“Where did mommy go?” She looked at her father but he only seemed to frown at her question. Right. No English.

“Mommy, coming back when?” she tried to form a Korean sentence but from her father’s look, she hadn’t succeeded.

“Daddy angry?”

Every day, she expected her mother to come pick her up. But she never did. Instead it was her increasingly frustrated dad.

“Swi-” she stopped herself before finishing her sentence. What if Seehoon got mad too? Instead she went to the swings by herself. It wasn’t as much fun as usual.

---

Dia woke up disoriented. She would have imagined you got used to getting knocked out. And maybe she had, because she remembered what had happened almost straight away. Her stalker had her. She didn’t seem to be in imminent danger, so she kept her eyes close. Better to pretend to be asleep than to get herself into even more trouble. Her head hurt a lot and she was panicking, but she still felt the hand that was going through her hair.

“Shhh… It’s okay. I’m here. I’m always here. You’ll never be alone.”

That only made her feel worse.

“I know you’re awake, if you were wondering. I’ve been watching you for so long, did you really think I wouldn’t notice?”

Dia stayed still, quiet. If he was bluffing, she wouldn’t fall for it. But then again, she was awake. The caressing of her hair was really creeping her out, and she ended up straightening herself. So much for pretending to be asleep. But at least ‘awake’ she could fight back.

“Why?” was all she could say to the boy in front of her. Maybe she was stupid, but she hadn’t suspected him. No. She definitely was stupid. She hadn’t had any solid suspicions at all. But him? It made no sense.

“Why? Because I like you, of course,” Minwoo said it so casually, throwing in one of his cute smiles as well. As if he hadn’t been ruining her life ever since school had started.

“You like me? You didn’t even know me when you started all this.” She wanted to get angry, she really did. But she was treading carefully. This was the boy who had choked her. Who had hit her with a baseball bat.

“I told you this already, noona, we met before,” he sighed and pouted as he continued: “You totally forgot about me though. So mean!”

“Oh, I’m the mean one now?”

She instantly wanted to slap herself. Don’t provoke him, you idiot.

“Definitely. We met two years ago. Two years and five months, but who’s counting?  So then, I totally fell in love with you. Almost everyone seems to do so. That was kind of annoying.”

“Almost everyone?”

The boy just nodded.

“Once I figured out which school you went to, it was easy. Enter school. Get noona to like me.”

“By Stalking me?”

“I just made sure you weren’t lonely. You don’t like being lonely right? But you will never be alone anymore. Besides, a bit of fear was supposed to bring you closer to me, your cute dongsaeng. Didn’t quite work out that well.”

“My friends will come look for me when I don’t show up for school.” She was racking her brain to figure out what to say, how to get herself out of this.

“They would. But I used your phone. Texted them to say you had a cold and were staying home for a few days to rest. And that you didn’t want to make them sick so they should wait a bit with visiting. Hee-Jin said get well soon.”

“You… but how… how did you… you were in my house, weren’t you?”

“Of course I was. It wasn’t even difficult, you know. I got your key when you were practicing archery. Made a copy. Brought it back. Send the first text. You never suspected a thing. But then you had to change your locks. I couldn’t take any chances after that, so I put up the camera’s, just in case.”

“You copied my key? Twice?”

“Like I could do that again once I’d joined the archery club. I was stuck practicing. Stupid captain wouldn’t even let me watch you in peace. I threw a rock through the window, and once you were knocked out, climbed in through the window. The tree outside your window is to thank for that. I hit you pretty badly, didn’t I? I’m sorry. I did call the ambulance. And brought you flowers.”

“That was you?”

“Of course that was me. Who else cares that much about you?”

“That’s why you were there when there was mud in my locker…” Dia mumbled. It was starting to make sense, little by little. Hoya had been right after all.

“Took you long enough to arrive too. But it worked out well. It made you trust me. And we even had detention together,” he smiled as he spoke, recalling the happy memory.

“How long are you planning on keeping me here?” As long as he was in the room with her, she had no chance of escape. But he wouldn’t be here forever… And his parents, they would have to come home sometime.

“Forever. I’ll never let you be alone anymore.”

“What would your parents say?”

“My parents?” he scoffed. “They aren’t here. I’m like you. Abandoned. Hated. Alone. That’s why we’ll definitely get along.”

“What… what did you do to Myungsoo?”

“Are you still thinking about that idiot? You didn’t care that much, he never even knew about me, did he? I didn’t do much. Cut of their electricity. That’s all.”

“So… you didn’t hurt him?”

“I don’t generally enjoy hurting people, if that’s what you’re thinking.” He looked offended now.

“But you hurt me. All the time.”

“Not all the time. Only… sometimes. When you were forcing my hand. Like, dating people that weren’t me. I can’t allow cheating.”

“Then… the art exhibition? You didn’t hurt me after that date…”

“You were on a date!? I thought you were out with friends, but NO. You were going to cheat again, were you? I could just! Argh! But we got him out of the way, so I’ll let it be... For now.”

“I didn’t go on a date yesterday. But you still hurt me.”

“Like I said, I had no choice. You broke up with Myungsoo. And everything was fine. You were helping me with archery. Giving me private lessons. We were getting along. And then you started ignoring me. After I had done so much for you. After I saved you from that brute beating you up. You still went to that bully instead of me when you needed help.”

“Helped me?” It took a while for her to figure out what he meant. “The thing with Xiumin? Yeah. You did help me there.”

“Of course I did. I should have gotten him before he got to you. I heard him threaten you after Hee-Jin broke up with him, you know. But I wasn’t fast enough. He will never hurt you now, though.”

“Did you? No way! You were so scared… How? What?” the redhead exclaimed as realization dawned on her.

“Scared?” he laughed. “You thought he scared me?”

“You… you were shaking, weren’t you?” she mumbled. His reaction confused her. Everything confused her, but that might just be because she had been hit with a baseball bat.

“Oh I was shaking alright. Not with fear though. With anger. So, I kind of pushed him in front of a car. Worked out perfectly. You’re safe now.”

No, I’m not. I’m not safe at all if I’m with you.

‘I mean, it doesn’t even look like the mark of a rope. More like someone tried to strangle you or something.’

‘I’ll just say you’ll shoot them if they come near me.’

How did I not see how scary he was? He’s given me plenty of hints...

---

“I hope Dia get’s better soon…” Hee-Jin commented.

“Me too. How’s Xiumin doing?” Hoya asked, and instantly regretted it, as the girl in front of her started to tear up.

“No change at all. What if he doesn’t wake up, Hoya? What will I do?”

“You’ve forgiven him already, haven’t you?”

“How can I stay angry when he’s like this? I’m sure he’ll regret it too, once he wakes up. If he wakes up.”

---

Why isn’t Dia in class? Why are her friends not doing anything?

Sehun couldn’t help but wonder this as he sat through the first hour of school. There had to be something wrong. There was no way the girl would stay home. She came even when she was supposed to stay in the hospital.

The stalker. Again.

---

Dia tried to move backwards as Minwoo gradually sat closer to her. Of course, she ran out of space to go to pretty quickly.

“Why are you so afraid? I’m not going to hurt you. You won’t betray me again, right?”

“I didn’t once betray you.”

“Yes you did!” he yelled and hit the wall behind her. Dia shrunk back, but with nowhere to go it didn’t help all that much.

“Shh… don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you. I just said I wouldn’t didn’t I?” he softly caressed her cheek. Dia didn’t dare move anymore. She wanted to go away. She wished she was gone, dead, anything but this slow torture.

“What are you going to do to me?” her voice hitched and she hated herself for showing how scared she was.

“I’m not going to do anything to you. I’m going to do things with you. Everything, really. You’ll never be alone anymore. I will never be alone anymore. We’ll be together forever.” He smiled like this was the best idea ever. Dia could not agree.

“I’ll show you something wait.” He jumped up and practically ran to his bookshelves, coming back with what looked like a photo book. He smiled again as he held it out for her.

“I made it for you. For us.”

Dia didn’t move, and Minwoo sighed. “I’ll just show you myself then.”

He opened the book, slowly going through the pages, giving her plenty of time to take everything in. There were her childhood photo’s, mixed with his own.

“See? It’s almost like we were always together!” he commented proudly. Dia just sat in silence. Anything she would say would just rile him up again. Suddenly they were interrupted by the doorbell.

“Who’s there?” Minwoo had turned annoyed in an instant and it made the girl wonder why she had never seen how quickly his moods shifted. Had he hidden it? Was she just stupid?

“Delivery.”

Dia bit her lip softly. This was obviously her only chance to get away. And had she imagined it, or had that voice really sounded familiar?

“Stay here. I don’t want to hurt you again,” Minwoo ordered as he got up. “I never ordered anything. My dad doesn’t send me stuff. Not unless he died or something.” He mumbled more to himself than to her.

As soon as Minwoo opened the door he received a fist in his face.

“What the-!?” he shouted, but the ‘delivery man’ had already forced his way into the room.

“You were here, after all.”

“Why are you here?” Minwoo glared at Sehun before smirking. “I’m not sure whether you like this girl or hate her, but I have something that will interest you either way. I have some videos. Shower videos I’m sure you’d be interested in. You can do with them what you want. Just leave and keep your mouth shut about me.”

“Videos huh? Quality good?”

“What? NO! Don’t listen to him! Seehoon!!” Horror filled her face as she saw her best chance of survival get away from her.

“HD, of course.”

“And you’ll send them to me?”

“Right away.”

“Please, please don’t, please don’t do this.”

“Did you get them?”

“Oh, I got them,” Sehun smirked. He had slowly moved closer to Dia, and now pulled her up from the bed. Somehow, she had been to shocked to even move.

“I got evidence. I got the girl. You’re not getting away with this.”

“Let her go, right now! She is mine! MINE I TELL YOU!”

He’s between us and the door. We won’t be able to get away. Sehun can’t save me.

“She’s not yours.” Sehun managed to stay calm while Minwoo lost it. There were no weapons. Nothing they could use, as far as Dia could tell. They were doomed.

“THEN I’LL KEEP YOU BOTH HERE! I WON’T LET YOU LEAVE.”

“That’s okay,” Sehun said with a shrug. “I’m not stupid enough to go in here alone. Called the police, they should be here soon.”

“They won’t keep us apart. Don’t worry, Noona, they can’t do it. Never. I won’t let them,” Minwoo muttered. This time it was him, who was looking around for anything to save himself with.

“You… you called the police?” Dia mumbled. She wasn’t sure if she believed him, not yet willing to let herself relax.

“You thought I was stupid? You did, huh. Thanks a lot.”

“Stop talking to her! She won’t talk to you. She won’t betray me, not again.” Minwoo had managed to make his way to a drawer and was now holding a knife. It didn’t look very threatening, being just an average knife, but they stepped backwards anyway. Already they could hear sirens. It wouldn’t be long for the police to reach them. They just had to hold on.

“Stop. Don’t hurt him.” As Minwoo drew closer, so did Dia.

“Why not? He’s your bully, isn’t he?” Minwoo retorted.

“He is. Which is why he is no competition for you. You don’t have to hurt him. You said you don’t like hurting people, right? I don’t like it if you hurt people either.”

“But he’s taking you from me!”

“Do you think he can? He’s just a bully.” She tried to keep him talking, keep him distracted for long enough for the police to come in and fix everything.

“But he’s here! He’s here to take you away.”

“Not if she wants to stay with you,” Sehun interjected. Dia wasn’t sure if he knew what she was doing or if he had now completely given up on her. But the sirens were close now, so close. It couldn’t possibly take them long.

“And you do want to stay with me, right? You wouldn’t betray me, would you?” Minwoo inquired.

“I do. I want to stay.”

Minwoo started smiling just as the police busted in. He had forgotten to close the door after Sehun had busted in.

“Drop the knife! Drop the knife and raise your hands in the air.”

The police didn’t have any guns, but Minwoo couldn’t see that. It didn’t take them long to detain him.

---

“We’re going to take you down to the station for a statement, okay?” the police officer asked Dia. She did not respond.

“Dia?” Sehun tried, and this time she responded by at least looking at him.

“She’s in shock,” the police officer concluded.

“Let’s go to the police station, okay? It’s over now. You’re safe,” Sehun tried, his voice uncharacteristically kind. The girl nodded and let them lead her to a police car.

“Don’t leave me?” she pleaded once she had gotten in the police car, when Sehun was not getting in. She sounded so broken, so vulnerable, so not like herself, that Sehun had joined her in the car in an instant, not even caring whether the police officer was okay with that.

Dia had grabbed Sehun’s hand as they were walking to the police station, making sure he’d be coming with her. She needed someone, anyone familiar with her right now. She could not be alone. And so they found themselves in an interrogation room.

“How long has Mr. No been harassing you?” the police asked.

“The beginning of school.”

“Why didn’t you come to us?” he continued.

“Stalking isn’t illegal.”

“Stalking is not illegal?” Sehun exclaimed. The officer sighed.

“Following someone in public places and texting someone is not illegal. She’s right about that,” he admitted.

“But he hurt her! And took videos of her,” Sehun retorted.

“That’s when she could have come to us. Physical violence and kidnapping are definitely illegal.”

“He’s not going to get away with this, is he?” Sehun asked.

“‘We found him threatening the two of you with a knife. We found the videos. Together with Ms. Kwon’s statement, that should be enough to lock him up.”

Dia had been writing down her statement, which seemed easier than talking.

“He’s a minor,” she now stated.

“Yes. But he is fifteen, so legally responsible for his actions. And while he will be in a youth prison, he will definitely not bother you anymore. You can count on that.”

She just nodded.

“Is there anyone we can call for you? A parent?” the officer asked when they were done.

“She lives alone…” Sehun muttered.

“Ms. Kwon should not be alone right now.”

“My dad won’t come. Since I’m not in trouble, he won’t show,” she said softly.

“I’ll ask my mom to come pick us up… She might still remember you…” Sehun then stated.

Dia wanted to say he didn’t have to, that she’d be fine. But she couldn’t get the words out of , and before she knew it, he had already made the call.

---

“Please don’t make me do this.”

“You have to. I already called them. They’re there. And we’re going too.”

“I can do this myself.”

“Like hell you can. You’re just going to find a way to not tell them anything, again.”

Dia sighed. “You’re not giving me a choice are you?”

“Of course not,” Sehun replied with a grin.

It didn’t take them long to reach the agreed meeting spot, but they were already waiting; Hee-Jin, Hoya and Myungsoo.

“Why are you with Sehun?” Hoya commented.

“Are you better yet?” Hee-Jin added.

“Why are we here?” Myungsoo asked.

Their responses were so typical they almost made Dia smile. Almost. She stayed quiet.

“Talk. Or I will,” Sehun stated.

“...”

“So, the stalker-”

“Stop! I’ll do it myself!” Dia interrupted Sehun.

“The stalker’s back?” Hoya asked, getting agitated just from hearing about the stalker.

“He was. Not anymore. Don’t worry,” the redhead stated.

“Tell them everything.”

“I… I wasn’t ill. I… The stalker… he… he took… he took me… He was the one who send that message. But he’s caught and the police has him so I’m fine.” She finished her confession in a single breath.

“Why are you with Sehun?” Hoya asked once more.

“Really? That’s what you’re going to say?” the boy in question retorted.

“Why wouldn’t you tell me if you were in trouble?” Myungsoo asked quietly. “Did you not trust me?”

“She obviously didn’t trust us,” Hoya muttered.

When Dia kept quiet, Myungsoo looked down.

“So you really didn’t trust me…”

“No!” This time, she did react. “No, that’s not it at all. I trust you. I trust all of you. It’s ME I don’t trust.”

“What… What do you mean?” It was the first time Hee-Jin had spoken, making Dia turn towards her now.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? You’re my friend. Yes. But you are also the kindest person I know. So, if you actually didn’t like me, you wouldn’t even say that, would you? You would hang out with me, because you’re too nice. So maybe I can’t believe that you actually like me. Not really. And then there’s Hoya. He hangs out with us. Because we come together, right? He just accepts I’m there, whether he likes it or not. Can’t be for me. No way. Last, but not least, you, Myungsoo. You’re so… perfect. There’s no way someone like you would like me. I am nothing. I have nothing. No good points. It’s not that I don’t trust you guys. I do. But I can’t believe you like me. That you won’t toss me away when I become too inconvenient. Not because of who YOU are but because of who I am. Nothing.” Her voice faded away in a whisper, and she turned around quickly. She didn’t want them to see the tears in her eyes. She didn’t want to see them walk away and leave her.

“You’re an idiot.”

She turned back when Myungsoo had spoken and smiled wryly: “Tell me something I don’t know.”

Before she could say something else Hee-Jin was hugging her, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“He is right, you know. How could you say that? How could you say I don’t actually like you? How can you say that you are nothing? You’re my best friend! You’re everything!”

“Can you still say that if I’m the reason Xiumin is in the hospital now?” Dia asked softly. Hee-jin’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“Don’t you dare take the blame for the actions of your stalker,” Sehun almost commanded.

“Your stalker did that?” Hee-Jin asked.

“Yes. So it’s because of me. If not for me, he would be-”

“So it wasn’t you. Then I can still say that. You’re my best friend. And that won’t change because you had a stalker.”

“Why does Sehun know so much, while we don’t?” Hoya asked, getting more and more annoyed that everyone seemed to be ignoring his questions.

“He saved me from the stalker,” the redhead stated simply.

“How? Are you sure they weren’t working together?”

“He had been looking for the stalker for a while, though,” Myungsoo interrupted Hoya.

“I was. Actually, without your help, Myungsoo-hyung, I would have never even found him. Thank you.”

“I was looking for him too…” Hee-Jin softly pouted, not letting her best friend go.

“So, yeah, I felt like you needed to hear what had happened, which is why I called you here, and forced Dia to show up,” Sehun said awkwardly. After having been the enemy for so long, it felt weird to talk to Dia’s friends like this. “My mom still remembered her from kindergarten and has taken her in for a while, until she recovers. My parents are also making her go to therapy. She hates it.”

“You’re staying with Sehun?” Hoya shook his head. How had her bully suddenly become Dia’s roommate?

“I live in their house. I hardly even see Sehun. I try to stay out of everyone’s way… And of course I hate therapy, I don’t need it.”

“The fact that you stay out of our way proves you do,” Sehun pointed out with a smirk.

“Oh shut up.”

---

“Are you ready yet?” Hee-Jin called out as she entered Dia’s apartment. The girl had ignored her ringing the doorbell.

“I’m ready! Sorry, did you ring the doorbell? Is it broken again?”

It had been four months since Minwoo had been locked up. With her weekly therapy sessions, Dia was doing a lot better, and it had already been two months since she was back to living in her own apartment.

“I guess it is,” Hee-Jin commented with a smile. She worried that her friend might still doubt their friendship, but she could only hope that she could convince Dia with her actions.

“You look amazing!” Dia commented as soon as she saw her friend, who was wearing a dress that suited her perfectly. “Xiumin is going to be so happy when he sees you. Are you sure he’s okay with you arriving with me?”

“He said he was.” Hee-Jin shrugged. “He still doesn’t like you though. I can’t believe he doesn’t remember what he did to you… But I should just be grateful he is alive. I wish I could forgive him completely…”

“Don’t worry about that so much. He would have never done that if it wasn’t for Minwoo… I’ll just have to try and make him like me.”

“I hope you can.”

“I wonder if Hoya brings his girlfriend.”

Hee-Jin laughed. “Not unless you’ve changed your mind about him.”

Dia just looked at her friend in confusion, which the girl ignored as she dragged the redhead out the door. They were on their way to prom.

Xiumin was waiting for them at the entrance, as was Hoya.

“Where’s Bi Ah?” Dia asked Hoya, seeing as he was as alone as Xiumin was.

“Who?” the boy replied.

“Bi Ah? Your girlfriend?” The redhead frowned.

“There’s only one girl I want to date, but she won’t have me.”

“Not what Bi Ah told me. She said you guys were dating,” Dia shrugged.

“I have to find that girl right now. What is she even telling people?” And just like that an agitated Hoya left.

Hee-Jin and Xiumin had started dancing, leaving Dia standing there awkwardly by herself.

“May I have this dance?”

“Why not?” She shrugged, a slight smile on her lips as she took the hand Sehun was holding out for her.

From the other side of the room Hoya watched them with a sigh. He might have been right after all. Maybe Dia would finally realize that she didn’t love her dream guy but her best friend who had been helping her all along, just like in the movies. Except that that best friend wasn’t him. Before he could finish his train of thought he spotted Bi Ah and went straight towards her. There was no way in hell they were dating. He barely even knew the girl.

A wave of sadness passed through Myungsoo as he snapped a picture of Dia dancing with Sehun. He really did love that girl. And he might have been what she wanted, but he wasn’t what she needed. He knew that now. She would never truly believe he loved her. So they could never be together. He had accepted that. He only wished she could be happy.

“Do you know why I dyed my hair?” Sehun asked as they were dancing.

“Because you’re a weirdo?” Dia replied looking at his rainbow colored hair, which didn’t go all that well with the suit he was wearing.

“Yep, that’s totally it,” he replied with a blank face.

“Then why?”

“There was this girl I liked, back in kindergarten. But she was bullied. So I figured it would help her.”

“Didn’t work, did it?”

“Took me a while to find a haircolour that made hers look normal,” he grinned, pointing at his hair.

“And then you decided to just turn in a bully yourself?”

“Would be way too obvious if she just stopped getting bullied after I dyed my hair… I had to make sure no one noticed. Besides, she needed someone who wouldn’t go away no matter what.”

“She did,” Dia smiled softly.

“Good thing the crazy girl went to therapy,” he teased and she slapped his shoulder softly in response.

“Hey! I’m right you know! Maybe now she’ll believe me when I tell her I love her,” Sehun complained, a twinkle in his eyes.

“I think she will. She might even have fallen for you as well.”

That's it. The end of Endless Game. Not so endless after all xD

I wanted to finish this around the end of last year... But I failed.

Did you guys get the stalker right?

And a special shout-out to Shino159, whose very first guess ever was the correct one, and had me sweating quite a bit in her first comment. (Thankfully she thought up a million theories after, but she proved me that I'm really, really too predictable xD)