CHAPTER 19

       “Hold on! Hold on! Stay with us!” the paramedics exclaimed to Yuri who was still lying on the ground. Then they counted in unison in order to take him to the bed.

       “Hana, dul, set!” In third count, they together move him to the bed, then carried and brought him inside the ambulance. His eyes were squinted closed and his breath was unsteady.

       “What’s your name, Sir? Can you tell me what your name is?” One paramedic tried to keep in touch with him in order not to let him lose his consciousness. He shrieked in pain but still could whisper his name.

       “Yuri…,” he said weakly, but audible enough.

       Jessica who was still hadn’t recovered enough from the horrible scene briskly jumped into the car, earned a baffled look from the paramedics.

       “I’m her girlfriend! Let me in!” she said before they had a chance to ask. One of paramedic, presumably the leader, exchanged a glance with the others and eventually he nodded his head, giving a cue to allow her to be along with them.

       “Yuri Ssi, Yuri Ssi, can you listen to me?” the paramedic still tried to not lose the contact.

       Yuri gave response by nodding his head.

       “Great job, Yuri Ssi,” the paramedic said. “You’re doing great. Stay with us. Don’t sleep. Stay with us,” he encouraged.

       “Yul… Stay strong, Yul… I’m here… I’m with you…,” Jessica finally could open up . Stammering and trembling, she held his hand and caressed his sweaty forehead. Yuri hated to see her cry like this, so with all of his effort, he displayed a smile and marshaled some words in the middle of his hard breath.

       “Gwaenchana… Everything would be okay…”

       The man in black suit put down his binocular then grabbing his cell-phone. The hard breeze at the roof top blown up his face, making him squeezed his eyes for a moment before dialing the number. Not long after connection tone, a horse voice answered the call.

       “Yoboseyo,” the man in black greeted back in well-manner. “I have something to report, Sir.”

       “Go ahead!” he asked calmly.

       “Your son just did a shoot,” he trailed off momentarily. “But I think he had missed the target.”

       Mr. Kim chuckled before commenting. “So are you trying to say that Jessica was still alive?”

       “Yes, Sir. But the more terrible fact was…,” he trailed off again. “Instead of her, it’s Yuri… who accidentally had been shot.”

       There’s a short pause, as though Mr. Kim thought about something.

       “Hmmm… How’s his condition?”

       “I’m not sure yet, Sir, since I was still at the roof top. But I think he’s still survived. I’ll let you know soon after I make sure everything, Sir.”

       “Fine. Keep follow-up me then.”

       “Anyway… how about the police, Sir? We can’t risk our organization by letting them investigate this thing…”

       “Don’t worry about it,” he cut off calmly again. “The police was my business. They wouldn’t dare to make a mess with me…”

       “It’s so relieving to hear you say that,” the man responded.

       “No, it isn’t,” Mr. Kim uttered. “Comparing with what gnawing my mind now…”

       “W-what do you mean, Sir?”

       “It’s about my son… He never failed… And he must not fail for a simple duty like this. I sniffed something wrong already.”

       The man gulped and didn’t dare to say anything hearing his creepy voice.

       “Just keep your eyes on him!” Mr. Kim ordered firmly and ended the call.

       “Son, I’ve already heard about the incident,” Mr. Kim said as poised as possible.

       “Yes, Dad. I’m sorry,” he replied briefly.

       “What’s actually going on?” Mr. Kim asked. “I didn’t expect you’d fail.”

       “Nothing, Dad… I just missed it,” he said again as he thought it would be fruitless to build some plea.

       “So you need to practice more, right?”

       “I guess so, Dad… I’m sorry I disappointed you…”

       Strangely, Mr. Kim burst into laughter, but Taeyeon really hate to hear his laugh. In some way, it sent shivers up and down his spine.

       “You didn’t disappoint me, Son,” he held his laugh. “Everybody could make a mistake. It’s normal. I knew you’ve tried your best and I also knew you wouldn’t make this as a joke… Since actually I also didn’t need to remind you that all of Tiffany’s life was totally depended on your step… I knew you wouldn’t risk her life by playing around with me,” he laughed again, but Taeyeon knew his father literally warned him.

       “I knew it, Dad.”

       “Good then. Okay, I think you have to take some rest first. I’d tell you later what you have to do to fix it, would you?”

       “Yes, Dad… Thanks for understanding me,” he said resentfully and ended the bloody conversation with the cruel man.

       “Yuri! Oh my God, Yul!” Jessica sobbed and hastily approached him once the doctor team allowed her to meet him.

       “Hi, uljima, you can see… I’m not dead yet,” Yuri flashed smile toward her. His hand touched Jessica’s cheek as she crouched, leaning forward to him. Jessica shook in disbelief and stared at him.

       “How could you act so poised? You have no idea how scare I was!”

       Yuri’s smile just suddenly faded away.

       “Mianhae, Sica… I didn’t mean to make you worry…,” he said sincerely. Jessica didn’t answer as he tried to fight back her sob, but her fingers gently run across his bare chest. Her eyes was gluing on the bandage which was covered his wound.

       “Babo,” finally she said between her sob. “You don’t need to be sorry…,” she continued. “I was so damn afraid of losing you, Yul…,” she admitted and Yuri felt very guilty hearing her innocent confession.

Ah… Mianhae, Sica… Taeyeon and I did it on purpose… to make his father trust us more… and dodge Tiffany from all possible danger…

       Jessica didn’t answer again, but she leaned down and Yuri knew what was going happen. He smiled joyfully as he felt her warm lips touched his forehead for some moment, along with warm breath earned from her nostrils.

       Afterward she pulled back again and frowned. Yuri looked her confusingly, trying to guess what’s on her mind right now.

       “Hi… what’re you thinking about?” he asked gently.

       “I feel… weird,” she murmured and stared at his wound.

       “Um??” Yuri puckered up his face in confuse.

       “Why someone tried to kill you? Did you ever hurt or harm anyone?”

       “No,” he answered and smiled. “I never hurt anyone, Baby.”

       “So why there’s someone even don’t mind to use sniper to kill you?”

       “Molla,” he said nonchalantly. “Let’s the police find it out, would you, my Detective Girl?” he tried to divert her.

       “But… it wasn’t only it who churning my mind…,” she dubiously said.

       “Eo? Else?”

       But after musing for a moment, finally she seemed changed her mind.

       “Nothing… I think I thought too far,” she displayed up a smile. “Maybe I watched police movie too much,” she giggled, followed by him.

       “Baby…,” he called out her again, half whispering.

       “Ne?”

       “Plant a kiss again, please? You know I can’t move freely and just do it to you,” he asked cutely.

       Jessica couldn’t stand her giggle discovering how cute her boyfriend was. She nodded joyfully and was about to grant his wish on his forehead when suddenly Yuri piped up again.

       “Not there,” he half whined and made a face. “Here,” he closed his eyes cutely and jutted his lips.

       Jessica struggled hard to bear her laugh in order to grant his sweet wish that time.

Seobang… I love you so much…

I promise I would find the one who’s in charge on it…

The person has to pay it… at least pay it to me…

       “Yuri~aaa???” Suddenly Tiffany voice heard and it’s too late for them to break and hide the kiss as she already popped in the room. Jessica face was blushed in embarrassment and Yuri giggled finding her girlfriend acted shy.

       “Oopsss… My bad,” Tiffany clasped , holding her giggle as well. Trailing behind her was Taeyeon.

       “Are we interrupting you?” Taeyeon smirked naughtily.

       “We’d just go outside and please go on,” he teased and Yuri quickly grabbed a pillow and threw it to him. He pretended to glare to him. Taeyeon hastily caught the pillow and burst into laughter, earned a warning nudge from Tiffany. Tiffany threw him a “don’t act so childish” look and it just suddenly made him hushed his mouth.

       “You don’t need to bother yourself to go outside,” Yuri said nonchalantly, making his girlfriend’s eyes widened.

       “Seobang…,” she whispered, giving a cue but Yuri smirked playfully.

       “We’re all already known we’re item, so what else to hide?” Yuri still smirked.

       Taeyeon crossed his arms and threw a “don’t you dare to kiss in front of us” to Yuri and Yuri raised one of his eyebrows; answered his challenge.

       “Lean forward, Baby,” Yuri whispered gently to Jessica and suddenly Jessica just obeyed him, didn’t care about the other couple. Yuri smiled complacently and got his face closer toward her again. He used on of his free hand to cupped her cheek and in a second, he already kissed her passionately; making the Taeny couple frozen in surprise.

Gosh, dammit, my creepy cousin. He’s really no joke! Ha ha

       After some moment, finally Yuri and Jessica pulled away, breaking their kiss. They stared each other complacently as if there’s nobody else at their room, until finally Tiffany chuckled to break the ice.

       “You see, cousin?” Yuri smirked.

       Taeyeon couldn’t answer this time.

       “You’re lucky, Sica,” Tiffany uttered. “Discovering his happy face seems you no need to much worry about him.”

       “I’ve already told her. I’m not that easy to die,” Yuri laughed and earned another glare from Jessica. He quickly hushed his mouth.

       “How many times I have to tell you, don’t bring the death topic up. It aint funny, Seobang.”

       “My bad, Baby… Don’t be mad, please?” he whined.

       Tiffany giggled again. “You’re two such a sweet and funny couple. In a second you could be very romantic, and in the next second you could argue again.”

       “Hey, don’t talk like it. You know it reflects yourself as well, Fanny~Baby,” Jessica smirked.

        “Na?” Tiffany pointed herself then shifting her gaze to Taeyeon.

       “Babo,” Jessica knocked her head. “You didn’t even realize it, did you?” she giggled.

       “Aniya,” Tiffany denied.

       “But I don’t think it as a matter as long as we’re all know what do we actually feel for them. Right, Yul?” finally Taeyeon chimed in wisely and hugged his girlfriend from behind.

       “Yeah. Agree… Sometimes arguing is necessary. And if it would bring us closer and making us realize how great our love toward our couple, why not?” he winked playfully.

       “You missed it, Taeng!” Yuri exclaimed after the girls left for some food. Now there’re only two of them at the room.

        “Sorry,” Taeyeon grinned. Yuri shook his head in disbelief.

        “It should be my shoulder, not my chest!”

        “Hey, it just little lower than origin target.”

        “Just?” he repeated in disbelief.

        “Ah come on, Yul. I’m not that moron to not to avoid vital area. And you wore the bullet resistant jacket inside. Moreover… isn’t it your own idea?”

         Yuri heaved a huge sigh before answering.

       “Yeah…”

       “Do you regret it?”

       “Aniya,” he answered. “After seeing how worry she was… I start to think that I didn’t want to lose her as well. I just realized I loved her much, Taeng. I don’t think I’d risk my life again like this… We’d find other way to save and protect our girls, rite?”

       Taeyeon smiled and patted his shoulder. “Agree.”

       “Moreover, Jessica started to be suspicious. She wondered many things.”

       “But you didn’t reveal our secret, did you?”

       “Of course not. Even I’ve asked the doctor to not tell her about the jacket protecting me.”

       “Anyway, have you told Tiffany that she supposed not to reveal about ourselves to Jessica as well?”

       “Uh-uh,” Taeyeon nodded. “Don’t worry about it. Tiffany won’t spill it out though she’s her best friend.”

       “Good. Because we knew your father would never let anybody knowing our secret go off… I couldn’t risk Jessica’s life on it… Never…”

       “Hey, Sica… Still worrying about Yuri?” Tiffany waved her hand in front of her face as she seemed stared out.

       “Owh…,” she startled as Tiffany’s voice yanked her from daydreaming.

       “Aniya… It’s just…”

       “Just what?”

       “I’m not so sure yet…,” she said dubiously.

       “Gwaenchana. Just sharing with me, would you?”

       “Hmmm… It’s odd, Fanny~aaa… Yuri was shot from a distant… presumably by a professional… But why it hit his upper right chest?”

       Tiffany threw her a puzzled look.

       “I… don’t get it…”

       “The easiest way to make someone die was by blowing his head or his heart, you get it?”

       Tiffany nodded confusingly.

        “Instead of blowing his head, the assassin targeted his chest. I still could accept it, but… the right chest… it didn’t make any sense for me. Every professional knew, the heart was slightly located on the left chest, Fanny~aaa. So I really couldn’t make any sense of it. If I assumed the murder was willingly to kill him, it still sounded strange for me, as he didn’t hit the vital point: either head or heart. But it he didn’t mean to kill him, what’s his reason then?”

to be continued...