Mei's body seized up when she woke, opening her eyes to the clean white wall. She looked around frantically, knowing he was here somewhere. Where's Kiku? What's he going to do now? She thought fearfully, clutching the soft white comforter with tight fists.
She usually woke up in worse places than this, in cheap flea-ridden motels on the run, in the middle of another nightmare, drenched in filth and sweat, only this was real. "Is anyone there?" she asked softly, voice cracking.
There was no answer and she got up slowly, wincing from the bruises that mottled her once-flawless back. She clutched the blanket close to her barely-clothed body, wrapping it around her like a soft gown, before cleaning her face in the bathroom. She had taken a shower last night, which she was thankful for. After a long day yesterday, she was exhausted.
A bright, smiling sun was already high in the air when she went out to the kitchen, remembering that this was Yong Soo's house in Seoul. She had always been wary of Yong Soo as well, but he had taken her in.
Mei entered the kitchen with only the comforter wrapped around her. Her clothes had been so heavily soiled that it would be a waste to just put them on again.
Yong Soo barely looked up at her when he greeted her. "Annyeong, Mei-ssi! (1) It's already one o'clock."
"Oh," Mei said softly. She watched his eyes narrow and pretend to concentrate on chopping tofu for a stew. "Thank you for letting me- you don't have to-"
Yong Soo gave her a small smile as she struggled, flustered, to thank her host. He was still shaken by her appearance and the memory of his mother and brother, and now he was making soondubu jjigae, the soft tofu stew that they used to share on cold nights, for Mei.
I have to deal with this sometime, he scolded himself, restraining his emotion. He put on a smile for Mei. "You've been through a lot…and may I ask why you're not wearing clothes?"
Both the countries' faces were burning bright red as Mei looked down at the makeshift clothes she wore. "It wasn't worth washing…"
Yong Soo nodded. "I can get one of my friends to get you clothes if you'd like."
"Yes please," Mei said barely. She felt like a leech sucking off of Korea's money, guilty of her condition and her inability to care for herself. And Yong Soo was cooking for her, too! Unforgivable.
She approached the small stove, clutching her dress in one hand and trying to take over the pot with the other. "Let me cook, Yong Soo, it's the least I can do-"
"Anio, (2) you're my guest! Please-"
Mei froze as he took her hand gently off the handle of the spoon he was using to cook. He gently led her to the couch below the picture of his family and told her to rest, promising that he would get her some clothes. As he set a steaming, fragrant bowl of the stew before her, her eyes focused once more.
"Yong Soo?" she said finally.
"Uh?" he looked at her with a soft smile.
The silence still hung between them and she sighed, hoping she could dissolve it, but nothing she thought of could suffice.
"Thank you," she stuttered out, hiding her feelings of shock by shoveling the soondubu jjigae into her mouth. She had built an iron wall around her heart and soul, leaving just the shell of her outside, and regretted that she couldn't confess to Yong Soo what had really happened between her and Kiku.
Yong Soo kept a plastic smile on his face in front of Taiwan, as if they knew the same thing. He had to work again tonight, and had to secure clothing and maybe someone to look after the fragile-looking girl before he could leave for the night.
Mei looked so lonely and forlorn that Yong Soo's own heart ached. He knew he had saved her from rape, but what was really going on between them?
"I'll go…call some friends," Yong Soo excused himself. The air was tense and full of hurt and heartache, and he couldn't bring himself to stay in the environment any longer. He went into the hallway, taking his mobile phone from his pocket.
After exchanging some words with his friend Berwald Oxenstierna, or Sweden, who was in a meeting with other environmental councils in Seoul, he agreed to bring his sister Aurora Oxenstierna to help Mei. Aurora was very much like her older brother, stoic and valiant but with deeper feelings inside that she hid away. She also happened to be the wonderful Åland Islands.
"Alright, Aurora and Berwald Oxenstierna will be coming to get you clothes and maybe we can go out for dinner, how does that sound?" Yong Soo proposed the idea to Mei, who simply nodded and looked out the window at the tall skyscrapers and busy streets below. He was troubled by this sudden change in personality, when all his life he had seen her as a fireball of energy and sweet disposition.
He had to figure this out.
Aurora Oxenstierna and her big brother entered Yong Soo's apartment with a dignified, silent air around them. It was expected from someone of their surprising height as they wordlessly greeted both the Asians.
"I have some day clothes here," Aurora began as she sat next to Mei. She motioned to the simple V-neck t-shirts and tops, the skinny jeans and a soft lace skirt. They were typical items that the people of Seoul wore, and she would blend in perfectly. "I had to guess your size, do they fit?"
Mei held a black shirt to her body and nodded. "You've got a good eye." Yong Soo's heart hitched in his throat as he saw her go for the dark colors first- what happened to the vivid pink and rose and gold that she used to wear all the time?
"And I have a couple jackets here…I thought you might like some accessories so I picked up a few necklaces and earrings. I thought I remembered that you have pierced ears," Aurora said, lifting up the sparkling pieces of beaten metal and expensive pearl earrings.
"That's too much," Yong Soo broke in. "You didn't have to."
"Oh no, it's my pleasure," Aurora said. "Anything for a friend."
Berwald watched ominously from the corner and produced a thick-knit blue and white scarf. "'n c's' 't g'ts c'ld. (In case it gets cold.) 'r'm Sw'd'n. (From Sweden.)"
Mei gave him a smile. "Thanks, Berwald." Yong Soo's heart leapt and fell as she smiled and went emotionless quickly.
"Thank you, Aurora and Berwald. Would you like to join us for dinner? I know it's still early but do you want to come with us to get- I don't know, whatever you'd like." Yong Soo stuttered out.
Aurora and her brother exchanged a glance before nodding. "That would be wonderful, thank you, Yong Soo," Aurora said.
"L'mm' c'll m' w'f'. (Lemme call my wife.)" Berwald said. He went into a separate hallway that led to Yong Soo's study to call Tino Väinämöinen, or Finland.
"Finland's in Seoul too? Oh, what a surprise," Yong Soo said. "It's the least I could do, thanks for helping us out." He felt uneasy saying 'us' when he felt so distant from the beautiful night flower that was Mei. "What would you like to eat? We can get Westernized food if you'd like, or I could treat you to one of the traditional Korean restaurants…"
"I think Big Brother and I wouldn't mind having nyangmyeon." Aurora said suddenly, and Yong Soo's eyes widened at her knowledge of Korean food and the foreign word on her lips.
"Of course we can! I know a great place, it's a bit run down but it's the best." Yong Soo suggested, and Aurora nodded. "It's called Eul Ji Myun Ok. They do it traditionally and it's classic…"
"Whatever you deem good is good, let's go once Big Brother is done calling Tino."
Mei watched wordlessly as her fate was, once again, decided for her. She balled her hand in a fist under the pile of clothing that Aurora had just bought her, not letting the tears spill out. Jewels and silks couldn't calm her now when her freedom was always at stake.
At least Kiku had asked her occasionally, genuinely caring when he wasn't drunk. Yong Soo acted like she wasn't even there.
Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait! I've been busy with Geometry finals and I will be away for a few weeks at THINK UN Reno...but I will still try to update there! But don't count on it, they're college courses...
I promise to try!
Please enjoy this chapter :) If you liked it, please don't hesitate to REVIEW!
Thanks for reading this far, and I'm going to try putting up more chapters for my other fanfics soon! Don't forget to check out Jaded, which just came out.
Check back and please REVIEW! Thanks!