Binar rode her motorcycle calmly, even though traces of tears were still clearly visible in her eyes.
After what had happened, Binar decided to rush out of that house. She had one goal: to avoid the source of her explosive emotions.
Even though she had let something slip earlier, Binar forced herself to leave so she wouldn't regret it even more later.
Binar no longer cared what Murni or her two stepsisters thought. Whatever! She didn't have the energy to argue anymore.
BANG.
While she was lost in thought, Binar suddenly felt a blunt object slam into her head. Even with her helmet on, the world seemed to spin violently.
Her vision began to blur. Little by little, the pain faded, and the last thing Binar remembered was falling off her motorcycle before everything went black.
When she came to, her head was still throbbing painfully. Binar panicked even more when she realized her hands were tied with a rope whose surface was incredibly rough.
"Hey, what's this? Did you kidnap me? It's not like I have any gold on me!"
But the two large men ignored Binar's words. She flinched when they forcibly dragged her away and locked her in a room.
"Hey, open up ... what the hell is this?" Binar shouted as she tried to open the door.
But it was useless. The door had been locked from the outside, and the two guards seemed to have vanished without a trace.
"Are you still out there? Open the door, please! What kind of storage room is this? It stinks! My breathing is sensitive, you know!" Binar pressed her ear against the door.
But it was completely silent. She couldn't even hear the wind.
"There's no point screaming until your voice goes hoarse. They won't open the door."
Binar immediately jolted in shock when she realized she wasn't alone in the room. As if everything else wasn't shocking enough, she was even more surprised to discover that the person beside her was Dr. Davin.
Dr. Davin sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. One leg was stretched out while the other was bent. The doctor's coat still covered the man's body.
Naturally, the fear in Binar's heart slowly faded, replaced by curiosity. Binar moved closer and sat beside Davin. Unlike him, she stretched out both legs while turning to look at the man's expressionless face.
For two people being held captive in a filthy storage room like this, Davin and Binar looked far too relaxed. But believe it or not, Binar's courage had grown because Davin looked so calm.
"Doctor, what are you doing here?"
"Same as you."
"So we've been kidnapped," Binar concluded.
"Yes." Davin answered softly, his eyes closed. His arms were folded across his chest.
"Why aren't your hands tied like mine?"
"I got them loose. They were tied earlier too!" Davin replied, but this time his voice was lower, almost a whisper.
"How?"
"You ask too many questions. I'm sleepy and want to sleep. I haven't slept for almost an entire night. I was busy working in the operating room, and when I was about to go home, I suddenly ended up like this. So please give me some time to sleep."
Binar stared at him in awe, and then pity for the medical profession—no, for Davin himself. She had to admit, for someone suffering from sleep deprivation, this was a truly awful day.
"Okay, okay, sorry! But can I ask one more question?"
"Hmm."
Okay, Binar took that ambiguous response as permission. "When can we get out of here?"
Binar swept her gaze around the storage room. It was fairly spacious, but packed with things, not to mention messy and dirty. Binar could only hope her OCD wouldn't flare up right now.
The place was a stark contrast to Davin's spotless white coat.
"I don't know. But don't worry. Help will come for us soon, trust me. As for when, that depends on how quickly they find this place," Davin answered, his voice nearly drowned out.
Binar nodded in understanding. She still had plenty of questions, but she didn't want to disturb Davin's sleep.
Binar leaned forward, studying Davin from close range.
Davin's breathing began to even out, a sign that he had fallen asleep. From that close, Binar could see that Davin's face really did glow. He barely had a single pimple.
Binar suddenly realized that the man's warm breath was brushing against her face, making her swallow with difficulty. Her face grew hot, and she hurriedly moved away.
She hummed softly to calm the nervous feeling in her chest, which was pounding like war drums.
And finally, what Binar had been dreading happened. In the corner of the room, an empty red-wine bottle lay toppled on the floor. Binar's heart suddenly grew restless.
But this time, she wanted to fight it. She didn't want to keep obeying the whispers in her heart.
"No, please, not now! I don't want Davin to think I'm even weirder!"
To be continued.