Stray Scars (Book 2)

Chapter 42

Pov: Lee Minho

Minji...

She was weird, but simple at the same time. One second, she wore her emotions on her face, the next, unreadable.

To me, the girl was obviously hiding something, and it was made clearer when she began feeling sick often. I'd find her going as red as a tomato countless times. She'd try fanning her face, avoiding crowded rooms, or drinking cool beverages to ease the discomfort. I'd often witness her sweating in the middle of winter, but she'd brush it off as a cold or sudden fever.

She had a weaker immune system, I assumed. Never did I want to admit to my fears of it being something much worse.

Well.. Until she accompanied me to my house during vacation, and ended up throwing up. Bedridden and flushed, Minji stared at the ceiling for hours just so she could get used to the heat of her own body and fall asleep.

What are you hiding, Minji?

How bad is your condition?

And why am I so personally invested?

The days would go by and she'd act as if there was nothing wrong. Some days cheerful, some others depressed, I couldn't keep track of her inconsistent emotions. I was just a client she was assigned to protect, and a friend, at most- no one close enough to share her burdens with, as her actions made clear.

Why is this so annoying?

Why do I expect her to open up to me?

Question after question, the unsolved riddles multiplied in my head. When she assigned someone else to guard me instead of showing up herself, when she refused to tell me what was up even though she was clearly suffering, and when she pushed me away in the hopes of hiding her true feelings, I felt disappointed every time.

And then, I had to deal with the ultimate hardship when she did the most unexpected thing and got drunk.

Where do I even start with that one?

If I had any doubts about her feelings, I didn't anymore after that night. Scarlett had spotted me after practice, telling me to give Minji a piece of paper. It was supposed to be a simple task which ended up with me finding her drunk on the sofa all alone in the agents' meeting room. Once she caught sight of me, I was a goner. Never knew she could be so clingy, and never imagined it could be so painfully adorable. The more I pushed her away, the more she'd whine and ask for kisses. Knowing I couldn't resist it anymore, I called Minhyuk to guard us as I'd take Minji home, but the girl wouldn't tell me her address.

"For the last time, where do you live?"

"I'm... not talking to you!" she slurred, plopping down on the sofa next to me while failing to control her hiccups.

"Why not? What did I do?" I laughed. I couldn't wait to tease her about this tomorrow.

"Gimmi a kiss and I'll tell you!"

"Ewwww! Stay away from me!" I laughed, having the time of my life as she jumped at me, trying to hold my hands down to give me that kiss. Needless to say, she was too playful to succeed, though part of me wanted to lose on purpose. After a while, I "accidentally" lost my balance on the sofa and let her sneak a peck on my cheek and perfect nose, as she put it.

At least she stayed true to her words and gave me her address right after. Satisfied, she got off me and skipped around the room, stumbling and giggling to herself. The scene reminded me of a lovestruck teenager gushing about their first crush.

When Minhyuk arrived, I finally got her to a taxi which led to another problem. She fell asleep in my arms and refused to let go the whole ride. I didn't mind at all, but once we arrived to our destination, I didn't know how to carry her. I had to give her a piggyback ride home and listened to some strange old lady scold me for getting my apparent girlfriend drunk. When I arrived at her floor, I hardly got her to wake up so she could tell me which door led to her apartment.