2000

23. Project Twenty-Two + Three

"Ryujin"

I stared at her deeply, I refused to sleep, I had to look at her, because that week had been hell for me.

Her cheeks were red, her strands clinging to her face as she breathed in lightly still hugging me tightly.

My hands glued to her belly, nothing and no one would make me take them away, it could be my paranoia, but I wanted to feel my daughters inside as much as possible.

My daughters...

I never imagined I was saying this, or thinking about it, in every detail about it, and heavens would be two at once, I could only be dreaming, and if I had I wouldn't wake up.

I saw the sunrise in the distance and a pain in my chest set in, a night alone with her wasn't necessary, and even more so now that I was pregnant, but my father was practically on top of me, the entire time.

Carefully I took Yeji off my body and went to the bathroom, I didn't take long in the shower fixing the few things I had left in the room, unintentionally waking her up.

"Are you already going, Ryuddaeng?" She muttered, sitting on the bed and rubbing her eyes.

"I have to go, Yeddeong" those words hurt, if I knew that time would pass so quickly, I would have enjoyed that night more.

"I'll take you to the trail-"

"No, Yeddeong" I stopped her from getting up "It's cold outside, and you can't be cold, it can hurt our daughters."

"It's not so cold-"

"Yes" I replied sitting next to her, I saw when her eyes filled with tears, I had already cried a lot in the bath because I would have to be strong when she cried.

Yeji hugged my waist, burying her face in my chest, which she always did "I know one night isn't enough for both of us, little one, even more so now that I'm supposed to be by your side all the time, but I'll give it a right way?"

"You are alone today please, Ryuddaeng" Her low request made me shake from head to toe and if she kept crying I would easily be "Just more today"

"I can't, love it's not because I don't want to, but my father is by my side all the time, he doesn't leave me alone for a second"

"You said they weren't suspicious of you."

"It's not mistrust, little one, he just thinks that with your escape, I can escape too."

"And you won't run away to stay with me?"

"I need to do something first, Yeji. I need to free all the women who are there, I need to arrest my father and everyone who works there"

"Does that mean you will be arrested too?"

"Calm down, Yeddeong" I laughed "I have an almost perfect plan in my head and when everything goes as I planned, I'll be with yours and to our daughters, you believe me, don't you?"

"I believe, Ryuddaeng" I held her face, letting the smile take over my lips when I kissed her, it was always like that, always that silly smile that was born when her shy tongue entered my mouth calmly, wanting to fight mine.

I pulled her around her waist leaving her on my lap and also letting my hands take care of her back, walking around without applying any pressure. Yeji broke the kiss by hiding her face in the crook of my neck, and I could feel her crying again.

"Don't be sad, my love" I asked kissing her shoulder "You have to be okay and also for our angels to be okay too"

"I do not want you to go"

"I promise I'll stay the whole weekend here next time, right? But now I need to get back before they miss me at the hospital" I got up with her still clinging to me, laying her back on the bed slowly and kissing her forehead.

"Feed well, and please do whatever it takes to make our daughters well, and so do you. Take care and take care of them, okay?" she nodded rubbing her eyes and making a slight pout on her lips "I love you, Yeddeong"

"I love you, Ryuddaeng"  she whispered as I left another kiss on her lips "Come back soon."

"I will, See you later"

I picked up my backpack one more time looking at it before leaving. I was able to shed a few tears of both happiness and longing I already felt for her.

I entered the hospital and as expected everything was silent, I carefully went to my room and locked myself in the bathroom, the woman who reflected in the mirror had a huge smile on her face.

That woman would be a mother.

That woman was me!

"Holy shit, twins" I laughed still not believing, but extremely happy "We're having twins, Yeddeong"

After putting on my uniform, I went downstairs to the cafeteria, walking over to Minju and San who were talking about something, their features too serious.

"Ryujin, thank God!" San breathed a sigh of relief as I placed myself next to them "Your father is totally a beast."

"Why? Did he discover something?"

"He thinks you helped them" Minju whispered looking over my shoulder "Speaking of the devil"

"Shin Ryujin, in my room now."

I looked at San and Minju once more making a sign of silence, but that wouldn't be necessary, I knew they would never tell.

I followed my father to the second floor, that cane of his for some reason irritated me so much that I couldn't explain why. He slammed the door behind me, before sitting down in his leather chair.

"Where are the 2001, 2000 and 1999 patients?"

"I don't know."

"How long are you going to keep this game, Ryujin?"

"What game, Dad? I don't know where they are? No wonder I was on the hunt this whole week!"

"Funny that Yeji ran away on the same day that project twenty-two would be applied to her, isn't it?" the man looked at me arching an eyebrow "What did you have with her, Ryujin?"

"Anything? Heavens, why would I get involved with a patient?"

"Well then should I send you to project twenty-two" my heart stopped in that second, and I swallowed staring deeply "But I won't, at least not now."

"What do you mean, not now? You wouldn't dare do that to your own daughter"

"I did this with your mother, Ryujin" he laughed devilishly "Of course I have the courage to do that with you."

"You're a fucking mental patient," I whispered, pulling away.

"And you're a fucking mistake in my life" smirked when my eyes filled with tears

"You know, your mother and I never wanted you and instead of being alive I honestly rather want you die in childbirth than your mother, the woman who gives me a good fuck every night."

"Shut up"  I said now really crying.

"But unfortunately you survived and she didn't. You know it's your fault, don't you? Your mother died because of you."

"It wasn't my fault"

"I'm tired of talking to you, remind this to yourself, if we didn't find these patients, you'll go through project twenty-two, and it will be three times worse."
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