No, I refused to be just left out. I am not to be ignored and forgotten. Ugh! I don’t know why but it irks me to see someone act so concern for the pest. He’s just a pest; he doesn’t deserve that much attention to the point of me being forgotten. With that in mind, I stepped out of the car and followed the two inside the house without waiting for an invitation. I saw the girl assisted the pest inside a room. Still, I followed.

 

“Take of your shirt and lie down on your stomach,” the girl said. I backed off in one corner and watched as the pest obeyed the girl. The girl went out of the room and came back after a while with a basin of water, pieces of clean fabric, and a first aid kit box. She went to the bed and started applying some solution on the pest’s back. Then, she took something from the basin- some sort of a pick-up instrument. She inserted the tip in the wound, making the pest grunt a little.

 

“What are you doing?” I asked, aghast.

 

“What do you think? I’m taking off the bullet!” she hissed. The moment she took out the bullet, a small amount of blood oozed from the wound, making me nauseous. I dizzily went to the door and settled myself outside. I don’t know why the sight of the blood suddenly made me dizzy when in fact, I’ve seen worst. I don’t remember feeling nauseous when I saw Mr. Nah, Grandma and Grandpa’s blood.

 

I swallowed the bile forming in my throat. I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against the wall. What is happening? Why are these stupid things happening to me? I need answers and I need them now.

 

I was alerted by nearing footsteps. I opened my eyes and straightened up in time to see the girl glaring at me. “How is he?” I asked.

 

“Luckily, he won’t die,” she acidly acid. “You should be thankful it wasn’t that serious. Because if that wasn’t the case, I’ll finish you off myself and give your body to those guys chasing after you.”

 

Now wait a minute! How dare she talk to me like that? But then again, I told myself that she just helped the pest so I should behave. “I’m glad it’s nothing serious.”

 

“You should! Because it’s your fault why he got shot in the first place!” she said and walked away, arms heavy with soiled items.

 

Okay, so I’m starting to smell a nasty cat fight boiling up. Huh! Did she think I would just let her get away? Of course not! Not me! I won’t back out from a fight! No way! So I followed her. “How dare you blame me? It wasn’t my fault if those guys can’t aim well! I didn’t ask them to chase after us and shoot him! And FYI, those guys are after me, not the pest!”

 

“Oh!” she sardonically laughed as she put the items on the sink. “So you think it was an accident? That they were aiming for you and not Jiyong?”

 

“Of course it was!”

 

“Well you thought wrong!” she gritted. “They were trying to kill Jiyong so that they can get you! Because if it weren’t for him, you’ve been captured already!”

 

I balled my fists. “I did not ask your precious Jiyong to do that for me!”

 

“Of course you didn’t but your father did!”

 

I looked at her blankly. Then, I shook my head. “Do you really think I’d believe you? And besides, why would Dad do that in the first place?”

 

“Stupid! For your own protection of course! And why don’t you ask your father the reason yourself?” she spat.

 

“I already did,” I said, “but he won’t tell me. Even the pest won’t tell me.”

 

“Huh!” she snorted. “Maybe because they think you can’t be trusted.”

 

My hand itched. I raised it up and was about to send it flying to her face when she caught my hand. I flinched as her grip tightened around my wrist.

 

“I’m not very tolerant with sensitive brats like you. So, don’t try me.”

 

“You don’t have the right to speak like that to me! Who do you think you are?” I breathed.

 

“Oh, I have every right to speak what I want since you’re endangering my bestfriend’s life!”

 

Before I could even react, a voice came from behind me, low and calm. “Seohyun, let her go.”

 

“Jiyong!” the girl gasped, letting go of my wrist. “What the hell are you doing? You should be resting!”

 

“Dara’s pretty tired, too. We should let her take her rest,” the pest said.

 

“But. . .” the girl protested.

 

“Hyun, let her take her rest.

 

SEOHYUN was silent as she engaged in a stare battle with the pest. “Fine!” she finally said and turned to me. “Follow me.”

 

“No. I want to talk with the pest,” I said.

 

“We will talk after you take your rest,” the pest said.

 

“You always say that but you don’t really plan to tell me anything!” I burst out.

 

“I already told you why,” the pest calmly said.

 

“Are you really that inconsiderate and insensitive?” the girl snide. “Can’t you see Jiyong also needs his rest? Jeez, you’re whining irritates me!”

 

I glared at the girl. “I’m not whining! I just want to know the truth!”

 

“Oh, yeah, the truth! Huh! She’s right, Jiyong, why don’t we just tell her the truth? Maybe it’ll make her a bit grateful for what you’re doing for her!” the girl gloated.

 

“Seohyun, enough!” the pest said. The girl automatically went silent. “We’ll talk soon,” the pest firmly said to me.

 

I fumed. I so wanted to continue fighting but then, I changed my mind. “Fine!” I snapped. “Now what?”

 

Seohyun snorted again. “I see that Grandma was unsuccessful in taming you. She should,” the girl inserted.

 

“They’re dead. My grandparents are dead,” the pest quietly cut her off. The girl paled, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. She was looking at the pest like he’s some sort of an alien.

 

“No,” she whispered, shaking her head. When the pest didn’t answer and just sighed, the girl’s head turned to me. “It’s your fault!”

 

I took a step back from the intense pain in her voice and face.

 

“It’s your fault! If you-”

 

“It’s nobody’s fault Hyun, Dara didn’t ask to be chased by those guys,” the pest calmly said. “Please, bring her to her room.”

 

Again, the pest and the girl got caught in a stare battle. But after a while, Seohyun surrendered. She turned to me with a resigned sigh. “Follow me,” she said. I silently followed her. As we reached the room, she silently motioned me inside. When I was inside the room, the girl silently closed the door.

 

I walked to the bed and looked around the room. It was a simple room, almost bare from appliances but the atmosphere was light and relaxing. I suddenly felt exhaustion, like I’m so drained. Maybe the pest was right; maybe I do need some rest. I’ll just deal with the things I need tomorrow. With that in mind, I slowly lie down and closed my eyes.

 

 

Later. . .

 

My eyes grew wide as I saw Mr. Shim, lying faced-down on his own blood. I took a step back when I felt something hard and cold behind me. I turned around and gave a frightened gasp as I saw Mr. Nah’s empty eyes, wide open staring at me.

 

“Oh, God!” I breathed, clutching my chest. I looked to the right and saw the Kwons’ farmhouse. I started running towards it when I suddenly stepped on something slippery. I yelped as I stumbled backwards. I gave out a scream as I landed on a pool of blood. I quickly scrambled upwards. My chest tightened as I saw Grandma and Grandpa’s dead body.

 

What’s happening? Aarrgghh! I don’t want to be here! I want to get out of here! I looked around and saw that I was in the middle of the orange farm. Where should I go? The house disappeared from view, I can’t find it! Where did it go?! I started running, not really sure where I’m heading until the trees around me suddenly spurted upwards, growing a few feet higher, enveloping me with darkness as they blocked the sun from view. I stopped for a moment to catch my breath. Am I still in the farm? I don’t know anymore. I felt something hot and went fell on my cheek. My hand went up to smooth it out. I looked down at my hand and saw a tinge of blood. My eyes widen in horror, my airways constricting, and my heart pounding hard against my chest. I looked up and gave another loud scream as I saw Dad, Wooyoung oppa, Mr. and Mrs. Kwon hanging on a tree, bloody. A wave of nausea came over me. I bent over and threw up. I don’t think I can stand this anymore. Then, from afar, I started hearing something. It wasn’t clear, though. I can only say that it was a male voice, a familiar male voice. As it was getting nearer, I started recognizing it.

 

“Kitten!” he called. My head whipped behind me.

 

“Jiyong!” I called back.

 

“Kitten, where are you?”

 

I started going towards the direction of his voice. After a while, I saw him, his face heavy with worry. “Pest!” I cried. I saw his face turned to me. Relief washed over his face as we made eye contact. I quickly ran to him and threw myself in his arms.

 

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he whispered as he rubbed my back. I didn’t say anything and just buried my face in his neck. Then, he pulled back and looked at me with gentle eyes. “Stay alive, Kitten,” he said. I held on tight on his arms but I felt him slipping away from me, like he’s being pulled away.

 

“No,” I breathed as I was now holding onto his hands.

 

“Promise me, stay alive,” he said then he was gone.

 

“No!” I shouted.

 

Somewhere, a voice echoed. “This is your entire fault. This is your entire fault!”

 

“No!”

 

I jerked up and found myself in a room, sweat forming heavily on my forehead. The door suddenly burst open. “What happened?” a voice asked. I looked up and saw the pest, alert. He quickly scanned the room and went to my side.

 

“There was a lot of blood” I started, panting. “There’s blood everywhere. . . and dead bodies. I . . . I saw. . .there. . . Y-you were. . .”

 

He gathered me in his arms. “It’s okay. It’s just a dream,” he comforted me. “It’s just a dream.”

 

“Everything alright?” a feminine voice asked.

 

“Yes. She just had a nightmare.”

 

“A nightmare, huh?” the girl snorted. “What a weakling.”

 

“Hyun,” the pest warned.

 

“Okay, okay,” she muttered and went away.

 

“Go back to sleep,” he murmured. I felt something warm in my head, spreading through my whole system, comforting me.