In the hospital corridor outside Kian's private room, five men stood with varying expressions and demeanors. Jed appeared completely unfazed by the events unfolding within, a grin plastered across his face as he playfully shoved Nathan from behind.
He glanced back at the other three men over his shoulder, asking nonchalantly.
"Hey guys, I'm buying drinks for everyone! Juice and soda okay?"
Landon nodded in resignation at this point - almost accepting that such eccentric behavior was just part and parcel of being around Jed. Meanwhile Jun stared intently at the closed door to Kian's room, his face an inscrutable mask revealing nothing of what he might be thinking or feeling.
Cyruss gave a slow nod too even though it wasn't clear if he had actually heard Jed's question amidst his own thoughts.
Jed paid no mind to their responses anyway, continuing to herd Nathan further down the hall with amused pushes. Nathan usually prickled up like a porcupine whenever Jed invaded his personal space like this, but now found himself too preoccupied digesting Yohan's tragic life story which sounded straight out of some dark novel - letting himself to be pushed away absently as if in a daze.
After Jed and Nathan had wandered off down the corridor, Landon grabbed Jun by the arm and pulled him over to sit in one of the chairs lining the hallway outside Kian's room. Cyruss remained standing nearby, his mind still reeling from all he'd learned about Yohan's harrowing past.
As an entertainment mogul, some bizarre part of Cyruss' brain began musing on how this twisted tale might translate onto the silver screen - a dark family drama with elements of identity theft and abuse.
"So if we made this into a movie..." Cyruss murmured absentmindedly to himself as he pondered aloud.
Landon overheard that last bit while settling into his seat beside Jun. He whipped around glaring daggers at Cyruss.
"What are you?! Someone tells you their life story full of misery and heartache, and your first thought is not 'how can I help?' but 'what kind of blockbuster could I make outta it?!'"
Cyruss snapped back to reality upon hearing Landon's furious accusation. His eyes widened as he realized what must have sounded like to the others.
"No, no! You've got it all wrong!" Cyruss protested frantically. "I wasn't seriously contemplating exploiting his story for profit or anything! I just meant that as a dark drama, the plot has... potential. As in cinematic potential, not actualization!"
He shook his head vigorously in an attempt to clarify himself before Landon could launch into another tirade.
"I swear I'm not some heartless monster who'd capitalize on someone's suffering!"
Landon slowly lifted his head, his eyes narrowing as he fixed Cyruss with an intense, penetrating stare. He was searching for any hint of deception in the other man's expression.
"Really?" Landon questioned skeptically. "Are you absolutely certain that your heart wasn't just voicing a desire to exploit Yohan and profit off his misery?"
Cyruss threw up his hands defensively, shaking his head vigorously.
"I'm not some kind of monster without a heart! And I would never dream of doing something like that to someone Kian cares about!"
He paused for emphasis before continuing earnestly.
"And if I did? Well... let's just say Kian might make me regret it." Cyruss shuddered at the thought.
Unbeknownst to him, by nearly entering this disastrous conversational path with Landon - Vivian's cousin no less - Cyruss had narrowly avoided being permanently rejected by her through sheer ignorance alone. Had he known their familial connection from the start, one can only imagine how desperately he'd have groveled and pleaded - he might have broken down into tears while pleading for forgiveness rather than risk being rejected by his crush!
Landon continued scowling darkly as he contemplated Cyruss' words. On one hand, he found the man's flippant musings about Yohan's story utterly reprehensible. But on the other... this Cyruss fellow didn't seem like a bad sort overall and appeared quite devoted to Kian as a friend.
After a long moment of scrutiny, Landon seemed to come to some internal decision and his expression softened slightly. Cyruss breathed out in relief upon noticing that Landon seemed more receptive now. His mind then drifted back over their earlier conversation with Yohan and an intrigued look crossed his face.
Cyruss cocked his head curiously as he studied Landon and Jun, a puzzled expression on his face.
"You two are Yohan's friends, right? But hearing that he's only been on the run for less than a month means you must have known him for a very short time. Yet you seem so protective of someone who is practically still a stranger to you."
Landon and Jun exchanged meaningful glances before responding in unison.
"Who said we just met Yohan recently?" Landon replied with an enigmatic grin. "We've been childhood friends with him for years."
Jun nodded in agreement beside him.
Cyruss' brow furrowed in confusion at their cryptic response.
"But didn't Yohan mention being confined for most of his life...?"
Landon chuckled mysteriously at Cyruss' question.
"Hehe, what exactly happened back then is strictly confidential information. You don't need to worry your pretty little head about it."
He winked playfully while delivering this line.
Upon hearing those cryptic words implying there was some juicy secret history between them all that Landon wasn't about to divulge, Cyruss felt his curiosity spike tenfold. He bit down hard on his lower lip as he struggled not to pry further.
Cyruss was practically vibrating with the need to know more now! But seeing the mischievous twinkle in Landon's eye and realizing it would be futile to press for details, he could only resign himself to being left hanging... for now at least...
*
*
*
Jed and Nathan didn't stray too far from Kian's private room, opting instead to grab some drinks from the vending machine on the same floor. Jed eagerly punched in his selections - including a bitter herbal tea and an unusual juice with a peculiar taste that few people ever bothered to buy.
Nathan, who had reverted back to his usual prickly demeanor around Jed, frowned deeply as he was handed both drinks.
"Why did you even get this?" He asked warily while eyeing the strange concoctions skeptically.
"Eh, no one specified what they wanted so I figured anything goes!" Jed explained breezily while pressing for some lemon-lime soda next.
Nathan let out an exasperated sigh, already dreading the thought of having to finish off whatever dregs were left behind by the others. As someone who hated wastefulness above all else - whether it be food or drink - Nathan knew from experience that no matter how unpalatable something might be, if it was placed in front of him unfinished, he would still feel compelled to polish it off without complaint...
As Jed retrieved more beverages from the dispenser's tray below, he turned back towards Nathan with a serious expression.
"Duck... the person I need to protect here is Yohan, right? It's quite unusual for Boss to give such brief instructions. Does he think Yohan is already part of the Xu family that no further explanation is needed?"
He then flashed Nathan a meaningful grin.
Nathan wasn't sure either - Kian had simply asked him to call in Jed as protection for someone. And based on what they'd witnessed inside the room earlier, it seemed likely that the assignment was indeed to protect Yohan. This would be a first for Jed though; he was accustomed to protecting members of the Xu family exclusively.
Kian usually provided meticulous instructions and all the necessary details upfront; Nathan could only assume this lapse in communication stemmed from his boss's preoccupation with other matters.
"I'm not entirely sure," Nathan admitted grudgingly as he clutched at the armful of drinks like a lifeline. "But judging by what we heard back there, it seems like your presence here is indeed necessary for Mr. Yohan's protection."
Jed peered intently at Nathan from behind his dark sunglasses as he continued piling more juice cans onto the already precarious stack in Nathan's arms.
"You don't find it odd that I'm not protesting being assigned here, in a different city, while you're heading back to the capital soon?" Jed asked pointedly.
Nathan blinked rapidly, momentarily stunned by Jed's pointed question. It was true - Jed usually made no secret of his desire for them to spend time side-by-side on assignments like this one and tried to thwarting Kian's attempts at keeping them apart. Normally, Jed would be far more vocal about wanting Nathan by his side at all times
Even though Nathan had repeatedly rejected Jed's romantic overtures, the eccentric man seemed to view these rejections as mere challenges - obstacles for him to overcome through sheer force of will and determination just like all the rigorous martial arts training and weapons expertise instilled into him by his parents and extended family.
"You're right... It is odd that you seem so accepting of staying here when normally you'd be complaining about it."
Jed smirked slightly at Nathan's words - though it was hard to discern with his face obscured by those ever-present shades.
"I have my reasons for wanting this assignment," he replied cryptically.
Jed fixed Nathan with a curious gaze, his eyes glinting mischievously.
"Do you want to know about it?" Jed asked slowly, his eyes glinting with an almost predatory intensity as he awaited Nathan's response.
For some reason, Nathan felt an uneasy chill run down his spine at Jed's question. His instincts screamed that this could lead somewhere very unpleasant indeed...