“Are you done yet? I need to use the toilet!”

She heard some shuffling sounds coming from inside the bathroom and the sound of a shampoo bottle toppling over. A second later, a voice shouted back from behind the door.

“Why won’t you use the other toilet in the kitchen?!”

Ji Eun hopped from one foot to the other as she paced back and forth restlessly.

“There’s no water remember? I told you the other day the tap was spoilt.”

Incoherent mumbling could be heard clearly coming from in and a moment later, the door flung open, revealing a topless Jae Joong with water still dripping from his wet hair.

A small gasp escaped her lips as she turned around, covering her face in embarrassment. She could feel her cheeks reddening instantly, even though she was the one fully clothed.

“What?”

“Can you just...walk away now please?” she pleaded, with her back still him.

A teasing smirk crept up on Jae Joong’s face as he took his time to check himself in the mirror.

“I don’t see anything wrong. Maybe I need to work out more hmm?”

“Oh my God, please. Go now!”

Jae Joong chuckled softly and was about to walk away when suddenly a loud crash coming from the living room stop him in his tracks.

Ji Eun, who had heard it too, froze momentarily. Recently, every little sound makes her feel jumpy and nervous. She was afraid of what the darkness hold. She was terrified of what may be waiting for right around the corner.

In a matter of seconds, he was standing behind her, pulling her in close to him without giving her a chance to protest. She could feel his bare body being pressed against her back and it was all she could do to stop herself from squirming away.

“Shh,” he told her. “Don’t make a noise.”

“I’m not planning too,” she hissed back. “But this is making me uncomfortable.”

“Just stay still.”

Ji Eun rolled her eyes.

“I told you...”

His hand flew up immediately and clamped shut. She tried to struggle away, but he has a really firm grip on her. She was starting to think if the man who wanted to kill her was in the room with her instead right at that moment.

After a few passing seconds, and only when deafening silence filled the small yet comfy apartment, did Jae Joong finally let go of her.

Ji Eun inhaled a huge amount of air as she backed away a few steps from him. Glaring venomously at him, she gave him a hard shove.

“Was that really necessary?”

“What?” he plastered on an innocent expression.

“Ugh, you’re really impossible. Aren’t you going out there to check what had happened?”

He shrugged nonchalantly.

“There’s no need to. I know what it was.”

Her eyes widened in surprise at his calm and collected self.

“What was it then? And why aren’t you worried at all?”

Jae Joong threw another cheeky smirk her way as he started to make his way out of the room.

“Because it was just my cat, being hungry and looking for food.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. So he knew it all along? That it wasn’t an intruder like what she had feared about? Then what was that ‘pulling her close to him’ for?

She took the nearest pillow she could grab and hurl it towards his retreating figure. He just laughed out loud when it him in the back, obviously not causing him any physical pain.

Ji Eun narrowed her eyes sharply as she watched him go.

Pabo, she thought to herself.

Ji Eun looked up from the magazine she was reading when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. Seeing Jae Joong’s grinning face, she just rolled her eyes and went back to flipping through the pages.

Of course he still strolled in, even without being invited in.

He plopped himself down on the edge of the bed, not caring if she was observing him with a murderous look in her eyes.

“Are you still mad about just now?”

Ji Eun scoffed. “What do you think?”

“Ah, come on. I was just trying to have some fun with you. You seem to be pretty uptight these days.”

She glared at him from behind her magazine.

“Am I supposed to be smiling and laughing when I know that there are people out there trying to kill me?”

“What’s there to worry about? You’re with me now. You’re safe.”

“Yeah, a erted housemate. That’s not too bad is it?” she shot back sarcastically.

“Yah! That’s not a nice thing to say. I’m not that type of guy!” he said defensively.

“Why are you suddenly like this anyway?” Ji Eun put her magazine aside and drew her two knees closer to her chest. “When I first met you, you acted so cold and distant towards me. You won’t even answer any of my questions.”

At this, he paused for a moment and seemed to be deep in thought about it. After a minute though, that charming smile of his appeared once again on his face, melting away all the suspicions in her mind.

“Don’t sleep too late. We still have classes tomorrow.”

He stood up and got ready to leave her room.

“Jae Joong...” she called out his name softly.

He stopped and glanced over his shoulder expectantly.

“Thank you.”

He gazed at her momentarily before nodding his head slowly. He was a couple of steps away from the door when he suddenly paused, and turned around once again.

“You know, Jae Jun was right. You sure have a way of making someone feel special...even just by saying their name.”

She just stared back at him helplessly, not quite knowing what to say.

“Good night Ji Eun.”