Chapter 13 - The Eye of The Storm

Life went back to normal, if you could call it that. The days went past, neither slowly nor quickly but at an undeniable life like state. Not a moment passed that she didn’t flash in his mind, or him in hers. But it didn’t matter.

They’d parted ways.

Sunsets faded in colour until they became black and white, their beauty lost to Midori’s eyes. She watched, from the floor she’d once been caged in and had been brought back to, as the city of Tokyo progressed around her.

The room was black, the only colour that of the city reflections on the immense glass windows. She was trapped, once again a pretty face for her father to use when it pleased him and only then. There was only that one bodyguard, the one that gave her breathing space that kept her alive in that space.

Her name was irrelevant to Midori, simply another face her father had bought. Pretty, that was certain but never more than Midori; if that were the case attention would slip and find a new owner. That could never happen.

But the new unknowns presence was welcomed, if not disliked. Maybe it was because she had to watch the millionaires daughter dying before her own eyes or simply understood the broken feeling of being so alone yet so crowded. Because of that she’d occasionally steal Midori away, under some new lie or gist. It would never be anywhere public, never where any eye could lie question to the guards loyalty. It was far out of Tokyo, an hour or two drive but it was just what Midori needed.

The chance to grieve and be alone, as much as she could.

‘You don’t want to know where we’re going?’

Blank eyes stared at the tilted windows and no answer was given to the new guards question. The softest of sighs could be heard from the bodyguard before she let the matter lie and concentrated on driving. They’d arrive soon.

The car pulled down a dirt road, rockily making its way through to the secret destination.

The softest gracing of stars scattered the sky, some muted behind the gentlest of clouds. Rain had passed earlier that day, no thunderstorm but neither a drizzle. Said rain left the long strands of grass holding small tipped jewels of clear water on their ends, which threatened to fall in every sway and bend caused by the stirring wind.

It would be an artists dream to paint that scene, with the two figures standing on the edges of such beauty. It would surely have an eerie feeling, of dark blues and misty greys that held broken promises and whispered dreams. The artist would draw the woman perfectly as she stood, hands wrapped around her arms trying to ward of some unseeable chill. One might decipher that chill as the soft breeze that would be evident through the swaying grass, drawn to perfectly define the fragility of that girl who stood as if she’d lost everything.

The figure to the side ventured forward, closed enough to reach out and touch the other if she’d had the courage. But she lacked it in that moment. Instead the eyes closed briefly in pain for her job. That was the best way to explain what Midori was to her. A job. Just another job.

A job that was making her hate her employer.

So they stood together in silence, one too unsure and uncertain of what words would be fitting for the current situation and another too broken to find words.

It was on the trip home from there seventh escape to that deserted spot that Midori finally spoke. Her knees were pulled up to her chest, the her arms wrapped around them in protection. The face that had thinned considerably in past weeks was turned away to stare out at the blurring scenery obscured by raindrops against the window.

‘Do you think he’s healthy?’

The pretty face, her new guard turned briefly to look at the other girl, ‘I wouldn’t know.’

It wasn't the most comforting answer, certainly not what would have soothed Midori the most if she’d been in a better mind set but it had the right effect. A soft, seemingly inexistent smile appeared for the briefest of moments.

‘You’re not very good at comforting people.’

A blush blurred across her guard’s face, ‘Don’t remind me. I’ve always been this way.’

Midori’s features settled into pain for a moment, ‘I wish I was like that. Incapable of emotion.’

The guard tried not to choke on her own breath but let the insult pass, ‘I’m not incapable. I’m just not any good at them.’

Midori turned to stare at her guard, venom lining her eyes, ‘Is that why you can work so easily for such a heartless boss? Do you even get time off? You’re always watching me, like a shadow that won’t go away even when it’s pitch black.’

It was the most the guard ever heard Midori say, the most the broken girl had uttered for a long time and her reply probably wasn’t the best, given the situation. ‘Nobody likes their boss.’

For the briefest moment shock lined Midori’s face before it was shaken of and she turned away, away from the conversation and the guard who, for the first time, she was beginning to take a liking too.

It was just before they returned home when she asked the last sentence for the next week.

‘What’s your name?’

＜３

Midori woke to the loud thumping, muffled shouts and the running footsteps of what she could only assume were her father’s workers. With empty eyes she stared impassively at the roof and strained to drown out the intrusive sounds. A delicate hand, decorated with long pink nails she’s been forced to have, ran over the fine silk bed covers that overcrowded her in the otherwise lonely and exaggeratedly large bed.

She was sick of it. Sick of the expensive things and clothes. Sick of looking at her nutritional substance for each day and feeling sick to her stomach knowing she was eating food that cost an amount that would feed a normal family for a month. If she was honest with herself Midori would realize she was also sick of her own cowardice.

Why did she lack the courage to follow her heart and be with the man who had, in so many different ways and circumstances, showed he loved her in the same way, if not more.

Another loud thump sounded below her, forcing her to sit up in bed, confusion littering her face. Shouting echoed through the house and the running of her father’s guards filled the air. Her bedroom door suddenly slipped open and Ayumi rushed in, running to stand next to her bed.

‘What’s going on?’ Midori whispered.

The guard didn’t meet her eyes, didn’t even acknowledge her except for the slight concern that splattered her face for a second. Another shout echoed through the house and into the open door. Ayumi had no time to react when Midori suddenly shoved the sheets away and jumped over the bed, stumbling on her own feet to the door. The two girls collided near the doorway thanks to Ayumi’s fast instincts.

‘Let me go! Damnit let me go!’ Midori screamed, shoving at the imprisoning arms, digging her nails into flesh in desperation, ‘let me go!’

‘Midori you can’t! Stop!’

Nothing penetrated Midori’s nerve, she continued to shove at her guard and stretch for the open door. Maybe it was that desperation, or maybe the complete and utter hope that covered Midori’s face that made Ayumi’s grip loosen for a moment but by then Midori was gone, running for the door and slamming it open to let it crash loudly through the house.

‘Midori!’

‘Yunho!’ she screamed in reply, racing through the corridors that had been choking her for weeks. She managed to make it to the staircase that looked down on the foyer of her house, part of her father’s greed to look important when the other guards grabbed her, pulling her back. There, below her on the bottom level with two guards at his sides was Yunho, equally being pulled away. He’d lost weight that much was obvious and his hair was falling into his face as he shook to push the guards off.

‘God damnit let me go!’ he screamed, kicking his foot out and hitting a guard square in the chest, knocking him back a few feet. Yunho made the most of the opportunity, shoving the other guard off and racing up the right side of the stairs. He ignored the guards at her sides and in the next instance she was in his arms again. Safe.  

‘I’m so sorry,’ she sobbed into his chest, wishing she had her hands free to hug him, ‘God, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.’

He pulled back for the briefest of seconds to kiss her tears away, ‘I love you, I missed you so much Mi.’

‘I missed you too,’ she managed to choke out, ‘I’m so sorry.’

He hushed her, burying his head into her shoulder, ‘I couldn’t protect you.’

She couldn't respond tears robbed her of the words she wanted to scream over the rooftops. When she finally managed to clear , just when she was going to tell him how much she loved him he was pulled off her.

‘No!’ She screamed but she was pulled back further and the sickeningly calm footsteps of her father entered the room. He was still in his suit from that day, hair still slicked over a bolding forehead. His shoes came to rest beside Midori, where she’d fallen to her knees on the ground, arms pulled behind her to stop her running to Yunho.

‘I thought things were clear Midori.’ He said calmly, like his only daughter wasn’t in tears on the ground, shooting daggers at him, ‘Go back to your room.’

Midori had one of her finest moments when she gathered her spit and aimed it perfectly at his perfect shoes. ‘I hate you,’ she hissed.

Her father, for all his years of practise still had his jaw clenched in self-control when he walked over to Yunho. ‘You’ve not been invited. Leave. Now.’

‘Let her go,’ Yunho’s voice was calm, his eyes never leaving that of the man above him, ‘Please. God please, I beg you.’

Her father’s face fell into a sinister smile and he bent down, pushing his lips up against Yunho’s ear. Midori didn’t hear the words her father whispered into Yunho’s ear, ‘She’s mine,’ but when Yunho’s eyes snapped to her she knew they weren’t good words and immediately began thrashing again.

‘Leave.’ Midori couldn’t stand how cold his voice was. How venomous. Like a snake.

Midori met the eyes of Yunho for the briefest of seconds before a guard slammed a knee into his stomach. Tears sprang to her eyes when he buckled over, coughing out his breath only to lift his head up to meet her eyes again. For a moment he smiled at her, smiled softly as if to say it was ok. Then he was struck over the head and his body fell limb to the ground.

‘Yunho!’ Midori finally shook of the guards arms and tried to run, didn’t even make it three feet before she was grabbed by her father, twisted around to be trapped in his arms. ‘God damnit let me go Dad! I’m sick of it!’ She screamed, aiming small fists at his chest and, when she was pulled back, kicks to his shins, ‘Let me go! Yunho!’

She struggled the entire way back to her bedroom, screaming and cursing at the people pulling her away. Throwing swear words at the teary eyed Ayumi and digging her heels into the ground. They flung her back into that room, that pitch black room. She didn’t give up immediately. She slammed herself back into that door, slamming fists against it until they became red and bruised, screaming his name but she was ignored.

Eventually she sunk down to the floor, sobbing against the door, ‘I love you, I’m so sorry,’ was the only words that escaped her other than his name, repeated over and over into the night.

When her energy finally dispersed and she was simply locked in her bedroom with Ayumi standing outside her door trying to hold back her own tears Midori realized she had enough. With trembling steps she made her way to the glass doors, pushing them open to step out on the small balcony and breath in the city air.

That was the night she decided to defy her father, forever.

That was the night she gave up living a useless life that stole her soul. Broke her enthusiasm.

That was the night she jumped. 

I really want to apologize to anyone who was waiting. I've had MASSIVE writers block on this story and forced myself to write this chapter because I was angry for making you guys wait so long, and people from other websites haha. So I'm sorry if it's a bit awkward.