.24
Paradise In Hell
It was a quiet day. JiAh liked calm days. They let her think. They gave her peace. She liked peace.
It felt like one of those rare days in the middle of the week where people didn't want the weekend to arrive, simply just because they didn't want the week to end.
She lean down to put one of the books on the lower shelf when her necklace fell, making a small clinging noise as it hit the ground. She leaned down to pick it up. Hoya's words quickly entered her mind. She tried brushing them off, but she couldn't.
No matter how badly she wanted to, she couldn't. Maybe it was how sincere he had sounded. Maybe it was how he said those words, or maybe it was the meaning behind those words. She didn't know, she just knew that she couldn't escape him.
"Did you need me to put that back on?" A deep voice called over towards her. She looked up to find him standing there, arms crossed as he leaned against a book shelf.
She did the first thing that came to her mind. "Where's Kyungsan?" She asked as she looked behind Hoya. She was expecting Kyungsan to pop out at any moment, run towards her and give her a big hug, like he always did.
"School. I enrolled him back in." Hoya replied. Since the adoption Kyungsan had been out of school. Which was a bad thing because that meant he was missing valuable education.
"Oh." She responded standing straight on her feet. She shuffled awkwardly, avoiding eye contract with Hoya. "Then, did you need something?" She asked nervously.
"I'm here to ask for a favor." Hoya answered, and he sounded more nervous than she did. She looked at him cautiously. What was going on in his mind?
Hoya rubbed the back of his head as he awkwardly shifted. "I was sort of wondering if you could help me with Kyungsan's birthday. Its only been about six weeks since I had him, and his birthday is approaching. And I've never been one for planning kid's parties. And my mother is doing god knows what because she refuses to help...and, and I really don't want to disappoint him." He ranted.
JiAh couldn't help but smile. Hoya cared so much about Kyungsan. And so did she. She also cared.
"Okay."
His eyes widen, surprised by her answer. He half expected her to straight out reject the offer and walk away. But then he remembered that this was Kyungsan they were talking about. And they both cared so much for the boy.
"Thanks." Hoya mumbled softly. JiAh shrugged, turning around to walk away.
"Its nothing." She responded over her shoulder.
"Not for just this. For everything." He revealed causing her to stop dead in her tracks. JiAh slowly turned around to face him again. Her eyes fell into his as she watched him stuttered on his words like a nervous child.
"Thank you for everything. For being so patient with me even when I was horrible, awful, stupid. Thank you for putting up with the bull I put you through. Thank you for caring, even after I hurt you so bad." He stated, somehow in the middle of his unexpected speech he had gain some source of courage to continue. "And most of all, thank you for leaving me. Because I know you didn't deserve any of the things I put you through."
Her breath had been caught as she was unable to form words. She stepped towards him, her breath hinged into her lungs. Sometimes its because its too loud, or too strikingly obvious that you don't get the hint. But sometimes, on one those rare occasions. One of those occasions where it seems as if the ocean and sky meet. It was one of those occasions where they could finally released their thoughts. It made no sense, contained no logic. But it was them.
"Thank you Hoya." She whispered delicately.
"For what?" He felt like he had just drowned a puppy. He felt so guilty, but here she was, thanking him.
She gave him a small smile, which consisted of a small upward hinge of her lips, most wouldn't even consider it a smile. But for Hoya, that was the best smile he had received.
"For trying. Most people get to scare or just lose courage. And they run. They don't bother to change, they just run. Like me. So thank you."
"You ran because of me. Because of what I did." He insisted, but she nodded her head, showing a no.
"I ran because I'm a coward, and I got scare. You were what kept me from leaving. You, it was you that saved me." She replied. He huffed, he didn't understand her. Not one bit. How could she see him as a source of savior.
"I don't understand." He answered softly.
"Maybe someday you will. Someday."
--
"Hyung, how did you get noona to come?" Kyungsan asked while they carried the boxes of materials that were going to be at Kyungsan's birthday. Hoya had called a few of the guys to come help. And not so surprisingly, none of them showed. Sunggyu had said something about giving them "family bonding time", whatever that meant.
"I asked her." Hoya replied back. How else could he say it. He asked her a favor, she accepted it. It was simple like that. But to Hoya it was one of the most difficult things to do. He had in a way, asked her back into his life. And that was good, because he had realized that he needed her in his life.
"That's good hyung." Kyungsan stated.
"Hyung. Can't we keep noona here forever. I don't want her to leave." Kyungsan pleaded. Hoya ruffled the boy's hair.
"That's a good question. But I think you're asking the wrong person."
"But I know she'll leave. After the party, she's going to leave. Unless you ask her to stay." Kyungsan rebutted. Hoya looked from Kyungsan to JiAh, who was out of hearing distance. She was in the kitchen cooking up a storm or whatever she was doing.
He watched as she tucked a piece of stray hair back. She carefully poured the needed amount of some sort of powder, he presumed it was flour, into a bowl, the powder staining her face. He cracked a smile seeing her like this. If a stranger walked in, they would assume this was a family. But Hoya knew better.
"I can ask. But how do you know she will stay?"
"She will. She has no where else to go, besides, you're here. She won't leave you again."
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