The protector

Healing (MM)

Warning: PAIN. Please read at your risk. Not as much as in other chapters, but I decided to use this new warning so you'll get it since now (clap clap author, just 38 chapters, you are so fast!)

Author's note: we have to thank the always incredible NRv for the gif you'll find in the middle of the chapter. Imagine me finding a gif of In-ah's party in my DM on the morning of my birthday, I could have died: not only she's a wonderful artist, yet even a special person. And a marvelous author you all should read (https://www.wattpad.com/user/NRv2009). Plus, we all should thank her for having inspired the scene of Mimmi's payback you'll read below, and another cosy scene <3 

Author's note 2: this update comes on an unusual day as I've been far from writing for some time. The next one will not be on this Thursday yet the next one. And I apologize in advance because I will probably be a little discontinuous for a while. Sorry, as told you, there is a busy month in front of me. And as told you: thank you for the comments, for the re-reading, for the recipes (they are going to eat a chocolate dessert in one of the next chapters thanks to one of you), I've received a lot of cosiness while I was away, and I'm sincerely grateful for it <3 (yes I know this old emoji declares my age more than my ID card).

Pyongyang, 2027, December

"I hate my life." The man muttered trying to hide his face between the pillow and the duvet. It was one of the typical In-ah's sentences he sometimes borrowed, and this time he thought it perfectly fitted the situation.

Since when they had become friends with the sunbaenim, Saturday had become a day that held the promise of happy moments. Whether for just a one-hour training or all day long, he knew he would have spent some time with her. It was his fuel.

Then, Saturday had become a day for grocery shopping, strolling around the city, picnics, planning parties, or reading on the couch and, of course, their training. The usual couple trivialities, but to a man who never had had the opportunity to experience a trivial couple life, it all looked incredible.

On that specific Saturday though, Jeong Hyeok simply felt that they weren't in China anymore. And the thought ached. Huài, it was bad.

Chuckling to the sudden, magniloquent proclamation, In-ah placed a soothing peck on his forehead. "We need a welcome back party. What about learning how to cook pad thai today Jeong Hyeok?"

"Mhm..." the man pulled the duvet on his head.

His mood had collapsed at the exact moment when they had reached the airport in Beijing. No more walking hand on hand. No more kisses in public. He had never felt hate for his country, but at that precise moment yes. Damn Korea where In-ah wasn't his girlfriend.

His parents had sent a car, they wanted to give them some food and check if everything was ok, and he hadn't even bothered to hide his disillusion, moping an unvoluntary amusing mope.

"Almost 40 and he's eventually becoming young," Cheong-ryeol had commented with his wife once they were gone.

Then there had been the usual travel duties. Laundry, sanitizing the cases, shower. And in a while, they were fully dipped in the Pyongyang' life again.

"Fuck me the Chinese way," she had whispered him once they were in bed – with their clothes on, what a shame, no more sleeping naked.

"How?"