mother. “Kyuhyun-ah! I think you shouldn’t come today, dear. The wind is blowing so hard and the weather is terrible. It would be torturous for you to make your way here.”

“But umma, I thought…”

“Kyuhyun, listen to me, you head back to the dorm and we’ll see how things go. If the weather is okay tomorrow, we will always welcome you back. I just don’t want you to trouble yourself by making your way here in this freak weather. It’s dangerous!”

“Um-”

“Just do what I say, okay? That’s all, I’m hanging up.”

“Fine. But just tell hyung and appa that I’ll go see them soon.”

“Got it. Annyeong.”

“Annyeong umma.” Kyuhyun hung up, despondent. I just wanted her to buy me a new video game since I got sick of mine yet she hung up on me.  He stepped back into the lift and sighed.

☆☆☆

“PLEASE DON’T CLOSE THE DOOR. PLEASE WAIT FOR MEEEEEEEEE!” Niki shrieked as she eyed the lift door close slowly. She pressed the button vigorously when the door closed and cursed the person inside. As if her magic worked, the door of the lift opened.

“Thanks.” Niki said monotonously to the person in the lift. Apparently, he was looking very uncomfortable and kept adjusting his cap. He must be feeling guilty, hmph!

Kyuhyun flinched. Did she recognise me? I should have pressed the “Close” button faster.

Both of them stood in silence for a while before being engulfed in darkness.

“What’s… going on?” Niki asked the obvious. “The lift must have broken down!”  

“Uh yeah.” Kyuhyun jabbed the lift buttons ferociously, thanks to his expert Starcraft skills. He wanted to start cursing as nothing seemed to work but stopped himself when he heard sobbing. 

“Are you okay?” Kyuhyun bent down, trying to locate where the sobbing came from in the darkness. He accidentally touched Niki on her head and she screamed.

“PLEASE DON’T KILL ME. PLEASE!” Niki shouted and started punching the air in front of her. Kyuhyun tried to dodge but unfortunately, he got hit in the face.

“Ouhh! Am I trying to kill you or am I the one getting killed here?!” Kyuhyun shouted and Niki cried even more. She was scared – scared out of her wits.

“Okay fine, I’m not going to kill you. Seriously, will you stop crying?” He barked at her, annoyed. The sobbing slowly stopped, before turning into desperate gasps of air.

“Help… Help m..me.” Niki barely managed to say, before collapsing on the cold, hard floor.

What’s happening?! Help...help what? Thoughts began to race through Kyuhyun’s head. Was she suffocating? Does she need help breathing? He pulled out a lightstick which a fan had given to him a day before from his bag and switched it on. Upon seeing Niki gasping for breath on the floor, he took a deep breath and pushed his lips against hers, giving mouth to mouth resuscitation.

Flabbergasted, Niki pushed him away with her last ounce of strength and slapped him across his face. She quickly grabbed her bag and searched for her inhaler. It was just an asthma attack! Not a heart attack! She thought, giving Kyuhyun the death glare while trying to get her composure back.

Kyuhyun was shocked. He, the kind Samaritan, was just trying to save the poor dying creature yet she slapped him. She slapped him! She gave the high and mighty Cho Kyuhyun a slap! Embarrassed, he threw his lightstick against the metal doors and it rebounded back onto his head. Damn.

“Pabo.” Niki chuckled softly, slowly catching her breath.

“What? You’re the pabo, fancy slapping your life saver.” Kyuhyun rolled his eyes.

“Are you dumb or what? I was asking you to take out my inhaler for me, not freaking kiss me!” Niki retorted.

Both of them sunk into silence when they recalled their intimate scene once again. In the deafening silence, Niki let out a soft moan and started crying again. Yes, she was that claustrophobic.

“What’s wrong with you again?” Kyuhyun asked, annoyed.

“Shut up… I’m scared!” Niki said in between sobs.

“Scared of what? The dark?”

“Being stuck in a lift with a e isn’t the kind of thing I like.”

“Who are you calling a e?! I wou-” Kyuhyun was livid.

“Shut up, I’m… cl… claustrophobic.” Niki squinted in the dark, scared to death.

“You’re what? Claustrophobic? You serious? Who the hell nowadays are even claustrophobic?” Kyuhyun laughed his head off. He never heard of anyone claustrophobic before. This is ridiculous! He thought.

Niki sobbed even harder. It was already very bad being so terrified, and Kyuhyun made things worse.

“Fine… what do you want me to do?” Guilty, Kyuhyun stifled his laughter and asked.

“I don’t need your help, you inconsiderate monster.” Niki wailed.

“Okay, you said it yourself.” Kyuhyun stood up and went back to pressing the buttons of the lift. I’d better leave this place, and fast.

Niki continued crying before she spotted the dim light from the lightstick. It was cracked, but it was still illuminating. She picked it up and stared at the words on the stick: Cho Kyuhyun ♥.

“You like Super Junior too?” Niki whispered.

“Yeah, why not?” Kyuhyun replied. Like hello, I love myself!

“Guess what, I’m an ELF too. And if you want me to introduce you to one of them, do something for me.”

“Oh really? Who?” Kyuhyun feigned enthusiasm.

“You name it, you got it.”

“Fine. What do you want me to do? It can’t be mouth to mouth again, right?” Kyuhyun shuddered.

“In your dreams! I want you to… hug me.” Niki blushed, hoping Kyuhyun will not see her face red face in the dark.

“You want me to hug you? Are you kidding me?” Kyuhyun almost choked when he heard her words.

“Yes, it’s not like I’m forcing you! It’s because I only calm down when someone’s holding me, like how my brother does it to me.” Niki exclaimed, upset.

Kyuhyun did not reply.

“Fine, I’m not for-” Niki was at a loss for words when Kyuhyun suddenly crouched down and hugged her. “I’m doing this for you to calm down so that you can stop being a pain in the , so don’t get any wrong thoughts.” He whispered into her ear.

Niki felt the warmth of his breath tickling her ear and heaved a sigh of relief. It had been so long since she felt a sense of security and she dried her tears. She actually felt safe. She softly placed her hands on his back and held him properly. “Thank you.” She murmured.

“Mm.” Kyuhyun felt a little awkward, but surprisingly didn’t feel like letting go.

“Yah, actually, there’s something else my brother would do for me.” Niki broke the silence.

“What is it?”

“He sings for me all the time.”

“Oh really? I can’t sing.” Kyuhyun lied. It was such a rare occasion for a girl to treat him for who he really is and he did not want to reveal his identity yet.

“Come on, there’s no harm trying.” Niki was curious how his singing voice was like.

“What song does he sing?”

“No other. I love that song.”

Kyuhyun smiled. Unknowingly, he began to sing his part in the song.

We walked down the same road

We’re becoming more alike

I’m just surprised I’m just thankful I just love you

“Did anyone tell you you really sound like Kyuhyun? And to think you said you can’t sing!” Niki said in disbelief.

“Nah, I’m better than he is.” Kyuhyun smiled. Without him realising, he hugged Niki a little tighter, glad that someone appreciated him.

There’s no other person like you

When I look around they’re all just the same

Where can I find a good person like you

Where can I find a good person like you

A good heart like you

A good gift like you

The both of them slowly dozed off.

☆☆☆

“Yah, what is going on in here?!” Sungmin looked into the lift and was shocked. Niki was still tight in an embrace with Kyuhyun, and both of them were sound asleep. “Niki?! What are you doing?”

The both of them slowly opened their eyes and realised what situation they were in. They quickly let go of each other and blushed.

“Kyuhyun ah, are you having designs on my sister?” Sungmin asked, confused.

“Sister?” Kyuhyun asked.

“Kyuhyun?” Niki was confused.

Kyuhyun and Niki finally looked at each other and both of them gasped.

☆☆☆

“Kekeke, to think we did not even recognise each other that time.” Kyuhyun chuckled.

“Yeah, I should have asked if you had some relationship with Kyuhyun. Anyway, you were evil enough to trick me.” Niki laughed.

“Well, that’s what they call me, Evil Kyu.”

“You may like to rethink about that. I may be even more evil.”

“What do you mean?”

The door suddenly opened and the rest of Super Junior piled in with a cake.

“Surprise!” Everyone chorused.

“Happy birthday, oppa!” Niki grinned and smashed the cake into his face. “That’s for stealing my first kiss!”