We decided not to cross the line.

Chapter 123. Promise

I came rushing home in a panic.

I shouted as I opened the front door.




"Hoonji!!!"




There was no answer.

I checked the bedroom and bathroom doors too, opening them all.




The house was empty.




'It shouldn’t have taken this long...

What’s going on?'





I took out my phone again and called.

The ringing went on and on.




He didn’t answer again.





'What if... something happened to Hoonji?

No way... right? .... It can’t be....'





'What do I do now?

Where should I go look for him...?

Should I go to the hospital?

Ah... what should I do...?'





I’d expected him to be at home,

but once I confirmed he wasn’t there,

my lips felt parched.





I should leave the house, but

I had no idea where to start looking.


My legs were shaking so badly I could barely walk.


I steadied myself against the wall and took one step at a time.


My mind went blank.





'What if something really

happened to Hoonji...?





I clasped my trembling hands together

and came to the front door, then opened it.




I was terrified and afraid

something might have happened to him.




Where should I go, and who should I ask for help?

I couldn’t think of anything.





'Right... first I’ll go to Miguel and

ask which hospital...

then go to the hospital and check.'




I stepped out the front door

and headed toward Miguel’s cafe.




I was in a hurry, but my legs wouldn’t listen.




Then,

I heard someone shouting from behind me.





"Jung-ah!!!"

"Where are you going?"




It was a familiar voice.


I swallowed dryly and turned around.





"Hoonji!!!"


I sank down where I stood.





The anxiety and worry I’d been holding in

collapsed all at once,

and tears came streaming down.





He had collapsed in the street,

and seeing me start crying

left him utterly flustered.





"What’s wrong? What happened?"





Because I was crying,

I couldn’t answer.




The fact that he was standing safely in front of me

only then really sank in.




He hurried over to me

and hugged me as I cried, rubbing my back.




It wasn’t until I’d cried for a long time

that I slowly started to calm down.




Once my tears subsided,

he pulled away from my arms and checked my face.




"Get up. Slowly...

let’s go inside our house and talk."




I grabbed his arm and asked,




"You’re okay, right? Nothing happened, right?"




"Yeah... I was just coming back from a run.

I told you I was going out to exercise earlier."





"Then why didn’t you answer your phone?

I really thought something had happened to you, Hoonji,

I was so worried I thought I was going crazy."





"Ah... my phone...

it was in my pocket, why didn’t I hear it?

Maybe it was on vibrate...

You were worried because I didn’t answer?"




His utterly carefree attitude

made anger flare up in me for a moment.





"Get lost!!!

You don’t even know how worried I was!!"




Still sitting there,

I shoved at his chest with both hands.




He was pushed backward at once and ended up sitting on the ground,

looking completely flustered.




"No...

at least tell me why you’re acting like this."





"I called you so many times...
 
Miguel told me that an Asian man

had been hit by a car downtown.

He said he’d been taken to the hospital...

so I ran all the way home in a panic,

but Hoonji had already been out for a long time

and still hadn’t come back, and he wasn’t answering the phone...

I really thought I was going crazy with worry."





"Ah... so that’s what happened...

I’m sorry... I’m really sorry..."




He came toward me with an apologetic look.

I shoved him away and went into the house.




I couldn’t calm down easily.




Dragging my shaky legs along, I sat on the sofa.





A little later,

Hoonji came in after me

and poured a glass of water, setting it in front of me.




Then he came over and sat beside me.




"So you thought I’d been in an accident

and got that startled?"




"..."




I turned my body away from him.





"I’m really sorry...

actually...

I was looking around a shop while out running in the neighborhood...

and there was this necklace that was so pretty.

I went in and looked around for a long time, then picked one out,

but I’d forgotten my wallet.

I had to come back home, grab my wallet, and go all the way back there,

so it took a long time."





"I guess I was so distracted by the necklace

that I didn’t even feel my phone vibrate.

It was my fault..."





"Should I kneel and beg?"





Suddenly he got down from the sofa

and knelt.




"Who told you to kneel?

Hurry up and get back up here and sit down."




I pulled him up.




"Then what should I do for your

heart to settle down, Jung-ah?"

Tell me.

I’ll do anything you want."





"Just try not answering my calls again."





"Ah!! Got it.

From now on, Jung-ah’s calls

I’ll answer no matter what.

I promise!!"





He held out his pinky finger.




"So childish... honestly..."




I shot him a glare.

Then he laughed and took my hand.

And he hooked my pinky finger

around his own.




"I definitely promise."




He said, looking into my eyes.



"I’ll never miss Jung-ah’s calls!!"





"That someone would worry about me like that..."