CHAPTER 6
WOO BIN'S POV:
Everyone is already in bed but I can't sleep. My first instinct is to be out doing something. I'm a night owl and it's what I'm used to… but I can't. Pacing my room, I look out at Boo Ki's closed door. I'm at a loss. I don't know what to do. I feel so damn helpless. Every other woman I've had in my life always came crying to me for comfort. Not her. In fact, she hasn't cried period that I'm aware of. She is always so cool and collected but I know she's still rattled over the Senator. I can't quite figure her out. She has so many different facets to her personality that I'm never sure what she's feeling. The only one that really knows her is Saia.
I wonder what happened to Boo Ki that made her this way. She said that her grandfather broke her and I wonder what she meant by that. She says that I shouldn't try to understand her, that I will only be disappointed. Why would she think that? Doesn't she know me well enough by now to know that I will never judge her like that? She is my friend. I trust her. I would never do that to her.
The Senator is dead. I would kill him again without a second thought for touching her. He deserves to suffer a thousand times over for what he did. The police uncovered a mass burial site on his estate for the girls he was "done" with. Sick, psychotic bastard… They ruled his death as self-defense and are searching for the "hero" that saved the girls that are still alive. I won't step forward of course. It feels good to be called a hero though. That title has never been in my description before. Karen has been doing her best to help the girls that Bill held captive. She really does have a caring heart. I hope that with him gone, she will be able to find some peace and be happy.
Wandering out into the hallway, I stop in front of Boo Ki's door and strain my ears for any sign that she's still awake. The apartment is silent and I don't hear anything. Quietly opening her door, I walk over to her bed to check on her. Her breathing is even and she appears to be asleep. Reaching for her blanket, I pull it up to cover her shoulder. It's starting to snow outside and it's a little chilly in here. I'll check the thermostat before I go back to my room. Watching her sleep, my chest feels oddly tight and I have the strangest urge to touch her. Touching a woman has never been a problem for me. I enjoy it. But this is different. It's more than just physical attraction and a lot stronger than anything I have ever felt before. I already know that I like her as more than just a friend but with Boo Ki, I don't know how to show her. She won't trust any of my usual methods. She knows me too well. Plus I don't want to treat her like any of my former flames.
Tearing my eyes away from her sleeping face, I exit her room and leave her door open a crack just in case. I should ask Ji-Hoo what to do. He has always given me good advice before. Or I could just go for the direct approach and just flat out tell her. At least then I could get it over with and know if she feels anything for me too. Sighing, I go back to my room after adjusting the thermostat and lay down on my bed. My mind is too busy with her to sleep. I look up to make sure I left my door open a little bit and try to turn my thoughts towards our upcoming trip to Colombia. We can't afford to be distracted when we are there. One mistake will cost us and the price is too high. The Maeng family won't be there but the country itself can be volatile at times. I need to get my mind back in the game.
Hearing a key slide into the lock of the front door, I sit up in bed and listen as the door opens. Saia and DK are finally here. I debate on whether or not to go see them but think better of it. I'm sure they are tired and Saia will want to be with Boo Ki. Hopefully she will be able to give her the comfort that she needs. I have to push down a small twinge of jealousy. They are best friends after all. I have no right to be jealous. I just want Boo Ki to need me beside her too.
(^_^)
SAIA'S POV:
DK watches me out of the corner of his eye as he drives us to Woo Bin's apartment in New York. We finally arrived here after hopping from city to city in order to throw off anyone that may be following us. DK is a good friend but I have hardly said two words to him since we left Seoul. He has tried to talk to me but I just nod or shake my head. He doesn't realize what is going on in my mind right now. He has no idea…
How could this happen? Boo Ki never trusts anyone. Not after everything that she's been through. I can't believe that she was almost raped by that son-of-a-bitch. I remember how traumatic it had been for her when her own family had done that to her over and over again. And watched too for god's sake! That had been her breaking point. She wanted out after that. I am the only one besides her Aunt Mo Ne that knows who and what she really is. No one else can possibly understand her like we can.
I nervously bite my knuckles and try to ease the worry in the pit of my stomach. I don't know what her reaction is going to be because of this. She deals with things differently than most people. Her darker side could rear its head and I know she will regret it later on if that happens. I hope that she just needs comfort and then she will be fine. I have no way of knowing for sure. Even though we have been friends for this long, I still don't always know what she is going to do. I thought that her training me would help in understanding her better but I still couldn't walk in her shoes or live in her nightmare.
We finally arrive at Woo Bin's apartment and we are both exhausted and cold. It's snowing outside and I'm freezing. DK didn't turn the heater on in the car to help him stay awake while driving. It's barely 2am and I highly doubt anyone is awake. DK pulls a key out of his pocket and unlocks the door. I quietly follow him inside and try to adjust my eyes to the darkness. I watch DK head for the couch in the living room, ready for sleep and dig out my cell phone. Using it as a light, I head for the bedrooms and peer into the first one. I see Boo Ki "asleep" in bed but she isn't fooling me. I'm sure she was awake the moment the key slid into the lock. Sitting down on her bed, I place my chin on her shoulder and stare down at her.
"You're not snoring like a dinosaur so you must be either: A. Not sick or B. Not asleep." I quietly say to her. I hear her snort of laughter as her mouth twitches in a smile.
"How is it that you always manage to make me laugh no matter how shitty things are?" She asks as she opens her eyes to look at me. "And I do not snore."
"It's my specialty. What can I say? And yes, you do snore when you aren't in 'mission mode'. You just don't know it."
"Whatever…" She grumbles with a yawn and I move to lay down beside her. "Woo Bin came in to check on me before you got here. He was the one that woke me up first. You should go sleep in Ji-Hoo's room. I know you miss him."
"You're more important to me right now."
"I'll be fine tonight. We can talk in the morning. Change into some of my clothes and go see him."
"…Okay. Which room is his?"
"Down the hall. If you hear any "snoring that sounds like a dinosaur", it's just Woo Bin."
"I don't know… DK might be fighting him for that title." I say and roll my eyes. Boo Ki gives me a genuine smile and hugs me. "Thank you for coming. I really do need you right now."
"You're welcome. You know I've always got your back."
(^_^)
JI-HOO'S POV:
Slowly waking up from my restless sleep, I feel a cold body slide into bed against my back and I look over my shoulder to see Saia's long, sun-kissed hair peeking out from under the blanket. Turning over, I pull back the blanket so I can see her face and my heart pounds with joy at the sight of her.
"When did you get here?" I ask
"A little while ago. Go back to sleep." She says with a shiver and moves closer to my arm, trying to get warm.
"You're freezing! Come here." I pull her close and wrap my arms around her, loving the feel of having her in my arms again. I tangle my legs with hers to help her warm up faster. I am so happy to see her but I know that I am not the reason she is here. "…How is she?"
"She's coping. I'll talk to her more in the morning."
"We've been worried about her." I say with a yawn.
She nods in response. Her body is slowly heating up and our combined warmth is making me drowsy again. Pulling the blanket up around us, I would love to stay awake and just watch her sleep but I can't. Having her close to me puts my mind and heart at ease. I always sleep the best when she's in my arms. Kissing her temple, I let my eyes drift closed and feel her snuggle closer to me.
"I may have to steal you and take you back home with me. Our bed is too empty and cold at home without you." Her sleepy voice murmurs.
"…I couldn't agree more."
(^_^)
BOO KI'S POV:
It's 5am and the apartment seems to be quiet. My body is still protesting the early hour since it is used to sleeping in after all these years. It's funny how easily I can fall back into my training patterns though. I still remember them like it was just yesterday.
I hear my door open and know that it's Saia. She is the only person in this apartment that can walk that quietly other than me. I'm proud of her for still keeping up with it. It's been a while since we trained together. I wanted to teach her to protect herself from her father. I knew her kind heart would probably never be able to attack him because he was the only family she had at the time. But I hoped that she would at least be able to defend herself. I hated seeing the bruises she would have from him. She tried to hide them from me so that I wouldn't worry but I still did, and she worried about my injuries from my family too. Her bubbly and humorous personality baffled me and I was drawn to her warmth. It was something I never experienced before. I would have gone crazy without her …Or worse. I might have lost myself without her. She means the world to me.
"Mind if I join you?" she asks as she plops down beside me and starts to stretch.
"Not at all. It will be interesting to see what you remember and if you can keep up." I say calmly.
"Ya! It hasn't been THAT long since we practiced together. Plus my ballet performances have kept me in shape."
"I'm not keeping you from performing am I?" I ask worriedly. I definitely need her right now but I don't want her to miss out. Being a ballerina for the SBC has always been her dream.
"Nope. My next performance isn't till next week. All I'm missing out on is practice and my director is fine with it. I miss it sometimes for work anyways."
"You work too much." I mutter in disgust.
"Hmpf. I haven't been working as much lately. Ji-Hoo threatened me so I've had to back off and focus only on ballet."
"What could he possibly have threatened you with? He's a "dead" man. It's not like he has any control over his company right now."
"True but he threatened if I didn't take it easy, he would have Woo Bin's father lock me up in their house till I get some rest or till Ji-Hoo comes home, whichever comes first." She says with a grimace.
I smile and shake my head. "I don't know how you do it. I could never allow someone to have that much control over my life again."
"It isn't about control. He's my balance, just like I'm his. We keep each other from going overboard. I think a good partner is someone that keeps us in check when we need it and is honest with us. We are friends first and then lovers. I think that makes a world of difference."
"You two have some kind of cosmic connection and a steamy love life, a combination that is very rare. At best, the rest of us hope for at least one of those things in our relationships. You are one of the few to have both." I counter. She laughs as if I said something funny and shakes her head. "What?"
"Boo Ki-ah, someday you will be with the right one and you will understand what I mean."
"…That isn't in the cards for me." I say quietly. As I begin practicing different moves, she only smiles wider and I eye her suspiciously. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
She bites her lip to keep from laughing and I know what she is thinking.
"Saia Caelum, I am not meant to be with Song Woo Bin!" I say in exasperation. She raises an eye brow at me and begins practicing the same moves. "It's not Woo Bin!"
"And what if it is?"
"Song Woo Bin is stubborn, arrogant, overprotective, and short-tempered."
"Not to mention handsome, funny, smart, loyal, and tough." She says. "He likes you. You know he does and not just as a friend."
"…I can't Saia. He is a Chaebol, he has Jae Kyung, and even if I could, I won't lose my friendship with him just to date him. It isn't worth it. Besides, men don't do anything but let me down."
"…He isn't Sang Hee. And more importantly, he isn't your grandfather or your father." She quietly says. I spin around to face her and my angry gaze meets her serious one. She knows that I can squash her like a bug, yet she isn't afraid. She's eerily calm as she faces me. "What happened at the estate?"
Taking a deep breath, I sit down on the floor and explain what happened, including my mistake. She quietly listens and just like always, there is acceptance and understanding in her eyes. For me, there is shame and anger for what happened. She should be upset with me for letting my guard down or angry at me for not being able to fight back. But she isn't like that.
"It isn't your fault." She says.
"I almost let it happen again!" I say angrily. "How is that not my fault?"
"He's the one that tried to do that to you. You didn't do it to yourself. You didn't know-"
"But I did know! I knew he would try something and I still fell for it! Woo Bin had to save me-"
"And he did. He was there when you needed him."
"I shouldn't have "needed" anybody! I should have been able to take down that scumbag all on my own!" I say in disgust.
"Okay then. Lesson learned. But you need Ji-Hoo and Woo Bin to complete these missions. I know you can do everything on your own. That isn't the point though. You are here to work with them. If it bothers you so much that he saved you, then pay him back in some way. Save his life if that's what you need to do. Just stop blaming yourself and start focusing your mind on doing what it takes to make sure it doesn't happen again."
I hear the logic in her words and it calms my hectic mind. "How is it that you understand people so well?"
She smirks at me. "I think Ji-Hoo's wisdom is starting to rub off on me."
"Ani. You have always been this way... You're right. The perfect partner is the one that balances us out. But it applies to best friends as well… because that is what you always do for me."