YoonJin's Gift

S3 Ch 7b: The Hangover

Cadence took the acetaminophen and drank the red ginseng, making a face as she did. She knew she needed to take a quick shower so that she had time to get dressed before DalleSoon arrived, but the water was hot and she stood for the longest time, just absorbing the heat. The acetaminophen was working, and really she just wanted to go to sleep, but she got out and dressed quickly, applied minimal makeup and combed her hair back, leaving it loose. She walked down the hallway and as she entered the main room she saw DalleSoon sitting on the couch, typing something on his phone.

"I'm so sorry I've made you wait, DalleSoon-yo." He looked up.

"It's not a problem at all. How are you feeling?"

"Better than I did when I woke up, not as good as I will when I go to sleep tonight."

He smiled and stood up. "Ready?"

"Yes, thank you."

They headed to DalleSoon's car and Cadence was quiet, trying to remember all the questions from last night. She hoped DalleSoon would answer some of them for her. She also reflected on how she was feeling - throughout the whole dinner she had been comfortable, at ease, and never felt unsafe. She tried to figure out why that was since she only knew Yoongi and Seokjin well. Really, she didn't even know them very well, if she thought about it. <why do I feel so comfortable and safe with all of these people?>

DalleSoon had his own thoughts as they walked. He was curious about Cadence being called the Red Dragon, especially since Yoongi and Seokjin had known about it. He still had questions about the white marigold garland, but Cadence wouldn't be able to answer that for him. He'd have to talk to the monk. Jungkook's thorough and complete acceptance of Cadence made him a little less concerned but he still felt protective of Seokjin. They all did, and there was no way he was going to allow anyone to hurt Jin again. It had taken the massive power of the fleet of HYBE lawyers as well as strict Korean laws regarding blackmail to protect Seokjin's reputation, find and destroy all the photos, and put the perpetrator behind bars. A sense of unease never really went away for DalleSoon since there was no way to erase someone's memory. And if DalleSoon was worried about it, he couldn't imagine how Seokjin must feel, knowing someone had those memories of things done in the bedroom, ostensibly between two people in love. Unfortunately only one of them had been in love.

He opened the car door for Cadence and when she was settled, closed it gently. He got in on the driver's side but turned to her before starting the car.

"Shall we get some coffee first? I could use another cup."

"Yes, that sounds good, thank you." He started the car, left the garage and drove slowly through the complex.

"May I ask you a few questions, DalleSoon?"

"Of course."

"I got the distinct feeling during the Zoom call last night that Kim Taehyung had an issue with me. Am I misinterpreting?"

"Ah...... no. You aren't. It's a complex answer to what seems to be a simple question."

"Ok, maybe this will make it easier to answer. Who hurt Seokjin?"

DalleSoon was quiet for a long time, and Cadence just waited. She had immense patience and was prepared to wait for as long as it took for him to answer.

"Why do you think someone hurt Soekjin-yo?"

"Jungkook mentioned it. He said I had his permission to be with Seokjin, and that he wouldn't allow anyone to hurt him again."

DalleSoon sighed and started to speak, then changed his mind. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Cae watched his face - he was clearly struggling with whether or not to answer, and how to answer if he did. This hesitation made Cae's heart hurt - something really bad must have happened. She tried to think back to any moment in time where something might have seemed off with Jin, long periods of silence on social media, anything. Nothing came to mind.