A fate for love

Chapter 29: Helplessness

Jiho's point of view

With a grin, Emma began to call out dramatically, "Help! Somebody, help me!"

Before she could finish, a sudden punch came out of nowhere, landing squarely on Sam's face, causing his grip on Emma to loosen. The same hands that had thrown the punch now gripped Sam's collar tightly, ready to strike again. Jiho stood there, his eyes wild with panic.

"Jiho, stop! What're you doing?" Emma shouted, rushing to intervene.

Jiho's eyes widened in realization, his breath uneven as he hesitated. "Are you fine?" he asked, his voice low but urgent, still not letting go of Sam's collar.

Emma quickly grabbed Jiho's arm and gently pulled it away from Sam. "Yes, I'm fine, really," she assured him, stepping closer to check on Sam. "Are you okay?" she asked, concern clear in her voice.

Sam, still rubbing his jaw, gave a small laugh. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good. That was... unexpected."

Jiho, looking thoroughly confused, murmured, "Weren't you asking for—help?" His voice was softer now, as if piecing together the situation in his head.

Emma sighed, closing her eyes for a moment before explaining. "It was just a joke. We were messing around, Jiho. I didn't think you'd show up out of nowhere and—"

Her voice faltered as she met Jiho's gaze. There was an intensity in his eyes that made her words trail off.

"I thought you needed help," Jiho said, his tone soft yet sincere. "So I came as fast as I could."

Emma found herself staring into his eyes, both of them caught in a brief, silent exchange, but before it could go any further, Sam, still nursing his sore jaw, broke the moment.

"You could've helped her without punching me, you know?" Sam grumbled, breaking the eye contact between Jiho and Emma.

Both Jiho and Emma looked away awkwardly. Jiho glanced at Sam, his expression apologetic. "I'm sorry. Did it hurt badly?" he asked.

Sam sat up properly, rolling his shoulders a little as if trying to shake off the lingering pain. "Not too bad. It's bearable. But you better be careful next time, man," he warned, though his tone wasn't too serious.

Jiho nodded, looking genuinely sorry, and Emma quickly jumped in to change the subject. "But what brings you here, anyway?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Jiho hesitated for a moment, recalling the events from a few moments earlier. The reason he had rushed over wasn't just Emma's call for help—it was something else entirely that had been weighing on his mind.

Flashback

Jiho sat in his room, staring blankly at the walls, his mind filled with conflicting emotions. After Sam had left earlier, he couldn't shake the thoughts that kept bouncing around in his head. Jiho sat in his room, trying to shake off the strange restlessness that had settled over him. He tapped his fingers restlessly on the table, trying to reason with himself. "It's just a quick check... no harm in seeing how things are going, right?" he muttered, half-convincing himself.

Just as he was about to step out for some air, his phone buzzed. He glanced down and saw Jieun's name flashing on the screen. He sighed, hesitating before answering.

"Yeah, Jieun?" he greeted, trying to keep his voice steady.

Her voice came through sharp, almost calculated. "Jiho, you haven't forgotten our plan, have you? You're supposed to make Emma fall for you during this contest," she reminded him, the words striking hard.