88
Their Kingdom Panorama
/\_____/\
“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What’s this?!” the Three Musketeers ensembles echoed as they toured themselves through Donghae’s place.
Donghae walked into his room and changed into jeans and a shirt. When he walked out he found the trio staring out of the large window.
“It’s so great here! Look! You can see the subway too!”
“Hyung! You really stay here?” Ryeowook turned around when he approached them.
“It’s not mine to keep,” Donghae answered joining them by the window, “once I leave my position I’ll have nowhere else to return to.”
Eunhyuk turned to look at him.
“It’s not worth keeping,” Donghae turned around and started toward the kitchen. “Are you guys hungry?”
“What do you mean it’s not worth keeping?” Yesung tailed him. “Why would anyone want to give up this kind of life?”
Taking out a jar of water Donghae poured it into cups for them.
“If you’re willing to live this isolated kind of lonely life, then take over for me,” Donghae said. “I’m not up for it anymore.”
They quieted.
“Because of Victoria?” Yesung asked unaware of the change in the atmosphere.
Ryeowook lightly hit him on the arm.
“You’re right,” Eunhyuk agreed tilting his head up to look at the plain ceiling, “I wouldn’t stay here either. It wouldn’t suit me.”
Donghae glanced at Eunhyuk. Eunhyuk returned the glance.
“It’s no use staying in the same spot,” Eunhyuk said, “if the other has moved, it’s best to move on as well.”
“Eunhyuk,” Ryeowook whined.
Donghae slightly glanced back toward the packaged food Victoria had last brought him.
/\_____/\
Victoria reached the Cho household by mid afternoon. She met Kyuhyun by the front door.
“My father’s out of town today,” Kyuhyun explained, “I don’t want to leave my mother in the house alone since ahjumma has gone out grocery shopping. Lets go talk in the yard.”
Victoria followed him outback toward the empty tables that had held the food festivities from last night. They paused beside one of the long tables and turned to face each other. Yet, Kyuhyun didn’t say anything.
Victoria decided to take the lead, “So, what was it about something being unnecessary?”
“The wedding, I don’t have the heart to go on with it anymore.”
Her eyes narrowed before a sarcastic smile erupted on her face.
“How funny,” Victoria commented, “just what more can I expect from you?”
“Victoria,” Kyuhyun finally started, “I’ve been watching you these days and I can see that you’re trying to suppress the feelings that make you ‘you’.”
“I don’t think you understand me quite well,” Victoria shook her head, “Cho Kyuhyun, last night was it because of the insecurity you’re feeling when you’re around me that you hesitated?”
He didn’t look away from her eyes.
“We’re very much the same, it’s just that we grew up in different environments,” Victoria pointed out, “you’ve accustomed yourself to following orders and so have I. What the adults says, goes. Aren’t we like that?”
“What are you talking about?”
“We’re of the same kind, Cho Kyuhyun,” Victoria clarified, “there’s no such thing as you and I splitting up at this point.”
He pressed his lips together.
“I’ve told So Rae, Lee Donghae, and Mi Sun that I’m intent on entering your family,” Victoria told, “and it’s going to happen.”
“Can you stop it?”
His question shocked her mind blank for a second. And to think she was starting to get ready for this heavy tensed atmosphere as well.
“Victoria, Lee Donghae is obviously still there in your heart,” Kyuhyun said, “last night you and So Rae argued. Why? Because you wanted to show Lee Donghae that you don’t care a thing about him, but you’re a hypocrite because I saw you looking for him when we were together. It only goes to show that you’re still in love with Lee Donghae. I never held a place beside you, not even once.”
Victoria felt her eyes grow wide.
“I’m miserable because of you,” he out rightly remarked, “you’re with me, you’re doing everything possible to push yourself onto me, but I don’t want it. Do you know what you’re doing? You’re pressuring me, like the adults are pressuring our marriage. You’re not the same person who wanted to purely befriend me. You’ve become someone like So Rae, someone who’s full of anger.”
“What?” Victoria felt the flame within her shoot up.
“Yes, you’re exactly like So Rae. You’re at the point where you can’t think straight, you’re full of your own grudges and you want to use your anger against those who aren’t with you,” Kyuhyun went on, “Lee Donghae hurt you, that’s why you’re being like this toward him. So Rae hurt you and that’s why you’re being so stubborn. But I hurt you too, so why don’t you show some hate toward me? I’d rather be the same fool who dared to chase after you when you were still with Lee Donghae!”
The blood rushed inside her veins and she could feel them pop into bubbles. So Rae? He dared to compare her to So Rae? He could have said anything else, but So Rae?
“So Rae? You’re comparing me to So Rae?” Victoria bit her bottom lip. “Fine. I’m an ignorant, awful imbecile, but I’ll never become such a person as she. Lee Donghae first left me and you know who was the cause of it? So Rae! So Rae!” She screamed so loudly. “And I hurt him? How can he hurt when he first left?! What about my pain? What about it?”
Victoria’s eyes held such a heavy amount of anger and pain that she didn’t know if she should let loose or let her tears that were threatening to fall, fall. She hated talking about Donghae and the way So Rae had caused them to fall apart. It brought so much hurt, so much indescribable pain.
“No one stood up for me! I was all alone! So what about me?” Victoria shouted. “You wanted me to marry you, you told me to marry you! And now that I am, you’re going to throw me away? Just like this? Because of what? That you feel guilty? That you feel awful seeing me like this? Then who turned me into this! You tell me who made me like this! When I try to hold onto something, why does it always end up pushing me away? Why? Why!”
Something loud tumbled over and it took a moment for it to process through both her and Kyuhyun’s brains. They both turned alarmed to find his mother lying on the ground with the wheelchair lying on the ground near her. She was trying to move, her lips trembled as she tried to shape out words, but all she did was clutch onto her chest.
Victoria’s wet eyes widened.
“Mom!” Kyuhyun screamed.
The ambulance’s siren echoed across the street at such terrifying speed that Victoria wasn’t able to collect her thoughts. Sitting beside Kyuhyun in the back of the ambulance she could only wonder if his mother had eavesdropped on them. How much had she heard? How much did she know?
Her eyes landed on Kyuhyun’s hand which was tightly gripping onto his mother’s. What had she done? Was she so angry that she’d completely lost it?
“Sir, you have to stay back,” the nurse lightly held Kyuhyun back before following the rest of the ER team through the doors.
Victoria watched as the doors closed with a heavy heart.
/\_____/\
“What?” So Rae asked in shock and surprise.
“I’m thinking Victoria has teamed up with Myung Soo,” Mi Sun told over their average cup of coffee, “Victoria told me herself that she is up to something. You should watch out for yourself because I feel that as long as Myung Soo has power, he still wants to oust you.”
“Oust me? Do you even think that’s possible?”
“If he can convince your father, why can’t it be possible?”
So Rae gripped onto her cup of coffee.
“It’s just the truth,” Mi Sun added, “whether you choose to believe me or not is up to you.”
/\_____/\
“I’m sorry,” Victoria apologized. “I was too impulsive.”
She and Kyuhyun were now sitting side by side on the chairs offered in the hallway. His mother had been the ER for a couple of hours now and his father was taking an emergency flight back home, but wouldn’t get there till dawn. The ahjumma had been told to stay back at home and wait for his father’s arrival.
Kyuhyun gripped his hands together silently praying that his mother would be fine. That she’d come out of the surgery room alive and well. He only hoped that there were no other symptoms dangering her health.
“You should go home and get some rest,” Kyuhyun told, “you must be tired.”
“No,” Victoria replied without looking at him, “I want to stay with you.”
“Victoria.”
“It’s not because I’m trying to convince you that we should get married,” Victoria said, “I only want to make sure your mother is ok. This…is my fault as well.”
“No, it’s not.”
“You can say that, but I was the one screaming back there,” Victoria pointed out. “So, I’ll stay with you until she comes out.”
/\_____/\
By 7, there were still no news about his mother. Not even a doctor had walked out from those doors. Kyuhyun couldn’t help but feel worried now. As he kept his hands tightly entwined together he turned to look at Victoria who had fallen deep asleep in the chair.
He didn’t want her there. His mother wasn’t her responsibility and it wasn’t her fault that his mother had collapsed. There could have been many other reasons to why she’d become unconscious. However, even if he tried comforting himself with those reasons, it didn’t help. Partially, because he knew that his mother had overheard them.
Victoria needed to rest. She was being too rash. All he wanted to do was to tell her that she would be fine, no matter how hurt a person got, as long as they held their place happiness would eventually fly to them someday. She’d be able to smile again, he was certain of that.
Reaching for his phone he scrolled through his list of contacts.
/\_____/\
Donghae turned away from the TV to his ringing phone and picked it up. To find Cho Kyuhyun’s name flashing on the screen somewhat surprised him. What would the mighty Cho Kyuhyun need from him?
Less than half an hour later he found himself rushing furiously through the menacing white hallways. Turning down left and right hallways he finally reached the hallway leading to the large ER opaque doors. Stopping in his steps he tried to catch his breath before approaching the sleeping Victoria and Kyuhyun. When he did so, Kyuhyun turned and stood up.
Donghae looked at him puzzled and watched as Kyuhyun slightly glanced back toward the ER doors.
“My mother collapsed,” Kyuhyun explained, “she may have heard Victoria and I arguing about some matters.”
“Is she ok?”
“The doctor came out with news that my mother is fine,” Kyuhyun kept his eyes locked with Donghae before glancing at Victoria, “but I’m afraid Victoria isn’t. Please take her.”
Donghae’s eyebrows shot upward surprised with Kyuhyun’s order.
“What?”
“Victoria said she was alone and no one stood up for her,” Kyuhyun told calmly, “and whoever she tries to hold onto always pushes her away.”
Donghae became quite confused.
“But I’m sure that you wouldn’t do that to her,” Kyuhyun turned to him, “Victoria’s crying for someone to hold onto her and I can’t do that for her. So in my stead, please comfort her.”
He couldn’t help but stare at Kyuhyun who was possibly crazy at this moment.
Kyuhyun reached forward and tapped Victoria’s shoulder. A frown formed over her eyes before she awoke. She turned and moaned because of her sore neck. Placing a hand against the back of her neck she glanced up at Kyuhyun before noticing Donghae.
“I called Lee Donghae to take you home,” Kyuhyun started.
Victoria glanced at Kyuhyun with a small glare of confusion.
“My mother’s fine, I’ll call you when she gets transferred to the patient’s ward,” Kyuhyun explained then turned to Donghae. “The rest is up to you.”
Victoria followed him outside unwillingly. Her steps were loud and heavy.
Honestly, Donghae wasn’t quire sure how to react to the sudden situation either. After being hurt, after preparing to give up, Kyuhyun suddenly turned the board down another angle. Should he let his heart beat wildly again hoping for another chance at reconciliation or should he tell himself that he was just offering a ride to someone else’s fiancée?
Pulling the door open he turned to Victoria, “Get in.”
Victoria remained still for a long time before finally getting into the car. Once the car started off neither of them spoke. It felt different from last night’s meeting. There was awkwardness now. What could he say to her that wouldn’t show any affection? Any concern?
In the end, he decided not to speak and Victoria did as well. Donghae stopped the car in front of the familiar household he always stopped by in the mornings and parked the car.
“We’re here,” Donghae said.
When he received no reply he turned to find that Victoria had dozed off with her sweet face turned toward him. Her long locks fell over her shoulders carelessly and he glanced a the thin shirt she was wearing. Unbuckling his seat belt he slid off his sweater and placed it over her cautiously. As he leaned forward to do so, he found himself staring at her sleeping expression.
He gulped realizing that he missed it. He missed being so close to her, he missed holding onto her, kissing her, and showing her every affection he possessed for her. He missed the Victoria who used to love him. His eyes traced every inch of her face.
As if on cue, Victoria’s eyes shot open and they stared at each other for the longest moment in history.
Donghae backed up first and facing the front he said, “We’re here.”
Victoria seemed flustered because she didn’t say anything during the next second.
“If Cho Kyuhyun called you, he should be the one to thank you,” she told grabbing his sweater and pushing it into him.
Donghae turned to watch her get out of the car and walk through the gate door. During the next moments of silence he found himself staring at the house. So many curiosities crossed his mind. Did Victoria still sleep the same? How was her father and So Rae treating her? Did she still feel alienated in her own home?
Turning, he glanced at the sweater in his hands.
/\_____/\
After the door closed shut Victoria paused by the stone steps and shrank against the wall. Slightly turning her head back she wondered if Donghae had left yet or not. The urge to open the door to go see was so strong that she almost fell for it. In the end, she sat upon the stone stairs for half a hour before finally making her way up.
***0.O aren't a lot of things happening one right after another? Victoria's in a rougher mess right now that they've caused Kyu's mother to collapse. And I think I'd have to say that So Rae pisses Vic off much more than Donghae does. She turning right into something like So Rae, as Kyu pointed out, I'd hate to have someone tell me that
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