Th"I swear to all the angels and saints, Wonshik..." Jaehwan muttered under his breath while he paces back and forth in front of the cyborg. "I am this close! This close you putting you back into your capsule and shut your system down!" he exclaimed. The scientist slammed both of his hands onto the table where the other guy was and looked straight into his eyes.
Wonshik slightly flinched on the sound that Jaehwan's hands made upon slamming on the table. He wanted to talk but no words would come out of his mouth, not to mention that he can't think properly as of the moment. The cyborg looked down with guilt forming in his face. "I...." he paused before letting out a sigh. "I don't know anymore, hyung..."
He looked up, teary eyed. "I feel like I'm being a burden to everyone, especially to Jihyun..." Memories of the chaotic situation earlier came back to his mind. He was being particularly cold to Jihyun the past few days and acting like there is something wrong. Jihyun being a keen observant, decided to confront him this morning while the two of them were the only ones looking after the coffee shop.
==
Jihyun sat in front of him and lightly grasped his arm. "Wonshik..." she paused and looked at him straight into his black orbs. "Is there something wrong? Are we okay?" those words tasted like metal for her, but she had to say it to him because in all honesty, Jihyun is about to explode because of frustration.
"Did I say anything or have I done something to offend you? to trigger your buttons for you to ignore and be cold to me the past few days?" she asked, again
He looked up, trying to maintin his poker face but failed as he stared at her with guilt in his eyes. "Jihyun..." he paused and held her hand.
"I don't think... this is working anymore..."
She looked at him with utter confusion. "What do you mean 'this'?!" she hissed, but Wonshik didn't even flinch the slightest. "Us, Jihyun." he paused. "We are not working out anymore. I don't want to burden you anymore..."
"I don't understand, Wonshik. I--. We're doing okay! What do you mean 'not working'?"
"Jihyun, please..." he croaked as if a lump was forming in his thorat. As he was telling this to her, it felt like he was being stabbed a hundred times. "You don't understand.."
Jihyun stood up furiously, making her chair stumble in the process. "Then make me understand!!!"
"Make me understand on why the hell, all of a sudden, you are trying to break up with me!!!"
That was it. Tears started flowing from their eyes, not even looking at each other. As Jihyun wobbled her way to sit down, Wonshik stood up and knelt down right in front of her. He held her hand on his right and cupped her cheek on his left, making her look at him. "You deserve someone better than me----"
"Why are you doing this to me...." she cried, bringing her head down even with his hand on her cheek. "Wonshik, please... don't do this..."
He left a lingering kiss on her forehead before he stood up, his face tear-strained as well. "I'm sorry, Jihyun. I really am..." with that, he stood up and walked his way out of the coffee shop, leaving Jihyun sobbing her heart out all alone.
==
"What made you think that Jihyun deserves someone better?! Kim Wonshik, she left everything for you!!" he explained to the younger man. "Are you ing cheating on my best friend?!" he held him by his collar. Wonshik, forcefully pushed his grip off of his shirt.
"Seriously, Jaehwan hyung?! You'll accuse me of cheating?! Did you even think if I really wanted this?!" the cyborg exclaimed.
"Then what the hell is wrong with you?!"
Just then, Sanghee suddenly burst inside the shop, holding her smartphone. "YOU TWO JUST CUT IT OUT!!!" she screamed on the top of her lungs, Taekwoon following behind her before he went straight to Jaehwan and tried to pull him away from Wonshik. "Jaehwan, you need to calm down..." he said.
Sanghee took a glimpse of Jaehwan before intensely gazing at Wonshik's eyes. She held out her phone in front of him. "I can't reach her. Jihyun turned off her phone..." "What do you mean?" Jaehwan butted in. Sanghee and Taekwwon exchanged glances before he finally spoke.
"Jihyun ran away. Sanghee tried to console her and went to her room. But then, she found her room empty. Her closet is a mess and I think she took a few things with her...." Taekwoon explained, giving uneasy glances to the two men in the room. Jaehwan pried off from his hyung's hold and walked past Wonshik.
"You bastard. This is all your fault...." he pointed at him. Sanghee stood beside Wonshik and tried to defend him. "Jaehwan oppa.---" "Sanghee don't you dare...." he stopped her and turned to Wonshik again.
"If Jihyun doesn't return tonight, I'm shutting you down, Kim Wonshik. Remember that...."
=+=
After a long bus ride on a cold day, Jihyun finds herself seating by a huge glass window. She looks at the busy streets of Seoul; sun almost setting down as the night slowly creeps out of the sky. She adjusts her jacket because she's starting to feel cold.
She slightly flinched when she felt another presence right beside her. A mug of hot chocolate blocked her view upon turning around. "It's getting cold. Drink this..." she looked up to the person who spoke and gently held the warm cup, muttering a thanks before taking a little sip.
"You know, you should have just picked me instead of him..."
She put down her mug and weakly smiled at her companion. "Cut it out, Hongbin. You're not helping..." she said, looking down on the floor again. She played with the hem of her sweatshirt before letting out a sigh. "I don't know what to do anymore, Bin-ah..."
"Well, maybe he's just thinking too much. I've known Wonshik better since diapers, Jihyun. I'm sure my best friend didn't mean to say those words to you..." Hongbin said, pushing his seat closer to her. "He must've been over-thinking these days. Not that I'm trying to be on his side but..." he paused, trying to find the words he would like to convey to her.
"Wonshik tends to think of his future. Trust me on this, Jihyun. He wants to spend the rest of his life with you. Heck, he even told me that he'd want you guys to live on a beach house with your two lovely kids..." Jihyun smiled upon hearing those words from Hongbin.
He squeezed her shoulder, and she looked at him. "But something happened along the way. He was on the brink of death and the next thing we know, he's already living his life as a human and as someone who's partly machine as well..."
Hongbin was about to say something when Jihyun cut him off mid-sentence. "He thinks that he's being a burden when he's not. He even told me that I deserve someone better; someone who's normal and human..."
Hongbin lets out a laugh. "Seriously, Jihyun. Your boyfriend needs a few kicks and punches in order to wake up..."
"More like some shock therapy and a good moment of machine shut down..." she answered back, making the guy smile. She stood up and grabbed her bag. "Thanks for hearing me out, Hongbin. You being here just listening to me is more than enough..."
"Where are you going? It's getting dark outside. I can't let you go back at this time of the night. Wonshik might kill me..." Hongbin said, removing the blanket that was covering the lower part of his body. "I'll go with you. I want to see everyone back there as well. It's been a while since I visited."
Jihyun looked at him from head to toe. "On your wheelchair? How will you drive then?" she stared blankly at him, waiting for an answer. Hongbin wheeled himself to the coffee table where his keys and phone was lying. "Who even said I'm driving? Are you mocking me, Park Jihyun?" he feigned sadness, making her laugh a little.
Hongbin called someone on his phone to drive for them. After that, he wheeled himself to the shoe cabinet to wear his sneakers. Jihyun followed right behind him. "Do you need help putting them on?" she asked, kneeling right in front of him to help him adjust his shoes.
"I might be paralyzed but I can still tie my own shoe laces, thank you very much..." Jihyun snorts on his words, making the guy look at her in confusion. "What?" he asked. Jihyun shook her head, standing up behind him and held onto the wheelchair's handle. "I'm sure your arms are hurting now. Because you helped me tonight, I'll push you anywhere..."
"Now I'm scared..." Hongbin exclaimed.
"What now, Hongbin?!"
"Knowing you, you might even push my wheelchair down the stairs..."
"Hey!!!! How dare you!!!"
=+=
Sanghee sat outside of her capsule, fidgeting with her phone. It has been hours since Jihyun ran away and up to now she hasn't answered to any of her calls and messages and she's starting to get worried. Sure, Jihyun's the type of girl to run away when she's stressed, but she'd always call her to accompany her while she drinks, or even while she does stress eating.
"Don't worry too much about Jihyun. She'll go back here..." She turned upon hearing the voice and finds Taekwoon pulling a chair from the side, putting it right beside her. He pulls out his tablet and scans through it. "You need to rest, Sanghee. You still have your monthly evaluation tomor--"
"Sunbae?"
"Yeah?" he answers back without even looking up from his gadget. Sanghee looks at him and then in front where she can see the bright lights of the busy streets from her window. "Is it bad that I actually agree with what Ravi just said to Jihyun earlier?" she paused.
Taekwoon looks up from his tablet and turned to her side, as if he's waiting for her to look at him. "What do you think?" he asked.
She lets out a frustrated sigh and ran her fingers through her long hair. "I mean, we'll never get to live the normal life. We're cyborgs after all..." she paused, looking at him.
"I actually feel the same way as Ravi does. I don't want to burden any of you guys just because I'm like this.... It kind of makes me feel sad in a way..." her last statement made Taekwoon turn off his tablet and scoot closer to her.
"Sanghee, listen to me..." he starts, putting both of his hands on her shoulder. "Your body might be partly made of machine right now, but always remember this..."
"You're still a human being after all. You can still live a normal life..." he explained but she shook her head, giving him a faint smile.
She stood up and walked towards the wide glass window of her room. "Sometimes I think that this may be the reason why people won't like me..."
"Boys would never find me beautiful." she snorts, and looks up to the night sky. "Maybe this is why Hakyeon sunbae will never fall for a girl like me..."
Pang of jealousy was evident in his eyes, too bad she wasn't able to see it because her back was facing him. But to me, you're beautiful. Why can't I even tell you this now... He stood up and walked to where she is.
"You're beautiful, Han Sanghee..." he turned her body around to face him and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm sure my bestfriend finds you beautfiul as well..." and it felt like he was being punched as he said those words.
"He even took you out on a movie date..." he continued, making her smile and he swears that he saw a faint blush on her cheeks. "That wasn't a movie date, sunbae!" she exclaimed, finally smiling after those dreadful hours.
"Why? Are you jealous?" she joked. I am. So much. "No, I'm not... I don't like going out with him anyway..." he replied.
Just then, the door to her room opened, revealing Jaehwan, still trying to catch his breath. Taekwoon and Sanghee exchanged looks before walking up to him.
Taekwoon was the one who broke the silence. "What's wrong? Did you run all the way from here?" Sanghee looked behind him to see if someone was going to follow suit.
"Jaehwan oppa, by any chance did you really..."
Jaehwan stood up and loosened his collar. "Yes, I did. But before you get mad at me..." he paused and pointed to the stairs. "Jihyun's back..."
Sanghee rushed through the door but Jaehwan blocked her. "She's with someone..." he explained, looking at Taekwoon then back at her.
"Hongbin's also downstairs. He actually drove Jihyun back here---"
Her eyes widened at the mention of name. "Lee Hongbin?!" with that, she ran past through him and hurriedly went downstairs, leaving the two scientists behind.
Taekwoon walked up to him and gave him a blank expression. "So, did you really shut down Wonshik?"
"Not really shut down..." the younger of the two replied, rubbing his neck. He stretches a little before slightly pushing his hyung out of the room. "He actually asked me to put him on sleep mode..."
Taekwoon let out a laugh, just to put on his poker face again when Jaehwan stopped on his tracks to look at him. "You better wake him up now. Jihyun's back.."
The other scientist refuses, the two of them finally making their way inside the lift that will take them downstairs faster. "I'll have Jihyun do it later. They need to talk after this mini reunion tonight..."
== End of Chapter Four ==
OMGGGG!!!! Finally!!! I was able to finish this chapter! I'm so sorry it took me a while to update this story. I actually had a slight writer's block for this ;;;; but yaaaay! And yes, not so good chapter. I'll make it up to you guys on the following updates!
AWWWWYEAAAAH now all of the characters are now ((((introduced)))). Please look forward on Hongbin's role in this story! *wink wink* You guys will get more of our Hongbinnie chingu next chapter ^^ :D
AND OMG THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBING TO THIS STORY T_T <3 Please continue to send your love for Steel Heart!
Thank you for patiently waiting and for reading as well! :3
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