The Unexpected Becomes the Expected

Story by Lee Hwa Young

The world seemed to go dark. All sound seemed to be muffled out. Nothing mattered anymore. All I needed was to protect Lee Donghae. I caught him in my arms, falling with him to the floor. I could hear the dark voices of those men. Those creepy men who had abused me once before. Now they were about to capture the only person I cared for. I held onto Donghae tightly, sobbing into his chest. I refused to let those men tear me away from him. Instead we were moved together. First to a van and then to a cabin that held secret prison cells in the basement but I no longer cared. Minutes, then hours and finally days seemed to pass as I stared at Donghae, willing him to open his eyes.

Then, finally, they slowly blinked open, rolled around the prison cell, taking it all in, until those dark brown orbs landed on me. I could barely contain myself as I kneeled on my knees beside him, tears leaking down my cheeks. "Donghae," I half choked as his hand came up to brush my tears away. "Donghae, you're alright?" I managed to ask. He sat up, wrapping an arm around me as he used his other arm to rub his face, wincing at the pain inflicted by the punch he endured earlier. "It's my fault. I should have listened to you. Then we wouldn't be here. We wouldn't be in this mess," I leaned forward, hiding my face in the crook of his neck.

"It's not your fault," His voice was deep, echoing off the walls of the cell they were in. I could tell he was still quite out of it. "Hyuk Jae... the next time they come... I'll distract them and you... you need to get as far away as possible," Donghae put one of his hands on each of my arms, shaking me slightly. "You can go find help." He pleaded as I continued to shake my head, refusing his words the moment he spoke them. Donghae hung his head lower with every shake. "Listen to me Hyuk Jae. I'm so proud of you. You stuck up for me. You found me, when I needed to be found. You're completing Young-Yi's wish right now. I need you to be strong just a little while younger because I'm not. I need you to do this for me.