3 Ways

Difficulties, Dreams, Encounters

>_____<;;

She remembered hearing a shout from the top of the stairs. Suddenly, she was surer than ever that someone had come to her aid. Namjoo didn't know who though. And her fall had been cushioned or else she would have knocked out for a much longer time even after Chanyeol arrived. But who was it she'd seen leaning over her before he disappeared? How had he cushioned her fall? He couldn't have caught her when she was that close to the ground.

"What are you thinking about?" Chanyeol asked from behind the wheel, but Namjoo was too lost in thought to pay attention to him.

She rubbed her chin and tucked her lower lip into her mouth before chewing on it.

"Luhan," she whispered.

It had to be him. Who else came and went like that without a trace? Could it have been him who had thrown that white orb she'd seen? If so, who had attacked her?

"What did you call me?" Chanyeol questioned.

Namjoo turned to him and shifted in her seat, "Nothing."

"Are you alright?" he wondered.

"I'm fine," she replied before she turned to watch them go pass a business building in the metropolitan area, "where are we going?"

"Not back to your place," Chanyeol stated, "what if you're alone and get attacked again? No, I'm not going to let that happen."

"Ugh...please, I can deal with it on my own."

"Over my dead body."

Namjoo heaved a sigh, "Chanyeol, please. Nothing's going to happen."

"You can't guarantee that," he shook his head. "I'll take you back when one of your sisters get home."

She grunted. "Fine, but I'm not in the mood to be dilly dallying outside right now. I'll just stay at your place in the meantime."

He smiled satisfied before saying, "You never told me why you returned home. I had to ask your landlord about it."

Namjoo shot him a quick glance before focusing her stare elsewhere. "It was requested by grandma before she died."

"Your grandma..." he started but quieted. "You should have told me!"

"It's fine. It's already over and done with."

"Still, you should have said something to me."

"If you're going to get angry, drop me off here."

His words twisted up in his mouth before he said, "I practically grew up knowing her too. That wasn't fair."

Namjoo quietly sighed and wished she could walk herself into a wall or something. They finally reached his apartment some time later and Namjoo couldn't be any more thankful to be standing outside. When Chanyeol walked around his car he grabbed her hand before leading her in.

The only thing she liked about his place was that it wasn't too big or too small. When she walked right in his bed was to her left and straight ahead was the living room. The kitchen was on the other side of the extended hallway on the right. Since it was a one person apartment privacy didn't seem to be a big deal.

Before the walls turned green, it had been a sickly faded yellow. They repainted it during the time when she most came over. Those memories seem so far away now.

She made herself comfortable on the couch and turned the TV on. Chanyeol sat beside her and took the remote to turn the TV off. "Namjoo, can we talk about us?"