The Seven

Chapter 38: Food For Thought

Valerie stood frozen on her spot, then wrapped her arms around him and patted him on the back. She slowly backed away and held his hands, saying. "Thank you for being honest with me, but you don't need to apologize since I understand you were in such a hurry. Being a chef in a luxurious restaurant can be pretty bone-weary. Again, thank you, but my feelings are not mutual... I hope you know that you are one of those people who became important to me and I look up to you as my older brother. We can still be friends if that's okay with you."

Joon-wo looked at her and still smiled serenely, nodding. "Of course."

Valerie raised her eyebrow in peculiarity. "Really?"

Joon-wo rolled his eyes in annoyance and chuckled. "Yeah. Why not?"

Valerie grinned and gave him a warm hug, whereas Joon-wo's smile was beginning to slightly falter. Then, she stared at him in his eyes and sighed as she let go of his hands and carried her shoulder bag. "Well, I better get going. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a goodnight."

"Sure," Joon-wo nodded in agreement as he watched her exit the door behind her. He then glanced down at the rest of the cupcakes on the trays while he was feeling a little melancholic.

Later on at 10:00 pm, he closed his restaurant earlier as he headed outside the main entrance of the ground floor. He saw a few people and cars passing by the road, then walked away from the building. He went around five blocks until he witnessed a young woman screaming for help.

"Help! Help!" She cried out, lying on the ground covering her face with her arms.

Joon-wo dropped his bag in alertness and began to run as fast as he could, shouting. "Hey, stupid head! Get off of her!"

The black-haired guy quickly glanced at him and got pummeled on the side of his face. But he also fought back as well, then he groaned as he clutched onto his stomach.

Joon-wo's hard fists hit against the guy's chest. He sat on him and demanded him while gripping onto his shirt, threateningly. "Next time you harass someone, you better make sure you never do it ever again to women. Otherwise, your balls will be removed!"

Instantly, the loud sirens were alarming in a near distance, which turned out to be police cars arriving behind them.

Joon-wo peeked over his shoulder and stood up in a standing position.

"Help! My boyfriend is being attacked!" The young woman yelled fearfully with her hands placing on her cheeks.

"What?!" Joon-wo turned to her in confusion as his eyes narrowed quickly.

The police officers confronted him where one of them informed him monotonously. "Mr. Kim, you are being seized."

"Huh?! No, no! I was trying to save her from this guy's harassment!" Joon-wo pointed his finger furiously at the black-haired man, who was holding his bleeding nose and mouth.

The young woman pulled him up gently to straighten his posture. Both of them glanced at Joon-wo harrowingly.

"You were practically beating her boyfriend into a pulp. Now turn over or do you want to get sued by $10,000?" the police officer warned.

Joon-wo repeated and stammered in perplexity as his hands were handcuffed behind his back. "B-boyfriend?!"

"Let's go," the police officer shoved him to move forward, much to the two couple's smugness.

Both of them were watching him enter inside one of the police cars before they took off.

By the following morning, Valerie rushed inside the precinct and became appalled after finding out. "Arrested?!"

"Yes, Ms. Nown. Seemingly, he was assaulting the girl's boyfriend in the corner of the alley," the police officer explained.

"May I visit him?" Valerie asked softly.

"You may," he confirmed with a curt nod.

Valerie sighed when the gate opened. She marched in the cell her friend was in and saw him sitting still, facing the wall. Blinking her eyes, she called out gently where her head was peeking on the right. "Um... Joon-wo? What happened? Did you actually attack the guy?"

"No, I didn't..." Joon-wo answered without moving an inch.

"Tell me..." Valerie pleaded.

"Why should I? I don't need to trust you," Joon-wo sneered as he turned around to finally reveal his face.

Valerie gasped in dismay when she saw his black eye on the left and bruised lip on the right bottom of his mouth. "Joon-wo..."

Yet, he didn't care about what happened to him, so he kept glaring at her resentfully.