Mi Appartieni

Chapter Four

            Joshua spent a long time on the phone with Jeonghan, taking care to reassure him up and down that he was okay. The two finally hang up and Joshua has never felt more at ease in the last almost twenty-four hours than he did right now. 

He knew he was still in a dangerous predicament, but he felt so much better after talking with his best friend. Joshua felt okay enough to start getting undressed to take a shower even though he still wasn't completely comfortable here.

Joshua takes off his clothes that were filthy from being dragged around all day (literally) and wraps a towel around his waist. As soon as the towel is on, one of the double doors of his room come open. Joshua gasps and covers up more.

"Ah sorry." The bodyguard says but his apology is negated by the fact that his eyes wander up and down Joshua's body. "Ah, cream for your cuts." 

The bodyguard puts the tube on a side table near the door and closes the door, not without taking another look at Joshua's naked torso though. Joshua sighs in annoyance and disgust. He doesn't go for the cream and just makes his way into the bathroom.

The hot water runs down him as he lets his mind wander, thinking about everything that happened today. He thinks about Seokmin's intense stare as he bores into Joshua, his intimidating voice. He thinks about the man that was murdered in front of him. 

There's no need to be afraid of me. I'm not going to hurt you. Joshua sighs and runs a hand down his face. A part of him believed Seokmin, but another part was still painfully terrified of him.

Joshua exits the bathroom some time later, now in the blue silk pajamas that Seokmin had prepared for him. He looks over at the tube on the side table. He thinks for a moment before sighing and going over to it. 

Joshua looks at the cream, then looks at the abrasions on his wrists from being tied up. He goes over to the bed and sits before applying a generous amount to each wrist. Joshua can't help but sigh at the cooling relief the cream offered him. His angry cuts were finally calming down. 

Joshua looks at the box his mother's ashes were in. He puts a hand on it. "Watch over me, mom." Joshua closes his eyes as he prays that everything will be okay and Seokmin will let him go after tomorrow.

**

Joshua was so exhausted that sleep actually did manage to take over him. He didn't think he would get even fifteen minutes considering the place he was in and the predicament he was facing. Joshua woke to the sun shining down on his face, the sound of chirping birds filling him with a sense of calmness. 

He looked at his phone and saw it was almost noon. Joshua knew he was still jet lagged but he still couldn't remember the last time he slept until noon. He pulls himself out of bed and goes to the bathroom to wash up.

A short while later Joshua finishes putting on the clothes that Seokmin had prepared for him. He felt like they were a lot more crisp than anything he owns but he can admit that he did like how they looked on him. The light blue linen shirt matched with a perfectly fitted pair of khakis. The outfit was simple and very comfortable.

Joshua scoops up the box that held his mother's ashes and his phone before cautiously making his way out of the room. Only one bodyguard was standing outside his room though when he opened the door.

"Mr. Hong." The bodyguard said, "Please follow me." Joshua nods, not daring to cause any trouble when he was this close to being set free. Seokmin said he wasn't a prisoner, but Joshua felt it was inevitable to feel like one. Joshua follows the bodyguard, clutching the familiar box that is acting as his safety net right now.