NOVEL NEXT Chapter 33: Tactics
On the way outside, Ho-jin was busy thinking about what he was supposed to say when Hyeon hyung would inevitably ask him why Ji-hun hyung had fainted. He was trying to conjure the perfect scenario to excuse himself from the responsibility but every time, he got to taste the flavour of failure. But his preparation went unneeded when Hyeon led him to the kitchen where Kaoru and Chang Min both were already waiting. He really couldn't understand the elders; when and how had they planned to meet each other in the kitchen?
After entering the kitchen, Hyeon finally asked "Ho-jin, tell me the truth this time, only the complete truth. Is Ji-hun seeing someone?"
Kaoru and Chang Min looked at Hyeon with a wary glance, as they didn't want him to intimidate the youngest too much while interrogating him. They were about to interrupt him for being too harsh, but before that Ho-jin spoke "No hyung, he isn't. He is just having some kind of nightmares again, that is all. But I do think we need to be with him all the time; now we can't leave him alone anymore after what happened today."
Chang Min was the one to speak first, while the others were still dealing with the weight of his words. "Of course Ho-jin, kiddo, when did you grow up so much? Hyung is so proud of you, but you don't need to worry-we won't let him be alone so that the incident from last year doesn't even have 1% chance of being repeated. I still feel horrible about not having been there to protect him. My poor dongsaeng ('younger brother')! I still get chills thinking about it; if we are idols, does that mean we have lost all our rights as human beings? Do we not have feelings, or are we not allowed to have them and need to hide them away! Never mind, let's take some food to him as he needs to eat something to take the medicine," Chang Min picked up the tray of food and walked out and Ho-jin followed him.
Just after they left the room, Hyeon turned to Kaoru, saying "Are you sure Ho-jin isn't hiding anything from us? Or should we talk to Dae Jung as well, just to be sure? I am telling you, I will not let him suffer alone this time...he might not be my brother by blood, but he is much more than that."
Kaoru patted Hyeon's shoulder, and said "Relax Hyeon, nobody is questioning your love for him. I know how much you care for him, probably more than anyone in this entire world can. But we really need to keep our patience, and I don't think there is some girl who is behind his fame and money this time. Neither do I think that he is actually seeing someone, as he rarely leaves the house these days. He is mostly in the studio when he is not here, and vice-versa. Since that incident, he hasn't even stepped out even for a movie by himself, or to visit any restaurant without us. So the thing I am really afraid of, is that his nightmares are back. And in that case, we can't help him no matter how much we want to; the only relief is that he doesn't remember them, but he does have to go through that pain in his semi-conscious state."
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Surbhi knew why her best friend was stopping her from returning; sometimes she felt quite guilty dating Mukul when she saw Nitya deliberately trying to avoid her own brother at times.
'She understood that Nitya used to do it because she thought that she might be disturbing them and barging in on their relationship. Surbhi was still trying to figure out how she could make her understand that no one was more important than her, not even her boyfriend. She was the first true friend Surbhi had made, who didn't flip sides as per their mood- calling her a friend one day and ignoring her the next. She still remembered how she had been waiting outside the park, picking flowers along the side of the road with teary eyes, wondering why her friends didn't want to play with her. That was when a little girl bumped into her, almost scattering the flowers in her hand. The girl's eyes shone as soon as they fell on Surbhi's face and when she had told her that she had been waiting for her friends to invite her along, the girl had exclaimed "Oh, me too! I'm looking for my friend's house, I think she gave me the wrong address by accident- but never mind! I'm Nitya by the way, and you?" Moments after that, she had dragged a bewildered Surbhi by the hand, to introduce her to her family- and the two had been holding hands ever since. A teardrop betrayed her and fell down to her cheek, making it obvious how uneasy she was feeling after the events of that day.'
She quickly wiped that tear and continued "You know this, right, that you really don't have to think that you are responsible for the cancellation of our trips when you are sick? I don't know how many times I need to tell you this, Nikki, but I'll keep repeating myself until you get it!"
'Nitya's mind went on high alert, fearing that Surbhi might end up spilling everything about Siddhant and what he had done.' She spoke up quickly, hoping that no one would pay too much attention to her words. "I promise I will behave, please don't cancel the trip. I am ready to stay in the hospital as well, if you promise me not to return? Deal?"
Surbhi sighed as she was reminded that once Nitya was in her stubborn mode, no one could stop her from doing whatever she wanted. Seeing that there was no chance of winning this argument, she surrendered. "Okay, deal. But you will have to stay in the hospital like an obedient girl. And I will ask Meisha about her free schedule, so that she can be with you before my arrival and you don't have to be alone, okay?" Surbhi revealed the ace that was up her sleeve at a moment when everyone thought she was about to fold!
Nitya was stumped for a moment. She then smiled, thinking to herself that she should have seen it coming. "Okay, but don't rush her; ask her to visit me in the weekends so we can play as well! Especially at a time when Mukul is not here, I am gonna rob his video games and play with her! Am I evil? Yes I am!" She completed the sentence with a dramatic ending, but realized that her effort was about to go in vain when she saw her twin peeping into the frame.
"Nikku, I know Surbhi just said she won't return, but I can and I will! And you will not stop me, do you understand? Remember that I am older than you, so you have to obey me!"
Nitya smirked evilly, saying "Yes, I won't stop you, but Bhaiya will. Because if you return, then I won't be staying in the hospital; and nobody can stop me from sneaking out and all of you know this fact very well, don't you?" She knew she was a master at getting things done in her own way; because of this and due to always being pampered, she had become somewhat stubborn. She didn't like the moments where her stubbornness got the better of her, but she still couldn't help with that. As it is said, you can't really fight your nature so easily, but she tried, regardless.
She was looking at the phone, waiting for her brother to respond. There was a lag in the video and when the connection was re-established, Mukul had been speaking "…if I won't come there now, when will Mehul Bhaiya get to rest, you wood-head?! Think for a second- he is there with you since morning, and will definitely not leave alone at night-"
He was still chiding Nitya when he heard a female voice chime in from the background. Ruchi spoke "You don't have to worry about that, I will stay with her."
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