"And that is all for tonight folks. Have a good night."

I yawned as soon as the camera turned off and one of the guys in the camera crew yelled that's a wrap! "Good job partner. I shall see you tomorrow." Hyoseong, my nice coworker, said to me before she bounded off to her dressing room, the scent of her rose perfume wafting to my nostrils as she passed me by. I nodded to her and yawned once more. Being a well-known news reporter at age twenty-six sure was one heck of a job. I stretched before feeling a brief vibration in my pocket. I fished out my iPhone and opened the message that had been just sent to me from an unknown number.

Great job tonight, but you always do a good job . . . Jae.

Jae? This nickname sounded very and creepily familiar. I know I remember it from somewhere, but I just can't put my finger on it.

Thank you . . . may I ask who's praising my work?

I looked around, thinking it could be one of my coworkers playing around with me, but the message I recieved next proved that it wasn't a joke. It was an image. Not just any image, an iamge of me inside of my home, reading a book and I noticed right away that this picture must've been taken a few days ago. My eyes boggled, and I jumped up quick, put my phone back into my suit jacket, and walked as fast as I could to my dressing room, running into Yongguk, the cameraman, on the way. I barged into my dressing room, shut the door, and shakily exhaled, pacing a bit while rubbing a hand over my mouth, the other on my hip. My eyes began to water.

My phone vibrated again, I dreaded to look at the message, but I couldn't help it.

You always look prettiest while reading and also in front of the camera.

Not again.

"Not again, not again, please not again." I muttered loudly as I sat on the plush white couch and buried my head into my hands. I sat there until I heard a knock on the door and it was opened. Yongguk stepped in.

"Hey Youngjae, are you alright?"

I looked up, red eyed with tears falling down my cheeks, and Yongguk quickly took his place by my side.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

I held up my phone, the conversation in Yongguk's view.

"Hyung . . . "

<<  *  >>

"Lieutenant Him-"

"Himchan,"

"Youngjae? What is it?" The Lieutenant of the Seoul Police Department's Threat Assessment Unit was surprised of getting a call from Youngjae, a victim he helped during an intense stalking case of some psycho and love stricken man. The last time he called was when he thanked Himchan for putting the man behind bars, but now, what could he want with him?  

"I . . .  I need your help . . . again. Please?"

The man sounded desperate, scared.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I . . . I think I'm being stalked again."

Himchan wasn't surprised, but because Youngjae had became his friend, he was. The reason he wasn't surprised was because many news reporters - especially well-known ones like Youngjae - would have this problem.

"Where are you right now?"

"I'm at Yongguk's house. I-is it okay if I come?"

"By all means do so, I'll be here. Are you sure that you're being stalked again?"

"Y-yes,"

Without any further words, Youngjae hung up, more tears threatening to fall, and he proceeded to put his dress shoes on that went with the suit and tie he was wearing. He didn't sleep at all the previous night, jumping at any little sound made, afraid that his new stalker would be hiding in the shadows of the dark corners, ready to do something, anything to him. Yongguk had offered to drive him to go see Himchan, and of course he agreed, Youngjae had after all stayed the night. They drove to the SPD precinct, and were led to Himchan's office right away.

"Youngjae, when were you convinced that you were being stalked again?" Himchan professionally asked Youngjae. Youngjae glanced out the glass door at Yongguk who waited patiently for the younger to be done before looking back at Himchan, and down to his fingers he fiddled with.

"Last night, after the news cast. I received a message. At first, I had thought it was just a coworker playing around because I know they're all joksters, but I received another message, an image."

"What was the image?"

"It was an image of . . ."

"Of what Youngjae? It's okay, you can tell me."

"It was an image of me in my house that was taken a few days ago," Youngjae took his phone out and showed the image and the conversation to Himchan who narrowed his eyes as he examined the photo, and read the exchanged messages.

"Jae?" Himchan knitted his brows together and looked at Youngjae, before standing up abruptly and walked out. But he walked right back in. "You may go now, Youngjae. I'll make sure we send a few of our guys for police protection. We'll find the bastard, don't you worry." Himchan encouragingly smiled at him and Youngjae walked out, two policemen escorting him. Yongguk lingered back to speak to Himchan.

"So do you have an idea of who it could be?" Yongguk immediately asked. Himchan sighed and looked at the man in front of him, and nodded slowly.

"I might have an idea. For now, you have to be by Youngjae's side in this, keep him calm and collected. I promised him that I would find the bastard, and I will."

Yongguk nodded before walking toward an elevator and exited the building and walked to his car where the two policemen stood with Youngjae. He revved up the engine, and with the policemen in the unit behind them, drove to the channel six news building.

<<  *  >>

"Jongup, could you pull out Yoo Youngjae's case file from five years ago?" Himchan asked the young detective who was already making his way to the filing room. "And Junhong, I need the recent list of releases from the prison in Busan." The other young detective nodded as he walked over to his computer and began typing up a storm to find what Himchan was asking for. The Lieutenant went back to his office and began going through papers to pass time as his team searched for what he asked of them.

It was only five minutes later when Jongup came in with the lemon colored file in his hands. "Found the case. Why do you need it?" Himchan quickly took it and started to go through it, his eyes skimming every word written down by his own handwriting. At one point, he saw the picture and name of Youngjae's previous stalker. As he went through the case, he ignored Jongup's question and his presence until he found what he was looking for.

Stalker calls him Jae . . .

He furrowed his perfectly arched eyebrows, and just as he was about to go see Junhong and his progress with the list, the young, yet tall detective barged in.

"I have the list,"

"Well let's see it,"

The three detectives went over to Junhong's computer, leaned down and looked intently, closely at the screen, Himchan looking for a certain name. Low and behold, there it was at the bottom. His eyes widened just a slight and his jaw set as he looked at the computer again for the now twenty-seven year old man's release date.

"I don't see why you need this. What is this for Himchan?" Junhong, also known around the precinct as Zelo, asked the Lieutenant.

Himchan's eyes lingered on the screen for a moment. No wonder Jae seemed so familiar. If Youngjae didn't, couldn't remember where the nickname Jae came from, well, Himchan did, and that the person responsible for giving Youngjae the creepy name, was released from prison.

"How could we have not seen this coming?" Himchan muttered as he stood straight and walked back to his office, ignoring the calling of his name by the two young detectives who hadn't an idea of what was going on, but Himchan will have to inform them about it later. Right now, he needed to inform Youngjae of his newfound and dreadful bad news.

<<  *  >>

I had just finished the morning segment of the news and was currently sitting back on my white couch in my dressing room guarded by two policemen when I saw Himchan's caller ID displayed on my iPhone. I answered, hoping that he found something, and he did.

"Youngjae you won't believe what I am about to tell you. Where are you?"

"I'm in my dressing room, I just finished the morning segement of the news. What is it? Did you find something?"

"Yes, we did find something, and I am sorry for what I am about to tell you."

I began to worry and felt a sense of dread flood over me. "What is it? Have you found out who my stalker is?"

"Youngjae, your stalker . . . he, well, he's the same stalker from five years ago."

I froze completely. For a second, I thought that I had dropped my phone, but it was still in my hand, I was gripping it harshly as I stared at the glass coffee table in front of me. My free hand clenched tightly in my lap. This can't be true, it can't. In order to be sure, I asked Himchan again.

"Who is it?"

"Youngjae, your stalker is Jung Daehyun. He was released from prison three weeks ago. I'm sorry."

"No,"

"Youngjae are y-"

I hung up the phone in the middle of his sentence. It was rude, but I was just still in the process of soaking up what he just said to me. It was all racing through my head that pounded and I swallowed a lump as my eyes prickled. I had slammed my phone on the couch so now both of my hands were clenched in fists. As my tears found their way out, all at once, it hit me.

Not again.

<<  *  >>

A/N:

I know this was a little short, but I don't want to take things too fast. The next chapter should be longer.

I hope you enjoyed and please let me know what you think.

I promise that all the action will come.

Thank you to those who had subscribed, for the vote given to me, and for reading.