69 : It's Not Real

The glass bowl shattered into a thousand tiny pieces as it hit the hard floor. The shards flew to different directions. Some of it had even scraped his skin. The cuts on his legs and knees began to sting but his attention was glued elsewhere.

Young Min Jae stared at the broken bowl. He was trying to reach for some apples but he accidentally nudged the bowl sitting on the edge of the counter that it fell. Quickly, he began picking up the shards to clean the mess up before anybody else arrives. He manually collected the sharp objects with his small hands and threw them in the trash bin.

Not even halfway through, he heard someone walking down the hallway that led to the kitchen. The young Min Jae panicked. Hurriedly, scrambled out the other exit and ran to his room upstairs. His heart was beating rapidly and sweat began to form on his forehead. It was indeed a hot afternoon. But similar to the shows he watched on regular afternoons, the heroes don't stop to rest especially when they're being chased. And so, he pushed his little legs to run faster until he finally reached his safe haven.

The young Min Jae slammed the door of his room shut as soon as he got in. He then headed to the huge closet on the other side of the room and carefully, he crawled inside the small compartment. He closed the closet doors from the inside and positioned himself on the far corner of the furniture. It was dark and hot in there. It was silent too that all he could hear was his nervously beating heart.

The young Min Jae closed his eyes out of fear. His father will definitely be angry upon knowing that he was the one who broke the bowl. If only he was a bit taller, maybe he wouldn't have accidentally pushed it. The metallic stench of blood crept its way up to Min Jae's nose. It was only then when he noticed the cuts on his flesh. Wounds aren't new to him anymore so he casually wiped his hands clean on his shirt.

Not long after, the young Min Jae was startled to hear the door of his bedroom swing open. He curled himself up into a ball and he covered his mouth so that he wouldn't make a sound. The familiar clicking of heels surveyed around the room. Every step made him a lot more nervous. He didn't even notice that his tears were already flowing.

Instantly, the sound suddenly stopped. Everything fell silent and for a moment, the young Min Jae thought that there was finally no one outside. Even though there was a small opening where he can peep through and check, he didn't dare to look! It was too scary! He waited for a few moments. He waited for what seemed like half an hour just to make sure that no one was really out there. Mustering up his courage, he finally decided to go. However, when he was about to push open the closet doors, someone opened it from the other side.

---

Min Jae abruptly sat up on the bed. Blinking a few times, he breathed heavily as he tried to catch his breath. His chest was aching and it was as if he almost died through suffocation! Min Jae's entire body felt hot that he was drenched in sweat. Running a hand through his hair, he calmed himself before deciding to fetch a glass of water to cool his system.

He drank two glasses of water and he also washed his face to awaken his senses. Grabbing onto the edge of the sink, his thoughts continued circulate around that terrible dream. Sh**! Again, he calmed himself down. "It was just a nightmare." He breathed, desperately reassuring himself. "It... It was just a nightmare... It's not real."

As it was still the middle of the night, Min Jae didn't return to sleep. Instead, he took a quick shower and devoted himself to his work once more. It was a good thing that he still had so much to do. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to distract himself for so long.

Ever since he began working at home as a compromise to reassure his in-laws that he would personally look out for the kids, the study room became one of his favorite places. Sure it was a bit of a mess. But its unchanged setting made him like it all the more. There were circumstances when little Jung Hyun and baby Hye Soo would stay with him as he worked. He would be earning millions while the kids would simply draw on the coffee table opposite his desk. Some of their artworks and crayons were still there up till now and he would look at them from time to time to ease the loneliness in his heart.

It was already dawn when he finished the last task. As usual, he got ready for work. He also instructed Butler Han to have the sheets of his bed changed and cleaned up too as soon as he came across him. Without Mrs. Bong around, Min Jae had Butler Han in charge of housekeeping. He's been one of their hardworking helpers too and so far, he's done a great job keeping everything in place.

"Mr. Lee, breakfast is served. Secretary Yoo also called this morning to inform that he will be arriving shortly to drive you to work." Butler Han reported.

Min Jae nodded in response. He didn't really have the appetite to eat yet he still sat at the big dining table to consume the hot coffee. Butler Han was very relieved to see this. After all, since Mrs. Lee left, the young master never ate his meals on the dining table again. Butler Han could only guess that sitting there brings back memories to Mr. Lee.

After a while, Secretary Yoo finally arrived. He reported to Min Jae personally and headed out first to start the vehicle. Min Jae on the other hand, still had his thoughts running deep. After a few moments of debating, his slender fingers finally dialed for a number he hadn't called for so long. It took five rings before the person on the other line picked up.

"Mr. Ji, it's Min Jae." He introduced.