The Sound of Magic (Ri Eul x Reader)

A Tempting Proposal

A/N: YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

First off, I'm SO SORRY it's been so long. As a lot of yall know, life kinda took an interesting turn a little while ago, BUT things are much better now. I wanted to thank you all so much for continuing to read this and also for the kind words and support you gave me!! Y'all are the absolute best and I'm so grateful for you!

Now, without further ado, what you've all been waiting for:

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Y/N's Perspective:

"Are you sure you're okay?" Min-hyuk asks for perhaps the hundredth time. You're both trudging along the dirt path, hopefully back to civilization, but the truth is, you both have no idea where you are and how to get out of here.

"I'm alright, Min-ah," you tell him reassuringly. He's been hovering just nearby, his hand clasping yours tightly as you walk, ready to help you if you stumble.

"I'm sorry I keep asking," he mumbles after a few moments of silence. "It's just-- you have no idea how scared I was. My heart is still pounding just thinking about what could have happened to you..." 

"I know," you say. Your voice has come back for the most part, though you're sure you're going to find bruises in the shape of fingerprints tomorrow morning. You squeeze Min-hyuk's hand ever so slightly. "But everything's okay. I'm safe. You're safe. It's all going to be fine now. We just have to find our way out of here."

He nods silently and directs his focus back to the path in front of him. "We still have problems to get through after that, though," he says after a moment.

You give him a quick sidelong glance. His face has turned suddenly serious and he appears to be deep in thought. Despite what you want to believe, it now becomes evident to you that you're not exactly out of the woods yet-- both literally and figuratively speaking. 

"What are you talking about? Did something happen? I mean, I'm guessing you escaped police custody to come find me..."

He nods again, his gaze briefly meeting yours before lowering to the path once more. 

Min-hyuk proceeds to fill you in on everything that happened to him while you were missing. You listen to his story in silence, and you feel a small spark of joy as he tells you about Ayi finding her belief too. 

"Not knowing where you were... that was the most terrifying few hours of my life," Min-hyuk says quietly after he finishes his story. "Especially because I had a vague idea what might've happened... and who was behind it."

You look at him in a moment of surprise. Did Min-hyuk also pieced together that Ayi's boss played a larger role in this mess than either of you originally thought?

He seems to sense the question in your look because he elaborates a moment later.

"Everything started slowly coming together when I was being questioned at the police headquarters. All the evidence was clearly placed to frame me. And then I heard your call for help... and when I showed up and discovered only your phone and wallet, I suspected it was him." 

You nod in understanding. It makes sense. You walk on together in silence for a few moments.

"Where do you suppose we are?" you ask after a while, studying your surroundings again. Wherever Ayi's boss had taken you, it definitely seemed like it was out in the middle of nowhere. 

"I was wondering the same thing," Min-hyuk answers, also looking around. "If I had to guess... it would be by the lake."

"The lake...?" you question, not following.