Areum sat down on the couch in Jungkook's living room. Jungkook sat down on a chair, facing her. It was quiet for a moment before one of them spoke up.

"Do you want to stay over at my house? My parents aren't here because of a business trip so it won't be awkward for you. I could sleep on the couch since we don't have a guest room," Jungkook said worriedly.

Areum shook her head and said, "no, it's fine. I can go find a hotel to stay at for now until I can find a better place. I have enough money, more than my mother thinks. I've been working every single day for hours. She never suspected a thing even though she would yell at me for being late."

"Are you sure? I don't think it'll be safe for you," he said.

"I'll be fine," Areum assured him, smiling gently, "I should leave before it gets dark. I'll see you at school tomorrow." She got up from the couch and dragged her suitcase outside Jungkook's house. Areum waved him a short goodbye before heading down the street. Jungkook sighed and waved back, even though she couldn't see him.

—

     After a while, Areum was able to find a comfortable hotel with a cheap price. She settled down into the room and laid down on the bed almost immediately. She stared at the ceiling blankly as her phone buzzed. The caller was Jungkook so she answered the call.

     "Did you arrive at a hotel safely? Is it close to the school? Is it in a safe neighborhood without much crimes?" He asked simultaneously.

     Areum chuckled and said, "I'm fine. I just arrived at a hotel. Although it's not as close to the school as I thought it would be, it's good enough and the neighborhood has barely any crimes at all. You don't need to worry that much about me."

"Of course I need to worry about you. After all, I'm your –" Jungkook stopped and coughed violently.

"Are you okay? You sound like you're sick," Areum furrowed her eyebrows and sat up on the bed, leaning against the wall.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I sort of have a sore throat at the moment so you might hear me cough a lot," Jungkook said.

"Are you drinking water? Did you go to the doctor to make sure you're okay? Did you take some medicine?" Areum asked worriedly.

"Yes, don't worry. I'm sure it'll fade away in a couple days. You sound like a worried and caring wife. It's cute," Jungkook chuckled through the phone.

Areum blushed in embarrassment. Cute. He called it cute. She shook her thoughts away before they invaded her mind completely. "I'm glad that you're okay. Make sure to take your medicine and be safe," she said.

     "You should be careful around the streets, too. Don't forget about what I always say. You're beautiful no matter what other people say about you. All that matters is that you are you and no one should have the ability to drag you down from where you are. Even though you may not love yourself completely, just know that I will always be here for you no matter the situation," Jungkook said.

     "Thank you, Jungkook, for everything that you've done to help me out," Areum said, her eyes tearing up a bit.

     "It's nothing, Areum. It's just what I want to do for you."

—

THE NEXT MORNING

     Areum woke up to a bright light shining into the hotel room and the alarm on her phone ringing loudly. She stopped it and got up to change into her clothes. She used the bathroom and stuffed two little boxes of lunch she made yesterday into her backpack. One of them was for herself and the other was for Jungkook. She had tasted the lunch herself to make sure it was delicious and edible enough. It was her first time cooking by herself and it turned out nicely like she wanted.

     She walked out of the hotel, making sure to politely thank the hotel staff before leaving.

     Areum had to walk to the school because she didn't want to waste any money using the bus. She had to store the money for future use and to pay for staying in the hotel. She didn't want to be a burden so she didn't stay at Jungkook's house. She couldn't wait to surprise Jungkook with a lunch box that she spent a long time on.

She walked down the street and suddenly found herself slightly lost. Areum went through different, dark alleyways and felt chills on her back as if someone was watching her. She looked around carefully, but no one was at sight.

I'm probably just being paranoid. I'm sure this neighborhood is fine, she thought.

Areum walked down another alleyway, but was soon faced by a large brick wall, meaning she had hit a dead end. She sighed and was about to turn around before a cloth covered her mouth and nose. Areum could smell the strange chemical, chloroform, and slumped into the hands of the stranger.

     "Sleep tight. It's going to be a rough ride for you tomorrow," the stranger said as a demented smile grew upon his face.

~

Sorry for not updating any sooner. There's so much work to do in school and I'm sort of getting lazy to write now. I don't have the same enthusiasm for writing as I used to have back then. But I hope that my writing can still be enjoyed. ^^ I'm also really hyped for BTS' comeback.

From your author,
Flora Lee