Chapter 63

Kris winced when Yeojin dabbed an ointment on a cut on his cheek.

Damn! He's strong! He thought of Luhan. He never imagined someone who looks so gentle like Luhan possessed that amount of strength until he felt the impact of the man's fist on his face. Several times. What do I expect? I kissed his fiancée.

His attention then settled on Yeojin sitting beside him on the edge of the bed. She was silently opening a pack of adhesive bandage. He leaned back on the headboard; eyes never leaving her.

"How's the movie? Did I ruin your hangout with Sehun?"

Yeojin only briefly glanced at him before she paid attention to the bandage again. "Why didn't you tell me Park Changsun had gone this far?" She brusquely asked and sticked the bandage over the cut.

Kris winced again at the force she exerted just to stick the bandage. "I didn't want to make you worry. You have the final paper to worry about."

"And look where we are now." She rolled her eyes. 

"Hey"—he reached out a hand to tuck strands of her hair behind her ear—"I'm sorry."

Yeojin just sighed and glanced at him from the corner of her eyes before she glanced away from him, packed the first aid box, and put it away. "I'll make us dinner." She stood up but Kris quickly grabbed her forearm and pulled her back down.

The pull caused her to fall right into his arms in an awkward position. He had her on his lap with her body leaning to his. She protested and tried to wiggle free but Kris just smiled and held her tightly, pressing her body to his chest. He leaned in to kiss her but she pulled her head away with a gasp. Confused, Kris raised a brow but then chuckled.

"Why? You're that mad you don't want to kiss me?" Yeojin just blinked in reply before her eyes darted everywhere else. "But I'm hurt." He pouted. "Look! There's a cut on the corner of my lips. Shouldn't I get a healing kiss?"

Baffled, Yeojin scoff to the side. "Then you should have thought of it thoroughly before admitting you kiss someone's fiancée and getting yourself beaten up. You could have brought Areum eonnie with you to explain everything, you know? Wait, no— You shouldn't have kissed her in the first place!" She clicked her tongue.

Kris smiled at her nags. They should have irritated him, but they just made him feel warm. "Yeah, you're right." He nodded then looked at her in the eyes; a playful smile decorated his face. "I was such a fool. I should have confessed right away that I like you right after the first time I kissed you, then kissed you again."

Yeojin just clicked her tongue.

"If you don't want to kiss me, at least let's stay like this for a while. I had a rough day, you know?" He shifted to lay down with her still held to his chest. She just silently complied letting him hold her. 

"What will happen to that project you have with Luhan then?" She softly asked.

"Do we have to talk about this now?"

Yeojin shook her head before propping herself up a bit. She rested a folded arm on his chest and her chin on that arm. "It hurts a lot, doesn't it?" Her free hand carefully touch his bruised cheek then the cut on the corner of his lips. "How are you going to show your face tomorrow?"

"I'll call in sick tomorrow. It's alright," he replied. "It will go—" His eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when Yeojin propped herself up higher and gently kissed him. 

And she wasn't in a haste. She was taking her time to kiss him as if wanting to slowly ease his pains. When she pulled away and looked down at him, her face flushed. Her eyes were rounded like she surprised herself with what she just did. Staring up at her and still baffled, Kris could hardly find his voice.

"W-well-wow!" He finally said breathily. Slowly a corner of his lips curled up, "Aren't you getting bold, Kwon Yeojin?"

With his arms around her somehow turned limp, Yeojin easily freed herself from him. She scrambled up and excused herself to make dinner before dashing away from the room. Kris laughed and still couldn't believe what just happened.

She was utterly embarrassed for kissing Kris first without him initiating it. It didn't help that he kept on teasing her about how bold she was over dinner. She decided to sleep late to prepare for her final paper defense and to avoid hearing more of Kris' teasing. Thankfully, breakfast wasn't full of teasing the next morning. But it was only because Kris just received a call from Suho telling him Luhan wanted to nullify their contract.

Kris had told her not to worry about his issue and to just focus on her final paper defense when he dropped her off at school. Yet his problem was all that she could think about now.

He had looked calm, and Yeojin knew it was because he was ready to lose his position if worse come to worst. He was ready to live a life with no burden of Titan Wu in exchange of a simple life with her, he had once told her. However, that didn't sit well with her because if that really happened, the Wu's were going to lose everything Grandpa Wu and Uncle Wu had worked hard on to someone else. It wouldn't be much of a problem if that someone was a good person, but that wasn't the case.

Yeojin was snapped out of her thought when warmth engulfed her hand. She was brought back to reality where the final paper defense was on-going. One of her classmates was presenting his final paper in front of a panel of teachers and the rest of the senior year students in the auditorium. Some other senior students, including Sunhee, who chose to create various final projects instead of writing final paper had to present their works at the school's gallery.

Yeojin's eyes flitted to the hand engulfing hers then to the owner sitting beside her.

"Are you nervous?" Sehun whispered; eyes still on the presenter up front.

Wheeling her attention to the presenter too, she answered, "No." She slowly curled her hand away from his, but he quickly grabbed it again.

"Sehun," she whispered his name in warn.

"I'm actually nervous," he told her, but his gaze were still on the presenter. His poker face made it hard for Yeojin to believe what he just said.

"You have spoken in front of the student body a lot of time," she pointed out. "How are you still nervous?"

"Just because I always look composed and cool when I speak in front of people doesn't mean I never feel nervous." He briefly glanced at her and gave her a smirk.

Yeojin almost uttered "conceited" right when he said he's cool, but she held back and just rolled her eyes. His words made her think of Kris. He might look calm in front of her and cold in front of everyone else, and he did tell her he wouldn't mind losing his position in the company; but maybe—she thought—maybe he was actually worried of losing what his family had built too.

"You might not get another chance to hold my hand once we graduate and separate," Sehun continued speaking to her.

His words pulled her attention to him. She really disliked this kind of talk. She disliked thinking about separating from anyone close to her. And Sehun had become one of the people closest to her. She might not be scared of losing him like she was with Kris, but she still dislike this kind of talk.

But he's right. He won't—can't always be with me. He can't always be by my side like Kris can. Her mind told her. Sooner or later, I have to let him go.

Again, she tried to gently pull her hand from his. "People might be looking, you know!" She said through gritted teeth when he tighten his grip.

His eyes briefly darted around before he draped his jacket over their hands. Triumphantly grinning, he said, "Now they won't." Interlacing their fingers, he averted his attention back to the presenter who was now given a question by one of the teachers while Yeojin just defeatedly sighed.

Sehun was surprised to find Yeojin waiting for him outside the student council office. After they were done with the final paper defense, Sehun had went for a meeting with the student council to prepare for the upcoming prom night. He thought Yeojin had went home with Sunhee. It was a surprise to see her in front of him now and asking not just for a ride but to go to his house.

Sunhee had went home to spend time with Jongdae, Yeojin told him; and since the underclassmen were currently still in class taking their last exam, Lin was out of the question. And Yeojin insisted she wanted to talk to his brother. 

"My brother might not want to talk though," he told her when they were already on the way.

"I need to at least try."

Sehun sighed. "Areum noona has been trying since the morning. Are you sure you want to go there? My brother has not even come out from his room since last night. Thankfully, my parents are abroad for business trip! Or else they'll end up throwing a fit about Titan Wu."

"It's okay. I'll just come and try first."

"Suit yourself then."

 

When they arrived, Luhan was storming out of the house with Areum chasing after him. He was yanking his arm from her hold and was going to continue his way down the few steps of stairs when he noticed the two younger people alighting the car.

"Yeojin?" Areum looked surprised and Yeojin bobbed her head.

"Where are you going, Hyung?" Sehun lightheartedly asked when his brother arrived at the foot of the stairs, hoping the air wouldn't be so tense.

Luhan didn't answer and instead turned to Yeojin. "Why are you here?" He asked brusquely but with no animosity.

"I know you're mad at Kris—"

"But I should forgive him?" Luhan raised his brows. "If this happened before he knew she was engaged, I would easily forgive him. But that wasn't the case. He had met me and I trusted him like he's my own friend!"

"That's why he came clean to you yesterday," Yeojin pointed out.

"After keeping it a secret all this time? Would he even tell me if the pictures aren't going to be released?" Luhan scoffed.

"I wanted to tell you—" Areum stopped when Luhan glanced at her with something close to a glare.

"Aren't you hurt?" He asked Yeojin again.

Sehun turned his attention to Yeojin at his side. He clearly remembered that day she cried on his shoulder. She was definitely hurt.

She pursed her lips before she answered, "Yes. I was."

"So why are you here now apologizing in his stead?"

"I'm not," she firmly replied, looking at Luhan in the eyes. "I'm not here to apologize for him. That's Kris' job. I'm here to tell you, to make you realize that having you and Kris against each other is exactly what Park Changsun wants."

Sehun's eyes widened. He didn't think Yeojin would know this much about the issue. He didn't think she would know this had to do with Titan Wu's vice chairman.

"Do you think he's doing this just to put Kris down?" Yeojin took a step forward toward Luhan. "I don't think so. That's not how Park Changsun works. I don't know what his problem is with you or your family, but I'm sure enough that he's trying to destroy you too! Your family!"

Luhan heaved a breath and placed a hand on his hip. "So you come here to tell me not to nullify my contract with Kris?"

Yeojin glanced at Sehun then back at his brother. Calmly she spoke, "Your family had gotten tangled in scandals with us several times. And I know that was all Park Changsun's doing."

"That's just all the more reason for me to nullify my contract with Kris then! No Kris Wu, no more problem," Luhan said while walking past them toward his car.

Yeojin didn't back down and followed him. "So you're gonna let Park Changsun have his way?"

Luhan stopped and turned around to her. "I'm preventing him from doing anything towards me"—he briefly glanced at Areum—"or the people I love any further!"

"By letting him get what he wants?" Yeojin stood her ground and it made Sehun worried. "By letting him win this project, demote Kris from his position, tarnish the reputation of your father's company for not being able to get this project done? That isn't going to solve any problem!"

Sehun was surprised to hear her reasoning. While his brother was right that bailing his partnership with Kris means staying away from Park Changsun, that decision would still make them look bad in front of the public. There would still be negative views about them either way. The only difference was bailing was what Park Changsun most likely predicted Luhan would do while Luhan's staying with Kris would throw the bastard off in shock.

If Sehun were his brother, he would be convinced by Yeojin.

Luhan was stumped. Her words seemed to waver his decision. He was silent for a while before he turned back around toward his car. "My decision is still the same."

"Yeojin!" Areum gasped causing Luhan to turned back around.

"What are you doing?!" Sehun exclaimed simultaneously when Yeojin suddenly fell to her knees. "This isn't how to talk!" He grabbed her arm and tried to pull her up, but Yeojin didn't budge.

"What are you doing?" Rubbing his temple, Luhan sighed and approached her too. "Don't kneel like this. You're not getting anything from me by doing this. I've heard you. But my decision is still the same."

Equally frustrated, Sehun grabbed her arm again. "Jin, stand up!" 

"Yeojin, please don't do this." Areum tried to help him too, but Yeojin shrugged their hands away.

"Kris didn't want this," Yeojin spoke ignoring Sehun and Areum and kept her eyes on Luhan standing before her. "He never wanted to be the Chairman, he didn't want to marry me before, he"—Yeojin briefly glanced up at Areum—"didn't want to lose the girl he loved." Her eyes were now glazed with threatening tears. "This all happened because of Park Changsun. He won't stop until he gets all he wants! He's been trying to destroy Titan Wu for a long time. He tried to take it from Kris' father; then tried to have Kris marry his daughter, so he could control him. It failed because I interfered. It failed because I gave myself to marry him." Yeojin lowered her head. "I didn't know he already loved someone back then."

Suddenly, something lodged in the pit of Sehun's stomach. It was as if he could feel her burden too and at the same time just how much Kris was close to her heart. He now gave up on trying to make her stand up and just silently listened to her.

"But you see now that it didn't stop Park Changsun. He's still trying to destroy Kris' family. My family."

The worry stressing her affected Sehun. He curled his hands into fists at his side. He held back himself from grabbing his brother by the collar to tell him to just comply to her request and end her worry. He hated seeing her like this. Couldn't his brother just get over the incident and move on like an adult?

"Do you really think he will stop when you quit helping Kris? Whether you do that or not, he won't stop! But at least, if you still help Kris, he would be too surprised to form another plan. It would take him time and give us time to counterattack. So please!" A drop of tear fell on her cheek. "Please don't ditch Kris."

"Alright! That's enough!" Sehun interjected to grab her by the elbow. "Stand up! You're going to hurt your knees!"

This time Yeojin complied and slowly stood up with his help, but she didn't break her gaze from Luhan.

"If you don't care about Titan Wu, at least think about your family. I really think he's out to get your family too. Because if he just want you away from Kris, he wouldn't have raised all those scandals that can harm your family's reputation too. We can help each other. If you want to leave Kris because of personal feelings..." Yeojin took a deep breath before she continued, "I know  what you must be feeling right now. I know the hurt. I've been there. But"—she glanced and gave Areum a small smile—"if you really love Areum eonnie, this one careless mistake wouldn't compare to all the feelings you have for her and all the goods you have shared, right?" 

While Luhan finally at his fiancée in the eyes, Sehun couldn't take his eyes off Yeojin. The implication of her feelings for Kris was a to his heart. He suddenly wanted to cover to stop her from revealing more of her feelings for Kris.

"I need to go," Luhan finally told them over a sigh before he quickly entered his car.

Sehun was fused with sudden resentment at his brother's attitude after how Yeojin had lowered herself like earlier. "Why, that—" he tried to stop Luhan, but Areum held him back.

"Let him be," she told him. "He needs his space. Let him clear his mind."

Sehun only gritted his teeth looking at his brother's car leaving then turned to Yeojin. "And you— what the hell were you thinking!" He darted his gaze to her knees now adorned with abrasions and clicked his tongue. "Look at your knees! Why did you do that? He already said you won't get anything from him by doing that!"

Yeojin lowered her head. "I think it's worth it," she quietly said then looked up at him. "Getting scars from fighting and standing up for someone, something, anything you really care about— I think it's worth it."

"You weren't standing up, you were kneeling down!" Sehun frustratedly pointed out.

"That's enough," Areum calmly interrupted. "Have you guys had lunch? I managed to prepare some food before Luhan stormed out earlier. I was going to coax him with them."

"No, we haven't," Yeojin timidly answered. "But I think I better go now. Kris is at home. He might be expecting me for lunch."

Sehun loudly scoffed. "And you want to go home with scrapes on your knees?" Sehun gestured to her knees. 

"It's nothing big." Yeojin rolled her eyes.

"But if Kris sees that, he'll kill you—no. He'll kill me! It's already past lunch hours, he might already had his lunch. Just eat something first. At least a bit. And I'll go get a first aid box. After that, I'll drop you off. Alright?"

She groaned. "No—"

"He's right, Yeojin." Areum smiled though the smile didn't reach her eyes. "At least let's treat that abrasions first. It's the least we—I can do after all that. I really apologize on Luhan's behalf."

"No, I should be the one apologizing on Kris' behalf. If he wasn't foolish enough to kiss you..."

Sehun loudly clicked his tongue and draped his arms around the girls to herd them inside the house. "Let the guys apologize for themselves. They're grown-ups, for pug's sake!"

"Language, Sehun!" Areum warned.

"What? I said pug! And you"—Sehun nudged Yeojin's side before forcing her to sit down at the dining table—"eat and stop wearing that brooding look on your face! Geez! We just finished our final paper defense! Don't stress me out with your stress! I'll get the first aid box."

I don't care how random this is, I just want to say that YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME READERS! <3