Lethal Affection | Noah Sebastian x Karina Aespa | (crossover)

Part 7

The bell rang loudly and repeatedly, as if someone behind it were betting their life. Karina's eyes fluttered open slowly, greeted by the throbbing pain in her head, reminiscent of a blow from a baseball bat. With furrowed brows, she surveyed her surroundings, recognizing her hotel room, yet unable to recall how she had ended up there. Piecing together fragments of memory, she surmised that she must have passed out at the party, with Catherine fulfilling her promise to escort her home safely.

"Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong!"

Karina finally rose from her bed and staggered towards the door.

"I'm coming!" she shouted.

As she swung the door open, Karina was greeted by the sight of Yeon-hee, Catherine, and two hotel staff members, all wearing expressions of panic. Confusion etched across her features, Karina glanced at each of them in turn, trying to piece together the reason for their unexpected presence at her door.

"What's going on?" she asked innocently.

Yeon-hee burst into tears, clutching her shoulders tightly. "I should've never left you at that party! I'm so stupid!" she cried out.

Catherine's voice quivered as she recounted the events of the previous night. "You disappeared last night after you said you wanted to go to the restroom. My friends and I searched for you all night," she explained, her words carrying a weight of concern and anxiety.

"What?" Karina exclaimed, holding her head as she attempted to recall the events of the previous night. "Weren't you the one who escorted me back?"

"No, it was a guy," Catherine replied, horror evident in her eyes as her words added another layer of mystery to the situation.

Karina felt her stomach lurch suddenly, her legs weakening beneath her. With a sense of disbelief and unease washing over her, she distanced herself from the group and retreated to her bed. "Think, idiot! Think!" her thoughts raced, echoing the urgency of the situation as she grappled with the fragments of memory and the unsettling revelations.

Yeon-hee trailed after Karina into the room, her sobs still audible, her expression wrought with worry. Meanwhile, Catherine directed the two hotel staff members to depart.

"We checked the hotel's CCTV, and it turns out the guy stayed in this hotel too, same floor even. That's how he had access to this floor," Catherine explained calmly, her composure unwavering despite Yeon-hee's continued distress. She maintained her collected demeanor, knowing that Yeon-hee was still struggling to calm herself.

"What do you mean?" Karina asked, still confused. Then, she glanced at the black hoodie piled beside her, her eyes widening in surprise.

"We've checked the club's CCTV as well, and it was the same guy. You bumped into him, hugged him, and then the two of you left in a taxi," Catherine concluded her investigation report.

"Whose hoodie is this, Karina?" Yeon-hee asked, suddenly noticing the foreign object in the room. The oversized hoodie clearly did not belong to Karina.

Suddenly, a flood of memories from last night inundated Karina's mind. She recalled stubbornly accepting every drink offered until she could bear no more, retreating to the restroom to purge until her stomach was empty. Yet, amidst the haze, a tall figure emerged, his voice a soothing balm, his protective demeanor a beacon of safety in her vulnerable state. He guided her back to her room, a silent guardian in the chaos of the night. And in a moment of intimacy, she entrusted him with the task of undoing her hair and freeing her from the discomfort of her stockings, a gesture of trust amidst the blur of the evening's events.

Karina's dread intensified as she instinctively moved to cover her ears. Her breath quickened, signaling the onset of a potential panic attack.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?!" Yeon-hee shook Karina's shoulders, her concern palpable.