Leaving- 2

"Doctor." 

A voice interrupted Eliza as she broke her envious gaze directed towards the duo heading towards the car. In front of her stood a tall and broad shouldered figure with a very bright smile on his face. It was Luca.

"Uh… Shouldn't you be leaving with them?" Eliza pointed towards Ryu. 

"Yes I should. But I thought I should apologise for troubling you before I left." Luca bowed apologetically. A young girl passing by looked at Luca's charming smile in awe but then composed her expression seeing a furious Eliza with a death glare in her eyes. Was she his girlfriend? So cold, the woman thought. 

"Well then. Apology accepted. Now leave." Eliza muttered, disinterested. 

"Not so easily. May I have your number? You see, I have a bad history of getting wounded often. To get the assistance of a pretty and well known doctor like you would be an honour for me." Eliza's cheeks flushed with a bright red tint as she ogled at the young man's confidence. Just how!? I can't get Ryu to notice me but his stupid but equally gorgeous monkeys are so easily swayed by me!? This is not fair! 

Eliza smirked but with a tinge of anger. 

"No. I have no time for idiots like you." 

"Ouch. That hurts." Luca placed a hand over his chest, an adorable pout on his lips. But then a gentle smile replaced it as he handed over a card to her. 

"Please accept this, Dr Eliza. As an acquaintance, you can call me whenever you need help and I'll be there. Any time." 

Eliza was trying hard to not blush but what could she do when a charming man was giving her a chance!? Maybe she had to rethink her choices. No Eliza no! She shook her head and kept gazing blankly at the card as his tall figure slowly faded out of her sight. She crumbled it under her hands as the car left their premises. 

Luca got into the driver's seat to see his boss and Darah seated comfortably in the back. She shortly told him where she lived, which was at the outskirts of the city A in a quiet neighbourhood. 

"So you've been living alone for nearly a year?" Ryu asked in doubt. 

"Yes…"

"May I know why? Not that you can't live alone but you're not holding a job are you?" Ryu's question made Darah sink into her seat in silence. 

"Well… I'm not on good terms with my family. Not that they don't care about me but ever since my sister moved out after her marriage, I found it hard to live there." Darah was finally opening up so Ryu seemed to take an interest in that. Too bad he won't be able to see her often… He wanted to say more, about how he had been rough with her but he decided to keep it aside for the time being.

"Pressures huh? Adulting is something I despise. But you'll get the hang of it after a few years." Ryu muttered. Darah knew it wasn't just the pressures from home that made her stay away. It was more than that… She kept gazing at him with a frown, not knowing what to say. 

"What about that maid Dana? I didn't get to talk to her." Darah exclaimed suddenly. He smirked at her sudden doubts. 

"Before I get to that… I want to know why didn't you think twice before killing a man that day. But when it came to you, you showed mercy to Dana?" Ryu leaned to her side, his eyes fixed on her wandering gaze. Darah didn't know but he always understood when she was running out of words. Her cheeks turned red as his lips adorned an amused smile. 

"She was in danger. They were trying to hurt Lyra. If I hadn't done that, then they'd have killed her instead. I had to save her!" 

"So were you in danger, this time." Ryu said in a deep voice. 

"But she was trying to hurt me…"

"And she deserved to be excused because she was trying to hurt you and not someone else?" Ryu's gaze turned cold as he left her silent with that question. 

"As I thought before. Your resolve is weak." Ryu muttered in slight anger.  Darah heard it with a pang on her chest and saw how her hands were shaking.

"Let's leave that. But then again, I did as you said and left her alive. And now she's fled to God knows where." 

Darah looked at him in surprise. She hoped what he was saying was true. That she's safe. After a while of silence, the car came to a slow halt. 

"Is this your place?" Luca asked, butting his head out of the window. Darah looked out too… It was a steep road and her house was a bit further up from there. 

"Yes almost. But it's alright. The road ahead is a bit messy so I'll walk from here on. Don't worry." It was just metres away so Darah got out but was suddenly held on her wrist from inside the car. 

"It's getting late. I'll come with you." It was Ryu. The atmosphere was getting dark and the quiet place was dawned by golden rays of the setting sun. She smiled faintly and shook her head. 

"No I'll be perfectly fine." 

"No. Let me…" He insisted so she was left with no choice. As she nodded, he got out and followed her to her place just a few metres ahead. It was a congested, two storeyed rent house but as soon as she got there, something odd struck Ryu's eyes. The front door handle was partly broken. 

"Darah…" He said in suspicion as he pulled the confused brunette behind him. 

"What? Wait how…" Darah was equally dumbfounded but then she thought if the Landowner who was a grumpy old man did this. Maybe he got furious when she vanished for a few weeks and went in to check if she had locked herself inside!? No way… 

 Ryu got in carefully and looked around the living room with the faint light entering from outside. Darah's eyes were left wide open when she saw how almost everything was scattered around her room. No not my stuffed animals!

"Stay behind me… Someone was here." He said with a vigilant gaze while holding firmly over her wrist. She nodded and stood by his side but that was until she saw a silhouette appear behind the curtains. 

"Darah!" Ryu shouted, having noticed it at the same time and pulled Darah swiftly into his embrace, engulfing her under his coat. A knife sprang across their side and hit the nearby mirror, breaking it into shards as Ryu pulled out his gun.