Here’s the second part of the double update!

Jongin watched the girl who was silently walking beside him, along the partly crowded street after dinner. “That restaurant serves the best Chinese dishes in town, and that too, at a reasonable price.” He said, trying to start a conversation between them since she was busy checking out the fancy stalls along the street. “You enjoyed the meal... didn’t you?” he asked eagerly.

She nodded with a small smile on her lips, somewhat surprising Jongin. “Then shall we visit that place often? I’ll treat you to dinner every now and then.” He suggested with a beaming face.

“We’ll see.” Haesol replied curtly. “Can’t we just go now? It’s late now and I’m getting sleepy.”

Jongin shook his head at once. “I was ordered to spend this whole amount.” He held out the pouch of money Seora had given him earlier that evening. “So we should at least watch a puppet show with this.” he grinned at her, dangling the pouch of coins in front of her face.

“Whatever.” Haesol muttered under her breath, but was soon getting dragged away by him, since he had spotted the place he was heading to, the place which held puppet shows in the market.

“Today’s tale is about the true and pure love of a royal warrior and a nurse from the queen’s palace!!!” the story teller announce aloud, earning cheers and applause from the spectators sitting on mats before the small stage prepared for puppets. “It’s a story about how a handsome and great soldier of the king fell in love with an innocent and pretty nurse who served the queen.”

“Isn’t that a bit similar to us?”

Jongin leaned to the side and whispered to Haesol who was sitting beside him. “I’m already excited for the story.” He said grinning at the empty stage.
“It’s a story about true and pure love he said. So it’s not similar.” Haesol replied coldly.

The next second, Jongin sent his arm around her shoulder and pulled the girl closer as if he didn’t hear what she just said. “What are you doing?” Haesol hissed at him. “People are watching!”

“I know people are watching.” Jongin calmly mumbled, not taking his eyes off the stage, and a slight smile gracing his plump lips. “So don’t create a scene here and stay still.”

Haesol couldn’t think of any way of fighting back, so after shooting him a few death glares, she gave in and turned back to the stage. “It’s starting.” He leaned down to her ears and whispered, his lips brushing over her ear. And she felt chills running down her spine, but she did her best to appear tough and rigid. And once the puppet show started, he brought his other hand onto her lap, to take her hand in his and entwine their fingers together. Haesol widened her eyes at his gesture and looked up at him, but he continued to watch the show maintaining his calm demeanour, softly rubbing his thumb against her knuckles at the same time.

It didn’t take longer for Jongin to feel her head loll out forward first, then sideways, and softly lean against his chest. He remembered the girl saying that she was sleepy, and here she was, dozing off in the middle of the puppet show, when everyone else were excitedly watching the romance between the warrior and the nurse.

“Haesol,” he lowered his head and whispered. “Kang Haesol,”

She was sound asleep, not being disturbed the slightest bit by his voice or the cheers and exclamation made by the spectators around them. And Jongin gave up on waking her up, and watched the rest of the show by himself.

“Aren’t you leaving young man? The show is over for the day! And there won’t be any more until tomorrow!”

The elderly man in charge of the payments for the show came to Jongin and asked, after the show had ended and everyone else had left. “I’ll just stay like this until she wakes up.” He answered in a lower voice and a polite smile.

“Omo, such a great man this girl has got.” A middle aged woman passing by exclaimed. “You are such a gentleman young man!”

Jongin flashed a polite smile at her as well, and looked back at the girl sleeping with her head resting against his shoulder. His shoulder was already going numb, but he decided not to wake her up and stay still until she herself woke up.

* * * * * * * *

She heard the murmuring of an unfamiliar song in a soft low voice, and she felt herself leaning against a warmth that felt familiar as well. Even before opening her eyes, she was remembered of the day he rescued her from drowning, and was waiting for her to regain her consciousness.

“Let’s go home if you’re awake.”

She quickly opened her eyes and looked up at him. “You stirred in your sleep so I knew you were awake.” He smiled at her, making her turn her head down fearing he would notice her blushing face. “Shall we go then Haesol?”

They were walking towards the mansion side by side, when Jongin noticed a man in his thirties, looking around the houses in the neighbourhood, as if he was looking for a certain house. “Is he looking for some house?” Jongin said watching the man standing in the middle of the street and looking around confusedly. And before Haesol could notice whom he had his eyes on, he jogged to the man and talked to him.

“Looking for an address hyungnim?”

The man turned to the guard and a smile of gratefulness drew across his face. “Lord Park’s mansion...” he said, scratching the back of his head questioningly. “They call him...” he looked around carefully checking whether anyone was listening and leaned forward. “The Last Hunter.”

Jongin smiled and nodded. “I work in the mansion. Let me take you there.” he said, jerking his head toward the direction which the mansion was situated.

“Ryeowook oppa!”

Both Jongin and the stranger turned around, and saw Haesol running to them. “Omo, Haesolie!” the stranger widened her eyes at the girl who came running to him.

“What brings you here oppa?” the girl stopped in front of him and asked.

“Is he someone you know?” Jongin asked her with eyes widened with surprise.

The stranger whom Haesol addressed as Ryeowook was the one to reply. “I’m from her hometown. Actually I came for her.”

Jongin whirled his head from the girl to the man. “What do you mean you came for her?” he asked, raising an eyebrow annoyed with the words he just heard.

Ryeowook took a deep breath and looked at the girl. “Haesol your father fell from the roof while thatching it. And his left leg is broken and is bed ridden since a week. Your mother wanted you to come home, she needs your help at least for a few days.” He bit his lip after letting out everything in one go.

Haesol’s eyes filled with tears in no time. “Oppa what about my abhuji? Is he really badly hurt?” she asked, her voice trembling with shock. “What am I even asking... it hurts a lot when a leg is broken doesn’t it Jongin?”

She looked up at Jongin and clutched his sleeve. “I have to go Jongin.”

Jongin didn’t know his heart would hurt this much, seeing this girl suddenly break into tears in front of him all of a sudden. “I have to go...” she looked back at his home town acquaintance. “Oppa let’s go. I’ll come with you.” without thinking further, she just stepped closer to him.

“You can’t leave just like that!”

She was stopped walking further by Jongin, as he caught her by the wrist and made her turn back to him. “At least... at least stop by the mansion and inform Lady Seora that you’re leaving. If not she’d be worried.” He blurted out.

“Ah... yes...” Haesol nodded absent minded, and brought her hand to release herself from Jongin’s grip. “I’ll just run there and take her permission before leaving...”

And before the two guys could stop her, she was running towards the direction of the Park mansion. “They say her father might not be able to work again for at least six months.” Ryeowook sighed, starting to follow the girl with Jongin at his side. Jongin looked at the stranger questioningly, and spoke up after a brief silence. “And you are?”

“I’m Kim Ryeowook, her cousin.” The stranger replied. “I think my aunt, I mean her mother needs her to stay with them until her father recovers. Hope you will explain the situation more clearly to her mistress.”

Jongin stopped abruptly on his track. “What do you mean she has to stay there until her father recovers? So she’ll be staying there for six months?”

Ryeowook too stopped going ahead, and nodded in silence. “I’m just asking because I’m seeing you two together at this time out in the city... are you in a relationship with our Haesolie?”

Jongin stayed still for a few seconds before shaking his head. “No we’re not.” He bit his lip hard and looked at the girl who just turned at a far corner of the street. “What’s your home town hyungnim?”

* * * * * * * *

“It’s such a pity I don’t have Haesol to help me with everything.” Seora sighed, as she arranged the beverages on the tables she prepared in the living room. “But I can’t be selfish like that... just think how worried she might be right now... it takes at least one and a half days to arrive at her home town, and she must be still on her way, all worried about her abhuji.”

Jongin nodded in silence as he watched her placing the trays of rice cake on each small table along with the other treats. “Why are you tiptoeing around me Jongin? It’s been quite some time now. Do you have something to tell me?” she turned and looked up at the guard who was taken aback by her question.

“Do you want to take some days off duty?”

Jongin gaped at his mistress.

“You want me to give you permission to go after her?”

“My lady I-”

Seora smiled with an approving nod. “I’m totally fine with it. Just inform Lord Park that you are leaving.” She advised him. Jongin nodded eagerly. “Three of my men are on leave until tomorrow evening my lady. I’ll wait for them to arrive and then take my leave, because there shouldn’t be a short of guards in the mansion.” He explained sounding duteous. “Okay then.” Seora replied. “Make sure you meet me before leaving. I’ll give you the travelling expenses.” She added.

“I’d be grateful my lady... but I can manage.” Jongin said with a bow. “Thank you so much... your kindness is enough.”

Chanyeol stepped into the mansion for the first time after Seora had returned, finishing the piled up work he had in the palace regarding the military sector of the state examinations. Exhausted and ready to throw himself straight into the blankets, he dragged his feet through the passage leading to his room.

“Why haven’t they lit a single candle in the hallway?” he mumbled to himself as he walked along the passage buried in complete darkness. “Yuha...! You know I hate it when the hallways are in dark!” he called out, his deep voice echoing in the empty hallway.

“Uncle...”

Chanyeol was surprised to hear a small voice whisper from behind, and felt a light tugging at his robes.

He turned around and saw his little nephew-in-law standing behind him, holding a candle in his small hand and beaming up at him.

“Nuri? What are you doing here? I mean...when did you come here?” Chanyeol knelt down before the little boy and took the candle from his hand. “Where’s your auntie by the way? and why is this place all in dark?” he asked the child.

“Shhh!” Nuri placed his tiny index finger over his lips and hushed his uncle. “There’s something going on in the living room so you can’t make any sound!” he said. “That’s what auntie told me to tell you.”

Chanyeol raised his eyebrows. “Your auntie told you... what do you mean...” he stood up again, and took the boy’s hand. “Come let’s go find your aunt-”

“Happy birthday Lord Park.”

Chanyeol was utterly surprised with the sudden back hug and his wife’s voice he heard right behind him, and his hold on Nuri’s hand automatically loosened. “Did you actually forget your birthday?”

Chanyeol turned around to smile at his wife who was still hugging him from behind, and placed his hands on hers on his abdomen. “Is this a surprise event?” he asked leaning his head back, and she nodded with her head still against his upper back. “I really didn’t remember at all. And still I have no idea about what’s going on here.” He chuckled. “And are you planning to hug me forever like t