Chapter 15

Don’t Know Where I’ll be Tomorrow

When Kris arrived from the park, limping up the stairs, the first place he thought to go was to her room. But before he even had a chance to knock, he noticed a note taped to the handle of the doorknob. She didn’t want to be disturbed for the rest of the night. Kris was sure that she was tired, it had been a long day at work and he didn’t want to upset her any further, but the next day, she’d definitely have to listen.

. . .

The next day, Hyoyeon furiously revised through piles and piles of papers. She plunged felt tip pens on her designs, ruining them in the process. The smudges were a representation of her rare irate nature.

Kai examined her warily. He was quite the nosy type, but he stayed silent. Hyoyeon looked infuriated; he didn’t want to be on her bad side today.

Kai was feeling joy, vicariously through Hyoyeon’s beaming tantrums. It could only mean one thing; a fight with Kris. It was amusing to him that she grabbed a stack of folders and dunked them into her trash can which was already too full to endure anymore weight. It fell and all the trash rolled out and made a mess of her office carpet. She kicked it all in a flurry and went back to her chair.

“Ok, what’s wrong?” Kai finally gathered the courage to ask. Hyoyeon looked at Kai, annoyed and decided to walk to her bookcase at the farthest corner of her desk to evade his question. She pulled out her designs binder and paused there, tracing the spine of her book as she contemplated whether she should tell him or not. He was her best friend after all.

Just as Hyoyeon was about to open , Kris stampeded in as always and interrupted.

“Don’t” he said, making Kai turn to face him with a dubious eyebrow. “Don’t tell him,” He finished.

Hyoyeon pursed her lips into a bored frown and went back to her desk.

“What do you want?” She said, crossing her arms in front of her chest; unintentionally bringing attention to her s and bringing the pairs of eyes of the two men in the room focused on that exact location. Her blue halter top shirt made it possible for both of them to see just enough of her bust, squished between her arms, causing them to lose track of their thoughts. The room was silent, while the two gaped making Hyoyeon grow ever more annoyed, but quite unaware of the effect she was having on them both simultaneously.

“Hey! I said what do you want? ” Hyoyeon snapped her fingers at Kris, strenuously bringing his attention back to her. “You,” She pointed at Kai. “Close your mouth, it’s weird.”

“We need to talk,” Kris ordered exigently.

“Not right now, I’m very busy,” She lied. There was not much work to be done; it had all been done the day prior. If she had come in to work today was clearly to avoid Kris and he knew it.

“It will be fast, I promise,” Kris clasped his two hands together, pleading, hoping that his words would make her have a change of heart and that she would hear everything that he had to say.

“Fine, make it quick.”

“I wanted to talk to you in private,” Kris said glaring at Kai, indicating to him that he should leave. Kai nodded and stood from his chair.

“No, he’s busy too,” Hyoyeon reached over her desk and put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him back to his seat.

Kai shrugged and looked at Kris in an apologetic manner. “I’m sorry.” He mouthed.

“Fine,” Kris replied, but he wasn’t going to tell her what he had originally intended, instead he would tell her what she didn’t let him continue the night before; something that was eating at him. She was already terribly mad at him, might as well let it all out.

“I have to cancel our plans for the 14^th,” he squinted his eyes a bit, afraid of her reaction.

“Yeah, you better cancel them. There’s no way I’m going anywhere with you,” She blurted cynically.

“No you don’t understand,” he said exhausted from the bickering. “It’s not because of our little fight.”

“Little fight?” She let out more furious than before.

“Will you please let me finish, “Kris begged her; pinching the bridge of his nose. Hyoyeon with much difficulty took in a deep breath and let him continue, without interruptions this time.

“X-Textiles have finally agreed to sign the contract. The only condition they’ve made is that one small detail goes revised and…” Kris looked over at Hyoyeon fiddling with a pen; her eyes focused away from him, “…that I go over personally. They won’t take a representative. They were fairly clear in that matter.”

“So, you’re going to New York?” Hyoyeon asked him dryly, focused on not dropping the pen she was playing with.

“Yes,” he said with a sadness that betrayed him.

“When does your flight leave?”

“Please believe me. I wish I could take you with me. If I had another choice I would cancel the whole thing, but there are more important matters riding on this deal. People are depending on it,” Kris rambled, igniting a fury within Hyoyeon.

“Right,” Hyoyeon bobbed her head up and down sardonically. “I asked, when does your flight leave?” Hyoyeon spoke irritated from his lack of clarity.

“On the 13^th…so that I can arrive the next day and get everything set up for the meeting on the 15^th.” Kris responded.

“The 13^th?” she repeated like a question and Kris confirmed it. “You know what day that is, right?”

He shook his head up and down, ashamed. He was paying the consequences of his silence. He should have told her the moment he found out. He had a whole day to tell her and he chose to keep quiet.

“That’s the day I have to show my designs to one of the company’s partners. You knew I wouldn’t be able to go with you that day.” Hyoyeon said stubbornly, incriminating him unfairly.

“Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t plan it this way. I only found out yesterday. Please think logically about this. X-textiles is a much older and wiser company. They call the shots.” Kris raised his voice and Hyoyeon scoffed. “Why would I tell you that I planned something for us and then tell you a couple days later that I have to cancel them?”

“Oh, I don’t know. You also asked me for a divorce. I really don’t know what goes through your head anymore.” She waived her arms about exasperated. “Maybe you wanted me to sign the papers. Then you probably thought, ‘oh, this idiot is going to sleep with me,’ and then you could leave happily to New York. I’m probably just another one of your conquests.” Hyoyeon berated him, sounding more irrational the longer she went on. “I haven’t heard from Seohyun lately. Tell me, is she waiting for you there?”

“You’re impossible. I can’t talk to you right now, especially not with Kai still in the room. I’m leaving.” Kris pointed at his friend and waved his arms up, surrendering to the futile argument.

“Perfect! Leave. It’s what you’re best at doing,” she snapped, rising furiously from her chair, but she regretted it immediately.

Kris froze in his spot with his hand stopped at the door handle. Hyoyeon had uttered that one reproach that he was dreading and was so afraid to hear. Yet, it had presided over his head like a ticking time bomb, haunting him harassingly. Well it had finally exploded and it hurt him like he didn’t know it was possible. It stung him like an unhealed blister with her words that pressed on like a blade at that wound.

When he moved his head to the side he revealed that pain that he was feeling. There was a tinge of regret, but with more fervor was a massive amount of self-loathing visibly written in his eyes. He hated himself for having left her for so long, no one would ever understand just how much.

Hyoyeon was taken aback causing her to fall back into her seat. She wanted to stand her ground, but why did guilt have to override all her other emotions.

She knew why. She did understand that if anybody regretted the past two years, it was Kris. But he hadn’t been hurt like she had, so why couldn’t she feel even a little bit angry. She couldn’t stay mad at him, not when he looked like that. She didn’t want to forgive him so easily, but if he stayed one moment longer, she was going to end up being the one comforting him.

“Hyoyeon, please listen to me,” Kris composed himself and turned back to the desk and begged with bloodshot eyes.

“Get out,” Hyoyeon supplicated with her eyes shut tight and her palm pointing up, stopping him from getting closer.

Kris wiped away his tears from his cheeks and accepted her request, walking slowly out the door.

Kai had sat so still throughout the whole argument, practically unnoticed, listening intently to every word and every emotion. He couldn’t help the small tint of happiness that swelled inside his heart.  

Hyoyeon caught him grinning.

“What are you smiling about? You get out too,” Hyoyeon grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the door.

“Wait. Don’t kick me out.” Kai released himself from her grasp. “You could really use a shoulder to lean on right now.”

“Do I look like some sort of damsel to you? Get out or I’ll poke your eyes out,” she threatened and pushed him out of her office. She closed the door and leaned against it; feeling mentally exhausted.

. . . . . . .

Kris sat in the table on the balcony, overlooking the entrance to the house. He saw the doors open and Hyoyeon go in and climb up the stairs with hastened steps. His vision bored into her body, trailing her. He lost the view when she made a turn into the corridor that led into the bedrooms.  He was so quiet, that he doubted she had even noticed his presence.

 Hyoyeon had been very blunt and cutting back at the office, but he had it well deserved. He understood that much. But, there was no way he was going to take the flight without making her understand just how much he loved her. If Hyoyeon thought he was going to give up so easily, she was greatly underestimating him. After thinking for a couple hours about what he would say to her, he walked to her room decisively. But first thing was first; getting her fed. He was sure she hadn’t eaten all day.

. . .

“Open up.” Kris banged on Hyoyeon’s locked bedroom door.

“No. Go away!” she responded. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”

Kris knocked one last time and waited with his hands at each hip. Hyoyeon on the other side was thinking things through. She could let him explain or she could not. She hadn’t let him defend himself and that made her feel an immense amount of remorse. And she wasn’t even mad that he’d have to make a trip without her. What was really upsetting, was the subject of divorce and maybe the lack of communication. She thought that what they had was perfect, why would he want to go and ruin it with a divorce. She cringed at the word.

He had professed his undying love for her, one too many times, but to her, words like those could easily be feigned or fabricated. However, he had shown her with actions, with his fast beating heart, his stares and his passionate kisses. ‘Surely he couldn’t have been faking that,’ she pondered to herself.

Hyoyeon’s anger subsided modestly, finally getting to the state in which she understood that she had acted petty and irrational back at the office. It wasn’t even something she wanted to say, but she had blurted it out so easily, because she truly didn’t know it would hurt Kris that much. She was going to let him explain eventually, just not yet.

“Hyoyeon, I’m not leaving until you open this door.” His knocking interrupted her thoughts.

“Well then bring a pillow and a blanket and get yourself comfortable because you’re going to get tired of waiting.” She taunted him, placing a hand quickly over to hide laughter.

He huffed, lividly. “But you haven’t even eaten all day. It’s not healthy to go without eating for so many hours. I’ll just go find the master key downstairs.”

Great. He made her feel even guiltier. Even amidst their silly fight he worried too much for her. Yet there she was in her bed gobbling down a bag of sour cream and cheddar cheese Ruffles; chugging a large bottle of black soda drink (A/N: omg, I’m so sorry for this word, I had to write it in. I couldn’t help myself). There was even a bag of chocolate doughnuts half-finished at the edge of her bed.

She had made it seem as if she hadn’t eaten all day on purpose; to worry him, and her plan was successful.  In reality she wasn’t the type of person to starve herself.

But Kris had said he was going to get the master key.

“Oh, sh*t!” Hyoyeon flung herself from her bed like a catapulted boulder and tried to get rid of all the evidence. She shoved everything underneath her bed and ran back up, centering herself on the bedframe.

She ran her fingers down her golden locks, trying to straighten some of the loose strands. She also gave a meager pinch to each cheek, giving the illusion of a natural flush to her face. She was mad at him, but she still wanted to look nice for him.

When she heard him at the doorstep she cleared . “Come in. I’ve unlocked the door already.  You don’t need to use the key.”

She folded her arms across her chest and looked away from him.

“I know you’re mad at me right now,” he said crawling over and hovering in front of her. “But you still need to…” he paused, tilting his head and eying her curiously, “…eat.” He finished by wiping a brown smudge at the edge of her lips. He his thumb and confirmed that indeed it was chocolate. He put his head down, taking a deep breath and chuckling as silently as was possible.

“You’re going to eat what I’ve cooked and that is that,” Kris spoke in a tone that demanded attention and obedience.

“But—“ she tried to protest.

“No, buts.” He said placing a hand over .

When he came back with a tray holding her warm dinner he found Hyoyeon laying on her bed with only her night lamp on, facing away from him. His smile transformed into a slight frown, having no other choice but to give up and put the tray on the nightstand.

He hovered over her once again and strategically thought about where to park his mouth.  She was pretending to sleep after all and he knew it, but he played along with her game.

He saw her lips pucker up slightly, but he was going to punish her. With all the pain in his heart he ended up giving her a kiss on the forehead, far from where he actually desired to kiss her, but her reaction was well worth it.

She pouted slightly and released a warm air from her nostrils, making him grin widely. Her eyes tightened shut, and tried to bury her head in her pillow out of embarrassment, but she could feel his penetrating stare, making her stay still.

His mouth came to her ear and he whispered, “Tomorrow, you’re going to listen to me even if you don’t like it.”

He shoved his hands inside his pockets and walked to the door.

“No, I’m not,” she whispered, bringing her shirt up to her nose; thinking she wouldn’t be heard.

Kris laughed, “I heard that and yes you are.”

“Alright, get out already!” Hyoyeon sprung up and threw him a pillow. Kris dodged the pillow and left the room mocking with boisterous laughter. Hyoyeon dropped back to her bed and blew her hair away from her face, annoyed because she hadn’t gotten her usual kiss on the lips.

. . . . . . .

Hyoyeon had been coming in to work two hours after Kris, while she remained mad.

Today she arrived at her office, hurled her suitcase to the chair by the white wooden bookcase and floundered to her seat. She didn’t sleep a wink last night; tired she crossed one arm under her forehead and rested on the desk. She tried to stretch her other hand over her papers, but was blocked by something she had not noticed before. She tapped on the smooth porcelain texture and then propelled up. It was a vase with vivid blue sapphire orchids, her favorite flower.

Her lips pursed together and curved slightly downwards, her eyes squinted, skeptically glaring at the masterpiece. She stood and walked around her desk. She saw a small envelope that was clipped to one of the stems, and pulled out of it a small note.

It read:

Meet me out in the parking lot.

10 AM, don’t be late.

You won’t regret it. I love you,

Kris

‘The parking lot?’ she questioned and eyed the flowers even more surreptitiously. Why the parking lot? If that was where Kris was going to talk to her or apologize, it was not romantic at all. Hyoyeon was expecting an elegant candlelit dinner out in a neon lighted city, hell, even a small lunch in their garden would do. But, no, ‘the parking lot?’ she mumbled again. Maybe, he’d take her somewhere from there, but, it was all too suspicious, especially the flowers. Kris and Hyoyeon had gotten to know each other quite well. They knew a lot of each other’s secrets, dreams, and phobias. But there was one thing Hyoyeon was sure of, that Kris did not know about her. And that was her favorite flower. As far as she knew, Kris probably thought her favorite flower was a simple red rose, since she had so many in her backyard. But Kai knew, maybe he had told him.

It was just time to fix this mess; to communicate. Being mad at Kris didn’t sit too well with her, it made her feel anxious and sick. She wanted to apologize to him also.

At 9:50 AM she took the elevator down to the parking lot floor and waited by her car. The note had not specified it this way, but she assumed that was the plan.

At 9:58 AM before she even had a chance to scream, a hand was at her waist. She opened wide to release an auxiliary yelp, but was cut off by a thick, black cotton rag that was wrapped tightly around . She looked down on it and was finally able to make noise, but it was already too late. A muffled screech was all that could be released.

Her hands were soon tied up tight against her abdomen and she was blindfolded with another piece of black cloth that darkened her vision. She was shoved into a car without a word. She couldn’t understand anything. As she tried to scream, became hoarse within stranger confines and no one would hear her. She yelled for Kris, but it was useless. Her voice continued to come out distorted.

Real fear ran through her when she felt the car speed off to only god knows where.

She sat paralyzed for a long time, but when she finally grasped what was happening she passed out; falling slowly across the back passenger seats.

__________________________

Another chapter, i hope you like it.

Spoiler(and last one for this story): so far, it doesn’t seem so. It might not even be in the next chapter, but you’re going to see Kai transform and become a real threat to HyoKris.  He’s been playing rather nice, but it’s not going to stay like that for long.

Thank you everybody reading, commenting and subscribing. Enjoy!