Credit to: http://kaleidoscopek…s.blogspot.com/
Made By: Orphey

Chapter 10 – Promises

Sometimes you have to be selfish to be selfless. 

 ~  Edward Albert

Nervous energy zigzagged through the car, the music video had finished filming long ago and by now the only remaining people were the crew members cleaning up. The members of the revered idol group had long ago dispersed but the leader had travelled in a different direction to s. In normal situations such questions as ‘where are you going?’ would have spurted from their lips but, after seeing the tension and anger lining their normally cheerful leader’s face they simply let it be.

Even Maiko hadn’t dared stand up and say anything when Yunho had walked over as soon as filming was complete, grabbed Midori by the wrist and dragged her, though slightly startled, away. He’d bundled her into his car, slammed the door and strode with angry purpose to his side where he’d pushed the car into gear and slammed on the accelerator. Midori almost laughed at the irony; another angry conversation in a car, what were the odds. She had to commend him on his control, not once did he deny the law and speed but his hands were tight on the wheel, his posture angry.

‘I’m sorry,’ she eventually said, willing her voice to be steady, her features calm. She’d been perfecting the art of acting as if everything was ok and being an ice queen long ago yet, now, when to her it mattered the most, she was helpless to her rocketing emotions. Fear was laced in her voice; a fear that was hidden just under the surface and occasionally played through her body as shivers would rattle her delicate frame.

‘You think I don’t know that name?’ he eventually said darkly, his voice reducing to the husky tone that was only seen when he was angry.

Her eyes fluttered shut, ‘Of course I knew you would know. Yunho, I didn’t ask him to come.’

He didn’t respond. He simply kept his eyes on the road and ignored her seeking gaze. The air in the car stayed tight as he headed onto the highway and began to make his way out of Tokyo.

‘Yunho…’ he didn’t respond, ‘Yunho, where are we going?’

‘Somewhere we can talk.’

‘We’re talking now.’

His head turned, eyes staring into hers, ‘you know what I mean. Somewhere without the distraction of your fiancé,’ he almost spat out the word fiancé, not entirely startling Midori with his fury.

‘I’m sorry, Yunho.’ His jaw clenched but otherwise she received no answer. In tears now she whispered those two words again and again, grating on his nerves until he snapped, his shout rattled the car.

‘Stop apologizing!’

They didn’t talk for the rest of the trip. Night had fallen by the time Yunho pulled into a small ryokan and stormed to her side. With a tight rein on his temper he gripped her upper arm and helped her out of the car. Midori shot a small glance at him as they walked together towards the entrance. The night air was chilly but his body spread warmth into hers, even if his eyes were cold. His tight grip of her arm wasn’t painful, simply firm and relentless.

They booked a room, not two rooms. A room. The inn keeper, an old Japanese woman with a gentle smile and soft eyes lead them to their room and proceeded to set up their futons. Yunho put on his smile, thanking her, before slipping off his shoes and stepping up onto the tatami mats, moving to stand, hands in his pockets, and stare at Midori. She, on the other hand, stood in the doorway, not meeting his gaze with her hands rubbing slim arms. The older lady eventually finished with a deep bow before wishing them a good evening, seemingly oblivious to the tight atmosphere that radiated around the room.

He didn’t move, even when the door closed. She’d known he wouldn’t, she knew that he’d lift a hand, pinch the bridge of his nose and turn away from her. Even when he did it didn’t calm her nerves, it didn’t lower the tension or bring any sort of familiarity to the situation.

‘Sit.’ He said, his back still turned and his back tense. With small movements she slipped of the shoes, stepped up onto the matt and walked the short distance to the set up futon bed. She had her back half turned to him but even then she knew what he was doing; the unmistakable sounds of his footsteps and the rustling of the futon and his clothing as he sat gave him away.

They sat in silence for a moment, his eyes burning a hole into her head, ‘I’m sorry.’ Midori’s eyes closed in pain, he didn’t need to be sorry but she’d known he would. He was that type of person. ‘Look at me, Midori.’

Slowly she shuffled around until she was facing him, her head downcast so she could only see the edges of his crossed legs and the lean hands that were cupped together in his lap. She watched, cautiously, as one rose to her face, pushing the framing hair behind her ear.

‘I’m just a little jealous.’ Her eyes finally rose to met his, the obvious confusion in them gave way to his lie. A sign slipped from his lips, ‘and angry. I’m sick of your father controlling you, even without you realizing it.’

Even as the words left his lips her phone started to ring, the sound drilling into the hearts of the two facing each other.

Suddenly the phone was gone and, just as quickly, tossed across the small room to connect with a smack to the wall. Midori stared at the smashed phone, the backing had fallen off and the battery was mockingly lying feet away.

Her eyes lifted back to meet his, cold silence meeting pleading liquid brown orbs. ‘Please don’t listen to what your father says to you.’ He moved closer to her,  ‘He’s just trying to tell you how to live.’

She didn’t respond to him, simply stared back into his eyes lifelessly. She’d turned herself off, just like all the times she’d turned herself of when her Father was yelling at her, lecturing her, punishing her. All the times she’d had to appear in front of large crowds, lift her hand and wave with a fake smile, pretend she was living the perfect life when all her heart yearned for was to walk down the streets normally, play in the park, eat ice cream on a hot day.

‘You’ve seen the real world now Midori!’ she was surprised how quickly her temper flared and before she knew it her eyes had melted into fire. She shot daggers at him, the one who’d saved her, the one who’d given her a breathe of fresh air into her dry life, who’d been with her through all the troubles and shown her the joy of love.

‘No! I haven’t!’ she almost shouted, for a moment forgetting the others in the inn.

Yunho was shaken, Midori had raised her voice at him before, she’d been frustrated with him before; she was human after all but she’d never, not once, yelled at him with such a fury he finally understood why she’d been the ‘ice princess’ in the magazines.

Words didn’t come to him, he was left floundering for a response, ‘but…’

She cut him off sharply, her eyes slowly beginning to glisten with the start of fresh tears. ‘We haven’t been on a proper date in two years, I haven’t see the world, I haven’t even been out of Japan since I was given freedom,’ she pushed his seeking hands away, backing away from him, ‘I want to see the world Yunho, I want to experience everything I can before I’m trapped again.

‘What do you mean trapped?’

She ignored him, running of angry adrenaline, ‘I want to ride a motorbike, bungy jump, eat spaghetti and go to a concert. I want to sky dive and explore rock pools and eat ice cream. I want to go to the countryside and go through markets before going to mount Fuji and taking pictures like a proper tourist. I want to see things I’ve never seen before and meet people I otherwise wouldn’t.’ her voice cut of at tears chocked her. This time she didn’t fight of Yunho’s arms as they moved towards her, wrapping her in a tight hug. In time words slipped from his lips that left her shocked.

‘Then come with me to Korea.’

Her head came up, tears resting in her eyelashes and blurring her vision on the strong man in front of her. ‘Really? I can come?’

He nodded, brushing a tear from her cheek, ‘I can’t promise you normal dates Midori, I wish I could walk down Tokyo or Seoul with you, you know that. I can’t promise you adventures but I know people who you can go with, I know places I can show you late at night and I promise you that we’ll make the next every moment beautiful.’

Midori sniffed, guilt building in her stomach and pushed away from him, ‘There’s something I never told you Yunho.’

Yunho pulled her back to him, ‘It doesn’t matter.’

‘It does,’ she insisted, pushing his hands away again to look at him properly, ‘I’m worried about you.’

Confusion flickered over his face, ‘Me? It’d not about my schedule is it? I’m fine, I promise.’

But Midori was already shaking her head, biting back tears again. Why was it that with him she always became a mess but in front of the media she could hold her own? ‘I know that I’ll hurt you, that I’m a stupid girl. Yunho, I don’t deserve you.’ With her head bowed she whispered, ‘I can’t come with you to Korea.’

Apart from his hands tightening on her shoulders there was no indication that her words had struck his heart, ‘Why?’

‘I’m going to hurt you,’ she whispered continuously.

His hands rose to her face, ‘tell me what’s wrong.’

With her eyes unable to meet his she whispered, ‘I only have three years Yunho.’

His face moved closer, turning her head to meet her eyes, ‘are you sick?’

She shook her head, sniffing back the tears that were chocking her. In a rush of words she explained to him the agreement she had with her father, the circumstances that surrounded their relationship. When she was finished Yunho had let go of her, was simply staring in shock or betrayal, she couldn’t meet his eyes.

‘I need to leave now, so I don’t hurt you anymore.’ With that she stood, grabbing her bag and was ready to make her way out of the room when his hand shot up, gripping her wrist tightly, though his eyes remained on the spot she’d once been siting in.

His heart screamed at him to tell her not to leave, to stay with him and not go to live a life full of lies. That he was holding back the tears and that even if he pretends he’s in control, that his heart is secure it stays with her; it was held by her and he didn’t have the strength to live without her by his side.

Her eyes squeezed shut tightly, trying to ignore the sparks of lightning that shot up her arm when here touched her or the warmth and comfort that followed his presence in her life.

‘Yunho… I’ll never be able to thank you enough for what you’ve done for me. You made my life as bright as a star, even if it was only for three years. If I hadn’t met you I would have run straight back to my Dad. You’ve become my strength.’

With that she slipped out of his grip and opened the door. One foot was already out when his voice reached hers. It was taunt with pain, shrouded in unshed tears and enough to break her heart.

‘Don’t go…’

She didn’t turn. She simply stood there as thousands of emotions ran through her heart, ‘Yunho…’

Warm arms engulfed her. A head was buried in her neck, warm breath tickling the skin there. The smell of Yunho surrounded her, pulling her supressed tears to the surface.

‘Don’t…’ she whispered, a plea for him to let her go.

His arms tightened, ‘I don’t care if it’s three years of two months, you’re not leaving me.’

She turned in his arms, small hands gripping the wide shoulders tightly, ‘Yunho…’

‘Don’t.’ He said sharply, ‘this isn’t negotiable. You’re staying with me and coming to Korea. I won’t lose you.’

So she shut and let him hold her, let him take control because that was what she needed. Someone to tell her that it was all going to be okay and look after her, protect her. There was nothing more in the world she wanted than to know he loved her enough to let her break his heart, and hers in the process.

Thank you for all the support~!! ^^