HER MOTHERcalled her a runner. When she and Jongdae fought, Alyss would run. One night in particular, she rushed out into the rain, but she could hear him calling after her even as she stumbled clumsily down the steps. He’d followed her even as she made her way across the street with her tears mixing with the rain. But as the traffic light holding cars back flashed from red to green, Alyss had only been halfway across the street. The entire time, she kept moving forward and didn’t look back at him, knowing her knees would fail her.

Suddenly, she turned so fast on her heel in the middle of the street and ran to knock herself straight into Jongdae just before he obliviously stepped into the street. Her eyes were wide and furious, fists gripping his shirt as she shook him, caring very little about how they were in a dirty puddle on the sidewalk. “What are you doing?! If I hadn’t turned around, they—… I mean, you could have been—… FUCK! PAY ATTENTION, YOU IDIOT! I don’t know what I’d do if you… if… if I lost y—…” Alyss’s panicked, her heart racing in her ear as adrenaline pulsed through her veins stopping herself suddenly as she swallowed unspoken words. She took a moment as her wide eyes searched his and collected herself, stumbling to her feet to steady him onto his. Just for a moment, she shut her eyes and sighed with relief as she pressed her hear to his chest and tracked his heartbeat, knowing he remained.