[edited]

The ring of the doorbell echoed through the halls of the bungalow and half a minute later, the door was answered by Nia.

"Oh, you're here. Good morning! She's been waiting just for you."

SeokJin's smile widened.

A moment later, Aera appeared, wearing jeans, a shirt and some sneakers, along with a baby pink oversized sweater.

Timidly, she made her way to the front door, where SeokJin was waiting for her.

As soon as their eyes met, Aera blushed and fiddled with her fingers, looking down at them.

Nia smiled, watching her friend get all shy and red in front of Jin.

Jin, who had been holding what looked like a small container in his right hand, took Aera's small hands and placed it on them.

Aera looked up surprised and stared at him confused.

Jin just smiled, and said,
"You remember the first day we met? I'd promised I'll make you some Tteokbokki. Here it is."

Aera's eyes slightly widened. They sparkled with emotions.

-

"Aera, honey, where are you?"
Yeojung's voice ran throughout the house.

Aera, as soon as she heard him, hurried down the staircase, and found him standing there, with a small blue container in his hands.

She walked to him and looked into his eyes confused.

Yeojung grinned, took hold of her hand and pulled her into the kitchen, where he sat her down on one of the wooden stools in front of the counter, and placed the box on it.

Aera looked up at him, still confused.
Yeojung tilted his head, indicating her to open it.
Aera moved her slender fingers to the lid and opened it.

A delicious aroma filled her nostrils.

Tteok-bokki.

Yeojung smiled and ruffled her hair.

"For you." He said, settling down on the stool beside Aera.

Aera opened her mouth to say something, but Yeojung interrupted and said,
"Before you say anything, or try it, let me tell you that I made it. So if it lacks anything, just let me kno-"

His sentence got cut by Aera placing a finger on his lips.

Aera shook her head slowly, and said,
"If its from you, its divine for me."

Yeojung was touched by her simple yet absolutely heart-warming words.

His hand went on to caress her cheek softly, while the other one went on to tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ears.

Their eyes had dived deep into each others', connecting their souls. Those souls, they found each other's home in.

He pulled her to his chest, and her tight.

Closing their eyes, they listened and tried to memorize each others' heartbeats.

Yeojung leaned down to kiss her on the forehead tenderly.

"I love you."

-

"I think I said I want them both dead." He said, fidgeting carelessly with the crystal paperweight on the wooden work table.

"Yes sir, we are working on it."

He gritted his teeth.
"How much time more?"

"Sir, we are going to follow them today, and the moment we find them alone, we'll kill them."

He smirked.

"Good. I want them out as soon as possible."

-

Aera layed in her bed, shaking, hyperventilating, and sobbing uncontrollably, while Nia tried to comfort her by caressing her head and consoling her by speaking soft encouraging words in her ears.

Meanwhile SeokJin readied the intramuscular injection and went on to disinfect the upper part of Aera's arm with some cotton and some disinfectant.

He asked Nia to hold onto her tightly and then, he injected a doze of Diazepam in her vein.

Soon after, Aera felt a wave of drowsiness hit her, and her eyes started to droop. Her tense muscle relaxed completely and her breath evened out thoroughly, and Jin leaned in close to her forehead to kiss her asleep.

He sighed and dropped himself on a chair nearby.

"W-what exactly happened?"

Jin lifted his head to see Nia there beside Aera, still caressing her head, and with tears in her eyes.

"Someone's after her, and they want her dead. She was nearly shot, if that- that man hadn't come in between." He explained, his face betraying his fear of the girl getting hurt.

"Who? What man?"

Jin sighed again, readying himself to narrate to her what had happened.

-

After having a palatable and toothsome dish of Tteok-bokki, Jin decided to take Aera to the beach resort owned by his elder brother.

The moment they got there, Aera's eyes betrayed her excitement. Daecheon beach was one of her favorite places, as she used to visit it often with her family during her vacations back in her childhood.

He showed her the resort inside out and introduced his brother to her.

Being Aera, she timidly bowed to show respect and tried to hide behind Jin, fisting the the hem of Jin's jacket.

Both the brothers chuckled.

At sunset, they walked on the sand, along the outlines of the foamy water touching it, feeling it's grains tickle the back of their feet.

But then, call it her sixth sense or whatever, Aera a shiver go down her spine, at the sudden feeling of being followed and, turned around.
Her eyes widened at the sight of two men in hoodies and their face protected by black masks, and guns balanced skillfully in their arms, their jackets helping them to hide their weapons from the eyes of the public. The guns which were directed towards them.

Feeling her stop in her tracks abruptly, Jin did too and found her frozen, eyes widened with terror and tears.

His eyes followed her gaze to reach both the men with the guns.
Shocked and alarmed, he took her hand and dashed through the decreasing crowd of the locals and the tourists.

A gunshot was heard, echoing through the once calm air of the beach, followed by screams, and people running for their lives.

Running, he looked back over his shoulder at Aera who was crying by now, the fright in her eyes clearly evident.

He bumped into some guy, and nearly tripped. He turned back to check Aera for any injuries but spotted at a close distance, one of the men with guns aiming at her.

"Aera! Look out!"

-

Nia's eyes widened.
"Not again, not again, not again..." She she chanted under her breath, panic rising in her eyes.
"What happened then? He missed, right?"

"No actually not. But just at that moment a passing man had come in between and he was accidentally shot. I knew staying there won't be good, so, through the commotion, I dragged her to the car, and drove us straight back here." He explained.

"Oh."

"I- I don't understand who those people are a-and why the hell can't they leave her alone?!" A frustrated
Jin said.
He was worried for Aera and her wellbeing now. He cared for her. Deeply.

Nia sighed, rubbing her palm over her forehead.
"I think I know just the person who's behind all of this."

SeokJin raised and eyebrow.
"Who?"

"Him. Her uncle."

--

"I'll protect you like my own life..."

---