" 𝐈𝐍𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐒

𝟎𝟒 : 𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐋

CEAZIA'S POV:
I gazed out of the car window, eagerly awaiting our arrival. "Are we there yet? You haven't even told me where we're going," I asked Sunwoo, who was focused on the road. His eyes twinkled as he replied, "We're going to the Hollywood sign." I felt a surge of excitement rush through me. Finally, I'd get to see the iconic landmark in person. "Okay," I said, grinning from ear to ear. Sunwoo turned on the Bluetooth, and the sound of 'Poison' by Bell Biv Devoe filled the car. He hummed along to the beat as we made our way towards our destination. I couldn't wait to stand in front of the Hollywood sign.

LATER
I was in utter awe as I gazed upon the colossal structure before me. "It looks bigger in person..," I murmured, my eyes transfixed on the sign. Without a second thought, I pulled out my phone and began taking pictures of the massive Hollywood sign. As I was clicking away, I heard a chuckle coming from behind me. It was Sunwoo, leaning nonchalantly against his car. "Why did you bring me here?" I asked him, still mesmerized by the grandeur of the sign. "I wanted to show you the main reasons why people come to L.A.," he replied, his eyes fixed on mine. "You seemed like you've never been here before." I was grateful for the chance to experience such a breathtaking sight, and I let him know that. "Thank you," I said, holding his gaze for a moment longer than was comfortable.

"You're welcome," he whispered, the warmth of his breath sending a shiver down my spine. For a few seconds, we simply stood there, looking into each other's eyes. Eventually, I looked away, feeling a bit flustered. "Uh, let's go. I have another spot to take you to," Sunwoo said, clearing his throat. I nodded in agreement, walking back to the car and fastening my seatbelt as Sunwoo took his place behind the wheel.

--
We were still driving, attempting to navigate our way back to Sunwoo's place when the engine suddenly jolted to a stop. "What was that?" I called out in surprise. "Oh, fuck.." Sunwoo muttered under his breath before stepping out of the car. Curious, I decided to follow him, only to discover that all of the car's tires were mired in the mud that had unexpectedly materialized on the road. Frustration began to well up within me, while Sunwoo mumbled curse words in Korean. "Should we try to free the car from the mud?" I suggested, looking over at him.

"There's no way, the mud is too stubborn," Sunwoo replied, his gaze fixed on the trapped tire. I nodded slowly and walked over to him. "It's getting dark. Is there a place nearby where we could stay for the night?" I inquired. Sunwoo met my gaze after letting out a sigh. "I think so. I'll call the mechanics once we get there," he said, maintaining eye contact with me. I slowly nodded. Sunwoo got a duffle bag from the trunk locked his car and walked beside me as we went to the motel.

As we walked, a heavy silence hung in the air. I found myself staring at the ground, lost in thought, while Sunwoo strode ahead. Suddenly, I couldn't hold back my curiosity any longer. "Why did you leave Korea?" I blurted out. Sunwoo met my gaze and let out a weary sigh. "I was exiled by my older brother," he confessed. His words hit me like a bolt, leaving me both shocked and bewildered. "Why?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "He sees me as a threat," Sunwoo replied simply. I observed his face closely, detecting a tinge of sadness, as if he yearned for his homeland. "I'm sorry to hear that, Sunwoo," I offered softly. Sunwoo simply nodded in response. "Forget about it, it's all in the past," he said with a nonchalant shrug.

I felt a strong desire to comfort him, so I gently reached out and took his hand in mine. Sunwoo gazed at me, clearly puzzled by my actions. "My hand is cold," I lied, hoping to bring him some comfort. A small, tender smile slowly spread across his face as he nodded.

AT THE MOTEL
Upon arriving at the motel, Sunwoo exclaimed, "Okay, we're here," clearly out of breath. Scanning the room, I quickly searched for a place to sit and found a chair on the countertop. I made a beeline for it, with Sunwoo following closely behind and taking a seat next to me, placing the duffle bag next to his feet. Feeling the weight of the situation, I expressed, "I need to find a way back to Seoul," letting out a heavy sigh. "Can I borrow your phone?" I asked Sunwoo. "What for?" he inquired, looking at me intently. "Just to contact my friend back in Seoul," I explained, letting out another sigh. He nodded in understanding and retrieved his phone from his pocket. I quickly accessed Instagram, logged into my account, navigated to Wooyoung's page, and left a comment: 'SOS, stuck in LA'.

I then returned the phone to Sunwoo, expressing my gratitude with a simple "Thank you," to which he silently nodded in response. Sunwoo looked at me, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "Who is Wooyoung?" he asked. I could sense his curiosity as I replied, "Wooyoung is a special friend of mine. He's been there for me since I was a kid, always caring and supportive." Sunwoo nodded slowly, absorbing the information. As we sat in the motel lobby, the receptionist emerged from the bathroom, visibly surprised to see us. "Good evening. Are you planning to stay the night or join us for dinner?" he inquired, taking a seat behind the front desk. We both stood up as Sunwoo spoke up, "We're here to stay for the night if that's available."

The receptionist was seated behind his desk, his expression serious yet polite as he nodded. "Alright. It's just very surprising since no one has been staying here ever since a little incident that happened around here," he mentioned, a hint of unease in his voice. He reached for a shelf filled with room keys and continued, "Your room key is #4. It's on the first floor to the right." As I took the key, a chill ran down my spine at the mention of the mysterious incident. "Thank you, sir," I replied, mustering a polite smile. Sunwoo and I made our way through the motel, the receptionist's cryptic words lingering in my mind.

"Do you think there was a serial killer on the loose?" I inquired, glancing at Sunwoo. "What makes you think that, Ceazia?" Sunwoo asked with a furrowed brow. "I don't know, but the receptionist seemed so uneasy," I replied as we ascended the stairs. "Do you think it could be Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers?" I added. My question prompted Sunwoo to burst into laughter. I exclaimed, "It's not funny! Maybe we are the next victims." I shared out my theory. After a moment, he responded, "Calm down, we are not the next victims. I can promise you that." He managed to stifle his laughter, glancing back at me before heading towards room #4.

After he turned the key in the lock, the door creaked open and we stepped inside. I scanned the room and noticed only one bed. My anticipation of finding two beds was clearly off the mark. We exchanged a sigh and shared a puzzled glance. Sunwoo casually placed his duffle bag on the nearby couch, and then he made a generous offer. "You can sleep on the bed while I'll sleep on the couch," he said. I immediately declined his offer by shaking my head and speaking up, "No, you've already done so much for me since I arrived in America. Just sleep on one side of the bed while I'll sleep on the other." I tried to reason with him, maintaining eye contact throughout the exchange.

"Are you sure?" He peered down at me, his eyes searching my face for any sign of hesitation. I nodded in affirmation. Sunwoo finally seemed to accept my decision and began rummaging through the duffle bag. He retrieved a pair of shorts and a tank top before pulling out an oversized shirt and some biker shorts. "Is this your emergency duffle bag?" I inquired, settling onto the edge of the bed. "Yeah, here. Go change in the bathroom while I'll change here," he said, handing me the oversized shirt and the biker shorts. I nodded and rose from the bed, carrying the clothes with me. Once in the bathroom, I locked the door behind me.

I swiftly shed my clothes and slipped into the clothes that had been provided for me. Afterward, I gazed at my reflection in the mirror and swept my hair up into a high bun. Leaving the room, I found Sunwoo fast asleep. I couldn't help but chuckle, and a small smile graced my lips. As I settled onto my side and attempted to drift off, I couldn't help but think that if anyone had seen the way I was lying, they would have called me a plank.

I turned away from the room, facing the cool, smooth surface of the wall, and closed my eyes, longing for a deep and restful sleep to come.
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𝟭𝟱𝟳𝟭 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀𝘀- 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘆𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆!