The protector

Apena somos dos desconocidos, con ganas de besarse, (con miedo a enamorarse) (M)

Pyongyang, 2028, June

All streaks are made to be broken. Thus, when the constantly quiet chairwoman B. – from 7 to 8 PM In-ah sunbaenim – turned into someone who never stopped tapping the desk with a finger, and whose legs nervously shook through the entire class, her vice-slash-personal spy Mr. Ra, as well as Kim Min-Gyu, better known as "the other sunbae," both aware about what was happening to her for having them been addressees of some brief question from the police, and without consulting each other, decided that it was the moment to show her comprehension and leniency.

Those decisions led to two different consequences. The first was the widespread of a climate of terror in the dojang. The sunbaenim replaced Jeong Hyeok in the training, except she trained as if she wanted to kill someone. The other pupils tried every sort of illusionism to not happen close to her when it came the moment to fight, because she used them as punching balls. When, on one day, she didn't appear in the room, everyone sighed with relief.

The second, later, was that Mr. Ra became the unofficial head of the office, because on one morning In-ah texted him that she would have worked from home until further notice. That news gladdened him, it meant that Ri Jeong Hyeok had been found and was alive. It had been him, weeks ago, the one who had suggested it, to cheer her a little and give her some hope.

- "Mrs. B., when he'll come back – when, and not 'if' – take all the time you need, stay with him, we can work like when you have the flu." –

A third consequence, on one day in June, was that a pianist stared at his woman, or what was left of her, who was hesitatingly approaching their bed during a working hour of a working day.

Long, maternal recommendations, doctors' checks, friends arriving altogether and talking one by one, bringing so much food that it was now difficult to close the fridge, and promising to bring more. They could swear they'd seen Sang-bum pouring some tears when Klaus had solemnly presented to Jeong Hyeok their welcome back gift. A small pianola "so you can start practicing without moving your arms too much."

And then, as abrupt and messy as it had arrived, all that noise had gone, and they had found themselves alone.

Alone like on that morning when they'd gone to work but just one of them had come back home.

Looking at his bruised face, it was exactly that morning that In-ah was being unable to not think of, her whole being squealing to refuse and repulse all that had happened to him, and at the same time shivering under the pressure of unbearable emotions. He was at home, and she felt she couldn't even breath, overpowered by the sheer magnitude of that simple fact of her man being, eventually, and rather than dead, at home. He was at home, and all the things she'd said to herself "if he'll come back home" were now possible. He was at home, yet broken, bruised and sick, and she wanted to kill someone for it.

He was at home.

Cautious in not moving the mattress since every move could have disturbed him, the woman slipped under the sheet till reaching his side. There, without saying a single word, she buried her nose in the crook of his neck, appreciating the warm softness of his skin, allowing herself to get intoxicated with the familiar, loved scent which was the mixture of Jeong Hyeok and clean bedding. She had never realized how Jeong Hyeok had grown soothing to her. He was someone whose touch was enough to make her feel her chest re-expanding, her bones stop aching, the muscles she'd contracted for weeks easing. He was someone in whose hug she felt the urge to run in when she felt unsettled. Hence, as she was now unsettled, she buried herself in the crook of his neck, pretending it was his hug.