I hung my head low and closed my eyes as I felt the tingling sensation of hot water drizzling on my shoulders and down my spine. My hands were swiping my hair backward as I let the water soak it completely, causing it to stick together and form separate batches of waves hanging down my head and falling just right on top of my shoulder.

After a long time of being stuck in a ward, and seeing and hearing things that my mind couldn't process, it felt as though there was a hole dug into my brain, preventing it from undergoing any form of critical thinking. Fortunately, there was no better place to get the blood rushing up to my brain and refreshing my system other than the shower, just not necessarily in Hoseok's bathroom.

It was a big step for me to take, stripping in his bathroom and trusting that I was going to be safe in there while I stir things around in my head, but I had no other choice but to do that. If I was entrusting my safety to him, if I was going to follow his lead, then I had to break the tension slightly between the two of us, especially that he, indeed, had kept his promise and took me to see Jimin.

However, that certainly didn't mean that I was going to let my guard down too low, especially not when I still didn't know what he had in mind, but I was hoping for the best. After all, I would still have to take a shower one day, so might as well take it while I'm needing it the most.

As time passed while I was in there, the water had started to become even hotter, too hot to the point that it stung my skin but soon enough, I had grown numb to it. By that time, I had already done showering, but my train of thoughts took off, leaving me standing there with a pair of closed eyes and a relaxed body as the water poured down on me.

What does it mean?

Whatever is happening to me right now, is as real as it ever could be, but how did it all happen in the first place? The murder that shouldn't have happened, the crime that followed after, the escape, and Jimin getting badly injured.  All the following could be traced back to my involvement with Hoseok, but what did Jimin have to do with all of this? Was it pure coincidence or a consequence of something I had done? Could it have been Hoseok, except that Hoseok wouldn't have spared me only to harm Jimin despite us having an agreement based on mutual benefit.

None of it made sense, as to why Hoseok would want to pin a murder on me and then help me run away, neither did the possibility of him being the one to harm Jimin that way. The person who harmed Jimin most probably had something against him, whether personally or professionally, but it didn't matter. The nature of their cursed relationship didn't matter at all, but what did was the fact that I have to find that person and make them realize that they should've known better than to mess with him.

I felt my breath go unsteady as I heard Hoseok's aggressive knocking on the bathroom door as his muffled voice vibrated against the walls of the bathroom after I turned off the faucet.

"Are you planning on carrying your funeral in my bathroom or something?" I heard him shout as I hurriedly put on my clothes," Because trust me, the easiest thing I could do is throw your body into a swamp if you are thinking of pulling something off."

"I'm done, I'm done," I said faintly as I pulled my pants up my legs and buttoned up then opened the door only to find Hoseok blocking my way with his body propped against both arms which were held against both sides of the doorframe.

"Look who finally decided to come out?" he said before giving out a mocking smile and putting both his arms down," I thought I was going to die if I kept my pee in any longer. Thank you for coming out. My bladder owes you one."

At that, he got into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, leaving me with a pile of dirty clothes held against my chest and hair dripping since I had no time to dry it.

I turned my head towards the bathroom door and whispered in annoyance," Jerk."

Before I could leave, I heard his voice coming from inside saying," I heard that."

I let a sigh escape my mouth as I walked my way towards the room that he had kept me in when he first got me here. With no doubt, I was grateful towards him for accommodating me in his house when having me as a guest could bring him nothing but harm, yet I still didn't feel comfortable laying around when I knew he was a ruthless murderer. The last thing I knew I didn't need was to be murdered when I was the most vulnerable, so I didn't know how this night was going to pass but little did I know that this wasn't the reason behind why I lost my sleep.

After tossing and turning for a couple of minutes, I saw a ray of light enter the room through the door and the shadow of Hoseok extending until it finally hovered over me. I held back my shaky breath as I felt him move behind my bed, not knowing what he was doing back there. However, before I could even think of any possibilities, I heard the creaking of the closet door and the sound of his fingers messing with clothes.

I turned my head around slightly out of curiously only to find him wrapped in a towel and fumbling with his shirt to put it on. The sight of him partially naked made my breath get stuck in the middle of my throat, but I had nothing to do but turn my head back around quickly and pretend to be asleep, but my fast breathing rhythms were making it hard for me to continue with my pretence.

"You awake?" I heard him ask, his voice sounding almost unrecognizable because of how soft and sweet it was.

I furrowed my eyebrows and turned around slowly only to see him standing with a towel wrapped around his waist, a shirt that was slightly wet around the neck, and dripping hair.

"Yeah," I let out, my voice cracking in the middle as I raised my body and sat straight.

"Would you mind if I have a seat?" He asked while coming closer to the mattress but I was quick to act and immediately nodded.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to feel comfortable with us sitting like that. At least on a bed even if you are just planning to have an innocent conversation.

He scoffed then looked down, his hands resting on both sides of his waist," Alright then. Whatever you wish."

I eyed him suspiciously before asking," So? What's up with the nice tone? You saving up? Going to use your vocal cords for something strenuous later on?"

He raised a brow at me then sat on the floor, his legs crossed in what I thought to be an adorable manner," So, you don't like it when I'm mean but you also don't like it when I'm not. It is very hard to please you."

"And why is that important?" I asked almost immediately that if he were to continue speaking, it would've interrupted him," Why is my satisfaction important to you when we are sitting here, having this peaceful chat instead of slicing each other's throats just because of a deal?"

He just looked at me, emotionless, making it hard for me to decipher what he might be thinking about. His eyes were doing an amazing job at concealing the hidden truth, his feelings. To get that out of him, there has to be someone who can get in there in the first place, and it wasn't going to be me for sure.

I rested my elbows against my knees and looked back down into his eyes," Why did you save me in the first place? Why did you agree to the deal? Now that I think of it, you had way too many chances to get what you want out of me but you haven't used those opportunities. And, I'm pretty sure you aren't doing this because you are a 'good person' so let's get straight to it. What do you want, Hoseok?"

He smiled then looked down, his tongue poking the inside of his cheek in what I perceived to be annoyance then said," How many times do you have to ask those questions only for me to give you the same answers?"

I kept my eyes fixed into his, not willing to let go until I get access to at least a slight portion of either his feelings or thoughts and for that, I would've been grateful.

"You are oblivious to so many things, you can't decide whether I've been keeping you safe all that long or just waiting for the perfect time. You can't even tell if those times I've missed getting into your head were because I purposely missed or because they weren't even the perfect times like you claimed them to be," he said before getting on both his knees and shifting forward slowly which slightly intimidated me.

He stood up then got closer before bending down to my level, his face getting closer to mine, our eyes still glued together.

"Your eyes, Sun Hee," he hissed, then smiled," they show more than you think they do, and I can tell what you got in mind."

At that, he got his lips closer to my ear and breathed there for a while before hissing," Forget it."

I held onto the bed sheets and gulped down the lump that was stuck in my throat as I felt goosebumps running all over my body. He was doing it again, wrapping me around his fingers without putting in any effort, and as much as it terrified me to the core, it impressed me like nothing else.

He moved away then walked towards the door, one hand resting on it's handle and the other leaning against the side of the closet that was next to the door frame.

"You can't get what you want out of me, not by repeating your questions, and certainly not by trying to read my mind. The only thing you should worry about is staying alive on my good side and cherishing it while you still dwell on it. So for now, you better go to bed. The people who did this to Jimin won't give themselves in."