Yoomi packed up her things and put them in her backpack. Her friend—who came late for his shift—muttered apology next to him, over and over. Yoomi could only shrug and waved her hand saying that it was okay. She should have finished her shift an hour ago if only her friend wasn’t late. But she couldn’t get angry with him since he said it was an emergency situation for his mother.

Her brother couldn’t pick her up since he was out of town for school project. She didn’t think she would finish her shift this late so she didn’t notify her parents either. It was past midnight in a cold November. She wrapped herself in her jacket as she walked out of the store and waited by the pavement, wishing that a taxi would soon pass. She waited for five minutes and she thought this was far more scarier than walking directly to her home, so she decided to walk home.

It wasn’t her first time walking alone on night like this. She already had couple of night shifts before. But she remembered their conversation the other day and fear started creeping into her hearts. She turned around couple of times whenever she heard voices behind her. But no one was there, of course. The street was completely empty and deserted. There weren’t any cars passing by the road. Not to mention the stores were closed already.

Yoomi sighed and whispered to herself, “You’re scaring yourself, Yoomi. Everything is going to be okay.”

But she was still restless. She still had the feeling that someone was watching over her. She stared at the dark side of the road and saw nothing. Again, she repeated her own words, and started walking again.

This time she walked faster and didn’t even turn around every time she heard something. She must misheard things because she was scared. That must be it. She walked even faster, and turned to an alley to reach her house just about three blocks again. Feeling relieved, she walked slowly. Just at that time, someone grabbed her from behind. She almost screamed when she heard man’s voice next to her ear.

“Don’t try to scream or I will stab you,” he said, sending a chill to her backbone. She could feel the tip of a knife on her back.

Her heart skipped a beat and she basically lost her ability to speak—not to mention to scream. Fear surged in her and tears started to build up. Her mind went blank as fear took over in her heart.

“HEY YOU!! LET GO OF MY GIRLFRIEND!!!”

Yoomi was stunned hearing that voice. Not in one million years she would not recognize that voice. She saw Minsoo jumped out from the alley next to them and rushed to them. The man seemed to be startled as he let go of Yoomi—and she automatically slumped to the street weakly. Yoomi could only watch as Minsoo threw a punch at the man. The man tried to kick Minsoo, but Minsoo was a lot stronger (thanks to those times he spent in the gym) and he easily dodged the man and hurtled the man over his head. Knowing that he lost, the man ran to the empty alley and disappeared in the corner.

Minsoo was about to chase the man, but he remembered Yoomi—who was stunned and shocked, in state of unable to comprehend the situation calmly. He turned to Yoomi—who was still in the street—and kneeled in front of her. Yoomi’s eyes were still in Minsoo, couldn’t believe that it was really Minsoo who helped—no, saved—her.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

When she heard his voice—which she missed—she burst into tears. She wouldn’t imagine that she would hear his voice in this condition, and it brought tears into her. Longing, fear, relief, gratefulness are mixed together in her hearts.

It shocked Minsoo seeing Yoomi cried in front of him. He always knew that Yoomi was sentimental, but after what happened between them these days, he wouldn’t think that Yoomi would cry in front of him. He gently pulled Yoomi in his embrace. There, Yoomi cried to her heart content. As he her hair gently, he told her to cry more if she wanted.

As she felt safe in Minsoo’s embrace, feeling his warmth once again, which she longed for, she automatically threw her arms around Minsoo’s waist and cried hard. Fear hadn’t left her. She still could feel the man’s touch on her body and she hated that. Minsoo’s hand—who hugged her back—healed that.

“It’s okay. You’re safe now. You’re with me. Nothing will happen to you now. You’re safe.” Minsoo repeated those words in his deep voice, each time giving more strength to Yoomi.

Once Yoomi was calm enough, she let go of her arms and looked at Minsoo.

“Why are you here?” she asked. Her mind might be playing with her eyes. This guy might not be Minsoo at all. She might be hallucinating.

A smile appeared in Minsoo’s lips—an innocent smile she loved about Minsoo. “Don’t you remember that I promise to protect you?”

Of course she remembered. She remembered every memory she had with Minsoo, every detail. She kept them inside her hearts, as they were dear to her, more than everything.

“Don’t you know that I always watch over you? Every day.”

Yoomi remembered the feeling she had earlier. “So it was you? Oh my God… you scared me…. But thank you….” She paused. Her voice started to tremble as she spoke. She might burst into tears again.

“Now that it came to this… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you anything about what I did and what happened…. I just don’t want bad things happen to you…”

Yoomi pressed her lips against Minsoo’s. She missed this too. A kiss they used to share every day, before the incident happened. Minsoo was still trying to say something, but he gave up and kissed her back. Their kiss got deeper, when Yoomi felt something wet and sticky on Minsoo’s waist. She pulled back and looked at it. Minsoo was confused as she suddenly pulled back.

It was dark and there were only dim lights from the street lights. She couldn’t actually see anything, but it was definitely there. She held her hands in front of her eyes and saw dark liquid all over her hands. Blood. Her hands were covered with blood. Panic surged in her. She was definitely woundless. Then… the blood… must be….

Yoomi stared at Minsoo in daze. “Minsoo ya… you’re….”

Minsoo looked at his shirt. “Ooh… I must be worried for you… I didn’t feel it at all. It doesn’t hurt….”

Panic surged in her, more than what she felt when she encountered the . She quickly pulled Minsoo’s shirt and looked at the wound. It wasn’t big, but it might be deep, since blood kept oozing from the wound.

“Oh my God! Oh my God!! Can you stand up?! We should go to the hospital right now! Maybe we should go to the nearest clinic! Oh my God! What should I do!? There’s no taxi here! How are we supposed to…. WHAT SHOULD I DO?!”

Scared that standing up might make the blood gushing out, she ordered Minsoo to stay still as she ran to the road and looked for someone in the street. No one. Now she panicked more. She couldn’t lose Minsoo, not now, never.

Suddenly Minsoo stood next to her, he pressed on his wound to keep the blood from oozing out. “Stop panicking, Yoomi. We’ll walk to the nearest clinic right over there.”

“But your wound! Oh my God!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be okay.”