Chapter Text
Everything’s fine. The words rang repeatedly inside Yoon Seri’s head as she tried to convince herself that everything was indeed truly, without a doubt, fine. He’s not going to come after us twice in one night. Everything’s fine. Everything’s fine.
The then warm water of her bath had long since gone cold, the bubbles she had been swirling around have dissipated, and the glass of wine in her hand was barely touched. Her heart has still not settled into its normal rhythm and her thoughts were still running wildly, bothered by the events that had transpired that evening. Running for her life from Cho Cheol Gang inside the parking lot of her own building, hearing about the ambush that Ri Jeong Hyeok had walked into that resulted into a new cut on his shoulder, and scolding her security about the lax hiring system over the phone have her all wired up. The only escape she had after a long day was a warm bubble bath and a glass of wine, but even that did not do anything for her nerves.
Noticing that the pads of her fingers have started to prune made her realize just how long she had been sitting there. With a sigh, she stood up and wrapped a thick bathrobe around herself before going to her vanity table to apply her skincare. But even the simple routine made her jittery, her eyes scanning all four corners of her bathroom for anyone who might be lurking in the shadows.
“Cham,” she scoffed when she saw her reflection in the mirror starting to blur. She used the back of her hand to wipe away a stray tear before applying the cream on her cheek. “Get a hold of yourself. Your building has tight security. Ri Jeong Hyeok is in the other room. You have a world class scream. You’ll be fine.”
After drying both her hair and her eyes, she changed into a pair of silk pajamas before going out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. Only then did she notice how large the room was and how many hiding places a man can disappear into. She sat on her bed for a moment, hesitating, before pulling out the drawer containing the bottles of her sleeping pills. She took out one and swallowed it with a mouthful of water. After making herself comfortable under the duvet, she clapped her hands twice, and the whole room was bathed in darkness.
Her breathing shallowed. The shadows were bigger and more haunting in the dark. Even the slightest sound made her twitch.
Think happy thoughts. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her hands tightened their grip on the soft duvet as she forced herself to think. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts.
Ri Jeong Hyeok.
Ri Jeong Hyeok standing in the middle of a busy street in Gangnam. Ri Jeong Hyeok embracing her after her heated discussion with her second brother. Ri Jeong Hyeok eating chicken with her on her barely used dining table. Ri Jeong Hyeok walking out of the dressing room looking like the suit he was wearing was custom made just for him.
Her lips twitched upward despite the lone tear that slowly trickled down her cheek.
Ri Jeong Hyeok sulking when he heard that her history of dating men was true. Ri Jeong Hyeok asking for the number of the chicken restaurant she ordered from. Ri Jeong Hyeok smiling when she allowed him access to her home computer. Ri Jeong Hyeok sighing in relief when he found her in the parking lot. Ri Jeong Hyeok refusing to let go of her hand even when the guards found them hiding behind the wall.
There was an unexpected ache that weighed on her chest and compelled her to push off the covers. Thinking about him, despite him being her happy place, only made her miss him. The fact that they are not within each other’s sight every second of the borrowed time that they have left her wondering what the point of being together under the same roof was. Her eyes were producing more tears that she did not bother to wipe off as she ran towards her bedroom door. To hell with not making memories so that she won’t miss him when he leaves. To hell with propriety.
A loud gasp escaped her lips the moment she opened the door. Jeong Hyeok was standing on the other side – his hand drawn up as if in the middle of a knock – looking comfortable in a loose sweater and pants. At first, he looked startled, seeing her open the door without him prompting, but then his demeanor changed almost immediately at the sight of her tears. His worried expression held a tinge of resignation, as if he had been expecting her inevitable crash. His brow knotted as he softly murmured, “Yoon Seri –.”
With a choked sob, she interrupted him by running into his arms without a second thought. It took him less than a second to respond. He had her wrapped up in a warm embrace and had his chin resting on her shoulder. Her feet were almost off the ground because of how tightly he was holding her. The fear and the anxiety she experienced finally caught up with her and manifested into tears, and the only thing keeping her from completely falling apart was him.
“Mianhaeyo,” he murmured in her ear as he leaned his head against hers. “I shouldn’t have left. I should have been there with you.”
Her words failed her at that moment so she could only shake her head in response, hoping that he would understand. No one could have predicted what happened. No one could have thought that Cho Cheol Gang can find them so soon. After letting out a deep sigh, he gently released her to look at her. She kept a tight grip on his sweater to keep him from moving too far back. His eyes reflected his worry as he wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Nothing is going to happen,” he assured her with a gentle tone, stroking the side of her head. His look of deep love and devotion made her heart skip a beat and her lower lip tremble with emotion. No one has ever looked at her that way before. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”
Her glassy eyes searched his worried ones and saw that the simmering anger that was there before was long gone. He had been quiet during the entire car ride home and during their dinner after the doctor left. At the surface, his anger seemed directed at Cho Cheol Gang and what transpired in the parking lot, but Seri recognized that anger immediately and knew he was furious with himself. Before she had the chance to talk to him about it, he had already retired to his room, leaving her with her own dark thoughts.
Her right hand reached up to cup his cheek. “You know I love you, don’t you?” she whispered, her voice catching at the end.
His expression softened at her words, and for a moment Seri even thought he might kiss her after noticing the wistfulness in his gaze. Instead, he slowly nodded, a small smile playing on his lips, as he answered her, “I do.”
Her heart drummed nervously as she contemplated the next words that will come out of her mouth. It wasn’t like they have not done it before, but that time was different. Their feelings were relatively new, and the joke was on her when she found him sleeping on the floor the next morning. But at that moment, she loved him, and while he has not explicitly said those words back, she knew he felt the same way. He crossed the border to kiss her and crossed it again to protect her. If that wasn’t love, what is?
“Then,” she paused, hesitating as she felt her heart about to beat out of her chest. “Is it too forward of me to ask you to stay here with me tonight?”
His eyes lighted up with surprise while his hand on her cheek fell back down on his side. And for a moment, she felt like she couldn’t breathe. There was an uncharacteristic shyness that settled on his expression as he regarded her, “Seri, I don’t think that’s a good idea –.”
“Forget what I said,” she interrupted him, surprising them both with the tone of her voice. Her hold on his sweater grew tighter and there was an unmistakable hint of desperation in her words. “About not making memories while you’re here. Because at the end of the day, it won’t matter if you do or you don’t. I’m still going to miss you. I’m still going to be heartbroken when you leave. And right now, I’m scared. I’m so scared, Ri Jeong Hyeok-ssi. I don’t want to be alone right now, so please.”
There was an unreadable look on his face afterwards, and she sighed and braced herself for the inevitable rejection that was about to come. If anything, Jeong Hyeok was a strict man who followed the rules to the letter, a man who knew his principles and values and abided by them. She knew, knew all too well, how much he restrained from making a move on her even at the times she would’ve taken anything willingly. For the love of God, he shook her hand instead of hugging her when she asked for the latter. But he was also the man who hid a South Korean in his home, who bought coffee, clams, and contraband items for her to enjoy, who took a bullet to save her life. He kept surprising her at every turn, and the next word that came out of his mouth made her insides twist in anticipation.
“Okay.”