Chapter 4
The moment her skin had felt almost every physical touches, Seora winced to the excruciating pain centering around her lower abdomen. As more pain sips through her veins, she begins to finally open her eyes. She blinked slowly. Adjusting her vision to her surrounding, before it falls onto the man sleeping beside her, while holding her hand in his.
She wanted to sit straight but to no avail the pain shoots through her even more, preventing her to do so. Her sudden movement causes the man to open his eyes. Quickly, he pushes the button to alarm the nurse about her awakening.
"Careful." He helped her with adjusting the bed to make her comfortable.
"You look terrible." Seora looked straight at him. Nicholas with his disheveled clothes and his ruined hair and his unwashed face. To sum up he looks miserable. Like a man who had gone through hell. He left a sad smile.
"You look more terrible."
The both of them snorted a laugh. Seora doesn't know how to breach the topic of her being in the ward. She knows that it has to do with that man who had shot her in the guts but isn't he the same guy that Nicholas works with? Does this mean he's on the other side? At one point, Seora felt all those thoughts were exhausting and it made her running in a loop to no ends.
She looked at Nicholas's eyes. They were staring at each other in silence before the door to her ward room slides open. Immediately, their eyes wandered around the room, trying to avoid each other.
Elliot walked inside with a nurse. He looks illegal in those surgical blue scrubs despite the tiredness behind his eyes. "Well, hello there patient Song." He smiles at her.
The man grabs the patient's charts, hanging at the end of the bed. He go through every layers of pages before working with the nurse as they both monitors her well being. Seora followed the instruction well like a cow with its owner. The last thing she wanted was to be a nuisance.
Or maybe she was too tired.
"As you already know, the bullet wound hadn't got through you that deep. Even so, you did loss quite of blood last night." Elliot instructed something to the nurse in charged before she walked out.
"You were lucky the operation went fine. I was quite surprise how well you're recovering, Ms. Song." Seora just silently observes him. As far as she could tell, this doctor looks like someone she couldn't trust that easily. Let's be real, a gunshot patient woken up beside her friend who involved in the accident and no police on sight.
This surgeon might as well be one of them.
"Two weeks should be enough before you could go back to your routine. I don't think you ever gone through surgery before but just to note. Please be careful with those newly stitches. The last thing you wanted is for me to redo them." She forced a smile to accommodate his unlaughable jokes.
"And hopefully with this lover boy with you, I expect much faster healing process." He winked at her, playfully. He's friendly. Oddly friendly.
Both Nicholas and Seora awkwardly meet each other's gaze. They were looking at him in confusion. "Oh, before I forgot, Nicho, we need her details so, it would be great if you could go to the counter outside."
Seora didn't replied. She slowly looked at the guy who still has his hands interlaces with hers. No wonder he thought they are something. When Elliot leaves, he had to leave the two most awkward human being, behind. Neither of them knew how to start a conversation.
"I..uhmm.." Nicholas pulled himself together. He scratched the back of his head.
"I'd better have those papers settled." He slowly release their intertwined fingers and Seora suddenly feel the cold air interlaces with her skin after loosing the warmth of his hands.
"I won't tell your parents though. Just so you know." Seora was taken aback but she then looks a little relieved. Of course Nicholas would remember her family. They grew up together in the same neighbourhood. They both knew so much about each other which also makes it all awkward to have him back into her life. Honestly, hiding her condition from her parents is wise choice for now. She can't imagine their faces if they knew she had fake her death and suddenly alive yet again. Would they be worried? Would they come all the way to the capital, just for her?
"Thank you."
Nicholas smiles. He felt happy after. Its like he had been allowed to steal a glance of the old Seora Song, the little him used to know. He knew she must have went through a lot and taking Elliot's advice more seriously, he wanted to be by her side for as long as he can. She was a good friend and he wanted to repay those times she were good to him.
\
Days had passed by pretty quick, and Nicholas had decided to meet Seora in the hospital around lunch time. He had been taking care of her since, making sure she's comfortable and is healing well. Rubbing the towel hard through his wet hairs, Nicholas look at the mirror in his bathroom. He need to talk to her. Explain things around. He knew both of them have had a long history to unravel.
Stepping into his walk-in closet, Nicholas begin his search for a more casual clothes when Alden came in and stand by the entrance of the closet.
"Going somewhere?"
Flipping over his line of shirts, Nicholas examined one by one until his eyes settles for the one which he thinks would look good on such a fine day. "The hospital. She needs a little of fresh air. We promised to have lunch together."
Alden nodded his head and walk towards him. "Oh, lunch."
"Okay, but just to remind you..." Before he could finish his sentence, Nicholas cuts in, "I know. I won't tell her about the gang more than what she should've know. Relax. She had a lot of stuff going on in her head to mind on our business." Now his hands are busy taping the glass drawer for watches.
"Alright. If you say so, man. Oh, Kaysen cooks today." Nicholas raised his brows.
"He can cook?"
Alden chuckled. "You think?" This time its him who laughed. "Then, it must have been his deadly fried rice again." They both laughed together.
Everyone in the house knows how terrible Kaysen was at cooking. So does the rest of them, who never really knows how kitchen normally works. Nicholas didn't know what makes the elder entering the kitchen today because the last time he touches the stove, the next day they got a new one.
"Well, it was better than Nathan." Another set of laughter burst. That one is far more disaster. Never a single day pass by without these duo constantly roasting their elder members.
Nicholas hummed to an old song he used to listen back in high school. He didn't quite sure how he remembers the melody but in his head, the lyrics just played out by itself. Alden had gone down to the kitchen to witness the horror it had became.
He looked at himself in the mirror. Everything looks just the way he wanted. His fingers rake around his locks, giving his natural wavy hair a little sexy touches. One last look in the mirror before grabbing the car keys and head outside.
/
The kitchen is in chaos.
Gladly nothing turns unusual yet. Nicholas watched as his teammates sitting in front of a big bowl of fried rice that looks nothing like the fried rice he knew. Hugh taking a picture just in case he could used them in future while Alden dipped a spoon and try to taste the smallest portion he could get. Luca on the other hand looked like he was grading the elder's masterpiece.
"Wow, what makes you suddenly in the mood to cook Kaysen? I thought you love to sleep more than feeding monsters like us." Nicholas snorted at him once he showed up with an apron around his body.
Luca put some on his smaller bowl before eating them like a judge. His facial expression made his friends laugh at him. The cook who goes all the trouble for this just snickered at them for being annoying.
"He lost a bet with me yesterday. I made him cook lunch." Luca proudly said while grinning in victory.
"What are you guys even betting on anyway?" Hugh asked after having a taste of the supposed deadly rice.
"Oh nothing. Just about some girls." The others look at him with weird expression.
"Some girls? I thought Kaysen never interested in 'girls' issues?" Alden said looking confused while air quoting the word girl.
"Haha. There is where you guys are wrong. He does, but not as much as you are, Alden." Luca earned a smack on his shoulder by him. "Well, instead of questioning me, how about thanked me? I made him cook!"
"Luca, you knew that just basically asking him to poison you, right?" Nicholas deadpanned as he took a bite from Alden's bowl making the guy glared at him.
"Well, he said he would paid for dinner." Jungkook smirked. Everyone's attention on him. "He said he would pay for the Caralina's infamous cuisine."
"Holy shit! Kaysen! What the fuck!!" Alden shouted at the man who was still struggling in the kitchen. The man came by to the table again with another dish. This time it was a couple of sunny side eggs.
"This will be the last time I'm talking with you kids. I'm out of here." He took off the apron his wearing and head back to his room.
"Bro, whose cleaning the kitchen?!"
...
Everyone looked at Luca.
"Urgh."
\
Seora came out of the toilet after a fresh shower. The weather had been nice these couple of days. Walking to the window, she could see the trees had started to bud off flowers. The flower she enjoyed looked at.
Panning her attention back into the room, she notice how spacious and luxurious it was. She couldn't imagine she would ever get the chance to stay in such room. As far as she knows, this place doesn't seem like a place for a mere commoner like her to be warded into.
Then again, nothing that happened to her ever made sense.
"You're up?!" Nicholas steps inside the room as he slides the door close. "I bought your favourite. Well, our favourite." He smiles as he look at her walking with her IV pools, looking much better across time. Relief washes over him when she greeted him with a smile.
"Let's eat at the garden, you need to breathe outside air for some time too." He took her hands and pulled her IV poll together. He carefully making sure every tubes are connected and not harming her movements in any way. The garden according to Elliot, was not that far from her room, so it wouldn't be such a long walk.
On their way, they met with Elliot in the hallway. He looks like he's in hurry.
"Yo, bro! Where're you going?" They both stopped as they saw him. "Oh, you! Ms. Song! Oh, hey, lets talk later, I'm late for a meeting. Bye!" Elliot rushes to the meeting room leaving the two alone again. The man really is busy as she watched him clumsily bumping into a few more patients along his way.
"Well, that's Dr. Elliot for you. Let's go, Seora."
\
"I thought you said you're going to cook our hometown food, but...?" Seora eyed the man in front of her while Nicholas avoided her glares as he casually sips his iced tea.
"Hehe. I woke up a bit late today." He gives his prominent smile that he usually have one.
"Or maybe you're just bad at cooking." She said causing him to scoff.
"Hey, I know how to cook too. Its just that, I really was in a rush today." He hates loosing. Seora left brow lifted as she looked at him, skeptical.
"Whatever you say, Mr. Nicholas Kang."
"I'm seri...gfygbsiv!" Soonbok quickly picked an apple slice and shove them into his mouth. She chuckled.
"Let's just eat peacefully, okay." Nicholas on the other hand, slowly munching the fruit as his eyes still glaring hers.
As they both were enjoying their lunch in silence, the air between them had grown warmth. It used to be an awkward tension but these days, the more Seora opened up to him, the more they finally be able to be casual with one another. To add, the garden they are currently at gives a sort of comfort to anyone who are experiencing it.
"Hey, let me know your bank account number. I need to pay back those money though." Seora broke the peaceful verbal-less environment.
Nicholas lifted his head, staring at her. He looked at her as if she was trying to crack a joke with him.
"What?" Seora asked as the man cleared his throat.
"You don't know?" He asked her.
"Know what?"
"Elliot had paid for the bills. Well, he said it was supposed to be me but I know that old man is too generous to do that. He would pay for all the expenses anyway."
Seora heart jumped in shock. Why would he do such a thing? She looked at the relaxed guy in front of her. He's too busy eating even he had some foods spilled somewhere at the corner of his mouth.
"He's that rich? You know that I hate owing people money." Nicholas once again looked back at her. He then realised something.
"Seora, you do know that Elliot owned this hospital, right?" Her chopsticks fall off her fingers immediately. As if he had used to, Nicholas helped her picking it back up. She widened her eyes, responding back at him.
"No way."
"That cruise we all sailed together, it was his." Seora looked at him deadpanned.
Her brain still could not process. Elliot looks young to own such hospital. If so, wouldn't she knew about him at least from her previous works? He must have been a billionaire to afford operating a very big and influential hospital.
She didn't talk much after. Everything is too much for her. She just wanted to clear everything from her messed up mind. Seora looked over to the beautiful bushes of flowers while her RAM was working a little harder.
"Hey, Seora." Nicholas calling her, had made her broke her faze from the healing scenery.
"I thought I owe you an apology, or probably an explanation, at least?" He fumbles a bit but she get what he was trying to say. She could see he had been drinking more of his iced tea. A habit he usually does when he's anxious.
"Yeah, you sure do." She let down her foods aside and crosses her arms to herself waiting for this friend of his to start talking. Nicholas took in a deep breath before he started.
"First of all, I'm really sorry. For the reason of you having to be here and injured at that." Seora recalled the memory of her being shot by none other than Nicholas's friend. She reminded of how emotionless that man was.
"You might think we are holding you as captives but I'm assuring you, its not like that. What Nathan ... urhm, he's the guy who..."
"Yeah, I know." How could you ever forget the guy who shot you.
"Yeah, okay what he did was entirely wrong and I know he's too arrogant to apologise to you personally but I'll make sure he will. But above all, I should've come sooner and stop what he was planning to do. To you."
Seora sighed as she was reminded again that scary moment. She couldn't deny that it was terrifying. Somehow, it made questioned herself. If she truly wanted to die that day? Or was she not liked at the idea of someone else taking her life away.
She turns to Nicholas who was fidgeting his thumbs together. She noticed he didn't explained about why he was there to begin with. How he came to associate himself with that stoic guy, or his so-called gang. Seora could only guess that the man in front of her now wasn't entirely the same boy she used to befriend with. Similar to her, she wasn't the girl she used to be and what he ought to believe. Its better if he never knew what she had gone through.
She thought, if it would be better if they just let everything behind, and starts fresh. On second thought, she actually do wanted to live a life with no regrets and escape the darkness that slowly had become her reality.
"I also wanted to apologize to you." This time, Seora pulled up every courage to say a few words. Nicholas looked at her dumbfounded.
"And thank you." She gave him a tight smile and a warmth pat on his fidgeting thumbs. She was grateful that he could see things through and still see her as someone he could trust. And she knew that someday, she needs to be honest with him. But not now.
"If it weren't for you and your friends, I would probably couldn't enjoy today's weather. So, thank you." Nicholas repaid the smile she gave him. "Well, I did owed you one before. Now, to think of it, we're even."
Both of them chuckles.
"You still remember that?" He asked while genuinely laugh at her.
"Yah, who would not remember that? I saved your life, of course I'm proud." But her laughed not quite reaching her eyes and Nicholas couldn't help but notice that.
"About that letter, you want to talk about?" It took a lot for Nicholas to ask her this. He slowly brings his drink to his fluffy lips, sipping another time.
Seora bit her lower inner lips. She looked down for awhile, thinking how to explain the situation to him without getting him all worried. Her being silence made he regretting a little asking her about it.
"You know, maybe later.." He was about to take back what he had asked but Seora beat him to it.
"It was too hard for me." Silence creeps in again.
"The pain. It was too much to bear." All muscles in his body stopped. Immediately he tries to find Seora's eyes.
"When I got the job, I was really happy. Since, it was my first job and I really tried to do my best. I mean, in every single aspects." She sighed. "I sacrifice everything, for the job and by means everything, everything." Suddenly her eyes getting a little warmer.
"But I was wrong when I found out the truth." And the warmth of the eyes resulting to a tear gracefully lining down her cheeks. Nicholas could only sit still and listens.
"Find out what?" He asked after a little silence between them.
Was she talking about the same person he could think of. Nicholas remembers what Hugh had told the gang before and he said something about her being on their enemies side.
"Find out that I was working with a devil."
Nicholas could feel the anger and disappointment in her through her eyes. He wants to find out what that devil had made his friend become like this but then realises that he, also has dark secrets he tries to hide from her.
Like that devil.
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.
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yuuki