Chapter Text
Gyeongseok POV:
"OUCH!"
Someone (assuming it's a guard) had just thrown me out of a vehicle and onto the hard ground.
I hear the truck quickly drive away, and I feel ropes around my feet and hands.
I groan in pain from my shoulder hitting the ground. It hears like someone got thrown out with me.
I violently shake off my blindfold to see Yongsik next to me. He's completely freaking out.
"Yong-sik! It's me Gyeongseok! Shake your blindfold off."
"Hyung!" He says and shakes it off. He cries out in fear. "Where's my mom?" He says looking out.
"Umma!"
Nothing.
He starts crying again. I just angrily sigh and scoot closer to him.
"Untie me." I say holding out my arms and legs.
He turns his head away quickly "Wait you're not decent!"
"Yong-sik!"
He finally reluctantly unties my ropes around my arms and legs with his teeth. I slip out and untie him as well.
As I grab my clothes to put on, my phone falls out. I realize I got a million calls and texts from the hospital. I mutter a curse to myself and stand up, putting my shirt on carefully, as to not hurt my shoulder any more than it does.
I call the hospital as Yongsik changes. I almost break down on the spot when they tell me Nayeon is alright.
"If you get here now, you can come see her. She's not doing well, but she's still breathing." They tell me.
"I'll be right there. Thank you so much. Thank you, Thank you." I say and hang up.
I turn around as I spot Yong-sik almost leaping out of joy once he realizes his phone is on the floor. He frantically dials his mother. It rings for a minute until it stops.
"Umma! Where are you!..... I don't know.... I can check.....This is so messed up, why would they separate us?!......I'm with Gyeongseok hyung......Okay......We'll be there.....I don't know!....Okay...hopefully......Alright......Okay bye."
I turn to Yong-sik, "Was that your mom? What did she say?"
He pushes up his glasses and sighs, putting his hands in his pockets,
"They're in Bongcheon. That's where we live. We're about twenty minutes away from there."
I nod, "Twenty minutes away from Bongcheon? That's not that far away from where I live. I'll take a bus with you there and take a taxi after."
We both stop when we hear a buzz from our phones at the same time. And almost in perfect unison, we look.
My eyes widen and I'm at a loss for words.
639 million won.
I turn to Yong-sik who looks at me. Our expressions are so similar it's like looking in the mirror.
"I-totally forgot about the money..." I say quietly.
"I didn't." said Yong-sik, "But it doesn't feel real seeing it. I was sure they weren't gonna give it to us once we got out."
But all I can think of right now is Nayeon. I'll be able to pay for her treatment with this, and pay off my debt. And more.
I can finally give her a better life.
Yong-sik's phone starts blowing up with texts from his mom but I have no time to waste. I need to get to Nayeon.
"We should go." I say gesturing for him to follow me.
We start kinda fast walking, looking for the nearest bus stop.
I keep my eyes open for one as Yong-sik keeps texting his mom. I hear him snort.
"Is....everything alright?" I say turning to him.
"My mom just sent a picture to me of them two. I'll send it to you."
I furrow my brows, "Wait. Who else?"
"What do you mean who else?"
"She's with someone?'"
"Ah." Yong-sik smiles a little, "Hyunju's with her. She's staying with my mom until we come."
"Ohh okay."
I try to make my face as casual as possible, to not appear as if that's the exact answer I wanted.
Yongsik grins, "Speaking of which..."
"There!" I say pointing to a bus station across from us. I said it louder than I expected, nervously hoping he'd forget about anything he was planning to talk about.
We walk across the street, and don't have to wait long until the bus comes and picks us up.
During the ride, Yong-sik continued texting his mom, giving her updates on how many minutes were left of the ride.
I nervously bounce my leg up and down, wondering if Nayeon is alright, despite what the hospital said. It's been a whole four days. Four days where I wasn't by Nayeons side.
I feel like the worst father in this moment.
Lost in my thoughts, I feel Yong-sik tapping me.
"Hyung, we're here."
We get up quickly, and step out of the busy bus, seeing Hyunju and Geum-ja waiting there for us.
I have never seen Geum-ja's eyes so bright until she laid eyes on her son. She grabs him in for the biggest hug I've seen anyone give, crying and smiling as she scolds him for scaring her,
"I was tied up and I was looking for you, ah my son. You're alive! I was so worried about you because you didn't text me back right away. Oh my goodness, I'm so glad you're okay."
"Mom, I'm okay, I'm right here." Yong-sik says, tryin to calm her down.
I laugh at the two and notice Hyunju quietly sitting on the bench they were waiting for us on. She stands up and walks over to where I am.
I smile, "Hyunju!"
I pull her in for a tight hug. Maybe a little too tight since she starts laughing.
"My arm Gyeongseok." she says.
I immediately pull away and check her arm, "Oh my goodness, I'm sorry. I forgot it's shot." I say.
She gives me a look as to say, "it's okay."
Gosh if Yong-sik and Geum-ja weren't here, I would already have kissed her again by now.
"I'm glad you all are aright." Hyunju says turning to them both.
Geum-ja grabs her hands, "Thank you Hyunjuya, you two should get home quickly and get some good rest, okay?"
Hyunju nods but then turns to look at me, "But you should get going to the hospital."
"Why?" Asks Geum-ja, "Oh! It's for your daughter right?"
I nod and check my phone, "I should probably go right now, I called the hospital and they said I can visit." I say.
I turn to Hyunju and open my mouth.
I'm gonna say something stupid aren't I.
"You should come with me. To um...get your arm treated." I say.
She tilts her head, "Is that alright with you?"
"Of course it's alright with him." I hear Yong-sik mutter. I try and give him a glare, but his eyes are focused on his phone.
Geum-ja, seemingly oblivious to what's going on, walks over to us and hugs us, "We'll let you go now, but let's meet up again. I gave Hyunju, me and Yong-sik's number anytime you need us okay?"
"Thank you Halmoni." We both say.
We say our goodbyes and watch them leave as we wait for a taxi to come our way.
-
Hyunju POV:
We watch and wave until Yong-sik and Geum-ja are out of view.
I turn my head to face Gyeongseok,
"Did you.... get the money?" I ask.
He turns his attention from the street to me, still holding up his arm for a taxi.
"I uh- I did. I can't believe it."
"Me neither. You can finally tell the doctor you suddenly got rich and pay for Nayeon's treatment."
He laughs, "They're gonna think I stole 600 million."
"Money is money."
He snorts at this, "And are....you gonna go to Thailand?"
I think for a moment, "As soon as I can. I don’t know if that’s gonna be anytime soon though."
.
A taxi pulls up in front of us and we both get inside.
"To the Asan medical center please." He says as he pays the driver 10,000 won. The driver nods without a word and starts driving away.
Gyeongseok sighs, leaning his head back, "Gosh I hope Nayeon's okay."
I grab his hand, "She will be. She's a strong girl from what I heard."
A few moments pass and I remember something,
"Oh um..Halmoni and Yong-sik wanted your number. They already made a group chat. I'll add you."
After a few minutes, we finally get to our destination. We both get out the car and give the driver a quick thanks, sprinting to the front door.
Gyeongseok almost trips running to the front desk, which makes me laugh.
She seems to know who he is because they only exchange a few words before she gives him a room to visit.
He turns back around and gives me a nervous smile and a wave before running down the hallway. I wave to him back while walking to the front desk too.
She smiles at me, "Are you with him?"
I shake my head, "Oh no, we're friends, he came to visit his daughter and I...."
I lift up my sleeve, revealing my shot arm, "I just probably need painkillers. It's been a few days so it doesn't hurt as much as it did." I say wincing.
Her eyes widen at the sight of my arm, "Yes, of course. I can get something for you. Which pharmacy do you go to?"
"Namdaemun."
She starts typing on her computer for a few minutes. After a little while, she prints out a piece of paper and hands it to me,
"Take this and get the rest of your details at the pharmacy."
"Thank you so much."
I look around for which room he could be in and find a little waiting area that's completely empty.
While waiting, I'm just on my phone. I sigh while reading angry texts from both of my bosses. But I guess it doesn't matter at this point. I have no explanation for them, but I write an apology anyways.
I see Gyeongseok walking towards me a few minutes later.
I stand up, "How'd it go?"
Without a word, he pulls in me for a tight hug. I sigh, bringing him in closer.
"Is she alright?" I ask
"She's....managing. She's sleeping right now so I couldn't talk to her. But I paid for her treatment so they're starting it right away. This is gonna be so hard, and I still have work and..."
He sighs, "I'm sorry..you don't need to hear this."
"You can talk to me. I promise." I say rubbing his back
I pull back and try and give him the most reassuring look I can, "You're a great father."
He scoffs, rubbing his eyes, "Great fathers don't leave their cancer kid alone."
"You we're trying to help her." I say, "And because of it, now you got the money to pay for the treatments right? Nayeon's gonna do great."
"...Thank you."
He looks up at me for the first time this conversation.
"You look pretty. I didn't tell you that yet."
I quietly laugh, "I look better without the blood right?"
"Oh right...speaking of..blood. How's your arm?"
"I got a prescription for some painkillers. You probably should get one too right now for your shoulder."
"You're right. I'll do that now." He says giving me a smile before walking away, "I'll be quick!"
"I'll be here!" I say back.
I lean back against the wall, on my phone again, trying to catch up from texts and emails.
Geum-ja sent a few messages asking me if we were okay, which I responded to quickly. In the corner of my eye, I notice a man pacing up and down the hall, which I try not to look just in case he's going through something.
But he suddenly stops and I hear a familiar voice.
"Hyunju-sshi?"
I look up and my jaw drops,
"Dae-ho??"
His smile widens, "It is you!"
I smile back, "Oh my gosh! What are you doing here?"
He puts his hands on his hips and exhales, his cheeks ballooning as he breathes out.
"Me and Junhee got dropped off together nearby here, and the second we got untied, her water broke so we rushed here." He says rubbing his eyes.
"Wait, Junhee's here? Her water broke?! WAIT SHE GAVE BIRTH??"
He nods excitedly, "The baby is absolutely adorable! Do you wanna come see? Junhee was kinda snapping at me but I think she needs a woman who understands her women...stuff to be with her."
My heart sinks.
Of course I want to see Junhee, but how am I supposed to understand or be there for her when I in fact don't understand or experience half of the things women go through, but I find myself nodding and he leads me to their room.
He opens the door cautiously and I hear Junhee's voice
"Daeho? Is that you?" She asks
He pokes his head in and we both walk in, "We have a visitor." He says
The moment Junhee's eyes meet mine, she beams and gasps,
"Unnie!"
"Junhee-ya!" I say smiling, walking over slowly.
Junhee looks absolutely exhausted. She's sweating and tired but she still looks happy to see me. She's holding her baby, who's quietly crying in her arms.
I walk over and give Junhee a light hug and sit down on the chair next to her.
"Oh my goodness, how do you feel?" I ask
She closes her eyes, "I'm completely wiped out."
"I would think so. I'm glad you made it here on time. Daeho said your water broke almost immediately after."
She nods, "I could barely walk but yeah, we made it."
She looks down at her crying baby and I stare at them for a while. It's such a beautiful thing to see. I've never seen Junhee look at anyone the way she looks at her daughter.
Daeho smiles, "I'm trying to convince Junhee to let me name her."
Junhee scowls at him, "You're not! Because you're gonna name her something stupid!"
"No I'm not!"
"You suggested the name Vegeta!"
"Who by the way is one of Dragon Ball's most powerful beings!"
"Daeho! He's not real!"
I laugh at these two. I've seen Junhee and Daeho mostly around each other during the games, so I'm glad Daeho was able to be here for her.
"ANYWAYS." Junhee says, turning to me, "Why are you here Unnie? Are you hurt?"
I pull up my sleeve, "I got shot so I came here to get a prescription."
Junhee winces, "Oh gosh...that looks bad."
"I'll be fine." I say pulling my sleeve back down
"Make sure to rest."
"I will thank y- Wait didn't you get shot too?" I turn to Daeho
He shakes his head, "The guard shooting missed me. I guess she didn't see me at first, so I just pretended my shoulder was hurt until we got to the room."
My jaw drops, "Wow...that's pretty smart."
He crosses his arms, "So are you gonna apologize for calling me a twink?"
Junhee cracks up at this, "She did?!"
"Hyunju called me that when we were shooting!"
"Because you weren't even aiming properly!"
Daeho huffs and looks away as I sigh.
Junhee's still giggling as she looks at me again, "Unnie, who did you get dropped off with?"
"Oh, I got dropped off with Halmoni." Junhee lights up at the mention of her.
I pull out my phone, "I have their numbers, I'm sure everyone will be delighted to hear from you guys. I have Yong-sik, Geum-ja, and Gyeongseok, which...he's actually here right now.
Daeho leans forward, "Wait, Gyeongseok's here?"
"Who's that?" Junhee asks.
"He was one of the people who helped in the rebellion thing. He was close with Hyunju I think. He's tan, pretty tall too." Daeho says.
"Ohhhh him?" Junhee said, "I think I remember him."
Daeho smiles, "Is he allowed to visit?"
Junhee thinks, "Yeah sure, but I don't want any more men in here. Two's enough."
I pause at her words
Two's enough.
It's enough to almost bring tears to my eyes.
"I'll..ill go get him." I say standing up and walking out the door.
I walk out and into the room I was waiting in before and see him sitting on one of the chairs.
"Gyeongseok." I say helping him up.
"Oh my gosh! There you are!" He stands up, "For a second I thought you left without me."
"I didn't, I mean...I wasn't planning to but guess who I saw."
I pull him into the room with Junhee and Daeho.
His eyes widen and the smile on his face doubles, "It's you guys!" He says.
He walks over to Daeho and gives him a hug and over to Junhee where he also hugs her.
"Oh my gosh you gave birth?! Congrats! How are you two?"
And we all talk. Simply just the act of talking shouldn't feel this way to me. It feels so...genuine and like I'm at home. Even if we all met in the most horrible place, I'm in a room of people who appreciate me and talk to me like I'm actually..somebody. It feels stupid, but I feel so grateful in this moment.
After a while, Junhee gets frustrated again with all the noise and so does her baby who's crying louder, so all of us got kicked out of the room.
"We should get going anyways...Do you know if she's gonna be here tomorrow?" I ask
Daeho nods, "I think she'll stay for at least one more day. She asked me to stay the night for her but I gotta be quiet."
I nod, "Okay perfect. It was nice to see you again Daeho. And Junhee as well. We'll text."
We say our goodbyes and now, and Daeho heads back into the room. I laugh as he practically crawls in trying to make as little noise as possible.
Now, it's just me and Gyeongseok in the little waiting area.
I turn to face him, "Are you staying the night as well?"
He looks down, "I don't think I can be apart from Nayeon for another day. And i guess it's okay since I don't even know if I can go back to my job after disappearing. My boss didn't text me back yet. I'm gonna be a jobless dad."
He groans.
"I'm a terrible father." He says
"No you are not. You love Nayeon to bits and pieces. She knows that."
"I wish I could just be...more than that though. Nayeon deserves so much more. A dad whose stable in everything he does, and...a mom who didn't walk out her life once she found out Nayeon had cancer... I just...."
"Gyeongseok. You paid for the treatment. Nayeon is going to heal. And even if you don't get your job back, the rest of the money will keep you more than steady until you find something else. And she has you. A wonderful, kindhearted father. You have each other."
He looks at me again. With those eyes and that look.
"Thank you Hyunju.."
I don't know what it is about the particular look he does. Something about his big brown eyes and slightly parted lips makes him look really...handsome.
We stay there for a moment.
I feel him softly grabbing my hands and walking forward until I'm pressed up gently against the wall behind me.
He cups his hand around my face, “Can I?” he whispers.
The second I nod, he presses his lips on mine.
This feels different than the first kiss we had. That one was soft and careful, this one felt a little different. More passionate I'd say.
And longer too.
I don't even know how we got here, but here we are.
My hands find their way to his neck and I pull him closer. He responds by bringing me closer by my waist. I swear I can hear my own heartbeat pounding. Or is that his? Maybe a mix of both.
We pull away, both slightly out of breath.
"I....I should get going." I say backing away.
He nods, "Okay, I'll walk you out."
We both walk out as I call for taxi. An awkward silence filling the air..
Once one pulls up right in front of us, Gyeongseok hugs me goodbye,
"I'll see you soon?"
I hug him back,
"Of course."
I get in the taxi and shut the door,
"To Gwangmyeong please." I say.
And as we drive off, I'm left with so much to think about.