I was about to head back to the dorm when I remembered—I'd left the stuff I needed for class today in my locker. Great.
Sighing, I turned and started walking to school, phone in hand, scrolling through random posts with half-interest. That's when I noticed someone walking beside me. Travis. He had his bag slung on one shoulder and the americano in hand like he wasn't just suddenly there.
"Uhm, what are you doing?" I asked.
"Walking you to school," he replied casually, eyes on the road.
"You don't have to."
"Alright. Good luck getting surrounded by guys again." He shot me a quick smirk before walking ahead.
Oh, crap. I forgot about that.
"Wait!" I called out, trying to catch up, but he'd already stepped through the school gates and vanished into the crowd like a ghost.
I stood there awkwardly, hoping Twan or Ryan would show up any minute now. I wasn't scared per se. I could handle myself—but there's something unsettling about walking into a sea of unfamiliar boys, especially when you're the only girl.
Some tried talking to me. I pretended I was on a call. Ten minutes passed. Nothing. Still no sign of them.
About ten minutes had passed and still no sign of Twan or Ryan. I was starting to wonder why are they taking so long. I debated heading back to the dorm to check, but it was almost eight. Homeroom would be starting.
Just as I was about to turn around, someone grabbed my wrist. I spun around to find—Travis again.
"Let's get going," he said.
"Oh. Uh—okay." I didn't even realize until halfway up the stairs that he was still holding my wrist. I tried to wiggle out of his grip, but he held firm.
"Don't mind them," he muttered, clearly noticing the eyes on us.
"Okay." I replied.
The bell rang just as we reached the classroom. He let go of my wrist without a word and walked to his seat like nothing happened.
I scanned the room. Minho, Twan, James, and Ryan—none of them were here. Odd.
Moments later, Mr. Saejima walked in. His eyes immediately swept across the room. "Those kids," he muttered, sighing. "There's nothing you can do to them." Then he turned to Travis. "Park. Got any idea where they are?"
"Nope," Travis replied without hesitation.
"I see... Well, let's just start without them."
I slid into my seat, leaning over toward Travis. "Psst. You sure you don't know where they are?"
He didn't even look at me. "Does it look like I know?"
"Well, yeah. Since you're their friend and all."
He didn't reply after that, only stared forward as the lesson began.
The rest of the day passed like a blurry slideshow. Soccer period came and went. Still no sign of them. During the last period—basketball—Travis disappeared afterward too.
I headed straight back to the dorm, hoping maybe they were back. But nope. Still no sign of them. I wanted to call them, but I didn't have any of their numbers.
Instead, I decided to nap. Just a five-minute one.
...
I woke up hours later. The sky outside had turned dark, and my phone? Dead. 1% battery left. Great. No sign of the guys. Still. So I showered, dried off, and decided to cook myself some dinner. Nana wasn't around, so it was either that or starve.
I was tying my hair when I heard it, movement downstairs.
"They're back?" I mumbled. I got dressed and headed down, but something immediately felt... off. The lights in the living room were still off. I never turned them on earlier since it was bright out.
I moved slowly. Then I saw it—a silhouette in the kitchen. It wasn't one of the boys. Too big. Dressed entirely in black. A beanie covering his head. His back was turned, rummaging through drawers.
My stomach dropped. That's not one of them. I backed up slowly, heart pounding in my chest, and slipped quietly upstairs. I grabbed my phone—dead. Useless. No time to charge it.
I had to leave. I started creeping back down the stairs when I heard heavy footsteps coming up. Panic rose in my chest. I turned back and crawled under my bed. Cliché, I know—but it was the only spot I had time to reach.
The man checked the bathroom. Opened my closet. And then... He stopped right in front of my bed. I pressed my hand over my mouth, trying not to breathe too loudly.
He stopped right in front of my bed, I was covering my mouth trying not to breathe loudly and hoping for the worst to happen. I heard a soft beep—like something was being placed on my desk. Then silence. A few seconds passed. Then I heard him talking on the phone.
"Place is clear. No one's here."
("Did you check everywhere?")
"Yes, sir. Want me to double-check before leaving?"
("Please do.")
Crap.
A pause. Then footsteps again. They faded. I let out a shaky breath—only for them to return. He came back. I could see his boots stop right in front of my bed again. He knelt down. My breath hitched. He was about to lift the blanket covering the floor. And then— my phone buzzed...
One percent. It vibrated loudly against the wooden bedside table. His hand froze. He heard it. But he didn't check under the bed. Instead, he stood up slowly, walking toward the desk.
I watched from the shadows as he picked up the phone and muttered something under his breath. Then—finally—he walked towards the door. My heart beat so loud I thought he'd hear it. A click. The door closed. I waited. Ten seconds. Twenty. Thirty. Nothing.
Maybe he's gone. Maybe I got lucky. I slid out from under the bed as quietly as I could. My hands trembled as I made my way to the window. It was a bit high, but I could manage. Almost there. I pushed it open slowly, letting the cool night air hit my face. Freedom. I climbed up, halfway out.
But then— A hand grabbed my ankle. Hard. I gasped, panic shooting through me as I kicked reflexively. But his grip was ironclad.
"LET GO!" I screamed, but it was no use. He yanked me backward with so much force that my head slammed against the metal lining of the window frame. White-hot pain exploded in my skull.
And then everything happened so fast...