Oasis - EXO 'Love Shot' Spin-Off

Chapter Eighteen

Kim Ri-Ya's POV:

"I cannot believe you!" Ma-Ra yelled angrily, pacing in front of me. "I thought you were smart! I thought you were careful! I thought you knew how to behave in the field!"

"I do," I replied immediately, keeping my hands clasped behind my back, keeping my face straight.

"You call getting shot in the field, protecting someone else while barely armed smart, careful and appropriate?!" Ma-Ra demanded, "You could have died!"

"But I didn't," I told her simply, "and if I hadn't done what I did, Kim Min-Seok wouldn't be alive right now."

"Kim Min-Seok?!" Ma-Ra breathed out his name in disbelief, "That's who you're thinking about right now?! Kim Min-Seok?!"

"Yes,"

Ma-Ra didn't expect me to admit it so easily, so she drew back slightly, her face confused. Behind her, Suho raised his eyes to meet mine, a knowing look in his eyes.

"I couldn't let him die there," I continued, "I would rather have died myself than let someone as good as him die by Black Ace guns."

Ma-Ra blinked quickly, her breath coming out in stutters as she battled against her anger, her hand dragging down her face over and over again, her pacing speeding up. "I don't know what to do with you, I really don't. You're absolutely uncontrollable, I can't let you out of my sight without you doing something crazy."

"What was so crazy about protecting someone I care about?" I tilted my head slightly, finally meeting her eyes, "I did what I needed to do more for myself than for him. If anything, I was selfish."

"You risked your life! He should be eternally grateful to you!" Ma-Ra snapped, "There was no reason for you to save him at the expense of your own body, but you did anyway and that―"

"I like him."

The room fell quiet, and I could see the smile that started to grow on Suho's face. It was as if he was aware of everything all along... maybe he'd been the matchmaker all along, who knows.

"What?" Ma-Ra's voice softened immediately, and I could see her trying to fight off her own smile.

"I said... I like him," I said it as firmly as I had the first time, "I have for a while now, but I didn't do anything about it."

"Does he like you too?" Just like that, Ma-Ra's Boss mode vanished and she turned back into my sister.

"Yes," I nodded once, "he's said so many times already."

"Which is why you saved him..." Suho mumbled quietly, "right?"

I tilted my head slightly, "I would have saved him had I liked him or not. I just tried a whole lot harder because I do... like him, I mean. I do." I coughed as I felt my cheeks heat under their gazes, feeling warm all over.

Ma-Ra hand came out to hold mine very gently before she squeezed my fingers, "Okay. Then I can forgive your crazy behaviour and a whole lot more. I'm just glad you're thinking with your heart for once instead of your head."

I snorted lightly, a smile climbing up to my own face, "What are you talking about..."

"You should go to Yi-Xing," Suho jumped in too, his authoritative stance gone, replaced by a relaxed slouch. "Go get your injuries checked out... use it as an excuse to visit Min-Seok."

"I don't need an excuse to visit him," I mumbled, my cheeks going pink, "but I appreciate having one. Thank you." I bowed quickly to both of them, starting to back out of the room.

"Remember," Ma-Ra called out, "heart, not head. You're happier that way!"

I flushed harder, covering my face as I walked quickly through the EXO Manor, praying with all my heart that no one had been around to hear the two love guru leaders giving me advice.