17

 Jiyeon’s phone vibrated. It was her habit to set her phone on silent at all times. She unlocked her phone and looked at the message. It was from Myungsoo. Her eyes glimmered in excitement as she scanned the text.

At work?

This was one of the rare times that Myungsoo texted her, although it was getting more frequent. Jiyeon typed back, her nimble fingers grazing across the screen.

Yeah, why?

Jiyeon tapped her fingers against the board, anxiously waiting for a reply. A few seconds later, her phone vibrated again.

I’m in the hotel.

Her face lit up. Jiyeon took this as a challenge—an indirect way to start a childish game of hide and seek. She adjusted her uniform—a sophisticated black blouse with gold buttons and a skirt—and went to fetch one of the trolleys where all her equipments were located. She pushed it out of the room. It was an hour before her shift started but she was just using the trolley as a disguise.

The elevator door opened and she hurried into the lift that was specifically put in place for the housekeeping staff. Her heart pounded; and somehow or another knew that this game was not hers to win. She quickly shook it off and belatedly pressed the 35^th floor. She knew for sure that he was there. But what were the odds that they would bump into each other in the first few minutes she was there? It would not even surprise her if she were not to see him there for the whole time she was there. She meant that the whole floor was almost equivalent to three football field- note that the key word here was almost. Fine, maybe that was too exaggerated, but now you could roughly guess how big the place actually was. The lift finally opened and she strode out. Jiyeon rubbed her now sweaty palms. Okay, she was officially breaking rule number 12: “Do not wander aimlessly around the hotel with your trolley when you are not working.”

Great, maybe this rule was especially made for her.

Despite her racing heart, her steps slowed in reluctance as she turned around the corner. She did not think of this before, but what if she was caught? But then, she had come this far. Was it wiser for her to turn back or should she—

And there he was. Kim Myungsoo. His eyes: two perplexing dark orbs that glinted beneath their harsh countenance; the stark darkness of his hair, which fell right above his eyes perfectly; the litheness of his physique, which possessed an aura of authority. It was as if she was seeing him for the first time all over again.

Two guards trailed behind him, their faces revealing nothing but gruesome threats. Myungsoo strode along the corridor, as if oblivious to them.

His eyes shifted and he saw her. Myungsoo saw her.

She knew because a slow smile spread across his lips. The smile did not diminish his superiority, if that was even possible. It faded as quickly as it appeared. Jiyeon let a ghost of a smile linger on her own lips. The truth was: she missed him. She missed the way his coldness just dwindled away when he was with her; the wall he built between him and the society just lowered.

When he passed her, she swore he was so close she could smell the traces of his cologne, and sensed his body heat seeping into her own skin. Their hands brushed. A thousand electrical jolts rippled through her skin. Her blood rushed through her veins and her muscles tensed. She wondered if he felt it too.

His footsteps were already behind her and were getting further and further away by each second and she was left behind, too stunned to even move. That was the first time he got so close to her and it made her knees wobbly; her heart and her mind hazy. She did not want to let this moment to pass. The footsteps were fading; disappearing down the hallway. And when she turned around, he was gone.

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Jiyeon’s eyelids fluttered open. She rubbed her neck that was aching due to her uncomfortable sleeping position just now. She squinted around her room. Her mind felt so heavy and her vision was still blurry. Where was she?

The realization knocked into her brain and she jolted up. , , . She was still at her work place. She had decided to take a short rest after changing into her own clothes. How could she have fallen asleep?

She checked her phone for the time and cursed again. It was five minutes past 12. The last bus had already passed. She sighed. It seemed like she had to walk home, or ask her dad to fetch her. Her phone vibrated. A message from her mother. Jiyeon’s eyes softened, her mother would probably be so worried. Before she even had time to read the message, the phone in her hand vibrated again. Then she realized that she had 10 more unread messages of all which were from her mother. And they were all basically asking where she was, and when she will be reaching home. The last one though had said that her father was not yet home and asked if he had called her.

Then, she remembered.

Daddy said he will be home late tonight. Meeting. I fell asleep just now. Don’t worry, I’m on my way home. :)

Jiyeon scrambled up and picked her bag before she staggered out, the effect of sleep clung to her like a second skin. She stopped for a moment to steady herself. This was the first time she had been this late, and that fact did not sit well with her. She needed to get home quick. Her dad had not come back from work, and she decided against waiting for him as that meant another at least another 30 minutes being stuck there. Would her mom get more worried?

Yeah, probably. Jiyeon rushed out of the building. Her house was a 30-minute walk away. And though it was only a 10 minutes journey by bus, it was not an option. The bus service had long since ended. Well, it was her own fault that she fell asleep?

As soon as Jiyeon started walking, uneasiness crept into her and she silently wished for company. She hastened her footsteps, her eyes trailing along the barren streets trying miserably to calm her jittery nerves down.

Cold wind gushed from the east and she shivered ever so slightly, a heavy cloud of bad omen settling around her. And she swore that it was on the verge of crushing her composure. Praying for some sort of protection, she allowed herself to be calm, only slightly.

 But all too soon, Jiyeon could hear footfalls behind her, not just one person but a group of at least five. And whatnot, they barged in like a stampede of elephants. Well at least now, she got what she had wished for: company. But it was certainly not a good one. Deep, raucous laughter erupted from them. The hair on the nape of her neck rose and she could feel adrenaline pumping into her vein. 

Jiyeon kept her eyes glued on the street in front of her, suppressing the urge to just run away. Keep walking, keep walking. She whispered to herself furiously. She would not and could not attract attention. Even if she started running, they definitely had the advantage and would catch up to her in no time. She was not scared of these guys, she encouraged herself to keep her steps steady.

“‘Ay girl.” A husky voice shouted from behind. . Jiyeon’s breaths quickened and her hands were getting clammy. Don’t look back. Keep walking. The footsteps were gaining upon her and Jiyeon could not help but to hasten her pace, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. But it was no use. They were already beside her.

A group of five men: that was what they were. Their clothes rugged; their steps graceless. A heavy stench floated about them and their eyes glinted with unsatisfied hunger. Horrid smiles were plastered on their faces. And they were eyeing right at her.

Jiyeon took a step back and immediately regretted her decision to go back home alone. If she had waited for her father then none of this could have happened.

“What are you doing here?” One of them said, that loathsome smile still on his face. They took a step nearer and it took all of Jiyeon’s willpower to keep the disgust out of her face.

“What’s your name?”

Jiyeon did not answer.

Their eyes were burning as they took another step forward. She stepped back until her body slammed into the wall. She looked around. The streets were completely empty and she let the full-blown fact to settle in her stomach. And she would be lying if she had said she was not scared.

Thousands of wild thoughts crashed into her mind and she shook. All she could think about now was Myungsoo. Just Myungsoo. Please come.

As they inched nearer and nearer, she looked at the men. She had seen one of them in her school before. And he seemed to recognize her.

“Yah, aren’t you Jiyeon? The mute girl?”

Their smiles seemed to spread wider--if that was even possible.

“Mute, you say?” then, the guy turned to her. “Now, how will you call for help?”

The men laughed--the sound hollow and menacing. They knew her weakness now and she just knew that they were going to take full advantage of it. And it scared the wits out of her. Her mind was running wildly and she just could not think straight. She needed to think. There might be a way out. The men were already circling around her.  And time was running out.

Now, how will you call for help?

Jiyeon fished her phone and hid it behind her back in a swift movement. It was until then that she realized that she was shaking.

 Her phone was on vibrating mode. She could not see what she was doing but at least she could feel it. She lowered her head. Don’t look at the men.

She unlocked her phone. It vibrated.

A finger touched her chin and pulled it up. Jiyeon in her breath. Too close.

The phone button should be somewhere on the bottom left of her screen. Her finger randomly pressed the area. No vibration. She tried again. Nothing.

The man caressed her cheek with the back of his hand and leaned in. Jiyeon closed her eyes. Panic started to grip her forcefully and she began grazing the screen wildly, desperately willing it to work.

“What are you scared of, pretty girl?” He whispered. He was so close that she could smell his stale breath.

Please, please, let this work. She tried pressing the lower left of her screen again. Nothing.

He was already pinning her against the wall. Her stomach twisted. She pressed her eyelids together. Her palms were already sweaty.

“Hyung, what are you doing?”

Jiyeon opened her eyes. It was the guy from her school. And she let out the breath she did not realize she was holding. Well, at least she had more time to think for an escape.

The man that was pinning her had already turned, his attention was clearly and completely shifted. “Look, new guy. I am just showing you our work so you don’t dare interrupt.” He said dismissively, though he had quite failed to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

“But the girl—“

He exhaled in frustration. “I said don’t you dare interrupt!” If looks could kill, Jiyeon was sure she had witnessed a murder right then.

“I’m just—“

“You have a problem, new guy?”

Now, all the attention had been averted to the ‘new guy’. Jiyeon tried pressing the button again. It vibrated. A breath of relief nearly escaped her lips. Now she just had to speed-dial her parents. They would know that it was an emergency. Her phone still behind her back, she pressed any number. It was calling.

The men’s backs were turned against her now. They started punching the new guy. It was a gruesome sight. She had never known the sound of cracking jaw would sound like that. This was a perfect time to run. And no way in ‘heaven’ was she going to let this opportunity to slip.

She stretched her leg and started running away from them. But as she set in motion, her phone slipped from her sweaty hand and fell with a loud thud. Okay, it might not be that loud, but it had managed to yank their attention back to her nonetheless. . She looked back and contemplated whether she should pick it up or just leave it there. One of the man’s head snapped at her.

“Guys, she’s getting away!”

All of them looked at her and one of them cursed. The four unwounded men scrambled up to chase her. Jiyeon looked forward and ran harder. She turned around a corner into a dimly lit alley. A horrible stench emanated from it but Jiyeon continued running. For a few minutes she ran around in a maze, the sound of the footfalls gaining upon her.

She kept turning around corners, towards a destination unknown to her. Her legs were aching violently and her sides pinched in pain. But she continued. She had to escape. Another minute passed and she was sure she could not keep this up anymore.

She could no longer hear the footfalls behind her. She turned around another corner and let her listless body slide down the wall. All the energy had drained out from her. She might have lost her pursuers now but she was sure that they were still searching for her.

Her senses were sharper than they could ever be. She turned and jumped at every sound, terrified that it might be her pursuers. Her eyes roamed about wildly, searching every nook and corner.

The wind gushed and something rustled. Her head snapped. No there was no one.

Then, something screeched. She jumped. A rat scurried into the darkness. She sighed. Seriously, if this went on, she was sure she would have other problem other than that of her pursuers, because she was sure before the whole thing even ended, she was going to lose every ounce of her sanity.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps drummed in her ears, amplified by her fear. She closed her eyes and prayed that halfway through, the heavy footfalls will swivel in its direction and turn away. She had gotten this far and she was not going to let them get her. But she did not seem to think that she was capable of even standing up. She bit her tongue hard, preventing a frustrated breath from escaping her lips.

She was breaking in sweat despite the chilly night. Her heart was thumping so violently in the confines of her ribcage that she thought it might just explode. Her breaths were untamed. She had to control them so that the man would not hear it. But she could not control anything right now. Not even her own damned body!

She was so scared, so intensely terrified, that her eyes started to water. Tears escaped.

The footsteps scooted nearer and nearer and now, she could hear more explicit sounds, like the heavy breathing of the man and the rustle of his clothes as he approached. She knew she had to get moving. He was heading right in her direction.

Jiyeon hauled herself up. At the same instant, her legs wobbled and bucked under her. No, no, this could not be happening. Her body could not be uncooperative with her at this very moment. She heaved her body up but her legs were like jelly. They were useless. She tried standing up countless times and she would fall again, as if she had no legs at all to support her. By now, she knew that the man could hear her.

More tears flowed. She bit her lips. She could taste the flavor of sweat, tears and blood all mixing together.

 She had to get up. The footsteps were getting nearer, advancing one after another. She had to move. With one final push, she was up. Her legs still shook but she urged herself to move on.

The man had already turned around the corner. She knew. She tried to run but the effort just make her about to fall forward.

The man’s hand laced around her wrist. She could imagine his sinister smile as he caught her. She tried pulling her hand away from his grip but surprisingly it was firm yet gentle. But she would be damned if she could realize something as subtle as that in the middle of what possibly--just might be--her last chase. She pulled and pulled but he was not letting go. This might be the end. But she was not giving up. Not now, not ever.

“Jiyeon.”

Jiyeon stopped. His voice was deep and husky. She knew she was not supposed to believe this but she wanted to, so badly. Slowly, she raised her head.

He came. Myungsoo came. Relief knocked her down as she stared straight into Myungsoo’s soft brown eyes.

Myungsoo pulled her into a hug before she could collapse onto her knees. His strong arms were around her, supporting and protecting her. She buried her face into his shoulder and let the unceasing tears flow. Myungsoo draped his coat around her shoulders and all she felt then was warmth.

“It’s okay.” He breathed into her ears.

It was okay. Everything was fine. Myungsoo was here.

Jiyeon felt her legs giving way and she was sliding down but Myungsoo hauled her up before she could fall. And he was carrying her.

“Let’s get you out of here.” She spoke into her ears.

Jiyeon nestled her head against his chest and heard the steady thumping of his chest. And Jiyeon felt that nothing could have calmed her better than hearing that promising beat that would lull her to sleep; make her feel safe. Myungsoo walked as confident as ever. He knew exactly where he was going. After a few minutes, Jiyeon lifted her head and looked to the ground. Four men lay on the ground, unconscious. Had Myungsoo taken them down all by himself before he came to get her?

It was unclear to her before but now she could see it. There were bruises on his face and his hands and the left side of his lip was bleeding. His heavy breaths and slight haziness just now must be because of the fight.

Myungsoo stepped over the four men as if they were mere trash and walked out into the main street. A black car was parked on the road with a man in a suit waiting beside it. The man rushed towards Myungsoo as soon as he saw him.

“Open the door.” Myungsoo just ordered and the man obeyed.

Then, Myungsoo put Jiyeon down. Her legs were still wobbly so he supported her.

“Get in.” He said and Jiyeon slid into the car obediently.

But intead of going in after her, Myungsoo closed the door and his eyes shifted to the black-suited man. Jiyeon could not hear what he was saying, but found it enough just to see how his jaws taut when he spoke; his hands fisted on his sides before he casually jammed it in his pocket. But she realized that she was just happy that he was there and she could see him. Jiyeon quickly looked out the other side of the window before he could catch her staring. She suddenly felt warmth seeping through and belatedly, she realized he was already sitting next to her. The man closed the door for him. When the car started moving, Myungsoo turned to her.

“Are you hurt?”

There was a partition between the driver’s seat and theirs so the man could not hear Myungsoo.

Jiyeon shook her head and signed, am I heavy?

Myungsoo smirked, because his lips were still bleeding and he could not smile properly.

 “Yeah, you were so very heavy.” He said, wiping the blood off with his thumb.

Jiyeon smacked his arm and he winced. Then, she remembered about his bruises and signed ‘sorry’ numerous times. Myungsoo laughed.

“Kidding. The bruise is on the left side. This one doesn’t hurt. See.” He pressed the bruise on his right arm. He still winced a little.

Jiyeon shook her head. That pride of his is unbelievable.

She checked the bruises. These need proper tending. She signed. If she had the materials right now, she would have done it for him.

“Don’t worry. I’ll do it later.”

Myungsoo fished something from his pocket. “Your phone.”

Jiyeon took it and inspected it. It was scratched at the back but it should be working fine. The car fell silent. Jiyeon leaned on Myungsoo’s shoulder as the car tore down the empty roads. She could stay like this forever.

“7 June…” Myungsoo said out of the blue. “Is your birthday.”

Jiyeon lifted her head to look at Myungsoo.

“Right?”

Jiyeon nodded. Next week.

He fell silent for a while. His gaze travelled out of the window. Jiyeon trailed it. They were here. There was her house. But she did not want to leave.

“I have to go to overseas next week.”

Jiyeon looked at Myungsoo.

“But I’ll be back before your birthday.”

His expression was solemn when he looked at her as if he was not sure of what he was saying.

Promise? She signed.

“Promise.” He said, his voice barely a whisper.

The door opened suddenly. “We are here, Miss.”

Jiyeon nodded to the man but looked only at Myungsoo as she stepped out. His expression told her that he wanted to get out of the car; to send her to her door, to spend a few more moments with her but both of them knew that he was confined to the car.

The chauffeur bowed to her and closed the door. The dark glass prevented her from seeing Myungsoo. But she knew he could see her so she smiled and waved. The chauffeur got in the car and drove off.

She trailed the car until it vanished into the depth of the night. That was where Myungsoo had disappeared to.

She had never felt more alone in her life. 

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A/N:HEYY GUISEEE. IT'S BEEN A LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG TIME. Yeah I . I am soooooooooooooooo sooooooooo soooooooooo sorry. Ok I'm getting annoying. heh. You guys are the most wonderful suscribers and readers ever alive for sticking with me and my crap and my crappy crap crap. Ok sorry. You guys are seriously the best for still supporting my story even when I am crappy at quick updates hahahha. So I have a wonderful gift for you guys.

I MADE A TRAILERRRR. Watch and I want HONEST COMMENTS FROM YOU WONDERFUL PEOPLE. heheheh enjoy ^^

Here's the link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2H-S0AFpO4

-Faith