Chapter XI: Promises Left Unspoken

"Your ankle," Jiyong said. Dara looked confused before she looked down and saw that she was bleeding.

"What? Oh…it doesn't seem deep," she mumbled. "I just…I just need to… clean it…" She said distractedly and stepped away from Jiyong. He reached out for her shoulder and forced her to sit down on the chair.

"Where's your first aid kit?" He asked, walking around the kitchen.

"You don't-"

"Where is it Dara?" he demanded, effectively cutting her off. "I'm still your boss." He added.

Dara would have argued that it didn't matter in this setting, but pointed to the top cabinet anyway.

He brought the kit out and walked towards her. She was staring at the floor with a clouded expression; it seemed like she was trying not to look him in the eyes. This bothered him because this was the second time she's become reclusive. Something was clearly bothering her but Jiyong decided not to ask. It wasn't his business to know everything about her.

Jiyong sat on the stool next to her and opened the kit. This one seemed to be the adult version of her kiddy first-aid kit. It had plain bandages and a bigger bottle of regular alcohol among other things.

He glanced at her face; she was still out of it. Just what was it that freaked her out so much? From his point of view, the lightning struck a few times and somewhere in between he saw her face change into one of shock…and he knew that he was the cause.

Without warning, Jiyong grabbed her ankle and pulled it upward until it was sitting across his lap. The gesture made Dara grab onto the counter to prevent her from falling over.

"Jiyong! At least tell me when you're going to do that!" She yelled.

Jiyong ignored that outburst and just held onto her ankle with one hand while grabbing a cotton pad with the other.

"I didn't want to interrupt your daydream." He replied.

She pouted in annoyance and readjusted herself so that she could sit more comfortably. Jiyong dabbed the cotton with the alcohol and rubbed it against the cut.

She flinched at the burning contact and tried to pull her leg away but Jiyong increased his grip before she could.

"I can do that myself," she said as she tried to pull away. Jiyong's hand had a good grip on her foot preventing her from doing so.

"I suppose even doctors can't handle the burn of alcohol." He said, enjoying her look of incredulity.

"Hey…I can take on an alcohol sting better than you. It's just a little awkward having my foot sitting across your lap." She admitted with a microscopic blush.

"Get over it Dr. Park." He said as he continued to clean the cut.

It must have been deeper than she thought because it wouldn't stop bleeding. He pressed a little harder and she let out a small hiss.

"Ow…" she whispered. Jiyong stopped pressing her ankle and brought it up higher to his face so that he could inspect it.

Dara started to panic. From the way he moved it looked like he was going to…to kiss her foot. She froze as he got closer. She held her breath as his face stopped a few centimeters away from her ankle. She could feel his hot breath on her skin as he inspected the cut.

If anyone were to walk in right now, they would find Jiyong and Dara in a very unusual position. To her relief, he placed her foot back down on his lap and turned to look at her.

"It looks like there's a piece of the shattered cup lodged in there." He stated.

Dara blinked before quickly pulling her foot away and looking at it herself. She pressed the area and could feel what he was talking about.

"Damn," she said. "Can you hand me those tweezers?" She asked pointing to the first aid kit. He complied and handed them to her. She proceeded to get the blasted piece of ceramic out of her foot, but so far, no success.

Jiyong watched in amusement as the all mighty Dr. Park, Dara suddenly became a novice who couldn't even remove a splinter like object from her own foot. She was saying "Ow" every two seconds.

Jiyong took the tweezers out of her hand and grabbed her foot again.

"I was doing just fine!" She said trying to grab the tweezers back.

"At this rate, you're just going to hurt yourself even more." He said. He carefully began to pick at the ankle until the tiny shard finally came out.

"There." He said as he placed the shard on the counter.

Dara pouted in defeat as Jiyong disinfected and wrapped the cut, which was bleeding more from removing the shard. She watched as he carefully wrapped the bandages around her foot with that stupid smirk on his face.

She wanted to wipe that smirk off his face with her dainty foot, which his hands held delicately and it was then that she noticed just how gentle he was being with her.

You wouldn't think that a man like Jiyong would be gentle. From the outward appearance, Jiyong looked more like a man that could break you with his lean muscular build, dark and almost rebellious hairstyle, and his eyes; those mysterious, steely orbs that had her so flustered on the night of the recital.

"Maybe you should have become a doctor." She said as he released her freshly bandaged foot from his grasp.

"I'm not particularly good with people, as I'm sure you've noticed." He responded before picking up his cup of tea and taking a sip.

"No, I don't think it's that." She countered as she got up to clean the mess on the floor.

The lighting wouldn't let up and the rain continued to pour down hard.

"I think you're not good with annoying people, like those nurses from this afternoon," she said as she swept the glass with a broom. "Personally I don't blame you for that. Working in a hospital tends to make people a little nutty." She said as she threw the trash into the trashcan.

"But, I know that you're not as antisocial as you claim to be," she continued. "You've got friends like Seungri, Youngbae and Seunghyun and you've raised the sweetest little girl I've ever met."

"Hn." He said as she sat back down.

They sat in the kitchen for a few minutes, neither saying a word to each other. The lighting and thunder continued as the awkward atmosphere grew. Jiyong looked at the clock. It was 11:45 pm. Now that Hayi would be spending the night, he figured that he should get going. There was nothing more to do and he was sure that Dara needed her rest.

Jiyong got up and faced her.

"I'll be going then." He announced before he started walking towards the door.

"Are you crazy?" She asked incredulously. She got up and limped slightly from the cut, mixed with alcohol on her ankle.

"Your plan on driving in that?" She asked pointing to the storm outside the window.

"I'll be fine." He said but Dara wouldn't have it.

"I'm not about to let you run out and get into an accident. You can stay here." She offered.

Jiyong sighed. "Look, I appreciate the offer, but this isn't right. I already told you that I don't want to impose on you."

"You're not imposing," she insisted. "Do you really expect me as a doctor, not to know what can happen when you drive in these conditions? And do you expect me as a friend to just let you drive to a possible death?"

"Dara-"

"No Jiyong. There's no room for argument," she said cutting him off. "You can stay in the guest bedroom. It would really make me feel better if you didn't drive tonight." She pleaded.

Jiyong looked at her and sighed again. She was being melodramatic, but…

’Damn those eyes.’ He thought. They were like Hayi's puppy dog eyes, only Dara's were less innocent and more…he didn't even know. All he knew was that he was somehow, unable to say no to those eyes…or to her.

After a quick debate in his mind, Jiyong consented. What's the worst that could happen? It's not like anyone from work would find out about this.

"Hnn." He said while shoving his hands into his coat pocket.

"Do I take that as a yes?" she asked. Jiyong looked at her as if his response was obvious. She was still looking at him as if expecting a straight answer.

"I'll stay here for the night." He said, looking away and scratching the side of his face. He really felt awkward depending on a woman for any kind of support.

"Great," she said smiling in relief. "I'll get you some clothes." She said before limping up the stairs.

Dara went into her closet and shuffled through the back. She had some of Mino's old clothes that she occasionally liked to wear stored there. She pulled out a pair of black sweatpants and a gray sweatshirt. It was a little cold tonight due to all the rain.

Dara looked at the clothes and briefly wondered what she was doing. These were her husband's clothes. Was she really okay with Jiyong wearing them?

She shook her head and cleared her thoughts. She was the one that insisted that he stay here. The least she could do was make him comfortable. She hopped back down the stairs and found Jiyong sitting on the couch waiting for her. He got up when he saw her.

"Here," she said as she handed them to him. "They should fit." She added as he took them from her.

"Thanks."

"The guest room is down the hall. There's a bathroom right next to it. Just make yourself at home." She said before yawning.

"Alright then," said Jiyong. They both just stood there in the living room, not knowing what to do at this point. Dara looked up at him as he looked down at her. The only noise that could be heard was the rain and thunder from outside.

"Well…goodnight Jiyong," she said. "And…uh…thanks for this." She said while pointing at her bandaged foot.

"Hnn." He said before walking down the hall.

Dara watched him leave for a second before going upstairs again. She walked towards Hanbin's room to check on the kids one more time. She smiled at what she saw.

As usual, Hanbin was sprawled across the bed with one foot hanging off the side with his arms flung out. Hayi on the other hand was curled up into the corner near the wall. Dara came over and gently placed Hanbin back onto the bed and re-tucked him in. Hayi stirred and Dara noticed that she was shivering a bit.

She went to Hanbin's closet and pulled out a thicker comforter. She placed it over both Hayi and Hanbin. She brushed the bangs out of Hayi's face and smiled down at her. She really was the cutest little girl Dara had ever seen. She was so adorable and innocent.

After making sure that the kids were fine, Dara went back to her room and climbed into bed. She let her thoughts drift for a bit before they finally settled into what she usually thinks about before sleeping…Mino.

The Next Morning

Jiyong woke up at roughly 5:00 that morning. After a mere six hours of sleep, his internal clock forced him out of bed. It took a few seconds before it registered that he was not in his house. Recalling last night's events, Jiyong realized that he and Hayi would need to be going home soon so that he can get ready for work and Hayi can get ready for school.

He went across the hall and into the guest bathroom to freshen up. After doing so, he went into the kitchen and found Dara's coffee pot and made whatever coffee that she had available. He grabbed a mug from the cabinet where Dara got the teacups and walked into the living room. He found the remote and turned the TV on to watch the morning news.

Most of the broadcast was on the earthquake from yesterday and all the damage that was caused from it. One particular announcement caught his interest.

"Several injuries resulted from the quake sending dozens of citizens to the nearest hospitals available. Thus far, Seoul Medical Center has been the facility with the most in-patients admitted as of yesterday. Known for its range of specialties, top notch medical staff and accommodations, there is no doubt that SMC will remain true to its standards and provide nothing but the best patient care."

Jiyong had to admit that he felt a sense of accomplishment from that announcement. SMC was the foundation of his family's success and it was good to be acknowledged by the public. After flipping through the different news stations, one more announcement caught his interest.

"Several schools are claiming this day off due to the need for organization and preparation for the students to return. Parents are advised to keep their children indoors for the next 24 hours with emergency supplies in reach in case of any concurrent aftershocks. The following schools are closed: Seoul Daycare Center, Seo…"

Jiyong stopped listening at that point.

He turned the TV off. Now that might serve as a problem. With all the new business at work, Jiyong knew he would have to be there and oversee the order. He knew Dara would definitely not be able to watch the kids. Being the doctor that she is, she would be needed there more than anything.

‘No choice but to see what she says.’ He thought.

It was around 6: 30 in the morning by now and Jiyong wondered when Dara would wake up. He still needed to get home regardless of what she would do but he didn't want to just take Hayi and leave without her knowledge of it.

Jiyong heard the phone ring then. He couldn't exactly pick it up seeing as how this was not his house. He heard some shuffling upstairs and the sound of rushed footsteps. The next thing he saw was quite amusing.

"I'm coming," shouted Dara as if the phone had ears. Jiyong saw her race down the stairs half awake. Her shirt was wrinkled and her hair was a mess. She practically dived for the phone across the counter. Jiyong briefly wondered if this was the only phone in her house.

"Hello?" said Dara after picking up the phone. "Hello…oh really now? I see, well thank you for calling, bye." She said sleepily as she hung up and sighed. She turned from the counter and jumped when she saw Jiyong on the couch.

"Oh my…!" She said while clutching her chest.

"You scared me. I forgot that you're here." She admitted as she walked over and she sat down on the opposite end of the couch.

"The school just called." She informed.

"The kids have the day off. It was on the news," he said when he saw her questioning face. "Not only Seoul Daycare Center but s