VI. Confusion
Distant TormentHaeun was shivering, and she couldn’t even blame it on the cold. She was in shock over the entire counter, and her arm was stinging from where the man managed to graze her with his nails.
Her mind was still reeling over the way Baekhyun looked when he grabbed her and hugged her. His eyes were full of concern and worry, and it didn’t make sense for him to care about her like that. It was his job to keep people safe, but it seemed like she was more than just another person to him. Why did it look like she was his lifeline, and that he’d been worrying out of his mind over her?
Haeun groaned and buried her face into her hands. This was not what she was expecting, and now what was she going to do with the image in her mind?
Everytime she closed her eyes all she could see was Baekhyun breathing heavily as though he had sprinted to come to her, and his worried eyes scanning her body to make sure she was okay. Then he wrapped her up in a hug.
The worst part was that she truly didn’t want him to let go of her. She had to push him away just to make sure her heart wouldn’t take things to a point where even her brain couldn’t get her out of. It was more important in that moment to make sure Jieun was okay considering the panic attack she nearly had. She had doubled over at a certain point after they realized that the man was closer to them than Haeun had imagined. Haeun absently rubbed the spot on her arm where the man managed to grab her, and it stung. She thanked the fact that she had enough of a mindset to swipe at the man with her keys, and it worked to throw him off before she basically dragged Jieun into the restaurant. Haeun locked the door to the bathroom, and hoped that Baekhyun and Chanyeol would get to her before people would force her to get out. The man wouldn’t be able to attack them in public, and she was seriously wondering why he was even stalking Jieun in the first place and decided that he would go after Haeun as well.
She guessed it was the adrenaline that was beginning to wear off, but in that moment, Haeun quietly leaned against a wall as she watched the police take statements from people around and take care of Jieun. She slid down the wall, and she began to cry once again, her shoulders shaking from the sobs that wracked her body. Haeun placed her face in her hands, and she just wished she would disappear. She didn’t need this today - or at all.
Haeun didn’t know how much time passed like that, but she had become numb. All she could feel were the shivers and the tears running down her cheeks. She wanted to go home to her parents, but that wasn’t a possibility.
That just made her more sad and lonely, but she soon felt a heavy jacket fall on her shoulders. She jerked her head up, not caring that her makeup was utterly messed up by that point to see Baekhyun sitting next to her. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before raising his hand to slowly rub her back. Part of Haeun wanted him to continue, but part of her also wanted him to figure what his problem with her was before treating her like this.
One moment, he was perfectly okay with treating her like he hated her guts, and then there were moments where he looked at if she were the only thing in the world. She hated that she couldn’t stand up for herself in those moments because, truth be told, she loved being the sole receiver of his attention like that.
“Are you ready to give your statement?” Baekhyun asked after a few minutes. His warm hand made her feel better, and she wasn’t shivering anymore. She looked over at him, and he looked exhausted. His eyes were slightly red, and his hair was a disheveled mess. In his hands was a water bottle, and Baekhyun, noticing the movement of her eyes, passed her the bottle after opening it.
Taking a few tentative sips, she took a deep breath.
“Is Jieun okay?” Baekhyun blinked in surprise.
“...yeah. Her parents were called, and they’re with her now. Chanyeol’s taking her statement as well. They’re over there,” he said, pointing to the family in the distance. She was so distracted with herself that she hadn’t noticed that they were standing not too far away from her. Jieun was wrapped up in her father’s embrace as her mother patted her head. Chanyeol was speaking to the parents, and he looked quite professional, different from how he normally acted when they met up.
“Okay then.”
“Okay, just...just let me know if at any p
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