14 Chapter: 13

It has been three days, Ye Jun didn't show up. Nari felt extremely worried sometimes and sometimes extremely angry. She didn't have his phone number, nor did she know where he lived.

"Where did you go, Park Ye Jun?" she mumbled.

This one question was making her die out of restlessness. She wanted to ask him thousands of questions. All these three days she hadn't paid much attention to those classes which were being taught. The bench beside her was empty, and not even a single teacher mentioned his absence in the class. Every day, Min Jae came to the library and talked with her and helped with the chores. It was good to have him there. He was like a stress booster for her. But he couldn't stay with her all day as he had his class too. That is when she used to get alone and Ye Jun would cross her mind.

"Did he take a leave or something?" she mumbled again.

All the students were walking out of the school as it was closing hour. She walked alone thinking about Ye Jun. Min Jae had late evening practice and so she had to walk home alone. She found it weird that all these years she used to walk home alone. But these days she felt lonely because Ye Jun had accompanied her twice. Walking alone towards the exit, her eyes caught one person's attention. 

"Yah Kim Eunji!" she yelled in between the crowd.

Eunji, who was walking together with his other friends, stopped and looked in her direction. Everyone whispered among themselves. They knew that it wasn't a long time ago when she had beaten him.

She walked towards him and he smiled disgustingly.

"Why? You want to apologise?" he said and his friends laughed.

She scoffed.

"No, at all, you crazy bastard. I'm just finding someone. Tell me where Ye Ju is?" she said.

"I? Don't know!" he replied, frustrated.

She frowned deeply.

"Why? What am I? His secretary?" 

He scoffed.

"Just leave. I don't know and I don't care much about where he is." 

He left with his friends, adding more questions to Nari's mind. She sighed and left the school. As she crossed the road, she saw someone standing near the lamp post. She frowned as she couldn't see the face, just the back. The guy stood with his foot scratching the ground and his hands in his pocket. Nari knew she had seen these actions before, too.

She approached and called his name out, "Park Ye Jun?"

~~~~~~

Two hours ago...

"Ye Jun-ah!"

A weak and hoarse voice spoke. Ye Jun, who was sleeping on a chair near the hospital bed, woke up. There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked too exhausted. As he saw his dad had opened his eyes and was looking at him, he sat up straight.

"Dad!" 

He held his hand tightly and his dad smiled.

"Your expressions and face look creepy. As if I am about to die." His dad spoke in a low voice.

"DAD!" He yelled.

His dad scoffed.

"Oh! Okay, okay. But, what are you doing here? You didn't go to school today?" 

Ye Jun looked down and the doctor interrupted.

"No, Mr Park. He was here for two days. Waiting for you to wake up. It seems as if you hit your head quite hard. But, your son took good care of yours."

His dad caressed Ye Jun's head with a warm smile.

"He is a good son, but not very." 

Ye Jun looked up at him.

"He won't go to meet someone I ask all the time." 

"Tch, dad please." He frowned slightly.

The doctor laughed, "Let him be, he is just a kid right now." 

His dad nodded.

"So, Mr Park, you can now go home and rest. I have taken all the tests and you seem quite fine. Just don't take too much stress."

Soon after the discharge, Ye Jun took his dad home. He sat on the sofa while Ye Jun went to bring water.

"So, you didn't go to school? And that too three days?" 

He glared at his son.

"You are not in a position to scold me right now. It's a relief that the doctor knows I am your son, else I would never know you are hospitalised." 

His dad scratched the back of his neck, "Okay then, I agree I was a bit careless. But-" he looked up at his son who sat beside him.

"What?"

"It means you didn't meet her too?" 

"No," he said in a low voice.

"You're so sure about whom I am asking?" his dad smiled jokingly.

"No." he stood up.

"What I wanted to say was-"

"Dont!" his father interrupted.

"You want to meet her?"

"No, when did I-"

"I have a solid reason." He interrupted again.

"What?!" He looked at him unbelievingly.

~~~~~~~

"Park Ye Jun?" She called his name out and he turned around.

"Oh...Nari-yah."

As soon as she saw his face, her tensed shoulder rested and she breathed in relief. Her frown vanished and she slightly smiled. Ye Jun kept staring at her. 

She was smiling? Because of him? 

He couldn't believe it. He blinked twice. Her smile turned into a scoff and she shook her head.

"Why...are you laughing?" he was clueless.

"Ah! Park Ye Jun! You'll be dead, seriously!" 

She approached him.

"Why?" he asked innocently.

She laughed more and exhaled a deep breath.

"Leave that for a while, tell me why are you here suddenly?" 

"Oh, that. I wanted notes from the last three days." 

"What?!" she blurted, frowning.

And he cursed himself for why did he ever listen to his dad.

He scratched his head and looked up at her. She folded her arms above her chest and looked at him. Her gaze was a bit enraged now. 

"No, it's just, you're the only one I can ask. As Eunji and I are in different sections." he still explained his point.

Sighing heavily she nodded.

"Okay let's do that if you don't have anything else to say." 

She unzipped her bag and took out her copies.

"Take this." she thumped it on his chest making him stumbled a little.

"Why- are you angry all of a sudden?" 

"No, when was I? First, you asked me to wait for you during break time. You had said you would tell me the meaning of what you meant that day. I waited for you the whole time but then you never came and vanished for the next three days from school. And now that you finally came, you asked for notes?"

Ye Jun's tiredness flushed away. He listened to her and smiled inwardly. It sounded as if she had missed him. Clearing his throat after he realised she was done complaining he replied,

"Sorry." 

"Yeah, you should be! I waited for you the whole time. Do you know how hungry I was? Where have you been?!" she asked.

"Dad...had a heart attack." 

Hearing his low voice answer her eyes widened. And then she noticed how exhausted he looked. Those dark circles around his eyes made clear that he didn't intently leave her alone.

"I-is he fine now?" her voice softened.

"Yeah, of course." he sighed.

"He has been a little bit more stressed than usual. I wonder if he'll be fine in the future." 

Nari went quiet, she had nothing to complain about. Hesitantly, she kept her hand on his shoulder and he looked at her. 

"I'm sorry. I should've heard your side too." 

He scoffed and she frowned.

"What is this gaze? It's scary. Don't you pity me! Ah..." 

He laughed. 

She bit her lower lip and laughed together with him. Her mind was at peace now that Ye Jun had come back.