When Worlds Collide (Taynew)

episode ✍️ 22

Tay helped New stand up from the ground. Still sobbing, New clung tightly to Tay's arm. Everyone around watched as Tay glared at them, silently ordering his men to take the injured assailants to the hospital.

“Stop crying,” Tay said firmly.

New asked, "Why did they want to take me? Are they kidnappers looking for money from my family, like before?"

Tay ignored the question. "Let’s go home."

New, wiping his tears, replied, “If my family finds out about this, they’ll be worried. I don’t want that. Don’t tell them anything, Tay.”

Tay nodded. New suddenly remembered his friends. “My friends must be looking for me, and my bodyguard too. I need to go.”

Drying his tears, New tried to walk away, but Tay stopped him. “Wait, we need to take care of your wound first.”

New protested, “It’s okay. It’s just a small cut. I’ll be fine. My friends are looking for me.”

Tay looked at him disbelievingly. “Do you want your family and everyone else to see you like this?”

New suggested, “I can just cover it with my scarf. It’s fine.” He tried to walk away again, but Tay held his hand and dragged him outside.

“Tay, I don’t want to treat my wound. It’s just a small cut. My friends are waiting for me,” New insisted.

Tay firmly replied, “Stop shouting.”

“But–” New started, but Tay interrupted him with a “Shh.” He helped New into his car and started treating the wound. Even before Tay touched the wound, New winced and cried out in pain.

“Can you stay still? Don’t shout,” Tay said, exasperated.

“It hurts,” New whined.

“I haven’t even touched it yet,” Tay pointed out.

Tay treated the wound, and New continued to yelp in pain, “Can you be gentle? It hurts so much.”

Tay just shook his head but carefully blew on the wound before applying the medicine. After he finished applying the medication, he bandaged the area.

New looked at Tay and said, “You’ve got so many cuts and bruises on your face and body. You should go to the hospital and get them treated. I’ll go back now.”

“I’ll take you home first,” Tay insisted.

New hesitated, wanting to stay with Tay because he felt safe around him. But he also knew his friends were waiting for him. “But–”

“My men will tell them to go home and inform your bodyguard that you’re with me,” Tay reassured him.

New fell silent. Tay started the engine, and New, deep in thought, slowly drifted off to sleep. When they arrived at New’s house, he was still sleeping. Tay gently shook New awake. New opened his eyes and, seeing that they had arrived, looked at Tay and said, “Thank you, Tay.”

He slowly got out of the car and asked, “Tay, do you want to come inside?”

Tay didn’t reply; he just started the engine and drove away. New watched him go, pouting. “Doesn’t he have a mouth to answer?” he muttered, shaking his head. He covered his neck and went inside.

New’s brother and mother were in the living room when New walked in. They immediately noticed him. “New, why didn’t you bring your bodyguard with you? And why did you come home with Mr. Tay?” his brother asked.

New replied, “I… Oh, Tay and I met at the theater, and he offered to take me home.”

Arm looked at New skeptically. “Really? He offered to bring you home? He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to do that.”

New defended himself, “If you don’t believe me, you can ask him the next time you see him. Don’t question me. I’m tired; I’m going to my room to sleep.”

Arm just nodded, and New went to his room, taking a deep breath, relieved that no one suspected anything.

New lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to get Tay out of his mind. "Did he go to the hospital or not? He got beaten because of me," New mumbled to himself, concerned. "What if he didn’t get his wounds treated?" He thought about Tay for a long time, feeling guilty and worried. Eventually, his exhaustion overcame him, and he drifted off to sleep.

At Key’s headquarters, the news about last night’s incident reached him. Furious, he shouted, “You bastard, Tay! You’ve ruined my plan again. Just you wait and see what I’ll do to you next!”

Meanwhile, at the college, Gun was anxiously waiting for New. As soon as he saw him, Gun rushed over. “Are you okay, New? Did something happen at the theater?” Gun asked, his voice filled with concern.

Arm, New’s brother, overheard and asked, “What happened at the theater?”

New quickly smiled, trying to defuse the situation. “Nothing happened, P’Arm. Gun was probably just worried when he didn’t see me because I was with Tay, right Gun?” New shot Gun a look, silently urging him to play along.

Gun glanced at Arm and nodded. “Yeah, that’s right. I was just worried.”

Arm, still suspicious but not wanting to press the issue, said, “Alright, go inside. I’m heading to my office.” As he walked away, New called after him, “Bye, P’Arm!”

Once they were alone, Gun turned to New, his concern not entirely alleviated. “New, tell me the truth. Did anything happen to you when I wasn’t around?”

New shook his head. “Nothing happened, Gun. Don’t worry about it.”

Gun persisted, “You mentioned Tay was there. Did he really show up?”

New nodded. Gun, already aware of the history between Tay and New from the incident in Japan, couldn’t help but tease, “So, you’re happy to see him there, huh?”

“Stop it, Gun!” New protested, his cheeks flushing slightly. “Why would I be happy to see him?”

“Maybe you think of him as more than just a friend,” Gun teased with a sly grin.

New sighed, “Stop that, Gun. He’s just a good friend who’s helped me with so many things, even risking his life.”

Gun chuckled, “Hmm, a good friend, huh?”

New, eager to change the subject, said, “Let’s go inside, or we’ll be late. Where did those two idiots come, anyway?”

Gun shrugged, “They live in your house, and you’re asking me?” Both of them laughed as they made their way inside, talking and smiling.

Tay and his men watched from a distance, observing New and Gun’s interactions. Tay thought to himself, “I can’t get to him like this way. I need to come up with a different plan.”

As New was heading to the washroom, a student from his college approached him silently and handed him a letter before quickly walking away without a word. Confused, New unfolded the letter and started to read. His face quickly turned pale as fear gripped him.