Chapter Seven

The weeks slowly passed, JaeBum threw himself in to his work at the warehouse and training for his fights. No matter how hard he tried there was no way of him forgetting Nicole, and how could he; it’s never easy to forget your one true love. Each attempt to talk to her would always fail with her rejection towards him. All he needs is to hear her voice over the phone and he would feel at ease to know that she’s safe and living well. But it just gets harder and harder each time with her constantly denying him to mend things, all he can do is keep himself occupy to forget about his complicated personal life.

“Coming back from work?” He heard a voice from a distant as he approaches his apartment building.

JaeBum looks towards the direction of the voice to see Kevin standing by the entrance. His eyes darts him, “what the hell are you doing here?” he questions as he push pass him.

“I need to talk to you.” Kevin replies as he follows from behind.

“There’s nothing between us for us to talk to each other.” JaeBum’s tone was filled with hatred towards the man following him.

“Even if it concerns Nicole?” Kevin knew just what it took to make JaeBum listen.

JaeBum stops at his apartment door as he turns and looks at Kevin. The mention of Nicole’s name caused him to rethink his tone. He unlocks his apartment door, turns the knob and walks in, all the while his eyes still darting Kevin. He walks in to his apartment, leaving the door open, a hint for Kevin to come in without actually saying it out directly.

Kevin smirks at the action as he made his way in to the apartment. He looks around to see the apartment in disarray, clothes were thrown all over, newspapers were piling up on the coffee table, dishes in the sink were unwashed, and garbage bags stacked up in the corner. He could tell that Nicole has not been living here for quite some time. As he was about to speak and ask about Nicole he stops, seeing JaeBum just throwing his gym bag to the corner of the room and dumping his dirty clothes on the floor he knew it was not the place to ask about her.

“So what do you want to talk to me about?” JaeBum asks bluntly as he closes his refrigerator door after grabbing a can of beer.

Kevin clears his throat after recovering from the sight of the apartment. “I need your help.”

JaeBum let out a sarcastic smirk. “Me, help you? What can I possibly be of help to you? I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“You are the only one that can help me right now. Help me and you’ll be able to help Nicole.”

JaeBum paused, staring at Kevin suspiciously. “What would I helping you have to do anything with Nicole?”

“It involves the case of her coffee shop being destroyed. If you help me, the force will be able to finally find the people who did it. And like I told you before, this is much bigger than just a mere vandalism case.”

A sudden memory flashed in his mind.

"See? Can't even take a simple advice. Tsk, tsk JaeBum." He mocks. "You need to be careful about what you say around certain people. It can get you in to a lot of trouble." He leans forward. "Who knows maybe even the people around you may suffer the consequences of your actions."

JaeBum's eyes widens at the last sentence. He rushes forward and grabs hold the man by his collar from across the table. "You piece of ######!" He says through gritted teeth. "You're responsible aren't you!?"

The three men jumps forward to defend but the man just brushed them off. He smirks at JaeBum's reaction; he knew he had hit his weakness. "It was a lovely cafe. It was unfortunate that it had to end that way." He whispers to JaeBum in a mocking manner. "I told you that it wasn't the end." He adds menacingly.

JaeBum’s palm quickly clench in to a fist tight at the thought. Kevin is right, this is more than just a vandalism case. Nicole got caught in the crossfire because of him. What was he to do? If he confesses everything to Kevin that means putting Nicole in more danger, getting her involve in to something that she shouldn’t have been involved in the first place because of him.

Kevin quickly notices JaeBum’s change of demeanor, noticing his clenched fist, something was up. “You know something don’t you? There’s more than what is being said or seen.”

JaeBum quickly shakes off his fist. He clears his throat, “there’s nothing. I don’t know anything more than what Nicole or I have already told you from before.”

“Stop denying, whoever is behind the café being destroyed is also someone that the department is hunting down.” Kevin subtly hinted to JaeBum at his case.

JaeBum was getting annoyed with Kevin’s constant pressure. “I don’t know what else to tell. I don’t know anything that you’re talking about.”

“You need to stop pretending about everything.” Kevin was getting tired of the run around that JaeBum was given him. “I know what you’re involved with Jay. All I’m trying to do here is help.”

JaeBum smirks at his remark. “And what may I ask am I involved in?”

“Illegal gambling with your underground fight club.” Kevin’s blunt and straightforward answer surprised JaeBum.

He laughs it off. “And what makes you think that I’m part of that.”

“Your scars and bruises says it all. Don’t give me any bull crap about it being from the warehouse. I’ve been in enough fights to know how those bruises are caused.”

“If you know so well then why don’t you do something about it already? Why are you here telling me and asking me. If you have the evidence then arrest, what’s stopping you?” JaeBum sarcastically taunts him.

Kevin took a deep breathe, not wanting to show JaeBum is annoyance. “That’s the thing, I don’t have the evidence. That’s why I’m here to ask for your help.”

JaeBum let out another sarcastic laugh. “So basically you’re just here to service me with your assumptions and bull about everything that’s been going on?”

“They’re not assumptions and you know damn well that they’re not.”

“Look officer Kim, I would like to help you but there’s nothing much that I can do for you. Whatever information that I can give you has already been given to you long ago.” He makes his way towards the door as to show Kevin out.

“Do you even know the person that you’re working for? He’s probably the one that talked you, or should I say threatened you in to doing this. He is probably the one that destroyed Nicole’s café just to get to you.”

JaeBum releases another exasperated sigh. “And what makes you think that? If you think so then why don’t you make the arrest already, rather than coming here and bothering me?”

“I already told you, I don’t have the hard evidence to do so, that’s why I need your help.”

“Your repetitive insistent on me helping you is getting quite annoying.”

“What are you afraid of Jay? I’m willing to put the force behind you to protect you as long as you cooperate with us.”

Another sarcastic laugh is heard from his mouth. “Protect me? I don’t need your stupid police force protecting me. What I do, I do for myself. I don’t need anyone’s help.” His voice became serious. “Now officer Kim, I would like you to leave my apartment. I’m tire and I would like some rest now.” His hand gestures towards the opening of the doorway.

Kevin took a deep breathe before walking towards the door. He pause before exiting, he turns to JaeBum. “Now I understand why Nicole left.”

JaeBum grips tightly on the doorknob, his head slightly hung as his eyes tensed at the sentence.

“I can see why she doesn’t want to come back here.”

With that last statement JaeBum‘s anger grew as he grabs hold of Kevin’s collar and push him across the hallway against the parallel apartment. He grips tightly on to Kevin’s collar and he holds him up against the wall. “You know nothing about us!” He says through gritted teeth, his eyes flaring with anger. “Keep your mouth shut about Nicole! Don’t you dare say her name! If you think you have a chance with her you are seriously delusional. She loves me and only me!” His voice changes in to a threatening tone.

Theirs eyes darted each other as JaeBum aggressively releases his hold on Kevin. JaeBum walks back in to his apartment as he slams the door behind him. Kevin stood hunched over as he massages his chest and neck as he glares at the apartment door in front of him.
 

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A knock came at the door. Nicole opens the door to see Kevin standing in front of her. “Kevin,” she greets him with a smile, “come in.”

Kevin sits down on the couch as Nicole came back with two glasses of water for the two. She sits down beside him. He takes as sip of water.

“Where’s Hara?” He wonders.

“She stepped out for a few minutes, she should be back soon.”

“So it’s just the two of us?” He sheepishly asks as his forehead begins to sweat.

She chuckles at his childish question. “Are you ok? If it’s hot in here maybe you should take off your jacket.”

He clears his throat. “No I’m fine.” He stutters.

“You sure? Your forehead says differently.” She chuckles as she hands him a tissue.

“Thanks.” He replies as he damps the tissue with his sweat.

“If you’re going to stay for a while then you should take off your jacket. I don’t want you to faint in the apartment from a heat . Hara and I don’t want to be responsible for a police officer being injured in our apartment.” She jokes to lighten up the mood.

As she helps him take off his jacket she quickly notices the red marks on his neck.

“Thanks.” He thanked.

“What’s wrong with your neck? Why is it so red?” She wondered.

He paused for a bit. Should he tell her it’s from JaeBum or just make up some lie to save her from any hurt. He clears his throat. “That’s just from my patrol tonight, nothing serious. Don’t worry about it.”

Nicole looks at him with a worried expression. That moment his eyes made contact with hers he felt his heart fluttered, that concerned expression on her face made everything felt better, any pain he had ever suffered completely faded away as she sat there staring worriedly at him. She stood up from the couch, breaking their connection. He quickly shook off his thoughts and quickly turned away.

She came back to the couch a few minutes later with lotion and a warm damped towel in her hands. “Here, let me help you ease the redness.” She offers as she begins to rub the lotion on to his wound.

The moment he felt her touch on his skin an electric shock ran through his body. It was as if he was on ecstasy, the electric current that flow through his body was explosive, it was an unexplainable rush of feelings that he has never felt before. How he’d wish the moment would never end. Her gentle touch made him feel protected; it gave him strength, letting him know that whatever happens in the world there’s nothing he can’t do, no matter what happens in the world there is always someone there to look over him. He now understands why JaeBum loves her so much. Who wouldn’t fall head over heels with a girl like her?

As she continues with the lotion he couldn’t control his feelings any longer. He grabs hold on her arm as he turns towards her. She was surprise at his action, confuse with what he was going to do next. Their eyes met as he stares deeply in to her eyes. She was still confused with what was going on. He moves in without hesitancy as his lips touches hers. A kiss that caught her off guard as her eyes widens with surprise as she quickly pushes him off. She quickly wipes off the kiss from her lips. He quickly got composure over himself as he stood up from the couch.

“I’m… sorry Nicole.” He apologizes. “I… I don’t know what came over me.” He quickly begins to slap himself.

Nicole stood up and quickly stops him from slapping himself. “Stop slapping yourself Kevin. It’s ok.”

“It’s not ok, I basically violated you. Without your permission I took advantage of you.” He scolded himself.

Nicole let out a sigh. “Don’t scold yourself over this. I’m fine with it. Don’t worry about it.” She reassured him.

He turns to look at her as she responded with a gentle smile. “I should go.” He makes his way towards the door, she follows him from behind.

“Are you gonna be alright?” She asks before escorting him out.

He smiles at her, reassuring her. “Sorry again,” he repeated. He turns to leave.

“Kevin.” She calls to him before he leaves. He turns back towards her direction. She leans in and kisses him on the cheek as she hugs him.

His eyes widen at her sudden action. His heart skipped a beat.

She takes a step back from him as she notices his confuse and surprise expression. “I don’t know if there could ever be anything between us but please know that I really appreciate you as a friend.” She assures him as her genuine sweet smile flashes before his sight.

He smiles back at her with a nod. “Thanks.” With that he turns to leave.

Down the corridor JaeBum stood in the shadow witnessing the event unfold in front of him. He crushes the bouquet of flowers in his hand with a clenched fist. He throws the bouquet on the floor as he turns to leave, his eyes filled with flames of fury.

Nicole watched as Kevin enters the elevator, waving a friendly goodbye to him. As she turns to walk back in to her apartment, she notices a shadow from down the corridor. She stood still for a few seconds trying to figure out who it could be. Could it be him? She wondered. Her eyes slowly fills with sorrow as she turns away and slowly walks back in to her apartment.