Chapter Nineteen
Star Witness
A figure dropped to the ground, the fall cushioned by a carpet of leaves.
The wailing sirens of police cars shattered the nocturnal silence.
Then, as quickly as it had begun, the momentary disturbance vanished. The night reclaimed its stillness and the forest was peaceful once more.
~~~
The door to the NPA clinic swung open and Dr. Kang strode out – her movements rigid and almost mechanical. When she glanced up from the metal clipboard she was reading, she was only too surprised to see a young man with clean angular features approach her. Without a word, Donghae pushed past her and rushed into the room.
“Hey!” Dr. Kang’s yelp made her sound more human at that instant. “You are still not allowed to go in there.”
Donghae stared at the cold, pale body lying on the bed in front of him. If not for the daunting oxygen mask that was strapped on her face and the intravenous line inserted down her left arm, the maiden looked as if she was a slumbering seraphim in that room of immaculate white.
Slowly, as though approaching something ethereal, the agent stepped towards the young lady. He pulled out a metal stool near from the bedside table and sat down, staring at the unresponsive girl.
He lifted his hands in the air, just inches away from her face. It hovered in the air for a minute, shivering a bit, unsure of what to do. Then with utmost gentleness, he touched her forehead and pushed a strand of hair away from her face.
“Yoona-sshi,” his whisper sounded like thunder in that almost empty room. “I don’t know if you could hear me, but….”
Donghae placed both his hands on Yoona’s cold hand.
“I’m sorry,” he started, his eyes never leaving her face. “I failed to protect you. Again. After all that you have done for me. After going out in the rain to find me.”
He could still picture the way she held that umbrella over him when he’d run out into the parking lot during that terrifying storm.
“After standing up for me.”
Images of Yoona talking to his father, begging the latter to let Donghae off the hook – to let him keep his job – flashed in the agent’s mind. Tears began to well up at the corners of his eyes.
“After standing up for me again.”
He thought of how Yoona initially cancelled the arranged marriage meet up. Taecyeon’s words still rang in his mind. Maybe it was because she already got herself a man. I guess that’d be you.
“After being there for me,” here Donghae thought of the time they spent interrogating the suspects. He thought of that time they spent at the hill overlooking Jeongsan. At that precise moment, he knew exactly how he felt towards her.
“Yoona-sshi,” Donghae squeezed Yoona’s hand gently. “I wanted to be there for you, too. But I guess I’m not good enough. I allowed this to happen to you.”
A tear rolled down his cheek. Vigorously, he wiped it away with one hand. “This will probably be the last time I’ll see you. Soon, I’ll be assigned somewhere else. Yoona-sshi. I will never forget that slice of my life I had spent with you.”
His voice shook, “I will never ever forget you. So take care of yourself. Take care of your health. Continue to be strong and don’t let anyone step on you. You’re worth so much more than you’d ever think. I hope you’ll find someone better – someone who’ll truly protect you. But I want to let you know that that someone… That someone... no matter how much better they are at protecting you, at making you happy…”
He struggled to get the words out. “They could never love you as much as I do.”
~~~
Amber was sitting casually on top of the table, her eyes growing bigger with each word. “And just when the killer was about to pull the trigger, bang! Donghae hit him with the tranquilizer gun first! He fell down to the ground and was paralyzed in an instant!”
“Wow!” Eunhyuk applauded. He popped a malted milk ball into his mouth and spoke while chewing, “I always knew that Hae’s deadly accuracy with that freaking tranquilizer gun would save his someday.”
“I know! And I heard his father’s taking him to America tomorrow so he could undergo further training with the FBI! Imagine that! That guy’s one lucky bastard!” Amber exclaimed.
“Don’t worry. I’ll bully him into bringing us along,” Eunhyuk said, winking.
Amber was about to laugh when Siwon entered the room. The female agent scrambled off the table and sank into a chair, keeping her eyes on the floor. Suddenly, she felt someone place their heavy hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she found Siwon’s eyes.
“You did well, Agent Liu,” Siwon smiled.
Amber nodded, mumbled a quick thank you and once more, her eyes traveled to the floor. This time, though, they were twinkling and a small smile crept on her face.
“Where’s Youngmin?” Eunhyuk asked.
“He’s recovering from the effects of the tranquilizer. Once he wakes up, we’ll feed him enough so he won’t get hungry during the final interrogation,” Siwon replied, chuckling.
“Nice!” Eunhyuk said then popped in another malted milk ball. “And what about the witness?”
“Dr. Kang informed me that Im Yoona suffered from intense emotional shock. But she’s recovering quickly and will be discharged tomorrow,” Siwon answered. “I guess everything will back to normal. Until the next assignment, that is.”
~~~~
Donghae opened the car trunk and took out his giant blue luggage bag. With a grunt, he lifted it and let it slide to the ground. Wiping sweat from his brows, the youth slammed the car door shut and, dragging the stroller bag behind him, walked towards the airport entrance.
“Are you ready, son?” Lee Myungdae approached him from behind. “I hope you didn’t forget your passport.”
Smiling, Donghae nodded. “Thanks for deciding to bring me along, Dad.”
“You deserved it,” Myungdae grinned. “See, if I had gone soft on you, you would never become who you are now.”
Donghae chuckled. Then, a haunting image drifted into his thoughts. Im Yoona.
He glanced back at the road that ran along like a snake into the horizon. The sun was peeking from the horizon, casting a warm, fresh glow on the buildings, on the trees, on him. The weather was similar to the day he first met her. If only he could see her one last time…
“Son? Are you going or not?” Myungdae called out. He was already by the door.
Donghae turned his back and faced the airport, “Yep! I’m coming!”
Bye, Yoona. I hope I’ll see you again.
The wailing sirens of police cars shattered the nocturnal silence.
Then, as quickly as it had begun, the momentary disturbance vanished. The night reclaimed its stillness and the forest was peaceful once more.
~~~
The door to the NPA clinic swung open and Dr. Kang strode out – her movements rigid and almost mechanical. When she glanced up from the metal clipboard she was reading, she was only too surprised to see a young man with clean angular features approach her. Without a word, Donghae pushed past her and rushed into the room.
“Hey!” Dr. Kang’s yelp made her sound more human at that instant. “You are still not allowed to go in there.”
Donghae stared at the cold, pale body lying on the bed in front of him. If not for the daunting oxygen mask that was strapped on her face and the intravenous line inserted down her left arm, the maiden looked as if she was a slumbering seraphim in that room of immaculate white.
Slowly, as though approaching something ethereal, the agent stepped towards the young lady. He pulled out a metal stool near from the bedside table and sat down, staring at the unresponsive girl.
He lifted his hands in the air, just inches away from her face. It hovered in the air for a minute, shivering a bit, unsure of what to do. Then with utmost gentleness, he touched her forehead and pushed a strand of hair away from her face.
“Yoona-sshi,” his whisper sounded like thunder in that almost empty room. “I don’t know if you could hear me, but….”
Donghae placed both his hands on Yoona’s cold hand.
“I’m sorry,” he started, his eyes never leaving her face. “I failed to protect you. Again. After all that you have done for me. After going out in the rain to find me.”
He could still picture the way she held that umbrella over him when he’d run out into the parking lot during that terrifying storm.
“After standing up for me.”
Images of Yoona talking to his father, begging the latter to let Donghae off the hook – to let him keep his job – flashed in the agent’s mind. Tears began to well up at the corners of his eyes.
“After standing up for me again.”
He thought of how Yoona initially cancelled the arranged marriage meet up. Taecyeon’s words still rang in his mind. Maybe it was because she already got herself a man. I guess that’d be you.
“After being there for me,” here Donghae thought of the time they spent interrogating the suspects. He thought of that time they spent at the hill overlooking Jeongsan. At that precise moment, he knew exactly how he felt towards her.
“Yoona-sshi,” Donghae squeezed Yoona’s hand gently. “I wanted to be there for you, too. But I guess I’m not good enough. I allowed this to happen to you.”
A tear rolled down his cheek. Vigorously, he wiped it away with one hand. “This will probably be the last time I’ll see you. Soon, I’ll be assigned somewhere else. Yoona-sshi. I will never forget that slice of my life I had spent with you.”
His voice shook, “I will never ever forget you. So take care of yourself. Take care of your health. Continue to be strong and don’t let anyone step on you. You’re worth so much more than you’d ever think. I hope you’ll find someone better – someone who’ll truly protect you. But I want to let you know that that someone… That someone... no matter how much better they are at protecting you, at making you happy…”
He struggled to get the words out. “They could never love you as much as I do.”
~~~
Amber was sitting casually on top of the table, her eyes growing bigger with each word. “And just when the killer was about to pull the trigger, bang! Donghae hit him with the tranquilizer gun first! He fell down to the ground and was paralyzed in an instant!”
“Wow!” Eunhyuk applauded. He popped a malted milk ball into his mouth and spoke while chewing, “I always knew that Hae’s deadly accuracy with that freaking tranquilizer gun would save his someday.”
“I know! And I heard his father’s taking him to America tomorrow so he could undergo further training with the FBI! Imagine that! That guy’s one lucky bastard!” Amber exclaimed.
“Don’t worry. I’ll bully him into bringing us along,” Eunhyuk said, winking.
Amber was about to laugh when Siwon entered the room. The female agent scrambled off the table and sank into a chair, keeping her eyes on the floor. Suddenly, she felt someone place their heavy hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she found Siwon’s eyes.
“You did well, Agent Liu,” Siwon smiled.
Amber nodded, mumbled a quick thank you and once more, her eyes traveled to the floor. This time, though, they were twinkling and a small smile crept on her face.
“Where’s Youngmin?” Eunhyuk asked.
“He’s recovering from the effects of the tranquilizer. Once he wakes up, we’ll feed him enough so he won’t get hungry during the final interrogation,” Siwon replied, chuckling.
“Nice!” Eunhyuk said then popped in another malted milk ball. “And what about the witness?”
“Dr. Kang informed me that Im Yoona suffered from intense emotional shock. But she’s recovering quickly and will be discharged tomorrow,” Siwon answered. “I guess everything will back to normal. Until the next assignment, that is.”
~~~~
Donghae opened the car trunk and took out his giant blue luggage bag. With a grunt, he lifted it and let it slide to the ground. Wiping sweat from his brows, the youth slammed the car door shut and, dragging the stroller bag behind him, walked towards the airport entrance.
“Are you ready, son?” Lee Myungdae approached him from behind. “I hope you didn’t forget your passport.”
Smiling, Donghae nodded. “Thanks for deciding to bring me along, Dad.”
“You deserved it,” Myungdae grinned. “See, if I had gone soft on you, you would never become who you are now.”
Donghae chuckled. Then, a haunting image drifted into his thoughts. Im Yoona.
He would never become who he is now if it wasn’t for her.
He glanced back at the road that ran along like a snake into the horizon. The sun was peeking from the horizon, casting a warm, fresh glow on the buildings, on the trees, on him. The weather was similar to the day he first met her. If only he could see her one last time…
“Son? Are you going or not?” Myungdae called out. He was already by the door.
Donghae turned his back and faced the airport, “Yep! I’m coming!”
Bye, Yoona. I hope I’ll see you again.
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