{9} "Touch Your Heart."

"See 'me' and 'you' are the same too, though that doesn't mean I am you, I want to be apart of your page, I want to interfere in your story as your lover." ~ RM Trivia Love

"Come on, lighten up. Please don't be mad. I already apologized multiple times."

"I'm not mad, it's just, we had a deal: you'd stay in my line of sight so I can protect you and not get my head chopped off."

Gokk do was a little upset that I ditched him at the museum.

"Just relax, I told you already, I'm not going to let anything happen, you need to trust me." I saw no difference between him and Okada, it was funny seeing how easily they pouted. "Have you heard anything from Okada?" I asked, after not seeing or hearing from him in a while, I was beginning to worry.

"It has been a while since you saw him. But no need to fret, he's coming home tonight." he replied with a smile sensing my emotions. "Actually Sagwa... why did you guys break up anyway? He was the person you cared about the most, him and Koda."

"It's more complicated than it seems, I still care about him, just not how he cares about me. I guess I'm trying to say that he's always going to be my best friend whom I love and cherish but he'll never be the one I want to be with." I explained to him, making it seem like I did love him romantically at first, although that's not entirely true.

"Oh, I guess I see where you're coming from." he replied nodding his head in thought.

"Yeah..." I sighed.

"You were saying you were having someone over?"

"Yes and it's nothing to big or anything you should worry about so it's okay if you leave."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, besides like you said, I have others outside guarding me."

"I really feel horrible about leaving you here but..."

"If Okada needs your help then that means you have his permission to leave me."

I swear it's like I'm some princess locked up in a tower, it's not that I don't appreciate the fact that they care about my well being, but I'm not that important. It's almost suffocating.

"Right, I'll get going then, I'll see you later." he said before getting up and exiting my room.

I sighed and placed my head down on my work table in exhaustion with my hands outstretched.

I was a little frustrated, although, I hated to admit it, I was. Everything that happened would have driven a normal person crazy but I was actually really calm about it, I didn't know if that was good or bad.

Another thing I wanted to know was where my parents were, are they still alive? Do they still hate me? Will I be able to see or hear from them anytime soon?

In all of my thoughts and worries I dozed off to sleep in a matter seconds, after awhile, I awoken feeling the numbness in my arm from me sleeping on it too long. I stretched, yawned and checked the time.

"Oh crap!" I yelled, standing to me feet.

I had to tell Okada's men that I'm having company, other wise they'll see Namjun and Hanseok as some kind of a threat, especially since they don't know them.

I ran downstairs in a hurry and reached the front door where I gestured for one of them to come to me. The person that came to me was who I recognized to be Lucas.

"Yes ma'am, is there anything that you need?"

"Please call me Sagwa." I said to him as he stood on the front porch.

He turned his head to the side in confusion causing me to roll my eyes and sigh, "Never mind... I just wanted you to tell everyone that I'm having some guests over so please allow them to come in."

"Yes ma'am." he said with a slight bow.

"Thank you." I said earning a surprised look from him as I closed the front door.

They should arrive any minute, I slept longer than I wanted to, so I ended up having to hurriedly take a bath and get ready.

I was anxiously sitting and waiting. Hanseok could be able to tell me what I needed to know but then again maybe he couldn't.

A knock on the front door made me stand straight up. I put a smile on my face as I opened the door to welcome my guests.

"Hi you guys, please come in." I said stepping aside so they could pass and they immediately entered both smiling and looking around in astonishment.

"Kazuchika must really love you." Namjun whispered to me and I had no idea what he was referring to, so I looked at him confused. "Oh, I didn't mean to confuse you, I said so because there's like 50 body guards outside."

"Yeah... there isn't that many of them, 50's exaggerating... but I didn't have much of a choice. You would've thought the security cameras plus having a personal body guard that never leaves my side a.k.a Gokk do, would be enough but nooo..." I ranted.

He giggled. "Kazuchika tends to protect the things he cares about, he wouldn't protect you if you weren't worth protecting and in my opinion you very much are." Our eyes met, my eyes slightly widened and I couldn't help but blush a little.

'Did he just really say that?'

I then looked at Hanseok with an apologetic smile for going off topic and ushered them to the living room, inviting them to take a seat.

"Is there anything you guys would like to drink?" I asked, it was very hot outside and they both were dressed for it, they wore short pants and short sleeves. I couldn't help but look at Namjun's knees a little longer, running my tongue over my lips.

'Girl control yourself.' If I didn't I would end up leaping on him.

"Water is fine, thank you." Hanseok replied and I looked at Namjun for his answer.

"I'll have water as well, thanks." I nodded, heading to the kitchen, I later returned with two bottles of cold water and handed it to them.

"So, what exactly do you want me to examine?" Hanseok asked.

I took out a piece of clothe that I had wrapped the artifact in and placed it on the table. "It's this."

He looked at me in confusion before slowly unwrapping it and his eyes widened in realization. "This is..."

"Yes, it is..."

"But how?! I don't understand, how did you get this? No, it has to be fake, this is impossible!" Confusion and surprise evident in his voice as he stuttered.

"No, Hanseok it's very much real." Namjun added.

"If this is real then how do you have it? Did you steal this or maybe-"

"No, I didn't steal it, but..." I paused as I looked at Namjun because what I was about to say next, I wasn't sure Hanseok could handle. "there is a reason I have it..." I then preceded to tell him everything that I told Namjun the day we met not leaving a single detail out.

He silently looked at us blinking wide eyed, he abruptly stood up in front of us. "You're insane! There's no way I'm going to believe that!"

'Why is it that because I say something like this the first thing people think is that I'm crazy?'

"Hanseok, think about it, about everything, how else would I have in my possession this artifact that has been lost for centuries."

"Hanseok, she's telling the truth, I thought she was crazy before but something is telling me to believe and trust her." Namjun added in my defense.

"But that would mean that the lives we're living right now aren't real, that everything isn't real, that we aren't real!" he concluded, pacing around in circles, I could tell that he was close to breaking down.

I took the gold object into my hands. "You're right. I have caused your lives to become something it was never meant to be and for that I'm truly sorry, that's why we need your help so I can fix my mistake and so everything can go back to the way it's supposed to be. Please Hanseok, I need you're help." I pleaded with him and I meant every word that came out of my mouth.

Just then something really strange happened; the object in my hands began to transform as it attached itself to my wrist; it looked like a normal bracelet but with a smaller version of the artifact as a trinket in the middle of the two golden chains which had four lilac-coloured jewels decorating the bracelet.

That wasn't even the most astonishing and weirdest part.

There in front of us, Lisa appeared right before our eyes. I stood there mouth opened and eyes almost popping out of their sockets, speechless at the scene before me.

"Hello, Sagwa." she spoke casually smiling brightly.

"What the actually frick just happened?!" Hanseok expressed from beside me, a scared look on his face as he hid himself behind Namjun. "Who is she?! What the heck is going on?!" he questioned. Namjun shrugged his shoulders, speechless, unable to answer any of Hanseok's questions.

"Lisa?! Is that really you?!" I asked in excitement taking her hands in mine, feeling my heart sink in my chest.

"I'm sorry, it's not. I just thought you'd be more comfortable with a familiar face." she said causing me to slowly release her hands a little disappointed.

"I'm not sure I'm following any of this." Namjun commented.

"I don't expect you to, so I'll just explain." She then took a seat crossing her legs in a lady-like manner as we all watched her, her hair was long and white, her skin almost looked as though it was shining; her body was clothed in a dress made of red silk and variously coloured jewels; she looked like a goddess sitting on her throne; I also noticed strange markings on her arms, legs and neck in a language I could not read nor recognize.

"This is another universe, just as you thought; however, if you fail to find your way out of this world it will become permanent, you will be stuck here and your friend Lisa will die. In other words, you need to escape in order for her to survive otherwise you both will die. I'm being generous and giving you the opportunity to save her." she said in a serious tone never mincing a single word.

"Why is all of this happening to me?" I asked, processing everything she said.

"This curse will help you Sagwa, I'm helping you because you've touched my heart." she then added, touching her heart. After looking at our confused faces she giggled. "Figuratively speaking of course, I don't really have a heart, I'm not even physically alive, anyway because of your selflessness, I've chosen to answer your wish to make things right in your life."

"So you're saying that I've been—"

"Given a second chance, yes, you actually did die that day and now you're here. You're lucky my child, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity not many people have, so if I were you, I wouldn't mess this up. I trust that you won't, otherwise, I wouldn't have chosen you." she said smiling at me. Her voice alone sounded so gentle and sweet with her motherly like tone, it almost echoed.

"Can... can you tell me how I'm supposed to fix all this? How I'm supposed to save her?"

"That's for you to decipher Sagwa, I have no say in that matter, it depends all on you, only you can decide that."

'This just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?'

She came toward me and placed her hands on my shoulders. "Do not be discouraged my dear, I've been asleep for centuries, I've watched many fall victim to me, but you, your heart is unlike any other I've encountered which is why you were able to awaken me and beg me to save you. Oh before I forget..." She leaned in whispering, "Not everything is as it seems, you must... remember that." with those final words she disappeared, leaving the echo behind and me with more questions.

I lost feeling in my legs and clasped onto the floor, Namjun immediately tried to help me back up as he touched my shoulders gently, stabilizing me. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm just... a little shocked."

"Yeah, I think I believe you now." Hanseok said with a shaky breath.

"I'll understand if you don't want to help me any more." I said holding back my tears of frustration and sorrow for the fact that Lisa's life now depended on me.

Namjun then placed his arm around me pulling me into a hug surprising me. "Are you insane? I'm not going anywhere." As I heard that I mumbled a 'thank you' to him as I was reminded of how safe I felt in his arms.

"I can't believe I'm saying this... you can count me in." Hanseok said smiling widely.

Namjun pulled away from me and I looked at Hanseok. "Thanks Hani." The nickname slipping from my lips and I wished seconds later I could take a back.

"Hani?" he questioned turning his head to the side.

"Oh, I'm sorry, that's just what I'm so use to calling you... if you don't want me to—"

"No... I kinda like it." He smiled and my heart ached a little.

I promised myself right then and there, I'd save Lisa.

...