49
Defence
After the sudden phone call from Donghae she returned to her room. Sitting with a notepad in front of her she was unsure of what to write at first. She recalled that Donghae’s mother wanted him to marry Victoria if it were possible. If she had told Donghae the truth that night, she was sure Donghae wouldn’t let go. Now that she thought about it, he sort of took after his mother as well. His stubborn nature was hard to break through. But yet, Yoona was clear on the fact that Victoria didn’t want to come back to them.
Would Victoria really tell her anything she wanted to know? Or was she just giving out a piece of candy for free?
- - - - -
That night instead of sleeping on the bed by the wall Taecyeon had fallen asleep uncomfortably with his head on the bed, his body creating an arch. Victoria lie there awake watching the closed curtains. She’d been unable to sleep since the lights had been turned off. Her mind was unsettled, she realized. Or maybe it was just a condition she couldn’t correct, being cautious no matter where or when.
When a bird flew into the window she immediately turned her head wondering if someone had tried to get in. Yea, right. She had been placed on the fourth floor with no veranda. If someone were to come in, they’d have to come through the door.
Victoria eased her breathing and turned her head away from the window.
“Can’t sleep?” Taecyeon asked looking at her with open eyes.
Victoria didn’t respond. The only thing she wondered was how had it turned out like this?
“Want to hear a story?” he tried.
“No.” she responded coldly.
“Do you feel pain somewhere?” he questioned.
“I’m fine.”
Why did it have to be Taecyeon, who was held hostage by So Young? Why did that girl want to go to such lengths to just get her out? Why had she used him against her? No matter in what situation she couldn’t allow him to die so simply just because of her. Why did they have to come searching for her at the terminal? If she’d gotten away she would have saved them from danger a long time ago. What would she do if Jung Min did something stupid? What if it were her family? What would happen if it were Donghae? How would she be able to explain any of it to them? It was so messed up.
Victoria’s mind floated back to the present time when she felt a warm grip on her hand.
“Are you scared?” he asked with his head still lying on the bed.
It was different. His warmth, his hand felt different from when Donghae held her. It was a different kind of comfort.
“Is it sympathy?” she asked. “Why everyone came to the terminal? Why I was held back?”
“Do you keep wondering that?” he questioned. “It wasn’t right for you to leave so suddenly. It was an act on impulse to look for you. You know what that means?”
She didn’t say anything.
“There are many reasons why we searched for you,” he explained, “whether it was out of worry or pity, does it really matter? What should matter is that we looked for you and found you.”
The feelings of kindness were still hard to accept. Her heart really felt like a solid brick of ice. She was taken by a kind of surprise when he suddenly got up and kissed her forehead.
“Don’t think about it. Go to sleep,” he told sitting back down and lied his head down again, he never let go of her hand.
The doctor made a round of his visits the next day. Yoona stopped by for a while. Majority of the time she talked with Taecyeon. Victoria wondered why she tried so hard to be cheery around him. Even in the deafness of her heart she could read on Yoona’s face that she liked Taecyeon. And Victoria had no problem with it. That night Taecyeon slept with his head on the hospital bed again.
In the late afternoon after the doctor’s ok, Victoria struggled to get changed in the bathroom. It was painful to move or even bend down a little bit. She hadn’t realized how much time she’d been taking until Taecyeon knocked on the door.
“Are you ok in there?” he asked.
“Yea,” she tried to sound enthusiastic.
A minute later the door was pulled an inch open and Yoona poked her head in.
“Do you want help?” Yoona wondered.
Victoria closed her eyes sick of her aching body. “My shirt.”
Yoona gladly walked in and helped her with the shirt. After a few minutes they both walked out of the bathroom. Taecyeon, who had been patiently sitting on the bed, got up.
“Are you done?” he asked.
Victoria turned to Yoona, “I’m heading somewhere. Do as I said, ok?”
He looked at her and smiled, “Ok. If I call, answer right away.”
“Sure,” she replied then turned to Yoona, “lets go.”
When they finally got into Yoona’s car Victoria took a loud breath while reaching for her seatbelt.
“Are you ok? Do you hurt?” Yoona asked before starting the car.
“It hurts,” Victoria replied, “but it’ll only last a while.”
“Where do you want to go from here?” asked Yoona.
Victoria swallowed the nervousness and embarrassment she felt from saying it. “My parents…I forgot…where we used to live.”
Yoona looked at her surprised and shocked, “You want…to see them?”
“Just the outside. I…” Victoria swallowed again as if she were in despair, “just want to look from afar.”
Without a word Yoona started the car and drove off unsure if it was the right time for Victoria to look in on her parents. But if it wasn’t now…how much longer would she wait to look at them?
“Can you help me with something else?” asked Victoria.
“What?”
“Help me persuade Taecyeon to move out. He can’t stay in the apartment.”
“Why?”
“They know I’m there. I don’t want them to barge in when he’s there. What if the same incident takes place again? And we’re not as lucky as last time?” Victoria asked.
“Then you can’t stay there either,” Yoona pointed out.
“I’m much more experienced than he is,” Victoria tried, “Taecyeon…would be finished in one shot. Please, get him out.”
Yoona glanced at her from through the corner of her eyes. The undeniable worry Victoria was expressing told Yoona that she couldn’t say no.
“What about you? You can’t stay there alone in that condition,” Yoona said.
“I’ll be fine. It’ll only be a week before I get my strength back,” Victoria explained, “you two could stop by any time, it won’t matter. As long as no one else is there for them to hurt.”
Yoona didn’t agree nor disagree.
“Can you…return me my gun? And get me some ammo?” Victoria asked. “I won’t be able to do without those.”
Yoona stopped at the red lights almost crashing into the bumper of the car before her.
“I need those, please.” Victoria was serious.
After a quarter hour drive Yoona parked alongside the brick wall and slowly turned off the engine, yet she didn’t get out. She was still thinking in her mind of what Victoria told her. They were points she couldn’t turn down.
The gun, the ammo…Victoria’s opponents were heavily armed. She was right that she wouldn’t be able to do without those. But leaving her by herself at the apartment…would she know how to fend for herself as any commoner would? What about food? Money?
“Are we getting out here?” Victoria’s voice broke through her mind.
“Yes.” Yoona finally recalled where they were.
Stepping out, Yoona felt the wind rush against her as a welcoming. She glanced down the empty road in search of the black gates that used to tower above her head when she was younger.
“We have to walk from here,” Yoona explained and turned to look at Victoria who was busy eyeing the road.
Was it really alright for her to be there?
Victoria walked from around the car and joined. Together they walked down the road. This time the both of them were able to recall memories they’d once forgotten. Laughter, voices, and childish screams filled the imaginary street in their ears. Yoona stole a side glance at Victoria to find her slowly taking in every single detail of their surroundings. She felt tears and happiness at the back of her eyes. Yoona had always imagined that she and Victoria would walk side by side to her home again. Now that Victoria was back, it felt just like yesterday that she’d disappeared.
Victoria paused in her steps at the black gates recalling how she used to try to climb it when she was still in grade school. Still the same, the yard was still the same, but no one was outside. She tried to look further in but was unable to see the door from where she stood. A longing helplessness overfilled her as her eyes tried to seek out the parents and the nanny she once lived with. Why weren’t they outside? Her parents, as she remembered, weren’t indoor people. Unconsciously she reached a hand forward and clenched onto one of the bars.
Yoona’s heart broke at the sight.
“Who’s there?” a voice appeared.
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