{Chapter 4: No place to return}

***

I stared down at Jaejoong’s lean, fragile limb that was soundlessly asleep beside me with my arm as his pillow. His beautiful face looked pale and his lips dried after so much screamed and cried. I brought my fingers tracing that colorless cheek of him before trailing down to his wrist which was imprinted by a strong grip of someone; it must be from the guy that I sent to bring him up to my hotel room before.

“If only you’re not being so stubborn and acting strong…” I sighed while gently caressed the bruised spot.

I could hear a soft gush of breath out of his nose as I leaned down, planting a soft kiss on his exposed-left cheek, that had enough to calm my heart after it shattered seeing him in a broken state previously. His original scent was back to filled my room. It was good that I’d change his clothes, since I hated so much to let strangers’ smell covering him. After he fell unconscious last night, I had taken him home with me as it was better to treat him here; thought the unfamiliar surrounding would only worsen his traumatic state if he wakes up. I should know better that this boy had went through so much before we destined to meet, and some left inerasable, bad memory to him.

I was just wanted to know what made him had a drastic and suspicious changes before. And after asked Yoochun to investigate on this matter two days ago, the result that came was enough to displease me and made me felt unsettled for days!

“I found he kept meeting this middle-age man. The man identity is still being investigated. I will let you know once I get my hand on the detail.”

That was being told to me and I couldn’t help to keep an eye on every move my boo made afterward. That finally revealed to me the fact of Jaejoong had kept received a threatening call from his stepfather,  that damn old man who ever put him in peril and caged by those bastards who later on I’d slaughtered out of this world.

My phone on the night stand vibrated; I picked it up quickly before it awakens my sleeping angel.

“Speak…” I uttered once I glanced to the caller’s name, alarming the person to make it brief.

“Boss, I’m outside of your house. There’s something that I need to deliver to you.” Siwon’s voice greeted my ears.

“Wait, I’m coming down.” I said in a lower tone.

I got up from the bed after gently pulled my arm from Jaejoong and carefully placed his head on the comfy pillow. Grabbing my black bathrobe, I put it on before make my way downstairs.

“What’s the matter that makes you even come here directly?” I asked once Siwon walked in, there was also Kyuhyun tagged with him. I settled on the single couch, facing them.

“Boss, this is the document file which has listing all Kim Jaejoong’s father’s debt.” Siwon extended the file toward me. “All the debt that his father has is related to K&S group.” He added.

I frowned before opened the file and examined the detail. “K&S? Isn’t that bastard’s company?”

“Yes, it solely run by Kim Jongkook and his share partner Yihan.” Kyuhyun informed.

“Have you settled all the debt?”

“Yes, all had been taken care of quietly and anonymously as you ordered.”

“Good, make sure they have nothing connected to Jaejoong. So, what else? I know you guys must have something more to talk to me. This won’t be an urgent matter that brought you guys here to my place in an early morning, right?”

Siwon glanced at Kyuhyun, seemingly both was sending a secret telepathy of who should voicing out the main subject.

“What, should I shove a gun into your mouth before you can speak out the real ?”

“Oh, no. I will talk!” Siwon blurted out. “Hmm… actually, we had just being informed that Jaejoong’s father will boarding to China tonight with all the money he got from you. It seems he is trying to run away without a trace this time.”

“So?”

“Huh?” Siwon and Kyuhyun’s face looked a bit confused at my reaction. “Boss, we need your direct order to make a move to stop him from leave.” Kyuhyun said.

“Stop him?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, aren’t you worry that your six million and ten million, which total up to sixteen million that you used to pay off the man’s big debt will vanish just like that if you let him flew off?”

“Money isn’t the matter to me if Jaejoong involved.” I made the fact clear to them.

“But, isn’t your intention is to shift all his debt to you and doubled it, so you can use it as an advantage against him for stop bothering Kim Jaejoong?”

“That’s true, but if he want to disappear and never return, that’s better.”

“No, don’t let him leave!”

The voice from the stair interrupted my discussion with my men. I averted my attention to the source of the voice, there, Jaejoong stood with a surprised face which made me know that it was too late to hide the thing from him.

“Yunnie, please…don’t let my father leave this country.” He rushed to me with a pleading look, the look that could always made me give in.

I glanced up at Siwon and Kyuhyun. “Can the two of you wait at outside for a while?”

They nodded and walked out. Once the door closed, I took a deep breath and stood up, facing Jaejoong that was still waiting my answer. His eyes were looking at me unblinkingly; a sheer worry was all I could make out from those eyes.

“Boo, out of all things you ever asked me, this is the only thing that I need to strongly say no. I hope you understand why I don’t want to comply with this one.” I said in a cold tone, hoping he would surrender if he had an intention to persuade me on this matter. But I should’ve known better, when it came to my boo, there was no way I could easily win with him.

“I can’t let him go away, Yunnie.” He mumbled inaudibly with eyes looking down, avoiding my strong gaze that currently fixed on him. I moved closer to him as my heart started beating so fast, seemed could felt the bad outcome coming.

“What are you saying?” The word unintentionally sounded menacing.

Jaejoong shook his head before looked up at me worriedly. “He will get into more trouble with that big amount of money in his hand. I…I can’t let him go. He’s my father after all.”

“Are you really stupid?! How could you still look at him as a father? What kind of father would send his son off to the underground nightclub? Letting all those bastards beat you up like you’re not worth living!” I exploded, finally, couldn’t hold back the growing anger from take over me. I’d fought so much to keep him away from the dark edge of his previous life, but yet, he was still willing to go back there - back to someone who never deserves his care and love at all.

“You…you just don’t understand…” He said stutteringly, tears began suffusing his eyes.

“Yes, I don’t understand. I really don’t understand why you could end up being this annoyingly ignorance and clueless!” I shouted out in anger again.

A hurt expression weighted his face. I could felt my head reeling and stomach churning with swirling emotions. “Baby, please…don’t be stubborn.” My words came out half threatening and half pleading.

Jaejoong shook his head again while biting his lip hard until it turned reddening – a habit that he prone to do when facing me in my worst temper. “I’m sorry Yunnie…I really can’t let him leave. I need to stop him.” He mumbled and he took a step back before started walking to the door. Seeing that response from him, I felt a chill surged into my veins.

“If you dare step a foot out of this house, don’t you ever come back here again.” I blurted out thoughtlessly. My words might sound stern, but only god knows that dread strikes like ice at the core of me. I admitted, that I’d always say the worst thing when my nerve was being taunting. But this person really knew how to drive me to the edge.

Jaejoong froze in his tracks, as his legs stopped walking abruptly. He turned towards me with a conflicted face that I ever seen on him. Dismiss all the thought that could soften my heart after saw that face, I threw my empty, cold stare.

“I’m warning you, Kim Jaejoong. I’m being serious.” I said between my gritted teeth.

He looked at me with those big-doe like eyes of him, pleading for me to understand the situation that I had strongly refused to.

Seem could read my unchanged answer from my face, he dropped his look and turned his back facing me. My eyes widened, realization and fear distorting my expression as he continued walking, without looking back, without sparing a glance to me…

He walked out of the house…

A vein throbs in my temple, my fist clenched. “! Damn ing !!!” This person always knew how to taunting my nasty temper. I could grab him and pull him back easily, or dragged him and locked him up in my room forcedly. But hurting my boo just never existed in my dictionary.

“Aaargh!!!”

I kicked the table near me and crashed everything that stood before my eyes. Thinking that he was the only person I couldn’t do without, but to him, it seemed I didn’t influence him the same way as he could walked away on me just like that without turning back. These thoughts just made the pain unimaginable, until I let the anger take over completely.

It had been so long since the last time I turned to be this scary like a crazy thug, who would kill anyone who came into my sight. In a split second, the living room turned to be a total mess, like a broken shack with a broken glasses, flipped table, broken lamp and chairs.

My breaths came in pants after created such indescribable damage. I fought to regain back my sense. I decided that I won’t be the jackass and left it at that. Just never.

After success to seize a bit calm, even it wasn’t successfully treating my crushing state; I grabbed my phone and called Siwon to come in.

“Yes, boss.”

“Come in both of you, now.”

“Okay.” He answered shortly, and a few seconds later he walked in with Kyuhyun, both faces looked stunned as their eyes caught the big mess.

“Boss, what the….” Kyuhyun’s word stopped midway, before I heard something else muttered under his breath. “Did an earthquake just happen? How could I not feel the vibration?”

“Clean up this mess.” I ordered them; my voice couldn’t sound more dangerous than it already had.

“And get Yoochun to me, immediately.” With that last order, I walked upstairs to the bathroom, hoping a cold shower could drain away the current pain in my chest and a big mess in my head.

***

[Jaejoong P.O.V]

I was taught by my parent, that no matter how bad the person was, human beings are not naturally created to be ruthless. There was still a good side of them. They were committing atrocities when they were in a strong pressure situation.  

I do admitted I hated my stepfather who ever threw me into the dark core, making me traumatized by a thought of returning to that loneliness and coldness life I’d ever through. However, this irritating memory where he first time entered my house with all those loving moment he shared with my mother, still imprinted in my mind. He did bring happiness to me; even it was just a short moment. He ever saved my mother from commit suicide after my real father died. So, no matter how many times I’d been stomped on, crashed, and beaten, it seemed the thought of caring for someone that ever be a part of my family couldn’t be disregarded. Even it cost me to letting go such a fulfilling person that I currently have.

I know how irritatingly stupid I was… and I know how madly ignorance I was. Even I also hated myself for being like this, but what else I could do. This might sounds lame as a plausible excuse, but I couldn’t ignore the strong compassion that I’d always naturally felt.

“Sir, we’ve arrived.”

The driver’s taxi voice broke me from my reverie. I paid the fee and stepped out from the cab before found my way running through the mass of people that swarming the harbor. I searched the right port where the ship will be departing to China in less than fifteen minutes. I’d take a long route to come to this place from Seoul. In such a windy night, I was far from feeling cold as I kept running and searching for my father in the crowded. My fatigue legs stopped momentarily, as I caught a familiar messy and skinny old man was about to climb up the deck.

“Appa!” I shouted and fastened my legs towards the ship. “Appa!” I called again and this times a bit louder to win against the crowds’ noises.

“Jae…” His eyes widened as he turned around and caught my presence. He seemed hesitated to move before decided to get down and walked to me.

“What are you doing here?” He frowned. This time he didn’t looked like drunk anymore. He seemed sober… like his old self.

“Appa, are you…leaving?”

He looked down and letting his silence answering my question. I noticed his strong grip on his suitcase; seemingly he was struggling to say a word to me.

“Appa…” I called again and moved forward t