Pay With Your Heart

Chapter 398: Little Disappointment.

Dan-Han watched from the side as Jae-Hyun examined Eun-sun under his scrutiny. He could see Eun-sun try her not wince in pain whenever Jae-Hyun touched her leg or arm.

“How bad does it hurt?” Jae-Hyun asked, but Eun-sun shook her head.

“Not bad.”

“Liar.” Dan-Han said from the single victorian chair where he was seated, but Eun-sun ignored him and glanced at Jae-Hyun.

“It’s only a mild pain.” She said while Jae-Hyun nodded, but the look in his eyes told her he also didn’t believe her.

He inspected the wound on her stomach before taking a sample of her blood.

Jae-Hyun turned around to see Dan-Han already standing behind him, his hand folded across his chest, waiting for a report.

.....

“I’ll run some blood test, but I’m sure other than the physical injuries, she’s really okay.” He told him.

“Are you sure?” Dan-Han skeptically asked. If she wasn’t fit to travel he wouldn’t want to take the risk. He’d as well stay behind and try to hold things off for as long as he could, but there was no way he’d leave her behind. Trouble was lurking around, and he was sure of it. He remembered the peculiar unsettling feeling he had on their way back from City-A, but he had discarded it, and that same day, Eun-sun had been attacked. That was the result of his negligence, so he would make the same mistake again.

“Yes.” Jae-Hyun nodded and glanced at Eun-sun who was keenly listening. “She just have to stay off her feet for a short time, even if she most move about, it should be for a short while.”

“I’ll prefer she doesn’t.” Dan-Han countered, as he dipped his hands into his pocket, while he ignored Eun-sun rolling her eyes at him.

Knowing Dan-Han, Jae-Hyun shrugged non-committally. If he said so, then that’s how it would be, but also knowing how tenacious and daring Eun-sun had been from the first time her, he believed Dan-Han wasn’t going to get his way one hundred percent. “The impact on her bones wasn’t that bad, it was just a mild dislocation so she should be able to move around soon and I think I can take the cast off her hand, and as for the wound it’s healing properly. So there’s really no issue here.” He told them.

“So I can walk around right?” Eun-sun asked, trying not to be excited even though her eyes were already gleaming.

“No.” Dan-Han firmly declared before Jae-Hyun could respond.

He shrugged. “He’s the boss. You should do as he says, except you want me fired.”

Eun-sun threw a hard glare at Dan-Han before sinking into her seat with a defeated sigh.

Jae-Hyun flashed her a comforting smile after they watched Dan-Han walked away. “You know he’s just looking after you wellbeing.”

Eun-sun wearily sighed as she kneaded her forehead. “I know. But he just don’t understand that staying still isn’t easy for me or anyone for that matter.”

“I’m sure he knows, else he wouldn’t be taking time off work to take you on a vacation. The man is a workaholic and he’s currently in the middle of several projects.” Jae-Hyun told her. Eun-sun looked towards Dan-han’s direction. He was listing out some instructions over the phone, probably to his secretary.

Eun-sun couldn’t help but nod. Jae-Hyun was right. Though he had other reasons for travelling and taking her, she also believed Dan-Han was doing this for her because he knew just how suffocated she has been feeling in the past few weeks.

“I know.” A faint smile teased the edge of her lips.

“Have you seen In-Ha? How is he?” She curiously asked.

“You haven’t seen him?” Jae-Hyun questioned with a raise of his brows.

“I have. He was here a few days ago, but...I don’t know. He smiled and laughed but I could tell something was wrong with him. Are you guys still not on good terms? Is Dan-Han still not talking to you guys except on official reasons?”

“In-Ha’s new attitude isn’t because of Dan-han’s little tiff with us. But I believe you know the reason why.”

Eun-sun silently looked at him. Her countenance turned solemn when she realized what he was trying to say.

Observing the change in her disposition, Jae-Hyun sighed. “You don’t have to bother yourself too much about him. In-Ha is an adult, he’ll get over this with him. He’ll be fine.” He assured but Eun-sun didn’t know if she should believe him.

In-Ha didn’t seem fine, at least not to her. He had bantered with Ni-Na endlessly and had even spoken and smiled with her, but she could tell the difference between the In-Ha she knew and the one who had visited her. The mischievous recklessnes that always lingered in his eyes when he teased her, the vibrant life that seeped out of him weren’t there. And she could tell he was in so much hurry to leave after spending a short time with them.

Eun-sun suddenly became troubled in her heart. “Do you think I should do something? Should I talk to him?” She worriedly asked, and Jae-Hyun chuckled.

“And what exactly would you say to him?” He asked her, while Eun-sun shrugged.

“I don’t know.” she helplessly sighed.

“Exactly. In-Ha is an adult and he can deal with a little disappointment. Compared to all of us, he had the worst childhood.”

“He does?” Her brows narrowed as she frowned.

“Yeah. Even worse than Dan-Han’s regimented life as a kid. So believe when I say he’ll be fine.”

“Who’ll be fine?” Dan-Han asked as he approached them. His gaze darted between Jae-Hyun and Eun-sun who had suddenly went mum.

“A friend.” Eun-sun replied, and Dan-Han frowned as realization hit him.

He said nothing as he walked over to Eun-sun. “Come on, let’s go. Ni-Na just arrived the hangar.” He told her as he carefully scooped her into his arms.

He turned to Jae-Hyun and said, “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing at all.” He said and Dan-Han nodded.

“Maybe we can hang out when you return?”

Dan-Han furrowed his brows as he stared at him. Hanging out was something they hadn’t done since his mother’s death, and it had been a routine for them for over two decades.

He glanced at Eun-sun who pinched him on his chest, before he looked back at Jae-Hyun.

“Bring In-Ha.” He blankly said, and Jae-Hyun gladly nodded.

“I’ll tell him when he returns.”

‘Returns?’ Dan-Han cocked a brow at that.

“He left?” That wouldn’t be right. The man had seemed like he desperately wanted to stay here.

“I don’t think so. But I think he just needed some space.” Jae-Hyun explained and Dan-Han nodded in understanding. In-Ha was always an emotional person even if he never accepted it.

“Well, call me when he returns.” Dan-Han said before turning away to leave. As much as a part of him was still vexed for what his friends had done he didn’t want to lose them all together.