Safe (Lost Memory) - Part II
Title: Safe (Lost Memory)
Pairing: Sehun/Kai
Rating: G
Summary: He always carries a gun. He probably carries a code. He has never wanted to protect a man all his life. Until he is lost. Who is he protecting? And who is he protecting him from?
The next few days, Kai has sent a huge stack of DVDs to Sehun. He would appear insensitive if he doesn't help solve Sehun's little problem. He still doesn't allow him to go out, and so he thinks giving him a number of movies to watch might ease his boredom.
"Just sit back, relax and watch as much as you can. I personally handpicked them, it ranges from action, to comedy, to horror, and to drama." He said on the phone at lunch while Sehun carried a box of DVDs inside his apartment.
"How do I operate the dvd player?" Sehun inquires as he looks at the one day old dvd player.
"There's a manual for a reason." Kai simply answered, a little distracted in the background. "Just feed the dvd into the mouth and read the manual. I have to go." And the line was cut.
"Such a cold-hearted man." Sehun grumbles on the dead phone line.
One night during the same week at dinner, Kai asks how Sehun is coping.
"So have you finished all the dvds yet?" He watched as Sehun put his finished plate near the sink.
"No. I just picked what seemed interesting." He sat opposite Kai on the couch. "I'm never watching Titanic though. Jack just dies in the end."
"Did you say you didn't watch it?" Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Did you just ask if I want to cry all over the place?"
Kai ignored that remark. "Why did Jack die again?"
Sehun looked at him, bewildered. "Have you not watched it ever? What were you doing all your life? Chasing bad guys in dark alleyways? You chose to chase bad guys rather than see how heart-wrenching and tear-jerking the Titanic is?" Sehun looked upset.
Kai's face was hard. "How did he die?" He repeated. Sehun rolled his eyes.
"The Titanic, that's the big ship if you don't know, it sank!" He explained. "And there were Jack and Rose, the main characters. Jack died of the cold when they struggled to survive while in the water. Well Rose was at an advantage because she was lying on a wooden platform while Jack was... well I'm not gonna spoil it for you. You have to see it." He paused and his thoughts wandered.
"I've seen it." Kai broke his thoughts. Sehun let out a tiny 'oh'.
Kai raised another eyebrow at him. "The point is... you remember you've seen it."
"Oh." It escaped Sehun's lips the second time, this time much audible. "I didn't even notice I remember."
"Exactly. This is good though, you're showing progress even though it's kinda slow. Maybe you will recover really soon." Kai hopes.
•
"We're going out today." Kai announced one Saturday morning.
Sehun's face lit up as if the whole world just turned into a beautiful and magical one. "Kai. You know I have always loved y--"
"To the doctor." Kai finished.
Whatever Sehun was saying, he didn't continue.
"Can we go around the city after..." Sehun started and Kai opened his mouth to speak.
"No." Sehun wagged his finger in front of him and answered for himself. "I know the drill. I was just trying to annoy you, you little cold heartless man." He gave him a sharp look.
The visit to the doctor went well. He was advised to keep trying to recall his past memories, starting with simple things first, like what kind of hobbies does he have and what his favorite food are, etc. Sehun sat and waited obediently outside while the doctor talked to Kai in private.
"Please don't push him too far. Let him discover things on his own." The doctor explained to Kai. Being the person who takes care a lot of his pride, he found this an insult.
"I've never pushed him to think of these things. And I know what to do. Please refrain from calling me in just to lecture me because I have more important matters in my hands than learning how to cope with a boy dealing with amnesia." He ended his sentence with a hmph before going out of the room. He found Sehun just right outside.
"Let's go." He walked before him and led the way to the car, Sehun following from behind.
On his way to open the door, Kai saw it.
"Duck!" He pulled Sehun down and covered him. A shot echoed in the road and a bullet hit the side of his car.
"Shit." He immediately pulled his gun out and positioned himself, blocking Sehun from anything. He stood and pointed his gun upward, up to the rooftop of the building in front of them where he saw the sniper a minute ago. But he was gone.
"Shit." He cursed again. He rounded the place for a bit. The street is silent once again, and the shooter is nowhere to be found.
That was Sehun's first time to witness a gunshot. At first, he dreamt of it. In his dream, there was a man pointing a gun to someone on his knees in front of him. The man on the floor was curled up and begging. Sehun couldn't make out the scene as it was dark, all he remembers is the gun pointed to someone. And the gunshot woke him up.
He didn't tell Kai of his dream thinking it's only his fear that brought it up. If he does, he'd lose all the chance to have even just a little freedom.
Next to the shooting event, Kai had an idea on how to keep his mind in peace as well as to lessen Sehun's boredom while he's at work. The DVDs weren't working effectively anymore.
"Hello." Sehun had opened the door to a tall man with pretty weird long ears and huge eyes covered in specs, not to mention low deep voice.
"Hi." He awkwardly greeted him back, stepping to the side to allow his visitor in.
Chanyeol happily let himself in, holding a box of pizza in one hand and a gallon of ice cream in the other.
"I bought us something to eat so we can do something while we're here. We can't accept deliveries." He put down the food on the center table and gave Sehun a smile.
"You bought all these?" To Sehun's surprise, the extra bag Chanyeol was carrying has their drinks.
"Actually Kai asked me to, he paid for everything." He sat on the couch comfortably and made himself feel at home.
"Are you a cop too?" Sehun chose to sit on the floor as Chanyeol took mostly the space on the sofa.
"Oh, right." The tall guy stood and extended his arm for Sehun to shake. "Park Chanyeol, from the local investigation unit, your partner Agent Kim's colleague. It's nice to finally meet you conscious, Sehun."
They weren't that awkward. At least Chanyeol is easy and fun to talk to, even though sometimes he doesn't make much sense. Sehun doesn't even notice the time as he hangs out with Chanyeol in the little living room. They talked mostly about Kai and his personality.
"Is he always really that bossy and demanding?" Sehun asks out of mere curiosity. He thinks Kai is a little cold on the outside, but really different on the inside. He just can't express himself well.
"Well, when it comes to work he's really serious. He doesn't want anything to go wrong, so he becomes very strict." Chanyeol adjusted his glasses. "But he's a very warm person. You just really have to squint to see. He masks it so much with a hard look and coldness. So don't worry much about how he talks to you, it's just normal. You'll get used to it."
"He says no to all my requests." Sehun sulked and complained, with his legs crossed on the floor, and his head resting above his crossed arms on the table.
"Oh he's very serious about you." Chanyeol looks at him with sincerity. "He's very serious about this mission. He overworks himself in the office, if you could just see him. To Kai, there's nothing more important than his work. He's very dedicated. That's probably why he just won't allow you. He's a person who calculates everything first before taking a step. To avoid making mistakes, you see."
Sehun understands that part. Being a cop isn't easy, especially when lives are in the front line. But deep inside there, something made him feel uneasy. Is he just a piece of work? To Kai? To everyone else? Does no one really care for him like an ordinary person? It doesn't help that he feels useless for not being able to remember anything. If he is just a part of their work, he'd feel better if he could contribute something at least. But there's nothing, he doesn't remember anything. He's useless.
"When I come over next time, I'll bring a game." Sehun realizes that Chanyeol hasn't stopped talking.
"I don't even remember if I can play." There it is again, he doesn't remember.
"You'll easily get the hang of it. It's pretty addicting." The tall guy assured and gave him a big smile that would have turned creepy the way his eyes widened with it.
•
Kai is satisfied with what he has come up with. Chanyeol's report about Sehun being a little more lively than he was when he's just alone made him relax a bit. There's just a small part in him, though he doesn't really want to admit it, that wants, no, more than want... desires to protect and take care of Sehun. He is sure it's his nature of being a cop, although he never felt it this strong towards anyone else apart from his own family. Maybe it's the way that he's literally alone in this that makes him more special. Kai settled for that explanation.
Seeing that Chanyeol can keep Sehun entertained and protected at the same time, he let him come over the next day. However, the second time Sehun and Chanyeol met, Kai almost threw Chanyeol on the wall. And Kai is supposed to be a calm guy, so this is saying something.
"You need a new apartment." Kai declared, his nostrils flared.
Sehun rolled his eyes. Kai, who was in the middle of a meeting that afternoon, had an urgent call from Chanyeol. His tone was a little panicky and that made Kai alarmed pulling himself out of the meeting.
"What happened?" He demanded on the other end of the line. Chanyeol had his gun in his other hand while Sehun remained behind him, still shocked at the sight of the apartment. Everything is in a mess and his most-loved sofa is ruined.
"Someone entered the house and was searching for something." He explained briefly.
"Where's Sehun?" His initial reaction. "Did you see who did it? Where were you when it happened?" Kai asked in a scary calm tone.
Chanyeol didn't respond.
"Agent Park, where is the diamond?" He repeated in a menacing tone.
"He's with me." The cop in question looked at Sehun and bit his lip.
"Where were you when it happened?" The more Chanyeol's answers were becoming short, the more he was starting to get suspicious.
"We were..." Chanyeol stuttered. Sehun frantically shook his head.
"No. Don't tell him." He mouthed with wide eyes.
"The more lies you say the more days you will not see your gun." Kai threatened.
That made the other cop spill everything. "We were out. Sehun had wanted to go around and breathe some fresh air. He said it will help him remember faster if he gets exposed to the outside world. I'm sorry, I didn't know this will happen--" He begged.
"Lock the door and pray." Was all Kai said.
Chanyeol went home unhurt and alive. But he was sure his next day in the office would be like living in hell.
"You need a new apartment." Kai repeated.
"I need a new bodyguard." Sehun retorted.
"I am not a bodyguard." Kai's eyes turned sharp. "I am an agent. Acknowledged by the US government. Honorary...." The words blurred in Sehun's ears. "Awarded with a medal for..." Kai turned around to pace the room as he gave a speech of his fufilments. "Hand-picked by the head of the .... just for this special job." He turned back to face Sehun just to realize that he wasn't there anymore. He immediately searched for him in the messy living room.
"Sehun? Sehun!" His safety is still his priority.
"Sehun! Answer me!" He ran to each door and forced them all open. At times like this, the intruder could be hiding just anywhere. How could have he forgotten? He reached the bathroom, and turned the knob at once, banging the door open.
"Sehun!" He shouted in the room.
"Hey, wtf? I'm trying to take a dump here." Sehun shouted back from behind the bathroom curtain.
Kai let out a sigh of relief as he shut the door, shaking his head.
"Next time, give me a warning!" He said loudly from the door. That made Sehun smile.
•
Sehun carried his own luggage up the stairs to their new room apartment. Kai had picked a bigger one, one that has a complete set of flat screen TV, dvd component, a karaoke machine, a playstation, and even a Wii.
"Rich bitch." Sehun muttered under his breath.
Kai came in and locked the door once he dragged his own luggage inside.
"Are we living together now?" Sehun questioned the two bags he had dropped at the side.
"This apartment has two bedrooms, I could keep an eye on you better this time." Kai had a smug face.
Sehun just thanks Kai for not getting any more stricter than he already was after the incident.
•
For the first three night they worked in routine. Kai cooks for dinner while Sehun reports to him what he has been doing during the day. Even though grudgingly and doubtfully, Kai still asked Chanyeol to look after Sehun during the afternoon this time with a new order of do not listen to whatever Sehun asks you to do. Of course Sehun didn't know of that.
Sehun on the other hand didn't ask any more requests from Chanyeol, in case he might be unlucky this time and be punished with Kai's wrath. At least that's what Chanyeol had warned him about.
The dinner easily passes and the crucial point is always the after supper. Kai, back to their old apartment, would normally go back to his room and make a report of Sehun's progress, as well as listen to him do what he has been doing in the next apartment. That was when they still had separate doors of the apartment. Since they live together now, he doesn't seem to need to install spywares in the whole house as he could just openly observe Sehun. The problem is, it is awkward.
They both sat on the opposite sides of the couch, pretending to watch TV when no one among them is really paying attention. The dead air between them also gives Sehun an irritating migraine because he just wants to talk about something but he couldn't think of anything. In the end, Kai would just stand and say "I'm going to bed." And he would leave for his room without any other word.
This happens for three consecutive nights. The next night, when they were just staring blankly on the tv screen, it developed as a hobby to be honest, Sehun thought he'd say it himself to make it easy for Kai.
"I'm going to --"
"Do you wanna learn--"
They spoke at the same time. Kai blinked at Sehun while the other just blinked back.
"Oh, you're going to bed?" Kai asked a bit awkwardly.
"No, what were you saying?" Sehun mentally slapped himself for his timing.
"I was just wondering if maybe you could use some martial arts lessons. For self-defense."
"Oh. Who'll teach me?" The boy with the lost memory asked in confusion. Why would Kai suddenly want him in a martial arts class?
"Me." Kai answered as if stating the obvious, quite embarrased.
"You?"
"Yeah." He said confidently. "I thought maybe I could show you right now."
"Like right now?" Sehun raised an eyebrow. At this time for the past few nights, Kai was going off to bed and he's left to stare more at the TV. But things have changed and now he's asking him if he wants to be taught how to fight.
"Yeah." He nodded again. "I wanna see how bad you are at it."
Sehun took that as a mock. "Let's find out."
Kai had pinned Sehun down several times. And even though he tried his best to go light on him, he would always lose control of himself a bit and slam Sehun on the soft carpeted floor.
"Ow." Sehun muttered for the nth time while his back lied on the floor.
"You have to extend your arm forward so you could block my ambush attacks." Kai lectured him. He reached out for his arm again to get him up.
"I did but you obviously just pushed it away and lifted me up." He complained.
"One more time." Kai announced and he started to attack forward. Sehun did really put an arm in front of him but Kai was rather too fast and had pulled him and after closing his eyes, Sehun found himself on the floor again.
"If you really just wanted to hurt me you could have just said so, you didn't have to use learning martial arts as an excuse." Sehun grumbled as he massaged his middle.
"Does it hurt?" Kai paused only to look at Sehun whose shirt rode up above his navel, poking his exposed milky white skin with his long fingers, trying to feel which area hurt more. Kai broke away from his trance and channeled his eyes on the other's face. It was scrunched up, the way one would look when he's in pain.
"Hey are you ok?" Kai shook him but Sehun didn't open his eyes and still squirmed underneath Kai who was hovering him, silently complaining about his aching sides.
"Ya. Sehun-ah." Kai pressed his palm down where Sehun's hand is massaging, ignoring the skin against skin even though Kai felt the heat in between his palm and the other's abdomen, as well as the heat creeping on his cheeks.
"Where does it hurt?" Kai pressed hard on the part and Sehun, as if waiting for his chance, threw his hand in the air and hit Kai on the nose with a loud "hiyaaah!".
"Aw." Kai staggered on his back, holding his nose that seemed to have started dripping blood. "Ouch, wtf Sehun?"
Sehun immediately sat up straight with a panic-stricken face. "Wait, what?"
Kai looked at him with sharp eyes, half of his face covered with his hand and Sehun saw the trickle of blood on the underside of his palm.
"Kai!" He jumps on the bigger guy, clamping his face with his hands and shaking him violently. "Let me see! Are you dying???" He looked at his own hand and found a stain of blood.
"You're dying." Sehun shook him.
"I'm bleeding, not dying." He swatted his hands away and wiped the blood on his nose with his bare hand. "Get off of me first." He ordered.
Sehun, who didn't notice he was straddling Kai's legs, crawled away from him in fear.
"Don't kill me." Sehun begged for his life when Kai stood, gaining composure after his fall. "I'll be a good guy from now on. I'll wash your clothes." Sehun offered. Of course he was half-joking.
"Go to bed Sehun." Kai said irritably.
As a cop, he didn't like it when his pride is hurt. He never even let a girl touch him wrongly, not that he has dated a lot, but Sehun just did. However, he discovered something new about himself. When it's Sehun, he doesn't seem to mind much. Or maybe just because he is his subject, he thought.
▬
The Japanese drama is Tokyo Dogs.