CHAPTER 23

 

 

Jongwoon went at the dining room to eat his breakfast. He saw Ryeowook and Kibum eating together happily. Jongwoon kiss her lips, Ryeowook smile at her.

 

“Why did you wake up so early? You didn’t even wake me”

 

Ryeowook ignores him as she happily chats with Kibum, Jongwoon sit on the chair and start eating.

 

“Babe, can you pass the strawberries”

 

Ryeowook give it the strawberries to Jongwoon without looking at him. Her attention is still focus on Kibum as they talk happily

 

“Where are the others?”

 

Ryeowook ignores him, Jongwoon just stare at them and left without any words.

 

 

 

 

Ryeowook was preparing herself because they will walk along the mountain just to have a tour. She smile on the mirror, Jongwoon went inside to grab some of his things. Ryeowook run towards him and hug her, but Jongwoon push her away.

 

“Don’t touch me”

 

“I notice that you’re acting cold towards me”

 

“SHUT UP”

 

Jongwoon shouts at her, he stares at her seriously

 

“What’s wrong with you?”

 

“Don’t show your face in front of me”

 

“Hubby, what’s going on?”

 

Jongwoon hold her arm tight

 

“Let go off me, it hurts”

 

“I don’t care”

 

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting like that?”

 

“You’re such a flirt!”

 

“What?”

 

Jongwoon push her

 

“Why do you keep on flirting around my brother?”

 

Ryeowook stare at him with wide eyes

 

“What? I am not flirting with him”

 

“Do you think I’m blind? I saw it Wookie”

 

Ryeowook shook her head

 

“Jongwoon, I’m not flirting with Bummie”

 

“Yeah right! You’re so sweet towards him, and you don’t even care about me whether I eat my breakfast or not because you’re busy flirting with him!”

 

“Of course not, you know that I love you and you’re the only one”

 

“SHUT UP and I hate you”

 

“Hubby, please let’s not fight”

 

“I’m sick of you, so please don’t talk to me anymore”

 

Jongwoon left the room, Ryeowook sigh and went downstairs

 

 

 

 

 

They are walking around with their tour guides. Sungmin keeps on taking photos because she will put it on the next issue of Travel and Lifestyle Magazine; she’s the new editor in chief of that magazine. Kyuhyun was amaze of the place and keeps on staring on the trees and ask their tour guides some information about the plants and the animals, and write it down on his notepad. Kibum was walking with Teukie and Hankyung as they enjoy the view. Heechul and Kangin get some sap from each tree and grab some leaves and observe the animals.

 

“This place is good, we need to put the sap of the trees on a test tube when we go back and study it carefully in the laboratory”

 

Kangin nod happily

 

“You’re right Chullie, and we still need to study some unknown bacterias and viruses, I hope we can discover some new medicine that can cure lots of diseases and those trees will help us”

 

“Daebak, I’m so excited to go back and study all of it in the laboratory”

 

Kangin give her a high five

 

“Count me in”

 

Ryeowook try her best to talk to her husband, but he keeps on ignoring her, as if she doesn’t exist. They leave the Botanical and Animal Kingdom and continue tour around the mountain happily with their tour guides. They stop on a pond to take a rest. Sungmin get some water and pour it on her face.

 

“Wow this is so clean, it’s so refreshing”

 

Sungmin start playing with Kyuhyun, they take off their shoes and soak their feet on the cold water

 

“It’s really refreshing”

 

Sungmin nod happily

 

“Can we also put a pond like this in our house?”

 

“Maybe”

 

“Or maybe we could ask the landscaper to copy the design of the botanical garden; I’ll show them the pictures”

 

Sungmin smile brightly

 

“Baby, I want to have a very nice garden just like in our house in Beijing”

 

“You tell the landscaper, I’m not the one who is going to do it”

 

“Maybe a hanging garden will be better?”

 

Kyuhyun cuddles her in his arms

 

“Anything will do, so you need to marry me soon for you to have a hanging garden”

 

Sungmin smile and pinch his nose

 

“Yeah right”

 

Kyuhyun smile and kissed her

 

“Is there a hot spring here?”

 

Kangin ask their tour guide

 

“Yes sir, do you want to go there?”

 

“Of course, what do you think Hankyung?”

 

Hankyung nod in approval

 

“That’s a great idea and we all need to relax, right?”

 

Kangin nod while smiling

 

“Take us there, arasso?”

 

“Yes sir, that place is really amazing and you will feel so relax”

 

Heechul and Teukie walks towards them

 

“How about spa and body massage?”

 

“You can find it there too ma’am”

 

“That’s great”

 

“Daebak”

 

Heechul and Teukie smile at each other. Ryeowook was staring at Jongwoon, but he keeps on ignoring her. Ryeowook bows her head and start walking around; she found a purple butterfly flying around. She smile and follows it.

 

“Hey butterfly, please stop”

 

The butterfly keeps on flying; Ryeowook follows it without noticing that she’s already away from her family. They start walking again to go at the hot spring; Jongwoon grab someone’s hand and drag him along.

 

“Kim Ryeowook, I’m warning you, stop being a flirt or I’ll hate you for the rest of my life”

 

Kibum was staring at him blankly. Jongwoon start to walk fast, still dragging his brother with him.

 

“You’re asking me not to flirt with girls anymore. I keep on doing that so I won’t hurt you, but you’re flirting with Bummie in front of me and you don’t even care about my feelings. You know it hurts me so much and I feel so jealous. Aish! You’re a flirt”

 

They arrive at the hot spring. Kibum was staring at Jongwoon who is holding his hand tight

 

“Yah! Kim Ryeowook do you under—“

 

Jongwoon turns around and was shock to see Kibum and not Ryeowook

 

“Why are you following me?”

 

Kibum looks on his brother’s hand, holding his hand tight

 

“Hyung, I’m not following you; you hold my hand dragging me with you and start talking nonsense things. I’m tired because you walk really fast, and I’m not Wookie ok”

 

Jongwoon let go of him

 

“Then where is she?”

 

Kibum shook his head

 

“I don’t know”

 

Jongwoon look around but Ryeowook is not with them. He approaches his mother in law who is smiling so brightly, excited to enter the hot sring.

 

“Mama, where is Wookie?”

 

Heechul stare at him blankly, he walks towards Teukie and ask about Ryeowook, but she just shook her head as a reply. Hankyung and Kangin stare at each other blankly, so Jongwoon ask Sungmin and Kyuhyun instead, but they just look at him curiously

 

“OMO!!! Wookie is missing”

 

Teukie hold her lips; Heechul start to panic and shake her husband

 

“Hannie, our Li xu is missing”

 

“Where is she? I thought she’s following us”

“But she’s not here”

 

“This is bad”

 

Jongwoon look around but he can’t find her

 

“I’m going back to look for her”

 

“I’m going with you son”

 

Hankyung told him, Kangin walks towards them

 

“I’m going too”

 

Heechul’s tears start falling from her eyes

 

“My baby is missing; I need to go with you”

 

“You stay here honey. Just let us find her”

 

Heechul shook her head; she keeps on insisting that she must go with them to look for Ryeowook

 

“No I want to go”

 

“But you’ll just make the situation worse”

 

Heechul eye her husband

 

“What? My daughter is missing ok”

 

Hankyung calm her

 

“It will be easy if it’s just the three of us”

 

“But”

 

Hankyung wipe her tears and kiss her forehead

 

“Honey, I promise to bring her back”

 

“I want to go please”

 

Teukie and Sungmin walks towards her

 

“Mama just let ba ba, Jongwoon and uncle Kangin look for Li xu; it will be easy if we’re not going with them”

 

“But Minnie”

 

Teukie hugs her

 

“Chullie, everything will be fine”

 

Heechul stare at her with teary eyes

 

“Teukie, Li xu is missing”

 

“I know, but we need to stay calm and positive and wait for them”

 

Teukie look at Hankyung

 

“Let’s put it this way, we’re going back at the house and wait for you”

 

“Arasso”

 

Heechul hug his husband

 

“Please bring our Li xu back”

 

“Of course”

 

They bid farewell and start looking for Ryeowook

 

 

 

 

Ryeowook was walking around, finding way to go to the hot spring. She finds herself alone and that’s the only time that she realized that she was actually lost.

 

“JONGWOON”

 

Ryeowook shouts

 

“MAMA, BABA, WHERE ARE YOU?”

 

Ryeowook keeps shouting while walking at the mountain

 

“TEUKIE UMMA…KANGIN APPA, please show up now…UNNIE, KYU GEGE…BUMMIE, where are you?”

 

Ryeowook’s tears start forming in her eyes

 

“Jongwoon where are you? I’m scared now, please show up. Where did you go?”

 

It’s getting dark but Jongwoon, Kangin and Hankyung can’t find her. They go back to the pond but Ryeowook is not there

 

“LI xu, ba ba is here, where are you?”

 

Hankyung shouts as he walks along

 

“Wookie!!!”

 

“Kim Ryeowook, please where are you?”

 

“LI XU!!!” 

 

Jongwoon keeps on searching for her

 

“Babe, where are you?”

 

“Li xu honey, ba ba is here”

 

“Wookie baby, please come out now”

 

“Wookie!!!”

 

Jongwoon, Kangin and Hankyung return to the house sadly; the mountain is dark and they forgot to bring flash lights and the weather is not that good. Heechul run towards her husband upon seeing him.

 

“Hannie, did you find her?”

 

Hankyung shook his head

 

“No, we return to the place but she’s no longer there”

 

Heechul start crying, Teukie hugs her tight to comfort her. Sungmin keeps on walking around while staring at the window.

 

“I watch TV awhile ago; there would be thunder and rain today. Where is Li xu Ba ba?”

 

Sungmin stare at her father nervously

 

“I don’t know, we try our best to look for her, but we can’t find her and we can’t go far anymore because it’s dangerous to walk along the mountain and we don’t have flash lights. It’s really dark out there and the weather seems to be bad”

 

Heechul look at Hankyung nervously

 

“Hannie, I’m worried about her, let’s go back and find her”

 

Jongwoon hold her arm before she could walk towards the door

 

“Mama, it’s dangerous out there”

 

“But my Li xu is alone and we need to find her soon”

 

“I know, but we can’t do anything as of now. Appa already calls for help and we need to wait for them to arrive; if you go out there we’ll end up losing you too”

 

“But Jongwoon”

 

Jongwoon hug her mother in law

 

“Mama, I’m also worried about her and I want to run outside to look for her, but we need to stay here and wait for the rescuer to arrive because it’s so dark outside and the weather is not that good”

 

“I’m worried about my baby”

 

“We’re going to find her soon mama, so please calm down and wait”

 

Hankyung hug her wife, comforting her with his warm embrace. They sit on the sofa, and wait for the rescuer to arrive.

 

 

 

 

Ryeowook was walking along; she starts to feel nervous and scared because it’s dark out there and she’s all alone and she can’t see through the dark.

 

“I’m scared, where are they?”

 

Ryeowook keeps on walking slowly because she can’t see her way. She accidentally slips and rolls down hitting herself on a tree.

 

“Ouch! That hurts; I think I broke my ankle”

 

Ryeowook holds her ankle and feels a sudden pain; her tears start to fall from her eyes.

 

“Jongwoon, where are you? Mama, I’m scared please find me soon. Ba ba, I can’t see through the dark and my left ankle is aching so bad…Unnie, I’m hungry now, Kyu Gege and Bummie I’m crying now, I’m really scared to be alone and it’s so dark. What if there’s a ghost here? They will surely eat me alive... Teukie Umma, Kangin Appa, I want to go home now…Jongwoon…Jongwoon…Jongwoon, please find me”

 

Ryeowook hug her knees and buries her face on it as she starts to cry hard. She remains sitting under the tree because she can’t walk anymore. Her ankle is aching so badly as well as her legs. The rain starts to pour hard and Ryeowook don’t have any idea where to go.

 

 

 

 

Heechul and Sungmin were staring at the window, watching the rain pouring so hard as the thunder strikes. Sungmin was crying, she’s worried about her sister. Kyuhyun hugs her tight to comfort her. Kibum was staring at the clock waiting for the rescuer to arrive; Kangin stare at them nervously while holding the telephone.

 

“I have a bad news”

 

All eyes are fixed upon him

 

“The rescuer that we’re all waiting will not arrive, because the situation down the mountain is not that good and they are stranded there because of the heavy rain; they can’t go up here”

 

“Oh my God”

 

Teukie start to panic; Heechul run towards her husband, feeling uneasy and worried. Her hands start to trembles because of nervousness.

 

“Honey, we need to find our Li xu no matter what happen. I can’t take it anymore, I’m going out there and I don’t care if I die looking for her. Li xu is in danger and she needs us”

 

Hankyung hug her tight

 

“I know, but Chullie, please calm down and let’s think properly before we act”

 

Heechul shoot him a deadly glare

 

“How can you tell me all of these things? You’re daughter is alone and lost”

 

“Chullie, please calm down”

 

Heechul’s tears start falling from her eyes

 

“Li xu is afraid of the thunder, she gets sick easily when she’s out in the rain and she had a night blindness so it’s hard for her to see in the dark. It’s raining outside, and I bet that she’s already soaking wet and feels so cold, the thunder is visible and I can feel that she’s scared right now, and its dark out there and I can sense that she already falls on the ground, and hurt herself because she can’t see anything”

 

Hankyung sigh; Jongwoon stare at his watch and run towards the door

 

“I’ll go and find my wife. I’ll promise to bring her back mama”

 

Kangin stops him from leaving

 

“Are you insane? It’s dangerous out there”

 

Jongwoon shook his head

 

“Appa, my wife is lost and her life is at risk. Do you expect me to sit and wait for someone who will rescue her?”

 

“But son”

 

“I’ll find her Appa; I won’t comeback here without her”

 

Jongwoon grabs the flash light, his jacket and run outside.

 

 

 

 

Ryeowook was sitting under the tree, she was soaking wet, and her knees are trembling as well as her hands.She covers her ears with her hands and close her eyes because she’s afraid of the thunder.

 

“Aigoo!!! What shall I do now? My body is aching already and I feel so sleepy. I’m going to die here”

 

She grabs her mobile phone to serve as her light. Ryeowook carefully stand and walk slowly, but she didn’t notice a rock and stepped on it causing her to fall. She lost her cellphone; she crawls towards the tree because she can’t stand anymore. She buries her face on her knees and start crying hard.

 

“Mama, I’m afraid of the thunder…Mama. Mama, where are you? I’m really scared”

 

Jongwoon was running outside ignoring the rain that keeps on pouring hard

 

“Wookie!!!”

 

Jongwoon keeps on shouting her name so loud; he stops as he breaths hard. He grabs his cellphone and tries to call her; Jongwoon heard Ryeowook’s cellphone ringing, he follows it and found it lying on the roots of the tree.

 

“She’s here”

 

Jongwoon grab her cellphone and start running again

 

“Wookie!!! Where are you?”

 

Jongwoon run while shouting her name, the rain keeps on pouring so hard.

 

“Wookie!!!!”

 

Ryeowook heard a familiar voice calling her name

 

“It’s Jongwoon, he needs to find me”

 

Ryeowook try to stand but she fails. Her body is already aching and she feels so weak already. She takes a deep breath and shouts.

 

“JONGWOON I’M HERE, PLEASE FIND ME!!!!!!!!!!! JONGWOON I’M DOWN HERE!!! JONGWOON!!!”

 

Jongwoon follows her voice and found her sitting beside the tree; He run towards her, Ryeowook hug him tight as she trembles

 

“Hubby I’m so scared, I want to go home. The thunder is so scary and it’s so dark, I can—“

 

Jongwoon hold her lips and kiss her

 

“Shhh, I’m here already, don’t be scared.”

 

“Please don’t leave me”

 

“I’ll stay by your side”

 

Ryeowook falls on his arms, she’s already pale and her eyes are very sleepy

 

“Babe, please stay awake”

 

“I don’t feel good, I want to sleep now”

 

Jongwoon touch her forehead, Ryeowook is already burning because of high fever

 

“This is not good, we need to go back fast, you’re burning”

 

“My left ankle is aching badly, I think I broke it”

 

Jongwoon touch it carefully

 

“I’m going to carry you on my back, but you have to promise me no matter what happen you need to stay awake”

 

“But I feel so sleepy now”

 

“Just stay awake and don’t close your eyes”

 

“Why?”

 

“Just follow my order; can you do that for me?”

 

Ryeowook nods weakly, Jongwoon wrap his jacket around her and carry her on his back

 

“We’re going back now, just hold on me tight and please stay awake”

 

“Ok”

 

Ryeowook laid her head on his back as Jongwoon walks slowly.

 

 

 

Ryeowook and Jongwoon arrives at the house soaking wet because the rain keeps on pouring hard; Heechul run towards them

 

“Mama”

 

Ryeowook reach for her hand but she falls unconsciously; Hankyung catch her before she falls. Kyuhyun and Kibum carry Jongwoon upstairs.

 

“I need to see Wookie”

 

“She’ll be fine”

 

Teukie run towards Jongwoon and wrap a towel around him

 

“I’ll get your bath ready”

 

“Thanks Umma, how’s Wookie?”

 

“Chullie and Kangin were attending to her while Minnie and Hannie examine her left ankle. She’s having a high fever but thank goodness you’re both safe”

 

Teukie kissed his forehead. Jongwoon smile weakly and went at the bathroom to take a warm bath