As I have nothing to give you, I give you my heart (IU Verse Book#1)

Chapter 8

          "Are you sure you are alright? Do you need more time to rest? I mean you were just discharged a while ago. It's alright if you need more rest. I'm sure that Jieun ssi wouldn't mind. " Oh Sangil said to Jihyuk for the umpteenth time. Jihyuk shook his head and bowed at the director. "No, sir. I'm positive that I can go back to my job."

             Oh Sangil nodded his head slowly, still not fully believing him. They were sitting comfortably in his office. He heard that Jihyuk was coming, and he was delighted to see him. He had waited patiently as Jihyuk arrived in his office in the afternoon.

           "Well, I'm asking just in case you needed it and didn't want any trouble. I heard from Jieun ssi that you took quite a hit. You were even hospitalized for three days." Jihyuk looked up at the mention of Jieun's name.

          "You spoke with Jieun ssi, sir?" 

          "Yes, she was the one who told me what happened, actually. She came by my office the day after you were hospitalized and told me about what happened. She took me by surprise because before she even explained what had happened to me, she kept on apologizing many times for getting you hurt, even though it wasn't her fault. I told her that, but she keeps on apologizing." He shook his head smiling.

          "I just don't understand sir," Jihyuk spoke truthfully after listening to the director's remark. He need not say to the older male what part he didn't understand, because the director continued with a knowing tone.

          "You didn't understand why she came here and apologized to me in person for getting you hurt. Or why is she even concerned about you." Jihyuk nodded his head slowly, to which Sang il responded with a small smile. 

           "Jieun ssi is a kindhearted person. She cares about others, even to those that she barely knows. Her coming here tells me how kindhearted she was. She didn't think of you as just a mere bodyguard doing his job, but thinks of you as someone who had gotten himself hurt because of her." Sangil looked at the younger male's quizzical expression and leaned forward to put his hand on his shoulder.

          "Jihyuk-ah, I know you're confused as to why she did that; because throughout your life you have only met bad people and for the wrong reasons, except for Sangin. You only received negative emotions from them, and you to them. This is the first time in a long time that you meet someone who's not taking advantage of you and cares for you as a human being. Jieun ssi, she's a good person, and just like Sangin, just like me, she did not take advantage of you and truly cares for you."

          "I know that she's kind-hearted from the way that I see her with her team. What I don't understand is that I am someone she barely knew. Why would she care for someone like me? Especially when I am nothing compared to her." Jihyuk asked.

           "Jihyuk ah, not all people care only about those who are precious to them, or those that concern them. As I said, Jieun ssi is a very kind person. She cares for people she doesn't even know. Not everyone in this world is in for bad intentions, Jihyuk ah, remember that."

            As he left the headquarters, he recalled the director's last words to him and thought about how right he was. He had always met people with bad intentions. Sangin was the only one besides the director who saw him for who he was, who didn't take advantage of him and helped him. And now Jieun showed concern to him, to which he still didn't think that he deserved it. 

           She was the sky and he was the dirt, the ground, who did not deserve anything from her, as much as concern.