Chapter 41 - 41: Kiss Underneath The Moonlight

Night soon came in the Johnson residence. Kim Eunji's fever was now gone. The bandage in her forehead too was replaced by a smaller dressing.

She was dressed in knee-length checkered dress and white V-neck shirt as her top with thick scarf wrapped around her shoulder to protect her from the chilly breeze of the night.

She looked like a deity as she bathed herself in the moonlight with her ash blonde hair, which mostly had turned back into black, flowed freely behind her back as she stood up in the middle of the vast garden of the Johnson residence.

You might wonder why she dressed on a skirt but hated wearing dresses especially those that hugged her body well.

She disliked dresses but skirt could be tolerable with her.

Earlier, she made the decision to wear a dress out of nowhere.

It would be not good if she'll come there looking unpresentable. She had to at least show her respect to his relative by dressing properly.

Looking back, she found her actions so unlikely of her.

She never dressed up to impress or to please anyone. She dressed up based on her mood of the day.

She was lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize she had reached the end of the pathway which was a garden gazeebo. She then looked up and watched the moon in full sight in the cloudless night sky.

It was a pity that she did not bring her camera with her. But she did have her phone which she did not grab a hold for the past few days.

Nathan was not around as he went to the hospital to check on his mother and sick grandmother.

Kim Eunji decided to enter the gazebo and made herself comfortable as she sat down on the long bench. Her gaze then landed on the small pond beside the gazeebo. It housed water lilies and beautiful Koi fishes in it.

She watched as the fishes swam freely on the water as if they were not trapped in this manmade ecosystem especially made for them.

She didn't rest her thoughts on the fishes and turned her attention on the phone resting on her hand.

Without any hesitation, she then pressed the power button and brought back her phone to life. She frowned when a lock screen popped up before she could properly unlock her phone aside from the usual fingerprint scan option.

She tried her luck and guessed the combination as she attempted to unlock her phone. Fortunately, it unlocked in her first attempt.

She heaved a sigh as she thought her preference did not drastically changed over the past year.

As soon as it unlocked, it suddenly vibrated non-stop as it received countless notifications of emails, missed calls and messages over the past few days.

It took a while for it to stop and then Kim Eunji started to scan on her phone and checked the messages, emails and call logs one by one.

She heaved a sigh as she saw Kelly's name who bombarded her phone with worried messages and missed calls.

She made a mental note to message her later and continued to check on her phone.

So far, aside from Kelly, J popped up on her call logs countless of times, too. She thought Mike had notified him of what happened to her which he really did.

He also reminded him that she had agreed to comeback to the Jin Family House which would take place at the end of next week.

Then, a couple of messages from Alice telling her that she had arranged everything with regards to her retirement from being a photographer. This stunned Kim Eunji.

She did thought of retiring but she never thought that she had decided it sooner.

After checking her call and message log, she then checked on her emails. She smiled when she received an email of acceptance of her application to study in Harvard, Yale and in Cambridge. She tried her luck and submitted her application in them.

Though the equivalent of education she received while she was in training as an assassin was equal to that given in these three prestigious universities combined, she didn't hold any proof of that.

She realized that this world held importance on a person's academic background.

But isn't it already too late for her to go back and study? She's already 24 this year if she remembered correctly.

Spending her time for another four to five years would be such a waste of time, right?

But Kim Eunji did not mind that at all. She thought it would only took her a year and a half or if delayed, two years to finish an entire five-year business program.

That was how confident she was.

She wanted to experience what a normal classroom setting would feel like, too.

"It would be fun." She whispered on her breath. The idea excites her and she was greatly looking forward for this to happen.

Kim Eunji did not only submits her application to these three, she also applied in China and in South Korea which also responded that they would be grateful to have her as their special student.

"About what?"

A familiar voice echoed in front of her that made her jolted in her seat.

"Gosh, Nathan! I almost had a heart attack!" Kim Eunji glared at him as she placed her hand on her chest.

Which made her realize one thing, how come she didn't realize him approaching?

"I'm sorry." Nathan apologized as he felt guilty for startling her. "You were deep in your thoughts that you didn't even snapped out of it even of I called you countless of times now." He explained.

Kim Eunji then calmed down as she gave his explanation a thought.

'I must have been over thinking things.' She concluded.

"Oh, is it?" She heaved a sigh as she said that.

"En."

"Since when have you been standing in front of me?"

"Roughly five minutes?" He answered truthfully answered.

Kim Eunji then closely examined the man who was wearing a black custom-made suit who was still standing in front of her. He always looked handsome and dashing every time she looked at him.

However now, she felt like she was looking to a deity as the moonlight kissed his skin and enhanced his facial features even more. He looked breathtaking like he was from another realm.

A great contrast to herself whom she thought looked dull and dead.

Then her gaze landed on his injured right arm which had no arm sling on it.

"Your arm." She pointed out.

"Yeah. I asked my doctor if I could just not wear it. It get's in the way every time."

Nathan did told her that she caused his injury and then ran away afterwards like the flash as if someone was after her life.

She did not even properly apologized to him for that.

"I'm sorry. I hurt you." Nathan did not expect for her to say this out of the blue. He took the liberty to sat on the empty space beside her, gently held her hand and then tried to comfort her.

"It's okay. It's not your fault and even if you're guilty, I would never dare myself to blame you for it." Nathan thought that Kim Eunji would not feel better if he would not acknowledge that it was her fault. Therefore he had to say that.

And as what he guessed, Kim Eunji felt better after she heard him.

He was so good in reassuring her with his words sometimes. In short, he's such a sweet talker.

Trying to change the topic, she then asked him about Grandma Sana.

"Oh. How's grandma Sana and Aunt?" She's indeed worried of Sana's condition. After all, she was such a sweet elder to her. In a short span of time that they were together, the latter never failed to treat her as if she's already a part of the Johnson family.

It was such a pity that she was bound by her illness. She thought that if she could find ways to cure her illness, she would be more than willing to do so.

"Grandma's already conscious. She was shifted back to the VVIP ward when I came to visit earlier. Her heart was already weak. A heart transplant was already out of the option." Kim Eunji felt even bad for Nathan's grandma. She could also tell that Nathan's helplessness coming from his words.

"Have you tried trying another alternative in treating her illness? Like Chinese traditional medicine." She explained.

Nathan was skeptical when it comes to this method of treating an ill person. He's after all a man of science. He refused to believe such method could beat Western technology in treating illnesses.

"We never considered that option for her treatment. I don't want to risk her life for it." Nathan told her the truth.

"What if that's the answer that you've been looking for all these years? Would you dare still dare tell me that you won't try that option?" Kim Eunji probed.

"I was well acquainted with someone who's an expert in the field in the past. I can look for that person and ask her to have a look on grandma. But still, I'm not a doctor who would be bold enough to tell you that it will work a hundred percent given grandma's age and condition. I just hope you'll reconsider." Kim Eunji added.

"Sigh... I'll discuss this with my mom and grandmother first. Would that be okay?" Nathan had no other option but to compromise.

Though it was risky on her end, she would try her best to look for that person. After all, he owed her life to her.

Meeting that person means she would expose her self to the latter. She had guessed that news of her demise must have reached on the other party. After all, it had been technically six years since she left that world. Or was it really six years?

"Good. Then I should start packing now." Kim Eunji said that surprised Nathan.

"Packing?" He asked her.

"Yeah. I should start looking for that person as soon as possible. We're running out of time."

"Don't be silly. You're still injured yourself and you wanted to embark on a journey to find that person? Also, I need my mother and grandma's opinion about this. Especially grandma as she'll be receiving the treatment and not me nor Mom."

"True. But I had regained most of my strength now. My wounds will heal sooner. Therefore, I'll be fine. And besides, I'm doing this for grandma after all." She reasoned.

"Don't be stubborn, okay? You won't leave until I say so. And if you do, I'll come with you. Take it or leave it!" Nathan could feel that she had already fixed her mind into leaving. Of course there's no way he would let her be alone.

"Fine! You'll come with me. We'll leave two days after you sort it out with them."

Nathan then heaved a huge sigh of relief.

"So, what is this fun that you're talking about earlier?" Nathan inquired as he was curious of what made Kim Eunji to space out.

"Oh...nothing. Just some good news I suppose." Kim Eunji thought that it's not a bad thing if she'll share the news to Nathan. And so she did.

"Why are you smiling like an idiot? You're so excellent yet you're dating someone with poor education and unknown background. Aren't you afraid of what people might say to you?"

Kim Eunji questioned him afterwards.

"Nope. I will never be afraid of what those bystanders would say about me...about us. The fact that you want to make a better version of yourself is enough to make me be proud proud that I chose you. I will never be ashamed and would in fact brag to the world that you're mine."

'The only thing that I'm afraid now is what if you'll meet someone better than me and leave with him.' Nathan continued in his thought.

"Stop that." Kim Eunji uttered.

"What?" Nathan asked in a puzzled tone.

"Stop being like this." This made Nathan to be a little anxious.

"Why? Why do you want me to stop?" Even though Nathan was nervous, he still wanted to know the reason why.

'Because if you continue being sweet to me, I might completely fell in love with even if I'm still not ready." Kim Eunji said in her thought.

She was silent for a while that made Nathan more anxious.

"Because... I just don't want you to. Anyways, let's go. It's getting late." Kim Eunji wanted to change the topic as she didn't know how she would answer him.

"Why?!" Nathan suddenly became frustrated the moment Kim Eunji changed the topic.

He could not understood her at all. One second she was sweet and positive towards him. The next second, she would turn into this cold person and would gave him a cold shoulder.

He's starting to get tired of this tug of war game with her.

"Because you're too good to be true. I'm afraid that every thing that's happening now was just a dream. A dream that I might not remember when I woke up." Kim Eunji voiced out her worries.

"You are so excellent that a lot of women wanted to have you as their lover." Kim Eunji added.

"Is that how you see me as a person? Miss Kim, I never back down on my words. Ran away from you? Huh! I would never do that. I won't let you ran away from me either! You're stuck with me forever Miss Kim. Mark that in your mind!"

Nathan was about to leave when suddenly two slim yet toned arms wrapped around his waist from behind stopping him from leaving.

"I'm sorry." Kim Eunji's voice was hoarse and it almost trembled.

"Please stay...I... I don't know why I suddenly felt like I could not breathe when those thoughts suddenly popped up in my head Nathan. I'm scared."

Nathan wanted to turn around to face her. But Kim Eunji stopped him from doing so.

"I'm still not ready that's a fact. I'm afraid that you'll get tired of waiting and would eventually found someone better."

"You know that it would never happen!" Nathan firmly said.

"I know. But you could not take away that idea from me Nathan. What if you'll not accept and even hate me once you learn the truth about me. That everything you thought of me were not true. That I'm the cold-blooded monster who hides underneath this angelic face." Kim Eunji's voice wavered.

Nathan then attempted to free himself as he wanted to see her face and this time he succeeded and immediately turn around and looked at her face.

When he finally caught a glimpse of her face underneath the moonlight, he immediately regretted what he had done earlier because he felt guilty.

Underneath the moonlight, Kim Eunji's was silently crying as she tried her best to never let a sob escaped out of her trembling lips.

The next thing he did, he cupped her face and kissed her passionately. Pouring every frustration, every emotion that he felt at the moment.

He wanted her to know that what he felt for her was true and no one nor anything could brake it.

Kim Eunji took time to respond on his kiss and when she did, she matched it with the same intensity.

Nathan broke the kiss when Kim Eunji was already gasping for air.

"I don't care if you're a cold-blooded monster, I'm the Satan that people feared with...Therefore we're bound together."