Nightmares

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'Darkness?, Why is everywhere so dark?' Yo-Han wondered. He slowly opened his eyes to realize that he is suspended on a rope from the ceiling, with both hands bound over his head in a room that he seemed to be acquainted with, he was just still clueless. He glanced around scrutinizing his environment until terror filled his eyes the moment he realized where he is. 'This room, what am I doing in this room, what am I doing in here?' he questioned himself. 'Why am I bound like this and why is there blood all over me?'. Still questioning himself, he suddenly caught sight of someone holding a red-hot iron with the same tiger head shape, approaching him and ready to scar his chest. He looked down to see the previous one only to realize it had vanished.

Looking horrified, his eyes nearly popped out as the man approached with the hot iron, laughing eerily as he closed in. "No, no, no, not this experience again." The man placed the iron right above his nipples ready to stamp it. The heat alone scared the shit out of Yo-Han as he struggled helplessly to break free from the bondage and make a run for it. "Nooooo!!!" He cried a split second before the iron came in contact with his skin.

Yo-Han lurched forward frighteningly as he woke up from his nightmare, panting heavily. He fell back to rest his back on the seat when he realized it was only a nightmare. Soo-Jin who sat opposite him in the same part of the private jet could not help but worry. She asked, "Yo-Han, are you okay, are you having nightmares again?"

Yo-han nodded and replied, "It's the same dream everytime and now I am getting scared to even fall asleep anymore."

"The drugs for your insomnia isn't effective and now that you manage to fall asleep, you wake up only after a few minutes due to nightmares, that's sad." Soo-Jin said sympathetically. She felt bad that she couldn't save Yo-han from Jin Beom-Seok earlier. As at then she knew nothing about how they are related and didn't know he was on Kim Hyun-Jun's side. If she had know earlier, though it may be difficult, she would've done all she could to save him. If only she even saw his face once, she would recognize the resemblance he has with her brother Park Mit-Eum and rescue him but not until Kim Hyun-Jun came to ask her to help him and blow her cover did she set eyes on him for the first time. She had doubts and only confirmed the relationship when Kim Hyun-Jun said Yo-han is his son. She felt really bad that this happened to Yo-Han under her nose. But it's too late, why cry over spilt milk.

Yo-Han became saddened as his thoughts lingered in the torturous moments and experience he had in Jin Beom-Seok's confinement. He sighed and said. "I haven't completely healed from the psychological scar of My uncle's death that I bear all this years, yet Jin Beom-Seok had to add to my misfortune." He spoke his mind as he did with Soo-Jin this days. This few days Soo-Jin had already broken through his defense and he opens up to her just like he does to his mother.

In this case, she, a woman in her early thirties fills the space of that older sister he needed. He felt really comfortable around her. It has always been just Min Ju-Eun and he therefore this feeling of having more people around, a real family, though seems new but it feels good and exciting.

"Oh, How about the scar on your chest?" Soo-Jin asked pointing to the side of his chest that was scarred.

Yo-Han's hand subconsciously moved to feel the scar, "It's not painful enough compared to this nightmares I am having. It's really nothing." He said. After a while, he erased the gloominess off his face with a smile he asked Soo-Jin, "Noona[1], how about the bullet wound in your leg, has it healed completely?"

"Like you care that much, you're just trying to change the subject of the conversation ain't you? You don't have to worry about me, I have sustained many more dangerous injuries worse than this." She said as she scanned that part of her leg.

"You know the doctor who treated you at first said the aftereffects of the torture could be memory loss, insomnia, nightmares and post traumatic stress disorder. You are lucky you didn't loose your memory. It's a miracle if you ask me." Soo-Jin added.

Yo-han turned to look through the window and a smile crept up his face. "I am finally home... Not until now did I realize how much I missed my mother's cooking. Too bad I can't see her in this state, she will worry and put all the blame on my father. I wouldn't be able to return home until I have fully recovered."

It was evident how much Yo-Han could not bare to think of how long he would stay away from his mother and Soo-Jin saw the glint of unhappiness on his face that was immediately masked with a neutral expression. She then tried to discourage his decision so that he wouldn't need to worry. "Wouldn't she get suspicious if you keep avoiding her?, I am sure Oppa[2] can handle whatever Min Ju-Eun throws at him and I am sure you will put some good words in for him, wouldn't you?" She said.

Yo-han shook his head, looking a bit pained as though he was letting go of something important. He said to Soo-Jin, "I can't get Dad involved in my life anymore the moment I leave the airport, he has a family and mine and my mom's existence is to be unknown to them. I can't cause him any more trouble, We just have to live quietly as we used to. You too Noona, it would raise suspicion if they witness us bonding like this, I don't do that with just any ordinary person, if we keep seeing like this, it may tip them off. The last thing I want to do is to put my mother in a spot."

"Nonsense!" Soo-Jin yelled at Yo-han, "Hey look here, don't you even think that will happen. I never had the chance to be called Noona, you are the one I can look at as that little brother that can fill that space, okay?" She said authoritatively as if warning a little boy.

Yo-han sighed, then replied, "You have Kim Do-Joon and Kim Do-Hyun, you don't have to stick to me, ehn, They are two and I am just one."

Soo-Jin eyed him as if he just said something insulting, she glared at him seriously as she said, "I Park Soo-Jin, do not acknowledge those two as my nephews, I don't even acknowledge Baek Na-na as my sister in-law, well I am okay with Myung-Hee as she gives me the respect I deserve, but those two, they don't have an aunt in me. It's you alone, okay? You can cut ties with whoever but not me." She stated clearly for him to understand. Since she would not accept his rejection, Yo-Han stopped finding excuses and continued a neutral conversation with her.

The airplane landed in Country S' Capital city airport a few minutes after their short discussion. Kim Hyun-Jun wanted Yo-Han to ride with him back to the city when they alighted at the airport but Yo-Han refused claiming that his girlfriend was waiting for him outside. He dismissed Bae Jang-Mi and decided to head back on his own. He stood outside the airport and was about to dial Baek Chang-min's number when the hoot of a car from a distance caught his attention. Min Ju-Eun opened the door at the back and stepped out.

'Isn't this the woman I was just thinking about how to make sure she doesn't know I am back in the country?'

Du Seuk-Chin also got out from the driver side, walked over, bowed in greeting and then collected the little luggage Yo-han had with him. "Young Master, Welcome back." He then waited until Yo-Han walked towards the car and then he followed behind.

"Mom, how did you know I am back in the country?" Yo-han asked but Min Ju-Eun only replied with her own questions.

"You went to Country P mainly to investigate the Jin family didn't you?, Why will you do something so foolish, what if they did more to you than this?, What if your father was not their to rescue you, even with that?, What if Dan-bi wasn't there to hide you that day, Jin Beom-Seok would have captured you again. Did you want to die and leave me in grief? Hmm, Tell me now so I can prepare myself and get it in my memory that I have already lost the last and only thing I have, he just hasn't disappeared. Tell me, okay?" She yelled at him as if scolding a child and turned her back against him looking outside through the window, fuming with anger.

'How come she knows everything?, Every single details without leaving anything out, has she been monitoring my movements? What an OVERPROTECTIVE MOTHER!'.

Yo-Han mellowed immediately and smiled at his mother, he realized he'd taken a huge risk for her to react this way. Who wouldn't when her only child was tortured like a criminal and pursued as if he is wanted by Interpol?.

She did understand all of his moves and she knew that his major purpose for going on the trip was to investigate the Jin family which was successful, the information he managed to harvest the day he arrived in Country P and those he gained when he was held captive are enough to shake the Jin family.

He succeeded with his plans but he risked a lot. This dangerous risks is what Min Ju-Eun didn't like, she does not want him doing anything dangerous but he is just too stubborn to listen.

Yo-Han scooted a bit closer to Min Ju-Eun and hugged her from the back to appease her but Min Ju-Eun threw him a jab with her right elbow making him wince in pain. Hearing him make such a sound alarmed Min Ju-Eun. She turned around immediately to see him holding onto his right chest. At first she only watched his reactions but suddenly her eyes widened and immediately peeled his hands off his chest and tore open his shirt.

The moment the clothes made way, the wound covered with a bandage appeared before her eyes. She fixed her eyes to the bandage with her mouth slightly agape. She seemed lost in her thoughts. 'This scar, it's the same ones that Kim Hyun-Jun has on his chest. It's the seal of recognition of the Kim family.'

Slowly her hands approached the wound and a smile crept up her face. "Jin Beom-Seok did this?, You have no excuse anymore, you're permanently a Kim. Either you patch things up with Hyun-Jun or not you can't deny it anymore, you are his son, hook, line and sinker." She said as if to oppress him. The old Yo-han who held a grudge against Kim Hyun-Jun might have felt oppressed by her but not this present him, he already patched things up with the man, why feel oppressed?.

"Hmm, you don't have to be like that, I already accepted him and..." Min Ju-Eun cut in immediately the news departed from Yo-Han's mouth. "Really?!, I am glad you finally found a way to let go of your grudges and finally learnt to forgive. That's my son." She rubbed his head like a child with smiles plastered on her face.

"...I also met Soo-Jin, she is really friendly and from our interaction she seems to approve of you so much and I am sure now that she is in the country she'll come looking for you often." Yo-Han informed, he closed the buttons of his shirt again to conceal his wound and the several fading marks on his body.

Min Ju-Eun sound excited as she remembered the name Yo-han mentioned, "Oh, Park Soo-Jin, she still remembers me?, She was a teenager the last time I saw her. Oh, too bad of me not to look after her." Min Ju-Eun said, she then turned away to look out through the window again, losing herself in her thoughts. 'Park Soo-Jin, your brother took very good care of Yo-Han and I but I couldn't return the favor when he died. I should have sought for you and take care of you but it was unfortunate that I couldn't leave Country J then, I am really sorry.'

"Mom, I asked father to cut all ties with the Jin family, he has to help me get rid of them. You don't have to bother about my condition too much, I will definitely get rid of them, I won't let them off the hook." Yo-Han said to assure Min Ju-Eun that his decisions are safe and he wouldn't be in trouble. He knew she would keep worrying about him nevertheless therefore he tried to comfort her.

Instead of being comforted, Min Ju-Eun's reaction was unexpected, "What?!, Yo-han don't be outrageous, how can you ask your dad to do such a thing? The Jin family is a path of the clan no matter what."

"Mom did you know what he said to me?, He said '...it's not really a difficult situation, I am also tired of the illegitimate people anyway!' , that's his reply"

"Huh?" Min Ju-Eun could say nothing more. Since Kim Hyun-Jun decided to help his son in this thoughtless revenge then how can she object?. She remained quiet throughout the trip back to her mansion

1 Noona - Elder sister.

2 Oppa - A female's elder brother. Referring to Kim Hyun-Jun