You had gone out with your best friend that evening—just the two of you, laughing over dinner, catching up on things, trying to forget the stress of the week. It had been one of those nights that reminded you why she was your person, the one you could always count on. You hadn’t planned to stay out too late, and since the area was familiar, the two of you agreed to take the bus home like old times.

You’d planned to go home at first. Really. But Seung-hyun had offered for you to stay over, and the thought of falling asleep next to him was too comforting to pass up. So, the plan was to meet him after the bus dropped you closer to his place.

The two of you found a spot to sit on the edge of the sidewalk, beneath the soft orange glow of a flickering streetlight. The night felt quiet, almost safe—until that car passed by.

Windows down. Loud music. Laughter. You didn’t think much of it at first—just a group of guys being obnoxious. But then one of them leaned out slightly, whistling in your direction, followed by a few of them laughing loudly. You froze, and your friend tensed beside you. You both exchanged a look—equal parts irritation and unease.

Trying to shake it off, you both stood and moved closer to a couple sitting a little ways down. Safety in numbers, you hoped. But they didn’t stay long—just long enough to throw you a sympathetic glance before they disappeared around the corner, hand in hand, lost to the night.

Now it was just you and your best friend again—alone, on a quiet street, under a flickering light.

And then, it happened.

The same car circled back. Again. Slower this time.

The windows were still down, and this time their eyes stayed on you both longer. One of the guys said something—inaudible, but judging from the tone and the way they laughed, you knew it wasn’t anything kind. Your heart started beating faster. That feeling of being watched, targeted—it crawled under your skin like ice.

Your best friend didn’t say anything, but you could feel her tension. You both tried to ignore them, tried to make it look like you weren’t scared. But it was there. In your posture. In the way your fingers shook slightly as you pretended to scroll through your phone.

That was it. You weren’t going to wait for the bus anymore.

Without hesitation, you tapped Seung-hyun’s name on your phone and held it to your ear. Your voice was steady, but your words were quick. “Hey… can you come get me?”

He must’ve heard something in your tone because he didn’t ask questions.“I’m coming. Stay where you are. I’ll be there in ten.”

And somehow, just hearing that made it a little easier to breathe.

You stayed standing this time, back against the wall of the small convenience store not too far from there. The car didn’t pass again, but every sound made your head snap up. Every engine made your stomach twist. You counted the minutes like hours until finally—

Headlights. A sleek black car pulling up to the curb.

You didn’t realize how much tension you were holding until you saw his face. Calm, focused, with that quiet kind of anger just under the surface. He got out of the car without a word, walked around to you, placed a hand on your lower back, and guided you inside like it was the most natural thing in the world. Your best friend gave you a quick, knowing nod—she’d wait for her boyfriend that was coming.

Once inside, Seung-hyun didn’t speak right away. He just glanced at you, checking your face, your hands, every inch of you, like he needed to see for himself that you were okay. That nothing had happened.

And only when he was sure, only when the car was moving and the city lights were fading behind you, did he reach for your hand. His fingers slid between yours, grounding you. “I’ve got you now.” he said quietly.