The Blue House

Death by A Thousand Cuts

"His apartment."

"Is something happen today? Oppa never drinks out of control."

"Nothing in the office. But—" Jin Tae presses a hand on his forehead then proceeds to tell her about his whereabout prior getting drunk. "He had a date with The Acting First Lady."

"Oh, this is Thursday. Wait, why did he— was he drunk with Ye Jin Eonnie?"

"No. He's drunk alone at the apartment."

"Oh."

"I'm going."

Yoon Ah says thank you as Kang Jin Tae leaves the siblings with a promise to have security patrolling outside. Then she goes to the kitchen, taking a glass of water and Advil for Bin when he wakes up later.

She sits on one of the chair and watches her brother worriedly. He has been one constant thing in her life, her source of strength. She never felt too sad about what happened with her father, because Bin never let her.

Sure, he can be dense and stupid sometimes, like every man before him. And he's a complete moron when it comes to feelings, but she idolizes him nonetheless. He's the best man she's ever known.

"Ye Jin-ah—" Bin mumbles in his sleep.

Yoon Ah smiles at that, if only he's awake, she'll tease him endlessly. "Omo, Oppa. You're so in love with her, aren't you?"

"My Ye Jin— I'm sorry."

Huh?

"I love you, too."

She waits for a bit to hear him mumbling other things. But he's not. Yoon Ah wraps him in a blanket and decides to talk to him tomorrow. Her brother is one of the strongest person she knows, it's unusual to see him breaking down like this.

Something must have been very wrong and this is him crying for help.

***

Bin groans as a splitting headache wakes him up the next morning. He refuses to open his eyes even when the light from the sun has poured in. He moves his body sideways and plans to continue his sleep.

But something — the feeling of being watched — bothers him a little. He opens one eye and his world instantly tilts resulting in another hammer pummeling his head once more.

"Argh!"

"Don't lie sideways, Oppa. Try to lie on your back." Bin opens the same eye once again and sees his sister sitting on the table in front of him.

He closes his eye again, feeling disoriented once again. Yoon Ah? Why is she here? How?

"Here, drink some water and Advil for your headache."

Bin gingerly switches his position again to follow Yoon Ah's advice. Once his back plants at the sofa, he lets out a sigh of relief. It is a little more comfortable.

His sister gives him the Advil and helps lifting his upper body up for water. Then he lies back down, shading his eyes with his arm to avoid the inquisitive look from Yoon Ah.

"I call the headquarter and ask Jung Hoon-ssi to make an alternate schedule, moving all of your appointments today." She tells him from her place at the table.

"One day wasted because of—" The event of last night at Ye Jin's place coming in a barrage of pictures and he's out of breath suddenly.

He's hyperventilating and ashamed all at once, and he suddenly remembers the reason he asked his driver to go to Yoon Ah's place.

"What is it, Oppa? Why are you so troubled?"

"Yoon Ah-ya, I need you to knock some sense into me."

"Why? What happened?"