CHAPTER 18

I stared long and hard at the plane ticket in my hands as I sat down on the couch of my hotel room, waiting for Stephanie to fetch me so that we could go to the airport.

“No matter what... be there for him”

My eyes close for a moment, my teeth sinking on my lower lip. That was not all.

“Are you sure about this, sir?” I ask him and he gives me a sure nod with a smile on his face. I look down at the paper once more, reading it for the second time.

My heart skips a beat with every written word.

“But don't you think that this is rather... u-unfair? I mean... I—I'm not even in a position to accept this” my eyes were wide with worry. He coughs a little to the side before turning back to me “I am very sure with my decision, Hana... you are precious to Kris and that's all the reason I need”

Even now, my heart is still heavy. It's not that I am not grateful but I honestly feel a pang of guilt in my chest because I truly have no right to even accept such a thing from the former chairman. All the more, I'm also guilty for not telling Kris that I'm in town.

In a relationship, people should be honest... right? Sigh. I really can't accept this. I got up from the couch, making up my mind; my flight is still an hour away, I still have time.

Suho.

It's strange. Hana's been gone all day yesterday and still isn't here today; she usually gets to the office before me and I usually have a cup of coffee waiting for me when I get in.

She said that she had some important personal matters to attend to. Usually, I really won't allow it but since she seems promising and well, I do owe her for making my job a tad bit easier, I let her off. But she's awfully late and she only asked for one day. Tsk.

I enter my office.

Sigh. So much to finish. I think as I pick up some folders from the side and slap them down on the table infront of me; Knock. Knock. I look up momentarily then look around in my front drawer for my favorite pen. Must be her... “Come in”

“S-sir?” came an unfamiliar voice. I look up, surprised by the presence of another person “Yes?” it was Lu Su Ling. She enters the premises and gives a courteous bow before proceeding “Mr. Lu needs your signature on these” she says, raising the folders in her hands slightly.

“Sure” I tell her. She walks forward and cautiously place the folders on my desk, sliding them over to me. I read over each print for a moment before signing on the very bottom.

It's not that I find files from Luhan suspicious but the guy sometimes doesn't read. Once done, I clear my throat and plastered a smile onto my face, returning the files to Ling. “Here you go”

She mumbles a small thank you and takes the folders; I tense up a bit as I felt our fingers brushing but ignore the thought. Tsk. Calm down, Suho... I take a quiet inward breath. Ling clears and gives me another bow before leaving.

As the door closes, I feel my shoulders relax.

THUD. CLINK.

Raising a brow, I got up and looked over my desk, only to realize that it was the photoframe of our group photo, the glass had broke. I picked it up and noticed how the crack was centered on Kris's face.

Not good.

Kris was getting ready for work.

He buttoned up his dress shirt, facing himself infront of the full length mirror. It was rather gloomy today, the sky was covered up in gray clouds, the temperature was low and he was pretty sure that raindrops would fall soon. Sigh. He had not gotten a wink of sleep last night –although he really tried to.

He's been calling Hana at home for the whole evening –almost- but he kept getting directed to the machine. It frustrated him and he was sure to flood her inbox with messages. A frown crosses his face.

She better ing answer my next call or so help me I'll – he was cut off of his thoughts when his phone rang

SONYA Calling...

Oblivious, he picks it up “Hello?”

“Kris!”

Stephanie.

My whole world seemed to have stopped.

My whole body felt numb, sounds couldn't be heard, everything just stopped. I could see people, I could see my aunt, I could see my half-cousin and his wife, I could see the doctor and the nurses; I wish I did not know what was happening but I do.

My head turns to the side and that was when I felt the first drop of tear fall from my eyes; Yi Fan stood there by the entry way, his face almost blank but the shock was evident in his eyes. He didn't walk any further but just stood there “Yi Fan...” it was all I could manage.

I ran up to him and wrapped my arms around him, tears flowing continuously down my face as I was unable to hold them back anymore, the wails of agony that I heard from our aunt only broke my heart some more.

“Papa's gone, Yi Fan... he's gone” but I hear no response from him. The next few seconds, he wraps his arms around me and I bury my face deeper onto his chest. It hurts.

It hurts... it just hurts.

“It's okay...” he mumbles, tone blank but it was better than nothing at all. “It's okay...” he repeats.

Hana's feet were rooted to the ground as she heard wailing from the room. Her eyes widened as she slowly began to realize why she was hearing such sounds.

Kris... she swallows hard; that was the first thing that came onto her mind.

The door opens; quickly, she takes a step to the side, hiding at the turning point of the corridor. The faint sound of wheels fills her ears, the wailing sound of people crying lessens and soon, a bed passes by her. Everything went on slow motion, her heart thumping hard.

Once the nurses passed, she found herself leaning onto the wall for support. Her knees feeling weak.

“Take Stephanie home...” she heard a familiar voice. Kris. “Kris, I think you should go home --” “No...” he tells Sonya. He takes a deep breath and glances at his devastated looking aunt being comforted by her son “I'll stay and fix everything... just get them home”

She wipes the tears from her eyes and sniffles “Are you okay?” she asks him. The young man slowly nods his head “I'm fine... just get them home”

And without another word, they follow his orders.

Soon, he was alone. He enters the now empty room and closes the door behind him; the small sound echoes through the quiet corridor and Hana emerges.

Kris.

Silence.

I looked around the once occupied room; it was still the same room with it's same bright colored walls but unlike before, it now felt... empty. My feet moved onto the bed area where the sleeping furniture was no longer occupied. Like I always did whenever I came here, I sat down on the chair beside the bed.

My arms land on the arm rest, my head thrown back as I puffed out a breath. As my eyes close, a flash flood of memories just drowns me;

My first pair of basketball shoes that he gave.

My first game that he watched.

The Sunday mornings that I sat down on the breakfast table to eat with him and my mom.

The warm embraces and laughter that he gave me when I was still a young boy.

Everything.

“I love you both”

and the first time I've ever told him those words was only yesterday and it was also only yesterday that he responded with the same words.

I swallow the lump in my throat and slowly open my eyes. I dug my pocket for my phone and pulled it out, sliding and tapping my thumb onto the screen for a moment before pressing it onto my ear; I bit back my lip. Please pick up, Hana... please.

“The number you have dialed is out of the coverage area”

Please... I mentally plead but to no avail. I got the same answer over and over and over again. I was forced to end the call; it's taking me every ounce of control not to jump on a plane right now and return to Seoul. If there's ever a moment that I need her in my life, it's now.

But she's nowhere to be found and the thought only adds to the numbing painful feeling I have.

“No matter what... be there for him”

He gets up form his seat and walks over to the windows, closing the curtains, dimming the room in the process. He just stands there, hands gripping onto the fabric, tightening slowly as the seconds pass. His eyes were on the ground, a pained expression plastered onto his face.

Two arms wrapped around him from behind. His eyes widen for a moment, his heart skipping a beat in little surprise; quickly, he turns around and questioned himself if his eyes were deceiving him.

Hana stood before him, tears on the brink of her eyes, a look of pain on her face but still there was a smile. She embraces him once again; it takes a moment for him to respond but eventually wraps his arms around her aswell, he buries his face on her shoulder and the tears fall.

“I'm here...” she whispers, tightening her embrace “I'll never leave you”

AUTHOR'S NOTE

OHMAGAD WHAT HAVE I DONE. PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I HAD TO DO THIS. BUT I JSUT HAD TO. DID I FAIL? OHGAD (T.T)

I'm drafting Chapter 19; do you all forgive me? Mianhe ~ I'm not spoiling you guys too much, right?