Present

It’s already 12 at midnight. Soojung enters the convenience store. There is no one except for a few workers which are at the counter and another worker unloading things from the box onto the shelves. She’s aware that it’s late already. But she had no choice. Her roommate, Amber is having high fever and in need of medicines.

She looks around, looking for a drink. She picks a 100plus from the fridge. She walks towards other shelves, picks a few chocolates bar and buns. Then she goes to the counter, asking for aspirin, pay for the things she bought. As she exits the store, she realizes there’s a guy standing outside the store. She glances at him, he’s wearing a cap, almost covering his face. Somehow, he looks suspicious to her.

Suddenly her phone rings. She shifts her gaze as she looks at the screen, it’s from Jongin.

“Hello Jongin-ah?” she answers the phone as she walks away from the store.

“Oh you haven’t slept yet?” he asks. Soojung glances at her back, that guy is walking just a few feet away from her.

“No. I just got back from the convenience store. Why?” she asks back. She puts her purse inside the plastic bag, holding it tight. She can hear the guy’s footsteps behind her.

“Alone? Are you insane? It’s past 12 already.” Jongin nags, ignoring her question. Soojung starts to quicken her pace as the guy is getting closer to her. But he keeps a safe distance between, hasn’t realizes that Soojung already notices him.

“Jongin-ah. There’s this guy, he’s been following me.” Soojung says, keeps her voice as low as she can.

“What? Where are you right now? I’ll come right away.” Jongin says at the other side. Sounds worried.

“I don’t know. I think I am a few blocks away to my apartment.” She answers, almost crying. The guy behind her is still following her. Didn’t show any signs that he’ll give up soon.

“Just keep your pace, I am coming okay.” He grabs his jacket at the back of the door as he leaves his room quickly.

Soojung puts the phone back into her pocket. She walks faster this time. That guy quickened his paces too, catching up to her. She looks back, he’s only a feet away. She holds the plastic bag tightly as she starts running away. That guy also starts running after her. She runs with all her might. She can hear her heart beating fastly. ‘Jongin-ah’ She thinks as she is running away.

They reach a corner, when that guy reaches up to her, he grabs the hoodie of her jacket. She almost falls backward. Thanks to her quick reflex, she turned around, kick his left leg. But then that guy caught her right wrist. He pulls her towards the dark alley. She tries to resist when he pushes her towards the wall. Holds her left hand with his other hand. He closes with his hand, prevents her from screaming. She tries to scream but she can’t let out her scream. That guy push her harder to the wall, puts his body weight on her. She can’t really move. Tears escape from her eyes, because she’s too scared. That guy then starts to loosen his pants. Soojung sees this as an opportunity. She gathers all her strength, kicks him right on his private part. He falls on the ground, cringes in pain.

She quickly runs towards the street when suddenly she bumped into someone. She screams as she fell on the ground, her legs are already weak.

“Soojung-ah, are you okay?” she looks up to see it was Jongin. He looks behind her when he can see a guy was rolling on the ground, cringes in pain.

“Let’s go.” Jongin says as he helps her to get up, pulls her hand, quickly fleet the scene.

Kai’s POV

“I already handed Amber her medicines. So don’t worry about her for now.” I say as I come out from Amber’s room.

Soojung who is sitting on her bedsides, just nods her head, still in shock. I go to the kitchen for a while, and get back with a glass of water. I pull a chair and sit in front her. I hands her the glass. She takes it with a tremble hand. I help her with the drink, afraid she will drop the glass. She gives back the glass after she had a few gulps. She just stares blankly. I notice a cut on the side of her lips.

“Let me see your face.” I ask as I pull her chin, made her to face me. I observe the cut, it’s not really deep. It might be healed in a few days.

“Did he do anything to you?” I ask looking straight at her face. She shook her head, she pushes my hand away.

I let out a deep sigh. “You sure?” I ask again since I am really worried.

“Yeah.” She answers. Finally a sound is coming out of , but still not looking at me.

“I am about to nag a lot. But, seeing you like this, I won’t. I’ll save it for the later.” I take a glance at her. She smiles a bit.

“Oh you are smiling.” I say as tilt my head a bit. Soojung still is not looking at me.

“I was scared.” She says as she looks up at me, smiling a bit but with teary-eyed.

“It’s okay, I am here right now.” I say as I take her hand into mine. Her lower lips tremble, she’s about to cry.

I embrace her as I say “You make me worried. I am glad you are okay. What a relief.” She burst into tears. I pat her back lightly as I keep telling her it’s okay.

Krystal’s POV

I stand at the side of the road, waiting for the bus to come. Sometimes, I glance at my watch on my left wrist. I am quite early today. I look around, searching for Jongin. Last night’s memory come back into my mind. I take out my phone, looking at the reflection of myself on the phone’s screen. My face looks puffy. I touch the side of my face, reminiscing back the time when Jongin wipe off my tears. I cried so much last night until I fell asleep. I don’t even realize when he left. I just woke up without him within my sight, but his scent, it lingers around. ‘Ah it was really embarrassing.’

I look to my side when I felt someone is nudging me, it’s Jongin. He lifts his cap, smiling at me. I just nod, clear my throat. I feel embarrassed of last night. He never really had seen that side of me, the cry baby. Not long after that, the bus arrived. We ride the bus which is a bit crowded. We can’t even get a seat. I just stand there, holding to the pole next to me. In front of me, there stand a middle-aged man. He’s really close to me that I feel uncomfortable. It reminds me of the ert guy last night. I frown a bit as his body keep clashing with mine.Sometimes I even throw a death glare at him. I think I might get mad at him in any time.

But then, I can see Jongin is moving towards me. He slips through the crowd, make it through and stop until he stands in front of me. He stands between me and the guy. He looks down to me,

“You okay?” he asks.

“Yeah.” I answer, don’t even glance at him.

He ruffles my hair. I look up, seeing his smile. I fix my hair, as I change my gaze. From where I stand, I can see his collar bone clearly. I always think that he has a charming collar bone. Secretly, I compare our height. He used to be smaller than me. Now, here he is standing in front of me, taller than me, protecting me. Time passed so fast that we both now are grown up, that this heart now is fluttering for him. 

"Jongin-ah.." I call him. 

"hmm..?" he answers as he looks down to me.

"I...I like you." I finally confess. 

To be continued.....