Episode 26: The truth is revealed

 

Minho sighed.

 

“You should’ve told me that the real reason why you wanted me to go with you was to act as your money jar” he handed the clerk his own card.

 

But I took the card back and bowed my head at the clerk:

 

“W-We won’t buy anything”

 

“Huh?” I handed Minho his card back and went to put everything back to where it was. “Hey, seriously?” Minho followed after me.

 

“It’s not what you think! I would never do that!” I bit my lip.

 

“I-It’s fine! I was just joking I wasn’t serious!”

 

“Even though, I won’t buy if I don’t have the money”

 

“, why do things have to go this way” he messed his hair looking annoyed.

 

We left the store and I was completely lost in thoughts.

 

I’m pretty sure that my father wouldn’t leave me without any money to spend. He was the one who told me that I needn’t to pack many clothes and that I’ll be able to shop from Seoul.

 

Then why would he suspend my cards now?

 

I heard a sigh:

 

“It’s ok, you can buy whatever you need and pay me back later if you want; so stop sulking” Minho patted me on the head.

 

“No, thanks for the offer but I think we should head back now” I was having a real bad feeling, and wanted to go back quickly.

 

“Huh? Are you sick perhaps?” Minho strode forth, as I headed with rushed steps toward the entrance.

 

“I don’t know, but I just want to go home” I looked left and right, not knowing why.

 

“Oh, for Heaven’s sake…” he made me halt and lifted my jaw up “We came all the way here at least let’s have some fun!”

 

“I… don’t know..” I my eyelids were flapping as I gazed downward.

 

“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

 

“Ok, fine!” I would do anything but allow Minho to sense my uneasiness and keep asking me like he’s doing now. “What do you suggest we do?”

 

“Umm…” he tapped his jaw and then smiled “I heard they have a wing for arcade games! Let’s check it out!”

 

I felt my energy coming back as soon as I heard the word “arcade”

 

“Yay! This is the best thing you said today!”

 

***

 

We went to the arcade area and it was crowded with people from different ages.

 

“Oh nice! Let’s put a bet on it; the winner must-” he said smartly.

 

“No! If you’re making me do something else I dislike, consider our friendship ending!” I shrugged.

 

“Ok, ok, you won!” he raised his palms in defeat. “So, what do you want to play first?”

 

“Basketball!” I clapped my hands and started to jump in excitement.

 

“Wait… seeing how excited you are, I can’t help but imagine the shame I’ll be put in if a girl actually was to beat me in a sports’ game!” he put his arms in an “x” sign. “That’s a no”

 

“Haha, you’re no fun… I never knew that your self-esteem was that low!”

 

“WHAT?”

 

I picked up the small ball.

 

“If you think otherwise then let’s play!”

 

“Ok! You’re the one who wanted this! You better get ready Miss!”

 

He started to get fired up and thus, the game begun.

 

***

 

We were seating to a table in a coffee-shop:

 

“I can’t believe it!” Minho sounded so desperate.

 

“Haha”

 

“How could you… beat me in every single game?”

 

“Beats me~” I enjoyed seeing him upset like that, “That’s my payback for all the teasing you gave me” I the juice from the straw. “Mmm this is very refreshing!” I loved the taste of victory mixed with the sweetness of the drink.

 

Minho rested his head on his clenched hands and stared at me with a smile.

 

“Aren’t you drinking that?” I pointed at his juice.

 

“Here, you can have it” he pushed it slightly my way.

 

“You think I’d refuse?” I happily started to drink it.

 

“Aigo~ our gourmand Jin” he sounded like a grandma and it was nauseating.

 

“Don’t tell me you…” My eyes widened as I realized it.

 

He nodded still on his same silly position saying:

 

“This is our second kiss for the day”

 

I pushed the goblet away reluctantly as I shut my eyes close trying to erase what I just heard from my memory.

 

“Ah!” Minho let out a scream and I looked to find out that the drink was spilled on his clothes I covered my mouth.

 

This time I really didn’t do it on purpose.

 

“You really… are unbelievable” he stared at his stained shirt and I rose up to my feet.

 

“Oh my… I’m sorry” I apologized.

 

“Wait here, I’ll go and clean it” he got up to his feet and left toward the washing room.

 

Oh, how embarrassing!

 

I sank into my chair, trying to avoid the looks of the other customers.

 

The waiter came and cleaned the table and I apologized at him repeatedly but he told me not to worry about him.

 

Minho sure did take a long time in there…

 

It’s been 15 minutes already and I decided to watch T.V meanwhile.

 

But as soon as I looked at the screen, the thing that I saw made my eyes go wide:

 

“No…No way…”

 

“… It has been a month now ever since Mr. Mikasa’s private jet crushed and till today there still are no news concerning his daughter Ms. Mikasa Jin whom whereabouts remained unknown and some rumors say that she passed away as a victim of the fire that ruined the Mikasa’s mansion but her dead body was yet to be found…”

 

No…

 

I fell to down to my knees.

 

It… can’t be…

 

My hands started to shake, and my sight became blurry.

 

“…Even with the company going bankrupt and the Heiress’s disappearance, the police forces are doing their best to expose the mysteries wrapping this dark case…”

 

***

 

(Minho’s POV)

 

“I’ll forgive you since the stain managed to come off haha” I was looking down at my clean shirt as I reached the table but then got surprised to find Jin kneeling down.

I hurried and crouched in front of her:

 

“Haha, don’t be that upset I said, I took care of it” I patted her shoulder but she didn’t raise her head.

 

“Hm? Jin?” I bent down to be able to see her face expression that was hidden by her bangs and hair.

 

But she leaned my way and her forehead bumped against mine.

 

“Ouch! How many times did you hit me today?!” I fell back on my but found myself catching her by the shoulders “Jin?!” I shook her “Hey, are you…?”

 

She passed out and I saw how wet her cheeks were.

 

“Oh no” I made her ride on my back with the help of the waiter. “This isn’t the time for you to collapse!”

 

I was able to summon an ambulance and luckily, the hospital wasn’t far away from this building.

 

“You better be ok!”

 

***

 

I was almost falling asleep while waiting for Jin to wake up and she suddenly opened her eyes, I found myself jumping up to my feet:

 

“Jin!”

 

She looked at me with wide blood-shot eyes.

 

“Jin! What happened to you?” I was dead-worried and seeing her current state made me more anxious.

 

She started to cover her ears and shake her head while staring at her lap:

 

“No!” she yelled “NOO!”

 

“C-Calm down!! Why are you doing this?”

 

“I must go!” she pushed away the bed-sheets “I must go!”

 

“Go?” I blocked her way.

 

 “Move out of the way!” she panted, gritting her teeth and I never saw her that angry.

 

“Where are you going in this condition?” I spoke back at her.

 

“I’m going back to Japan!” she shouted, finally breaking into tears.

 

To Japan?

 

I could no longer understand what’s going on.

 

“Move it!” she shoved my chest and kept crying “Move I said!”

 

Seeing her like that broke my heart, but I had to know what made her act this berserk. She bumped with her fists on my chest and fell slowly down to her knees.

 

“Whyyy?” she cried “Father!!”

 

Just then two nurses hurried in the room and carried her to the bed with her resisting them brutally.

 

“We need to inject her with a tranquilizer” the nurse pointed out.

 

“I must go and see my father! Let me go!” she repeated, trying to push them away.

 

My eyes widened.

 

Her father?

 

“Poor thing” the nurses sighed, finally injecting her with the tranquilizer and she immediately closed her eyes.

 

“It must be hard to lose one’s parent at a young age”

 

Hearing their words,

 

“It can’t be true…” I tried to shake away the idea.

 

“Wait...doesn’t she look like that girl?” the nurse stared at her face.

 

“Right, I thought so too” the other nodded.

 

“Look like who?” I asked.

 

“The daughter of the Japanese businessman that died in a flying accident” she held her jaw “What was his name again?”

 

“Mikasa something?” the other added.

 

“M-Mikasa?” my throat felt so dry suddenly. “Did you just say Mikasa?”

 

They nodded looking a bit scared. And I found myself taking out my phone and checking the internet.

 

I covered my mouth as I quickly read the first article I found.

 

“Nonsenses…” I glimpsed at Jin.

 

For a person as emotional as her to hear about all of this…

 

But then I remembered about Hyun Jin.

 

“Right…” my eyes teared “That bastard…” I gaped. “Instead of remaining by her side at a time like this when she needed him most…”

 

I punched my palm in frustration.

 

“He better has a good reason for it”

 

I immediately called him and he picked up:

 

“You rascal”

 

‘Did you call me just to say that?’

 

“When you broke up with Jin… did it have to do with her father passing away?!” I raised my voice in annoyance.

 

‘…’

 

“Say something!”

 

‘I don’t need to explain anything to you’

 

“Fine” I bit my lip and nodded “Then I’ll take Jin to Japan!”

 

‘Wha..?’

 

“Unlike you, I do care about her and I think she must go and save her father’s company at least!”

 

‘Don’t be ridiculous and listen up!’

 

“No, you listen up, I don’t care if your father has to do with your sudden change in attitude toward her but… either ways, you should know that I’ll do my best to prevent you from seeing her ever again!”

 

‘Her life is in danger you fool!’

 

I blinked, hearing his sharp and serious tone.

 

‘Jin’s life is in danger, and my father is actually hiding her in the academy until the ones responsible for wrecking her life got brought to custody!’ he uttered in one breath.

 

“You…” my voice lowered.

 

‘So in order to protect her, Jin should not know of this!’

 

“It’s too late… she already does…”

 

‘WHAT?’

 

I looked over my shoulder and saw her sitting on the edge of the bed, gripping her head with her both palms.

 

“We’re in the metropolitan hospital… if you want to come” I dropped my arm down and pressed the button to hang up on him.

 

“Minho?” she raised her face at me. “Is it true that my father…?”

 

Seeing her like that and not being able to console her or lighten her pain, I felt so useless.

 

I clenched my fist and averted my gaze, closing my eyes.

 

You better show up soon you bastard or I will never forgive you for leaving her.

 

***To be continued