Ha yeon’s POV

 

I squeezed through the crowd and got to the front.

 

“Excuse me, but what happened?” I asked.

 

“There were reports of suspicious people here,” he gave me a look. “Do you know anything?”

 

“Oh…” I said. What does that even mean? I thought. I looked at him and said, “Well…my friend was outside at first, but now I don’t know where she is.”

 

“What’s her name?”

 

“Jung Nicole,” I said.

 

“Alright, there haven’t been any reports of anyone missing yet, but we’ll see.”

 

I bowed and went back to the guys.

 

“Did she respond?” I asked Jonghyun.

 

He didn’t answer. He was staring outside, where red and blue flashes were seen from the police car and the crowd that was getting larger. He was definitely more worried than any of us.

 

“Jonghyun,” I said again.

 

He snapped back at me, flustered, and said, “H-huh?”

 

“Did she respond?”

 

“No…” he said, checking his phone.

 

“Let’s go outside,” Kevin suggested, which we agreed.

 

We went outside, and immediately heard various theories about what happened.

 

“I heard there was this old guy in here…”

 

“Really? I thought there were two thieves hanging around here.”

 

“Everyone’s talking about how these two weird people came in and then ran away.”

 

“Do you think something bad happened?”

 

“Guys I heard someone got kidnapped,” someone said throughout the crowd, which I turned my head towards. If it was true…then…

 

“Wait guys,” I said to them. I walked over to the group of people who I had listened to.

 

“Did one of you say that someone might have gotten kidnapped?” I asked them.

 

They looked at me and said, “Well, I heard from the cop over there.”

 

I sighed, knowing that I was the one that told the cop, and I walked away.

 

“What? Did they know something?” Jonghyun asked. I shook my head. I looked at his hands—they were clasped tightly. I sighed at the fact that it was so obvious that he cared for her and that now, the plan’s completely gone haywire. In fact, his nervousness made the rest of us extra nervous.

 

“Omo!” Jonghyun shouted all of a sudden. We whipped our heads towards him, and saw that he was looking at his phone.

 

I ran over, “What?! Did she reply?”

 

Jonghyun closed his phone right when I got there and looked towards the streets. He looked at us and said, “I’ll be back. Don’t wait for me, okay?”

 

Jonghyun took off running as the speed of light. Confused, I stared at him disappear into the group of people. I looked around, hoping to maybe see some other hints of where she might be. Staring back inside, I saw Ms. Shin talking to the cops. She must’ve gotten a mention about it. How can something like this happen so early in the year? I thought and I pouted, feeling bad for Ms. Shin.

 

“Well, I’m guessing Jonghyun knows where she is,” Minho crossed his arms together. “Let’s not worry too much.”

 

“What are you talking about?” I scolded. “This is a person, no—our friend we’re talking about here!”

 

Kevin nodded and said, “It doesn’t hurt to keep an eye out for any clues.”

 

Minho sighed and stretched his arms out, yawning. He said, “Well then, you guys stay…”

 

“Aren’t you worried?” I asked.

 

“I am, but there’s nothing we can really do anyway. Too many people are blocking that we can’t see.”

 

Pouting, I put my hands on my hips and said, “Says the tall giant.”

 

“Hey—there’s really nothing we can do at this point. Just wait for Jonghyun.”

 

Jonghyun’s POV

 

“if you wanna see her again, come by the warehouse by the school. bring nothing but yourself.” The text message read on my phone. I stared at it in disbelief.

 

I was running as fast I could, gritting my teeth, and tightly clasping my hands. How dare they touch her, I grumbled in my thoughts.

 

I had reached the abandoned, small-ish warehouse near the school. It would usually take about ten minutes to walk, but, glancing at the time, it had only taken me three minutes flat.

 

I panted and went inside, checking all corners carefully and thoroughly.

 

“Well well,” someone snickered. I snapped my head around and faced him.

 

“Look at who’s come to rescue you,” he forcefully pushed Nicole out. I swear I’ll kill him. I clenched my fists. I looked at her...she didn’t look afraid, nor did she look hurt. In fact, she seems a bit disappointed that I was here…

 

“N-Nicole…” I softly said.

 

The man pulled her back to him. He yelled, “You’re not getting her back that easy!”

 

“What the hell do you want? I’ll call the cops,” I threatened.

 

He chuckled lowly and said, “You don’t want to do that. If you want her back, then do what we want.”

 

“What do you want then?!” I yelled.

 

“We want 30 million won,” he said, as two other people grasped Nicole tightly. I looked at her as her head was down and she wasn’t struggling at all. Why was this so strange…?

 

“30 MILLION WON?” I scoffed in disbelief.

 

“Do you want her back or not, idiot?”

 

I glared at them. They weren’t that intimidating…maybe I could take them on. “What if I fight you guys?”

 

“A rich guy like you doesn’t have 30 million won with him?” he sneered. I grimaced. How did they know I had…money?

 

“J-Jonghyun-ah…..help…” Nicole sobbed. My eyes grew wide as she looked at me with tears streaked down her face, colored by eyeliner.

 

I swore inside my head and took my wallet out. I only have about 200,000 won with me right now though…

 

“Oh you actually have 30 million won with you in your wallet?” one of them snickered. “We meant in your bank account, idiot.”

 

“Go transfer the money with him,” the man told the guy who snickered.

 

The guy patted my back and said, “Come on, now.”

 

We walked to the bank that was across the street. It must have been why they chose that building to hide, since the bank was so close. Trying to act completely normal and not to punch the man everything he laughed was extremely difficult. The clerk that was helping me gave us both looks.

 

“Okay, the transfer is complete,” she said, handing my checkbook back to me.

 

I thanked her and walked out of the bank with the other guy. Once we stepped out, I stared at him and punched him. Right in the face.

 

“Ahh GODDAMMIT!” he yelled, grasping his face in pain. I ran across the street and back to where the other two men were, in the exact same spot with Nicole. They had let her go by now…but she didn’t try to run away?

 

Nicole looked at me as the man spoke, “Done?”

 

“Go and check for yourself,” I said, as I walked over and grabbed Nicole.

 

“Where’s Kyu hyun?” the other guy said, looking out a window. “Why is he on the floor?”

 

“What did you do?” the man looked at me. Nicole looked at me, with an equal amount of shock on her face.

 

Calmly, I said, “Ask him.” I pulled Nicole and started to run out, heading back to the school.

 

------------------------------

Nicole’s POV

 

He actually did it… I thought as I unconsciously ran with him through the street to get back to the school. Why do I feel bad about this?

 

Flashback

 

 

“Don’t worry Nicole. You’ll get Jonghyun back.”

 

“B-but…you don’t have to do this!” I pleaded.

 

The woman stared back at me and said, “This is the only way.”

 

“N-“

 

“Yes it is.”

 

I sighed and said, “Okay…”

 

“I’m doing this just for your own good. You get Jonghyun back, I assure you.”

 

 

End flashback

 

 

“But…why did they want the 30 million won then?” I thought. “To make it seem more believable?”

 

We arrived at the school, seeing that there was a huge crowd in the entrance as well as a couple of police cars. This couldn’t have happened because of me right…? We squeezed through the crowd and got back.

 

Jonghyun let go of my hand and took deep breaths. People were looking at us weirdly, including the policeman at the front desk. My eyes widened as he walked closer to us.

 

“Is there something?” he asked me, pointing at Jonghyun.

 

“N-no…” we both said at the same time.

 

“Nicole,” Jonghyun said. “Let’s go.”

 

“Wait, your name is Nicole?” the policeman asked.

 

I nodded. “Jung Nicole?” he asked again.

 

I nodded once more.

 

“Did…something happen to you?” he asked, more concerned now. “We had a report of you missing. What happened?”

 

I stared at him blankly, not knowing what to say. The fact that I was “kidnapped” made me hesitant. I looked at Jonghyun, who seemed just as confused as to what to say.

 

“Actually, could you two follow me to my office?” he asked.

 

We slightly nodded as we followed him outside to get into his police car. I covered my face, hoping no one would see me doing something like this. He drove us to the police station and went into his office. No one really paid attention to us since everyone was so busy.

 

They actually do a lot of work, don’t they… I thought, feeling even more guilty. How is he going to feel when nothing actually happened? I looked at Jonghyun and mentally apologized to causing him trouble. He actually looks really worried…and here I am being selfish.

 

We sat down as he sat in the chair on the other side of a table. He had a notebook and pen open on his desk.

 

“So what happened?” he asked.

 

I squeezed Jonghyun’s hand to tell him to not say anything. I said, “Nothing happened.”

 

“Then what about the person who reported you were missing?”

 

“I was just out shopping, and Jonghyun found me, who thought that there was something wrong,” I lied.

 

“I tried contacting her, but she didn’t respond, so I ran out to look for her,” Jonghyun played along with the lie, gratefully.

 

The policeman nodded and said, “You didn’t buy anything? You don’t even have a bag with you.”

 

“Yeah…” I gulped. “I didn’t have my bag, so I couldn’t buy anything if I wanted. I was planning to get some food, but I just realized that I didn’t have money.”

 

“How did you find her?” he asked Jonghyun. “And where?”

 

“She…was outside, walking on the street. I ran to her and took her back to the school,” Jonghyun said. I felt his hands were becoming warm and sweaty.

 

He closed the book and said, “Okay, I’ll take you two back now. Oh, by the way, do you know anything about a kidnapping?”

 

How did this come out?! Did people see me walk into the car with those two guys? Unless an actual kidnapping happened…but that doesn’t seem very likely…

 

We both shook our heads. Jonghyun said, “I was just worried about her.”

 

“Alright, please give me a call if you know anything,” he said and drove us back.

 

-----------------------

 

Narrator’s POV

 

“Are you alright?” Jonghyun asked. They had arrived back at school and were heading to Nicole’s room.

 

Nicole nodded. “Thanks…for being there.”

 

“Of course I would. It’s no problem,” he said.

 

Nicole smiled shyly.

 

Abruptly, Jonghyun grasped Nicole’s hand and said, “Do you think we can...like…start over?”

 

Nicole looked at him, thinking, “...Jonghyun…you still like me…”

 

She nodded slightly and whispered, “Sure.”

 

 

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smh i really dont wanna give up on this fic /flips table i just barely ever update it its so sad.

and idk whats up with formatting bc it's really annoying how everything i typed out gets messed up ；；；

tbh i actually have like 40 something chapters of this fic l o l but