Pick Your Poison (HIATUS)

chapter eleven-

chapter eleven-

Han Seo

Time around me slows whenever I'm with Jae Hee. It's like the universe shines a spotlight on her, and everything else fades into the background. Maybe it's her innate kindness that draws me closer, I don't really know. My stupid brain can't come up with a logical reason. I just like her. Yep, way to sound like a 12-year-old, Jang Han Seo.

My heart is pounding just to be in such close proximity to her. I watch the way she speaks, how her mouth moves; I do every time we speak, which isn't that much ever since the first time we met.

"Why did you decide to help me?" she asked.

"I like you, Dr. Jae Hee." The words spill out of my mouth before I could think. Her eyes widen in surprise, so does mine, and I instantly regret my untimely confession. Great, now she's going to think I'm some kind of creep.

I watch her lips part, and for a moment confusion flashes across her delicate features. She stares at me for a few more seconds before cracking a shy, unsure smile. "So it's why you brought me here, right? To protect me because we're friends?"

Oh.

Oh.

"Y-yeah...I guess..." I manage to stammer. She nods, and her smile widens. For some reason, even if I just got friend-zoned, it lessens the anxiety in my chest. Maybe this was better; her thinking that we're just friends. A sudden declaration of feelings might make her uncomfortable, and might drive her away.

In a slightly better mood than a while ago, I stand to exit her room. "You should rest," I say, "I'll have better food prepared for you when you wake up."

"No, I can't rest; we have to stop Babel."

Jae Hee

I look Chairman Jang in the eyes, dead serious. He looks at me like I have a dead raccoon on my head.

"What?" he asks, still unsure how to respond.

"We need to stop the clinical trials for RDU-90. I have the evidence. We can just take it to the police." I say. I spot my bag resting on a chair beside my bed. I wobble towards it and fish out my laptop which, fortunately, is still intact after the whole ordeal.

"Wait, stop right there-" he chuckles nervously. "You're here so that you can be away from all that, but you want to dive right back in and put yourself in danger again?"

He has a point. All this would go to waste if something were to happen to me again. "You're right, that's why we'll come up with a plan."

"Jae Hee, in case you haven't noticed I'm the CEO of Babel. I can't just turn my back on my company."

"Chairman Jang," I try to reply calmly. "You just did, by bringing me here. If you really only care about your company, you wouldn't go through all that just to keep me safe. Something tells me you want to be on my side, but you can't. I'm telling you now, it's time to make your own decisions and do the right thing."

He stays quiet for a while. I feel a little guilty for telling him off, but I hold my ground. I hear him sigh, muttering something about getting ready for work. He leaves with the quiet click of the door behind him.

As the sound of his footsteps recedes, I then realize the gravity of the words I said, about doing the right thing. Then again, I have to put myself in his shoes. He is the CEO of Babel, and Babel is a business. He can't just shut down an entire operation worth millions of won just because I said so.

I come back to bed, clutching my laptop to my chest. He already went through so much by keeping me here, and I dared to ask him for more help? Oh god, I didn't even thank him. I try to sit up once more, but realize that I have absolutely no energy left. My eyes feel heavy, suddenly feeling the weight of the world on my chest as I fall into unconsciousness once more.