An honest lie | Kim Taehyung (editing*)

- Inner strength -

XXXII

"STOP MOVING!" Jungkook struggled with the man at the back as he groaned in his sleepy state, blood using out of his freshly wounded head.

Taehyung glanced at his rearview mirror and clicked his tongue. "That's all we needed.. to get this fucker to the hospital." He whined as he repeatedly huffed frustrated sighs.

"It was your brilliant idea to let him just run to that glass, not mine."

"Seemed a simple way to catch him."

"Simple, but not effective."

"Effective enough."

"With minor damages."

The detective glared at the younger one, having an inner crisis on his obvious wrong choices. Rolling his eyes at his self-judging thoughts, he harshly changed gears as he made a quick turn and rotated the wheel to his right with both hands maneuvering it smoothly.

~

Tapping her finger repeatedly on her lap as her gaze lingered on the clock hung on the white polished wall of the corridor, Eda bit her inner cheek in anxiousness. Her hazel orbs moved to her left and right as she stood by a closed white door like a guard dog, glaring at any innocent person, unfortunate enough to pass by her to later regret their pure existence from her unforgiving expression.

She folded her arms tightly to her chest and moved her weight on her left leg as it crossed over her right one while staring at the pavement. Voices and footsteps all around her blended into an unrecognizable and unclear mixture of disrupted noises. Nothing mattered to her at that moment, apart from leaving the place as soon as possible. Her breath thickened as she started losing patience with her next glance at the clock.

Come on. Come on. Come on.

She clicked her tongue and bit the side of her mouth while diverting her attention somewhere else. Anywhere else other than that God-forsaken clock.

Her gaze locked with someone else's deep blue eyes, staring right back at her with the same, if not more intense gawk. Her expression did not fall, neither did the boy's, who kept looking at her without blinking.

Eda let her guilty self observe his details, but felt too bad admitting her inner thoughts of compassion for him. His thin and pale skin, covered in white hospital clothes. His arms plugged in transparent wires, connected to a long stick with white and dark red plastic liquid bags hanging from it. The small hat covering his bald head and his cheekbones gasping out of his thin face only added to his ill state.. And his body; seated on a wheelchair pushed by a nurse through the miserable corridors of his doomed life.

No doubt there is to his poor fate. And yet, his gaze had more life than hers. An inner fire burning upon that deep and endless expression of calm and serenity. He had his life ending just in front of him, yet, there he was. Keeping his chin up with pride and strength, completely opposite to his appearance. But that did not matter, as his face had dominated his whole persona.

She did not need to wonder about his age, his name, or his disease. It felt as if it were right there written on him but hidden behind his mysterious aura. How did he do it? How come has he been living through hell, but thriving at his power?

Eda wished upon the forbidden desire to learn from his way of thinking and psychological strength. How could she ever even think of such a terrible thing? And yet, he was sliding through the corridors with no blood running through his weakened legs, and she was the one standing on her feet. Tall and strong on her muscles. He had with no doubt suffered way more than her. But in the end, who was the one who looked more miserable?

Her form flinched at the door opening, as a woman dressed in white walked out with a file in her hands. Her brown hair was tied in a low ponytail that perfectly spread around her small shoulders. Eda turned her whole figure in front of her and questioned with her eyes what has been lingering since she got there. The woman smiled warmly with beautiful crescent eyes at her and nodded in reassurance.

Eda released a heated breath in relief as the corners of her mouth lifted in a small grin that was faltered when her eyes fell on the woman's tag on her left shoulder.

Dr. Kim Samantha

Her eye's slightly widened remembering her surname as it reminded her of a certain detective she had yet to hear from in a while. But her thoughts were interrupted by the doctor's sweet melodic voice.

"Don't worry too much, Eda. It shows, even for you."

Eda scowled. "I-" she huffed and dropped her crossed arm to her sides. "Thank you."

Doctor Kim smiled and patted her shoulder affectionately. "You're doing a great job." She then nodded sweetly and walked away to her next patient.

Eda followed her with her eyes until her figure disappeared in the crowd. The door behind her opened again. Aanya walked out with an exhausted expression while massaging her nape. Eda's eyebrows knitted, rage building in her as she tried to maintain her composure.

Annya squinted her eyes in pain at the sight in front of her. "Please don't."

Eda heaved from her nose and pressed her lips as she clenched her jaw even tighter. She tried moving past her into the room but was halted by her friend who looked at her with pleading eyes. Eda softened but rolled hers in annoyance.

"Fine. I'll go get us some food." She growled and turned, cracking her neck on her way to the elevator. "I don't get paid by the hour." She huffed as she pressed the button and stepped inside with her long leather coat pushed back on the ends by her moves.

~

"Alright. You grab his arms, I'll grab his legs." Taehyung instructed Jungkook, as the latter seated on the back seat with the unconscious man, shifted and grabbed a hold of his arms and pulled up his torso in a sitting position. Taehyung wrapped his hands around the man's ankles and dragged him out of the car. With a little effort, they managed to drag him to the hospital and deliver him to the nurses who quickly checked on him.

"You stay with him, I'll go and get some water." Taehyung moved away as Jungkook nodded at the command following orders and keeping an eye on the wounded man.

Taehyung checked his surroundings trying to spot a vending machine anywhere amongst the white walls of the hospital. His nose wrinkling from the sickening smell of the chemical utensils and medicine. Never was he fond of hospitals, yet he knew how important they were.

His almond eyes finally spotted the machine on a far corner of the waiting room. He strode closer to it and saw a person standing in front of it, probably waiting or deciding upon the many delicious options that that well-maintained vending machine had to offer. While he blankly stared at the woman with a long black leather coat. He tilted his head in perplexity when his eyes caught resembling factors to the woman who has been occupying his thoughts for the entire week.

Taehyung's feet moved to approach her, but he flinched in fright when he saw her harshly kicking the blue machine in anger.

The whole box of packaged food moved a couple of inches back as many colorful plastic bags fell on the bottom. The woman stepped back and shrugged her shoulders, collecting them by opening its plastic drawer, as if the whole scenario of her completely losing it had never happened.

Taehyung's eyes had doubled the size at her actions. People had turned their attention to her as well, some gawking at her with judgment, some shocked, and some completely clueless. Taehyung was none of those categories of expressions staring at the woman, as he was now well aware of only one person capable of such demeanor.

What is she doing here?