7 years ago


“Uncle Ji Suk, Uncle Ji Suk you came for a meeting again?” a 15 year old Min Ah greeted a man who she considered her uncle since he was close to her parents.


“De. Wait for me arasso? I’ll treat you to a snack after.” He said and walked into his father’s office.


---


“You should have just lent me the money, let’s see if you can still see your precious daughter.” Ji Suk said as he sent an image of Min Ah bounded by ropes and locked up inside a car, and then he sent another image of the car slowly going under the water with her inside. He threw a rose flower into the water then left.


“Somebody help me...please help me...” Min Ah was crying and struggling to get free from the ropes. The car was half full of water already and she could see that it won’t be long before the car would totally sink.


“Appa...Umma...Halmoni...” Min Ah called out for them silently. Finally she was able to free herself and untied the gag in but the water was almost full and all she can do was take a deep breathe before the car was filled with water and sank faster.


She tried her best to get the window open under the pressure she was in and managed to get it half open. She was at her last breath when she managed to get out of the window but her left leg was tied to the rope that was stuck inside the car. The same rope that she managed to free herself was pulling her down as the car sank.


“I’m scared...” She said in her mind as she slowly drifted out of her consciousness due to the lack of oxygen. But not without seeing a boy the same age as her swam towards her.



Min’s POV


I only knew that I was trembling when I got home. My hands were shaking as I loosen my grip on the steering wheel.


“Min Ah kwenchana...” I said to myself in an attempt to be calm as I unlock the door and went inside the house and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water after depositing my things at my room.


“Ms. Yoon you’re home right?” I stood still when I heard Ji Suk’s voice.


“Why is he here? He’s not allowed to come here.” I said to myself, fear creeping inside of me.


“I know you’re there, why don’t we have a little talk, like the old times.” I could sense a sneer at his voice.


Unknowingly I had made my way into the studio, it was dark though because I haven’t turn on any lights.


“Please someone take him away...I’m scared...” I cried over and over again inside my mind as I sat in one corner.


End of POV


“Little Min Ah, Uncle is calling for you...” Ji Suk went on calling for her when he got no response. He walked to the door and found it amusing when the pass code for the house was the same as 7 years ago.


“Hyung! Can’t you drive any faster?” Jungmin complained to their manager since he was anxious to go home and see if Min Ah was okay.


“Aisshh! I know you’re worried, I’m worried too, but if the cops catch us it would take longer before we get there. Behave we’re almost there.” Their manager replied. Everyone was anxious to go home but Jungmin was the only noisy one.


“Ms. Yoon, can we have a little chat?” Ji Suk called out as he entered the living room, trying to listen to any sounds that would give away where she was hiding.


“You know you are still the silly girl from before, always would run home when something goes wrong. And like the last time, you are alone in this house.” He said with that signature sneer of his.


“What the hell are you doing here?” He turned when he heard a voice behind him as footsteps became louder. He was upset that someone was in his way so he gave out a punch but Jungmin was able to avoid it.


“Jungmin why did you ran out ahead? Ya! Why are you here?!” Hyun joong said after finding Jungmin standing in front of the man they saw earlier.


“I’ll go look for Min Ah.” Kyu jong said and Hyung joong and Youngsaeng followed him while their manager switched on the lights and shut the door.


“I believe you are not invited inside this household. We can sue you for trespassing.” Their manager said.


“And you are not? I believe this is Ms. Yoon’s house, not yours and besides what proof do you have that I came in without her permission?” Ji Suk sneered and laughed at them.


“This house is installed with a cctv six months ago, and I am entirely sure that it recorded you quite good since it’s specialty is night captions.” Jungmin said with a smirk.


“Min Ah!” Kyu jong called to her and checked one of the guest rooms. She wasn’t there.


“I just want to talk to her.” Ji Suk tried to resist Jungmin and Hyun joong’s dead grip on his arms when he failed to hit them; the reflex of the two was just too fast for him.


“She doesn’t want to see your face. You’ll be hearing from our lawyer, cause we live in this house too.” Hyun joong said and they threw him on the floor while their manager called his friend who was a cop.


“Where could she be...” Youngsaeng said to himself as he searched her room while Kyu jong and Hyung joon searched the guest rooms that was when he noticed the black closet door was ajar. So he went inside and went up to the studio.


Youngsaeng’s POV


“Min Ah?...Guys she’s here.” I called out to her then to the kids who were downstairs.


“Hyung you found her?” Kyu jong was first to arrive but I stopped him from going near her.


“I tried going near but she scooted backwards, I think she is still afraid.” I said to him, and repeated the same to Hyung joon who was about to go near her too when he arrived.


“Min Ah, it’s Kyu...kwenchana oppa is here...” I heard Kyu jong tried to slowly coach her, but my eyes were fixed on her protective position. She had her arms around her knees that were folded in front of her chest, while her head was buried on her arms.


“Don’t push her if she still won’t” I whispered to Kyu jong when he managed to take a few steps towards her without her moving backwards.


“He’s not going to hurt you anymore, Jungmin and Hyun jong oppa is downstairs guarding...you don’t have to be afraid anymore...” I saw Kyu jong successfully go near her but she struggled in his arms when he embraced her tightly when she was about to make a run for it.


“Hush now...kwenchana...we are here now...I’m here now...” Maybe it was Kyu jong gentle voice that made her calm down. Among us, Kyu’s voice was the softest and warmest, but I couldn’t help but feel useless at the moment.


“I’ll go inform the others that we found her. Hyung joon go and get some water for her. Kyu can you manage to bring her downstairs to her room, she might feel more secured there since it’s her own room?” I said to them, trying my best to be competent. 


“I’ll go first.” I said when Kyu jong just nodded and Hyung joon followed me after a few moments.


“Hyung I still don’t get it why Kyu jong-kyu is acting protective suddenly towards Min Ah after her step brother told us who that Ji Suk guy is.” I heard Hyung joon complained beside me as we made our way downstairs.


“I don’t know too, but knowing Kyu jong, he’ll tell us soon.” I said since Kyu jong was never the type to keep anything important from us, especially something like this.


End of POV


“Is she alright?” Jungmin asked Kyu jong who was seated beside Min Ah who was facing one side of the bed, sleeping.


“De. She just fell asleep, but she has a dead grip on my shirt.” Kyu jong chuckled when he showed Min Ah’s right hand that was clutching the edge of his shirt tightly.


“Leave it like that, she’ll loosen her hold eventually.” Hyung joon said and sat down on the chair near her study table.


“Hyun joong hyung and manager?” Kyu jong asked them, referring to where they are.


“Manager went with his friend who is a cop, his filing a complaint against that Ji Suk, Hyun joong’s changing the pass code of the house.” Youngsaeng said as he placed a covered glass of water at Min Ah’s bedside table in case she would need it.


“So...I guess you’re wondering why I acted differently suddenly.” Kyu jong said out loud.


“Don’t go starting without me. Pass code is changed into Youngsaeng’s pass code only the order is reversed.” Hyun joong said as he walked in and sat down next to Youngsaeng.


“Remember what her step brother told us when we called earlier, inquiring if he knew Ji Suk?” Kyu jong asked the four.


“De. He told us that he used to be a close family friend but then he tied up Min Ah inside a car and pushed the car into a deep lake, luckily someone saw the submerging car and helped her get out.” Hyung joon replied fastly while the others just waited for him to continue.


“The guy who helped her back then was me. I didn’t know her name back then because at the time when I got her out, an ambulance and police arrived. Her father gave me an address and contact number so that they can thanked me properly but I lost it two hours after.” Kyu jong said with a shrug and everyone was trying to hold off their laughter.


“I’m guessing the reason why you got scared of swimming in deep places was because of that incident?” Hyun joong guessed and they all tried to lower down the volume of their laughter, including Kyu jong.


“Pretty much like that, it was scary.” Kyu jong said and everyone was shaking their heads.


“Arasso. We won’t push the issue, the question right now is do we leave her alone, or someone has to stay here?” Jungmin asked them even though he wanted to present himself.


“Let’s just leave her alone, but leave all our doors open just in case she would need something. Manager will be back soon with guards to secure the area until that guy is not sentenced with a punishment.” Hyun joong suggested and everyone agreed.


They all quietly slipped away from Min Ah’s room after Kyu jong managed to remove her death grip by replacing a stuff toy in lieu of his shirt.


---


“Do you think she’s fine?” Jungmin whispered to his roommate.


“Go to sleep Mal, we just checked on her 10 minutes ago. I’m tired.” Kyu jong said to him and switched off the light.


“But—“


“Sleep Mal, you can check on her later again.” Kyu jong said sleepily and Jungmin gave out a heavy sigh.


“Meanie.” He stuck out his tongue and went to his bed.


“So that was why she didn’t like the brother suggestion we had earlier, it was because she was betrayed before.” Jungmin said to himself silently as he lay down on his bed.


“Min Ah, let us take away that hurt, let me make you feel secure again.” I silently wished as I closed my eyes to sleep.


~~~