After the call, Daehyun was taken to the cell where he waited for Youngjae, however, several hours flew by and it didn’t seem like Youngjae was going to show up anytime soon and then Daehyun ultimately fell asleep on the bench with the sound of the rain.   

Chapter 31: With You.

“Hey, wake up, punk, this isn't a hotel!” A man said loudly, making Daehyun open his eyes and jump out of the bench “You’re free to go”

    “What?” Daehyun mumbled in confusion, he had forgotten he was in jail, but once the officer opened the cell door, he rushed outside and followed him to the front counter where families and detainees waited for their turn.

    Daehyun looked for Youngjae in the crowd, but to his surprise the person in front of him was Natalie who was wet from top to toe and her sky-blue dress was covered with mud.

    “What happened to you?” 

    “A moron drove past and splashed me with a puddle” she shrugged “But it's nothing compared to what happened to you” she reached out her hand to cup his face, but he pulled away.

    Daehyun's face was covered in bruises, his left eye was swollen and there were cuts on his eyebrow, nose and lips.

   “What are you doing here?” Daehyun averted his eyes, he didn't want her to see him like that.

   “I came to bail you out” she said “He (cousin) called me to say what happened, his version anyway. I can't believe what you did! Why did you do that? It's between me and him... Now you're like this ‘cause of me”

    “I couldn’t do nothing after what he did to you”

    “You're such a good friend” she said and that hurt more than the punches and kicks “Let's go to the hospital”

    “I'm fine” 

    “You’re not!”

    “I won’t go to any hospital. I don’t need it. I don’t want to”

    “Then let's go to the apartment” she gave him a little smile “I’ll call a cab while you wait here, is that all right?” she said and left.

    Daehyun exhaled deeply and sat next to an old man that reeked of alcohol and he didn’t mind, he had been in a cell that smelled worse for hours. He just wanted to dig a hole and hide himself in it. He didn’t expect Natalie to come to the rescue, he felt like a loser, she looked at him with pity instead of admiration, she wasn’t impressed he was beaten up for her.

Youngjae entered the busy police station. He studied the place, there were dozens of desks and benches with drunkards and hookers, he couldn’t understand why Daehyun was there. What the hell he did, he thought during the whole trip.

    “Do you need anything?” A police officer scowled at him, the young man standing in the middle of the lobby looked rich, maybe he was mugged and wanted to file a complaint.

    “No”

    “Then get the hell out of here, you’re in my way”

    “Sorry” he moved aside to let him pass “Wait, actually, I’m looking for…” The man ignored him, so Youngjae looked around in order to find a nicer officer who could tell him about Daehyun’s whereabouts, however, it wasn’t necessary as he found Daehyun sitting between drunk men on a shabby bench. He almost didn’t recognize him, since his face was crap, there were bruises and cuts everywhere, that view made his heart flinch, he wanted to kill the guy that did that to him (if Daehyun didn’t do that already), he thought as he walked over and said:

    “Your face!!! What the happened?!!!”

    Daehyun was half asleep, so when he heard Youngjae’s familiar voice yelling at him, he almost fell out of his seat.

    “Youngjae?” Daehyun frowned, lost and confused, as the younger in gray sweater, black jeans and black sneakers stood before him “What are you doing here?”

    “You called me, don't you remember? Do you have a that you don’t remember?!!!”

    “I'm fine” Daehyun said “It’s been hours, so I thought you weren’t coming”

    “What are you talking about? It’s just been an hour”

    Daehyun pouted like Youngjae was lying.

    “Ok, maybe an hour and a half” the younger said “I forgot my wallet in the office, but now I’m here, I’ll post bail, so we can leave” he said and rushed to the counter, not letting Daehyun to tell him that Natalie already made bail.  

“Someone called Natalie Lee posted bail for you” Youngjae came back with a folder “What kind of name is that?” he took one look at the man seated to Daehyun’s right “Hey, ajusshi, move” The man was too drunk to understand, Youngjae pushed him aside and sat next to the photographer.

    “So this says your last name is Jung, but Dasom’s last name is Park, isn’t?” Youngjae stared at the folder with a frown before staring at Daehyun, waiting for an explanation.

    “It’s not uncommon for siblings to have different last names” Daehyun didn’t feel like making up a better story.

    “This also says you were arrested for getting into a fight, drunk and ”

    “I was a little drunk, not ”

    Youngjae examined him with his eyes without blinking.

    “Why are you looking at me like a ?”

    “I’m just trying to understand why you got into a fight, ”

    “I didn’t! The one was my cousin!”

    “The guy you fought with is your cousin?” Youngjae said and then everything made sense “So this is what happened, your cousin and Natalie are engaged, he cheated on her. You found him ing another woman, you beat him, he beat you… I hope he’s worse” he made a face before continuing “You were arrested, he called Natalie, trying to play victim, but she knew him better and came here for you asap”

    “You’re really smart”

    “Why do you say that like it’s something hard to believe? I was top of my class. If you didn’t look like crap, I’d slap you with this” Youngjae shook the folder threatening “But I guess you’re happy now”

    “Ok, you’re not so smart. Why do you think I’m happy? Don’t you see my face? I can’t even see with my swollen eye, besides, I think my ribs may be broken, the right side really hurts” Daehyun acted strong and fine in front of Natalie, but he felt he could say the truth to Youngjae; he was in pain. The doctor that worked at the police station gave him Tylenol, but that didn’t work.

    “Come on, you are a hero, I’m sure Natalie threw herself into your arms after seeing you like this. You fought for her. I’d never fight for anybody. You really must be in love”

    “You’re wrong” Daehyun clenched his jaw “She said I’m good friend and even looked at me with pity, like she knows my feelings for her, but she’d never feel the same”

    “Did you tell her your feelings?”

    “How could I? She keeps calling me friend”

    “At least she doesn’t call you brother. You should tell her how you feel”

    “I can’t. I’ve kept my feelings all these years... She lives in Andong, she said she was going back in a few hours… Maybe finally I’ll be able to get over her”

    “And then she’ll show up again and you’ll be like this again, aren’t you tired? Just tell her, maybe she loves you back, maybe not, you need to tell her, so you can move on”

    “Are you happy with Nahyun?” Daehyun asked out of nowhere, Youngjae didn’t even know he knew his girlfriend’s name.

    “No” he replied honestly.

    “So you want me to follow love advice from you? You, who isn’t happy”

    “It’s very different, you love this girl, you’re dying LITERALLY for her” Youngjae said “I’m even jealous, I’d say yes to anyone who fights for me like you fight for her, so stop being a coward and go for her”  

    Daehyun was so awestruck by Youngjae’s confidence, words and beautiful gestures he didn’t see Natalie coming.

    “Daehyunnie, the car's here” Natalie stopped mid-sentence as she saw Youngjae.

    “What are you doing here?!” they said in unison and Daehyun startled.

    “Do you know each other?”

    “He's the moron that splashed me with his car!!!”

    “You were jaywalking!!!”

    “I was on the sidewalk, you blind man!!!” she yelled him back and frowned at Daehyun “Do you know him?”

    “He's the guy that lives upstairs”

    “And she is?”

    “Natalie”

    “You are Natalie?” Youngjae checked out the -haired girl. She was indeed good-looking, thin and taller than average, she could even be a model.

    “What you looking at, psycho?” she snapped her fingers in front of his face and then turned to Daehyun “Let's go back to the apartment, the cab is waiting”

    “Apartment? What’s wrong with you?” Youngjae said “He has to go to the hospital!”

    “He doesn't want to”

    “Who cares what he wants?” Youngjae grabbed Daehyun by the arm and got up from the bench “We're going to the hospital”

    “I'm fine” Daehyun bit his lower lip to keep from crying out in pain, his right side was killing him.

    “You said you have broken ribs”

    “I said maybe”

    Youngjae poked at his right side.

    “It hurts!!! You do that again and I punch you!!! I just fought someone bigger than you!!!”

    In reply, Youngjae poked at him again making him twist in pain “We’re going” he dragged him outside where his car was parked while Natalie followed them, not knowing what to do, she couldn’t believe Daehyun was friend of someone so mean, Youngjae didn’t only splashed her, he rolled down the window and flipped the bird.

Youngjae threw Daehyun into the car and Natalie was about to enter too when the chief editor turned to her and said:

    “What do you think you’re doing?”

    “Go to the hospital with my friend, I’m not going to leave him alone, especially with you”

    “Your friend” Youngjae rolled his eyes “You think the problem is me? He wouldn’t have to go to the hospital if it weren’t for you” he inhaled sharply “Are you really stupid or are you pretending not to know what’s going on?” he shook his head, incredulous “If you really don’t know, go back to your loser boyfriend and stay away from him (Daehyun), you have done nothing but hurt him”

    Natalie opened to reply, but there weren’t words, she just stood there as Youngjae got in the car.

    “Isn’t she coming?” Daehyun looked out of the window, Natalie seemed off.

    “She said she’s tired, so I told her to go home and rest”