KIMCHAY TALES: BITTERSWEET EXCHANGE

CHAPTER 13

When anger rises, think of the consequences.

-

A week. It's been a whole damn week since Chay saw Kim. Not a sight. Not a shadow. Not even a single strand of hair from Kim. No message. No calls. Nothing. A week of silence from Kim.

Big told him not to dwell on it since Kim was always like that when he and his father got into an argument. That he is fine and he will be back eventually. It's a normal thing for him to do. Yet, Chay is extremely worried. What if something happened to him? What if he is hurt again?

Chay thinks it is his fault this happened. Everything was fine. Then, Kim just got mad. He still doesn't understand why. He believes it was his fault that things occurred.

The day that it happened, he just cried and cried to his brother until he calmed down. He tried to convince Porsche that he was fine. Of course, Porsche wouldn't believe him. He never saw his brother cry like that unless it was from a nightmare. And the bruise Chay had on his arm made him hate Kim more than he already had. Chay tried to explain to him that it was a work accident. That Kim would never hurt him.

However, the purple marks around his wrist say otherwise. It wasn't physically painful anymore, but it reminded Chay of that painful day. The grip. The words. The anger. He had never seen so much anger in a person before. Only Kim. How does someone with that much anger go on in life?

Chay realizes that he doesn't like when Kim is mad at him. Like every single effort he made to somehow win Kim over, it all just disappeared. He is back to square one again. Kim is a tough nut to crack. Doing it all over again gave him headaches. But, Chay knows it is all worth it.

He always stares at the purple marks around his wrist. He watched as it faded day by day. He would often touch it. It doesn't hurt anymore, but his chest does. Like being squeezed into a pulp.

Chay has been waiting for Kim to come home day and night. He even has the med kit prepared at all times in case something happens. Even late at night, no matter how sleepy he was, Chay would wait for Kim. Every noise he hears at night anticipates him, hoping it will be Kim. But it wasn't him. Sometimes it was just Big or other bodyguards when it was time to change designation. He lost count of how many times Big scolded him to go to sleep and that he was waiting for nothing that night.

However, Chay is hopeful each night. His heart seems restless unless he knows that Kim is fine.

—

It was the 12th night of his waiting. 12 days of silence. 11 nights of waiting for nothing. This 12th night looks like Chay is anticipating nothing again. It's already 15 minutes past 3 AM. Big had already scolded him 2 hours ago for doing this again.

"You're so stubborn, Porchay. Go to sleep." Big said to him. Every night he hears these words. Every night he ignores them.

"I will, P'Big. I just can't sleep tonight." he lied every time. Well, sometimes he tells the truth. At times, he would tell Big that he wasn't tired at all to sleep. How would he be tired? The house is clean and in order and no one is at home to mess it up.

It's fine with him if the house is in shambles. It's okay if Kim messes it up. If that's the only way to release that anger in him. He's willing to clean it all the time as long as Kim is home where he knows he is safe.

Patiently and hopefully, Chay stared at the clock as time passed by. The moment the clock strikes 4 AM, he will rest in his quarters. Then, another day will be wasted again. Yet, Chay will do it over and over again like a routine. He will wait for Kim. He knows he will come home.