Broken Paths || Wen JunHui

Chapter 21: A Haunting Presence

⋆˙⟡♡⚕🩺⊹ 🤍

Da-Rae stepped out of the hospital into the cool evening air, her body still tense from the unsettling encounter with Jun. The day had been long, but it was her last conversation with him that weighed heavily on her mind. His words echoed in her head, his voice haunting her thoughts—"I'm the one you belong with."

She shook her head, trying to dismiss the chill creeping up her spine. It's just another patient getting too attached, she told herself. He's not dangerous. He's just confused.

But as she drove home, the sensation of unease wouldn't leave her. The quiet streets of the city, normally soothing after a long day, felt eerily empty tonight. Every turn she took felt heavier, every shadow deeper. It was as if something was following her—just out of sight, just beyond her perception.

When she finally reached her apartment building, Da-Rae hurriedly parked and made her way to her front door. The lights in the hallway flickered briefly, and she paused for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. She glanced around, half-expecting to see someone lurking in the shadows, but the corridor was empty.

You're being paranoid, she thought, but the tightness in her chest only grew. The sensation of being watched gnawed at her, as though unseen eyes followed her every movement. Her fingers fumbled with the keys, finally managing to unlock the door.

As the door clicked shut behind her, Da-Rae leaned against it, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. The silence of her apartment was deafening. Normally, it was her sanctuary, but tonight it felt oppressive, like the walls were closing in around her. She turned on the lights, scanning the room as if expecting someone to be there, lurking in the corners.

Why do I feel like this? she wondered, her hands trembling slightly as she set her bag down. She moved to the kitchen, her feet dragging across the hardwood floor, the sound unnervingly loud in the quiet space.

But then she froze.

A strange sensation washed over her, a prickling at the back of her neck. It was as if the air had shifted, like someone—or something—was in the room with her. Her breath hitched, and she turned sharply, her eyes scanning the room. The living room was empty. There was no one there.

But the feeling wouldn't leave.

Her pulse quickened as she moved from room to room, flicking on every light, trying to shake the unnerving sensation. She told herself it was nothing, that her encounter with Jun had rattled her more than she realized, but the discomfort lingered. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her—waiting.

She stood by her bedroom window, peering out into the night. The street below was quiet, the soft hum of distant traffic the only sound. But even from her third-floor apartment, she felt exposed, as if eyes were tracking her every movement. The curtains fluttered slightly in the breeze, and Da-Rae pulled them shut, suddenly overcome with the need to block out the outside world.

Her mind raced back to Jun—his words, his intensity, the way he looked at her with such raw need. Could he really be watching her? The thought was absurd, wasn't it? He was still in the hospital. He couldn't possibly be near her, yet the growing unease seemed to suggest otherwise.

She went to her phone, scrolling through her contacts until she found Hyun-Woo's name. Her thumb hovered over the call button. She hadn't wanted to rely on him—not with everything else going on between them—but the fear gnawing at her was too strong. She just needed to hear a familiar voice, someone who could remind her that she wasn't alone.

But then, just as she was about to press it, she stopped. What would she even say? That she felt watched? That some invisible presence was suffocating her? Hyun-Woo wouldn't understand. He'd likely dismiss it as exhaustion or stress—yet something deep inside her warned her that this wasn't just in her head.

Da-Rae set the phone down and turned off the lights, hoping the darkness would ease her nerves. But as she climbed into bed, pulling the covers tightly around her, the sensation persisted, creeping beneath her skin like a cold whisper in the night.

Her eyes darted toward the window, the curtains drawn tightly shut, but it didn't make her feel any safer. The feeling of being watched had rooted itself deep in her bones now. She could sense something out there, something lurking just beyond her sight.

In the suffocating silence of her bedroom, her heartbeat echoed in her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will away the fear that had settled so deep within her.

It's just in your head, she told herself over and over again.

But in the darkest corner of her mind, Da-Rae couldn't help but wonder if Jun was watching.

⋆˙⟡♡⚕🩺⊹ 🤍