PERFECT (F4 THAILAND)

Between his steps (23)

"Who said you can touch her?"

The voice cut through the air like a blade low, icy, and dangerous.

The man froze, his grip still on Rose’s wrist. Slowly, both he and Rose turned their heads.

Ren stood a few feet away, his sketchbook nowhere in sight, his hands loose at his sides, but his eyes… his eyes were like steel.

Rose has never heard him sound like that, his tone stripped of its usual calm.

The man sneered, trying to mask his panic. “This isn’t your business—”

But before he could finish, Ren stepped forward, each stride deliberate, heavy with threat. “I’ll say it once more,” his voice dropped lower, colder.

“Let. Her. Go.”

The pressure in the air was suffocating.

For the first time, Rose felt the man’s hand tremble against her wrist. His confidence cracked.

Ren’s jaw tightened, his gaze fixed on the hand holding her as though he could snap it in two just by looking. “If you don’t release her right now…” he tilted his head, his voice chillingly quiet, “I’ll make sure you never use that hand again.”

The man’s grip didn’t loosen fast enough. Rose winced as his fingers dug into her skin, and that was the final spark.

Ren moved with no hesitation. His hand shot out, wrenching the man’s wrist back with such force that a pained cry tore out of him. "Ouch!"

In one motion, Ren kicked his legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the pavement.

The taser skittered across the ground, useless now.

Ren loomed over him, his breath steady, his eyes blazing with a fury Rose had never seen before. He grabbed the man by his collar, lifting him halfway off the ground.

“You think hurting her will make her see you?” Ren’s voice was sharp, laced with venom. “Pathetic.”

The man thrashed, but Ren’s grip was unyielding, every muscle in his body taut with rage.

That’s when a flashlight beam swept across the street. “Hey! What’s going on here?”

A police officer on patrol jogged over, hand already reaching for his cuffs. He caught sight of the taser, the man pinned beneath Ren, and didn’t hesitate.

Ren released him with a sharp shove, stepping back, chest still heaving. The officer quickly restrained the man, twisting his arms behind his back. The creep shouted incoherently, his words a jumble of excuses and obsession, but the officer paid no mind, dragging him up from the ground.

“Violence, harassment, possession of an illegal weapon you’re coming with me,” the officer snapped, hauling him away.

Rose sat on the pavement, trying to steady her breath. Ren crouched beside her, his hand hovering as if unsure whether to touch her.

"I would’ve easily beaten him up if it wasn’t the sneak attack,” she muttered, voice sharp but tinged with frustration, like she needed to convince herself more than anyone else.

“Who said you couldn’t?” His voice soft.

“Can you still walk?” he asked, his tone measured, probing, eyes flicking to her legs.

“The taser… got me. My legs still aren’t working,” she admitted, her voice rough as she tried to rise again, only to collapse back onto the pavement.

Ren let out a soft sigh, exasperation mingling with something else she couldn’t quite name. Without a word, he turned his back to her.

“Get on.”

Rose blinked at him, confusion knitting her brows. “What?”

“I’ll carry you back home.” His voice was quiet, but firm, leaving no room for argument.

Her eyes widened, a stubborn spark lighting in them. “No. I’m okay—really. I can do it myself,” she insisted, her tone defensive.

Her hands dug into the pavement for leverage, jaw tightening. “I don’t need anyone to pity me,” she said, almost to herself.

"I am not pitying you,think this as a return for those candy."

Ren just crouched there, silent for a moment .

Rose’s stubborn resistance wavered after a few more attempts to stand, each failure leaving her more breathless and frustrated. Her pride wrestled with reality, and reality won.

“Alright… fine,” she muttered under her breath, voice tight but tinged with reluctant surrender.

Ren’s lips curved into a small, satisfied smile. Without giving her a chance to argue, he bent down, steady and swift, and she had no choice but to climb onto his back. Her arms slipped around his shoulders, hesitant at first, then tightening as though her body betrayed her stubborn words.

His hands found her legs easily, securing them with a firm, protective hold. “You’re lighter than I thought,” he murmured, tone casual but edged with something amused.

Rose’s brows furrowed, a faint scowl tugging at her lips. “Shut up,” she muttered, though her voice lacked any real bite.

Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, knuckles whitening against the dark cotton. She wasn’t used to this depending on someone, letting herself be carried.

Slowly, almost against her will, her rigid body began to relax.

“You won’t drop me, right?” The question came out softer than she meant, threaded with a vulnerability she rarely let anyone see.

Ren glanced back, just enough for her to catch the softened gleam in his eyes. The corners of his mouth lifted, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.

“Of course not,” he said, voice low, steady. Then, after a beat, teasing slipped in. “Unless you want me to.”

Her grip on him tightened instantly. “Don’t get ideas.”

His chuckle rumbled in his chest, low and warm, carrying up into her where her cheek brushed against his shoulder. For a fleeting second, Rose wondered if he could feel the way her heart was racing.

Again it was all silent only sounds of shoe against the hard pavement.

Then, Rose’s voice broke the quiet, softer this time, almost hesitant. “Ren?”

"Mhm?"

"Is it true?"

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing. “What?”

“The F4 breaking up,” she said, the words rushing out before she could stop herself. “Are you really going to…break the f4? is it all just over?”

Ren’s steps slowed, just barely. His jaw tightened, the question slicing through the cool façade he always wore.

For a moment, he said nothing. Just the sound of his shoes against pavement, steady and heavy. Rose could feel his silence, heavy on her shoulders.

Finally, his voice came low, rougher than she’d ever heard it. “People think breaking is easy. That walking away is strength. But sometimes…” He exhaled, his grip on her legs tightening. “Sometimes it’s just cowardice.”

“So which one are you?” she whispered, confused.

Ren’s lips pressed into a thin line. His eyes, sharp and unreadable, fixed on the road ahead. For a long time, he didn’t answer.

But then, quietly, he murmured, “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

A/N: Happy Reading (=^=)