Matter of Harmony || Oneus Seoho

The Aftermath (26)

Seoho's PoV

I call the police and an ambulance after laying Yuri's head against my legs on the ground. I try to get a look at her wound with shaking hands. Xion left the flashlight as he ran after the bastard but all I can deduce is that her shoulder is bleeding hard. I take my shirt off to put pressure on the wound. I need to stop the blood flow.

"Where did Xion go?" she asks, I grit my teeth. "Do you think this is a good time to be concerned about him!? Stop moving! Why the heck did you jump in front of him?" It is a wonder after the relief I felt minutes ago how frustrated she can make me.

"Sungho really hates him, he kept talking about it on the way here. And I knew he wouldn't hurt me." "You knew he wouldn't hurt you! But he did, didn't he!?" She moves her head a bit to look at me "Can you scold me later? I'm busy bleeding out at the moment." "I'll stop scolding you when you stop being a dumbass. Do you know how worried I was!? Do you think I saved you so that you could jump in front of a knife?"

"To be honest I missed your nagging..." she smiles and my frustration turns into a pinch of smoke in the wind "I'm sorry for pushing you away for so long." Her eyes— honest and bare— bore into mine. I look away.

"It's ok, I deserved it." "No, I was too harsh. To be honest I forgave you a while ago but..." I get concerned that she's losing consciousness when she stops speaking but she seems to be gathering her words. She motions for me to lean down toward her. Then she kisses me. She kisses me on the cheek but her aim is off and the corner of her mouth touches mine and there's nothing I can do about my racing heart. I pull my face away and her eyes are full of tears again. I wipe a stray drop away from her cheek.

"Will you go? Will you leave me?"

"I am right here Yuri," "No, will you go to Japan, Seoyeon told me your company offered—Please don't go. I know it's selfish of me to ask this after the cold shoulder I gave you all this time..."

If she doesn't stop I'll tell her my feelings an old harmony rings in my head. All those small bets I had with myself...

This time there's no need for a bet. This time I won't hold back. "But I just... it was so hard to live without..."

"I love you." I whisper "It's ok for you to be selfish. I like it when you're selfish with me and I'll be just as selfish now. Yell if you want me to stop."

Then I kiss her, one hand pressing down my bloodied shirt on her shoulder, I kiss her on the side of the pebble road of her kidnapper's garden. The dam has broken tonight and I let my feelings spring out of their hide. The air smells like fish and blood and gasoline and this couldn't be farther away from what I'd like to give her but I won't hold my feelings back anymore.

...

Yuri's PoV

I wake up to bright lights. "That was the weirdest nightmare," I mutter to myself. My head is groggy and when my eyes adjust I realize I am not in my room at all.

"I am afraid that was not a nightmare Yuri." I turn my head and find Xion sitting on a chair beside my bed. Then I remember everything. "You're fine... Did he hurt you? What happened?" He shakes his head as he stands up. "I am fine. But... I never thought someone would... Why did you do it?" "What do you mean?"

"Why would you protect me? You broke up with me –I thought you wanted to have nothing to do with me anymore." He looks so lonely with his shoulders drawn in standing at the feet of my bed. A lonely boy... "Because I care about you of course. Just because I broke up with you it doesn't mean you don't matter to me anymore." He looks at me and for once I can see his honest feelings.

Just then I realize Seoho is not in the room. "Where is—?" "Seoho passed out from over-exerting himself so I had him carried away to a bed. I bet he'll be here in a few minutes with your doctor."

The doctor shows up first and explains that thankfully the knife didn't cut deep. They stitched my left shoulder and I'll recover in a few months. Seoho shows up out of breath just as the doctor leaves.

I raise my eyebrows as he catches his breath "Why did you run?" "I— I don't know... It seemed like the right thing to do." "I'll stall the police for a bit. You can talk." Xion leaves quietly. Seoho hugs me softly taking care not to touch my left side. He doesn't need to say anything for me to understand the relief he feels, and the guilt and the frustration, and the immense love. Love... That jogs my memory.

I pull away from him "You.." I point a finger at his chest, at this proximity my finger touches him "You kissed me!" My hand covers my mouth instinctively. "You told me you 'love' love me," "I did." His expression is too calm. This doesn't make any sense.

"It must have been the spur of the moment, you thought I was dying and..." "No." He cuts me off firmly "It wasn't a moment's thing. Do you think I imagined I'd confess after all this time at a moment like that? The circumstances couldn't have been worse. I confessed because I decided to be selfish with you for once." My mouth drops open. Seoho is deadly serious, there's no mischievous glimmer in his eyes, no teasing in his tone.

"I have loved you for a long time. And now I will stand by my feelings." I open and close my mouth a few times. Thoughts and emotions swirl in my head in a cacophony of melodies. Every tone wants to sing a different song.

His lips curl into a small smile and he pats my hair "It's ok, I don't expect you to answer my feelings. Not now at least. You have had a hell of a whirlwind these last 24 hours. Just know that it was not a passing thing. I meant what I said." He leans towards me, I squeeze my eyes shut thinking he'll kiss me again with how close we are. When I open my eyes I realize he was reaching for his jacket on the side table behind me. He chuckles at me.

"Don't worry, I'll be there for you as a friend through anything. But I promise. I will make you fall for me."

I have known him my whole life. I've been with him through everything so I thought I had seen every emotion he could have. The fire of the determination burning behind his eyes is completely new. It's as if I am looking at a different man.

He leaves to get the police for my testimony. And I am left pondering how my heart is supposed to handle so much drama.

End of Book 1!