08/10/13

The end is coming very soon, guys D: I hope you guys have enjoyed this story so far~ I'll miss you guys~~

           When Yoona stopped crying, Taecyeon released her from his hug. Still, he kept an arm around her, and he guided her to the hallway. Telling a nearby guard to call for the king, Taecyeon turned his attention back to Yoona.

            “Your wrists are bruised,” he stated, carefully guarding his emotions. His body was stiff, as if trying to hold back something large and powerful.

            “You came,” Yoona managed to say.

            Taecyeon hugged her again. This time, more tightly than the last. Yoona relaxed in his warm hold, resting her head on his shoulder. I’m safe.

            “Thankfully, in the nick of time. I wouldn’t know what to do if you hadn’t allowed me to see you. You would have been… Gosh.”

            He kissed her, and Yoona had the feeling that he knew she would kiss him back. He wouldn’t have done so otherwise. The kiss was soft and comfortable, nothing at all like the rough attacks by the men who had forced themselves on her. Yoona felt a tingle along her spine, and she shyly kissed him back.

            Suddenly, Taecyeon broke off the kiss and turned, his arm still supporting her back. A few seconds later, the guard came back with Nichkhun and Victoria. One look at her, and Victoria rushed to Yoona’s side, shouting out profanities and cursing the governor. Taecyeon let go of Yoona’s back.

            Victoria turned to Nichkhun. “You know what to do.”

            Turning back to Yoona, Victoria guided Yoona back to her room. “Come on, Yoona. Let’s prepare a bath for you.”

            When the two women left, Nichkhun looked at Taecyeon quizzically.

            “She… she let me see her future, and I rushed over, hoping that I wasn’t too late. Don’t worry about me right now. Go on and fire that guy’s out of the country. Yeah, yeah, I know you can’t do that, but you get my point. Don’t worry. I’ll be in my room, waiting patiently. No need to monitor me.”

            Nichkhun sighed. “At least allow me some time between your sentences, Taecyeon. I can’t keep up with my thoughts as fast as you can.”

            “Sorry about that,” Taecyeon apologized. “But the guy’s going to wake up soon. That’s why I was rushing.”

            Nichkhun motioned for the now bewildered guard to tie up the unconscious governor. Turning back to Taecyeon, Nichkhun started to say, “You probably—“

            “Yeah,” Taecyeon agreed. “I might punch him to death. I’ll wait in my room.”

            Sighing again as Taecyeon walked away, Nichkhun turned his attention to the guard and told him to bring the governor to the dungeon.

            :::::

            After her bath, Yoona thanked Victoria and Hyuna for taking care of her. She told them about Taecyeon’s limited ability to read her future, which was why he was able to save her in time. “It seems that I can consciously let Taecyeon into my mind, as well as consciously block him out of my mind.”

            When they asked her what she was planning to do next, Yoona admitted that she was still unsure of what to do.

            Hyuna and Victoria looked at each other. Turning back to Yoona, Victoria solemnly said, “It’s been over three months since your arrival here, so as promised, you have the choice to stay or go. We’ll understand if you decide to go to the temple. Although there will still be men, there is less of a chance to be in danger.”

            “But please take into consideration the things you will miss out on if you go to the temple, and ask yourself if you are willing to give those things up,” Hyuna added.

            Yoona nodded. “I understand.”

            ::::

            Nichkhun and Hyunseung visited Taecyeon in his room after making sure the governor was properly locked in the dungeon. There, Taecyeon filled Hyunseung in on what had happened.

            “I still can’t see my future with Yoona, though,” Taecyeon admitted. “After going with Victoria, Yoona had blocked me out again.”

            He had a faint smile, though. “But this time, it seems like she blocked me out intentionally instead of subconsciously.”

            “It’s been over three months since Yoona became employed under Victoria,” Nichkhun mentioned. “Victoria will most likely be telling Yoona to make a decision on whether to stay or not.”

            “Yes,” Taecyeon nodded.

            “Do you know what her decision will be?” Hyunseung asked.

            Taecyeon shook his head. “No idea.”

            Even so, Taecyeon didn’t seem too troubled by this.

            “In a way, it’s a matter of whether she wants to marry you or not, right?” Hyunseung observed.

            “Sort of,” Taecyeon agreed. “That’s one part of it. But I feel like it’s a much bigger deal for her. I can only imagine the sort of traumatizing events that have happened in her life before we met her, and those events have caused Yoona to perpetually hate the male gender. She probably never wanted to marry anybody at all. Marrying me was never in her life plans, so if she does decide to stay here, it’d mean that she’s making a big lifestyle change as well.”

            “She can always decide to stay here and not marry you,” Nichkhun pointed out.

            Taecyeon shook his head. “I won’t stop pursuing her, and I’m pretty sure she knows that. If she stays, she’s going to marry me.”

            Nichkhun laughed. “Determined, aren’t you?”

            “Of course.” Smiling wistfully, Taecyeon admitted, “She’s the only one for me.”