The Bonds We Forge

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On with the chapter!

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Leandro grabbed the man by his neck before slamming his head against the concrete.

That seemed to do the trick, because his opponent immediately lost consciousness, eyes rolling at the back of his head.

Yuhee's smile went wider, if that was even possible.

"Yuhee Noona... it's been a while indeed." Leandro turned his eyes back on the alluring woman. "I hope you've been doing okay."

"Could've been worse, could've been better. Nothing much, really." She replied absentmindedly, playing with her black locks as she eyed him—the man she couldn't seem to get out of her mind.

They hardly ever got in touch after that day she first met him in the school grounds.

Despite being quite younger than her, Leandro was a constant presence in her mind.

She wouldn't go as far as to think of him every second of her life, but she would wonder, quite frequently, what he was up to, or who he was seeing.

Imagine Yuhee's surprise when she finally got to lay eyes on Leandro, after such a long time, and it was to him brutally disciplining a group of delinquents.

Her gaze went lower for a split second. Yuhee didn't even realize she was eyeing him quite hungrily. 'God… look at him. Absolutely perfect.'

She edged a little closer.

"But damn, Leandro... you really are something. You did all of this?"

The question was quite rhetorical. There was no one there but him, after all.

He responded with a noncommittal shrug. "Not all heroes wear capes."

"I prefer a suit over a cape anyday, dear~"

Leandro stared back at her and briefly looked her up and down before looking elsewhere. "Quite a pity that the blood ruins the ensemble."

Yuhee stepped even closer and brushed him against the shoulder.

She twirled a lock of hair and smiled teasingly at him. She wanted to tempt him. She wanted to stare lustfully at him until it took every fiber in Leandro not to pounce on her right then and there—on the wall, on the dirty ground... wherever was fine.

"You should take it off then."

Leandro laughed, likely seeing through her intentions. "I've got two dates waiting for me. I'm sure they'd be displeased to see me go back to them half naked."

Yuhee scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Hmm… two, Leandro? One isn't enough?"

He didn't seem the slightest bit perturbed. "Two isn't enough either. Interested? We're hiring a third one. The requirements are huge breasts and a shallow personality."

She lightly jabbed him on the shoulder. Yuhee quite liked his cheekiness.

Leandro just might be the one person that didn't find her absolutely perfect. A woman like Yuhee had received uncountable confessions and propositions, all of which she vehemently shot down.

She had so many men groveling at her feet, begging to be whipped, tortured, and humiliated.

But not Leandro. He was so unfazed by her bold appearance, and it excited her more. She wanted to see him crack, to fold under her pressure.

"If you say that I'll actually hold you to your word, silly boy." Yuhee tittered.

"Just don't come to the interview dressed like that."

"If this interview is held in a private room, I'll come fully undressed. We can have an enlightening discussion about my strengths and weaknesses. And then you can tell me yours."

"..."

Leandro chuckled as he walked past her and went straight towards the convenience store clerk. He knelt down beside him and checked his pulse.

Yuhee was disappointed.

The Leandro right now wouldn't budge so easily, regardless of her sex appeal.

She walked up to him and crouched down, blowing a stray lock of hair off her eyes.

"Why did they even beat him?"

Leandro checked the store clerk's broken nose and battered cheek. His condition wasn't good.

"Either tried to play hero or was used to set some sort of example." Leandro said.

Yuhee blew another stray hair. "Will he survive? Isn't this pretty bad?"

"It is bad, but yes, he will survive... though this will certainly leave a nasty scar for his mental health."

"Hmm. What about the others?" She asked, throwing a disgusted glance at the downed thugs.

Leandro stood back up. "Not my problem. I already have what I need."

"Aren't you going to finish them off?"

She whispered, looking up at him.

He paused, slightly turning to eye her up and down. The thought had crossed his mind—but that was before Yuhee waltzed in and turned herself into a potential witness.

"Going to jail for some fleeting satisfaction isn't quite worth it." There was a hint of curiosity in his tone. "Why? You wanna do the honors?"

"..."

Yuhee hummed, before she shrugged and got up. "I'd like to keep that sort of thing within the bedroom, if you know what I mean." She winked.

"No. I don't know what you mean."

Leandro ignored the pout that clung on her lips and called for an ambulance. It'd take them some time before they got there; the place was a bit out of the way.

"You should go back as well. Your brother must be going crazy looking for you."

"You know…" Yuhee started, walking up to him with a mesmerizing sway of her hips. She placed a hand on his chest. "If we're quick enough, we could sneak a session right here."

He took her by her wrist and gently pushed it away. Yuhee enjoyed the touch even as it wasn't so... pleasurable. She'd take what she could.

"I won't even pretend to entertain that idea, Yuhee Noona." Leandro chuckled humorlessly.

She scoffed, giving in—but only slightly. Yuhee brushed a finger up and down Leandro's arm. "Hm. You know, my birthday is coming up soon..."

He raised a brow. Yuhee looked straight at him.

Her finger never left his arms, albeit moving in circles.

She might have thought of him as some kind of interesting play-thing, but her standards were leagues above any play-thing. Yuhee liked perfect dates, perfect gifts, a perfect amount of pampering—the entire shebang.

With Leandro, she never knew what he'd do or say next. He wasn't charmed. He wasn't desperate. He wasn't a play-thing. 'Because play-things are to be used and discarded.'

And if she didn't play her cards right, she risked being the one discarded.

She could simply give him up here and now. After all, she went so long without seeing his handsome face, and she got pretty busy over the span of their separation as well. Being a CEO was hard, who'd have thought?

Yet something inside her ached to have Leandro. Yuhee had dated several men before him, but nothing got as much of a reaction out of her as the one standing in front of her, with an unbothered and neutral stare that didn't break even with the lightest caress.

She didn't know if it was more than simply lust—but God, she wanted him.

"I'll probably spend the day with my sisters."

He said, walking right past her.

"..."

She stared at his back. "Well, you know where my apartment is. Be sure to bring a gift, Leandro. You'll make a girl blush with some effort and pocket money."

•••• 

••• 

•• 

•

As Leandro returned from the back alley, his flawless looks were not at all so any longer. Covered with red blotches of blood, even more so splattered across his shirt, he looked akin to a psychopath walking out of a gruesomely committed crime.

Nari flinched and hopped out of the car. She inched close towards Leandro only to be startled yet again. "Y-Y-You... oh God, are you okay?!" The blood on his shirt didn't paint a positive light on what transpired in the back alley. "What happened?! Did they... did they..."

Leandro rolled his neck, loosening the muscle and feeling a crick along the way. "There was a bit of... well, a disagreement, let's say. Nothing serious. How about you?"

"I-I... y-yeah, yeah, I'm f-fine... but you are a bit... messed up."

Nari grabbed a napkin pack from her purse, tearing it open before trying to wipe the blood splotches off Leandro's cheeks. Her shaky hands proved quite inefficient, though.

Hari had woken up from the commotion. She had been filled in by Nari, who had been seething with fear and guilt in the passenger seat.

With worried eyes, Hari peered at them. A bloodied Leandro and Nari, frantically wiping off a bloodstain on him like it was her mess.

He lightly grabbed Nari's wrist. She was trying to wipe off the stains on his dress shirt. "Nari… don't worry, I'm fine. Now get inside, let me drop you two home."

"Huh? What about you?"

He let go of her wrist before moving to open her car door. "I have to drop by somewhere else. It won't take long."

But Nari stubbornly refused to go inside just like that. She reached her hand forward, wanting to grip Leandro. However, she recoiled a few times in indecision before letting the arm dangle at her side. She was conflicted, stressed—worried.

Seeing her troubled demeanor, Leandro took it upon himself and gently ushered her in the passenger seat.

"You're going to do something stupid, aren't you?"

The question came out quite out of the blue. Nari eyed Leandro with uncertainty in her gaze. He wasn't the type to dive headfirst into stupid and irrational decisions. He had too many brains to do that. So... why?

"Isn't it for you, Nari? It has always been for you."

"..."

She looked at his eyes, then at the blotches of blood on his shirt, and then back at his eyes.

"Umh… Leandro, is everything alright?"

Hari approached, one hand on her chest.

"Oh, everything's fine, Hari Noona." Leandro gave her a soft smile, which didn't pair well with the blood on his clothes. "Go back to sleep, I'll wake you up when we're back home."

The discomfort on her face didn't fade, but she still obeyed.

Leandro watched as she crawled back inside the vehicle before he followed right after.

"Nari." Leandro started as he closed the driver's door. "Next time something like this happens, go with your gut feeling and get away as quickly as you can. The last thing any of us need is for something bad to happen to you."

Nari remained silent throughout the ride, guilt and anguish written all over her face.

"I'm sorry... Oppa."

It was the first time in a while that she had called him that.

Leandro smiled. It felt nice, and reassuring. "No need to apologize. If anyone ever bothers you, just tell them you've got one mean big brother. That ought to make them think twice, at least."

She didn't smile. She didn't say anything back either. Nari simply sunk further into the passenger seat.

Hari, on the other hand, was lying down in the back seat. She burrowed herself further into Leandro's jacket. Just drinking in his scent was enough to calm her down.

"Leandro…"

"Hm." His eyes flitted to the rear-view mirror before going back to the road.

"Will everything be okay?" Hari asked, in a soft voice. "I don't want you to be hurt."

Imaginary rabbit ears lay flat at the sides of her head.

She caught his smile in the mirror. A curl of the lips that was gone as quick as it appeared.

"We've got me on our side, Noona. Of course things are gonna be fine."

He said it with so much confidence that Hari found herself smiling, fully believing him.

The rest of the journey continued in silence.

Hari was dozing off, but Nari remained awake—worryingly chewing down on her inner cheeks as they passed by familiar buildings and streets. Leandro made a couple more turns before finally pulling over by a large building complex.

"..."

Nari unfastened the seatbelt, but didn't move.

Leandro turned to stare at her. She met his eyes unflinchingly.

He arched an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Then what's with that pout?"

"I'm not pouting." She said… with a pout.

He chuckled lightly. "Come on, Nari, Hari Noona. Go inside and wait for me. I'll bring back some snacks and we can watch a movie."

"Can we watch Pororo the Little Penguin?" Hari chimed in with a sleepy smile. The effects of the alcohol still lingered in her system—it could be seen with how she was swaying left and right.

"Unnie…" Nari was exasperated.

Hari simply hummed before giggling childishly. Leandro smiled at the exchange. Nari took in a deep breath before sliding the passenger door open and getting off.

Hari staggered out after her younger sister.

"Oppa…"

Nari stuck her head back inside.

"Please… be careful."

He nodded wordlessly. With her worries being soothed a bit—even if it wasn't more than a nod—Nari retreated and ushered a half-asleep Hari up the building.

Leandro waited until they disappeared in the front doors before starting up the car and speeding right back into the road.

His eyes glinted coldly.