Published: 30th December 2023
We're nearing the end, anyone want to leave any nice comments? :D
Chapter Thirty Three
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Koldan went out like a squashed bug. He is gone.
Bewildered Jin looks back to see who got hit. He doesn't linger on it for too long after realising their unimportant enemy is dead. He turns away and looks at her.
Nina wastes no time in approaching Jin.
As she collapsed into his arms, She smashes her lips against his as if she were a tidal wave. What she couldn't say for weeks, that one deep kiss said it all.
Relief. Joy. Trust. Love.
She didn't care if it was a romantic cliche, she hadn't had Jin for weeks.
Jin returns the kiss just as passionately as her, holding onto her for dear life in that one moment. All the days spent apart, they kissed like two forlorn lovers reuniting. The sound of their breathing and lips smacking are the only two things they could hear.
They only part when her knees couldn't support her anymore. Jin drops on his knees with her, still holding her with care.
"Nina..,hang on..." He is going to carry her off the ship and take her to the hospital.
"All my choices lead to you." Nina breathes out, cupping his cheek.
It had to be said. Now or never.
He holds onto her and Nina finally allows herself to pass out in his arms. He says nothing but caresses her cheek.
Hmmmmn. Crispy Chicken Kaarage.
Drizzled with peppercorn sauce.
Her and Jin eating together in the comfort of his apartment. God, Nina could do with some home-made karaage by now, made by her Jin. It's been so long since she's had food prepared by him. No other snack could top Jin's chicken Kaarage.
They didn't eat it all the time because it was fattening and Jin was strict about his diet. But when they allowed themselves this delicacy, it was lovely.
She wakes up in a hospital. Sees Jin asleep on the armchair beside her. He probably stayed with her the entire night. She wants to reach out for him and these damn wires on her stop her.
"Jin." Nina says softly.
He's not asleep, he was just napping here and there. His eyes flutter open.
"Nina." His voice infuses life back into her.
"Jin… am I okay?" Nina asks.
"Ribs are fine, no internal bleeding….no infections, no lacerations apart from a small cut on your forearm…"
"Was I….raped?"
"They wouldn't tell will talk to you about it."
Nina touches her hair, it's loose this time."He ruined my hair." She tells Jin and touches it. He does the same and sees it's an even mess. She turns her face to one side and a few tears slip into her pillow. She couldn't let him see her cry.
She hears him move closer and Jin smooths out her hair as if he's assembling a doll. Ironing out any mess. It feels like he's undoing the damage.
"Don't worry, this can be fixed." Jin soothes. How did he make everything feel better?
"I'm going to have to cut it short." She sighs. "Gonna be a while till my tresses are long again. Sorry."
He was beyond pissed that the evil man did something awful to her, ruining a work of art. Anyone giving Nina a traumatic experience was his enemy. Good riddance of that guy, Jin thinks. Her hair would grow again but her emotional scars may never fade from this ordeal. But he's going to be there for her and help her heal.
She just wants Jin to stay with her. Their hands find each other's and stay in a lover's embrace.
"You're safe here, with me."
"I know you'll beat up anyone who busts in here to attack me. My bodyguard, you are." She teases.
They both smile. He leans over and kisses her forehead.
"Hungry?" Jin asks.
"I could do with some chicken karaage right now." She chuckles and then winces when her sides hurt.
"I'll bring some over soon." Jin promises her.
Later, the doctor discloses everything to 's not been raped, no sexual assault of any kind on her. Nothing strange in her bloodstream. There is just bruising all over her body and she would need to rest. There's a sigh of relief. That Koldan has never had her in a certain way and he's now gone forever. His chapter was closed.
That was such comforting news.
Eun-Seo visits her next. Allowing Jin the chance to go and get some fresh clothes for Nina and some karaage. Maybe some rest too because he needed it.
"I got to the second ship, wiped off your bloodstain, collected your knife. Everything has been sorted." She didn't go into the nitty gritty of it all but Nina trusts her. After all one of Eun's speciality was to wipe everything clean and remove all evidence. Plastic sheets and all.
"Thanks."
"Have you ever planned for your kids to follow your footsteps in the assassin world?"
Her father did that to her. She wonders if Eun would do that too.
"I have two beautiful boys as you know, one just turned sixteen and the other is twelve. I've taught them techniques, how to get into a fight, get out of a fight…etcetera but I've left it upto them one what they want to do with their lives. None of them know I'm an assassin. My eldest is more into the business side of things, he wants to take over G Corp one day and the youngest, well he's showing signs of wanting to work in acting. Loves K drama and knows better Korean than I do. I just can't believe in a ten years time, they both will be fully grown adults. They might even turn me into a grandmother! Can you believe that? Me a grandmother?!"
"I can't imagine it." Nina smiles. "You with white hair and granny clothes."
"I've always wanted a family, even if I acted all cool and independent. My desire was just to have stability and to be surrounded by people who loved me."
The Korean woman goes quiet for a bit and Nina waits for her to continue. Looking at her expectantly and with patience. "If you ever had kids Nina, I think you'd have a son first. You seem like a woman with a firstborn son. Just like me. Your sister Anna is a woman with a firstborn daughter. I just know these things, don't ask."
"Well If I have kids, we'll see and I'll let you know." Nina replies, wishing she could chuckle but her sore body would hurt again.
"I'm going to divorce Rory." She announces to her. "Some people's marriages are meant to last and some aren't."
Nina feels bad for her friend. Eun stayed married to her husband for twenty or so years and hadn't gotten any love from her husband. Being in a loveless marriage would feel like staying in a prison.
"All my life, I just wanted to be loved and make a family. He gave me two sons but never his love. It's time to close this chapter and put myself back on the market."
"All the best. Hope your sons stick by you."
"Oh they will." Eun-Seo replies. "I'm taking them to Seoul with me and going to make Gong Yoo their stepfather."
"Gong-Yoo?"
"He was my boy next door crush when I used to stay with my relatives on holiday. Would have married him but back then, I wanted an English speaking groom."
"Remember that blitz move you taught me?" Nina asked, "I kept getting it wrong each time I practised. But the one time I get it right it against that creep. Broke his wrist and fingers in one twist."
"Aye, that's my girl. You were the best in breaking bones!"
Nina smiles. "I wish I can remember our times together, it does sound like we had a lot of fun."
"We can make some new memories, I've signed you up on the same agency I'm on. Your assignments will commence soon. They'll give you the easy things first, like the mafia deals."
"I think I need to meet Rory, talk with him. I know he's the father of your kids and you don't want them to lose their father. It will be hard but I can't let him hurt people I care about and me."
"I know how to make him stop. Don't worry about it Nina, he may not love me but he loves our sons."
Killing the father of your friend's children would be a tough call to make and Nina would hate it if it had to come to that.
Julia is the last to visit her.
"I'm so glad you're okay." Julia says.
"Why haven't you admitted yourself to the hospital?" Nina asks her.
"I got more emotional pain than physical ones." Julia replies, settling down carefully near her. She's brought Nina some snacks, dried fruit and nuts, bottled water and some feminine products which Nina thanks her for.
"I'm sorry for what he did to you." Nina replies.
"Aside from being slapped, force-fed and being called 'buffalo', every hour, he would masturbate himself in front of me and ejaculate on the floor near my feet. It was horrible." Julia reveals.
"He said he fondled my chest when I was passed out and tasted me down there." Julia mutters, even confessing being violated feels so painful. He was the first man to touch her so intimately and to see her completely naked. Without her consent.
There's shock, anger and disgust in her tone at being a victim. Nina felt more guilty as ever. Koldan did that to her friend because he wanted Nina.
Julia begins to cry. "I don't know how I'm going to get over this."
"He's gone now, he'll never hurt you again." Nina says, unsure if this piece of information would reassure her friend. "I'm sorry."
Did she regret being kind to Nina? The blonde is terrified to ask. Losing this friendship would be so painful for her. People like Julia made the world a better place.
Alisa doesn't come to visit her at all. Even after Nina presses the distress button.
Guess she's had enough.
Resentment should sink in but instead, Nina feels this horrible sadness.
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A/N: Nina's found family is Jin (Lover/Chroi/Darling/BB/Hubby- whatever lovey dovey names you want to use for him), Eun-Seo & Julia (Sisters that Anna could never be). You lose one sister but gain two, that's how it's done in Nina's world. Nina's like to alisa, 'Bitch, why you no come visit me? After everything we been through.' Lol. Could have been part of the found family. She's going to get her back in T6.
Eun's crush Gong-Yoo is the actor 'Gong-Yoo'
