“Sir! I have been looking for you all night? Where have you been, you promised you would head straight back after the conference? Why were you gone all night? Do you know how much trouble you have caused?”
I kept my face schooled.
“Ah, yes Jae... I am doing well, glad to hear you are too. Actually, funny story, there was a small accident, and I got into a bit of a mess. I was wondering if I could send you an address if you could come with Mr. Kang a fresh set of clothes and some food.”
“Siir!” He exclaimed and there was a long pause on the other end.
“Thanks…. My… friend, you are the best,” I said politely, then hung up. I smiled at her and handed her the phone back.
She looked at me intrigued.
“Just like that, they agreed to come?”
I nodded my head.
“Wow, amazing… That’s a great friend to have…” She trailed off again as if lost in her own thoughts.
“Can you send the number I just called a text message with your address?” I asked politely.
“Ahh, ahh, of course!” She clicked and messaged immediately.
“So what do you normally do for fun?” I asked, tapping my hands on my lap politely.
Her face grew stormy, and I immediately felt as if I had stepped on some sort of landmine.
I rubbed the back of my head once, then my hand stopped.
“Ah, sorry, too personal?” I questioned with uncertainty.
“Oh, no! Not at all… Sorry, I have had a lot happen in the past few days… Sorry.”
She went silent and stared at her fingers.
“Soooo... What do you do?” I asked her softly, trying to figure out how to fill the dead silence.
Her face grew clouded again. I sucked in a breath.
“Sorry, too personal again?”
"… I am unemployed right now.” She stated, quickly.
“Recently… a day ago.” She finished disheartened.
“Ah…” I slumped forward.
“What did you do? Are you a doctor? You seemed to know what you were doing when you rescued me.”
Her face glazed over in annoyed horror.
‘Hit another sore spot again? How are you so bad at this?’
“I’m an artist.” She said flatly.
“Ah, like Mr. Lee Ahn Jun... I love his comics! Do you draw things similar to him?” I asked, happy I had remembered someone famous in that industry. A large cloud of darkness, like a deadly aura, shivered down my spine and I turned to look at her, she was glaring at me again.
‘Again!!!! What did I say now?’
She deflated. “Yeah…” She stated, her entire demeanor depressed.
“I will go wait outside for your friend.” She stood up and just at that moment someone knocked on the door.
She went to the door and opened it, without hesitation. My heart beat a mile a minute, wondering just who was going to be behind that door, but I breathed a sigh of relief when Mr.Kang and Jae stood waiting. There was some very polite small talk, and then she ushered him inside.
I stared up at him from the floor and smiled.
“Ah, friend! There you are.” I blurted before Jaemin even had a chance to speak.
Jae looked at me confused. I didn’t blame him. I wiggled my head gently to the side, motioning at her. But he didn’t seem to understand what I was doing.
“Si…” I nodded my head vigorously to stop, and he looked at me alarmed and confused.
Seriously, Mark, how did this even happen?” He recovered nicely.
The doctor came in behind him.
“Sorry, I left something in the car and it took me a moment. She said it was alright if I came in and told me you had a stage three concussion, but that you responded well to non-leading questions. SO… She didn’t think it was that bad. But she says she is unsure if you are hurt anywhere internally.” Dr. Kang’s gentle voice brimmed with acknowledgement.
‘Interesting. Dr. Kang approves of everything she did.’
“Let’s see if you are dying, hey, son?” he said, kneeling down beside me on his knees with a slight smile and opening up his kit.
After a while of fussing and getting me to move every inch of my body so he could inspect it. He poked and prodded me in more ways than being dragged up the hill had. All while Mina pretended to be busy looking at her phone, even though I could tell her hand had moved little at all. Finally, he leaned back and started placing his stuff back.
“You’re lucky you are a healthy young man and had an angel to rescue you. It seems you’re just as lucky as always and got out of this with a few bruised ribs and a mild concussion. I’d say the bump on your head is the worst thing on you and she already took care of that well.”
I looked up at her and she bowed forward respectfully.
“Thank you for your words, but they do me a disservice. I am afraid I feel like I wasn’t able to take care of him well at all, I could have possibly caused him more harm than protection. Her voice tinged with guilt and an echo of pain.
I felt a pang of concern in my chest.
‘I wonder why she is so hard on herself?’
I think it would be okay for you to head home whenever you feel you are ready. I can meet the young master back there, and we can go over a plan of recovery. I will wait in the car while you change.” He closed his bag, got up and headed to the door.
“Young Master.” She repeated quietly.
“Ah… a family friend.” I lied quickly.
Mina looked at me, her eyebrows furrowed in thought, but she followed him as he meandered towards the front door.
He bowed politely to her after he had gotten his shoes on and she seemed to thank him and then he waved her off and walked out the door. I noticed his face plastered with a large grin, but the moment he turned it disappeared and I caught his glance towards me. I nodded my head once, and he went out of the door.
‘Ahh, he knew….’
“Mark, it would be good to get dressed so you don’t catch a cold,” Jae suggested and I looked towards him, realizing guiltily that I had forgotten he was there.
“Ah, yes, of course…” Mina turned, I will just be outside. She turned and followed Dr. Kang out the door.
“You can help me get up and change in the room over there,” I said quickly.
He looked at me then where she just nodded.
Jae glared at me gently before turning and helping me to stand up with the blanket.
“Sir, why are you acting like..”
“Shhhh….”
“What are you trying to pull here? Do you think there is someone that lives this close to you that doesn’t actually know who you are? Your house is literally only a few hills over.” He whispered.
“I am telling you she doesn’t seem to have a clue who I am. I told her my name a few times and there wasn’t a single spark of recognition in them at all.” I whispered back.
“That makes no sense… She could be faking ignorance…” Jae stated calmly.
I leaned on him and he helped me to the room.
“I don’t think so… I really think she doesn’t know.” I said then shut the door.
I turned around realizing my mistake and opened the door to Jae holding out my change of clothing. I smiled at him.
He smiled back at me knowingly.
“Thanks, my friend,” I said sarcastically, then closed the door.
After cursing a few times because of my sore ribs, I finally could open the door fully dressed.
I looked up at Jae, who was standing in her kitchen waiting for me. I could tell he had been observing her carefully, but overtly.
“Did you do as I asked?” I phrased it as a question, but I knew he had or he wouldn’t have been there.
I ambled towards the door.
“Mmm, yes, it has all been taken care of.” He walked over to me and placed his arm around me for support. I slid my feet into my shoes. And my eyes lit on the small pink fluffy slippers and I smiled happily.
“Ooh, nice work.” I am sure she will like those.
“Thank you, sir, it was my pleasure.” He said politely, then helped me out the door.
“Ready to go,” Mina asked politely, looking at me carefully.
“I would say I need to go with you to make sure you get the proper care. But I feel like you are in better hands than mine. So I think it is okay if I stay behind.”
‘Why did you call Dr. Kang? She could go home with you right now, Mark… Ah, right hospital…’
“I hope your recovery goes well. Please let me know how you are feeling some time. It would thrill me to know.” She said with good manners then bowed.
“You really don’t know? Do you?” I glared at Jae, who had spoken those words with pure amazement and an accidental slip up because of astonishment.
“Once I am all better, let’s go for dinner, my treat… Least I can do for the person who saved my life.” I said, covering up Jae’s mistake.
She straightened and held up her hands, shaking it in refusal.
“Ah, that’s unnecessary, you are alive, that’s reward enough. Take care Mark Wang,” she said politely.
“Really…” I started
She nodded.
“I wish you health and a fast recovery… Goodbye.”
I stared at her before Jae pushed on me a little too hard to get into the car and I winced a little but gave in.
Once in the back of the car. Jae got into the front and started the vehicle up.
I watched her as he pulled out of her driveway. And started up the way I had been heading when the accident had occurred. The way home.
Only a few minutes' drive away.
He pulled past the guard rail slowly and we all stared at it almost mesmerized by the damage and the gouge of earth missing past it where the car had tumbled and ripped into the side of the earth.
“That could have been a lot worse, Mark…” Dr. Kang looked at me, his mouth in a tight grimace.
“They are getting bolder…” Jae stated.
“I know,” I responded, and Jae rolled past the broken railing, slowly leaving it behind us as we drove uphill.
“I know,” I said grimly with a heavy heart.
“I know.”
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