An alternate universe

Ch-34

'Tsar Bomb'

It was strange how astonishingly quaint the situation was, not just in reality but inside his own head as well.

Ryu Si-Oh was suppose to be frightened out of his wits considering the death waver he had just received through an unidentified phone call by Nozh, but he found his head curiously wrapped around something else entirely.

He had tried dialling her number but it was switched off and he couldn't directly go to that Hwang gum ju's den.

Settling down in his dimly illuminated car outside the warehouse, he couldn't bring himself to think of anything else but the incident that had taken place at the very site.

He took out his phone and dialled a number.

'Wait for me in the office'
He said in a hardened voice to his secretary.

He would think about that Nozh and his waver after dealing with some other things, that were to be prioritised.

His eyes travelled to the ceiling of the car, before sealing shut as he took a deep breath for calming his hectic mind and letting go of the rising and threatning feeling of something overwhelming.

'Tsetseg'

He softly spoke the name to himself, feeling a rush of emotions with thorns of regret digging deep in his heart.
He had been too cold, too unbending.

Opening his eyes, he exhaled in frustration.

A part of him still screamed to be vigilant, to not be fooled again.
What if this all was staged? To make him trust and then be destroyed like a puppet made of vulnerable glass?

But another part of him felt torn and warm, looking at the bag resting beside him.
The same bag that she had thrown at him with that look.

He couldn't forget the look on her face.
It was raw and true.
Like she felt defeated and dismayed.

In an inferno of a million questions that had remained unanswered this evening, one stuck out.

Why had she done it? The bag was indeed filled with the evidence she had collected, not to mention the puffer jacket he had been adamant to forget, thinking that it was lost to him forever.
It was also a testament to his mismanagement.

She must have risked her own relations and friendships to deliver him the bag.

The hopelessness coiled in his stomach.
Was she looking out for him all this while?

There was an unavoidable burning in his throat.
He had never felt more torn.

A few things were beginning to take a very clear shape in his mind. Tsetseg was confusing and mysterious. Rather than untangling the strings of confusion, she had tangled them even more.

There was another thing that bothered him immensely. She had been at that orphanage, at the very same place where he had voiced those vile, most selfish words without an ounce of truth in them.

How could she feel bad about if she didn't feel anything?
A spark of hope drummed across his heart.
Did she feel something? Had she developed some feelings in the process of this mission or this was something shameful to her? Something that she wanted to get rid of?

He didn't know if he could trust her completely but there was no denying the genuine concern and disappointment on her face and honesty in her actions.
She had really brought him all the collected evidence.
Even if it was not all the evidence, it did not matter. She had returned the Jacket that had been the topic of everyone's discussion.