Chapter 48: Death
Chapter Theme:
Where The Sea Sleeps - DAY6

Yoon Harin

"You have a psychopath uncle! Does your mother even know about it?"

Wooseok came earlier inside in my room carrying a tray of cookies and milk. I wanted to decline it but my stomach growled in famish. He assured me that it's poison and potion free. The man is a psychopath might as well take a precautionary measure.

"I bet not.." he sighed tiredly, leaning on the wall with his arms resting on his folded knees. He lazily gazed at me with his weary eyes. "You no longer looked agitated. How are you feeling?"

Just like him, I rested my back on the wall, sitting on the newly mopped tiled floor. I extended my legs and folded my arms. "My heart still flickers fear but I don't know.. it feels like someone is coming to save me."

Right now, in this situation, I can't only think Seungwoo as my savior, there could be anyone else. Whoever he might is, he deserves a big award.

"Harin, I'm sorry.." he whispered in the air, afraid that I might hear it.

My eyes were fixed on the blank white wall trying to figure out some things. A great silence fell upon us as I did not respond to his silent apologize. His apology may sound like a ghost but I think his apology was sincere.

"Sunbaenim," he turned to me, surprised at my sudden formality. I chuckled a bit as my reaction to his reaction. "I never thought I'll see you as fragile as this. You always seem guarded but now, your armor has fallen off. Yet, you still remain to look like a warrior." I let out my honest remark.

I had seen Kim Wooseok's downfall when I turned him down that day but I never seen him as unguarded just like today. A person really is composed of different hues that will appear at different situations.

"You don't seem to suspect me as my uncle's partner in his crime."

"How can I suspect as a criminal when you're Kim Wooseok?" I retorted which made him smile.

"When you suspected me the other day, it's more painful compared to the day you turned me down. And hearing what you just said made my heart skipped a beat. My adoration for you still remains and I'm learning to accept the reality." He said while looking up to the ceiling. His words comforted me like a friend. I guess this will be the start of our friendship without any malice.

"Does your family know about your uncle's craziness?"

"They're completely clueless about his dirty works. My mother only mentioned about his deeds when he was a teenager."

I pulled out my extended legs and folded it, my arms encircled around it. "Hey, you're family stopped looking for you."

He let out a weak smile. "That's more better. I don't want them to get hurt you know.. and I think I'll ask my uncle about telling my parents that I'm doing fine."

Soon enough, someone opened the door and the devil stepped inside like he entered his kingdom. "Look what we have here.. the man who's inlove to the woman beside him and the woman who can't appreciate his love." He flashed a demonic grin on his awful face after giving us his insults.

"And we have the demon standing above us yet his presence screams so low. The irony!" I spatted. Wooseok pressed my arm tightly to stop me from making trouble.

In a snap, the devil's eyes turned into a fire, mirroring his character. He ruthlessly slapped my cheek using the back of his hand. The sound of the slap made me tremble yet his slap ignited more the hate inside my heart.

"Samcheon..!"

I saw in my peripheral vision that Wooseok stoop up in between me and his uncle.

"Step out kid, this woman right here deserves a beating!" He tried to push Wooseok but he won't budge.

"She doesn't deserves anything from you, samcheon! Why can't you just free us and we'll let everything pass like nothing happened?" Wooseok asserted.

I scoffed in repugnance. "Beat me or not, I will make sure you'll gonna pay for everything that you did!" I shouted at the devil's face before turning my head to Kim Wooseok. "You have no right to speak for me." I said with finality.

"No one is suited to be my bride other than you, Yoon Harin. Your prowess to fight made me to want you more." He talked like it was a compliment.

"Shut your disgusting mouth you freak!" I yelled at him, his face darkened at my inappropriate words.

Wooseok stood again in between us. This time, he made sure that he'll tower me. The devil eyed me with so much hate before turning his back and went out of the door.

I exhaled a great amount of carbon dioxide that has been inside my chest.

"You shouldn't challenge his temper Harin. We don't know what he'll gonna do to us if we keep on doing it." Wooseok reminded me but I can't even nod or say yes.

"He already did it. We're already at his pit! I will keep on fighting even if it means pushing his button and putting myself on the edge. I no longer care!"

Wooseok and I were sitting opposite on a monoblock chair with an unstable table in between us, eating our dinner. We were only given a cup of noodle each while the other two shared delightfully a whole roasted chicken with beers. Unfair!

"A woman should learn how to behave in front of a man. She should not fight like a warrior because she's not. A woman should act in a feminine manner and preserved her nature as a female."

My head turned violently at the devil who spoke the most nonsense belief I heard in the world. He took an ample bite to the roasted chicken. Screw him for dragging women and our rights! Women are powerful and fighters too. He should wake up from his crooked belief.

"Don't let it affect you.." Wooseok mumbled silently at my raging self. I exhaled deeply to let out even the half of my rage. Wooseok is right. If he'll see that I'm affected, he'll rejoice.

Our dinner ended with a heavy atmosphere. The devil and his minion won't stop mocking us but we let it pass through our ears. We should conserve our energy, and if it's full, we can blow them up.

In an eye blink a week has passed and being stuck here felt eternity. I missed the outside world that I already forgot how being on the outdoor would feel. I miss going to work with Seungwoo fetching me every day. My heart cried when I realized that I forgot how he smelled, how his hugs bring comfort and how his kiss feels. I ran out of Seungwoo's dose.

At times like this, when I'm feeling down, he's always there to console me and brighten up my mood. He will always give me a satisfying smile and my day would be complete. When I light him up, he will light me brighter. I miss him so much..

"Seungwoo-yah.. I need you right now.." I wiped the tears that had been streaming nonstop. It's always like this, crying overnight has been my routine which is suffocating. I don't want to cry anymore.

My body felt itchy as I was always lying on the cold untidy floor. These past few days, I've been coughing a lot. I will not get shock if I'll be diagnosed with pneumonia.

"Stop coughing you brat! You're disturbing my sleep!" The minion slammed the door that surprised me.

"You'll give me a heart attack!" I shouted back at him. He threatened me for the last time before closing the door again in a loud manner.

Morning came and my system was so low. I kept on coughing hard that I found myself not able to breathe properly.

"Your cough is so bad," Wooseok came inside the room with a glass of water on his hand. "I can't get a medicine for you."

I drank the water in one shot, praying that it will lessen my cough. "Thanks Wooseok.. if you can't get a medicine for me maybe you can get the minion's phone for our sake?" I suggested as I wiped my mouth using the back of my hand.

He peeked outside. The minion was in his deep sleep, snoring so hard that he can't even feel the flies landing on his horrendous face.

"Well.. I think I can do it," he wiggled his eyebrows and strided towards the sleeping minion. I followed him, excited to our impromptu plan.

On the table, I found a rope which will be useful. The devil was always out every morning so I think we'll succeed on our plan.

"I got a rope," I whispered, waving the rope in my hand. Wooseok was about to burst in laughter but he desist it.

He motioned me to tie the rope on the minion's body, sleeping on a wooden bench. I started from his legs up to his upper body. Wooseok succeeded on getting the phone from the minions inside pocket of his jacket.

"Is it a burner phone?" I inquired as Wooseok opened the phone and started to dial.

"It's his personal phone. They're not a brilliant kidnapper Harin. Even my uncle is a dimwit." He mocked them.

"We should atleast try to escape from now. The minion will be having a hard time to catch us and we can defeat your evil uncle." I handed him the crowbar that I saw under the table. The two of them were really prepared!

Wooseok glanced at his wristwatch. "Samcheon will arrive twenty minutes from now or sooner. The only way that we can use is the main door. Let's just hope samcheon doesn't have a gun with him."

A person with a gun is really dangerous. By a single trigger, he can kill us.

"Let's get out of here as fast as we could." I said followed by a rough cough. "Don't mind me."

"I'll be leading the way and you try to contact anyone who can help us right away. 911 is the best resort if you can't contact them." He bestowed the phone to me and with my trembling hands I accepted it.

Luckily, the door wasn't locked. As what Wooseok said, he lead the way out of the warehouse. The fresh air from outside soothed my body. Being outside felt surreal and the green surroundings aided my shattered heart. Before I could be drowned in appreciating the nature, I moved my feet to keep up with Wooseok who was three meters away from me.

We followed a trail hoping that would lead us to a safe place. I started to dial Seungwoo's number on the phone I'm holding.

"Come on Seungwoo.. answer the phone or I'll break up with you." I mumbled to myself while keeping my pace.

"Did anyone answer?" Wooseok queried as he was busy scanning the surroundings.

"Not yet but I hope he will." I answered without giving him a glance.

This time Seungwoo answered as I dialed his number again.

"Seungwoo it's me!" I cried. "Please find us. We're in a middle of a forest."

I put the phone in loud speaker so I wouldn't have a hard time walking on the grassy trail.

"Thank God you're safe! If you see any signs that will help me to find you easier, don't forget to tell me!" He shouted on the other line. Panick was evident on his voice. His voice sounded like heaven. It's been so long since I heard his voice and now that I'm hearing it again, I'll make sure I will hear it for the rest of my life.

Good God, please make Seungwoo safe in searching for us.

"Don't end the call and turn on the location on the phone so I could track you."

The way how his voice was confident and assuring flattered me. I trust Seungwoo with all my heart that he'll find us.

I was panting really hard when Wooseok stopped his pace. "What's wrong?" I asked him but he hushed me.

"Turn off the speaker mode and let's be quiet from now on. I think samcheon is looking for us now." He glanced at his watch. It's been an hour since our escape and probably, the devil knew that we escaped from his hell.

"Do you know what's this place? Seungwoo is on another line and he's now looking for us."

"I still don't know. We should keep on walking until we see a road but I don't think we're far away from Seoul." Wooseok claimed as he lead the way again.

Seungwoo was still on the other line waiting for my updates. "Bae.. S-seungwoo, we're still trying hard to find a highway. By any chance, did you figure out where we are?"

My breathing hitched as I almost say baby to him in this situation. Gosh! I wiped the sweats forming on my forehead using my hand.

"Not yet but I will never stop baby.." his voice was hoarse and worried yet it was able to make my knees go weak and my heart thump in chaos. "I love you."

"I know.. I love you too." I said like it was the first time. After a week, I finally told him again that I love him.

Wooseok pulled me to where he's standing and pointed his finger to the left. "T-that's a mall!" He chirped in delight and hugged me tightly. "We'll be safe now. Tell Seungwoo to meet us on the mall."

The phone's life was at it's crucial level. It was already 10% and anytime soon it will die. I told Seungwoo about the mall and he told me that he already identified our location.

"Just stay hidden, okay. If you feel that you're not safe, better put yourself to a crowded place." Seungwoo commanded and I said yes. I haven't told him yet about Wooseok being with me and I guess it's not the right time to tell a story.

Wooseok and I successfully went inside the mall. As usual it was packed with people. The phone died so I put it in the trash without hesitation.

"It feels like someone is watching us.." I clutched to Wooseok's shirt.

"I don't want to scare you but the probability is high. He might be watching us." Wooseok sighed, looking defeated. "Whatever happens, I'll protect you."

I was alarmed when he said those words from me. "If you will protect me, I will protect you. We're in this fight together." He only smiled at me, letting me know that he will not let me to protect him.

If he's gonna catch the bullet for me, he's going insane! No life will be at risk just to save someone's life. I will not let it happen. It's not our life that should be lost, the devil has the qualification to meet the grim reaper.  His death, not ours.