LOYALTY

Shaken

"Why would I feel so?"

He froze.

"Wh-what?"
He stared into her eyes silently wishing her to show any of those symptoms. For the first time he desperately wanted her to get sick.

The horror on his face caused Mirae's smile to shrink. She pondered on the words that left his mouth. She turned to glance at the lady who silently watched everything.

Her eyes suddenly felt cold and distant. The warm feeling of welcome was replaced by a chill cold glare that was directed towards.........her.

'Did I do something wrong? I just drank almond mi-'

Her eyes suddenly widened with realization. Her head snapped back to the male whose hands had left her shoulders and fallen limp by his sides.

'Shit!!! What do I do? What do I do? Heavens help me.'

"I need to leave." His words were almost incoherent if it weren't for the deadly silence spread across the room.
He turned around swiftly and dashed out of the place not minding the pleading shouts of the girl he just left behind.

He drove. He drove for hours with no destination in mind. He switched his phone off after Mirae bombarded him with phone calls.

His hands trembled. His skin was cold as ice matching the intensity of the season. He mindlessly drove.

The emotions he felt at the moment were wrecking his mind, they were banging at the door of his conscious trying to find a way in but he held on. He still had hope but it was crumbling into pieces by the passing moment. Even if he tried to block those memories out they came rushing back in.

Her changes.

Her behaviour.

They were so prominent yet he ignored them. Why?

He glanced at the time on his watch.
'2:03am'

He tried to sigh deep but it cracked earning him a whimper.

He stopped his car near a park. The place was empty with no soul around. Good, he wanted it that way. The lights from a nearby grand hotel illuminated the place just fine for him to see enough.

He walked like a lifeless body. His feet dragged him to the closest bench as he slumped down on it. His head hung low. He stared at his hands, shivering, turning red in the merciless cold. Snow heaps lay at every corner of the streets and in the park. His breathing became shallow, he could see the air going in and out of his mouth.

He suddenly groaned loudly and rested his back against the bench, head held high.

The night sky felt so serene and beautiful with the stars twinkling bright. He felt an enormous pull towards those stars.

He quickly looked away.

He gazed at the statue next. The statue that was situated in the middle of the park. He had no idea how long he sat there with unblinking eyes.

The stars in the sky disappeared as its colour began to change from black to dark blue. The frequency of the number of cars passing by increased slowly.

"Jaison?" He looked up with zero energy and hundred percent laziness.
'Who the fuck is it now?'

His droopy eyes suddenly became wide like saucers. He stood up from the bench with lightning speed.
"Mr.Han?" He asked in disbelief.

How long has it been since he last saw him? The man had certainly aged. White hair decorating his hair line, wrinkles and saggy skin.

"You've changed a lot. It took me quite a few minutes to realise it was you. What are you doing here?" The man asked, looking at him with uninterested eyes.

"Oh, me. I- nothing. Just sitting around. What about you?" He chuckled awkwardly.

"I came for a morning walk. There are hardly any people to interact with so early in the morning. But looks like I was unlucky today." He eyed him with spite.

"Did I do something wrong? Wait - morning walk? You live here? In Korea?" He couldn't help but raise his voice. He was in utter shock.

"I don't live here. I came for a business trip. I'll go back to germany in a few days. Looks like you need some time for yourself, guess I'll leave now." The man turned around to leave.

"Wait. Why didn't you come to meet us then? Why didn't Mirae inform us about your arrival in Korea?" He jogged and blocked his way.

Mr.Han's uninterested eyes suddenly turned into daggers. He glared at Jaison.
"Have you lost it, kid? You really aren't alright. Go home and rest and don't joke around with me cause its not funny." He spat.

"Why would I be joking uncle?"

"Don't call me that. Do you understand?" He said through gritted teeth.

"Did I do something wrong for you to be so mad at me?" He asked with his eyebrows twisted into a frown.

"If you can't figure it out by yourself then it wouldn't make a difference if I point it out." His eyes were no longer spewing venom and hatred. His eyes held disappointment.

"Uncle, please. Why don't you come with me? We'll sort things out. Mirae will also-"

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? MIRAE. MIRAE. MIRAE. WHAT ARE YOU JOKING ON ABOUT?" the man shouted at the top of his lungs. It wasn't the intensity of his voice but the helplessness and frustration that shook him.

"I- I I don't understand. I'm -not j-joking. I don't even know which part of what I said feels like a joke to you? Wait, let me call Mirae. You'll forget your anger after talking to her." He fetched his phone out of his pockets but it was soon snatched away and mercilessly thrown to the floor.

"WHICH MIRAE ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT JAISON? MY DAUGHTER IS DEAD."

..........

I can feel it.
I can feel my control on life slip away.
I can feel you drift away.
It was me who pushed you away in the first place.
'It was the right thing to do.'
I keep on repeating that to myself.
I can't be selfish.
I can't see you lose yourself with me.
I can't let my darkness consume you.

H.M

..........