Kris was troubled. And it wasn’t for the fact that he was in an enclose container, soaring about a thousand feet above the ground. No. It wasn’t even because he was on his way to China to start a new career. Was it cause he’s worried how his fans would accept him? No. Not exactly. He had seen their reactions on the web and knew that he deserved most of them. So why was he troubled?

Perhaps, it might be on the account of a certain female. One that wasn’t exactly good. For he wasn’t able to contact her at all after she left him dumbfounded by a Rilakkuma Café.

However, that was just a possibility.

Oh, screw it! Kris mumbled indignantly and searched for his phone. When he found it, he almost smashed the button just to power it up. The man sitting next to him looked suspiciously at him.

Why the heck does this thing takes too long to load up? Kris was growing impatient. But as soon as he saw the telephone icon, he immediately tapped on it and got routed to his logs which didn’t have anything but CL’s contact on it, a proven evidence that he had been trying to call her multiple times.

He pressed call and put the phone next to his ear.

“E– Excuse me. I don’t think you should be using your phone here?” the man next to him, said looking tensed.

“!” The man flinched, but it wasn’t for him. Kris cursed under his breath when he reached her voicemail once again.

He dialed for her number once again, completely ignoring the complaining man next to him.

“Wassup! You have reached me. As you can tell, I’m not available–“ Damn. Kris wanted to murder the inventor of voicemail, but then again he’s probably dead anyway. But he’s feeling more troubled than he was already. He already left like a ton of voicemail and usually, CL would reply to him as soon as she received those.

But he got none so far.

Calm down. She’s probably really busy… he remembered her throwing up. He dialed for her number once again.

“Sir, you’re not allowed to use your cellular phone on the plane,” Kris was distracted by a flight stewardess. Damn, complaining man snitched on him.

“I… Uh…. Okay.“ He sighed. There’s no point on arguing when he’s only reaching a voicemail. Heck, if he heard her, just the sound of her breath alone, he’s willing to pay the price just so he could get a few minutes to talk to her.

He couldn’t quite pinpoint what was going on, but it was as if there’s something that wasn’t there before.

. Hopefully, everything would be clear in no time. For he’s not going back to Korea anytime soon.

--=====--

“Hey! Its Kris. Just wondering if you received the Rilakkuma uh– stuff. Zhang Li was having a hard time on its maintenance. You know, washing a big toy like that. Hahaha. I haven’t heard from you since. Hope you’re not mad I sent you the bear. You’re free to throw it out the sidewalk. See you.”

“Its Kris, I haven’t heard from you since you left me at the café. Not that I mind, I mean I got two bottles of  bubble tea for myself. It was a lucky day. Hehehe. Hope you had your talk with that girl. Chanyeol’s noona, whatever her name is.”

“Yo! Kris here. Is your phone, broke or some ? Cause I kept going to your voicemail. Let me know if you need a new phone. Suho’s pretty generous with those. Hahahah.”

“Hey, so it’s still voicemail. Not sure what’s happening but just wanted to let you know that I’m going back to China today. I won’t be back for a couple of months, I guess. If you would be going to China for just whatever, you know my number. And whatever that might be bothering you, just forget it. Don’t stress yourself for you’d always find a smart way out of it. See you when I get back, y. Ciao.”

Chaerin turned off her phone, there’s no use in listening further on her voice messages, it’s probably just from Kris anyway. And what did he meant that she could just throw the Rilakkuma toy off the streets. Was he insane?

Well, at least she knew that he’s off to somewhere far pretty long. That’s actually all she needed to keep her sanity, Kris being away  from her. For a guy that she didn’t have any idea what to call their relationship, he was doing fairly good in messing up with her thoughts.

And yes, given the fact that she only did notice those when she realized that she was pregnant with his kid. That didn’t mean though  that she’d consider having feelings for the guy. Since, that’s just atrocious, CL never do romance. And neither do Kris.

And they both know it.

“We’re here,” Chaerin snapped out of her thoughts about Kris, (recently it’s been nothing but him) and glanced outside the car, only find a normal looking Korean household, and not exactly the private clinic she expected it to be.

“Are you sure?” She asked confused.

“Hundred percent. Mr. Yang already scheduled your appointment for today so  just present your ID and Dr. Choi would see you quickly.” It was Jung Soo Jun, Yang Hyung Suk personal driver. As soon as she asked for an appointment to see a Doctor for her situation, her Record Label Producer, gave her a calling card of a private clinic he knew and his personal driver’s number for CL to contact and so she did as soon as she stepped out of the building. 

“I need a ride to…” She muttered as the other line picked up, reading over the calling card she continued, “Choi’s Private Medical Institution…?” For a clinic that name was oddly suspicious.

“Gladly. Please be available by 8 in the morning tomorrow. Where would I pick you up?”

CL provided him her private residence and the driver thanked for the information and said his goodbyes. Chaerin couldn’t help but wonder that the person might have had done that a couple of times… considering the tone of indifference, and she asked herself, to which artists exactly? She dismissed the question, she shouldn’t be taking her time asking herself trivial things when she had an issue at hand.

And so the next following morning, a black Rolls Royce Phantom arrived at her place at exactly 8 in the morning. Talk about inconspicuous! But it wasn’t exactly surprising to the people residing her area, given the truth that she wasn’t exactly the only famous one occupying the building.

She laid her eyes on the driver for the very first time, which was unexpected considering that  she had been working for Yang Hyun Suk for years. She guessed, that the guy was indeed a personal driver.

And so, that led her to a province just a few kilometers south of Seoul, with nothing but trees on the side of its track and a traditional looking household, however, certainly held the name of ‘Choi’s Private Medical Institution’ at its emblem.

“I’ll park at the back. Please contact me, once the procedure is done so I could get you at front.” Soo Jun, opened the car door for her. Chaerin held to her coat tightly as the cold breeze hit her skin. It felt so foreign than that of Seoul. She nodded at the driver before making her way to the door. She wore sneakers than boots that day, but with all that said, her knees still felt wobbly.

She opened the door, and that’s where the odor of antiseptic hit her senses. She felt her spine shiver.

And this time, it wasn’t because of the cold breeze.

--=====--

*Chaerin’s*

“Good morning. How can I help you?” The girl by the lobby, greeted as soon as I enter the clinic. Contrary to the Traditional style this institution hold at the front, it was all white and cold inside. Like what death looks like. I shuddered.

“Hey. I was sent here by Mr. Yang–“

“Oh! Ms. Lee Chaerin?” the girl interrupted, looking through her files. “Dr. Choi Ara is ready see you.”

The girl gathered her papers and walked me to the room. She asked for my I.D. so she could indicate information down my medical slip and I gave her my Driver’s License. It didn’t take long before we stop in front of a room.

She knocked silently, before turning the knob and I was welcomed with mahogany flooring and smell of cedar. It was cold, but there was something about the room that felt comforting enough. The room was spacious, it has a two sitter sofa, a desk, a flat screen tv hanging on its wall. If it was not for the medical bed that was so obviously placed and other medical machine hanging around, I would have had thought that it’s a normal room.

“Dr. Choi, Ms. Lee Chaerin is here to see you now,” the girl said.

There was rustling at the hidden space just behind the wall, then a woman came into view. She was wearing a white lab gown, and her hair tied on a bun. I would say that she’s about in the forties. She exuded that professional aura, yet her smile was friendly.

“Oh. Thank you, Eun Ah,” the lady smiled, accepting the papers the girl gave to her. I bowed to Eun Ah as she excused herself and left the room.

“Hi there, dear. I’m Dr. Choi Ara. Please come.” The woman led me to her table, adjacent to the medical bed, just hiding behind the edge of the wall. She occupied her seat and I took the chair just before the table.

She was reading the files Eun Ah provided to her, and then sighed, “My, my, another one from Yang Hyung Suk.”