Jisung

Run like a girl – run like a girl.

You never understood this TikTok trend and always thought it wouldn't happen to you. You laughed when you saw others panicking and always thought it couldn't happen in real life. But today, you regretted it.

Night fell on the city too quickly. You were returning home from school, later than usual. The streetlights flickered in the reflection of the wet asphalt, and a bus hummed in the distance. Your keys jingled dully in your backpack. Your phone flickered and went dead—its battery was dead. You sighed and, to get home faster, decided to turn down a side street—and that turned out to be a mistake.

Steps. Quiet at first. Then closer. You looked back. A man was walking behind you. About forty years old, wearing a dark jacket, the hood pulled down over his face. He was looking straight at you. You quickened your pace slightly—and so did he. You walked faster—and so did he. Then you took off. You ran as fast as you could, running as fast as you could. The cold air burned your lungs, your heart thundered somewhere in your throat. Other people's yards, blank walls, closed windows flashed past. Your feet slipped on the wet asphalt.

You didn't know where you were running. The main thing was away.

And suddenly – a 24-hour store. You rushed inside, the door slamming against the wall. Empty. No cashier. Just a guy at the chip counter.

Han Jisung. He looked peaceful—headphones in his ears, a bag of snacks in his hands. He was, as usual, stocking up on snacks for the series. You rushed towards him and hid behind him. He turned around abruptly, confused.

"Please help!" You said quickly, out of breath from running.

Jisung frowned and took off his headphones.

"Hey, it's okay," he said quietly. "Are you okay? What happened?"

But you already saw the store door open again. That same man stood there. And his eyes darted straight at you.