*warning!* this will be quite saddening and pls don't hate nichu! this was quite hard to write, i had an internal conflict. :( —xoxo, nick ♥

- WHAT LIES BEYOND

"can you really manage to go home on your own?"

jiho nodded, wanting taehyung to go home first. the man's wary voice rang on her ears as he wouldn't let go of jiho's hand, the two stood infront of the entrance of the office as the man's face contorted with worry – completely hesitant of letting the woman on her own. it was twenty-hundred and the time to go home.

" i'm about to go home, will you still fetch me? "

" i'm going to wait at the lobby, take care on your way. "

jiho had contacted jeongguk twenty minutes ago and she was just waiting for his arrival. after the incident, jiho tried to contact jeongguk but only his receiver seemed to take her calls. he's busy all day and he didn't even reply. will he still make it? he said he's going to fetch me. i believe in him. it was quite making her feel troubled and uneasy, there was a little voice saying that jeongguk wasn't going to make it but even after everything, she pushed the thoughts away. jiho believed and knew, she knew that despite not feeling the same way, the man wasn't that despicable to leave her alone when her stalker is lurking in the area.

"i can take you home if you'd let me" taehyung spoke once more, squeezing jiho's cold hands. to say that jiho didn't like the way taehyung's strong and warm hand envelope hers was an understatement, the woman was still shaken because of what happened before and tae's presence was calming her.

"n—no, i'm going to be fine and—" jiho hesitated, not knowing whether to speak of jeongguk's name but, taehyung just had to press the topic further. "and?"

"—he's . . . he's going to fetch me" whispering those words seemed so hard as she couldn't help but look away. jiho felt remorseful as the moment those words escaped, taehyung's grip on her hand loosened. gaze lingering on the floor, it was clearly obvious how taehyung treasured her and yet here she was speaking of him. him who has hurt her in many ways possible. "o—oh, he's . . . he's coming"

taehyung's voice couldn't be mistaken but fragile as it broke midway "r—really?" "y—yes" after that word escaped on the tips of jiho's lips, taehyung slowly freed jiho's skin and the woman felt so lost and cold. the man was warm and welcoming, she wanted him to not let go of her but, she couldn't be selfish and keep on hurting taehyung just because he was willing to care.

"w—well then, i—i'll get going first" jiho felt her heart constrict, "t—take care on your way home, tae"

"you too" the man spoke, his back facing jiho as his retreating figure slowly become smaller and smaller on jiho's vision.

despite what happened earlier, jiho couldn't shake the thoughts of taehyung kissing her two nights ago and here she was – awkward and stiff as ever as she refused to treat taehyung like the way they used to.

how ungrateful of you, kim jiho.

the woman thought, feeling even more confused with herself – she was a walking confusion. her feelings were a mess and let's not mention his thoughts – heck, it was an abyss of ruination.

21:00

one hour had already passed. one hour had passed but jeongguk was nowhere to be found and jiho was having mixed feelings. it was late and her nerves wouldn't let her calm down as countless of thoughts ran in her mind. what happened? is he okay? he said he was going to fetch me.was he caught up in a traffic? i didn't bring my car cause he assured that he was going, i believe in him. i believe that he will come, he didn't – didn't forgot, right?

" are you coming? "

the woman messaged jeongguk and waited for a few minutes before she had enough. so, he forgot? he forgot? tears prickling on the corners of her eyes, disappointment ran on her features as she let out a shaky sigh. why was i even hopeful?

dragging her body, the woman decided to leave the office. i was such a fool to even hope, like a child why won't i get used to the fact that i'm not needed anymore? swallowing the lump that formed on her throat, she strode her way on the dark streets of korea.

oh honey, that's a bad decision.

breathing ragged and heart hammering inside her chest – jiho was trying her best to look unaffected and calm as she felt somebody following her. only five minutes has passed since she had started walking on the dark area, blame it on the location of their office for being so secluded. the streets were dark and considering that it was already late, the feeling in her gut was starting to eat her – she was getting more and more terrified.

the footsteps were getting louder as the same way her breathing hitches. clutching her satchel bag closer, a chill ran down her spine and that was the cue.

"you're still pretty as ever, jiho. i missed you, don't you know that?" the moment those words escaped, the all too familiar voice ringing in her ears jiho just couldn't take it anymore.

run. feet making haste, she dragged all of her energy to run as panic rise on her veins and the only thing she had wanted to do was to get away from the man who kept following her – jin. no, no, no! get away from me.

"you know what it does to me when you're being naughty, jiho"

tears erupted in her eyes, even if she was about a meter away from the said man, she could hear his voice as if he was whispering straight in her ears. she wanted to scream for help but it was futile, knowing that there were no other persons who could help her since it was already late at night. get away, get away. run, jiho. run, don't let him—

her feet were leading her to the city, just a few more steps and—

body immediately being pulled, jiho's frame was pinned unto the dark corner and all she could see was jin's mad smile. "did you really think that you'd get away now that i finally have you alone?" "no—no, get away—leave me—mfff!"

the woman tried to scream for help but her lips were shut close when jin suddenly placed his lips against hers, forcing the kiss. no! no! no! jiho internally screamed, trying to push jin's big body away from her but it was no use.

jin tightly gripped jiho's jaw as he deepened the kiss and jiho couldn't help but get the feeling of being even dirtier. no, stop—stop, no! jeongguk, jeongguk—help me! jiho's tears where a pool, jin's tongue tortured her lips as he intruded on her warm cavern as if wanting to wound every bit of it – marking that it was once used to be his.

stop, stop – jeongguk.

jin continued his assault on jiho and having not enough, his hand soon slipped its way on jiho's button blouse, ripping the beige blouse along the process. no! jiho screamed inside, panicking and struggling to get jin out of her. the woman tried to push jin with all of her might only to fail. jin was strong and with his hand tightly gripping jiho's jaw, the man had full access.

stop—somebody—please.

jin's hand started to touch jiho's trembling skin as he let his hand wander inside the woman's blouse, marking and assaulting her skin in ways that would leave her broken. stop— the man gave no mercy as his other hand let go of jiho's jaw before it immediately slipped under her black pencil skirt and went straight to touch her pearl, also ripping the clothing.

no!

eyes widening, jiho squirmed on jin's advances as she tried so hard to get away from him. the assault was getting out of hand as jin's left hand started to knead on the woman's breast and the other slipping its way under her undies. no, no, stop!

enough! gathering all of her strength, it was all or nothing, jiho found the courage to bite jin's lips against his harsh kiss. the two immediately lost contact as jin immediately withdrew from her and held his bleeding lip, hissing at the pain. "you bitch!"

dragging her feet, jiho screamed "help!" jiho wasted no time running once more but her escape was cut short when jin caught her once more. "no! let go of me! jeongguk! jeongguk! help me—help me—"

voice immediately cut short, jin slapped jiho's cheek. "you're so called husband isn't going, he's busy fucking another woman and he doesn't care about y—"

jiho refused to listen "jeongguk! jeongguk! jeongguk! jeongguk—" the woman screamed only to be slapped once more as she struggled under jin's hold. "shut up! can't you see that he doesn't need you anymore? he doesn't need you, that's why he didn't come! you're nothing to him—"

"shut up!"

"no. you" jin voiced out, pinning jiho on the nearest wall as his face got closer and closer "you were mine! i had you when we were in college and now that freaking jeongguk is out of the picture you're mine and nothing's going to stop me." the man's lips were only a few inches away and she began to close her eyes in fear. "jeongguk" she whispered, calling out to him once again, wishing he'd come like the way he did when they were in college. "i'll have you all for myself and—"

a thud. a loud and hard sound echoed in the area and before she knew it, jin suddenly collapsed as she suddenly felt the grip on her wrists loosen. on the far recesses of her hearing, she could hear the sirens rang on her ears. she had wanted to open her eyes but was still too afraid.

"jiho!" warmth enveloping her trembling, bruised and cold body, she heard the all too familiar deep voice as a piece of cloth started to touch her skin. eyes slowly opening, her eyes was met with a crying taehyung as he cupped jiho's bruised face while delicately holding her like a fragile glass. "i'm sorry, i'm sorry. i shouldn't have left you—i shouldn't have—" the man let out a shaky sigh as he carefully linked their foreheads, seeing taehyung trembling like that was enough to make her breakdown as she returned the hug.

"i'm so sorry, jiho" the man continued and as much as she wanted to say that it wasn't his fault, she could only bury her shaken form closer to the man who only cared.

"you're nothing to him—"

maybe, i am really nothing to him. as jin's previous words echoed in her ears, the thought that jeongguk didn't care started to seep in her veins.

he doesn't need me anymore, i am nothing . . . nothing to him.

was in a run.

21:00. no. reading the time on his clock, jeongguk clicked his tongue for the umpteenth time in this whole day. beads of sweat on his forehead, ragged breathing and heart hammering inside his ribcage, for a man who's used to have the time on the tips of his hand, it was quite unusual for him to be in this dilemma — chasing time.

oh! this day is quite an adventure, really.

one, the man's day was quite packed, after giving his four messages on jiho in the morning, his schedule has become ungodly strict and tight. the man blames his boss for always being so clumsy that he had to attend in his stead when all he wanted to do was get out of the office as early as possible – but, namjoon just had to ruin it.

two, his nerves were a mess and the man was snappy all day long, blame his secretary for taking his phone – the mistress' excuse was it's a distraction but he could care less, his wife was in danger and as much as he tried to argue with his lover (oh, shame on him) the lady wouldn't budge as she kept the phone inside her bra to make him stop.

three. oh, of all days to be super, ultra and mega lucky, jeongguk just had to be caught up inside a traffic at this hour – he blames the car collision on the intersection. even if he got out of his office at exactly 19:00, it took him one hour to finally gather the courage to leave his car, let it be towed to stars knows where and just, fuck it.

four, he was quite disappointed and let's not pretend — he found it quite heartless of jiho as she didn't (?) even reply to any of his messages. the moment his phone was given to him, the first thing he had checked was the messages and call logs on his phone to only see that it was clean as white.

although, he was quite suspicious of his phone — he once found lilia rummaging through his phone, doing something.

love

💕. this morning, he found himself staring at jiho's contact and weirdly enough — he couldn't find the courage to change her id. everytime his fingers pressed the keys, he would find his eyes getting glossy and just like that, he just stopped trying to change her contact name.

"the contact is out of reach, please try again later"

"fuck, why won't you answer?!" pissed off and clearly worried, the man still pushed his legs forward even if they already felt like a gelatin – blame the fact that he had to run for five kilometers just to get to jiho's office. why won't you say anything? i'm worried, what happened. what would i do if you—

heart churning inside his chest and just a few more steps on the woman's office, he had received a call, he was this happy but seeing the contact number coming from an unknown call, it gave him the goosebumps.

feet immediately stopping and swallowing his nervousness, the man pressed the answer button, "hello—"

eyes pooling with treacherous tears, in a minute of talking to the person on the other line, jeongguk was running for his life once again.