Yong Do was distracted.

Thoughts were swarming in his head like mad bees, making it impossible to properly grasp even one and only irritating him further.

That´s when a surprising sting made him snap his gaze to his hand. He was bleeding.

Mind suddenly blank, he could only stare at the slowly oozing cut.

He was going to just wash away the blood and continue cleaning the dishes.

„Ayaaaa, ani, ani, stop!“ An urgent voice, a slender, smaller hand caught his before he could move. He looked at the intruder that dared to touch him ,only to stand flabbergasted, blinking at the weird girl holding his palm and talking a mile a minute.

„Aish, you can´t do that! Arasso? The wound can get infected. Oh, look at that, ts ts! You poor thing. I should have bandages here somewhere! I know I had some. Where are they?! Ah!“

Yong Do barelly understood the flood of english words mixed with broken korean, when the foreign girl finally stopped rummaging through her purse,right hand still holding his wrist.

„Yah, what do you think you are doing?!“ He finally snapped out of his daze. The girl lifted her eyes to his, smilling brightly.

„I´m putting a bandage on that hurt finger of yours.“ She brought his hand closer to her, wrapping the stinging digit in a Star Wars themed bandage.

He blinked twice, this strange situation was making him more and more confused.

She started rolling up the sleeves of her sweater and bumped his hip with hers to make him move.

„What the hell do you think you are doing? Who are you? What are you doing here, this is staff only area?!“ His angry and exasperated voice resonated through the kitchen, making the staff cringe and hurry in their proceedings, to get away from the upset heir.

Yong Do was taking in a deep breath, preparing for another tirade, when her right hand snapped up holding a staff ID with her photo, the left was correcting the temperature of water.

„It´s not good to wash dishes when your hand is injured, the wound might get infected.“ Her korean was halted, the pronunciations slightly off. She calmly started washing the remaining dishes, handing him the clean ones to be dried and put away. Yong Do didn´t know how to react, he was slightly offended, frustrated, but also curious.

„You work here? How come I never saw you in the kitchen?“

„Uhuh, I just started. And I don´t work in the kitchen, I´m on my lunck break here.“ Eyes on the peculiar girl, Yong Do almost let a plate slip out from his grasp. She snorted at him, shoulders shaking in silent laughter.

„So what are you? A maid? Do you even know who I am?“ He tried getting some of his pride back by being intimidating. But she didn´t even look at him, eyes on the dishes when she responded.

„I act as a delegate in the hotel, I provide services and consulations for the foreign visitors. And yes, I do know who you are Choi Yong Do-shi, all staff knows the infamous heir of the Zeus hotel.“ She lifted left eyebrow, waiting for his reaction.

„You don´t look like a delegate to me. You look like a kid!“ He replied, smirking.

To his surprise she started laughing.

„I guess I still am a kid. I´m only three years older than you.“

„What?!“ Yong Do exclaimed. She looked younger than him with her small posture and pixie-like hair.

„Call me noona!“ She ordered and immediately started giggling insanely.

„You are a crazy person.“ He shook his head, clicking his tounge. She leaned into him conspiratively and whispered with a serious face:

„The best people are.“ Lips stretching into wide grin.

Yong Do couldn´t help it to start laughing at her antics. If anything this lunatic at least brought him a brief respite in this madness that is his life right now.

Well at least she fits in the overall theme of these last days.

 

 

***

Yon Do was marching through the vestibul of the hotel. Mind set on a goal, his stride was long and brisk, but he hesitated near the entrance. Anxiousness and fear eating away from his boldness, he looked around searching for something to help him make another step.

And here it was.

Siting farther away from the entrance in one of the chairs, quickly checking data on tablet and comparing them in a beautiful notebook.

Yong Do lost the sense of time. He didn´t know if it was a day, two or three when he first saw her. But she brought with her a breeze of fresh air and he could take a deep breath the first time in a long while when he was with her.

So maybe today it will work too.

He changed his course to her.

„Get up, you are going with me!“ He grabbed her purse, snatching the tablet and cramming it in. She jumped in fright.

„What?! You! Where, huh?!“ Yong Do took her wrist, yanking her out of her seat and dragging her with him.

„Wait, wait, wait!“ She yelled, yanking back and snatching the notebook and her jacket from the back of the chair.

 

„I never rode on something like this.“ She stood stubbornly before the motorbike.

„It´s a motorbike, it won´t bite you. Come on! It´s okay, I´ll keep you safe.“ His english surprised her, so she wasn´t fighting when he put a helmet on her head, shaking it a little to make the helmet settle. She let out and uncomfortably sounding whine.

„You look cute like this.“ He smirked doing the clasps under her chin, she only huffed.

„Where should I put my feet?“ She asked after she sat behind Yong Do´s back.

„Huh?“

„Feet! Feet! Where should I put them?!“ She yelled.

„Aish, you are impossible!“ He turned around instructing her where to put what, how to hold onto him and when to lean on what side when they were riding so they wouldn´t lose their balance. She kept nodding, listening carefully, positively frighetened. When they finally got on the road she screamed so loud the first five minutes, Yong Do thought he would go deaf.

 

They stopped before a caffe. The over-powering roar of the motorbike´s engine cut off , leaving a heavy silence in it´s place. She recognized that something serious was happening, for once Yong Do  became quiet.

Not only his voice, he didn´t say a word, his while aura dimmed. All of his energy was buzzing under his skin, making him appear tense.

He was afraid, she realized.

Finally he approached the doors to the little caffe, but stopped. Looking through the glass at something. She peeked from behind him. A woman.

„Who is she?“ He didn´t respond, only kept swalowing, his eyes gaining a misty look. She inspected the woman once again.

„Your mom?“ She whispered. Solving the puzzle when she put all pieces that she had about the young heir together.

Yong Do only nodded, not able to utter a single word.

She looked at him, then at the woman cleaning the tables.

Yong Do stumbled two steps forward after she suddenly pushed him.

„Don´t be afraid. I´ll be waiting here.“ She said gently.

Yong Do put one foot before the other, opening the door and looking his mother into her eyes after a long painfull years of longing.

 

***

 

Yong Do passed by Kim Tan, not looking at him, holding his head high, his gaze set straight ahead, when he heard a familiar voice hollering.

„Choi Yong Do!!!“ He couldn´t help it, his lips stretching into wide grin.

A girl was waving at him, jumping up and down enthusiastically.

„What are you doing here? This is high-school, you know? I think you are a few years late.“ He smirked at her. She slapped his arm, pouting.

„What?! I can´t come see a friend on his first day of senior year?! You made it! Congratulations!“ She proffered a brightly packed present from inside her coat. For a minute Yong Do didn´t know how to respond, this girl always left him lost for words.

He took the present, carefully unwrapping it. How long was it since he last got a present from someone?

Leather peeked out from the wrapping. Leather glowes.

„I thought you could use  new ones. Sorry, I couldn´t come up with anything better.“ She said scrunching her nose and frowning, her hands fidgeting.

Yong Do swallowed, a huf of laughter leaving his mouth.

„You know I don´t do friends.“

A shock followed by hurt quickly settled on her face. She didn´t see it coming.

Yong Do leaned down cowering her lips with his in a sweet, short kiss.

„I´ll just have to make you my girlfirend.“ He grinned.

She kept blinking at him. Bright blush overtook her cheeks, she gulped in a mouthfull of air and showed him away. At least she tried. Yong Do started laughing, she hid her face with her palms.

„Yaah, Choi Yong Do!“ She looked at him, happiness shinning in her eyes.

She was right, Yong Do thought.

The best people really are at least a little mad.