“Believe me when I say that I stick to my words”

I don’t know but I said no words to him at all after that. It just kicked in me that somehow he was true to his words, and that I can actually trust him with that. Am I softening towards him? No. Or maybe yes. It really isn’t hard to forgive someone, but I can’t ever forget the things he did to me.

We walked at our own pace going to my destination. The road wasn’t long and winding, but it seemed like the trip took a lot of time. Maybe because I was not alone or perhaps because the mere fact that Kai is next to me, made it seem like the walk would take forever to end. It was a persistent torture, but at some point it isn’t too, since I didn’t feel much uncomfortable that he’s actually here, because he assured me that he won’t  do anything to me.

“Huh?” He exclaimed as he stared at the huge building in front of us. “Why do you have to be at the hospital at this hour? Are you sick?” He asked.

I shook my head and smiled as I faced back the hospital. It took me a while to admire it as it refreshes in my mind the times I had back here, 4 years ago. Times I could never throw away because it were all I have left. It was all I was holding onto.

I strutted going to the entrance, and the security who already recognized me beamed me a toothy grin. “I can tell why you went all your way to go here tonight.” He told me with a playful tone.

I just shrugged and chuckled. “Well, you always see me at this specific day every month.” I told him and rolled my eyes.

He nods with a content pout and then suddenly throws a glance behind me. “But not like your other previous visits, since you brought your boyfriend today.” He told me in a teasing manner and rolled his eyes back at me.

“B-boyfriend? But I have none?” I questioned anxiously, and then suddenly, the thought of Kai crossed my mind making me turn around. I was met with the jerk’s eyes that seem confused. He was chewing his lower lip as he stared back at me while dipping his hands in his pockets.

I turned around, trying to hide my reddening cheeks. Just the mere fact that he was standing behind me, and probably hearing what the ajhussi said made me feel so embarrassed that I have to look down. “I-I honestly don’t know him.” I lied with a soft voice, “I’m going first then, ajhussi.” I told him and took a quick sprint going to the elevators.

“Hey, wait there Kim Nana!” I heard Kai shout behind me. I could tell that he was keeping up with my pace since he sounded dragged and irritated.

I hurried to ride the elevator booth thinking and praying that he won’t be able to catch up, but before the doors could even close, he managed to stop them with his hands. He pushed them open, and I saw him come in with an irritated expression. Kai took the space to my right, making sure that he was not too close.

“You should have stayed outside.” I uttered out as-a-matter-of-factly.

“And what if you took longer than expected?” He asked with a cocky tone. “Then I’d just probably rot outside bored and cold… no way.” He looked at me and rolled his eyes before looking away.

I shook my head in disbelief. “Then you could have just left, and got to the place you have to be.” I pointed out, trying to convince him it was the best for him.

Kai groaned in frustration, and scratched his temple, trying to ease out his mood. “I can’t. I don’t want to give a bad impression.”

“But you already did.” I told him frankly.

Kai cocked his head to my direction and sighed. “I did? To your mom?” He asked with a suddenly anxious look.

I looked down, feeling embarrassed again that I misinterpreted what he actually meant, since I thought he was referring to me. I felt stupefied that I jumped to conclusions too much, but why does  he even want to look good with my mother?

“You probably told her about me, I guess.” I heard him sigh. Why does he even care about that? I don’t get him at all.

 I raised a brow at him as I looked at him. “And so what if I did?” I asked, trying to get out something from him since I blame him for making me so curious about it.

He looked down, unsure what to say, and started tapping his right foot on the floor of the booth impatiently. “Your mom looks nice, so I honestly don’t want to look bad.” He uttered out, and I could tell he was being honest.

“You deserve it though.” I mumbled softly, but I guess he still heard me, since he whipped his head to my direction when I walked out of the elevator as it dinged open.

I walked the corridors in silence since I don’t want to hold any conversations with Kai. He’s still my enemy number one, so being friendly with him in any occasion would be the least in my list. I was glad too that he didn’t bother talk to me again, since I would actually feel weird if he continues to act very friendly one moment, and then would go back to the Kai I used to know.

I stopped in front of a glass door going to an office, and Kai’s steps behind me halted too. Without looking, I told him to just wait for me outside, but he persistently followed me wordlessly going in. I was annoyed, but I just decided to let him off since I don’t want to make a commotion out of it in the Director’s office. He sat comfortably at the couch in the waiting area while I was talking to the Director’s secretary, making me raise a brow at him since he’s not even in his house and yet he acts as if he was already familiar with the place.

“Director Kim will come out in a minute.” The secretary told me with a kind smile.

I bowed at her and smiled back. “Thank you. I will just wait for him then.” I told her.

She nodded and told me to sit comfortably by the waiting area, and I complied without any second thought. Seeing Kai look at me intently as I sat down across from him, I raised a brow to shoo him off. Go look at something more interesting. But he managed to hold his stare until I was the one to look away.

“You come to this office often?” He uttered out with a monotonous tone.

I shrugged in response, trying to kill the conversation, but he just threw another question. “I heard the ajhussi at the entrance say that you come once every month, but why?” He was persistent.

I shrugged again, thinking that he would stop asking if I don’t give him the answers. I just don’t feel like he needs to know. We’re not even friends.

“Oh, it’s you, Nana!” The old man’s  voice resounded in my ear from the distance, and I instantly smiled when I saw him running towards me.

Director Kim gave me a warm hug that almost cut me off air in my lungs. I patted his back to tell him that I was choking, and  he pulled away with a wide grin. “Why do you always do that?” I asked, pretending  that I was annoyed and still not used to his hugs.

He chuckled and ruffled my hair like the usual. “You ungrateful brat! You still have the nerve to complain when I am being a nice friend?!” He uttered out with a playful tone.

We suddenly heard someone clear their throat, and our heads instantly turned to Kai’s direction. He had his arms crossed as he sported a tell-me-what’s-going-on look.

“Old man… you sure  hang out with ugly people?” He asked Director Kim as if he knows him well.

Director Kim mimicked the way Kai sat on the couch, trying to keep his cool. “Oh, why is this person even here? Do you have any business with me or something?” He asked Kai with a smirk plastered on his lips.

I scratched my head in disbelief. Could it be that they know each other? And then suddenly, the worst dawned upon me when I realized how they harbor the same family name, “Kim”.

“I don’t have business with you. But I have… with her.” Kai pointed to me as he explained himself in a cocky manner.

Director Kim nodded his head in understanding, and then suddenly turned his attention back to me. A playful smile tugged on his lips as he wriggled his eyebrows at me to hint something which I knowingly denied to him while shaking my hands in front of him.

“Hey, it’s not like what you are thinking.” I told him shyly, and then turned back to glare at Kai, but said guy just let out a chuckle.

Director Kim trailed his eyes at me then to Kai and let an impish smile creep onto his lips. “Are you dating my nephew?”

I gaped at him in disbelief as the words rolled off his tongue. Tell me he didn’t just say that.

“Of course, No!”

“Yes!”

Both I & Kai uttered out at the same time. I glared at him even more the minute he spouted that out as if he was sure about what he said, but he just stuck his tongue out at me. I was pissed. He is getting on my nerves even now.

“Wait… are you… or are you not?” Director Kim asked, confused, while pointing at the both of us.

I groaned and shook my head. “It’s not like that.” But Kai persistently continued with his joke, “It is definitely like that for me though.

The old man nodded, confused, and lectured us about how we must be on a special relationship, but just couldn’t label ourselves. He told me how it was a shocker to him that I was dating his nephew, but he was happy for us. I denied it several times, but looks like he believed Kai more than me. Blood is thicker than water, anyway. Even if I knew the old man for about four years already, he had known Kai for all his life. They’re probably close, that he was one to believe, or he’s just dumb not to realize which of us was saying the truth. Either way, I just let their crap go since their buzz was cutting me short of time.

“Anyway, I just came to tell you that I’ll be here on Saturday.” I told him straight to the point.

He smiled sheepishly at me. “You’re coming again?” He told me, pleased. “The kids will surely like it. I will have to tell them about it then to excite them.”

I bobbed my head and stood up. “I’m going then.”

“You  sure you didn’t come here for anything else?” The old man asked, before I could even turn my back away.

I cocked my head to the side and shook my head. “ I just came because I want to visit you and tell you that. Thank you again for everything.” I bowed in front of him gratefully.

Director Kim stood up and placed his big hand over my head. He sported a smile that always made me feel like I am getting healed already. Healed from the past. Healed from the pains of the present. “You should stop thanking me already. It has been 4 years since you got over it. And 4 years since y