Page 63 of When Worlds Collide (Between Worlds #2)

I t felt like we stayed glued together like that for hours, lost to the pain, putting off the inevitable. But all too soon we did pull apart, our faces mirrors of the other. Blotchy, red noses and absolutely unable to care about that.

But even as we moved apart, we stayed connected. Through our clasped hands and the brush of our knees as we sat so close. Even our shared breaths as we crowded each other, unable to bear not being close, even as we made plans to separate.

We eventually got up off the living room floor, but only to move into the bedroom.

Together we peeled our clothes off, switching them for our comfy pyjamas and we lay in bed to make our plans.

We didn’t bother with the lights, using only the light of the laptop.

If we pretended it was still nighttime, maybe the day wouldn’t come.

But it did.

And by morning, we’d made our plans.

Today was Thursday.

Today was the last day I would be in Korea, the last day I would be employed at ENT.

The last day I would be with Jihoon.

I had one day to get my affairs in order, but really, I think we stretched it so long just so I wasn’t leaving today , because tomorrow sounded more… bearable.

I think we both knew it would not have taken me as long as a day to wrap up my life in Korea. I’d barely put down roots. I was a houseplant, my roots still firmly in the pot. We’d only been pretending I’d been planted.

The sun was just barely cresting over the horizon, the merest suggestion of a glimmer that reflected off the glass-fronted buildings across the river that towered into the sky. My last sunrise in Korea.

“I’ve booked your ticket.”

His voice, the voice that sells records and sells out venues, was hoarse, tired in a way I don’t think I’ve ever heard it.

I turned back to look at him, sat on the bed, crumpled in on himself as he hunched over my laptop. The circles under his eyes were clear even from this distance, or maybe that was just the shadows in the dim light of the room.

“I got you first class again.”

I tried to protest, knowing damn well that seat cost more than several months of rent, but he waved me off, his tremulous smile breaking my heart, little by little.

“I remember how much you liked the little toiletries.”

It was meant as a joke, so why did it make me cry?

I was surprised when Director Kang agreed to meet with me, with almost no prior booking. I sent her an email as Jihoon and I shared a car ride to the company, and her response pinged back just as we drove into the basement car park, telling me to come up just before lunch.

Jihoon and I walked into the elevator, hand-in-hand. I’d tried to pull away, but he’d resisted, and I confess I didn’t try too hard.

As we reached his floor, he’d pressed a firm, but brief kiss to my knuckles, before letting it drop to my side, leaving me alone in the lift to ride the rest of the way upstairs.

It wasn’t an effort to contain my news. It was only really Hana that spoke to me, and she was too busy telling me some inane gossip about leaked photos on the Tabs. I didn’t even really try to pay attention, just giving her enough that she didn’t try and pry anything out of me.

If someone asked me by 11:00 am what we’d done that morning, I’d have been hard pressed to give them an answer. Mindless work, and in a way that was a relief. I was so tired of having to find solutions for things outside of my control.

I made my way upstairs to Director Kang’s office at the time she had requested.

Seeing me approach, her secretary got up, knocked on the office door and then let me in.

Not having the energy to be surprised, I walked inside to find the Director sitting behind her desk.

She smiled at me and gestured for me to sit opposite.

“Miss Thompson,” she began, her smile tight. “I got the impression this was urgent. Is it about your Visa?”

“No,” I answered blankly. “I need to hand in my resignation. Immediately.”

She blinked, cocking her head to the side, narrowing her eyes as they roved over my face.

“Is everything alright?”

I’d always appreciated how upfront Director Kang seemed, and I think in another life she would have been someone to aspire to. I was sorry I wouldn’t get that chance.

I tried to offer a smile, but shaky as it was, I doubted it had the intended effect.

“I have a family emergency, and in light of what’s going on…” I took a breath, a beat to steady myself. “I need to go home.”

Director Kang clasped her hands on the desk, leaning forward slightly, and I think I saw a glimmer of sympathy in her dark eyes, but in the next moment it was gone.

“I see. I’m sorry to hear that, Miss Thompson. Do you expect to be back?”

“I– I don’t think so. At least not for a while.”

If ever , my internal monologue couldn’t seem to help but supply.

Director Kang sighed, a small, understated gesture.

“I understand. Kaiya – I probably don’t need to tell you this… your probation is dependent on your Visa being successful, and when you leave–”

“I understand.”

I pinched my leg, because then if I cried, I could at least say it was because of the pain. Not because I was hurting.

“We can’t keep your role open for you. Frankly, I don’t think we’ll be taking on any more juniors. At least not for a while.”

I stared, unable to help myself. Everyone else in a position of any power seemed to be pretending nothing was happening.

Even the governments were glossing over it, despite the ever-increasing estimations of hospitalisations.

This was the first time I’d seen anyone make an allusion to things maybe not being normal for a while.

“For what it’s worth; I think you’re making the right decision. I can see from your face that this is costing you something. I won’t sit here and pretend we don’t both know what brought you here – who – and I can only guess at what you’re going through right now, and I’m sorry for that."

Director Kang took a small breath, a tiny gap in her flawless facade.

“I think things are going to be difficult for a while. But I do want you to know that your department lead spoke very highly of you. In fact, every lead did. It may not feel like it, Kaiya, but you did well here, and I think – no. Never mind. Some things don’t need to be said.”

Before I could begin to guess at what she might have said, and to take in the unexpected praise from appraisals I hadn’t even known were happening, Director Kang stood up, holding out her hand.

Mirroring her, I got to my feet. She took my hand firmly, and held it for just slightly longer than was necessary.

“I wish you all the best, Kaiya Thompson. I accept your resignation.”

I didn’t trust myself to speak. I offered her the best smile I could and bowed my head.

But I knew that I’d always wonder what she was going to say.

I found Hana when I went to collect my rucksack from my locker.

“Hey, England,” she chirped at me, “wanna grab lunch? Someone said it’s bulgogi on the menu today.”

“Sure.”

I slammed my locker shut, after ensuring I’d left nothing in there.

I didn’t speak as we made our way downstairs to the GECK – not it’s actual name, but it’s what we all called it, after the Garden of Eden Creation Kit. It was kind of an inside joke.

I figured I was still allowed in the building for at least a little while yet, so even though I wasn’t hungry, I loaded up my tray with all my favourite banchan and followed Hana over to a table, where she proceeded to bring up more tabloid nonsense, this time apparently about Sol8.

I listened distractedly for a while, but when gossip about Min Taeyang apparently dissing Jihoon’s dancing failed to get a rise out of me, she finally seemed to notice my distance.

“What’s wrong with you?” She scowled at me.

And lord help me, but I just couldn’t bring myself to care.

“I’m leaving.”

She looked at me speculatively. “You’ve decided.”

I nodded. “Yes.

“For what it’s worth, England, I think you’ve made the right decision.”

It wasn’t worth much, I decided. But I didn’t say that.

“Yeah. So, I’m leaving. Going back to the UK.”

“When?”

“In the morning.”

“What about this place?”

She leaned over the table slightly, and I had the urge to lean back.

“I’ve handed in my resignation.”

“Ah, shit. Just like that?”

She seemed genuinely surprised, and I wondered if maybe I’d been seeing her in an unfair light.

“Just like that.”

“What about ‘John’?”

She put air quotes around the name, and just like that I was back to being mildly irritated.

“Hana…” I said, a low warning tone in my voice, and not one I’d ever used with her before.

She waved me away, not seeming to have taken it to heart.

“I’m just asking, don’t get your panties in a twist. I’m sorry about your mum, okay? It sucks you have to leave. I mean, this is a hell of an opportunity,” she gestured around us, “but family first, y’know?"

“It’s probably for the best.”

She scooped a spoonful of rice into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

I frowned at her.

“How’d you figure any of this is ‘for the best’?”

She shrugged, as if it were a throwaway comment.

“Nothing. Just that sometimes, some things just aren’t meant to be.”

I leaned back in my chair, choosing to not even bother to respond. I did not have the energy, not even to consider if I’d ever actually liked Hana, or if she was just the one person who spoke to me. I’d never really noticed, but now, I reflected that I was also the only person who spoke to her.

Huh. How had I never noticed that before?

“Hey, did you see that the Tabs finally released those pictures from the Christmas ball?”

Her eyes gleamed with an expression I would have said bordered on manic. She pulled her phone from her pocket, tapped the screen a few times, and then slid it across the table to where I could see it.