The Wind of the Day

Part 2

AN: This is more of a filler chapter, but also very important to the development of the story. Hope everyone enjoys it! This time we get a glimpse of Se-ri's thoughts. Let me know what you think of this one! Happy holidays!

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The moment Jeong-hyeok's mother steps out of his childhood bedroom to request an extra plate for him, Se-ri feels his arms embracing her. She lets out a shuddered breath as she feels his warmth envelop her; at some point in the last two days, she truly thought she'd never see him again. The depth of this thought finally dawns on her that this is not the end yet.

They still have some time left, even if she doesn't know how much.

So she breathes him in, and he smells of safety and comfort, of something that is just so completely Ri Jeong-hyeok. For the first time in days, she feels truly relaxed. He's here. They're together again.

"Are you alright?" He asks her as he pulls away, eyes carefully tracing every inch of her face. His palm cups her cheek. "Did they hurt you? The men my father sent after you?"

Se-ri shakes her head. It's still astonishing to her that she's in the house he grew up in, that the kind lady she's met is his mother, that his father orchestrated all of this.

"I heard a gunshot," Jeong-hyeok continues. "I thought..."

"I'm alright. I'm safe. No one touched me," Se-ri interrupts at the sight of the haunted expression on his face. She covers his hand with her own, frowning when she feels the battered skin against her fingertips. She turns it to her face to inspect it, noting more bruises that add on to the ones on his face. "But you're hurt. What happened? You're supposed to rest, Ri Jeong-hyeok. Who hurt you? You're supposed to be recovering, what if your wound gets infected?"

"I'm fine," Jeong-hyeok says softly, lacing their fingers together. His free hand traces a strand of her that's loosened from her ponytail. "I'm more than fine, seeing you here in front of me. Have you been eating well?"

Se-ri nods proudly, barely remembering her first day here when she refused to eat anything until his mother took her downstairs. It's just like him to worry about her like this — not only about her apparent health. Maybe he likes women with some more meat on their bones, Se-ri doesn't know. He didn't complain the other night.

She deviates from that thought. Now is not the time, Se-ri.

"Your mother has been feeding me well," she tells him, noting the way his eyes soften when he watches her. She could live in his eyes forever. "Did she teach you how to cook? Because I could taste some similarities. You know I'm very good at these things."

Jeong-hyeok chuckles then bring her closer again, with such spontaneity that Se-ri is surprised and it takes her a moment to hug him back. He rests his cheek against her hair in a way that feels so comfortable — she feels his arms strengthen their hold on her and she realizes... this is truly her home. Not a country, not a place.

It's him.

The thought scares her to her bones.

"I missed you," he reveals.

Se-ri closes her eyes, taking a deep breath, breathing him in.

"I missed you too," she says because it's the most truthful statement she's ever said before. "So much."

"I thought I'd never see you again," Jeong-hyeok says, his voice hoarse with emotion.

Se-ri blinks her eyes open, feeling a lone tear roll down her cheek. She's about to reply when she meets his mother's gaze, standing by the doorway to his bedroom. Se-ri gasps, slowly disentangling from him, though Jeong-hyeok keeps their hands intertwined. She supposes they can't hide that, not after that animated and rather failed discussion in the family room.