It took a small while before it finally hit me, full force, top notch impact.

I had been running on adrenaline for quite some time. I had cried, I had fought, and I had gotten away physically unscathed for the most part.

I had a sudden wonder of how skydivers felt after diving from the sky. Full on rush of adrenaline and then they hit the ground. Do they think of how easily they could’ve died right then? How close death was? Physically, they were fine, but hadn’t they had even a single thought of how their parachute couldn’t have opened, killing them from a crash landing?

I felt like I had just dived from the highest peak only to realize my parachute was a failure. And then I remembered my backup at the last moment. I survived, but now I had that single trauma and I was bleak.

“You need to go home,” Sehun stated the obvious a few moments after the whole scenario. His hands lingered in the air for a moment, as if he might’ve been about to grab onto my arm. Then they dropped like he thought better of it.

Torn between two different halves of the whole entire night of events, I was beyond disheveled and wanted to just turn my brain off. Staring at the ground blankly, I tried to do so. When I felt something weighing down on my shoulders, I finally looked up.

Sehun fixed his jacket over my shoulders, determined to have it set perfectly, before he realized I was looking at him. He paused, his Adam’s apple moving as he swallowed, before straightening up. Taking his hands back, he glanced around the vacant parking lot.

“Come on.” He started towards the gym.

I stayed in my spot, refusing to go towards that place. Not where everyone was, and Namjoon, and my sister. I started to panic thinking about walking into the crowded place. Looking at Sehun, I shook my head even though he wasn’t even looking. He had already walked a few paces before he turned around, noticing I wasn’t following him. Giving me a cautious look, he started back.

“Eunhui,” he started slowly.

I shook my head. “I want to go home,” I said, barely audible.

He sighed, coming a bit closer, but not too close. “I’m taking you home,” he replied. “I just need to get Jongin’s car keys.”

I faltered, questioning if he was really going to take me home. I actually didn’t have to depend on him, since I had been on my own way home before I ran into him. For some reason, I did anyway. And because I didn’t want to get on a bus or walk home, I nodded an okay.

He didn’t move until I looked expectantly to him. For a moment, I feared he might try another kiss on me and panic swallowed my lungs. Then I felt his large hand close around my left one, giving a light squeeze. I flinched, surprised at the sudden contact, but with a small amount of relief, I realized he wasn’t doing anything; he was only holding my hand. He looked absolutely harmless and he had been the one to scare Namjoon away. I wanted to believe he was going to help me, despite what had happened with Eunhyuk that night and everything in the past. This was not the Oh Sehun that used to be. I knew this one. Even though I was uneasy, it wasn’t because of him. I felt comfort in his presence somehow.

It was odd, I knew, as he started towards the gym, pulling me with him. Feeling like I was lagging behind, I held onto his arm with my broken hand that was aching terribly. I could tell my palm was clammy against his own, or it could’ve been his, but he didn’t let go. It didn’t feel romantic, the way he held my hand. It felt strong and reassuring, like I didn’t have to worry about where he was taking me. Although, I did only by instinct.

I felt my anxiety rising as we entered to the building and I think my hands began to shake because his grip tightened. The loud noise of the crowd and their game filled my ears, knocking me almost dizzy.

“I-I can’t go in there,” I suddenly said, looking down at my dirty clothes. My face and hair probably looked worse than that.

Sehun slowed his pace, casting a glance at the gym doors, before stopping entirely. “Stay right here—I’ll be back,” he said. Then his hand was gone and I looked around the hall for any predators as he opened the gym door and disappeared inside.

I inched over to the wall, pulling his jacket tight around me before giving in and pushing my arms through the sleeves. Taking in the warmth, I stood close to the wall, watching the door for him to come back. It struck me that anyone could come out before he did and I looked for a place to hide. Especially if it was Namjoon.

Once again, my throat closed in and I lost my breath. That was really when I panicked. Sehun was gone and the hallway was empty, just like the soccer field had been. I was exhausted but I wanted to run. It frightened me how easily I had been taken down by Namjoon and there was no reason why he couldn’t or someone else couldn’t do it again. I felt too vulnerable and like such an easy target, it was suffocating. The urge to hide somewhere and never come out was too strong and I started towards the door.

“Eunhui.”

My footsteps halted not even two steps later when Sehun came hurtling out of the gym. His steps we