Pursuit of Happiness (Sequel to Pursuit of Fate)

Chapter Five

"Hyung, what are you doing here?" he asked in between heavy breathing. Hee Gun knew who the mysterious man was despite his effort of trying to cover up his face.

The man did not turn around, neither did he answer his question. "Did hyung-nim send you here?" Hee Gun asked again.

Still receiving no answer, he gradually walked towards him and grabbed his shoulder. He could feel the firm muscles of his shoulder beneath his sweatshirt. "I was right. You're Jong Kook hyung." he said in a subdued voice.

In a quick move, Jong Kook grabbed the wrist of his hand that was on his shoulder and swiftly spun him around and twisted his arm up behind his back. Hee Gun gritted his teeth against the pain as Jong Kook pinned him against the wall.

"Don't say anything. Don't question." Jong Kook told him.

He released his arm and stepped back. Hee Gun turned around and bent his arm, swinging it back and forth, twice, to relieve the straining pain. He lifted his head and stopped what he was doing the moment he saw Jong Kook staring at him.

"You shouldn't have betrayed." Jong Kook stared straight into his eyes and muttered. He took out a slip of paper that was folded and tossed it towards him. It landed in front of Hee Gun. Jong Kook turned his back and walked away.

Hee Gun picked up the paper from the floor and unfolded it.

"Stay away from Seong Im." That was what Jong Kook wrote. He crushed the paper and threw it to the side.

His mind was filled with questions. Why was Jong Kook hyung there? Why was he watching me? Why did he warned me to stay away from her? He found himself near Seong Im's house when he finally snapped out from his thoughts.

He walked to the gate and pressed the door bell. Seong Im slowly walked out from her house, craning her neck to the side to see who it was. She was surprised to see him standing there. "You're here again." she said

"May I come in?" he politely asked.

She unlocked the gate and stepped aside to make space for him to enter. She went to the kitchen to get him a cup of water. "Did you happen to pass by here again?" she teased him and placed the cup on the table.

"Maybe." he mumbled. She didn't notice the bruise on his face until she sat down on the floor and looked at him. "Your face.. What happened?"

She reached her hand out and lightly touched the bruise. Hee Gun flinched. "I'll get the first aid kit." she told him before hurrying over to the shelf next to the door.

Retreiving a tube of antiseptic cream from the box, Seong Im dabbed the cotton bud with some cream and held it close to his face.

"I can do it myself." Hee Gun said.

"Stay still," she ordered and gently smoothed the cream over the bruise at the corner of his lips. When she was done, she leaned backwards and took notice of the gash on his forehead. She brushed back his hair that was matted with dried blood to inspect his wound. The gash wasn't deep but with it being wide open, she was worried that it might get infected. "Let's go to the hospital. You need to get that stitched up."

Hee Gun shook his head and mumbled that he was alright. Seong Im stood up with a frown on her face and looked at him. She has never seen someone so stubborn. "Then why did you came here for? Just for me to see you injured and being stubborn about not wanting to visit the hospital? If that is so, then leave." she said in a slightly annoyed tone and pointed at the door.

With a sigh he got up from the floor and mumbled, "let's go."

She stood still and stared at him blankly. He turned around to look at her. "Aren't we going to the hospital?" he questioned and walked out of her house. She snapped out of her daze and hurriedly grabbed her handbag and keys, and followed behind him.

When they reached the hospital, Hee Gun was whisked into the doctor's examination room. He lay down on the bed as the nurse prepared the tools needed for suturing. The doctor ripped open a packet of sterile gauze and poured some saline solution on it. He felt a stinging sensation as the doctor dabbed the saline-soaked gauze against the wound.

After the wound was cleaned, the doctor rubbed a numbing solution over the wound and begin to stitch it up. Watching the needle piercing through his skin, Seong Im cringed at the sight of it. Once the stitching was done, the doctor taped a gauze over the stitched wound.

They left the room and went to the counter to collect the painkillers that the doctor prescribed. There were a few packets of gauze and a small bottle of saline solution inside the medicine bag as well. "Remember to change the gauze daily and keep the wound clean." Seong Im reminded him as they walked out of the hospital.

"By the way, where did all those injuries came from?" she asked and turned to the left, thinking that he was walking beside her but it turned out that he had stopped walking and was just standing behind, looking at her. His eyes were following her as she walked towards him.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked. Her eyes wandered over his face as she waited for his reply. She tried to study his face but his stoic expression was making it hard for her to guess what was on his mind. Instead of answering, he looked down at his feet.

She was wondering what was wrong with him. He had been acting weird for the entire night. "Hee Gun ssi?" She tilted her head to a side and called him.

He looked up at her and gazed into her eyes.

"I like you." he said calmly. She stared at him with her mouth slightly parted, surprised by the confession that came out of the blue.

"I said I like you." He repeated. He had been thinking about the sentence written on the note. Stay away from Seong Im. Those five words repeated through his head. The more he pondered over it, the more he felt the need to stay by her side.

"Hee Gun ssi.." Seong Im started off. "We've just known each other recently. I appreciate your feelings for me but I like the way things are currently. I like how we are right now." She replied with slight guilt in her voice.

"Don't be quick to reject. You don't have to accept me now. If you're afraid, we can just remain like this and get to know each other better." He said to her. He couldn't blame her for feeling this way since to her, it has only been weeks since they met.

"Sorry.." She uttered.

He managed a smile although he was feeling slightly disappointed inside. He ruffled her hair to tell her that it's alright.

Seong Im watched as he walked down the sidewalk. She placed her hand over the left side of her chest.

Her heart fluttered.