Pay With Your Heart

Chapter 347: Her Role

In-Ha’s head throbbed with a suffering headache when he stirred up from sleep. His head spun and the lucent light seeping through the curtains assaulted his eyes, drawing them to a squint, as it ached his head more.

His eyes roamed around the room in search of Ni-Na when he remembered what had happened last night, but there was no sign of her. In-Ha frowned upon realizing she had gone home alone last night. What was she thinking?

He saw the pill and bottle of water she had dropped on the bed-side table and the note that accompanied them.

He read the note and tossed it aside before dialing her number.

“You’re awake.”

“Why did you go home so late last night?” They said simultaneously, and In-Ha’s tone revealed his displeasure in her actions.

Few seconds of silence elapsed before Ni-Na spoke up. “You weren’t expecting me to sleep in the same room with you, were you?” She asked, and from her voice, In-Ha could tell she didn’t like how he yelled at her, and her eyes currently held a glare for him.

.....

“And what’s wrong with that?” He fired back.

“Everything! Your reputation sucks, and Dan-Han will kill you if he finds out I shared a room with you in a hotel.” She reminded him just in case he had forgotten how lascivious he was before he met Eun-sun.

In-Ha hissed. “It was late, Ni-na. It was dangerous going home alone.”

“Because I’m a girl?”

“Because you’re a little girl, and Dan-Han will have my head on a platter had something happened to you. And I should be the one taking care of you.” He sighed again.

“First, I’m twenty-one. Second, I got home safely. And thank God you know you should take care of me and not the other way round!” She snapped.

“Ni-Na-”

“Please, don’t ruin my mood. It’s too early. Just say a thank you and all will be fine.” She told him in a tone that warned him she didn’t want to hear anything else.

In-Ha closed his eyes and pressed on his temple, and sighed. “Thank you.” he said.

“That’s better. Now, take the pill I left you and get yourself something to eat.”

“Okay.”

“That will be all for now.”

“Thanks for bringing me back and... cleaning around.” He looked around the room, which had been in a chaotic state before he went out yesterday.

“You’re welcome.” She told him.

“And In-Ha..” she called, gaining his attention before he could end the call.

“Don’t drink anymore. Face your problem head on. Alcohol and womanizing won’t take your pain away.” She told him, while In-Ha kept quiet, not sure of what to say till she disconnected the call.

He stared at the pill for a while before swallowing it. He fell back on his bed and blankly stared at the ceiling.

Face his problem head on? How was he going to do that?

This problem wasn’t one he had asked for. It was bigger than him, because he was in a dilemma. He has been in a dilemma since the day he realized he and Dan-Han had feelings for the same girl. He loved her but she loved someone else, and that someone was the person who had been a father, brother and friend to him.

It was hard to face this problem. A glimpse of Eun-sun’s face made him go selfish in an instant. All he wanted was her. He wanted exactly what his friend had with her.

This was hard!

“Ah!”

He didn’t know how to deal with this at all, and he didn’t want to deal with it either.

He frowned when his phone started ringing and he discovered it was Jae-Hyun calling. He reluctantly picked it up.

“I thought you would not pick my call.”

“What do you want?” He coldly asked.

“Open the door.” Jae-Hyun ordered and disconnected the call.

‘Open the door?’ In-Ha’s eyes darted towards the door, before he reluctantly rolled out of bed and sluggishly walked towards it.

Jae-Hyun riffled him from head to toe as he walked into the room without saying a word. His eyes scanned around the room.

“It’s unusually clean.” He said and looked at In-Ha, who was irritably glaring at him. “And you’re just as messy as I thought you’d be.”

“What do you want?” In-Ha asked, making Jae-Hyun to cock a brow at him.

“What do you think I want?” Jae-Hyun asked him a question of his own.

In-Ha frowned. “I’m not in the mood for this.”

“None of us are in the right mood. But you shouldn’t be hiding from the world and pushing me away. So what if she rejected you? You’re not the first man whose feelings were rejected.”

“Jae-Hyun.” In-Ha drawled.

Jae-Hyun sighed. “I just wanted to check on you. This is the coldest war that has existed between us, and I don’t like it, and I’m sure you don’t like it either.”

In-Ha watched him as he spoke. Of course, he didn’t like it, but there was nothing to be done about it.

He plonked on the sofa opposite Jae-Hyun. “I can’t handle any of this, Jae-Hyun.” He sighed. “Apart from hurting Dan-Han by keeping his mother’s illness a secret, I can’t face him for kissing her before his eyes. Neither can I face her after telling her how I feel.”

“I understand.”

“No, you don’t.” In-Ha didn’t think Jae-Hyun understood how he felt.

“I want her. Despite knowing I can’t have her, I still want her! And I hate the fact that I’m hurting her and Dan-Han with these feelings that I have. I hate that I have to be selfless and let her go find the happiness she deserves with Dan-Han. I hate the fact that I found love again with someone I can’t have. I hate everything.”

Jae-Hyun stared at him wordlessly. He could see the sheer frustration and anguish in his eyes, but what could he say to comfort him?

“You don’t have something to say, do you?” In-Ha tilted his brows while Jae-Hyun shrugged.

“What should I say? As humans, we must face challenges now and then, as well as take some test almost every day of our lives. I believe this is one of them for you.”

“What do you mean?” In-Ha narrowed his eyes at him.

“This is an eye-opening test for you. In-Ha, not everyone you meet will stay in your life the way you want them to. Some people’s appearance in your life might simply be to help you pass a phase and bring light to some obscurity. Everyone has a role to play in your life, and in Eun-sun’s case, isn’t it clear what her role is?” A confused frown framed In-Ha’s face as he tried to understand what Jae-Hyun was trying to say.

“Are you saying...”

“That meeting Eun-sun and falling for her might not be a coincidence. But an act to let you know you’re ready to love again, and walk out of your past.”