GATEWAY 🝔 LEE JENO

🝔 2.17

Exhilarated with bliss he sprinted towards the staircase. Jeno couldn't help but not contain his joy. He didn't know why but he had the biggest urge to go reveal the truth from her. He did sense something off ever since he met her again in Korea. However, he never questioned it. But hearing her own brother tell him how she was jealous made him have more than enough courage.

Over the moon he carried on walking with a beaming smile as bright as the moon; but like a cloud forecasting, his shine faded away when he spotted something awful. Jia was standing there, facing the front door of their house. Pale and ashen-complexion, Jeno could see how she physically shook with sweat trickling down her temple.

It was like she was paralysed. As if she had seen a phantom-like creature. As if she was haunted yet there was no terror in her trembling orbs.

Wanting to know what got her in such a state, Jeno slowly took steps closer and closer until he was also standing in the open. There he saw. A man standing opposite her. He had just entered the house. 

Why did she look so troubled? 

It was because of who he was.

All this time he thought that Jia died.

But here she was, standing in front of him. Well and healthy. Like a sword had been dug deep into his heart tearing up his old wound. He felt betrayed. Uneven breathes and claustrophobic air, he squinted his eyes in pure confusion.

Sensing the another figure at the side, he looked over to find Jeno. Perplexed he fell into a disarray of thoughts believing that he might be seeing things.  Maybe it's just his eyes maliciously deceiving him. 

 Unfortunately, he knew that it wasn't the case. Especially because of the guilt swimming to the surface of Jeno's dark pools.

They played him like a fool. They knew that she was alive all this time yet they hid it away.

"What if she isn't though?" by the younger boy's absurd words, Yohan shook his head in despair. "Jeno that's impossible-"

"How? You always thought that she died but have you ever questioned how she died? Where did she die and when? You never even found her body. So where is the proof?"

He could've told the truth to him that day. Why did he have to keep it a secret when Jia was right in front of the boy, living in his house. Sadly, Yohan was not aware of the fact that Jia only returned to Korea after the conversation he had with Jeno.

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He wanted to go to her room so that he could have a heart to heart conversation. So that he could tell her how he still has feelings for her. But it did not look like it was going to happen. He did not care though. All he cared about was comforting the frightened looking girl.

She had not stepped out of her room ever since she heard that her father was downstairs talking to her mother. She was reluctant to even move an inch. Curled up in a ball she leaned against the frame of her bed rocking back and forth. Knees tucked into her chest she hid her face down, concealing it away from Jeno. 

"Ga-eun" he called out but she didn't respond. Just clasping a hand full of her raven hair in her palms she did not dare glance up. Understanding that she was having a hard time, Jeno just rubbed her back gently.

He thought she'd be happy to hear that she could meet her father for the first time. However, it did not seem to be the case. 

"I-I'm scared" she blurted out, her voice wavering. Weak and frail. It made him furrow his brows. "What do you mean?" lifting her head up she fixed her shaking pupils onto Jeno soft ones. "W-what if he doesn't like me?" she disquietingly spoke out. She sounded broken and vulnerable.

At the sight, Jeno felt his heart break. Tearing apart at her feared state. He wanted to keep her close to him. Delicately holding her against him in case she'd break if not taken care of. 

That's exactly what he did.

Shaking his head he grabbed her arm pulling Ga-eun into him. Not saying a word he wrapped his arms around her trying to calm her quivering heart. But then he felt his t-shirt dampen. Instantly he knew that she was crying but he did not let her go.

Instead he held her tightly, feeling Ga-eun clasp a bundle of his t-shirt material into her palm lock. Small sobs and a few sniffs left her lips. He hated it. Hearing her in this devastated state.

Shifting around in a more comfortable position he held the side of her waist pulling her even closer than they already were. They didn't speak a word and just stayed still in each other's embrace. It soothed her crying heart. Hearing his rhythmic heartbeat and sensing one of his hands running through her long hair cascading down, she felt comfort around him.

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Sniffing, she blew into the tissue that Jeno gave to her. Gazing down at her, he brushed her fringe, sorting it out before tucking some strands behind her ear. "Tell me" he whispered out delicately. Scared that if he spoke a little louder she might break or something.

Unable to understand what he meant, Ga-eun tilted her head to the side. Wiping the edge of her eye that still looked teary he caressed her cheek lightly with the back of his fingers. Moving then up and down in a slowly. "Everything. Whatever is troubling you. I'll hear you out."

Biting her lip she took a deep breath not sure how to begin. Facing the jade ring that encircled around her finger, Ga-eun began rotating in round and round out of anxiety. 

Noticing her nervous state Jeno held her palm rubbing his thumb up and down the back of her hand. "Truth is . . I didn't even know that we were coming. Mum told us one day that she wanted to come to Korea. Jisung and I never questioned. I thought maybe that it might have to do with meeting dad again. I always wanted to meet him. I dreamed of seeing him but now that everything is becoming a reality, I-I'm scared that he might not like me."

Sighing, Jeno tugged at her hand for her to look at him but she was reluctant to. Noticing a stray tear trail down her cheek, he instantly caught it with the pad of his thumb by cupping her face. "He will like you,"

"B-but -"

"Trust me Ga-eun. I've known Mr Yang since I was a child. I know what kind of man he is and I promise you that he will like you" wandering her eyes between his and trying to figure out if he was lying or not she took a hard gulp. "Really?" she asked once more.

Lips etching upwards, she saw how his eyes curved up into small crescents. "Who wouldn't" he breathed out, closing his eyelids before resting his forehead against hers. Slowly fluttering her eyes shut she smiled lightly. 

"Thank you"