Stay With Me - Hwang Inyeop

Chapter 29: Her Warm Welcome

Soomi unconsciously bit her thumbnail and her legs bounce nervously as her eyes are fixated on the entrance of the organization place. They were informed that they have successfully saved the children and they will be back in the organization at night. However, it is almost the break of dawn but the team has not yet arrived and they have not heard from them again.

Yumi approached Soomi who is sitting on the bench under the tree, waiting for the team to arrive. Soomi was not aware of the presence of the worried girl so when Yumi held her shoulder, she flinched a little.

"You should rest. You've been here since last night. You haven't even slept yet," Yumi said as she sat beside the girl.

"Did you hear from them again?" Soomi asked, not taking her eyes off the entrance of the organization.

"They'll be here soon. They must have taken a rough road but I'm sure they are okay," Yumi assured her but the worry Soomi feels keeps on growing every minute passes by without hearing any vehicle approaching the place.

"This won't do. You're making me worry as well," Yumi heaved an audible sigh and stood up. "We must divert your mind from worry. Help us prepare breakfast for everyone. I'm sure they are exhausted when they arrive so they need something to eat."

Yumi smiled at Soomi to assure her that everything is okay. Soomi stood up from her seat and followed Yumi inside the building. Soomi's head still wanders as she helps others in preparing for breakfast. Her heart hammers thinking of possible things that might have happened while they are on the road.

All heads turned to the window when they heard vehicles entering the area. Soomi immediately dropped the spoons she is holding on the table and run towards the window to check who arrived. She saw the children being escorted inside the building and as soon as her eyes found the man she's been worried about, she runs outside the kitchen and descended the stairs hurriedly.

She doesn't mind whether she tripped or fall. Her heart feels like exploding when she got out of the building and saw In-yeop removed his helmet and hopped out of his motorcycle. In-yeop saw Soomi run past everyone entering the building towards him. His heart immediately flutters with the sight of the girl coming towards him.

Soomi jumped and wrapped her arms around In-yeop's neck as soon as she reached him. Her short squeal was muffled when she buried her face in his broad shoulder. In-yeop equally matched her excitement as he wrapped his arms around her as he closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of the girl. In-yeop felt Soomi's body tremble as they hug each other.

"Are you okay? Were you hurt?" Soomi asked with her tears ready to fall as she cupped In-yeop's cheeks and lean his forehead on hers. In-yeop rubbed his nose on the girl's cheek and smiled in content realizing that she was worried for him and waited for him to arrive.

"I'm okay," In-yeop whispered and kissed her cheek. Soomi's eyes close with the contact of his lips on her skin. The sun which is now showing itself lights up the presence of the two lovers and everyone who is witnessing the sweetness of the two felt genuinely happy now that the two reunited.

"Where's my hug?" Chorong pouted and spread her arms at Yumi who followed Soomi when she runs outside the building.

"You wish!" Yumi chuckled at the silliness of the fat guy.

Soomi now realized that there are a lot of people watching them. She was so worried earlier that her actions were impulsive and now she feels embarrassed to show her face to them. So she buried her face in her palms and leaned on In-yeop's chest to hide.

Yumi chuckled at how cute the girl is acting right now. "Breakfast is ready. Let's all fill our stomach in the dining area," she said and winked at In-yeop who is giving everyone his stony expression.

"They are gone," Soomi heard In-yeop said in his low voice. Soomi peeked over her shoulder and saw that everyone went inside the building. She feels her face burn from embarrassment. She looked up at In-yeop and realized that the guy is staring at her. She created distance between them only to check if he is not injured anywhere. She immediately covered her mouth and her eyes widen when she saw the sleeve of his shirt is covered with blood.

"I'm fine," In-yeop assured him. "It's just a scratch."

Soomi pushed his sleeve up and saw a huge wound on his shoulder. Dried blood surrounds the wound but it is still fresh that some blood is oozing out of it.

"A bullet must have grazed it," In-yeop said it nonchalantly like he is used to having these kinds of wounds. Soomi's heart clench at the sight of the fresh wound. She wonders how the guy managed to still ride his motorcycle enduring the pain in his shoulder.

Soomi heaved a sigh and pulled In-yeop inside the building all the way to the room where she is staying. She let him sit on the bed and went out for a while. When she came back, she is holding a first aid kit.

"Remove your shirt," Soomi instructed In-yeop when she sat beside him. Without saying anything, In-yeop removed his shirt and stared at Soomi who is staring at the wound on his shoulder.

She stood up and got a clean towel from her bag and went to the sink to wet the towel. She sat beside In-yeop again and started cleaning his wound.

"Does it hurt?" Soomi asked with so much worry. Her eyes are concentrated on carefully cleaning him up that she did not notice the warm gaze In-yeop is giving her.

"No," In-yeop simply answered. He did not even wince when the wet towel touched his skin. His focus is on the girl so close to him, worried that he might get an infection out of his wound.

Soomi treated the wound in silence and In-yeop did not leave his sight away from the girl, not even a second. It warms his heart to have someone do this for him when he had no one to tend to his wounds before. Soomi's heart feels like tiny needles are pricking it that it is making her hard to breathe. She doesn't want to think that In-yeop experienced having these wounds multiple times and there was no one to help him treat them.

She carefully placed a huge rectangular plaster as the last step of treating his wound. Her fingers carefully graze the covered wound and her eyes start to water. In-yeop grabbed her hand on his shoulder and gently kissed it.

"I'm fine," he whispered and he knows that Soomi still worries for him even though he says it a thousand times. He kissed her hand again and this time, he stayed his lips there longer.

When In-yeop looked up, she saw her tears flow down her cheeks nonstop. He cupped her cheeks and wiped her tears with his thumb. Seeing the girl he is falling for crying for him makes his heart flutter. Never in his life did someone worry for him like this.

"It pains me to think that you have experienced this so many times before and no one was there to be with you," Soomi sobbed. "Does it hurt?"

In-yeop chuckled hearing the question again. Instead of answering, he lay her on the bed and propped his elbows on the mattress to support his weight on top of her. He tucked strands of hair behind her ear before dipping down to kiss her lips.

The movement of In-yeop's lips was slow as it creates sounds which Soomi loves hearing. Soomi's arms wrapped around his neck as she matches the movement of the guy's mouth. In-yeop left her lips and started kissing her jaws down to her neck, sucking it a little which made Soomi quietly whimper. His kisses went up and captured her lips once again. He gave her one last lingering kiss before pulling away and look at her wistfully.

"You're driving me crazy," In-yeop whispered as he rubs his nose on hers. "Thank you. Thank you for worrying for me."

Soomi smiled as she closes her eyes with what In-yeop said. After feeling so worried for the guy, she now admits that what she feels for him is not just mere admiration. She loves him and she's falling for him deeper and deeper. So she has decided. She decided to stay with him and be the one to treat his wounds... physically and emotionally.