~Chapter ten~

"Mr. Kwon!" Jiyong's head whipped up and stared at Jaehyun who came sprinting from the elevator. "A-Are you alright? I got a call saying there's an emergenc--"

"Where is she?" Jiyong asked quietly with a terrorizing voice as he unclasped his hands and stood up. ".... Was it my mother?"

Jaehyun stopped at his tracks as he stood immobile and found his voice disappear from the tip of his tongue. He knew Jiyong would find it out, but the way he just guessed it right away blew his mind off-balance.

"Park..." Jiyong put his hand on his hip as he tilt his head to his side. "I won't repeat myself again. Tell me where'd you take her." he said slowly removing his watch and quickly slipped it inside his pant pocket.

"I'm afraid the vice president has not given me the permission to disclose this matter with you. I'm truly sorry sir." Jaehyun said as he slowly and cautiously approached his younger boss. He didn't know what to expect, although Jiyong was never the violent type, he'd never seen such expression exuberating from him, expecting a blow on his face he tilt his head to the side, when to his surprise he heard a shrill laugh escaping the lips of Jiyong.

"What're you doing Park? Were you expecting me to hit you?" Jiyong said as he controlled his laugh, although he'd been laughing, he wasn't entirely happy, he was just surprised with the length that Park Jaehyun was about to go to only to keep his word to his mother. "You do know that I will still find it out eventually even if you don't tell me right?" Jiyong said as he slowly ed his cuffs and rolled the sleeves up to his fore arm. "She'll still think it's you, so it's a lose-lose situation for you either way. If you tell me now, at least there'll be one less angry person." lastly ing the first two buttons of his shirt, he shrugged. "So? Which one will it be?"

Jiyong glared at the nurses that stood outside the room as he stood at the door. Taking cue, they dispersed immediately, not daring to meet his eyes. Taking a deep breath he turned the knob and cleared his throat as a signal that he was entering.

"Who is it?" he heard Chaerin call out as he looked around the VIP-private room in awe. He'd never been to this side of the hospital, not even during its inauguration.

"I bought you a little something!" Jiyong beamed as he leaned against the wall, waving the bouquet in the air. "Your favourite." he didn't have to be a genius to figure out that Chaerin loved roses the most.

"O-Oppa....?" Chaerin's jaw dropped as she stared at the man dressed in formals, looking dapper with his hair slid back, the white dress shirt rolled up at the sleeves and tucked inside the slim fitted black dress pant, a black blazer looped around his other arm. "How'd you get in?" she squeaked.

"This is my hospital in case you forgot." Jiyong smiled as he stepped forward, making Chaerin shudder nervously as his perfume filled the room. He's not supposed to know. She thought as she nibbled on her bottom lip and clenched her bed sheet between her fists.

"Why're you here?" Jiyong asked innocently, although he knew perfectly well who was responsible for this. "Do you not like our room? Or has it grown too small for you that you needed a room where we could fit at least 20 patients?"

"Just look around!" Chaerin exclaimed as her eyes ran around the room, trying her best to act normal. "Even you can't deny that this is definitely much better than the previous one.....  No offense." she raised her hand up in the air, a playful smile plastering her face.

"None taken." Jiyong nod. A moment of silence engulfed the two, which was soon broken when Jiyong walked over to her bed and sat at the side, resting his hands on his knees. "D-Did they say something to you?" he couldn't bear to imagine his mother talking to Chaerin in the tone that she usually uses for people she considered a 'commoner' and.... Unfortunately, Chaerin was one too, since she wasn't technically an elite.

"What're you talking about?" Chaerin raised an eyebrow. "They've been nothing but nice to me, even promised to take care of my medical fees. I can’t pass an opportunity like that, well, at least not if you were in my shoes."

".... And what did they ask you in return?" Jiyong knew all to well, having been brought up in a business world. No one did something for someone unless they were receiving something in return. It definitely wouldn't have been money since... Well, Chaerin could never afford it and it wasn't like his mother didn't have enough already.

"Nothing." Chaerin shook her head and pretended to yawn, pulling the sheets over herself. "I'm feeling sleepy, you should head back to your room Oppa. I'll see you tomor--"

"Can you just stop lying and tell me exactly what they asked you to do?" Jiyong snapped,  immediately feeling guilty for getting mad at Chaerin when she wasn't the one at fault. "I'm sorry..." he grabbed her hands and squeezed it in his. "... Please, Chaerin. Just, tell me... Okay? I promise I won't tell it to anyone or do anything." he pled and watched as Chaerin gulped and closed her eyes before gently drawing circles on his wrist with her thumb.

"They asked me to stay away from you." she answered honestly, feeling relieved for letting it out without having to lie to him once again.

"W-What?" Jiyong gasped. "What th--"

"They said it for your own good, I swear. Imagine if the press got to know about you having a female roommate, what good would it do to your image. You need space for immediate recovery and... So do I."

"Bull!" Jiyong groaned as he laughed unable to believe the they said to convince her. He always knew his mother was a manipulator, a very good one in fact. "... And you believed them?"

"Of course!" Chaerin sat up straight giving him a stern look. "Why wouldn't I? She's your mother, she wants what's best for you. I want the best for you. Staying together might not be the best idea for either of us." Chaerin explained as she turned her head to the opposite direction of where Jiyong was sitting. "I've started to depend on you too much...." she sighed. "It'll become difficult for me when you leave..... You're leaving soon."

Jiyong's gaze fell to the floor, he hadn't thought about himself leaving ever again after his first night there. Suddenly the thought tugged his heart in a way he couldn't explain. He had a week at the most to spend time with Chaerin. Pushing away the thoughts of his mother he smiled to himself, thinking of ways to spend their time left together.

"So...." Jiyong coughed. "The room's quite nice.. And big too." he said trying to measure the width and length with an imaginary tape in his hands. "Could fit in another bed don't you think?"

"What?" Chaerin turned around immediately, giving a confused stare at the grinning Jiyong. After all that explanation he was thinking of moving in? Again?

"You don't mind do you?" he asked, already knowing the answer. He smiled the widest smile he'd ever smiled in years as she shook her head and crashed herself to the pillows. Chaerin knew it wasn’t the right thing to do, but she couldn’t help it.

"Goodnight..."

Jiyong stood up tucked the sheets in as he bent down and pushed the hair away from Chaerin's face to give a kiss on her forehead.

"Good night beautiful...."

"Wha--" Chaerin rubbed her eyes and looked her room as she scrambled off her bed. "where--" the room looked unfamiliar yet, so familiar. Glancing at every corner she knew what was missing.... Or more like, who was missing.

Just as she found her room slippers she heard the sound of the door sliding open followed by the sound of voices. Curious and suspicious, she slammed her back to the wall and peeked to find 3 male wardens pushing in a hospital bed, strategizing amongst themselves to fit the bed through the door.

"Hello.." Chaerin moved in front, straightening her hospital uniform. "Can you tell me where am I?"

The 3 wardens stopped and stared at the girl weirdly. One of them almost spoke as suddenly Jaehyun appeared behind them.

"What is it still doing outside? Get it in quic-- Oh! Miss Lee. Did they disturb you?" Jaehyun moved forward, squeezing himself between the door frame and a rather plump male warden. "I'm so sorry, I asked them to check up on you first."

".... Jaehyun?" Chaerin tilt her head. "What're they doing with the bed?" she asked as she pointed behind him.

"Mr. Kwon insisted on moving in here. I could only delay him so long." he chuckled. "He must be here so--"

"What're they doing just standing out there Park?" Jiyong's voice echoed around the room. "Chae did they wake you up?" he asked as he moved forward and looked at the girl with dishevelled hair and puffy eyes. "Park, go handle them." he said as he waved his secretary away and quickly moved to Chaerin's side, placing the back of his palm against her forehead. "You don't look too well. Are you okay?' he slid his hand down to her neck as he soothe her hair with the other.

"I just woke up." Chaerin mumbled as she  covered her face with her hands and groaned. "I didn't even wash up yet." she quickly ducked out of Jiyong's grasp as she swirled around with a confused look.

"Chae?"

"... The bathroom?"  Chaerin asked as she crossed her legs in a position that people do when they wanted to control the number 1 pressure. Jiyong chuckled as he pointed towards the door behind her. Immediately disturbed of his bliss as the sound of men clattering filled his ears. Annoyed beyond belief, he walked as fast as he could and stared at the men struggling to fit the bed in.

"Seriously. How do you expect to treat sick people when you can't even get a bed through the door?"

"You left this back at the old room" Jiyong said as he placed the small carton box on the coffee table, situated in the middle of the living room, a part of their new private room.

"Wha--" Chaerin mumbled as she bit her hair band between her teeth, pulling her hair into a messy bun. "Oh my God!" Chaerin exclaimed,  eyes bulging out of its socket. "I almost forgot!"

"Almost?" Jiyong mimicked, "You forgot Chae."

"No, not that...." Chaerin shook her head as she sat herself beside Jiyong and placed the carton on her lap. "We have to go somewhere...."  she murmured as she inspected the cards that Jiyong had helped with. "We might still make it if take the 4pm bus."

"Bus? What? Where? Why?... How?" Jiyong gawked at the girl. He had no clue what she was speaking about.

"For Christmas. I remember asking you if you wanted to join me." nodding approvingly at the cards she turned around to Jiyong and handed the carton to him. "We're going to Busan."

"Just tell me why couldn't we take my private plane and reach in... I don't know, 30 minutes?" Jiyong grumbled as he hung on to the pole beside him while people squeezed and push him, left-right. "And skipped through all this?"

"Oh you're alright..." Chaerin calmly said as she pat him on his shoulder and smiled. "It's not that bad today. You're lucky.... it's almost Christmas so people are already home for the holiday."

Chaerin laughed as Jiyong made a disgusted face at the man who just sneezed beside him, not even bothering to cover his nose.

The two stood for about 50 minutes when most of the passengers got off at the Suwon station and they finally found a seat to sit on.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Jiyong complained as he pulled the backpack in front of him and breathed heavily.

"Stop exaggerating!" Chaerin hit his arm playfully and beamed. "I wanted to show you something that's why I chose the bus. Besides, I like to enjoy every moment as slowly as possible." she said.

Feeling nauseated and exhausted from the crowd before, Jiyong immediately slept as the bus moved from station to station, when suddenly he felt his body shake. Opening his eyes wearily, he found Chaerin pointing towards the window. Rubbing his eyes to get a better view, he sat up and leaned closer to the window, ultimately meaning he had to lean closer to Chaerin.

His words got stuck in his throat as he stared at the scene in front of him.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Chaerin smiled as she placed her palm on the window glass. ".... Now I get to share it with you."

"I-I've never seen anything like it before. I mean I-I have but, just pictures." Jiyong murmured as he watched the sun slowly setting at the horizon, the tiny lights illuminating the spread of the land as the star twinkled right before their eyes and the sky turned dark. Jiyong sat back on his seat, settling himself as comfortable as possible, they still had an hour or so to reach, giving him plenty of time to act as the pillow this time around, something which he thought he'd never want to be.

Jiyong gently nudged Chaerin as the bus came to a halt and all the passengers got off, pulling out their stuffs from the overhead baggage cabin.

"Hey." he whispered as he inhaled the smell of her citrus shampoo smell. "We're here...."

Chaerin removed her arm that she'd looped around Jiyong's as she turned to the window and looked outside, studying the area. Yawning with her hand over , she motioned Jiyong to stand up, giving a cue to leave.

Jiyong unloaded the small luggage from the trunk of the taxi as Chaerin paid for the fare from Jiyong's wallet, which he'd given her to handle. Looking around the area, Jiyong noticed the whole block decorated with Christmas decorations, the breeze carrying the sound of the carols, while from afar he saw a church with a huge Christmas in the yard with a big banner that read.

‘For unto us a child is born’

He'd read it when he was a kid and his grandmother was still alive. Not being able remember when he'd last stepped into a Church, he gave up trying and glanced at Chaerin whose nose had already turned red while she rubbed her palms together, in attempt to warm it. Immediately, Jiyong removed his parka and wrapped it around Chaerin who smiled her charming smile as she straddled the strap of her bag and looped her arm around Jiyong's.

"Ready?" she asked as fixed Jiyong's  beanie (technically it was Chaerin's, she lend it to him.)

Jiyong shrugged. He knew she'd drag him with her even if he protested. Creating steam with every breath they walked up the stairs of the building with worn out paint. After Jiyong pressed the buzzer and a rather short introduction session. The woman on the other side of the intercom screamed excitedly and called everyone around her to settle down when they erupted into a loud cheer.

"Who're they?" Jiyong asked as the intercom disconnected and the door opened with a click.

Pushing the black and heavy metallic doors, Chaerin carefully tap her foot to let off the dirt before entering as she answered.

"This is where I grew up." she said as she pointed to the direction of the shoe rack.

"Home of faith"

Jiyong swallowed a big lumped in his throat as he watched her run into an embrace with a rather chubby Ajhumma and two other younger looking women who wiped their tears as they watched a reunion.

Home of faith

Chaerin's old home that she'd given away for homeless children, orphan children, just like herself. Jiyong bent his head down as his vision started blurring from what he was witnessing. He couldn't believe Chaerin had asked him to accompany her at a place that she held so close to her heart, the place where all the memories of her childhood remained.

The place where she grew up.

The place where she came to be.

The place where she belonged.

The place where Chaerin became...... Chaerin.

Author's note:

It's here! (on time) *Fist pump*
Ahh~ I'm craving for skydragon moments so baaaaaad!
Anyway, did you guys follow EXO members on IG?

Well, I got a reason to be ashamed of being in the same fandom as some very immature Exo stans.
Did you guys know that Sehun followed Daeun(2eyes) his friend from school which resulted in so many Exotics bashing her, spamming her IG ac with hurtful comments.
God!

Aren't idols allowed to have friends?
What do you guys think? let me know throught the comments below.

With love~
E