Chapter 5

Kai and Jongin

Kai sighed. The training earlier was physically taxing. Although he doesn’t hate sports, he actually played a lot of sports growing up, it was hard to look lame while at it. A nerd can’t be sporty. The thing is, the past month, he was not doing much of exercise. His body seemed to have noticed the sudden physical exertion. There were pain all over his back, arms and legs.

And it’s not good, it’s making his every move as maître de a challenge. Even just moving his arm to pour wine is already making his vision blur.

Not good.

“Sir” called one of the waiting staff. “There seems to be trouble in the kitchen.” She whispered.

Kai smiled at the guest.

“I hope you’ll have a great time with us tonight.” Said Kai.

The guest nodded and smiled back.

Kai moved back and then went to the kitchen.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“The beef stew we’re preparing is ruined.” Said the chef. “We do not have enough time to prepare a new one. It takes 8 hours before the soup becomes ready.”

It’s not as if this was Kai’s first time to experience this kind of disaster. He wouldn’t be maître de if he doesn’t know how to deal with these kinds of situations.

But tonight, with his body feeling really weak and weird, his mind is also starting to lose his alertness.

“Get me the list of all the guests who are coming.” Said Kai. “If some of them are valued customers, I would know what’s the best alternative for them.”

The waiting staff handed him a folder. Kai reviewed it.

“For Mrs. Ausburn, prepare ginger chicken soup. She loved it the last time we served it. Make it for four servings we also have some other chicken lovers on the list.” Said Kai

The chef nodded and gave instructions.

“For Mr. So, prepare a sweet spicy soup of anything. I noticed he likes extra sweet or extra spicy food on his dish.  I guess we can also serve the same soup to the other three on the list. This one, this one and this one…” Kai continued going through the guest list and then handed the folder back to the waiting staff.

“You need to call Siwon.” Said Kai.

“Sir Siwon?” asked the waiting staff.

“Tell him it’s urgent.” Said Kai.

The waiting staff nodded and then left.

Kai sighed. He can only keep his eyes open by mere force. But he’s at his limits. He’s feeling so weak it hurts to stand up.

This is definitely not simple body ache from exercise.

Kai reached the storage room and leaned on the wall. Siwon has to come.

After a few minutes, he heard a knock.

“Are you in there, Kai?”

The door opened.

“Hey! Kai!” Siwon found Kai lying on the floor.

“The…restaurant…” Kai tried to speak.

“You’re burning up.” Said Siwon.

Siwon called one of the male waiting staff.

“Help me carry him. Let’s take him to a room.” Said Siwon.

Kai was laid on a bed.

“I think you need to be brought to a hospital. I’ll take it from here. I’ll do the maître de work for now.” Said Siwon.

Kai shook his head.

“This is nothing serious.” Said Kai.

“You can’t even walk, Man.” Said Siwon.

“Just let me rest.” Said Kai. “For a while.”

Kai’s breathing is labored.

“Mrs. Geralds is coming… She hates her wine when…” and then he lost hsi words are his consciousness slipped away.

“Stubborn kid.” Said Siwon.

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Reena reached the dorm a bit later than she expected. It was already eleven in the evening. Luckily, Jongin never bothered her nor asked her to rush home for fear of being interrogated. But it was Reena’s turn to feel nervous when she did not find Jongin at home.

“Is this his revenge?” asked Reena.

It did not help that the dorm management started sending her intimidation messages as soon as she arrived.

“Oh no… where is he?”

The messages kept coming and they’re getting more scary.

Reena gulped.

“You will be subjected to Authorities questioning.”  Said the message.

Oh nooo….

Reena sighed and then she bit her lip in anxiety.

Kim Jongin. Where are you?

Reena tried to send a message, all shyness aside. This is a crucial moment.

“Hi This is your roommate. Kindly let me know if you’re gonna make it to the curfew. Kindly reply ASAP.”

And when he still did not reply after a few minutes, Reena already made a call. Jongin was not picking up. She was slowly losing hope when finally someone picked it up.

“Hello, Jongin. Thank Goodness! Where are you?” asked Reena.

“Ummm, I’m not Jongin. This is Kai’s phone isn’t it?” asked the other line.

Kai? Familiar name.

“Are you his girlfriend or sister?” asked the other line.

“Umm… there must be some mistake.” Said Reena.

Reena checked her phone and it’s really Jongin’s number.

“Kai’s phone says you’re his housemate.” Said the other line.

Kai’s housemate? What?

Reena clearly remembered how Jongin saved her number. He saved her number by making a call to his phone through her phone. He can’t have done a mistake there. She saw his phone ringing back then. And she’s totally sure this is Jongin’s number.

“Kai’s in a really bad shape right now. He’s sick. I don’t think he can walk home like this.” Said the other line.

What’s going on?

“Oh, hey, he’s awake.” Said the other line. “You’re housemate is calling you.”

“What time is it?” asked someone else in the background.

“A few minutes past 11. You’ve been out for an hour.” Said the other line.

“The authorities will be alerted.” Said the voice in the background.

“Authorities? What do you mean?”

And then it sounded like the phone was passed on to someone else.

“Reena.” The voice sounded hoarse. “I need your help.”

Reena gulped. It’s that voice… it may sound a bit weak but it’s Jongin’s voice… nope Kai… Jongin… Kai?

“Kim Jongin?” asked Reena.

“I need to make it to curfew. I’m sorry that I will impose on you tonight but… can you come and pick me up?” asked Jongin…

Or is it Kai…

“Ummm…” Reena looked at the clock.

“Where are you?” asked Reena. Less than half an hour to curfew.

“Imperial Luxury Hotel.”

This guy.

He’s definitely Kai.

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Reena reminded herself that the reason why she’s standing inside Imperial Hotel is not because she wanted to see the hot maître de, Kai. It was because they were holding Jongin’s phone. And whatever happened to Jongin, she has to know. There’s an Accountability policy among roomates in the dorm.

Reena knocked on the door the waiter told her to go. The door opened.

“Hi.” A tall, handsome man appeared. He looked like a Prince ready to melt you with his smile.

“Hi, Are you… the housemate?” asked  the guy.

The Housemate?

“The one I spoke to on the phone earlier?” asked the guy.

“Oh, it was you?” asked Reena

So this was the guy behind that voice?

“Yeah. I’m Siwon. I am one of the managers here in the hotel. Come in.” Siwon led Reena inside.

And then she saw a man lying on the bed. He looked pale and weak, his hair is no longer as polished as when she last saw him. But there’s no mistaken who the man on the bed is.

Kai.

“He insisted that I ask you to pick him up.” Said Siwon. “Do you have a car?”

“Umm… no. I’m just a student.” Said Reena.

“Oh.” Said Siwon.

“Where’s Jongin?” asked Reena.

“Jongin?” asked Siwon.

“The owner of the phone earlier.” Said Reena.

“You mean Kai?” asked Siwon.

This is very confusing.

“I am the one you’re looking for.”

Both Reena and Siwon turned to look at Kai.

“I am the one you came here for.” Said Kai. “Choi Reena, I am only asking your help this once. I need to make it before curfew.”

Kai saw the confusion on Reena’s eyes. She still doesn’t get it.

“I am Kim Jongin.”

Reena’s eyes widened.

“Oh right! His real name.” said Siwon. “I am so used to calling him Kai I forgot that he has another name.”

“You are… Kim Jongin?” Reena still could not believe it. How can such a hot maître de of Imperial Luxury Hotel like Kai be… the introvert nerd Kim Jongin of Neon High? It’s impossible that they’re the same person.

“Just… take me home.” Said Kai.

Kai stood up. But he was unstable. Reena immediately went beside him and put his arms over her shoulder.

“I still don’t get it but…All right. Let’s meet that curfew.” Said Reena.

“Are you sure you’ll be fine? Your housemate doesn’t have a car.” Said Siwon.

“It’s fine.” Said Kai. “Just stay here and watch over the hotel.”

Siwon sighed.

“You always put the hotel first.” Said Siwon.

“Of course Hyung.” Said Kai.

Reena and Kai took a cab. Although the hotel is just a few blocks away from their dorm, Kai’s condition will not allow them to go anywhere. When they reached the dorm, Reena helped Kai to get inside the elevator and also helped him to get inside the house. Kai lain on the bed.

“He’s probably asleep.” Said Reena. Reena sat on the floor beside the bed. She’s exhausted. Although Kai is not fat, he has heavy bones. It took all her energy to help him.

“Did we… make it?” Kai asked while his eyes were closed. “To the curfew?”

Kai’s hair has fallen on his face. He’s perspiring a lot. And he doesn’t look as attractive as he was in the hotel. Now Reena can stare at him and see some traces of Jongin.

“Who are you really?” asked Reena.

Kai slowly opened his eyes.

“Who do you think?” asked Kai.

“You still look like Kai. But you are here in this dorm as my roommate. And my roommate is Kim Jongin.” Said Reena.

Kai looked at the ceiling.

“Don’t make it confuse you.” Said Kai. “The person you know is Kim Jongin. You and Kai do not have any connection except for that bag you wanted to give your customer the other day.”

So he remembered her back then?

“Kai lives in a separate world from Kim Jongin.” Said Kai. “You live in Kim Jongin’s world, not Kai’s.”

“You’re bipolar?” Said Reena

“Think whatever you like.” Said Kai. “I call it lessening the complexities of life.”

Reena stood up.

“I have some medicine on my drawer. You should take some.” Said Reena.

Kai sighed. He didn’t want to rely on anyone else. Reena took a pail of water and a cloth. She put the cloth on Kai’s forehead. And then she took a small banana she reserved for herself. She helped Kai to eat it before making him drink the medicine.

Kai did not speak the entire time and just cooperated like a child.

Reena felt a tugging in her chest.

The introvert nerd Jongin who said they should not interfere with each other is so sick that he didn’t mind the intervention anymore.

When Kai was lying on his bed again, Reena pulled the blanket up his chin.

“You’re living two lives. And you’re saying nobody can overstep on the other life you live.” Said Reena. “That’s impossible. As long as you’re the same person, someone is bound to overstep the other life you live.”

“I have maintained my peaceful two lives separate from each other the past years. I am not going to make anything destroy that.” Said Kai.

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Reena is in trouble. Two days before the assignments submission and she hasn’t solved a problem! Last night was only her chance to do the assignments. But Kim Jongin… Kai…he was sick. And she couldn’t sleep, not when he had bad dreams every 5 minutes!

“Well well well.”

Reena could hear the familiar voice behind her.

“Do you now hide in the library thinking you can escape us here?”

Reena sighed. They have come. She faced them.

It’s Chorong and Minah.

“I have no place to hide in this school.” Said Reena.

“That’s true.” Said Chorong. “But you still try do you?”

Reena has learned that in these instances, the best way to handle it is to be poker faced.

“Not as much as I used to anymore.” Said Reena, her face has a blank expression.

“You’re really trying to look brave, do you?” asked Minah.

And usually, whether she’s afraid or brave, nothing really works. Whatever they want to do with her, they should hurry up and do it now. She still needs to do that homework!

Reena closed her eyes as she saw several men and women going around her. Are they really going to bully her inside the library with everyone watching?

Oh, so it’s humiliation this time?

Reena bit her lip.

The men held her arms. While two women started to strip her off her clothes.

Reena closed her eyes tight. They’re going to take her clothes off in the middle of the school library. There is really no limits to their torture.

“If I am an outsider looking at what you’re doing, I’d think you’re stripping her off her clothes to humiliate her in public.”

Everyone turned to look at the person who spoke.

Reena opened her eyes. Who is this person who was brave enough to interfere?

Lu Han.

It was Lu Han who spoke.

“But you aren’t doing that right? You weren’t stripping her right?” asked Lu Han, smiling.

Chorong sighed.

“We’re just having a little fun with Reena Choi.” Said Chorong.

“Oh, right.” Said Lu Han. “But the library’s environment is not for fun. If you need to have some fun, you better do it outside school.”

Minah’s eyes thinned.

“Are you threatening us, Council President?” asked Minah

“No, I am just making sure the library is used for the purpose it was built.” Said Lu Han.

Minah and Chorong exchanged glances.

“Let’s go for now.” Said Minah.

Chorong and Minah’s group walked away.

Reena made a sigh of relief.

Lu Han walked beside her.

“You better button up your blouse.” Said Lu Han.

Reena’s face went red as her fingers immediately struggled to close her buttons.

Lu Han then walked on. When Reena lifted her face, she saw the people behind him. There were several Prime students who followed Lu Han. One of them is familiar.

Kim Jongin.

Kim Jongin’s eyes met Reena’s. There was a sudden tightening in Reena’s chest. Did he see that? Did he also see how those people nearly stripped her ? Did he see… how weak she was?

Reena felt hot tears in her eyes. Why does she feel this way? She’s so used to being seen by everyone, hurt and bruised. But why does she want to hide her face right now? Why does she feel this way knowing that Kim Jongin saw how people crushed her?

If you let them speak as though you’re nothing, then you’re nothing.

Those were Kai’s words. And it cuts through her at this very moment.

And then Kim Jongin’s eyes left hers as he followed the Prime students.

Reena bit her lip.

He did not even show any emotion… He did not try to help her nor did he show a bit of a compassionate glance.

He’s really a cold creature.

Reena sighed.

She’s not going to cry.

She’s not going to cry…