Chapter 14: I Miss Him

I took Noona to her flat. She was on my back during the whole journey. She placed her head on my shoulder and sobbed. I couldn't bare it. It was arduous to see her this much sad. If I could do anything to make her forget all of her pain and sorrows, I would. She didn't slide off my back when I sat down and placed her on her bed. She lingered on me. Her hands around my neck, her legs around my waist. I didn't ask her to get off. She was not in her sense. She was still crying. Then I decided I should talk to her.

"Noona? Noona, why are you crying?" Desperation was clear in my voice.

Her breathing slowed. She was calming down. She sighed and gradually removed her hands and legs. Unexpectedly, I felt empty. I wanted her wrapped around me, forever. I didn't know what was happening to me. This girl was making me crazy. I had never craved for anything in my life. Now I craved. I craved her attention, protection and love. I wanted to be cared. I wanted her care. The way she scolds me when I do something stupid reminds me of my Eomma. They say, every woman has a heart of a mother. I guess that's why, they always take care as a form of a wife or sister or daughter.

When I turned to Noona, I noticed dry tears on her cheeks. Her eyes were swollen and lips turned reddish pink. She was wiping the last tear which accidentally escaped from her eyes. She looked adorable but sad. Finally, when she stopped crying, I asked her, "Noona, why were you crying?"

She looked me in the eyes and stared. Her stare held pain and sorrows. Then she said, "He looked just like you. He had a very beautiful face like you."

'Who is she talking about? Wait, she thinks I am good-looking!'

Even though Noona was in pain, I couldn't help but felt happy that she thought I was good-looking!

'What's wrong with me? She is sad, I should console her.'

I mentally scolded me and asked, "Who?"

"My brother. My younger brother Nabil." Then she giggled and said, "You know, I was very jealous when Ma was pregnant with him. I thought he will take away all the love that I had. I was five when he was born. When Papa placed him on my lap after his birth," She pretended to hold a baby with her arms, "I felt like, it was a doll. It was so beautiful. He was a serene child. He didn't cry when he was in my lap, he just smiled. Right that moment I decided that he is my new doll. I will protect him with my life." Tears rolled down her face, " I protected him ever since then. But, why? Why would he leave me?" She broke down. She started crying like before. I hugged her to give comfort. She placed her head on my shoulder and cried.

"Noona, please don't cry." I was pleading. Seeing her this miserable was too much hard for me.

She hugged me back, wrapped her arms around me tightly. As if I would vanish if she didn't hold on to me. She was a crying mess.

Then she said against my shoulder in a muffled voice, "It's his birthday. It is the same day when I held him for the first time in my arms 20 years ago."

She was getting weak. She already drunk too much. Then she cried like this. I had to place her on bed. I tried to loosen her arms, but she didn't want to. I moved forward and placed her head on the pillow. She wasn't letting go. So I lied down next to her. She snuggled in my chest and cried. I wrapped my right arms around her shoulder and rubbed her back gently . She was calming down. Then she said, "I miss him. I miss so much that it hurts. You remind me of him. He was so much like you." She was hiccupping due to crying.

I didn't know how long I held her in my arms. I couldn't stop either. Her aroma wrapped around me. I kept inhaling. It smelled like Jasmine. She was losing her consciousness. The last words she said before she was unconscious were, "Taesung, don't leave me like him."

I couldn't leave. I held her in my arms the entire night. How could I leave if she asked me to stay. I couldn't, and I would never leave her. But that night something left me. My regular nightmare. I guess my nightmare was scared of her. That night I slept peacefully after all these years.

Fahami's POV:

"Ugh!" I groaned in pain. I was having the worst headache I ever had. I couldn't even open my eyes.

I moved a little and felt something wrapped around me. My eyes opened in sudden shock. I wished I didn't open my eyes. Because the scene I saw after opening them was extremely shocking. Taesung was sleeping next to me, wrapping his arms around my body. My head was hidden in his chest.

'Why the hell we are sleeping together. In same bed? Damn it! I can't remember anything. Last thing that I remember, I was drinking in the restaurant. The Restaurant! In the same restaurant where Taesung works.'

I mentally face palmed. Was I stupid or what? But, why was he in my bed? I looked at his chest and around my body. We were still in clothes.

'Thank God! Thank God nothing happened. This boy is like a younger brother to me. If something would happen, I wouldn't be able to forget it.'

Then I looked up to see his face. And that was it. I couldn't remove my gaze from his face. He was sleeping like a baby. Revealed forehead, parted pink lips, slow breathing, he looked like an angel. So beautiful. I know handsome was appropriate to entitle a man but his face was beyond handsome. He looked so charming. Last time I couldn't see his sleeping face because he left before I woke up. He looked so calm and quiet when he was sleeping. I couldn't have enough of it. I dared to wish for this. I wanted to see this every morning.

'Oh God, what am I thinking? I am going insane. How can I see him every morning like this?'

Taesung opened his eyes. He was blinking few times to adjust with the sunlight. Then he looked at me. Both of us just stared at each other. I couldn't find any word to say. Taesung didn't say anything either. He didn't even look surprised. It wasn't pin drop silence cause the wall clock was declaring its presence each second. Taesung's gaze turned into something else. He looked worried. Suddenly he removed a strand from my face and tucked it behind my ears and asked, "Noona, are you okay?"

I couldn't find any words. No, I was not okay. But I didn't want him to worry. I showed a fake smile, "I am fine."

"Hmm." He kept staring.

"Taesung, how did we come to my flat?" I blushed to say the next line, "Why are you in my bed?"

'Thank God, I have tanned skin tone. Otherwise, he would notice my blush.'

He sighed, "You were drunk. I carried you and brought you here. You were exhausted. I thought it would be inappropriate if I left you in this situation. I don't know how I fell asleep. Sorry, I have a habit to hug when I sleep."

He was lying. He could pretend but his eyes, his eyes were loyal. He was hiding something. What it could be?

"Oh." I didn't wanna push him. I trusted him.

He carefully removed his arms and sat down. I tried to sit but couldn't. I groaned in pain. Damn! This headache would kill me today. When I looked up, I found his worried eyes staring at me. He looked around my room and spotted the first aid box. He walked toward it and opened. Then he went to the kitchen.

'What is he doing?'

He came back with a glass of water and a tablet that I believe was aspirin.

"Take it." He extended his hands. I slowly took the medicine. I couldn't focus on anything except for this killing headache. When was the last time I drank like this? Not ever. I didn't drink that much.

"Noona, stay at home today. You are too weak to go to university." He ordered me in a firm and profound voice.

Before I could say anything he turned toward the door and left.