Chapter 9

Hyun Joong sat up on the sofa as soon as he heard the sound of wheels coming down the hallway. He'd been thinking about what to say to Ha Neul all night and hadn't gotten any sleep. "What are you doing?" he asked, getting up to block her. She had a luggage and backpack all packed and ready to go.

"Get out of my way," she said, her voice cold. Her eyes looked straight ahead and her lips were set in a hard line.

As she walked past, Hyun Joong grabbed her arm. "You're leaving?" He was confused. Why didn't she at least give him a chance to explain?

"Or do you want me to stay?" she asked, glaring up at him. "With someone like you? No, thanks."

Someone like me? It hurt to hear those unrecognized words from her.

"Don't..." He was panicking inside. She couldn't go right now. She just couldn't! The empty, sour feeling he'd feared started to creep back into his heart. "I won't let you."

Ha Neul scoffed. "And how are you going to stop me?" She swiftly turned away and hurried for the door. She twisted the knob and began to pull it open when the door suddenly shut on its own. She turned to see Hyun Joong standing behind her, his hand on the door above her head.

"Kim Hyun Joong! Open this door!" she ordered, her eyes flashing red.

Hyun Joong ignored her, and instead grabbed her wrist, dragging her back down the hallway.

"Hey!" She twisted and pulled, but his grip was too tight. "Ow! That hurts!" She felt his hand loosen and took the chance to run, but reading her thoughts, Hyun Joong ducked down and grabbed her legs, lifting her and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Aaagh!" she grunted. "Let go! I don't want to be here!"

"You're staying with me, whether you like it or not," he simply said and dropped her onto the bed. Even if it meant using force, he would keep her here. She was too important to him now.

But Ha Neul sprang back up and started hitting his chest with her fists. "You can't do this!"

Irritated, Hyun Joong took Ha Neul's arms and pinned them behind her back. She continued screaming and demanding to be let go, but it didn't alter his intentions one bit. He wasn't going to be alone again.

"Where are you gonna go? There's no one left!" Hyun Joong reasoned with her, still trying to convince her to stay.

"I don't care! As long as I'm away from you, I'll be okay!"

"There's someone out there trying to hurt you," he finally interrupted, suddenly remembering that Kyu Jong was still looking for her. "He might kill you."

"Ha! GOOD. Then I won't have to see your face anymore and maybe--"

No! Hyun Joong instinctively covered with his free hand. He didn't want to hear the rest of her sentence. He didn't want to know that she'd rather go see Jung Min, wherever he is.

Suddenly Hyun Joong could feel teeth sinking into his hand. "Ha Neul! Why you--" He immediately let her go and pulled away from her pirahna-like teeth. She smirked, seeming satisfied.

Seeing her lose her concentration for a minute, he took the chance to dash from the room and shut the door, locking it behind him. Poundings thundered from the other side with muffled shoutings.

Sighing, Hyun Joong shook the pain from his injured hand. That Ha Neul sure could bite hard. Good thing he hadn't tried to shut her up mouth-to-mouth. A small smile appeared on his lips at the thought.

--

I sat on my bed thinking about what to do next as the sun began to set outside the window. My determination to leave this place had begun to die down with my lost of strength. Besides, Hyun Joong was right. Where would I go anyways?

Suddenly the door opened and I saw him come in with a tray of food. "I'm not hungry," I immediately said, and turned my face away from him.

"Who said this was for you?" he retorted, shutting the door and sitting down beside me. He set down the tray and picked up a fork. "Oh, this spaghetti sure smells good..." he mumbled to himself, but obviously wanted me to hear it. Involuntarily, my somach gave a loud grooouuuuch.

I shut my eyes in disbelief. How could my body betray me like that? I heard a soft chuckle.

I glanced back to see Hyun Joong exaggeratedly sniffing a forkfull of noodles and my stomach flipped restlessly. He was so awful.

But for some reason, as I watched him, I couldn't feel the anger anymore. Had I already forgiven him? But this was such a big issue, if I forgive him, would I be betraying Jung Min?

"Mm." Hyun Joong had raised the fork with a meatball on it to my lips. I sighed and studied his face. What was it about him that calmed me down? I could remember everything now... but contrarily, I'm less emotional than when I first started to remember.

"How can I forgive you so easily?" I wondered aloud. "Is it because you saved my life?" But that didn't sound right. I should want to hurt him right now for taking away my only love, right? I should at least hate him to the very core, but I didn't. Something must be wrong with me.

I must've been lost in my thoughts, because when I looked again, Hyun Joong was sitting very close to me. He raised his hands to my face and ran his thumbs over my eyebrows, straightening them out. "Relax," he whispered.

Like magic, the tension began to fade. I was beginning to relax, but I continued to stare at him; why don't I feel the least bit awful for being with him like this? I must have no conscience.

Suddenly without warning, Hyun Joong began moving closer with his head tilted a bit to the left and his hands lifting my face up to meet his.

What's happening? I could feel his warm breath on my face as he inched in. Is he...? He couldn't! He's not trying to kiss me... is he?

Without thinking, I automatically closed my eyes, waiting for it. This was neither the right place nor the right time, but now I couldn't pull myself away.

Minutes passed before I opened my eyes again. Hyun Joong gazed at me with smiling eyes.

"It's because you love me," he simply answered.

OMG! I just found out that Hyun Joong isn't gonna sign with DSP anymore, and there's a chance he won't be in SS501 anymore! :'( This really makes a fangirl like me sad... (credits: allkpop.com)