Chapter 22

Normal POV

Time flows endlessly for each and everyone one of us however there are those rare moments where time becomes null and void. That was exactly what happened to Jessica when Yuri pulled her into his arms. Everything around the two disappeared, making them the center piece of that moment. In Yuri’s arms was where Jessica felt a different sense of security and warmth. It certainly wasn’t the right time to be even thinking about her own feelings but when she felt Yuri’s arms around her, she felt like she was in her own little happy place. A place where she could possibly run to when things go wrong. The gesture itself was simple but from that one action, feelings and thoughts were conveyed.

“No. Stay with me.”

Yuri’s words pierced right through Jessica’s heart. The desperation could clearly be heard from his voice and that made the brunette’s heart ache more than ever. This was Yuri being vulnerable, this was him asking for help and finally, this was him breaking his walls and letting Jessica in. Yuri ignored everything and focused only on Jessica. Despite his mind going into a state of emergency, trying it’s best to restart his defense mechanism, Yuri did not let go of Jessica. Yuri’s nature wasn’t gonna win this time, he wasn’t gonna let whatever it was in him decide what he was supposed to do. For the first time, Yuri did something out of the ordinary.

“You promised not to go, right?” Yuri whispered again

Jessica was stunned by the sudden question but managed to swallow the lump in and speak.

“I promise.” She reassured the ever so anxious boy.

Hearing Jessica’s response, Yuri let go of her but kept their distance close.

“There are things in me that… are not normal. Do you really think you can accept that?” Yuri asked again, his voice sounding a bit hoarse and unstable.

‘Not normal’ was the best way Yuri could describe himself. It was after all fitting for the most part but even he knows that those words were not enough to really describe him.

“Everyone’s broken in some way right?” Jessica smiled.

Seeing that smile from the brunette, Yuri was reassured that everything would be alright and that what he was doing isn’t a mistake despite it being against his nature.

“Dr. Kim…” Yuri muttered under his breath “He told you more…than what I thought he would…” the boy said, barely audible for Jessica to hear.

“That’s not important. Let’s get you to the infirmary, okay?” Jessica grabbed Yuri’s hand and started dragging the lethargic boy out the room.

There were no students inside the academic building by that time and so they got through the halls without any onlookers, the real problem though was outside the premises. The infirmary was at the annex of the academic building and the only way to reach that was for them to go out and enter it through the other side because the main pathway there from inside was under repair.

“I’ll go there on my own. Go to the cafeteria. Taeyeon and the others should be there.” Yuri tried his best to stabilize his voice and make it sound as convincing as it possible.

Jessica sighed and tightened her grip on Yuri’s hand. She wasn’t even at the slightest concerned with other people seeing them because truthfully at that moment she couldn’t care anymore less. Jessica only had her mind on getting Yuri to the infirmary and nothing else.

“Can you stop doing that? I understand that you’re used to being alone but could you at least try and not push me away?” Jessica tried her best not to sound like she was frustrated even though she was. She was trying to cover it up given Yuri’s current condition.

Yuri fell silent and just looked back at Jessica. The brunette did not let go of Yuri’s hand and proceeded to take steps forward and ultimately dragging the lethargic boy outside the academic building. Once they got out, they became the center of attention. The two were already the talk of the town and their actions only led them to further scrutiny.

The lethargic boy forced his oddly (for him) weak body to match Jessica’s pace. Once they were attuned with each other, Yuri took his sweet time in observing Jessica’s facial expression. There was no trace of uneasiness at all. If his eyes weren’t lying, it almost looked like Jessica didn’t care that almost half of the student body were staring at them. Just like the rumor mongers that some of them were, people started to whisper amongst themselves. Confirming their own little theories as they see that scene unfold in front of their eyes. Surprisingly, Jessica looked unfazed and nonchalant about everything. Yuri wasn’t sure if he should be worried or glad about what he was seeing.

The pair reached the infirmary. Yuri entered first followed by Jessica who was now feeling slightly uneasy because of her distaste for such places.

“Mr. Kwon, you’re back…and pale.” Ms. Jang, the resident doctor, picked out as she saw Yuri who was trying his best to stand on his own two feet.

“He’s running a fever doctor.” Jessica informed the doctor.

From there on, Dr. Jang took over and did her job. Yuri was advised to skip the rest of the day and just go home. Yuri didn’t like the idea of skipping school, he thought he was still capable of getting through the day but his condition was saying otherwise. Jessica stayed at the infirmary even though her inner self was screaming at her for awakening her strange fear for hospitals or anything related to it.

“Can you call anyone to pick you up? I can’t let you go home on your own even if you live near here.”  Dr. Jang asked and turned to face Yuri who was sitting at the edge of the bed, refusing to lie down.

Yuri thought for a while before answering. He could call one of his father’s drivers but that would mean that his father will more or less find out and that was the last thing he wanted. There was no consequence in the latter but he just didn’t want to involve his father in such petty matters as this. Yes, Kwon Yuri, considers his health as a petty matter.

“No. I’ll be okay with the meds you gave me, Dr. I’m really hoping you could just look past this and let me attend my classes.”

“Well, I could do that and in fact I will…in one condition…” Dr. Jang trailed. She looked towards Jessica’s direction who had looked more or less unhappy about her decision on letting Yuri attend classes.

“Ms….” Dr. Jang paused and looked at the brunette as if she was trying to fish out something from her.

“Jessica, Jessica Jung.” The brunette gave a quick bow and introduced herself formally.

“Ahh yes. Ms. Jung. I’ll let Mr. Kwon here attend his classes provided that you look over him and possibly make sure he gets home safely. It’s kind of weird to ask that favor from a girl but then again you were the one who brought him here so I really have no choice.”

Yuri was about to say something but Jessica beat him to it.

“I’ll do it, Doctor. Thank you.” Jessica flashed the doctor a reassuring smile to which the latter reciprocated.

“Well then, I need to go out and restock some of our supplies. Feel free to stay here until your classes resume. As for you, Mr. Kwon I suggest you lay down for a while at least until the meds kick in.”

Ms. Jang left the room, leaving Yuri and Jessica alone once again. The brunette grabbed a chair and dragged it across, towards Yuri’s occupied bed.

“You don’t have to stay here, you know.” Yuri whispered almost inaudible for the other to hear.

“I hate hospitals.” Jessica blurted out, ignoring Yuri’s words. “…or anything like it. Like this place, it gives me the creeps.”

Yuri remained silent and kept his eyes on the girl sitting in front of him.

“I told you before, right? That I had a sister? Well, when we were kids she was always sick and so trips to the hospital weren’t that unusual for me and my family. One day, my sister had a checkup and just like any other day, my whole family went with her. When we got there, my dad left me at the lobby to buy snacks from the vending machine while my mom took my sister to the doctor. During that time, the hospital’s emergency room was under repair so all emergency cases went through the main lobby…” Jessica trailed.

Retelling this particular story made Jessica feel like she was being transported back to that exact time where she grew her intense fear for hospitals.

“…Everything happened so fast. I remember standing exactly where my dad told me to when suddenly the hospital’s doors swung open. People were running in and all I could hear were screaming and crying. I saw a lot of people covered in blood being rushed inside. There was a huge car accident that involved more than 5 cars down at the highway. Most of them were kids just like me. I wanted to close my eyes but I couldn’t. My body just went numb all over. Ever since then, I couldn’t stand being in hospitals or anything like it so I tried my best not to get sick or get into any accident.“ Jessica took a deep breath and as if to let go of the staggering memory, she exhaled and looked at Yuri right in the eyes with a smile.

“…What I’m trying to say is that you should feel thankful and even honored that I’m sitting here with you in the last place I would rather be.” Jessica wrapped her story with a witty remark.

Yuri kept his expression still. He wasn’t smiling nor was he showing any sort of emotion. Instead, he slowly nodded and thought of the right words to say.

“I’m sorry for earlier by the way. I don’t know what came over me…” Yuri said as he tried to explain his reason for suddenly taking Jessica into his arms without warning. It was in those moments that Yuri stopped thinking and just did whatever he felt like doing, it was evident that it was against his so called nature.

“It’s okay…” Jessica offered another smile but Yuri wasn’t really being responsive to any of it.

“I… well… I just want to thank you for staying. You know, it’s not every day you meet someone who’s as screwed in the head as I am yet you’re still here, sitting in the last place you’d rather be, with me.”

Yuri found it extremely nonsensical for Jessica to be even talking to him right at that moment. He has always imagined people shunning him away if they ever found out about his problems. There were things that he had decided for himself to accept and two of those things were the facts that he wasn’t normal and that no one will ever be crazy enough to accept him but then that was before she met Jessica, the girl who changed everything.

“I want to help you, Yuri but that would only work if you actually let me. You can’t always push me or other people away when it gets a little bit uncomfortable. I know it feels like it’s better to go on hiding everything and pretending but it’s not. It’ll only get worse. I should know… I’ve been there before.”

Indeed Jessica has been in Yuri’s place before.  She knew how hard it was to silently go on day by day without telling anyone a word of the hell she walks through. Burdening other people was the last thing she wanted to do back then but after finally reaching her limit, she found the strength to ask for help and eventually open up to the people around her.

In the end, Yuri didn’t answer. Instead he laid himself down on the bed and closed his eyes.

“Go eat. I’ll sleep for a bit.” He said

Jessica pondered whether or not to leave the room but eventually she decided to go. Yuri needed some time alone and rest up, she thought. The brunette stood up from her seat and left the room without as much as a peep.

Realizing he was finally alone, Yuri opened his eyes and started to really think about everything. He was, by habit, a logical person. What happened back there, he knew wasn’t real, that much he was sure of. The only thing that made him unsure was how close to reality everything looked from where he sat. His fever might have caused him to get those hallucinations a while ago but what of last night? Hallucinations or not, what’s more important is knowing what triggered it. It came to Yuri that everything started when he received that necklace yesterday. It started with that bizarre dream he had then came the episode from last night and lastly the terribly actual and live nightmare of some sort he had just a while ago. Everything points down to the necklace but no matter how much Yuri kept thinking back, nothing about it struck him anywhere near familiarity.

That person on the other side of the mirror… Who was he…?

Think Yuri. Think!

Yuri’s mind came up with nothing. It couldn’t come up with a name nor a face to pull out. Gradually, the reflection he saw from last night was slipping away from his memory. Whether it flew away from his grasp or it got buried deep at the back of his mind, either away there was no way he would be able to remember it now. Too much has happened over the past few days and it was starting to take a toll on Yuri’s body. He allowed himself to relax a bit and slowly let his consciousness slip away from him.

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At KGC’s main office, Soon-Il, Yuri’s father, was quietly sitting in his office. Soon-Il, over the years, has tried to live an honest life. He stood for what was right because that was how he was raised. Doing the right thing was always the number one priority for the Kwon clan but what does it really mean to be a good person? That was something Soon-Il could never answer.

He was old enough now to be looking back at his life and really thinking about the decisions he had made. Like everyone else, he has his own fair share of regrets. Honesty was a priority for him as a Kwon but nothing was more important than his family. Family would take that spot of integrity in his list any time of the day. Soon-Il was a man of his family from the moment he married his wife to the second Yuri was born, he made them his everything. They were the center of his life and not even his position as the president of KGC could ever change that.

Soon-Il’s wife… now that was someone he could never forget. She was perfect for Soon-Il because more than anyone, she was able to understand him. She knew whether Soon-Il was faking a smile, she knew the right words to say, she was a great listener and finally she was perfect. There wasn’t a day Soon-Il didn’t miss her. There wasn’t a day he felt sorry for how things ended up. There wasn’t a day he didn’t love her.

Looking back at his life from the small fragments of memories that acted as lens for him to see clearer, certainly there were things he could’ve done better but during those times, he was blinded by his desire to keep his family safe. He could be called ignorant and a selfish father for putting quite a distance between him and his own son but that was the price he was willing to pay to keep him safe and to keep him in a reality that was far better than what Soon-Il knew.

Flashback

“Do you know what this could cause our family?!” A man shouted from the top of his lungs. “Have you not thought about that, Soon-Il?! To think that for once you did something right, I must’ve been stupid!”

Soon-Il’s anger was rising from the pit of his stomach up to his chest and eventually made its way to his head, disengaging every bit of restrain in him.

“I don’t care about her past.. She makes me happy and not you or anyone else can stop me from seeing her. I am marrying that person no matter what.” Soon-Il asserted.

The stormy weather was blending in with the atmosphere at the Kwon household. Soon-Il’s mother tried to calm her son down as this was the first time he had ever raised his voice at his father like that.

“Have you lost your mind? What in the world has that filthy woman told you? She’s gotten in your head for God’s sake! Disgrace and monstrosity runs in her blood. I will not have a person like that in this family!”

“You don’t have the right to talk about her like that! You don’t know anything!” Soon-Il shouted back. He had enough of his father belittling the love of his life. He refused to hear any more of it. “If you can’t accept her then… then you’ll have to disown me.” Soon-Il firmly said.

END OF FLASHBACK

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HELLO DEAR READERS! 

Sorry if I haven't update in a while! School has been taking most of my time! 

How's everyone doing?? :D 

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This will be the start of the series of flashbacks that will happen in the next few chapters :D Just giving a heads up! 

oh and let me know what you think about this chapter! :D 

-ymllama