Unexpectedly Meeting You Again

fifteen

Seeing Heeseung again was making Areum nervous. She tried so hard to avoid him for fourteen years. She clenched the documents, her hands trembling. She examined his desk, seeing the sign 'Dr Lee Heeseung, neurosurgeon' nicely put without any specks of dust.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, her lips curving into a frown. She couldn't hear a word he said. Her mind was filled with questions on why he became a neurosurgeon.

It was her dream. It was her career choice. Did he actually consider being it after she explained why it was her dream career?

But then again, she remembered that she became a detective because of him too. She cleared her throat and pulled herself together, "I'm the detective assigned to question Joo Minhyuk. I need your signature for the procedure to go on."

She placed the documents on his desk before looking away. He silently read all the details. She stood in front of the desk awkwardly, looking around the room.

There were so many pictures of him receiving an award. He stood handsomely tall next to his parents as he held his bouquet. Probably graduating.

Her eyes widened when she saw a familiar scarf that was hung on the coat stand. The scarf she gave to Heeseung when it was raining. The time she first fell in love with him.

Why does he still keep it?

She rushed towards the scarf and was about to touch it until a hand gripped her wrist tightly. Heeseung gave her a death stare, "Do not touch anything."

Anger started boiling inside her chest. She pushed his hand away and glared at him, mentally cursing him out.

He finished signing the documents before leaving the office, "Come with me."

She quietly followed behind him as he led her to the shooter's room. He opened the door and she was about to walk in when the door slammed in her face.

He purposely slammed the door close. Ni-ki immediately stood up before bowing at him as a sign of respect.

Heeseung nodded and glanced at the male teenager, seeing him giving a dirty look. Areum walked in and dragged a chair towards the bed, examining the teenager's condition.

Minhyuk had his hand cuffed to the bed headboard. She smirked in amusement and leaned back against her seat, folding her arms.

"Is your wound painful?" Ni-ki asked, trying to provoke Minhyuk. The boy scoffed, "Of course, it hurts, you dumb bastard. That bitch shot me."

The male detective was taken aback by the response. Areum took out her gun and aimed at the boy's head, "Disrespect me or my colleague again and I'll have your head blown out."

Heeseung looked at her with startled eyes, "Jung Areum!"

Minhyuk started to tremble as he put up his hands, "Okay, okay! I'm sorry!"

"Areum put down the gun," Heeseung ordered. She felt annoyance rising inside her and pointed the gun at him, earning gasps of surprise from the teenager and male detective.

Heeseung put up his hands, "Jung Areum! Put down the gun!"

She didn't know the anger inside her came from him being annoying or all the grudges she held for fourteen years. How he threw her away like trash.

Ni-ki touched her hand gently, "Areum."

She exhaled heavily and put back the gun in her pocket. She rushed to Minhyuk and punched him in the face, "Shut up and obey the orders. One sneaky move and you're dead."

The kid nodded continuously, trembling in fear.

‧̍̊·̊‧̥°̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥‧̥·̊‧̍̊ ♡ °̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥ ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ °̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥ ♡ ‧̍̊·̊‧̥°̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥‧̥·̊‧̍̊

"So you did this all because of a bully? Who are these kids that keep bullying you?" Ni-ki asked as he wrote in his notepad.

Minhyuk explained carefully the details. Heeseung stood next to the bed, giving his full attention. Areum was standing at the window, seeing the view outside.

The rain started pouring down, reminding her of the sweet memories she had.

Why does he pop up in my mind whenever it rains?

She mentally cursed at herself. She turned around and saw Heeseung staring at her. He averted his gaze back to Minhyuk, clearing his throat awkwardly.

Ni-ki's phone rang, "Wait."

He sighed tiredly and frowned before hanging up. "Areum, your boyfriend is waiting in the lobby."

Her eyes lit up, a smile slowly making its way to her lips. Minhyuk scoffed and was about to comment something before she took out her gun. 

He nodded, staying silent and obeying the orders. She was about to leave until she made eye contact with the neurosurgeon.

He gave her a confused look. She wasn't sure whether it was just her feelings or not but he looked sad.

She brushed the thoughts away before leaving the room. The door closed, creating an awkward quiet atmosphere. Heeseung stood up before leaving, "I'll be right back."

‧̍̊·̊‧̥°̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥‧̥·̊‧̍̊ ♡ °̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥ ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ °̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥ ♡ ‧̍̊·̊‧̥°̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥‧̥·̊‧̍̊

Areum scurried towards the lobby. She exhaled heavily when she saw her boyfriend waving at her. He stood handsomely in his business suit.

"Beomgyu!" She ran to him before hugging him. He chuckled, "Did you have a rough day?"

"It's tiring," she said as she inhaled his scent, the expensive cologne she bought for him.

He patted her back to comfort her, "I came here to check if you're okay."

"I'm fine."

"Can't you tell Ni-ki to do all the work? Or someone else, maybe? A school shooting is so dangerous!"

"It's my job. And I'm a team leader. Of course, I have to always be there for my colleagues."

He smiled softly before making her turn around. He took out a hair tie from his pocket before tying her hair into a ponytail.

"You keep forgetting to tie your hair."

"I wanted you to tie it," she answered, smiling to herself.

Heeseung stood like a statue in the lobby, seeing his ex-best friend and Areum hugging each other.

Since when were they together?

"Yah," a voice called him. He turned around and saw Jake approaching him.

"What are you doing standing here?" He asked before looking at Areum and Beomgyu, "Do you know them?"

Heeseung faked a smile to assure him that he was fine, "No."