Chapter 13
Misunderstandings

It felt as if his stomach was made of lead. A heavy pit lodged itself deep inside him as he sat in MC's passenger seat on the way back to Rachael's. His hand rested longingly on the center console. He wanted nothing more than to grab her hand and hold her close. Time seemed so precious now.

The words echoed in his mind. She can't come. There was no way he could accept this as a possibility. He knew in his heart of hearts that he wouldn't be able to leave without her. His insides felt torn as he thought about his life back home. A feeling of homesickness had started to rise inside him. He missed his friends, he missed playing LOLOL, he missed his family. Even if he hadn't talked to them very much lately he couldn't help but miss them even more. Guilt filled him and he mentally berated himself once again for not talking to his family more.

His eyes drifted back to his girlfriend driving the car. She looked so tired. He had offered to drive her back but, as usual, things just didn't want to work in his favor. His license wasn't entirely valid. Apparently if you had a foreign license you needed an International Driving Permit to be able to drive in America. The inconveniences were just piling up the longer he stayed here. He longed to be home. Though that didn't seem like it was going to happen any time soon.

There was no telling when Seven would get in touch with him again. Yoosung hoped with all of his being that whenever he did it would be with good news. He didn't know if he'd be able to accept anything different. What was he supposed to choose in a situation like this? Logically, he supposed, he should choose to go back home. Emotions didn't always align with what made the most sense, unfortunately.

He felt like he had known MC for so much longer than he really had. It didn't feel nearly like only a few weeks. Something inside of him felt as if he had known her for years. A constant pull seemed to draw him to her. He had never felt something like this before. Sure, back when Rika was alive he had wanted to be around her all of the time too but this was different. This was something on a completely different level. Rika would always have a very dear place in his heart. He loved her, she was his family. But with MC there was just something more that wasn't there like it was with her.

Worry clouded his mind. He didn't want to tell MC about what he knew now. If she thought he might have to leave her she would be devastated. Just remembering how she looked the day he had ran out of her old apartment broke his heart. He didn't want to imagine how she would feel if she thought he was actually leaving her world completely for good. She had been through enough. He wanted to protect her and stand by her. How could he possibly do that if they were entire worlds apart. Where even was the place he came from? If it was a game did it physically exist somewhere? Was it in it's own dimension all by itself? This was making his head hurt.

"Yoosung, are you sure you're okay?" Asked MC as she glanced over to him. Yoosung looked up to see they had stopped at an intersection. He rubbed his eyes before looking away.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. We just have to worry about getting you back home." He insisted, unable to look her in the eyes.

MC looked at him as he faced the window. He had been acting strange ever since they left the parking lot. She couldn't help but wonder if he had had a bad conversation over his phone. Did he hear some bad news? She hoped everything was okay. It wasn't like her to pry, but she was starting to seriously worry. Usually Yoosung was more cheerful around her. Something seemed off about him and it was killing her not to know what it was.

Maybe she had done something to upset him? Had she been too much before? She flushed to herself as the light turned green, stepping down on the gas gently. Maybe she really had been too much. She had never been in a relationship before so she wasn't sure how to act. Did she embarrass him? He never stiffened up quite like he did before so that was always a possibility. Maybe she should lay off of the affection for now. She had been starting to feel much more comfortable being more intimate with him lately but perhaps those feelings weren't mutual. Her heart sank at the thought. Maybe he didn't like her as much as she thought he did.

MC pulled the car into the driveway behind Rachael and looked back to Yoosung who was already unbuckling his seat belt. He seemed pretty eager to get out of the car. She mentally sighed and undid her's as well, exiting the vehicle. Depression bubbled up inside her as she walked towards the front door.

"Hey MC, you feeling okay?" Asked Rachael as they all made their way inside. Yoosung had headed straight to the bathroom as soon as they stepped into the house. Both MC and Rachael stood in the living room, winding down from the sudden trip.

"I'm not sure." She admitted. "I think something's wrong with Yoosung..."

"Yeah, he did head to the bathroom pretty fast. He's a guy though, he probably just had to go super bad or something. I'm sure he can handle it." Rachael assured her. MC shook her head.

"No, not that. After you left the parking lot I think I may have upset him or something. He was really quiet on the way back." MC explained softly.

"What could you have possibly done to that boy that he'd be upset at you for? I've never seen anyone more in puppy love than you two. I'm sure whatever happened, it's fine." Said Rachael, giving her a pat on the head. MC pouted at her, pushing her arm away.

"Are you sure? He really looked like something was bothering him..." MC persisted.

"If it's bothering you that much I could try to weasel something out of him if you want." Offered Rachael.

"Well I don't want you to bother him either." Said MC.

"Sweetie, you can't have both." Laughed Rachael. "If you want me to talk to him I can talk to him. I could do it after dinner later."

MC's eyebrows scrunched together in thought. She didn't want to bother him when he already seemed bothered as it was but she wanted to know if something was wrong. There was no guarantee he would even admit anything to Rachael anyway. She couldn't deny it was worth a shot, however.

"Okay, but don't be mean to him. Okay Rachael?" Asked MC.

"Since when am I ever mean?" Said Rachael with mock surprise, her hand pressed to her chest for emphasis. MC let out a small laugh.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, MC. I promise I'm not going to bite the guy's head off or anything." Promised Rachael.

"How considerate of you.'" Laughed MC.

Yoosung sat on the bathroom floor as he stared at his phone. A wave of nausea had suddenly overtaken him and he had panicked. His nerves were fried. It wasn't like him to completely bypass MC like he had but he wasn't sure he was going to be able to hold it in. His stomach tightened as he leaned against the bathroom door. There was much too much stress building inside of him.

He didn't know how it was possible to both want to smother someone while also keeping them an arm's length away. His body craved the comfort of his partner but his mind knew if she so much as touched him he might shatter. Of course his situation wouldn't be able to last. There was no way he would be able to stay here happily forever. Though going back home without his heart might actually kill him. Either way he would become unhappy. There wasn't any way to win.

He hated lying to MC but he didn't see any other way around it. Her feelings were more important than his own. If he needed to sacrifice his peace of mind for her's he would gladly concede. He could never intentionally cause her any harm. Even if it meant keeping this from her. He would deal with it alone.

A knock jolted him from his thoughts and he scrambled as quietly as he could away from the door. He hadn't expected anyone to try to come into the bathroom so soon after he had gotten into it. His heart pounded in his chest as the anxiety hit him again.

"Yoosung, are you alright in there buddy?" Called Rachael. Of course it would be her. He didn't really expect MC to try barging into the room like her friend.

"Yeah!" He called, mentally sweating. "I'll be out in a minute." His heart pounded against his ribs. Why was he so nervous all of a sudden? It was almost as if he felt guilty or something.

"Alright, just checking. If you're feeling sick I have medicine inside the cabinet in there. Help yourself!" She called again from behind the door. "I'm about to start making dinner, should be ready in about an hour or so."

"Okay, thank you." Said Yoosung, grabbing some toilet paper noisily for show. With bated breath he waited as her footsteps trailed away from the door. He let out a relieved sigh once she was out of earshot. His stomach groaned. Nothing seemed to be sitting right with him today.

After using the bathroom for its proper purpose, Yoosung made his way to the living room. MC was watching T.V from the chair in the corner. His stomach lurched unpleasantly when his eyes spotted her. The anxiety was building again.

Settling himself onto the couch he let his eyes drift to her again. She hadn't said a word since he had entered the room. He wondered if she even knew he was there. It wasn't like her to sit in the chair so far away. As much as he was afraid of what physical contact might cause him he felt sad not having her cuddled up next to him. Was she upset at him?

"What are you watching...?" He asked curiously. Some kind of drama was playing on the screen. It seemed somewhat familiar.

"Scarlet Heart." MC answered simply. She still felt uneasy about getting too close to him. The only reason she even chose to sit in the chair was to avoid making him uncomfortable. It felt strange not sitting next to him.

"Oh, I think I heard of that. You like this show? It didn't do too well back home." He said casually. Maybe if he spoke as if nothing was wrong then he wouldn't make her more upset than he thought she already was.

MC looked back at him for a moment before returning her gaze to the screen. She couldn't tell if he was just making conversation or if that was some kind of negative remark about the show. Did she make him so uncomfortable that he felt on edge because of her? She sank into the chair slightly.

"Yeah I uh, I heard about all that. I still think it's a good show." She said, a little more defensively than she meant to.

They both sat in silent misunderstanding. Neither one was quite sure what the other was feeling and it was causing quite the uncomfortable atmosphere in the room. Yoosung shifted on the couch, his mind still racing as MC sank deeper into her chair.

A small vibration tickled Yoosung's leg and he looked down at his pocket. Pulling his phone out he saw a new message from Zen blinking on his screen. Maybe talking with one of his friends would help calm his nerves. Zen might know better what he should do than himself. As long as he didn't reveal too much about his situation it would be fine right? He glanced over at MC. Her eyes were trained on the T.V, completely absorbed. It would probably be best to leave her alone for right now. With her watching her show it wouldn't be rude to text for a little while.

"Hey, Yoosung! Haven't heard from you in awhile. Seven mentioned you were coming back home in a couple of weeks so I thought I'd come bug you about getting me a souvenir."

"Hi, Zen. Sorry about not responding. Things are still kind of shaky here. I'm not sure what's going to happen honestly and it's making me nervous..."

"Why, what's up? Everything okay with you and your lady?"

Yoosung sighed from the couch and his eyes flickered back up again. MC still wasn't paying him any mind. The noise from the television and a soft sizzling filled the otherwise silent room. He looked back down to his screen.

"Actually, I needed to talk to you about something to do with that."

"Whoa whoa, you didn't do anything to her did you? I told you to be careful of yourself."

"No it's nothing like that, I just have a problem is all and I wanted some advice."

"Is being stuck in a house with two girls really getting to you that badly?"

"No! Zen, please listen I'm being serious! This is actually a really big problem and I've been freaking out all day about it. I need your help."

"Alright, what's going on then?"

"What... what would you do if you had to pick between the person you loved, and your friends and family?"

"? Yoosung where is that coming from all of a sudden?"

"What would you do? Would you choose to stay with the person you loved and never be able to see your friends and family again, or would you choose to leave them and break their heart along with yours? I don't know what to do. I feel so stuck."

"Wait, are you trying to ask me whether or not you should stay in America with your girlfriend? Yoosung, I don't think I can answer something like that for you. That's a really big deal. How long have you even known this girl? Didn't you guys just start going out?"

Yoosung closed his eyes and gripped his phone tighter. He knew he hadn't been with her for very long, but so much had happened between them that he couldn't just brush it off as nothing. Plus, he couldn't deny the magnetic pull that seemed to attract them together. Even if she was halfway across the room from him her presence still overpowered his senses. He wondered if she felt the same about him. Sometimes he wondered if his emotions were working faster than they were supposed to.

"Yes, but it's not as simple as that... I've never felt this way about someone before. I don't want to leave her."

"Well, do you feel strongly enough that you would give up everything else for her? It's not my place to tell you what to do with your life, but this is a big decision to make. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I know..."

"Why doesn't she come with you?"

Yoosung frowned at his friend's reply. That was the exact dilemma he was facing right now. He wanted that more than anything.

"She can't..."

"Does she want to?"

Yoosung bit his lip nervously. How was he going to respond to something like that. He wasn't even sure if she would want to or not. Was there even a chance she would be willing to completely let go of the world she had known for so long just for him? He felt selfish even considering it.

"I don't know... but I know she couldn't even if she wanted to."

"Nonsense. If you guys are as serious as you make it out to be then you can find a way to make this work too. I may not like the fact that you got a girlfriend before me but that doesn't mean I want you to lose her either. If you love her you need to do whatever it takes to keep her and make her happy."

Yoosung stared at Zen's reply. He wished it was as simple as his friend made it seem but he knew the truth. There was some truth to what he said though. Yoosung did love her, and he knew he never wanted to let her go. He would have to find a way to make this work.

He thanked Zen for his advice and said his goodbyes for now before locking his phone. This was something he was going to have to fix himself it seemed. Zen was right. If he loved her then there was no other option than to stay with her. He would have hope that Seven would be able to bring them both back. But first, he needed to talk to MC about it.

Before he could get the words out however, Rachael called from the kitchen. Dinner was ready a bit earlier than she had initially planned apparently. His talk would have to wait until after dinner it seemed. He just hoped he still had the courage to go through with it when the time came.

Dinner was much quieter than usual for the three of them. MC caught herself picking at her food more than eating it while Yoosung had barely touched his at all. Rachael would normally have felt mildly offended if it weren't for her and MC's earlier conversation. Something really must be bothering the two of them.

"What's the matter? Stir fry not really your guys' thing?" Rachael asked playfully, trying to lighten the mood.

"What? Oh, no Rachael it's fine. I'm just not that hungry right now." Admitted MC. "I think I actually want to go lay down."

Yoosung looked up from his plate in worry. He'd need to follow after her if he was going to get a chance to talk with her. With her current mood he just hoped he wouldn't be bothering her. What he needed to ask was pretty big and he didn't even know if it was possible at this point but Zen had been right. He needed to figure this out. Hiding things from her wasn't going to help him.

"Oh, that's okay MC I'll put your food away for you. You go lay down, you've had a rough day as it is." Said Rachael soothingly, standing up and grabbing her plate for her. MC thanked her and started to leave.

"Um, MC-" started Yoosung.

"Yoosung, I need to talk to you so don't you go anywhere yet." Said Rachael, looking behind herself as she grabbed a container from the cupboard. MC was already out of the room by the time she finished. Yoosung could only hope that she wouldn't be asleep by the time he got up to their room.

"Yes?" He asked distracted, his mind preoccupied with other things.

Rachael walked back to the table, grabbing his plate as well. He didn't protest as he knew he wasn't going to be able to eat much more as it was. She seemed to notice this as well since she started putting his food away along with MC's.

"Everything alright between you and MC? She seemed pretty worried earlier." Said Rachael nonchalantly. Yoosung froze slightly. This wasn't something he really wanted to talk with Rachael about right now.

"What?" He asked, thinking back. "I noticed she seemed upset with me but I wasn't sure why..." He admitted after a moment.

"That's funny because she seems to think you're the one who's upset with her." Said Rachael, shaking her head. She knew it was going to end up being something like this. Those two really needed to stop working themselves up over nothing.

Yoosung's eyes widened. MC thought he was upset with her? No no no, he could never be! He needed to go fix this right now!

"No, I couldn't never be upset at her! I thought maybe I did something wrong and she didn't want to talk to me. I need to go fix this, I'm sorry excuse me." He said hurriedly as he stood up from his seat. Rachael waved him off as she rinsed off the dishes carefully.

He didn't think he'd ever climbed a set of stairs faster than that particular set. Had MC really just been sad this entire time? He felt absolutely awful for making her feel that way. This was the exact opposite of what he wanted to do.

As he opened the door he saw MC lying on the bed above the covers. She turned to look at him in surprise before rolling over slightly. Her face turned away from him.

"MC, I need to talk to you! I didn't mean to make you upset, I'm so sorry!" He said, practically scrambling onto the bed. She scooted up against the wall in surprise. Yoosung sat before her as she pulled herself up, leaning against the wall. He looked absolutely anguished. Before she knew it she found herself trapped in his embrace, pressed close against his chest.

"Y-yoosung!" She gasped before he pulled away, kissing the top of her forehead.

"I'm sorry." He insisted. "I didn't want to tell you what happened because I didn't want you to worry."

MC was very confused. Her cheeks flushed at the sudden rush of affection and her gaze shifted away. What on earth was going on? So he wasn't upset with her? She felt relieved. But what exactly was he talking about?

"What do you mean?" She asked, looking back up at him curiously." Yoosung's lips thinned as his features pulled taut with worry.

"It's... I don't know exactly how to tell you." He admitted. MC cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"Does this have to do with why you looked like you were crying back in the parking lot?" She asked hesitantly. Yoosung's head drooped slightly with guilt. "What's wrong?"

"Seven... ended up contacting me." He said slowly. It was hard finding the right words for what he needed to say. He'd never felt so tongue tied.

"Really? What happened, what did he say?" Asked MC.

"He told me... He told me he found a way for me to come back home." Said Yoosung, avoiding her eyes. MC gasped loudly.

"Are you serious? You can go back home? That's amazing!" She exclaimed. After a moment the atmosphere hit her and she felt uneasy. "Why... why is that upsetting for you?"

"Because... He told me it would only work for me." He said quietly. His heart ached just thinking about it. "He told me... that I couldn't bring you with me."

"What?" Said MC incredulously. She was shocked. It never occurred to her that he might ever go back from where he came from, but the fact that he could leave without her made her insides burn.

"B-but I told him I couldn't do it!" He insisted, looking her straight in the eyes. "I... I don't even know if you'd want to come with me. I don't know if you, if you really feel as strongly for me as I do for you. And I know it's probably weird but I feel like I've known you for such a long time and I don't want to ever leave you. I love you, MC. You mean the world to me and I don't want to be in a world where you're not in it."

MC flushed from his very forward profession of his feelings. They hadn't bothered her at all though, in fact, she could say she felt the same way about him.

"I... I love you too Yoosung. I feel the same way about you." She said, her cheeks as red as his as they sat together on top of the bed. "I don't want to ever be without you."

Tears pricked at Yoosung's eyes as she spoke to him. He had never felt so sad and elated all at the same time. His arms wrapped around her again, holding her tightly. He felt her arms wrap snugly around him as well. The amount of discomfort he had just been feeling seemed to melt away instantly at her touch. If this was what it meant to be in love he never wanted it to go away.

"If... if I could, I would go with you." She said quietly, her words muffled into his chest. His heart rate picked up as he felt her arms tighten around him.

"Are you sure? You'd be willing to do something like that... for me?" He asked seriously. He didn't know if he could believe the words going through his ears.

"You said so yourself... I don't ever want to be without you either. If you're willing to stay here with me over something like that... then... I would be willing to go there with you... I love you, Yoosung." She said, speaking from her heart. She wasn't sure if it was possible for two people to be any closer together than they already were but she wanted nothing more than to hug him closer to her entire being.

Her feelings from before felt silly. How could she have ever thought he wouldn't feel the same way about her as she did for him? If anything, his feelings for her far surpassed anything she could ever have dreamed of. She wished she could stay like this forever. Pangs of conscience pulled at her insides as they held each other on that bed. If they really couldn't go there together, could she really let him sacrifice his entire life just to stay here with her?