Hacking Seoul

0.23 - Mind Over Matter

He smiled and kept a hold of her arm as she flailed it and tried to get rid of his hold. The car slowed considerably as she focused more on him than on the road.

"Ow ow ow ow . . ." She winced suddenly and her arm went limp. "Ow . . ."

He let go of her arm immediately. "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

The painful expression on her face vanished the second he freed her. Perhaps a second too early. She squinted her eyes mischievously and pressed her lips together in a cute smile. "Of course you did."

Of course he didn't. But he couldn't control the widening smile on his own face. She faked those whines and the cuteness toiled his heart too effortlessly.

"I mean if you want to service me for free . . ." He put both of his hands up and leaned back with a grin. "Be my guest."

"How is 'taking advantage of your driver,' a form of payment for my service, sir?"

"So tell me your preference. It won't benefit only me." He dipped his head at her and smirked. "I will make sure we both feel good."

She blushed and shook her head. "You are not my type."

"Is that why you're blushing?"

She rolled her eyes though her cheeks just grew redder and redder. "Unbelievable."

"Aren't you early . . . My pants are still on."

"Oh my god! Stop! . . . Stop." She stepped on the gas in an attempt to throw off the growing steam in the air. "Just shut up and tell me where you live."

She looked horrified as soon as the words left her mouth. Suggestive. Innocently suggestive. He turned to stare at her perfect profile and ran his tongue over his lower lip before he bit it.

"Don't even say anything," she warned.

He laughed lightly and shrugged, his eyes twinkling. "Wasn't gonna, ma'am."

The night had evolved into an ambiguous dream. The lonely streets looked tranquil and accepting now that he sat in a moving car. Coolness and silence sent him tumbling into a dazed unreality, bemused and elated. Their journey together went from bitter to sweet so seamlessly he almost missed the fights and flights that started this all. Would he need to check his sanity if he said he wished he could do this all over again? Be it the good, the bad, or the ugly, he wanted all of it. He didn't want this to end.

The car rolled down the street at a medium pace and his heart sank as the pain that plagued his body kicked in. He remained silent as he endured the pain and the reality that came with it. Unwelcomingly quickly. He grimaced at the cruelty of time and forced out the dread of having to leave her.

"How did you distract me from that . . ." He was surprised by how low his voice sounded but he was glad it was husky enough to hide his disoriented state of mind. "We need to wrap your hand up. Let's park somewhere."

His gentle request was met by a lengthy silence. The atmosphere in the car had shifted in discreet unwillingly and the hefty air was closing in on both of them pitilessly. He could tell she was trying to keep still from fidgeting in the awkward silence. He didn't want to prepare himself for what was about to come. She stared straight out at the road ahead and kept her tone easy.

"M'afraid I can't do that, sorry." What was in her voice? Was it sadness, or was he imagining it?

His own gloom sustained the silence this time. It was getting hard to breathe in here when both of them were thinking about the same thing, but none of them would go on and say it. After a long while of wordlessness, he finally spoke up.

"We should," he said quietly with a sigh.

"But we can't." There was definitely sadness in that. Right? He was approaching the edge of the cliff with this amount of self-doubt.

She took a glance at him so quickly he wasn't even sure if she did.

"I'm fine. The hand is fine." She waved her hand exaggeratedly and smiled a little. "Let's get you back."

She sounded collected and cheery but that only pained him more. He hated the fact that he couldn't be the one to look after her.

"I can't let you drive around with blood oozing from your hand like that." He said softly, knowing it would only be met with rejection.

He hated the fact that she was refusing him because of her damn boyfriend.

"I can't let you put your shirt on me." Not when I'm about to see my boyfriend. He was glad she left that unsaid.

The emotion on her face was raw and regretful. It was exactly how she looked the last time she told him about her boyfriend. His throat tightened. He looked over to her mechanically as she opened her mouth to speak.