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Chapter 9: Encroaching Darkness – June 11 – 13, 2020

A week had passed since she’d last heard from Naru.  She and Hobi had spent that first night sleeping in the same bed, cuddled together like tiny siblings afraid of the dark.  Minsu was definitely afraid of the dark.  The darkness of being alone.  Again.  The darkness of her childhood.  The darkness of her appa’s disparaging words.  

It seemed to her that Hobi had brought the sunshine with him into her life.  And she was clinging to it now.  He had become her best friend.  And her one true hope.

But, somehow, he wasn’t enough.  She still kept breaking her heart over Naru.  So when he suddenly appeared a week later early one morning in the coffee shop, she found herself stuttering again as all her old fears were stirred up once more.

Would she please him this time?  Or would he deem her worthless?  Would he just ignore her?  Act like they’d never met?  Would he pull her close?  Or like so much rubbish, toss her aside?

It was very early when he appeared.  They were, in fact, alone.  Except for Hobi.  Who was currently in the kitchen, pulling scones from the oven.

—

The bell over the door jingled.  Ready to welcome her first customer, Minsu looked up with a huge grin on her face.  It died an instant death when her eyes locked with Naru’s.  She hastily glanced down.  She wanted to crawl under the counter and hide.

Briefly, she considered heading for the kitchen and asking Hobi to deal with him.  She knew he would.  Gladly.  But, truthfully, she wanted Naru.  He was a thing of beauty.  And when he looked on her, she felt – for a few moments, at least – that she must be a thing of beauty too.  Why else would he waste his time on her?

So she stayed where she was as he crossed the distance between them.  But she didn’t meet his eyes again.  So she didn’t see what he was holding in his hand until he stopped in front of her.  Then, he stuck the bouquet under her nose.

“Roses for a rose,” he whispered as he bent towards her.

She could smell his cologne.  He smelled divine.  But he sure hadn’t acted divine last week.  

When he spoke, she found she’d lost the will to resist him.  She had to take a look.  Her eyes lifted to the beautiful bouquet of red roses in his hand.

“These are for you.”  He held them out to her.  “Minsu, I’m so sorry for the way I behaved.  I was acting like a child.  Please…forgive me.”

Her eyes lifted all the way to his.  She stared into their depths for a long time, trying to discern the truth.  But he just looked contrite.  Finally, with a twist of her lips, she accepted them.

“Minsu?”

Still, she didn’t speak.  Her eyes fell to trace the roses in her hand.  And a single tear slid down her cheek.

Breathless, Hobi watched from the kitchen doorway, fervently praying that she would kick this jerk to the curb.  But, in the next instant, it was that jerk’s fingertip that brushed her tear away.  Hobi felt a foreign fury light up his heart like an atomic bomb igniting.  It shook him to his core.  

Why couldn’t she see him?  Why couldn’t she love him?  

Instead, she was pursuing this jerk.  Eating her heart out over a guy who wasn’t worth her time.  And it was ripping Hobi’s heart out.  He had loved her from the first time he’d seen her, but as the weeks faded away, his love continued to grow by leaps and bounds for her.  He would do anything for her.

He sighed.  Including allowing her to make her own choice.  Even if it was a horrible one.  

All he wanted right now was to stride out into that room and plant his fist in that jerk’s false face.  But he held himself back to see what she would do.  What she would choose.

“I’m so sorry,” Naru whispered again.  “Can I take you to dinner tomorrow night?”

She shook her head.

His face fell.  “Oh.  Okay.  Well, I’ll see you around.”

Hobi had the satisfaction of watching that guy pivot and head for the front door.  But he closed his eyes as she spoke.  His heart crashing to the floor.  She was giving him another chance.  

Why, Minsu?  He has no love for you.  He’s just using you.  Why can’t you see it?  How far will this go?  Will you let him really hurt you?  Will you follow him until he destroys you?

“I h-have to b-babysit.”  It was all she said.

Hobi felt like crying.  The stutter was back.  Why couldn’t she see that she wasn’t really comfortable with this guy?  She never stuttered around Hobi.  

Clearly, her heart knew with whom she was safe.  So why didn’t she listen to it?  She was setting herself up for a fall.  The only question was: how big of a fall was it going to be?  

Hobi prayed she wouldn’t fall too far.  That she would get out of this relationship before this guy had taken all she had to offer and left her broken.  Of course, Hobi would be there to pick up the pieces, but he didn’t want to see her hurt.  He had to fight every single impulse that was telling him to run out into that room and wrap himself around her.  To shield her from that cretin.

Naru turned back.  “Can I take you out Saturday night instead?”

Her eyes met his.  She seemed to be weighing what she saw in them.  After a few seconds, she nodded.  He smiled.

“Seven thirty?”

Again, a nod.  

He crossed the distance between them and bent to brush his lips across hers.  Then, he glanced up at the board.  His eyes fell to meet hers a moment later.  

“Can I get my usual order?”

That’s what Hobi was afraid of.  This guy was just too consistent.

—

“Minsu, I’m going out with some friends tonight.  I won’t be back till late,” Hobi informed her on Saturday afternoon.

She glanced up at him in alarm.  Why did his words distress her so?

“You won’t be here when I return from my date with Naru?”

He shook his head.  “Most likely, no.”  His eyes slid over her worried features.  “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.  I just thought you’d be here.”

“Do you want me to be?”

“No,” she responded in a tiny voice.  

She was just being silly.  It wasn’t like Hobi was going to be there for the rest of her life protecting her.  And why would she need protection?  Naru had never violated her.  He’d walked away from her, yes.  But he hadn’t pushed her.

Hobi eyed her for a while.  “I’ll just be a phone call away if you need me.”

She nodded and smiled.  “Have fun with your friends.”

Hobi grinned.  “I will.  You have a good time with Naru too.”

But he could tell by the look on her face that she was now uneasy.

—

It was the part of the evening she’d been dreading.  He’d just walked her to her door.  Why was she shaking?

He’d been nicer to her over dinner tonight.  He’d talked about a lot of things.  His job.  His twin sister, a girl named Nari.  And her husband, Yoongi.  Their little boy, Jungju.  

Naru had even smiled as he mentioned some of the little boy’s antics.  He seemed to have a natural affinity for the tiny guy.  Like he reminded Naru of himself at that age.  

Minsu had felt that perhaps she was seeing some of the real Naru for the first time.  The boy he didn’t let many people see.  The one buried deep down beneath his masks.  That’s the person she was pursuing.  She wanted in.  Into his heart.  Into his soul.  She longed to see more of him.  To touch that heart.  To linger in that soul.

Now it was his breath that was lingering.  On her face.  As he bent his head and claimed her lips as his own.  

He kissed her sweetly for several long moments.  He wasn’t pushing her.  He wasn’t even opening her mouth.  She was surprised.  After a little while, he asked the question she’d been dreading.  

“Can I come in for a bit?” he whispered the words against her lips.  And her stomach did a little flip.  

She pulled away from him.  “Umm.”

“You don’t have to say yes.”

She met his eyes, but he was simply smiling down at her.  “All right.”

She opened the door and invited him into the living room.  He glanced around and saw the TV.  He met her eye.

“Can we watch a drama?”

She sighed with relief.  “S-sure.”

As they settled themselves next to each other on the couch, he glanced around again.  “Where’s your roommate?”

Her heart was jumping into her throat.  “Out with friends.”

“Ahhh.  Is he going to be gone long?”

“I h-have n-no i-idea.”  

Just then, her phone dinged.  She pulled it out of her pocket.  Together, she and Naru both read the text message from Hobi.

“Having a good time.  Hope you are too.  I’ll be out late.  Don’t worry about me.”

Minsu missed the smile that lit Naru’s features.  She pocketed her phone and glanced up at him.

“Anything important?” he asked carelessly as he gazed down at her.

She shook her head.

“What shall we watch?” he asked.

A few minutes into the movie, Naru bent his head and planted a kiss along the curve of her neck.  She felt tension fill her instantly.  Then, he did it again.  His arm had been thrown across the back of the couch behind her.  Now it came to rest around her shoulders, and his fingertips began to stroke her skin across her collarbone.  Sending shards of desire down deep into her belly.  But, for some reason, those tremors made her uncomfortable.  

She shifted and glanced up at him.  So he bent his head and kissed her.  Then his other arm snaked around her, drawing her close to him.  After a few moments of kissing her at an awkward angle, he whispered as his hand wrapped around her to catch the side of her hip and draw her towards him, “Come.  Sit on my lap.”

She followed his request and his pulling fingers until she was balanced on his lap, facing him.  Her knees were planted firmly in the couch on either side of his thighs.  

“Come here,” he whispered tenderly as his hands pressed against her back.  

She leaned towards him, and his lips captured hers in a sweet kiss.  But her heart was hammering right now.  This situation felt too intimate.  She was uncomfortable sitting on his thighs.  Pressed against him like this.  But she couldn’t figure out why.

His hands were sliding up and down her back as his tongue played with hers.  Then his right hand left her back to skim the skin along her forearm.  A few moments later, as his mouth plundered hers, his hand returned to her waistband.  That’s when she began to wish she’d worn a dress instead of jeans and a T-shirt.

––

He slid his hands up under her shirt, and his fingers skimmed her naked back as he searched for the hooks of her bra.

She froze.  They’d kissed passionately a few times, but he’d never tried to undress her before.  She was completely uncomfortable now.  She tried to pull away, but his hands drew her closer to him as his mouth perused her own.  His tongue slid along her lower lip before invading her mouth.  She couldn’t have said why, but she wasn’t enjoying his touch.  Neither his tongue nor his hands.

“St-stop.”

His hands kept sliding up her back.  They found the object of their desire and began to wrestle with the hooks on the back of her bra.  She could feel fear beginning to beat in her chest.

“Na-Naru, pl-please st-stop.”

“Come on, Minsu.  You’ve been teasing me for weeks,” he murmured against her mouth.  “Just let me play with them a little.  All right?” 

As he spoke into her mouth, his fingers finally freed the hooks from their catches, and her bra slipped forward.  His hands followed.  As his palms slid against the bare skin of her front, she shoved violently at his chest.  She tore her mouth out from under his.

“Na-Naru, stop!” In her distress, her voice went up an octave.  “I d-don’t w-want y-you t-to t-touch m-me.”

He was growing angry.  She could feel it.  Still, he tried to sweet talk her.

“Of course, you do.  You’re just a little nervous.  I can tell because your stutter got worse.”

She felt like he’d just slapped her.  Pointing out her fault like that.  Tears filled her eyes as his hands found the objects of their desire.  She gasped and pleaded with him as she tried to pull away.  But one of his arms snaked around her dragging her up against his chest.  His other hand squeezed her tender flesh.  She whimpered in pain.  She was frozen.  Completely terrified.

“N-Naru, l-let go of m-me!” she pleaded in a louder tone as she continued to push against his chest.

“You’ll like it, I promise,” he murmured as his lips found her neck.

“I believe the lady made it quite clear that she does not like it,” a calm voice purred in his ear.  

Naru jumped a mile, his hands releasing Minsu.  She scrambled off his lap, her feet hitting the floor.  Relieved and embarrassed at the same time.  She ran around behind the couch, sheltering behind Hobi.  He had sneaked stealthily into the room, suddenly appearing like some avenging angel. 

The look on his face would have scared her if she’d been Naru.  It was still cheerful.  Yet menacing somehow.  A cold light in his normally sunny eyes, he was sneering down at the other man.  Who quite suddenly stood up.

“I will thank you to leave my apartment,” Hobi hissed in a quiet voice, that smile still painted on his face.  It wasn’t reaching his eyes.  His eyes looked positively deadly.  “And never come back.  Not here.  Not to the coffee shop.  If we ever see you again, I will personally call the cops.  And give them my full testimony.”

Naru glared at both of them.  “So you’ll live with him, but you won’t even let me touch you?” he sneered at her.

“Get.  Out.”  Hobi ground the words out through clenched teeth.  “I will not ask you again.”  He balled his fists.

Naru saw it.  “Whatever.  You can have the stupid stutterer.  There’s plenty of girls who want everything I have to offer.”

That’s when Hobi lunged for him.  Ignoring the fact that there was a couch between them, he set his hand along the back of it and vaulted it in one smooth move.  As soon as his feet landed on the floor, he swung his fist into Naru’s infuriating mouth.  He split his lip, and blood gushed everywhere.

His hand flying up to cover his mouth, Naru backed up.  “You’ll regret that.  I’ll sue you.”

Hobi wasn’t even looking at Minsu, yet he tossed her a command as his steely eyes bore down on Naru’s.  “Minsu, call the police.  Right now.  Tell them this guy tried to rape you.  Invite them over for a chat.  We have a lot to tell them.”

Naru’s eyes widened.  He headed for the door.

“We’ll have it all recorded with the police, so if I were you, I would think twice about suing me.  Unless you want the truth to come out in court.  I’m sure your appa wouldn’t take too kindly to having his company’s name dragged through the dirt.”

Naru turned pale before he exited the apartment, slamming the door shut behind him.

Minsu stared at Hobi.  “What are you talking about?”

He looked back at her.  “You don’t know who that guy is, do you?”  When she simply stared at him, he explained, “His appa is quite rich.  And he’s gone into business with a famous businessman here in Busan.  Naru is not only the son of a CEO; he’s also one of the executives in the company.  The last thing they need is bad press.  

“I’m pretty sure I scared him away.  But I have a police friend.  We’re going to invite him over to take our statements.  I want what Naru did to you on the record.”

She was burning up.  Her cheeks ablaze.  She was mortified right now.  And her bra was still undone.  She’d folded her arms over her chest to cover her embarrassment.  

“B-but, H-Hobi, I-I’m fine.  D-do we h-have to?”

His heart fell.  Minsu had never stuttered in his presence before.  What had just happened?  He felt like crying as his eyes slid over her vulnerable face.  

“His partner’s a woman.  You can talk to her.  I’ll give him my statement.  I saw and heard enough to prove my point.”  

His face softened.  “Listen, you don’t have to talk to them.  But I did hit the guy, and he could file an assault charge against me.  But I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do just to save me.”

“Why did you hit him?” she asked.

She was actually shocked.  Hobi was usually so easygoing.  She would never have believed he could become angry enough to punch someone.  It scared her.

His eyes were flames again.  “He called you a stupid stutterer.  I’d love to rearrange his teeth for him so that he can’t ever pronounce another word correctly again.”  

His eyes caressed hers.  “Minsu, you are precious!  I will never allow a man to treat you – or talk to you – the way he did.  I would risk a hundred assault charges if I could protect you from such abusive words.”

She stared at him.  He was so sweet.  So passionate.  So much like a knight in shining armor.  Why couldn’t she be attracted to him?

But she wasn’t.  They were just friends.  Even though they shared an apartment.  It’s not like they were sharing a bed.  Except that one time.  But they hadn’t shared any of the intimacies of the bedroom.

“Hobi, I don’t deserve you.”

“What you don’t deserve is that guy.”  His eyes smiled sadly at her.  She was still standing rigid as a board, her arms covering her chest.  “I’ll give you a minute alone in your room while I call my police friend.  Okay?  Can I invite him and his partner over?”

She swallowed and then nodded her head before disappearing for a couple minutes.  After she’d fixed her clothing, she returned to the living room.

Hobi stood up off the couch and looked at her, something soft floating in his gaze.

“Minsu, can I – would you…let me hold you?”

She stared at him for a moment.  Suddenly, a sob broke loose, and she ran across the distance between them.  Straight into Hobi’s waiting arms.  “I was so terrified.  I thought he was going to hit me.  I thought he was going to…”

“Shhh,” he whispered into her ear as his arms tightened about her.  He pulled her as close as was humanly possible.  “I’m so sorry, Minsu.  But you’re all right.  You’re all right.”

She sobbed against his shoulder until his friends arrived.  She and the female officer sat down in the living room as Hobi joined his friend in the kitchen.  They related the evening’s events to the two police officers.  They took copious notes and filled out statement forms for them both to sign.  

Hobi and Minsu told the whole truth.  Even admitting that Hobi had indeed punched the guy.  Hobi’s friends were nice, and they didn’t stay too long.  Minsu was glad.  

She felt exhausted.  But when she lay down in her bed, she couldn’t close her eyes.  For every time she did, she saw Naru again.  She heard his creepy voice.  And she felt his warm fingers on her skin.  

Finally, she flew out of her bed and ran out to the living room.  Hobi was sitting on the couch with Mickey in his lap.  He glanced up at her.

“What’s wrong?  Are you all right, Minsu?”

“I just keep replaying it all in my mind.  I can’t sleep,” she murmured shakily.  

Hobi patted the couch next to him. “Come.  Sit with me.  Wanna watch a drama?”

She chuckled mirthlessly.  “I feel like I’m living one right now.”

“Let this be the part where you let your best friend comfort you then,” Hobi replied.

She stared at him for a few moments before she sat next to him and let him put his arm around her.  She pillowed her head on his shoulder as he turned on a drama.  She was soon sucked into the strange plot.  She didn’t even notice when she fell asleep on his shoulder.  But he sure did.