◈ Chapter Six ◈
 

After finished the breakfast, Tao took Eunmi to the hospital to treat her sprained ankle. They’re in silence all the way, no one dare to mention about what they had talked at Eunmi’s house. Tao just focused on driving, while Eunmi reading the news in online articles about her birthday party last night. She already expected to read some ‘fancy’ headline tag on the news. But one of it caught her attention. And it has the most readers. Kim Corp. Heir Spotted Together With Huang Zi Tao at Birthday Party, Heirs Couple To Be Confirmed

“This is ridiculous!” She hissed in annoyance.

“What is it?” Tao glanced to his side.

“The news. They didn’t even ask us to give any statement but they have already written something that’s not necessarily true. Ugh, I hate press. And these people are commenting like they know everything. Geez!” She scroll the netizen’s comments on the article furiously.

“Then don’t read. Don’t stress yourself.” He said calmly.

Eunmi put down her phone and tilt her head to her side, looking at Tao. “have you ever been worried with what will they write in the articles about you if they know that we... we are going to be married...? How can you manage to keep calm like... this?” Asked Eunmi with wondering mixed with irritated, almost emphasized every words.

He smirk and shook his head, “Do you always worry about what they think about you? Listen, you’ve become accustomed to that mindset. You’re behaving exactly like what they want, just because you don’t want them to write something bad about you. You just created an image that is not the nature of the real you. I don’t care what will they think of me, because if I give a damn care, I’m not going to be The Young CEO like this.” Eunmi listen to his lecture, hate to admit that he was once again right.

Tao hit the brake slowly, arrived at the destination. He park his car properly before continued to talk, “You’re my fiancé now, so you have to follow my rules from now on. Don’t read any articles online. Better to watch news on TV instead.” He unbuckled the seatbelt and got out from his seat. Eunmi wants to argue his statement to her just now, but she just doesn’t want Tao give her the lengthy lecture again. He walk to Eunmi’s door, opened it and waiting her to get down from the car.

“Just because I’m your fiancé, doesn’t mean I have to listen all of your words, Mr. Control Freak. Geez, tell me again why I ever thought about accepting this marriage with you.” She mutter while unbuckling the seatbelt and step down from his car carefully, not to hurt her leg.

“Because you can’t reject the marriage—” He says, only got a confused look from her. He decided not to continue his sentence. “Can you walk?”

“I still can use my other leg to walk.”  She murmurs. Tao shrugged but still watch her out from his car.

What happen next was already predicted by him. Her leg stumbled while going down from the car and avoid to put her weight on his sprain leg. She fell into Tao embrace, her left leg hurts like hell. He take her carefully to emergency room, a nurse brought her a wheelchair.

“She tripped and her ankle sprained, I think.” Tao speak to the nurse after laid her to the hospital bed. Eunmi still winced in pain.

“May I know her name and age, Sir?” The nurse asked.

“Kim Eunmi, 20 years old.” He answered, aware that the nurse suddenly take a sharp breath, knowing the patient is the heir of the biggest company in Korea, and this hospital is one of the assets. Meaning that she is their VVIP patient.

“A-alright Sir, Doctor Park will be here immediately.” Said the nurse, hastily dismissed herself to call the doctor.

“Your name have a great effect on the people apparently,” Tao says glancing at her direction, shoving his hands to the pocket. He could hear a faint squeal from other female nurses who couldn’t take their gaze off of him.

“And your presence causing that annoying squeal from them.” Eunmi scoffs, looking at the female nurses and rolled her eyes.

“Wait. Am I hear a jealousy in your tone?” He sneered.

“Pft. You wish.” She replied in annoyance. Tao likes her annoying face, kinda cute yet still amusing.

Not long after, the doctor came to examine Eunmi. The doctor looks very young. He almost the same height with Tao, but slightly taller. He looked quite stylish behind his doctor coat. With that face, he is more fit to be a celebrity in Tao’s point of view.

“Good morning, Miss Eunmi.” The doctor emphasize her name, and Tao took that as a sign that the doctor close to her. For how did he knew about that,it’s his expertise in his side job.

“Chanyeol?? You work here?” Was Eunmi response after seeing the doctor. Tao assuming that she really close to the doctor. And he gonna find any information about that without have to asking her.

“Long time no see, Eunmi. You looks mature now,” Chanyeol smiles. Tao watch his every move of him, don’t like the closeness between them. He fought with himself to deny it.

“Why are you doing until you tripped and hurts your feet like this?” Chanyeol asked while examine her ankle. He press gently some parts of her ankle to look her response.

“I was... in a hurry—aww...” She yelp in pain when he pressed near the instep, the swollen area.

Chanyeol talk to the nurse to give her a painkiller shot to lessen the pain and give a prescription. One of the nurses brought a bandage to Chanyeol and he start treating her.

Tao’s eyes focused on Eunmi who look at Chanyeol admiringly while treating her. She seems to have forgotten his presence there. But he can use that situation to observe the doctor further more from his view. He took some conlusions about the doctor by how he behaved in front of Eunmi. First, he was a school friend of Eunmi. Maybe in the same class, by the way Eunmi looks comfortable chatting with him about school days. Second, he is one of her close relatives, by the way he knew some of her habit in home, even asking about her parents  when discussing that topic when he was taking care of her ankle. Third, he is the only ex-boyfriend, one of the conclusions that if it’s true, he doesn’t want to know more.

“There. You have to reduce activities that require you to use your legs so that your ankle can heal quickly. This will be fully recovered about two or three weeks. So, during that time I suggest you to use crutches. It’ll be better if you gently massage in a swollen area after you compressed with ice pack for about 10 to 20 minutes every 1 to 2 hours for this first three days. Fortunately your sprain is still in Grade Two, not too severe but still need to be rested. You got it Eunmi-sshi?” Said Chanyeol giving advice to treat her ankle after finished wrap her left foot with bandages.

“Oh, your boyfriend definitely listen to my explanation just now to treat your ankle, and he would take care of you.” He add. There she realized that she had forgotten Tao’s presence momentarily and immediately looked toward him who obediently nod at Chanyeol’s words.

“Oh... I forgot to introduce you. This is Huang Zi Tao, my...” She paused, pressed her lips into thin line before continue her sentence, but Tao did it for her, “Fiancé.” And outstretched his hand. Chanyeol welcoming and shook his hand friendly. Eunmi sigh in relieved, she is still not ready to introduce him as her future husband. It feels weird for her to call him that.

“Tao, this is Doctor Park Chanyeol, my friend... and... uhm... ex-boyfriend.” She said the last part quietly. Tao responds with a face a bit surprised to know that information, when in fact it is an expression of not pleased to know that his conclusion number 3 is true.

“Congratulations on your engagement, Tao-sshi. Glad to know there is a man after me who could melt her icy heart.” Chanyeol smiled at him, Tao mirroring him.

“Thank you, Doctor. I am definitely going to take care of her and make sure she fully recovered before our wedding day.” Tao move closer to her and embrace her shoulder with his right hand. Eunmi slightly surprise and her body reacted the same way as yesterday evening, when his hands wrapped her. ‘I must have been crazy always feeling like this.’

“Yes, you should. And make sure to invite me to the wedding. You still have my number right, Eunmi?” The latter jolted from her thoughts but nod awkwardly.

◈◈◈

Tao and Eunmi went home after finishing the treatment. Now she walks using crutches with her leg wrapped in bandages. Being the gentlemen, he helped her opened the car door for her and carried her inside, don’t forget to be careful to her sprained leg. He put the crutches in the back seat. He turn on the ignition and started moving the car.

On their way home, they still quiet like before. Eunmi wants to start a conversation with him, many things she wants to ask to him. But she was too shy to start it. And the silence that always wrap them makes her bored. She trying to enjoy the view, but Tao knows that behaviour. He glance over her who turned her head facing the window.

“I guess now it’s Asking Time.” He said unexpectedly. Eunmi turns facing him, somewhat surprised to hear him talk.

“Huh?”

“Ask me everything you want to know about me. Don’t keep it to yourself.”

She wondered if he really allow her to ask everything that she wanted to know about him. On the other hand she actually confused where to start asking, because too many things she wants to know from the very start she met him.

“Ask me now while I’m being nice before I change my mind.” He said, half threatening.

She decided to use that chance to ask before he really change his mind.

“Do you always mean it with what you say?”

Tao didn’t expect she would ask that kind of questions. He thought she wants to know about his life.

“Sometimes. I can only say what I supposed to say, not what I want to say. People will be shock if they hear what’s in my mind.”

“I know you for two days until now. I can see you’re always kind to others, but to me, you’re sometimes... being a jerk. Is it because the marriage thing? What did I do wrong?”

Now she’s completely unpredictable. He laugh a little before answering. No one ever pay any attention to his behaviour before. Even Sehun never ask him like this. She’s the first.

“You’re asking me about my behaviour instead of why did I know everything about you like the one you asked me at the hotel room?”

“Uh... I was about to ask that, but I’m sure I’ll found out the answers later when I know you better,”

He chuckled at her answers. ‘You’re really unpredictable, Kim Eunmi.’

“Well, you’re going to live with me for a long time, and that’s a first for me. I can’t falsify my true nature to you. I am cold, ignorant, and jerk... yeah. You should be getting used to the way I am. I can be kind and friendly in front of people, because I want them return that act to me. But they don’t have to know if I want to stab them from behind. That’s what I learnt from Baba. Sorry to turn down your innocent imagination about me.”

He glanced at her who staring at him with an expression he couldn’t guess. It makes him even more interested with her. She didn’t judge him as soon as she heard his sentence.

“We only doing this marriage for business, Eunmi. We’re just puppets. You might be disappointed if you know me deeper.”

“I know, and don’t worry, I had imagine the worse of you.” She smirked. She’s used to disappointment. But she was always able to cover it by make herself happy and not too concerned about the disappointment she experienced and that caused her to not rely on others.

“Any other question?” He asked with slight humor in his tone.

“Actually many, but... you can tell me your number so I can ask the rest of my questions on the phone anytime when I feel curious,” She pulled her phone from her pocket and wave it in front of him. Tao just laugh. Only Sehun knows his number.

“I’ll text you my number you can call.” Unknowingly, she pouts with scowled face in annoyance. ‘Playing mysterious again.’

“Now my turn,” He said. Eunmi turned her head to him.

“How long... you’re dating him?” He actually didn’t want to know about her romance history with the doctor, but curiousity get the best of him.

She chuckled at the question. “Now you actually ask,”

“You have a choice not to answer—”

“3 years. We broke up a year ago. He’s my senior in high school, the smartest and the youngest graduated. Even in the college, I heard he graduated 2 years earlier from medical academy. He’s around your age.” Her eyes staring blankly when told him, then immediately back to look at him.

“I thought you know about this, Mr. Knows-Everything.” She said sarcastically.

“I only know that you have only one ex. I don’t need to know who he is... at that time. Today he appeared out of the blue and I’m just curious about your relationship with him.”

“Sorry, am I heard a jealousy?” She sneered, imitate him back at the hospital earlier.

“Tch, not gonna happen.” He denied. She smile amusedly at his reply.

She could have told him how she and Chanyeol met, why they broke up and all the stories about them in the past to Tao, but she knew he would find it by himself since he finally ask about it. Somehow she learn a bit about his personality.

“Looks like your plan on our wedding date will be postponed until your legs fully recovered.” He said matter-of-factly.

“Yeah, I’m thankful for that. I have more time to prepare myself.” She adjust her sitting position, loosen her leg that began to stiffen.

“But you’re still going to move and live with me.” He informed.

“What?” She whipped her head to her left side, looking at him in horror, thought she could avoid it happening.

“That’s an order from your parents and grandafather for you, I can do nothing about it.” He said nonchalantly, continued his focus to drive, ignoring the girl next him who groaned in annoyance.

◈◈◈

Pretty quick update. A gift for my subscribers and commenters for boost up my writing mood. Hehe

So... is there anyone who can guess what is Tao's side job? I gave you a clue in this chapter, though. Kkk~

Next chapter is going to take a while to be published, sorry for the bad news :(

Do you like this chapter? It's quite short I think. 

Just to remind you, I'm bad at grammar, so forgive me if there's any mistakes. :>

Thank you for reading ^^