firefly | zhong chenle

CH30

"trust me"

-

"Arin? Are you back at the station? Why is there siren sounds?" Hajoon asked through the phone.

"Came back today. The firefighters just went on a mission" Arin mentioned "Can you come to the station? I've got to give you something. You left something last time at the hospital"

"I'll be there in 5"

Arin placed the phone down, and took her coat off. Brushing her hair out with her hands, she sat down on her bed, fiddling with her fingers as she waited. Soon, she received a call and let Hajoon in. He was still in school uniform, but his hair was combed back and a pair of gold glasses on the bridge of his nose. He looked young and free, innocent, rather.

"Hajoon" She pulled a smile, waving to him.

"Did you call me here just to give me something?" Hajoon asked, standing at the doorway

"No" Arin said "I wanted to-"

"Oh?" Hajoon's innocence was immediately replaced with an inexplicable emotion. He walked in, dropping his school bag and slowly, very slowly, approaching her.

"What did you want to give me? And I suppose, tell me?" Hajoon asked, but there was a mischievousness behind his tone. It was hard to pinpoint what was hiding behind his smile.

"Before I give you the thing, I want to ask you...a couple things" Arin said, her words slowing down "The rest are out on a mission so this is the only time I can ask you"

"Hm?" Hajoon questioned, continuing his slow approach towards her. Upon realising that he is indeed becoming closer and closer, Arin began backing out, her hands hitting the table ledge.

"Uh" Arin swallowed a lump in her throat "The flowers you got for me. How did you know I liked them?"

Hajoon chuckled slyly, cornering her to the point he was towering over her against the table. Arin was quite visibly, uncomfortable, but her mouth was clammed shut.

"Because I know everything about you" Hajoon's index finger climbed up her body to touch her chin. Arin turned her head, her hands that were gripping the table, tensed.

"Hajoon" She placed a hand on his chest to push him away, but instead, he clasped his own hand over hers, disgustingly leaning his face closer.

"Isn't this what this is about? That I've won? That you've fallen for me and that you wanted to tell me that you want me as much as I want you?" Hajoon sounded hysterical, like he'd gone insane "That you don't want that stupid Jisung kid...or that annoying Chenle motherfucker"

"No Hajoon stop" Arin was now actively trying to get him off, but Hajoon clasped his hand over her wrist, restricting her.

"Tell me you're in love with me" Hajoon hissed "Tell me you're in love with me" He repeated like he's gone absolutely mad.

"So you stalked me to know what flowers I like...and which hospital I was at and-and-" Arin's voice was shaking

"It was all for your sake" Hajoon bit his lip "I couldn't let you be taken by those disgusting...people"

"Please stop-"

The door opened. The a ray of light that shone into her life seemed to just happen with one sound of the handle turning. She knew who it was at the door without even looking.

"Motherfucker get off her" It was the voice that could only belong to the firefighter she was slowly but surely falling for.

"Chenle, you can't hit him. It's okay. We've got it" Arin exclaimed in soft breaths.

"What?" Hajoon distanced from Arin, furrowing his eyebrows

Arin revealed a smirk, now making eye contact with Hajoon "You gave us all we need to send your ass to jail"

2 days ago...

"I didn't tell you what I was going to tell you" Chenle uttered.

Arin sighed, raising her eyebrows and looking at him "What is it?"

"Hajoon isn't a good person. You know how your mother supposedly fell ill and that's why the whole car accident ordeal happened? It was all fake. Your mother is in the same condition she was in last. Hajoon faked it. Think about it. How did Hajoon even get your number in the first place? Let along know that it was your mother that went into critical condition. It doesn't add up." Chenle explained, pacing around the room to try and suppress is annoyance.

Arin furrowed her eyebrows, an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach "But why? What does it get out of this?"

"He knows if you end up in hospital, he can get close to you. He can't touch you if you're constantly at the station. And he timed all this perfectly so that I could be away from you as much as possible...ensuring that I'm suspended from the fire station when you're working, ensuring that I return to the fire station when you're stuck in hospital so he could take the opportunity to have you without any interruptions"

"Huh? What does he even want-"

"Isn't it obvious?" Chenle made eye contact with Arin "He wants you. He's obsessed with you. Ever since you saved his younger brother, he's been stalking you"

Arin didn't know what to say. She felt uncomfortable, disgusted...unnerved.

"That day when we were to check-up rounds. It was him again. He set the garage on fire to try and kill Jisung because Jisung was always by your side" Chenle's voice began to become more rough, the frustration breaking past his attempt to maintain a calm stance.

"Is that when you knew?"

"Yes" Chenle took a deep breath "I didn't want to shock you so I didn't tell you. But it's gotten to the point where he's gone insane. I need you to be safe. I tried to get the police to look into this but I have no evidence so...I can't do anything about it"

"What if we force it out of him?" Arin asked "What if...we bait him. If there isn't evidence right now, we'll make the evidence"

"What do you suggest?"

"We lure him in. I'll call him, pretending that I want to see him and we'll set up a camera. We can fake the mission alarm as well, so he'll know that when he comes, no one is there and we can force stuff out of him"

"No" Chenle shook his head "That's far too dangerous. What if he does something to you?"

"That's what we want. We need him to bite the bait"

"Arin"

"This is the best way. Trust me. I'll be okay. The sooner we get rid of this guy. The sooner I can sleep easy"

With much hesitance, Chenle agreed.