Kai: Chapter 25

Bad Boy

 

Kai grabs your hand and pulls you toward the parking lot. Petty thoughts worry your mind, like how you'll miss class, and how you'll have to make up the homework you'll miss. But those things are minuscule compared to Kai's problems, so you focus on his palm against yours and let him lead you to his car. He takes out his keys and unlocks the door, and you run to the passenger's side and slide in. He starts the ignition, and the car moans in protest before coming to life. Pulling dangerously out of the parking lot, he hits the gas pedal ferociously. The tires squeal in the morning sky, and the sharp sound catches the attention of students walking near the lot. You curly your fingers around the sides of the seat and stare straight ahead, not daring to speak, and not daring to move. Kai remains just as quiet as you are, if not more tense. 

Two minutes pass. Five. Ten.

Kai pulls up to the hospital's guest parking lot and haphazardly parks next to a blue Ford truck. He turns off the ignition and quickly gets out, and you attempt to follow his speed as he races toward the entrance doors. After entering the hospital, he gives a wave to the receptionist, who seems to recognize him from his frequent visits.

"Are you here to see your dad?" She asks Kai. He doesn't stop to reply and just nods, and she gives you a sad glance. "He's where he always is."

"Thank you," you tell her, because Kai doesn't say anything. You follow him to the elevator. He presses the button for it to go up, and when those reflective doors slide open, he steps inside and presses the button for the fifth floor. They slide closed, and you stare at the insignia inscribed just inside those doors. 

"This is one of your dad's hospitals, isn't it?" You ask him. Kai shrugs, and you look down at your shoes.

The bell chimes to signal your arrival, and Kai briskly walks outside, leaving you behind in his haste. He seems to remember something and backtracks to grab your hand, which he takes hold of securely as he heads toward the intended hospital room. Doctors and nurses who are familiar with Kai give him a detached, friendly wave, but he pays them no heed as he purposefully crosses those opulent white floors. He stops just in front of a room numbered as 22 and reaches over to turn the knob, but before he can touch it, the door is opened by a nurse.

"Oh," she exclaims, looking up at him in surprise. She steps out of the room and closes the door firmly behind her, even though it's evident that Kai wants to enter. "I'm sorry, you can't see him right now, Kai."

"What do you mean, I can't see him?"

"I'm really sorry, but you're going to have to wait, we're working on some - "

"I have to see him," Kai mutters, his fingers brushing the knob.

"Kai," you say, pulling him back. "It's okay. We can wait," you tell the nurse.

"Just tell me he's okay," Kai begs the nurse, his eyes forlorn. "Just tell me that."

The nurse looks away before murmuring, "He's alright," and walking away. Kai stands in front of the door, his chest rising and heaving in worry, his hair falling over his eyes. He runs a hand over his face and tries to smile, but you can tell the endeavor strains him. He squeezes your hand and pulls you toward the waiting room, where one other person is sitting down with a magazine on his lap. On the front cover, you realize, is a photo of Kai's dad and a headline stating the company's financial status. 

"Let's sit over there," you say, leading Kai away from the magazine. You sit down next to him on the sofa. He is still holding your hand, and he's clutching it so tightly that you feel your bones rake against each other, but you don't complain. If you're the one thing tethering him to sanity, then you're okay with a little bit of discomfort.

"You think he's okay?" He asks you.

You hesitate. "She said he was, didn't she?"

He laughs bitterly. "People lie."

You keep quiet and just focus on his fingers on your hand. You can feel the tremor in them, and you want to do anything to stop him from feeling this way, but you don't know how. Before, you would have wished that you could be the reason to abate any of his worries, but now ... now, you're not so sure. 

"Did you know ... tomorrow. Is the sign up for the talent show. Thing."

"You're doing it, right?" You question. Kai gives you a side look.

"It depends if my dad goes. I'm going to ask him. If he goes. And ... well. There's no point of doing it if he doesn't show up." He absently a thumb over your hand. "But I've been practicing. As much as I could. I ... I hope he'll see ... that I have other things I can do, too. Besides attending meetings in his place. Or being a jerk." He smiles at this. "I'm something too. And I can be something without him."

"How did you manage? You know, to learn to dance. Does your dad know?"

"Uh ... I get an allowance," he tells you. "And ... he doesn't really care what I use it for. So I used it for dance lessons. I was a kid. I saw people on the TV and I wanted to learn. So I did."

"And your teacher didn't care ... that you were ... well. You're Kai. Everybody knows you," you say, trying to put it carefully.

"Everybody knows my dad," he corrects. "And my teacher could care less who I was. He just wanted to teach me how to dance." Kai shakes his head. "And I just wanted to learn. So I didn't mention anything to him, and he didn't say anything to me back. It worked out well, don't you think? I just wish ... I could have told my dad earlier, though. I always wanted to do those competitions, or participate in recitals. And I wonder ... if I told him earlier ... would he have come? Or would I have been the only kid who didn't get anybody?"

Before you can reply, the nurse you had bumped into earlier approaches you. She gives a curt nod and says, "You can visit him now, but only for a short time, since he's due for a - "

Kai ignores the rest of her sentence and jumps up to enter the room. He lets go of your hand as he reaches the door and turns the knob. The light is dim inside the room, but despite the lack of brightness, you can still see the expression on Kai's dad clearly. He looks sick. His skin is a pale shade of gray, and the powerful determination in his eyes that you had witnessed when you first met him is slipping away. Kai walks over to the bed and rests his hand on his dad's. After a few seconds of tense silence, his dad opens his mouth to say something. 

"Kai ... "

"Dad? Are you okay? Did the nurse ... does anything hurt? Are you fine?"

"You've brought her again," his dad smiles at you. You step forward bashfully, and he tries to wave a hello, but moving his hand seems to take a bit too much effort.

"Dad," Kai says, "I - "

"You need to stop coming here," his dad speaks up. His voice cracks. "If you're here, then who's at the company?"

Kai stares at him in bewilderment. "The managers ... "

"You're going to take over the company eventually," he reminds him. "Maybe sooner than you think." His dad mumbles something incoherent, and you watch as Kai's resolve slips away. Before he can completely give up, you tap Kai lightly on his back, and he looks at you in confusion. After staring at you a bit more, he finally understands and turns back to his dad.

"Dad. Listen. I know ... I can't ... if you're feeling better. I want to know. I'm going to do something ... at the school. And - "

"Are you presenting something?" 

Kai grimaces. "Uh. Something like that. Listen, I ... want you to come. Only if you're feeling better," he hurriedly adds. "It's about a month from now. I was wondering ... if you could come."

His dad just watches Kai fidget uncomfortably beside his bed before he sighs and pulls his hand away from Kai's touch. "If I'm still around. I'll come."

"Really?" Kai squeaks, utterly surprised. He wants to say more, but the nurse has come in again, and it's obvious in the way she walks that she intends to kick you out. Kai notices this and starts to leave, but as he exits, he calls, "Dad ... feel better. And thanks." Kai takes your hand again and leaves the room, and as the door shuts behind him, he looks at you and says, "He said he'll go. He actually said he'll go." He chuckles, like the most impossible thing has just happened to him. "Thank you."

"For what?" You ask him.

He smiles. "For coming with me."

Like this story? Give it an Upvote!
Thank you!
kfanfiction
I GOT FEATURED. Thank you to all of you who read/viewed/subscribed. I am forever thankful to you all.

Comments

You must be logged in to comment
shonwanigop
#1
💙
the_exotic_angel #2
Read this story super long ago and i fell in love with it again!!! I just love how the female lead is realistic in her advances/reactions unlike most female fanfic leads that are always damsels in distress. Love this story and the writing!!
Claudia301a
#3
Chapter 9: I love this story so far!
JiLin1998 #4
Chapter 1: <span class='smalltext text--lighter'>Comment on <a href='/story/view/170594/1'>Kai: Chapter 1</a></span>
His reaction When she declined his signature
-2Mirae-
14 streak #5
Chapter 33: !!!! I loved it!! Gave me some kai feels hehe
If only kai listed some obvious things he did on purpose to the female oc at the end ..
KimHyeJoo #6
Chapter 30: Glad Kai can show his father what he really has about dancing
Thank you for the story!!
tonnettie
#7
Chapter 30: Kai’s personality has two faced, one is for his father and people around him, they expect him to be another person that he’s not. And one Jongin, a warm man, who wants to chase his dreams.
suchababy
#8
still remember reading this fanfics when i was in college under my old aff acc but now i'm still here reading this!
Kyoko99
#9
Chapter 31: Loved this story.. very reliable with myself at some points ...lol