A "Damsel" In Distress

CHAPTER 10 : ACCEPTANCE

NOTES
This is the last chapter.

CHAPTER 10 : ACCEPTANCE

“What happened? How did you become like that?” Kim Dokja asked as he squatted down to support Yoo Jonghyuk to sit up. The latter glared at him fiercely.

“It's because of you.”

Feeling confused, Kim Dokja defended himself. “How does it have something to do with me?”

“... If you didn't hide the fact you were cursed, then I wouldn't have known it from someone else. I wouldn't have gone to that damn library just to end up being cursed!” Yoo Jonghyuk furiously explained which shocked Kim Dokja.

“What the– you've been cursed?! No, wait…” As if remembering what Yoo Jonghyuk had just said, his eyes widened more. “H-how did you know that? Who told you?”

Looking at Kim Dokja's reaction, Yoo Jonghyuk was slightly stunned. It was still different from hearing it from someone else to hearing it to the person itself. “So it was true all along.”

Kim Dokja's expression turned bitter and a pregnant silence filled them. He didn't know what to say or how much Yoo Jonghyuk heard about his situation. But the fact that something bad happened to Yoo Jonghyuk because he learned about his curse, and also understanding why Yoo Jonghyuk acted that way made him loathe himself.

“I, I didn't mean to hide it from you.” Kim Dokja stuttered as he said that. 

“But you still hide it from me.” Yoo Jonghyuk refuted. It was then the emotions he was suppressing, and the unresolved questions he disregarded resurfaced again. “It was said I can free you from the curse. Is that why you saved me at that time?”

As if understanding what Yoo Jonghyuk meant by asking that, Kim Dokja immediately spoke. “No! It wasn't like that–”

“No matter how I view it the other way, it all looked like that!” Yoo Jonghyuk interrupted him off. “You only save me because you intend to use me, don't you?”

“...” Kim Dokja couldn't voice out what he was thinking because he really did intend to use him at first. But when they met each other, he disregarded the thought.

“Then tell me… those times we spent together, are you just putting on a facade?” Kim Dokja could feel the coldness from Yoo Jonghyuk's tone. His heart was aching at this sight. 

“No… what I said and did those times were all true.” Kim Dokja said as he felt his eyes getting watery. He stared directly at Yoo Jonghyuk's eyes. “Yeah, at first I tried to use you, but I already get rid of those thoughts…” He took a deep breath as he raised his hand to touch Yoo Jonghyuk cheeks “...Yoo Jonghyuk, I didn't see you as a mere tool to free myself, rather I see you for who you are.”

After hearing those words, Yoo Jonghyuk closed his eyes and moved his face away from Kim Dokja's hand. “Get rid of those thoughts?” He mockingly asked as he opened his eyes again. “Haven't you just told me you already tried it but failed? Did you get rid of your thoughts because your plan did not succeed?”

Kim Dokja's head was aching along with his heart. He couldn't help but wonder why Yoo Jonghyuk was so stubborn when someone was explaining. “I already told you that's not it!” He panted as he opened his mouth again. “Please listen to me first.”

He pleaded to only see Yoo Jonghyuk blankly shift his face away from him and turn deaf. This made Kim Dokja irritated as he clenched his teeth. He raised both his hands and grabbed Yoo Jonghyuk's face. 

Yoo Jonghyuk was shocked when Kim Dokja suddenly held his face, and moved it to face Kim Dokja. But what shocked Yoo Jonghyuk the most was when Kim Dokja pulled his face into him.