Doojoon’s POV

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in an awkward position at the foot of the stairs, alone. I did not die. My head throbbed in pain and I could hardly keep my eyes open. I grabbed onto the handle of the stairs and pulled myself to sit up. I groaned when pain shot up my back. I was struggling to breathe as I tried to stand. My head spun and I could feel warm liquid flow down the back of my neck. With shaky hands, I touched the back of my head, and when I looked at my hand again, it was stained with red.

“Eun…” I muttered as I looked around.

Everything was spinning, causing me to feel nauseous. I leaned against the wall, holding myself up. I could not afford to collapse again because if I did, I would not be able to stand. When I felt slightly better, I pulled myself up the flight of stairs with the help of the handle. With each step I took, it got tougher to endure.

Finally, when I arrived at the top of the stairs, I puked. It was disgusting, but I felt slightly better.

“Eun….” I looked around, unconsciously crying. The entire building felt so empty out of a sudden, Where did he take her? Why did I let her go? I should have just held tightly onto her. Eun trusted me to protect her, Iseul trusted me too, and yet I let her go.

I searched for my phone in my pocket. My hands were shaking so badly I almost could not dial Iseul’s number.

“Why aren’t you answering?” I mumbled to myself as I dialed her number again.

I gave up calling her after the third time. I stood in the middle of the empty corridor, feeling confused and lost. Yoon Doojoon, wake up, this is not the time to feel lost. It took me a few minutes to pull myself together. I have to find Eun. And as if Eun knew that I was looking for her, I faintly heard a familiar cry.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. I found myself running back to the apartment. The door was slightly ajar and Eun’s crying was obvious now.

“SHUT UP!!!” I heard him shout.

I kicked the door open, making my presence known. I threw myself onto him before he could lay his hands on Eun again.

“What the !?” He shouted when I grabbed onto him tightly from behind.

He kept struggling but this time I was not going to let go.

“Why aren’t you dead!?!?” He yelled as he elbowed me hard in my chest, cutting off my oxygen for a few seconds. I stumbled backwards, unfortunately giving him the opportunity to get back at me. He pushed me against the wall and punched me in my stomach.

“You’re like a ing cockroach. You don’t seem to die.” He hissed into my face.

I smiled at him.

His expression darkened. He grabbed my head and banged it hard against the wall. This time, I out instantly.

***
I woke up in shock when I felt ice-cold water splashed all over my face. I was in a sitting position but my hands and legs were tied up tightly. I saw Jaehyun in front of me, smirking. I looked around. I was still in the apartment, but where is Eun?

“Don’t bother to look. She’s asleep very, very soundly.” He said, his lips curled into a creepy smile.

“What… did you do… to her?” I asked.

“Do you think you’re the only one able to make her sleep? I can, too, professionally.” He said.

Please tell me he did not do anything bad to her.

“How can you do this to Eun? How can you do this to Iseul?” I asked.

“How can I? How could YOU!? You took the chance when I was away to come into my family and take away everything that was MINE!!!” He shouted into my face.

He kicked me in my stomach and I fell backwards together with the chair.

“YOU STOLE MY FAMILY!!! IT’S YOUR FAULT!!!!” He shouted as he kicked me all over.

I could not defend myself, except wait for him to stop, in which he finally did.

“That was nice.” He pant as he pulled me up.

Every inch of my body was aching, especially my head. My eyes were threatening to close.

“OPEN YOUR EYES WHEN I AM TALKING TO YOU!” He shouted, slapping me across my face.

I felt my vomit at my throat, but as gross as it was, I forced it back down.

“Do you know how long I have waited to kill you?” He asked.

“I just did not expect to have to do it here.” He said, walking around me.

“You’re so handsome, so famous, why did you have to break my family? Why of all people in the world, you have to fall in love with my Iseul?” He asked.

I did not reply him; because if I opened my mouth, I was a hundred percent sure vomit would come out.

“ANSWER ME!!!!” He yelled into my face, grabbing my hair. I winced when his nails scratched the wound on the back of my head.

“I… I love her.. even before you did.” I said.

“NO!!!!!!!!!” He shouted, slapping me again.

He looked like he was about to say something, but got distracted.

“What… is this?” He asked, pulling my ear.

He pulled out my hearing aid and everything went silent.

“You’re deaf?” I read his lips.

He pointed at me mockingly and started laughing. I could hear nothing at all.

“No wonder you never dared to confess your love for Iseul. Because you’re deaf! Then, all the more you should know your place! How dare you even love her when you are not even physically normal!? How dare you try to act like Eun’s father when you could not even hear her cry without the help of this stupid thing!? Can you hear it now?! She’s crying! But you can hear nothing!!!” He said.

Eun is crying?  I turned to the direction of Eun’s room. Was she really crying? For once, I hated myself for being deaf.

He grabbed my face and forced me to look at him laugh.

“Stupid, stupid Yoon Doojoon. Now you see why you’re unfit to be Eun’s father and Iseul’s husband?” He asked.

I did not need him to tell me that. I knew it all along.

“You’re not fit either.” I said.

“You can hear me?” He asked, looking genuinely surprised.

I glared hard at him when he smiled again.

“I see you mastered the skill of lip-reading. No wonder you were able to fool everyone!” He said.

I was about to say something when I felt the phone in my pocket vibrate. He must have heard it too because he looked down at my thigh. He dug his hand into my pocket and pulled out my phone.

“Look who’s calling.” He said as he showed me the screen. Iseul. Why of all times now?

“Since you can’t hear, should I answer it for you?” He asked, his finger at the slider.

As much as I wanted Iseul to come save Eun, I did not want to risk Iseul coming here and getting hurt by him, and also seeing me like that.

He slide the slider to answer the call. He pushed the hearing aid back into my ear and pressed the phone against it.

“Hello? Doo? You called me? I’m sorry, I was in a meeting. Is everything okay?” Iseul asked.

I did not reply.

“Speak.” Jaehyun mouthed, his expression threatening.

“Doo?” Iseul called out again.

“Every… everything is.. is fine.” I stammered.

“Doo? Are you okay?” Iseul asked.

“Yes.” I managed to choke out.

“ARE YOU SURE?!” Jaehyun shouted.

“DOO!!” That was the last thing I heard Iseul say before Jaehyun threw my phone against the wall.

“Why did you do that!?” I shouted.

“Don’t you want Iseul to come save you?” He asked.

“Just kill me!!! Kill me if that is what you want!! Let Iseul and Eun go!” I yelled.

“Kill you? Why should I? Killing you would be an extremely easy way out for you. I’m going to keep your body alive, but kill your soul instead.” He whispered into my ear.

I felt a shiver down my spine. Why did that sound so creepy?

“You enjoy stealing my family, don’t you? Now, I want you to have a feeling of what it is like to have something precious stolen from you.” He said, smiling at me.

He traced his finger down my chest, and then stopped at my groin.

Despite being tied up, I could feel myself shaking. What was he trying to do?

***
Jaehyun: That was nice.