The Hired (Completed!)

Chapter 71

*Ja Hoon's POV*

I had to take Shin to the apartment after we've talked at the park. He has a fever and I've only learned this after I touched his forehead earlier while he's sleeping on my bed. Gosh, this kid. If I didn't ask him to stay in here for the night, I wouldn't even know he's sick. *Sigh...

While sitting on my study table with my lamp on, I couldn't help myself not to think about what he's told me earlier back at the park. It's... It made me feel devastated at some point. I don't know, maybe because I didn't expect those things to hear from him. Or... yeah.

. . .

Silence filled the entire room as I stared at the ceiling with my arms resting on the armchair. It was almost 9 in the evening right now and I'm still up. One thing is, I have to check up on this kid to make sure that he's okay. Another is...

Suddenly, I felt the urge to glance down at the tiny picture frame standing on the edge of my table. It was a picture of us. A picture of me and the brothers whom I used to call my family. And then there's Jo Eun in the middle.

"*Sigh. I wonder where you at right now...", I whispered to myself as I stared at her face. She was smiling brightly in between me and Dong Min in the middle of the picture. That smile... ha, imagine how we started from here and ended up going on separate ways. It's just crazy. I don't even know how to explain it in just a single word.

Flipping the picture frame into its back, I carefully removed the invisible tape from its protective cover and placed the cover on top of my table. Then, I removed the two pictures hidden inside it. One was behind the other which was our family photo. I placed the said photo along with the other half of the picture frame onto my table and flipped the other picture in my hand to reveal the two persons smiling cheerfully. In it was me and her. She was riding my back; her arms were wrapped around my neck and we were both smiling in the picture.

"... Jo Eun-ah.", another sigh escaped my mouth. Suddenly, I felt my chest tightening a little as I stared at the picture of us.

'She's Shin's now, Kimja.', I told myself inside my head. I did not forget that promise that me and Shin had before. I'd never forget that. I made him promise me that he'll take care of her, and be with her no matter what. He loves this girl and... I do too. I always did, and I always will. But I have to give up that love in order to save my relationship with my brother, even though we aren't brothers by blood.

Right now, I don't know what to feel about what Shin has told me. Everything's just messed up and I have a lot of questions. I want to understand why. Why did she left him hanging? Why did she made him wait? Why didn't she refused to live with Kang Joon and her dad in the States when all I know is that she never liked being with either of them? And that it was all just pretend whenever both visits the mansion? Why... are all these whys exploding inside my head?