“You are safe…you’re the safest” Dara whispered nervously as Jiyong sat on the other side with an unreadable expression.

 

 

 

"I’m... safe?” Jiyong asked quietly.

 

Dara held her hands tightly together and nodded slowly.

 

 

Jiyong leaned back on the chair and watched her.

 

Dara titled her head to the side slightly as if to ask a question.

 

 

“Once you know me, you won't think that way” Jiyong said as he stood up ready to leave when she suddenly spoke again.

 

“…are you not safe?” Dara asked with such innocence that Jiyong actually had to think hard about what she was asking him. His face fell slightly not knowing how to answer. The thing was he knew the answer but there was no way of explaining it to anyone in a way they would understand.

 

 

“How can that be possible?” she asked herself.

 

JIyong regained his composure and turned to her abruptly, “Just because I brought you into the house doesn’t mean you know me got it?!”

 

Dara nodded calmly this time making Jiyong furrow his brows. Wasn’t she scared of him?

 

 

He grimaced and shouted angrily, “I have my own reasons for letting you stay! So don’t think it’s because I pity or sympathise with you in anyway. I don’t care about anyone and I won’t care about you either!!”

 

Dara nodded slowly again.

 

JIyong frowned and looked at her peculiarly, why wasn’t she startled like before or like everyone else was when he got angry?

 

 

“Aren’t you scared of being alone with me?” Jiyong asked curious, “Don’t I scare you?”

 

 

 

Dara looked at him for a moment before speaking, “…I am.”

 

“Then why do you want to stay here?” Jiyong asked again not understanding her.

 

 

“I am scared, I’m petrified” Dara spoke quietly, her voice shaking slightly, “I don’t understand why either…but to me…you’re still the safest.”

 

Jiyong face softened as Dara looked at him with her hurt and innocent eyes and he couldn’t help but feel something sting inside.

 

He looked away when he realised he was staring at her for a bit too long. He cleared his throat and frowned again, “Are you hungry?”

 

 

Dara bit her lip and nodded slowly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minzy kneeled in front of the washing machine once it stopped and opened the circular door.

 

“See I don’t know what mum was so worried about” Minzy said proudly as she grabbed the only item in the washing machine, the coat, “I knew I could do it on my own- OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE?!!”

 

Minzy’s jaw hung open, her eyes round like kimbap and her face pale from the shock.

 

She started whimpering as she held out a coat that looked just about big enough to fit a 5 year old in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Look, I will myself get all the details from her” Top was still on the phone to the social services when he got to his flat, “I can’t do anything if the girl didn’t want to leave with you. Arasso…arasso, I’ll hand the report in myself.”

 

He hung up and casually flung his phone on the sofa.

 

*creek*

 

TOP looked down at the wooden floors and frowned, “Aish I told ajhussi to fix this.”

 

He walked around the loose floor boarding and went into the kitchen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Ajhussi did you get a chance to call someone to look at my ceiling?” Bom asked the security guard as she stepped into the old apartment building.

 

 

“Ah I called but they won’t be able to come in until next week Bom” he replied.

 

“Ajhussi, the ceiling has had that damp mark on it for weeks now. Please can’t you get someone to come in tomorrow?” Bom begged.

 

“Mianhe Bom, I tried. Don’t worry, they’ll be here as soon as they can.”

 

Bom sighed, “Arasso, thank you anyway ajhussi.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jiyong cursed himself and rubbed the back of his neck as he placed a plate of slightly burnt toast in front of Dara.

 

Dara bowed to thank him and brought the plate closer to her.

 

“The maids” he cleared his voice again, “I fired them so…”

 

Dara looked up not understanding what he was trying to say.

 

JIyong sighed and raked his fingers through his hair, “They normally cook for me. I don’t know how to so…” he looked down at the plate of toast.

 

 

Dara finally understood what he meant and she looked back at the toast, “…I like toast.”

 

“You do?” he asked trying to sound as if he didn’t care.

 

Dara nodded, “They only gave me stale bread-“ she suddenly stopped herself.

 

“They?” JIyong asked curiously.

 

Dara didn’t meet his eyes and tried not to look so nervous. She didn’t want to let people know how she lived before, especially Jiyong.

 

“Dara?”

 

Dara suddenly felt the air escape her lungs when he said her name. She looked up at him wide eyed.

 

 

“Who do you mean they? Those men that were after you?” Jiyong asked.

 

Dara looked away again, “…ani…forget what I said” she looked down at the toast and picked one up, “…can I?”

 

Jiyong furrowed his brows and nodded.

 

 

 

Dara took a bite, “…it tastes nice” she said quietly as she wiped the crumbs from . She looked up at him and pushed the other piece of toast to him.

 

Jiyong shook his head and found himself staring at her again. There was just something about her. Maybe it was pity he felt for her but then again maybe not. It was too early to try to understand what he was feeling let alone think about it. He quickly snapped back to reality and pushed the plate back to her.

 

“Eat up and go to sleep!” he said gruffly before storming off to his room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Music: Please let us love by A pink]

 

 

 

 

*creek*

 

"Bloody hell!" TOP took a deep breath and stepped back from the wooden floors again. He looked around the place and his gaze stopped at the coffee table in front of the sofa.

 

He stormed around the loose floorings and towards the coffee table.

 

 

 

 

---------------------

 

 

 

 

*creek* *creek*

 

 

Bom furrowed her brows and looked up at the damp ceiling, “Did someone new move in?”

 

 

*creek* *creek* *SLAM*

 

“OMO!” Bom stepped back when a small bit of the plaster fell from her ceiling. She looked angrily upwards, “What are they doing up there?!”

 

 

 

 

--------------

 

 

 

 

TOP dragged the heavy coffee table around his living room without any concern.

 

“Ah crap!” one of the legs of the table got caught and he tried to pick the table up only to slam it down loudly.

 

 

 

-------------------

 

 

 

*SLAM*

 

Another layer of plaster fell down in Bom’s place.

 

“YAH!” she shouted upwards angrily.

 

 

---------------------

 

 

 

“YAH!”

 

TOP stopped doing what he was doing for a moment when he heard someone shout. He looked around before shrugging and dragging the table towards the loose floor.

 

 

-----------

 

 

 

*drag* *creek* *drag*

 

 

Bom glared at the ceiling in disbelief as flakes of the ceiling fell onto her with every move from upstairs.

 

 

*SLAM*

 

“AH!” Bom startled and then composed herself, “That’s it!!” she stormed to the kitchen and grabbed a broom.

 

 

She stormed back into her living room just as another loud thud was heard from upstairs. She picked her broom and banged the part of the ceiling that wasn’t damp and falling apart, “YAH!”

 

 

------------

 

 

*thud* thud*

 

“YAH!”

 

 

TOP stopped and looked down this time. Suddenly a smile crept across his lips, of course how could he forget Bom lived downstairs.

 

 

“AJHUSSI OR AJHUMMA! CAN YOU PLEASE STOP!”

 

Top snickered when he heard Bom shouting from below. He grabbed one side of the table and slammed it down on the floor again.

 

 

 

-------------------

 

 

 

*SLAM*

 

“omo!” Bom exclaimed, “unbelievable!” she grabbed her broom stick and banged on the ceiling again, “YOU NEED TO STOP! MY CEILING IS FALLING APART!!”

 

 

 

--------------------

 

 

 

“What did she say?” TOP furrowed his brows not hearing her quite right.

 

He shrugged again and started pulling the table to cover the loose floor in the middle of his living room.

 

 

-------------------

 

 

 

“Oh?” They’re really not going to stop?!” Bom gasped as she readied her broom one more time.

 

 

--------------------

 

 

TOP reached the loose flooring and readied to put the table down.

 

 

 

------------------

 

 

“Wah chincha!” Bom shouted before hitting the end of the broom onto the ceiling just as TOP slammed the table down onto his floor.

 

“AHH!” Bom screamed when somehow she managed to make a hole in the ceiling with her broom.

 

But just then there was a loud creek and Bom stepped back slowly.

 

*CRASH*

 

“ACK!” Bom shut her eyes as a large chunk of ceiling about half a meter fell onto her floor.

 

 

 

“Sh!t! Are you ok?!”

 

She heard a familiar voice and looked up, she gasped in horror when she saw half of a coffee table hanging through the hole.

 

“Bom! Are you ok?!”

 

 

Bom suddenly squinted her eyes, “How…does he know my name?”

 

 

 

“Bom wait there! I’m coming down!”

 

 

 

 

-------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

“Sh!t!” TOP cursed as he ran down the stairs to Bom’s flat and flung the doors open.

 

 

 

“Bom-“ he stopped when he saw Bom in the middle of the room covered in dust from the ceiling. He looked around at the plasters sprawled across the floor and half of his coffee table stuck in the ceiling, "sh!t"

 

 

Bom slowly turned around and coughed white dust out. She looked up and suddenly looked like she was going to kill someone when she saw TOP standing there.

 

“YOU!” Bom pointed angrily, “YOU LIVE UPSTAIRS?!”

 

TOP stepped back slightly as Bom who resembled a ghost stormed towards him, “LOOK WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY CEILING?!”

 

“I…um..” TOP stuttered as Bom backed him against the wall.

 

“YAH! THERE’S A BLOODY TABLE STUCK IN MY CEILING!!” Bom screamed.

 

 

“Well…well” TOP tried to act tough, “Yah! It’s not your ceiling! It’s my floor that’s been messed up!”

 

Bom blinked slightly, “What did you just say?”

 

“My floor” TOP stuck his chin up, “Why were you banging on your ceiling anyway?”

 

Bom gritted her teeth, “Get that table out of my ceiling now.”

 

 

 

 

 

-------------------------------

 

 

 

 

10 minutes later

 

 

“Ah, now how did that happen?” the security ajhussi tilted his head to the side and looked at the coffee table stuck in the ceiling.

 

 

“Ajhussi just fix it!!” Bom cried out, her hair still covered in white dust before storming to the kitchen.

 

“She’s a bit sensitive right now-” TOP whispered to the older man.

 

“I HEARD THAT!”

 

TOP and ajhussi shut up quickly when they heard Bom scream from the kitchen.

 

 

 

“Right well, first thing is we need to get the table out of…well…there and then I’ll see if we can get someone to come in and take a look as soon as possible” ajhussi nodded, “I’ll let the landlord know. Come on I’ll help you pull the table out.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

"Omma!" Minzy whined through the phone.

 

"What did you do now?" her mother's knowing voice could be heard through the loud speaker.

 

"Ani why do you think it's my fault?!" Minzy exclaimed.

 

"As long as you're not in prison I won't be mad. Now what happened?"

 

"Omma,I'm coming back home!" Minzy said determined.

 

"Waeyo?!"

 

"Omma please let me come back" Minzy begged.

 

"Ha! Who was the one begging to go to Seoul before?!"

 

"Omma! If I go back to the hospital tomorrow I'm as good as dead!" Minzy fell back on her back.

 

"Aigoo stop being such a drama queen and go to sleep!" her mother reprimaded her, "Don't you dare think about coming back young lady!"

 

Minzy huffed and cringed just thinking about giving Young Deuk his mini sized coat back, "Fine!! If I die tomorrow in the hands of thaat arrogant prick then it'll be your fault!"

 

"Arrogant prick? Who? A doctor?" Mrs Gong suddenly sounded interested.

 

Minzy rolled her eyes, "I'm hanging up!!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“You want me to what?” Bom exclaimed as she looked up.

 

 

 

“Bom try to push the table up from down there and we’ll pull from here” the ajhussi shouted through the hole.

 

Bom took a deep breath and ruffled her hair angrily. She pulled a chair and stood on it.

 

 

“Push Bom!” TOP shouted.

 

“WAIT!” Bom screamed making the two men shut up and wait patiently.

 

Bom took a deep breath, “Bom-ah calm down. Don’t let him get to you, do not let him get to you.”

 

 

She looked up and pushed the table up as the guys pulled.

 

 

 

“Almost there Bom, one more push!” TOP shouted.

 

"I'm not in labour" Bom muttered as she pushed. For some reason Bom hated him ordering her around but then there wasn’t really anything else she could do if she wanted this table out of her ceiling.

 

“PUSH!”

 

Bom gritted her teeth and pushed until she felt the table being lifted upwards. She finally let go as the guys pulled the table back into TOP’s apartment.

 

 

“ahh” Bom slid down on the chair and sat there for a while, absolutely flat out tired.

 

 

 

“Hey!”

 

 

Bom snapped her eyes open and looked up to see TOP looking at her through the hole, “oh god.”

 

“Ajhussi’s gone, he said he’ll let the land lord know about this” TOP informed her as he laid down on his floor and peered at Bom.

 

“The landlord?” Bom frowned, “There’s no point telling him anything. If it costs him money he’ll try to get out of it no matter what.”

 

“Guess we’re stuck like this then” TOP replied.

 

Bom scoffed and rolled her eyes, “Yea right.”

 

 

“So this is your place” TOP nodded as he looked around her apartment.

 

“YAH!” Bom stood up and tried to block his view, “Don’t look!”

 

TOP smiled, “Pft, there isn’t even anything to hide.”

 

Bom bit her lip and glared at him, “This won’t do.” She stepped down from the chair and ran to her room.

 

 

“Yah! Where are you going?” TOP called out.

 

 

After a while Bom walked back into the room holding a towel and tape. She stood on the chair and started taping the towel over the hole.

 

 

Bom stepped down and rubbed her hands together at the closed hole, “Ah….that’s better.”

 

 

Suddenly she saw movement behind the towel and TOP yanked the towel up into his flat, “That’s the best you can do?”

 

“My towel!” Bom exclaimed.

 

TOP stood up now, “Cheers, I needed a new towel.”

 

“Give it back!” Bom shouted.

 

“Right I’m off to have a shower, we need to talk later Miss Park Bom” TOP smirked and walked off leaving Bom flabbergasted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seungri dried his hair and then flung the towel onto his bed before sitting down on the large chair. He let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes.

 

 

[Flashback]

 

 

 

 

“No! Stop it!” Seungri’s mother cried, “Seungri is who I say he is and one day you’ll all find out!” she stood up and ran out of the house before Seungri could stop her.

 

“OMMA!” Seungri ran after her, “Omma! Stop!”

 

 

But his mother kept running, she wiped her tears and ran.

 

 

“OMMA!” Seungri shouted.

 

His mother turned around as he called her out and she tripped on a stone before tumbling onto the busy road.

 

 

“OMMA!”

 

 

“ahh” she held onto her shoulder and tried to sit up just as a car turned into the road in full speed.

 

“OMMA!” Seungri shouted as he tried to get to her before the car did.

 

His mother saw the car but instead of getting out of the way she just stared at it until it hit her.

 

 

 

[End of Flashback]

 

 

Seungri bolted up, dripping in cold sweat now. He clenched his jaw and tried to shake off that memory.

 

He saw his phone on his bed and grimaced before grabbing it and dialling CL’s number.

 

 

“Yoboseyo?”

 

Seungri gritted his teeth and calmed himself down, “CL?”

 

“Seungri shi?” CL asked surprised, “How did you get my number?”

 

“Apologies. I had asked Mr Kim for it for business purpsose” Seungri said bitterly.

 

“Ah…ok. Is something the matter?” Cl asked.

 

“No. Actually I feel bad that I haven’t yet met your father” Seungri said with a dark expression, “Perhaps you can take me to see him tomorrow?”

 

“Oh…well he really isn’t well enough to have visitors” CL replied.

 

“That’s a shame. You see my father and yours were very close friends and I just wanted to see how he was.”

 

“Well…I guess I can arrange something” CL said hesitantly, “Why don’t you come by the hotel tomorrow and I’ll see what I can do.”

 

Seungri smiled bitterly, “Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He hung up and curled his hand tightly around his phone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

------------------

 

 

 

 

 

CL placed her phone on the table and looked at it percuilarly. There was just something not right with Seungri and she had to find out. She picked her phone up again and rang Mr Kim.

 

“Mr Kim, I have a favour to ask. It’s urgent.”

 

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Are you not safe?'

 

JIyong growled and sat up on his bed.

 

 

'I am scared. I’m petrified.'

 

JIyong raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. It had only been a day since he found her and she was already having this impact on him.

 

“It’s pity” Jiyong mumbled to himself, “I feel…sorry for her?”

 

He shook his head angrily. He’d made a promise to himself never to get close to anyone after what happened 18 years ago. He had his reasons and he was going to keep them no matter what. No one was going to change that, he wasn’t going to let them.

 

JIyong stood up abruptly and stormed out of his room towards Dara’s when he suddenly stopped outside his room. The angry scowl on his face immediately faded away when he saw Dara by the stair case.

 

She had her knees close to her body and was leaning on the wall by the staircase as her head nodded down sleepily.

 

Jiyong slowly walked up to her and stood in front of her for a moment watching her curiously.

 

Dara’s head fell down to her knees before she shook her head slightly and pulled her head back to lean on the wall tiredly.

 

JIyong sighed as he forgot the reason he’d come out of his room. He kneeled down and tapped her hand to wake her up.

 

Dara’s eyes furrowed slightly but she didn’t respond.

 

JIyong frowned and he poked her shoulder this time.

 

Dara moved her shoulder slightly as her head started to tilt to the side.

 

JIyong’s eyes widened and he immediately held his palm out to catch her head before she fell on her side. To his surprise Dara nuzzled the side of her head more into his palm. With his free hand he tried to pull Dara to sit up again but his hand slipped making Dara fall back down. But before that could happen he moved himself swiftly so she fell into his arms, her head now resting on his chest.

 

He froze up not knowing what to do now. He frowned and grabbed her arms to wake her up but when he looked down and caught sight of her sleeping he stopped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bom stretched her arms as she walked into her living room. She yawned as she sat down on her sofa. She took a bite of her apple and opened her book when her towel dropped on top of her head.

 

“AISH!” she grabbed the towel of her head and glared up at TOP who was smiling through the hole.

 

“Thanks for the towel” TOP ruffled his damp hair.

 

“This is wet!” Bom exclaimed before throwing the towel away.

 

 

“What are you doing?” TOP asked looking down at her.

 

Bom ignored him and took another bite of her apple.

 

“What are you reading?” TOP asked again.

 

Bom gritted her teeth and turned away so he couldn’t see her book.

 

“Relax” TOP raised his brows, “I was just asking.”

 

 

“Ani!” Bom turned back to him, “Does this make any sense?! There is a hole in my ceiling! Can you not comprehend just how weird this situation is?!”

 

TOP thought for a moment and then shook his head, “It’s just a hole. They said they’ll fix it.”

 

Bom stared at him. How could a guy be so relaxed about something like this?

 

 

“Anyway, you got plans tomorrow?” TOP asked changing the subject.

 

“Yes!” Bom replied curtly, “I have work.”

 

“What about in the evening-“

 

“Why are you doing this?!” Bom cut him off.

 

“Doing what?” TOP asked confused. He was usually this chilled and casual with everyone he met and usually people liked his laid back approach. But apparently not Park Bom.

 

 

“Acting like we’re best buddies. We don’t know each other!”

 

“Well you could pretty much say we’re roomies now” TOP replied.

 

“Roomies?!” Bom scoffed.

 

“And what do you mean we don’t know each other?” TOP asked, “We went to the same school. Hey shouldn’t you call me sunbae?!”

 

Bom snapped close her book, “We were in the same school but you weren’t my sunbae! Do you really not remember me?!”

 

TOP looked at her confused.

 

 

“Forget it!” Bom got up and stormed off to her room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dara moved slightly and furrowed her brows when she felt something warm next to her. Her eyes tiredly fluttered open and she looked up to see Jiyong staring at the opposite wall with an unreadable expression. She gasped and sat up before pushing herself away from him.

 

JIyong looked at her and raised a brow when he saw how nervous he looked suddenly.

 

“I thought you said you weren’t scared of me” Jiyong muttered before standing up.

 

 

Dara bit her lip and bowed slightly, “I’m so sorry.”

 

JIyong cleared his throat and put his hands in his pockets, “What were you doing sleeping out here?”

 

 

Dara looked up at him embarrassed, “…I forgot”

 

“Huh?”

 

 

“I forgot which one was my room” Dara said quietly.

 

“Why didn’t you just ask then?!”

 

Dara cowered back slightly, “I…didn’t know where you were…”

 

 

Jiyong rubbed the back of his neck, he couldn’t even get angry at something like that. He closed his eyes tightly, this wasn’t working. He couldn’t just be her shoulder to sleep on for the whole night, or make her toast or be her safety net. He’d never been someone’s comfort and he didn’t intend to be one now either.

 

Jiyong looked down at her and shook his head, “This won’t do. We need to make some ground rules.”

 

“…rules?” Dara repeated.

 

 

 

 

------------------------

 

 

 

 

Jiyong poured himself a glass of water and turned around to face Dara, “Do you want a drink-wait what am I doing?!” he reprimanded himself before she could answer and drank the glass of water himself.

 

Dara watched him confused as to why he was talking to himself.

 

Jiyong slammed the glass on the counter and faced her again, “Rule number 1. Don’t wait for me to give you anything.”

 

Dara tried to say something but he shook his head.

 

“Just take it!” Jiyong waved his hands in front of it, “Don’t make me wonder if you’ve eaten or not, just eat whatever you want!”

 

Dara bit her bottom lip and nodded slowly.

 

 

“Number 2, don’t expect me to be nice to you” Jiyong said bluntly.

 

Dara furrowed her brows in disagreement.

 

“I’m not a nice guy and I don’t intend on changing. EVER!” Jiyong explained, “Number 3, you can go wherever in the house, just don’t go outside the gates. Those men might still be looking for you.”

 

Dara looked nervous for a moment and looked at the front door hesitantly.

 

“But” Jiyong added making Dara look back up at him.

 

 

“You’re my responsibility now, so…” Jiyong scowled as if he didn’t like the idea, “Until we catch those men…I’ll keep you safe.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HELLOO! HOW IS EVERYONE DOING??

 

FIRSTLY WHAT DOES EVERYONE THINK ABOUT THE POSTER FOR THE STORY?? JUST LIKE FOR UNDERCOVER LOVE, MIAAMU KINDLY MADE THIS BEAUTIFUL POSTER FOR US AND I CANNOT THANK HER ENOUGH FOR HER HARD WORK. IT'S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING AND THANK YOU FOR GETTING THE FEEL OF THE STORY JUST RIGHT. AMAZING AS ALWAYS MIAAMU!

ALSO PLEASE GO AND CHECK THE FOREWORD FOR AKOSISHEMEI'S LOVELY POSTER FOR THIS STORY TOO!! SERIOUSLY THANK YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TO MAKE SUCH A WONDERFUL POSTER.

 

ANYONE ELSE WHO WANT TO MAKE ME A POSTER PLEASE PLEASE DO!

 

AND I KNOW A LOT OF YOU MUST BE LIKE "UNNIE PALL GIVE US SOME ROMANTIC, HEART FELT, TEAR TUGGING COUPLE MOMENTS". ARASSO ARASSO THOSE MOMENTS WILL COME SOON KEKE JUST BE PATIENT LOL.

 

ALSO THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ARE COMMENTING, SUBSCRIBING, VOTING OR JUST READING. I'M HAPPY YOU GUYS ARE ENJOYING IT :) WELL I HOPE YOU ARE.

 

SO UNTIL THE NEXT UPDATE BYEEEEE

 

 

UNNIE