- Calm down, Hyuk, calm down… - Hyuk repeated to himself pressing his temples as he walked in circles trying to figure out Hyun Chul whereabouts. He stopped in his tracks and the image of the old building flashed behind his eyes. He took out his phone and dialed….

He ran as fast as he could, pushed his legs to the limits but it wasn’t time to think about it. He reached the gate and noticed it was a bit open and no one was around.

- Park Hyun Chul! – Hyuk screamed his lungs out – I am here! get out!

Footsteps started to be hear inside the storage, Hyuk tried to adjust his sight to the darkness covering the room but it was useless.

- Come in… - hyun chul said.

Hyuk obeyed and stepped into the building, once inside a dim light in the bottom corner of the huge room got his attention but something else put his senses in alarm. There were people hiding in the dark, at least 5 men he calculated, but none of them tried to attack him, like they were waiting for a signal. He started to walk to the poorly illuminated side Hyun Chul was at; sitting in an old and worn out couch.

- well, well… look what we have here – he scoffed – looks like even our little “hunter” has some feelings.

Hyuk recognized immediately, the same man he put in prison months ago.

- I got to admit I’m impressed by your plan… really creative – Hyuk sarcastically said as he stopped right in front of his enemy - …capturing someone precious to me and then making her a hostage…

The old man chuckled and it soon became a big laugh…

- A hostage?... you lack imagination little hunter – he teased. One of the men came out of the shadows and stood next to Hyun Chul. Hyuk thought he had seen them somewhere before until he snapped… he was with the guys who attacked Anne when he found her near the river – of course not, she is right here by her own foot.

- What? – hyuk said confused.

He had already made a conclusion but he tried to push it away as possible. He convinced himself it was wrong. But it wasn’t.

- Come out, Anne – he gestured with his right hand and the petite girl came to sight out of the shadows. She looked scared and ashamed; Hyuk’s body stiffed as he noticed the red bruise appearing in her cheek. He tried really hard to suppress the rage igniting inside him.

Anne stood next to the perturbed man who placed a hand on her waist, she cringed at the contact. Hyuk felt like being stabbed right through his chest that started to move up and down rapidly.

His eyes met hers and she averted her gaze away.

- What is this about? – Hyuk raised an eyebrow, faking to not care about it.

- Everything was planned from the beginning – he explained with a laugh – being attacked and then getting close to you. Oh! Don’t tell me you really fell for her…

Hyuk saw Anne trying to move and say something for an instant but she closed again and stepped back.

Hyun Chul snapped his fingers and the men started to attack Hyuk at the same time, he defended himself dodging their fist and kicks with swift movements, even hitting and knocking some to the ground but it didn’t last long as what he had thought were 5 men, turned out to be 10.

He punched one man on the left side of his face and was about to dodge a jab when he felt a foot impacting on low back making him stumble a few steps. Before he could regain balance he was met with a piece of wood on his stomach; the pain caused his sight to turn all blurry. He heard a gasp scaping from Anne’s mouth but decided to not look at her. He felt on his knees and pressed his hands against his stomach to relieve to soothe the pain but the man started to kick him in the head, the ribs and back, after a few minutes he became numb from so much pain.

- H-Hyuk… - Anne whispered, the concern on her voice seemed legit.

Hyuk tried to smile at her but he couldn’t bring his lips to form one, he just kept staring at her scared face. “I must look horrible” he thought. The beating stopped at the snap of the fingers again.

Blood started to run down his forehead and dramatically cover his eye. His lips were split open and his jaw and cheeks felt swallow and turning purple in some areas.

Hyun Chul chuckled and got off the couch to walk towards him; Anne flinched at was the thought of what was about to come. She looked at the man’s disturbed expression and then at a barely conscious Hyuk lying on the floor.

The man took out a gun out his jeans waistband and pointed to Hyuk as he kept walking; the girl saw no doubt on his eyes. He really was going to kill the helpless boy that had rescued her in so many aspects, and how she started to seduce him half heartedly at the beginning for her parent’s sake.

Her feet moved before she could think and found herself standing between Hyun Chul and Hyuk before the latter pulled the trigger and a thunderous shot filled the room.

Hyuk eyes widened as Anne’s body started to vanish to the floor; he tried to catch her but his strength was just enough to get him on his knees and only got to make her impact less hard.

Hyun Chul threw the gun away that let another shot escape but it landed on the wall; the killer and all the men ran away cowardly. But Hyuk was only focused on the dying girl on his arms.

- Hey… Anne – he stuttered – you are going to be okay. I called the police before coming here. They should be here any minute. Everything will be alright. His hands were shaking frantically as he tried to stop the hemorrhage on her chest but it wasn’t working and her face looked paler every second wasted.

- Hey – the girl breathed out and reached to his cheek to wipe a tear rolling down with her thumb – don’t cry, okay? You came to rescue me… that’s enough – she half smiled – I’m horrible… my parents…

- No, don’t speak. Don’t waste energy.

She shook her head no and her eyes started to get watery. She wanted to go with a clean conscience and leave a good impression on Hyuk before leaving this world.

- It’s too late…Hyuk… but I did it to save my family…– her breathing started to increase its pace, she faked a grin that contrasted with the tears on the corner of her eyes. – Hyuk… I’m scared but I don’t regret saving you… I love you.

She used her last strand of energy to lean up and place her lips on Hyuk’s before breathing out and die.

Hyuk heard the sirens getting closer the place as he reached the building’s gate, dragging his legs that probably were disjointed, to walk.

The paramedics rushed to him and told him to move aside to nurse the victim and they had to repeat themselves before he let go of the girl.

He found Anne’s parent among the crowd of officers, when they saw their daughter they broke to cry and yell.

The boy was taken to a hospital where they ran all the medical analysis and healed his broken ribs and multiple contusions. He was in bed when his phone started vibrating on the nightstand. It was Khan telling him about Hongbin’s accident. He pleaded Khan to take him to the place and he accepted.

Anne’s funeral was held the day after, it was snowing but there was still a dim of sunlight in the sky. Hyuk stayed a few meters from the crowd until noticed someone walking out to him. Anne’s father greeted him with nod but Hyuk couldn’t look him in the eye; he told Hyuk to not feel guilty; that it was their fault to not be able to protect her own daughter. The mother hugged her child’s picture as she screamed her name.

One week later, Hyuk found out that Hyun Chul committed suicide inside the prison.

Months passed by and Hyuk continued to live as if every drop of energy had been drained out of him. He could barely sleep thank to the effect of some sleeping pills because every time he closed his eyes the images of Anne being shot or Hongbin’s face covered in blood crossed his mind.

He came back to the apartment after a couple of weeks of being absent. He laid on the sofa and stared at the ceiling thinking about nothing when he heard a noise on what used to be Anne’s room, making jump off and run there. He opened the door and scanned the room to only find that one of the windows was cracked and the wind blew trough the glass swinging the curtain.

He sighed angrily and started to destroy everything out of frustration, he really needed to let go all the anger and rage he had been holding all this time, he took a the chair of the desk and smashed against the floor, “I couldn’t save her!” he roared and grabbed a vase full of pencils and threw it against the wall, then lifted the pillow but before shoving it off the bed he noticed something falling out below the pillow case, a piece of paper.

He took it and started to read what was written on it.

“Dear Hyuk:

If you are reading this, it means I’m not longer in this world because I’m pretty conscious what might happen to me once I accepted that man’s plan in order to save my parents who were kidnapped by him. But being the smart kid you are, you probably know the details by now.

Yes, it was a plan at the beginning but I think from the moment I woke up on your living room I found myself wanting it to be real. I wished that my parent’s lives hadn’t been on that man’s hands so I could enjoy entirely being with you like a normal couple. I know my father would have liked you a lot since he always wanted a son. If you meet them tell them I love them and that it was my choice to save them, and the same goes for you, who is probably blaming himself.

I always thought that you carry too much on your shoulders and distant yourself from others every time you smile. I want you to smile truly and depend on others, I think Hongbin could be a good friend to you.

It’s such a shame for us to part this way. Thank you for everything and I am sorry for lying.

Love you, Anne”

He read it again and found himself with tears on his eyes. Anne could see through him all this time while he only doubted her. He placed the letter on her desk and took his keys to drive to her grave and apologize. Then the wind blow again making him look back at the room, his eyes widened as for a split second he thought he saw Anne smiling next to the window but when he blinked again she was gone.

He then convinced himself that he had to go to her grave. When he got out of the apartment he saw someone sitting in front of Hongbin’s door. A black haired guy with a distressed expression on his face, Hyuk felt like watching himself in a mirror

- excuse me? – Hyuk said unsure – are you looking for Hongbin? Is he a friend of yours? – he spoke with an innocent tone.

After hearing those words, the boy stood up in a swift movement. He nodded to answer the question.

- Prove it – he threw a suspicious.

He grabbed his phone and slit his finger on the screen until he found a picture of Hongbin, you and him. It was a selfie you took some months ago. The long haired guy was smiling brightly like he remembered a few months ago when he arrived there. It was enough to convince Hyuk and he relaxed his shoulders.

- Ok, I believe you; I think your worried expression is legit…  I’m San Hyuk. I live in room 19 – he smiled.

- I’m Jung … Leo.

“That’s a fitting name” Hyuk thought to himself.

They talked about the details on Hongbin’s situation and then walked downstairs to go see Hongbin at the hospital. He felt the cold winter hitting his cheek and smiled.
 

Hyuk and Leo went to see Hongbin, and the latter could tell there was a strong bond between them was really strong. He felt relieved that he was able to help him out, after he parted ways with Leo he drove to the graveyard as he was planned on doing.

He stepped on the fresh yard and walked for a minute because her grave was some meters away of the main sidewalk. He held a bouquet of white roses on his left hand and a notebook, his diary, on the right one. His gaze was focused on the last tomb, a detailed plate with Anne’s full name and exact dates of birth and death.

Finally he stood in front of it; there were new flowers on each vase, probably from her parents, they visited her every weekend; he made a note to call them later to tell about what she wanted to tell them in the letter. Her father forgave him but her mother still blamed him for her daughter’s death.

He got on his knees and placed the flowers in front of the plate; then he sat  on the grass crossing his legs and stared at it for minutes before talking.

- Thank you, Anne – he sighed and his voice came out shaking - I love you… forgive me for not saying them on time.

He took the diary on his hands and wrote…

Day 120

“Thanks to Anne, I found my way again…”

He closed the book and placed it above the lighter on his hand until it started to burn into ashes. He looked at the sky; it somehow looked clearer than before.

THE END

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Waaaa! It’s over! I’m sorry about the feelings.

Well, we know what happen with Hyuk in Giving up on you. I made this story because I thought he was such a good character to just let him in a secondary role.

I hope you enjoyed this story and liked the characters as well.

Thank you very much to all my readers.

Now I’ll focus on Giving up on you ending and The Dragon and The Lion.

See you! :)