Healing Sunshine

Chapter 17.1 - Beneath the Same Roof

Jungkook bent down and clamped both his hands on her shoulders, wanting to continue telling her that she could not be so willful and just shut off her mobile phone whenever she felt like it, that regardless of what happened, she could not solve her problems this way.

Before her eyes was Jungkook's face. Because the headlights were beaming directly onto them, his seldom-seen blatant anger was highlighted, and she felt very scared.

"Why didn't you call me first and tell me where you had gone?"

"My phone's battery died," Lalisa explained, her voice soft. "My phone's battery died. It wasn't because I shut it off. And there were no shops that had phones for public use. There were only those types of telephone booths that you need to plug a card in to use. If you don't have an IC card, you can't use those. I wasn't able to catch a cab. There are no cabs out and about. It could be because of SARS that no cabs are out working. So I waited for the bus..."

The glow of the headlights shining on her made her face seem terribly pale. And then, she suddenly said, "Somi knows. She's really mad."

The weight of all of his different negative speculations and conjectures was still crushing down on him.

Earlier, he had received Somi's phone call and rushed back. After managing to calm that little niece of his, who had been sobbing until she was an utter mess, and taking her back to her school, he had been unable to get ahold of Lalisa. Or it should be said, since receiving that phone call from Somi while he was still at the television station, he had been unable to get ahold of her.

He was not able to keep himself from being angry.

Even after she explained things to him, he was still unable to make all the stress that had amassed for more than two hours completely dissipate.

"I know. I've already talked with her about this matter." Jungkook said quietly, "We'll go home first and then talk about it."

"Mm."

They were already standing in a place not far from the entrance gate to the community compound, so Lalisa did not get into the car with him and simply waited for him at the top of the stairs outside of the underground parking garage. As Jungkook, his hand holding his car keys, strode up from the bottom of the stairs, he saw her outline enveloped in the hazy moonlight. She was dressed in a rather thick, rose-coloured hoodie and a slim pair of beige pants, and her hair draped down over her shoulders—a very pure and innocent, young-girl type of look.

She was waiting quietly for him.

Jungkook recalled what Somi had said when she threw herself into his arms and sobbed. These were all things he had carefully thought through before, so they had not been much of a surprise to him. As he was a twenty-six-year-old mature adult man, this situation was one he had considered long ago. But it was different for Lalisa. She still was not mature enough yet. He had not yet had the opportunity to talk thoroughly and in detail about all these future hindrances and obstacles with her before, without any warning, accusations were already being hurled at her.

The brunt of the responsibility should fall on him, should it not?

Jungkook gave a slight laugh. From the bottom of the darkened staircase, he walked up, facing into the moonlight.

Lalisa had thought that once they were home, he would immediately have the talk with her. However, Jungkook merely motioned to her with his hand that she should first take a shower. She, therefore, could only swiftly shower, change into her homewear clothing, and come back out again, where she was right on time to see Jungkook stooped over and pulling out ingredients for dinner from the refrigerator.