It had been a nine days since Tae Min and I were kidnapped by Cheo Jeong and his gang. Beat down and famished, my limbs grew weak and my eyes were sunken. I had not seen Tae Min since we were separated on my birthday. It worried me and more than anything I wanted to hear his voice.

After I was struck on the head, I woke up in a cell. The building I found myself was old and cracks kissed by moss crept on grey walls. Two men sat in front of the cell day and night. I was given one roll of gimbap and a cup of water a day. I was also given a warm blanket and a pair of socks but that did nothing to fight the cold that hurt my bones ruthlessly.

It had been nine days but I was unsure of the exact date. I was sure Christmas had gone by. My family would have tried to reach me. I was too weak to bother about them but at that moment I wished to see them. Tears left my eyes.

"Get up bitch. The boss wants to see you." One of the men called as he opened the cell.

I was dragged to a large room.

The smell of soaked wood and rusted iron attacked my nostrils. Cheo Jeong sat on wooden chair while he smoked.

"I bet you're wondering what happened to Tae Min." He said with a smile. I wanted to punch his face desperately but I was too weak to do so.

"Where is he? What did you do to him?!!" I screamed. The thought of Tae Min gave me strength.

"Wow! Are you two the Fairy and the Woodcutter? How can you be worried about someone else in this situation? They're like lovers from a tragic folklore." Cheo Jeong and the men in the room laughed.

I did not care for their mockery. I did not care about what they planned to do with me. I just needed to know if Tae Min was safe.

"It doesn't matter if he's alive or dead. We'll be done with you soon. We just have to make a few arrangements with our boss." Cheo Jeong said.

"You're not the boss?" I asked.

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me Miss, but someone else sponsors and runs our gang. It's fine. You'll meet with him soon. Here, take a shower and get changed into this. You have to look presentable. I hear he has a soft spot for you." Cheo Jeong said. He dropped folded clothes on my hands.

I looked around the room and spotted a bathroom a few steps away. My eyes strolled around the room once more and I found phones and bags a step away from the bathroom. They belonged to Tae Min and I.

I remembered the fact that tracking apps were installed in our phones for security reasons. Tae Min suggested it after the masked ball. As long as our phones were turned on, the guards hired by Tae Min were aware of our location. If no one searched for Tae Min, I was sure his lawyers and body guards were exceptions. I had to turn my phone on.

"Don't I get a little privacy?" I asked Cheo Jeong who eyed me and licked his lips.

"Sure but this guy stays here in case you try something funny. Stay with her and make sure she's out of the bathroom in five minutes." Cheo Jeong instructed one of his men.

While Cheo Jeong and his men talked, I stood up and stretched my leg to the phones near the bathroom. I took a look around. No one watched me.

I kicked one of the phones into the bathroom and at the sound of a thud, Cheo Jeong turned to me. I fell and stood up again. He turned away and walked out of the room.

"Hurry up lady." The only man left behind said while he sat at the door of the bathroom.

I got into the bathroom and turned on the shower. I ran to the phone and turned it on as well. I placed the device on silent and was about to dial an emergency number when I heard a loud thud on the bathroom door.

"Hurry lady!!"

I tried to place a call but there was no network where we were located.

Frustrated, I took a quick shower and got changed but I wore the brown jacket I had on the night we were kidnapped. It belonged to Tae Min and I felt safe in it. I secured my phone at the side of my bra and tucked in the black turtle neck I wore.

I left the bathroom and after an hour, my face was covered with a sack cloth. I was pulled into a car.

Fear engulfed me and I prayed silently for my safety and Tae Min's.

A few hours went slowly. My heart ached and my soul felt betrayed by the universe. The phone on me gave me hope and I prayed someone would find me.

I was taken out of the car and thrown on the ground. The sack cloth was taken off my face. I looked around. I was at the lowest floor of an abandoned multi-storey car park.

My eyes scanned the area around me and I saw the one my heart yearned for.

"Pree?" Tae Min pushed the men that held him and ran towards me.

In his arms, I wept like a child. I had never felt so relieved.

"Thank God you're alive." I said.

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Why do you look so thin?" Tae Min asked.

I stared at his face. Scars cut across his arms and parts of his face were kissed by red and purple. His hair was in disarray and the white T-shirt he wore was more brown than white. He was hurt but he was concerned about me who did not have a single mark.

I placed my hands on his face. It was cold.

"Why are you wearing a T-shirt? Where's your sweater? Do they want you to freeze to death?" I asked.

"Isn't this a beautiful reunion?" A familiar voice asked from a distance.

Cheo Jeong and his men bowed while a tall being in white walked towards Tae Min and I. I knew that face well.

"Jae Hyun?" Tae Min asked.

"We got her to change like you asked boss and we brought the stuff you wanted." Cheo Jeong told Lee Jae Hyun while he gave him a brown suitcase.

"Boss?! You're their boss? All this time...When these bastards exploited me because of the drugs...I bought the drugs from..." Confused Tae Min stuttered.

"Why are you surprised brother? Did I know about your addiction? Yeah I did. If anything, I'm the reason you got addicted. I run the small cartels in Korea. Everything we do is illegal in this country but hey, I have enough influence to pull a few strings here and there. Business is cool as long as the authorities don't find out." Jae Hyun laughed.

"You've been a real pain Tae Min and you've got Father worried. Well if Father dies, I get to take over your mother's company. So, I decided to take things into my hands and make my life easier."
Jae Hyun walked to Tae Min and took him by the neck of his shirt.

"Where's the ledger and Judy Stone's will, Tae Min?"

"Don't say my mother's name with that filthy mouth." Tae Min said.

Jae Hyun punched him and threw him on the ground.

"Where is it?! Where is it?! Where is it?!" Jae Hyun asked as he sat on Tae Min. He tightened his fist and punched Tae Min over and over. Blood flew out of Tae Min's mouth.

"Stop it!" I screamed.

Jae Hyun got off Tae Min and walked to me. Tae Min held his legs but Jae Hyun scoffed and kicked his head. I gasped in fear.

"I don't understand why you ended up with a loser like Tae Min. You'd be happier with me." Jae Hyun said while he squatted in front of me. He brushed my right cheek with his fingers. The spiked rings on his fingers felt cold against my skin.

I stared at Kim Tae Min. My eyes counted the scars on his arms and face. The fear in my soul became anger.

"I'd rather be dead!" I screamed and spat on Jae Hyun.

He slapped me and Tae Min cursed at him.

"You think you're too good for me don't you? Let me change that you wench."

He kicked my waist. I screamed as his shoe tore into my flesh. He kicked me three times more. My stomach burned and skin flew off my fingers with drops of blood while I tried to protect myself. Winter kissed the opened flesh and every scar felt like a thousand tiny needles on my skin.

"Jae Hyun! Stay away from her!" Tae Min said. I saw him run towards me through my vision blurred by tears.

I wanted to stand and tell him to stay back but I couldn't. My ribs hurt and my arms ached.

Tae Min threw a punch that landed on Jae Hyun's face. While Jae Hyun wiped the blood off his lips, Tae Min ran to me and helped me sit up.

I saw the sorrow in Tae Min's eyes. It made my heart ache. I held his cheek and told him I was fine.

"I'm sorry Pree. I'm so sorry. It's my fault."

"Give me the files Tae Min or I'll do worse than kick her. I don't want to but I will." Jae Hyun said.

"Touch her again and I'll kill you Jae Hyun."

"Really? Let's see what you'll do when you're immobile."

Three men pinned Tae Min to the ground and Jae Hyun kicked me with more force than he did before. My insides felt like they were ripped apart. I begged him to stop but my voice was lost to the cold winds of winter.

"Stop! Jae Hyun stop it!! The files aren't with me okay?! They're with one of the lawyers I work with! I'll take you to him if you want just leave her alone!!" Tae Min yelled.

"Pathetic! You were better off without love Tae Min! At least when you didn't trust anyone you weren't held back." Jae Hyun said while he stepped away from me.

The men who held Tae Min let him go and he ran towards me. Tears glistened in his eyes. He held me up.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He cried.

Jae Hyun glared at Tae Min with irritation and drew a knife from the trench coat he wore.

"Once she's gone you'll come back to your senses Tae Min!" He said as he took long strides towards me.

Jae Hyun swung the knife at me like a one insane. The blade was caught in Tae Min's skin more times than I could count. Flesh and blood danced in the air while Tae Min did all he could to protect me.

The white T-shirt he wore was stained by red long strokes and his hands bled in the cold. I wept.

"Please stop!" I screamed. I got my voice back at that instant.

Tae Min fell on his knees in front of me. He looked at me with a smile that made my heart feel like it was torn to a thousand pieces.

"I'm sorry Tae Min. I should've left South Korea when it was time for me to leave. I should've left when I could but I was selfish and stupid. I'm sorry! If I wasn't here, you wouldn't be in pain right now for my sake. I'm sure if given the chance, you'd choose your life without me. I'm sorry I cause you pain." I told him.

Tae Min placed his bleeding palms on my cheeks and planted a long kiss on my forehead.

"Priya Kapoor, you're the best thing that ever happened to me so don't say things like that. With you I got to smile from my heart. With you I laughed like a toddler. With you I wrote and sang the songs I wanted to. With you I had fun. With you my heart that knew only pain was comforted. With you I shed tears I'll never forget. With you I had moments that'll be inscribed in my heart for as long as I live. Pree, if I'm given a chance to choose between a life with you and one without you, I'll choose you. I'll always choose you." He said and spat bold red.

"Tae Min! Tae Min!" I cried.

"I'm fine. I'll get you out of here."

Jae Hyun opened the small brown suitcase and took out a gun. My heart dropped. I held unto Tae Min.

"What are you doing Jae Hyun?"

"You know, it's hard to get one of these in South Korea, but it was easy for me. Your so called love for each other makes me feel weird. Maybe it's jealousy. If I was beaten up, I'm sure Hayan would deny me but Priya's holding unto you like glue. Let's see what happens when a bullet hits her." Jae Hyun said with a smile.

"Jae Hyun!!"

Jae Hyun pointed the gun at me and at that moment Tae Min hugged me tightly. I tried to push him away but his grip was tight.

"What are you doing Tae Min?! Please move over! You'll die if he shoots! Tae Min please! Please let go! Please! Please!!" I begged him. I struggled to set myself free but I couldn't.

While I pleaded with Tae Min to let me go, a loud bang echoed and Tae Min fell on me.

"I...I...I'll always choose you." He said while blood gushed out of his mouth. His eyelids closed.

I placed my right hand on his back and felt warm liquid stroll between my fingers. I looked at my palm. It was covered in blood. Tae Min's blood. I screamed.

"You fucking idiot! I told you to bring the gun without bullets! How are we supposed to get information on the files if he dies?! You're so dumb!" Jae Hyun yelled at Cheo Jeong.

At that moment sirens wailed from a distance. The Seoul Metropolitan Police drove into the scene in their cars. Jae Hyun, Cheo Jeong and the other men that accompanied them were arrested but I did not care.

One of the Police officers stood over Tae Min and me and called at the others "Someone dial '119'. There's a wounded person here!! Hurry!"

"Ma'am, are you hurt? Ma'am!" The officer called but I ignored.

Eun Ji got out of one of the Police cars and ran to Tae Min and I. She asked if I was alright and wept. I ignored her.

An ambulance arrived in a few minutes and Tae Min was laid on a stretcher. I held his hand while we were in the ambulance. A few paramedics questioned me but I kept silent.

The universe had played a cruel joke on me and I hoped that was all it was. A cruel joke.

My body ached but my heart hurt the most. I cared about nothing else but Tae Min. All I wanted was to see his almond shaped eyes open again.

Word Count; 2579

-Gimbap.

- THE FAIRY AND THE WOODCUTTER ; A popular Korean folktale, about tragic romance. Quite comparable to the Western 'Romeo and Juliet', but with varied plots.