Serendipity 奇缘 - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: 約束 (yaku soku - Promise)

Meanwhile in the female restroom near the escalator...

"OUCH!!!!" I screamed.

"Kiki, are you sure you don't need to see a doctor? Your ankle really looks swollen and your knees are bleeding profusely, it doesn't seem like it's stopping..." Fifi said worriedly.

"No... I'm fine... I'll go after I send them off... I promised Max that I'll be there at the airport... mmmm... ouch..."

"Why don't you wait here for a while, I'll go and buy some medicine for the wounds on your knees first..."

"There's no time Fifi... I still have to meet Jaejoong at the escalator before their bus leaves... Let's just clean as much of the blood as we can and try to use the tissue and plasters I have to stop it from bleeding first.. "

I grabbed some tissue and plaster and passed the plaster and pack of tissue to Fifi to help me with the other knee. Fifi shook her head, but she took them and started helping me dress my wounds.

"Done... I hope it can stay in tact at least until he leaves..."

I looked at the plasters and pressed gingerly on them to secure them, before trying to stand on one foot.

"Fifi, can you please help me to the escalator? And PLEASE don't say anything to him... I don't want him to worry..."

"Alright... I know... I'll make myself scarce when he appears okay?"

I turned and looked apologetically at Fifi.

"No you don't have to..."

"It's fine... I don't want to be the 电灯泡 anyway... I'll keep a lookout for you guys..."

"Thanks girl... You're the best..."

"But you must promise me that you'll let me dress the wounds properly after you meet Jaejoong okay? And your ankle needs some ice and an ankle guard... "

"Yes I know... We'll do all that before we go to the airport..."

We stood at the escalator, and waited. It went up and down a couple of times, but Jaejoong was no where in sight. Finally after 10 minutes of waiting, the escalator went up again, and this time it came straight down without stopping.

"I think this might be him... I'll step away to keep a lookout for you first... And I think I'll call Theo to ask her to get the first aid stuff for you first since she's meeting us later... Then we can save some time..." Fifi said and walked off.

"Thanks Fifi..."

I held on to the side of the wall for temporary support. My eyes followed the numbers on the display panel as the escalator moved slowly down floor by floor. I felt a bit nervous, because I was afraid that he would notice my bandaged knees, swollen ankle, and shoeless feet. Self-consciously, I moved my bag to the front to cover my legs.

*DING*

I looked down at the escalator doors as they opened. And there he was, standing at the centre of the escalator. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and he started hitting the button panel repeatedly to make the doors open faster. Once the doors were opened sufficiently for him to pass through, he squeezed himself through the doors, and dashed towards me.

"Hey... Don't..."

He was so fast, he was already in front of me before I could finish making my comment.

"... do... that... You... might.... get caught..."

I looked at him in shock. He took a long look at me and he pulled me into his arms. I dropped my bag when he suddenly hugged me.

"It's okay... I know what I'm doing... This escalator is moving too slow for my liking... Can't stand it... Waited so long for it... Don't you want to see me longer?" he asked, hugging me tighter.

"Of course I want to... ah..." I squirmed when his shoe bumped into my swollen ankle.

"What's wrong?" He asked, pulling himself away.

"...erm.... erm... nothing..."

"Are you sure? You sounded like you were in pain... Let me take a look at the foot that had a cramp just now..."

He let go of me, and proceeded to squat down to look at my foot. I did not have my bag as cover now, as I had dropped it just now. And he was going to inspect my injured foot, he'll definitely see my injured knees and ankle. I had to think of something fast.

I grabbed his arm, and pulled him back up. He looked shocked at what I did.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Eh... Jaejoong... I... I..." I was lost for words. I didn't know what to say.

"Yeah??"

He looked so serious and worried, looking at me with full concentration. I felt my heart racing faster and faster.

"Erm... I.... I..."

I struggled to find something to say to distract him from inspecting my foot.

He smiled when he saw me frowning and struggling to speak. I was confused.

"Why are you smiling? I haven't even said anything yet."

"It's okay... I know what you want to say..."

His lips curved cheekily at the edges of his mouth, and he moved himself nearer and nearer to me. I leaned back my head until I bumped into the wall behind me. His face was now just inches from mine. I stared at him and blinked blurly.

"...What???"

"... You want to say... that... you... missed... me..."

He blew the words one by one slowly onto my face, making me feel goose pimples popping up all over my skin.

I looked down in embarrassment. He had read my unspoken thoughts. I did miss him. But my mind was so focused on distracting him from my injuries that I didn't mention it yet.

When he saw me looking away shyly, he smiled and said, "That's okay... Cos I missed you too..."

My eyes lit up, and I looked up when he said that. My heart felt like it was going to fly out any time, as it was racing like mad. When I looked up, he studied my face for a while, and he sweep away some stray hairs from my face.

Then he leaned in...

And planted a kiss on my forehead...

Then he pulled me back into his arms...

We stood like that for a while...

"You know... I really hope that I'll be able... to hold you... like this... for the rest... of my life..."

My heart melted. I didn't know what to say. My thoughts were whirling around in my mind like a hurricane. I felt a bit dizzy. I hugged him tighter.

"I do too..." I murmured softly.

*DING*

The escalator door opened.

"HYUNG!!!"

Xiah's voice interupted us. We separated to look at the escalator, all four of them were in it.

"We have to go now... It's been 15 minutes already..." U-Know said.

"Otherwise our manager will get suspicious..." Micky added.

"Yeh..." Jaejoong replied, and turned to face me again.

"We have to go now... See you later at the airport okay?"

"Okay."

"Promise me you'll be there okay?"

"Okay. I promise..."

He hugged me again and pulled himself away to join the rest in the waiting escalator. As the door was closing, I waved goodbye to them. And he noticed that my knees were bandaged, and one of the bandages had come loose, and was left hanging on one end on my knee. Blood was flowing out from the wound on my knee, and it formed a thick red line flowing down to my swollen left ankle. When he saw my injury, he wanted to dash out of the escalator again, but it was too late. The doors had already shut.

"Hyung, what are you doing?!!!"

The guys tried to pull Jaejoong back from the lift buttons.

"I've got to go back down!! She's injured... Her knees are bleeding... And... And... Her ankle.... is so... so.... swollen..."

"I know... But it's too late to go back now... We have no more time..."

"She'll take care of herself... And Fifi is around... Don't worry... She'll be fine..."

"Yeah... She promised us that she'll be at the airport later... So you'll be able to see her there again... Before... we... leave..."

"Yeah..."

Jaejoong relented and leaned back on the escalator wall.

"I just wished I was there to take care of her when she's hurt... I feel so weak... not being able to be there when she needs me..." he thought.

He felt so powerless and weak, not being able to be around to take care of the one he loved, when she was injured or sick.

"I think she doesn't want you to worry about her... And distract you... Probably that's why she didn't tell you about her injuries..."

"She's a strong girl... She'll take care of herself... For her own sake... And yours too, so you won't worry about her... So don't worry okay? Cos she won't want you to..."

"So don't worry okay? Hyung? She's MY Kiki-nuna! She's THE BEST! Like me!!! CHOIKANG CHANGMIN!!!"

"Ha ha ha ha.... Why do you ALWAYS end up complimenting yourself? And you make it sound so natural... ha ha ha..."

The guys broke out in laughter. Seeing all of them try so hard to console him, Jaejoong forced a smile on his worried face.