Become Tired
Become Tired
Beneath it, however, was a bigger structure that goes more than twenty feet down. In this facility was Ha-joon's home and had been since he joined the Yeong's forces.
He arrived after spending another hour, just thinking in his car from outside Xia Lian's apartment building. When he entered his barracks, he hooked his phone against his laptop and began... retrieving his deleted photos.
When Lian's photo came up in on his screen, he took a moment to relish it, just staring blankly into the screen. He sighed and muttered to herself, "I really don't know what to do."
Meanwhile, back at the apartment building of Lian, she was on the phone with Yanmei.
"No confession yet?" Yanmei asked.
"No confession. He just... silently brought me back to the apartment and said he would see me at work this Monday," said Lian. "I know I should be patient, but damn! There is just this big part of me that wants to jump at him, you know!"
Yanmei laughed thoroughly and said, "Relax! You have been here what? A week? And don't even think about having sex without being sure of your relationship! Aunt and uncle are both going to kill me!"
"Just keep doing what you are doing, and don't forget to hold your tongue," said Yanmei. "Let's be happy that he is slowly opening up to you."
"Okay, cuz. I will try my very best," said Lian.
In the days that followed, everything seemed to be the same. While there was an improvement in the way Ha-joon approached her, he still did not confess. Twice that week, he offered to take her home, but nothing more. Ha-joon called her nearly every other night, merely checking on her, but still... nothing more.
On the next weekend, he brought her to see Yanmei and drove her back. She slept in the car upon their return. She woke up after three hours, realizing they have already arrived at her apartment building.
Lian slept on Ha-joon's shoulders, and so did he. She did not know how it happened, but she was leaning against him and his arm was around her shoulder. She naturally savored that moment and remained in the same state until it was just utterly too uncomfortable. He woke up Ha-joon after another hour.
That experience sent her to heavens and kept her awake for the rest of the night. Still, despite that seemingly special evening, nothing more happened. The same could be said with the succeeding days.
It would seem to Lian that while their relationship improved, the progress was getting too slow. A big part of her was questioning herself, whether she or her cupids were on the right track.
One morning, Lian received a text from Ha-joon, saying he would pick her up. That time, however, she genuinely missed his text. She was rushing to get ready for work.
The company bus usually came early as it still needed to take other routes, picking up other employees from nearby neighborhoods.
Lian rode the company bus and settled at the near end. It was one of the few vacant seats left.
Ha-joon missed Lian by a few minutes and the security, having seen him come for Lian on several occasions, informed him that she had already taken the company bus.
"What the." He gritted his teeth while taking out his phone. He tried to call Lian again, but she still was not picking up.
He drove, following the route of the company bus, and as soon as he caught up, he accelerated his car. In the process of taking over the bus, he saw Lian, in a serious conversation with one of the male line supervisors at the factory, whose name was Seulgi.
She was laughing with her eyes twinkling from the side of the bus. Lian was rested at the window seat and Ha-joon could clearly see the interest in her eyes.
He hissed and said, "No wonder you are not taking my call."
He drove past the company bus and as soon as it made another stop to fetch the last set of employees, Ha-joon hoped on the bus.
Everyone from the bus greeted him, but Lian and the line supervisor were still engrossed in a serious discussion about the local town's attractions and activities.
The employees notice Ha-joon's sharp gaze at Lian that they all turned to the back, only then did Lian noticed Ha-joon walking up to them.
"Just an hour from here, there is a stream where many of us go hiking. I could take you there this weekend," said Seulgi.
"That - that." Lian wasn't sure what else to say, seeing Ha-joon practically throwing daggers at her with his eyes. However, after a second of carefully studying his gaze, she turned to the line supervisor and realized it wasn't her, but him. He was giving angry glares at Seulgi.
'Is he jealous?' She asked herself.
"She is not going anywhere with you!" Said Ha-joon. He reached for her wrist and acted to pull her away. "You! Why aren't you answering your phone? I have been calling you for more than an hour!"
"I - I was rushing to work! Ha-joon, my arm! Let go!" She pleaded, trying to twist away her wrist free.
When Lian tried to resist, Ha-joon bent over and carried her over his shoulder. Fortunately, Lian was wearing a trouser that day. Ha-joon did not think twice about carrying Lian out of the bus the way he did.
"Ha-joon! Put me down! Everyone is looking at us!" She demanded, but when he would not listen, all she could was cover her face.
After walking through the road and standing by his car, he put her down and instructed, "Get in the car. Get in the car! Now!"
She reluctantly hopped inside the wagon, ashamed at the eyes from the bust that gazed at her.
As soon as Ha-joon entered the car, she asked, "Why? Why did you just storm in there so angry? So what if I missed your call? For one, I am not your property! I am not obliged to answer your calls! Secondly, you were scaring Seulgi!"
"He was flirting with you. It was obvious. I was only protecting you." He started the engine and began to drive away.
After half a mile on the road, he added, "You are not riding the bus anymore. I'll pick you up every day and drop you off."
When they arrived at the gun factory, Lian asked, "Ha-joon, what am I to you? Do you like me? Because It feels that way to me."
"Can we just get to the point? Do you like me? Can you be honest with me for once? Sometimes I feel like you are leading me one but you still have not told me what you really want between us?" Lian finally asked.
"I mean, if you put in so much effort to be my driver, that must mean you like me, right?" She turned to him and called his name. "Ha-joon?"
Ha-joon did not look at her. He just stared blankly at the front for seconds. He looked down and gulped before speaking, "I - I'm not sure, Lian. but I'd really like it if you are just here... with me."
Lian sighed and said, "It shouldn't be like that. You should be able to decide."
"You don't have to take me home and fetch me tomorrow. I'll ask Yanmei to get me a car," she said before opening the door. Before closing it back, she said, "This time, I have sincerely become tired... Maybe I was wrong to come here."
She slammed the door shut, rushing into the company building, feeling herself teary-eyed.