A RACE TO MY HEART (FAN FICTION) (CHAPTER 23)

I Breathe You - Vic Zhou

CHAPTER 23              

  It was already late but Fate still stayed in the DBSK boys’ apartment, waiting patiently for Max.              

She looked around the room again. She was trying to search for other things to do. Then she suddenly noticed the top of ht built in bookshelf in a corner of Max’s room.              

She smiled and quickly took the chair she was sitting on near the bookshelf. She then slowly started to arrange the books one by one. She was already finished when a heavy book suddenly slipped out of her hand. She tried to catch it but the chair she was standing on unexpectedly turned over.              

“Aaaahhhh,” Fate cried out as her body fell hard on the floor.              

Jaejoong and U-Know quickly rushed into the room after hearing the loud commotion. Micky and Xiah also followed afterwards.  

“Fate,” they both uttered with worry.  

Fate somehow felt a throbbing pain in her abdomen. But she tried to hide it.  

“Come on. Be careful in standing up,” Jaejoong uttered as he helped her on her feet.  

“Jae, let’s put her on the bed first,” U-Know said with concern after noticing the way Fate was limping.  

“You should be careful,” Xiah uttered as he slowly took the books that have fallen and placed them back on the bookshelf.  

“What were you doing?” Micky asked.  

“I was just arranging the books when I tipped over on the chair I was standing on,” Fate replied as she tried to control the growing pain she was feeling. Somehow she didn’t want the other DBSK boys to get concerned about her.  

“Are you all right? Are you feeling any pain?” Jaejoong asked.  

Fate just shook her head. “No, I am fine. Thank you for all your concern.”  

Jaejoong smiled. “You know it’s already late. I think it’s better if you just went home already. I don’t think Max will be home soon.”  

U-Know also nodded his head in agreement. “You should have gone home hours ago. You also need to rest. Don’t worry about Max. He’s a big boy already. He can certainly clean up his own room.”  

Fate couldn’t help but laugh. “Big boy? Hmm…. I don’t think so. He’s still quite a young boy at heart.”  

Micky and Xiah also laughed.  

“Yeah, he’s too childish to even be considered a grown-up,” Xiah commented.  

“He’s totally way over his head with the way he’s acting. Sometimes I just want to hit him right on his head so he can wake up,” Micky uttered.  

Fate just sighed. “Don’t be so cruel with him. It’s still all my fault why he’s like that.”  

“He’s just over acting. I really don’t see any sense in the way he’s treating you. I am really angry with the way he’s bossing you around,” Jaejoong said.  

“Even though he’s like that … I still love him. And I am willing to wait until he finds it in his heart to forgive me,” Fate uttered with a bitter smile.  

Micky and Xiah just shook their heads. They pitied Fate. And they were already getting annoyed with Max. They were thinking that if there was a way they could help, they would have already done it. Somehow they didn’t like seeing Fate so sad.  

Minutes passed, Xiah, Micky and U-Know already returned to the living room. They had gone back to watching a TV program. While Jaejoong just stayed in Max’s room to watch over Fate as she slept.  

Jaejoong just stared silently. Somehow he didn’t like the way Fate’s face was becoming pale. He carefully stood up and sat on the side of bed and arranged the sheet that was covering Fate’s body.   “You poor thing… I really wish I can help you. I feel so horrible whenever I see Max treating you so badly. Why can’t you just let go of him? He’s just playing around with you… Can’t you see it? Can’t you feel it? Give yourself some dignity. Just leave him. You can find a better man. Someone who will treat you nicely. Someone who will love you without any conditions. Wake up, Fate. Please don’t put yourself into a more shameful condition,” Jaejoong uttered as he stared at her.  

“Yes, he can find a better man… someone like you perhaps?” a voice suddenly said.  

Jaejoong quickly looked at the direction where the voice came from.

“Max,” he uttered.   “Surprised?” Max asked with a sarcastic expression on his face.  

Jaejoong just shook his head in dismay. Max was really becoming indespicable.  

“You’re late. She’s been waiting for you for hours,” Jaejoong uttered as he quickly left Fate’s side.  

“So? I didn’t ask her to wait for me,” Max answered.  

Jaejoong shot Max an angry look. “Have a heart Max… You’re becoming a real monster, do you know that?”  

Max just let out a short laugh. “Monster? She made me this way.”  

“No, she didn’t. You made yourself that way! You’re the only one who can control your life and your actions. So don’t go around blaming her for all the wrong things you have been doing. That’s totally unfair,” Jaejoong said angrily.  

Max chuckled. “Why are you so concerned about her hyung? Don’t tell me… you suddenly have feelings for her?”  

Jaejoong gave Max a shocked expression. “Are you really that low now? Do you really think that just because I am nice to her…. I am already falling for her? Why don’t you just hit your head on a wall or something? I really think you’re losing it.”  

“I was just asking. I seldom see you so concerned about a girl. I just can’t help but wonder I guess,” Max uttered as he slowly sat down on a chair. He then closed his eyes and tried to erase all the things that were running in his mind.  

Jaejoong immediately noticed the strange look on Max’s face. “What’s wrong?” he asked. Somehow his anger suddenly diminished.  

Max opened his eyes and just smiled. “Nothing. I just feel so tired I guess.”  

“Don’t wake her. You can just stay in my room if you want. She fell down while arranging the bookshelf. So we made her rest and go to sleep,” Jaejoong uttered.  

“Oh… how is she?” Max asked. Somehow he couldn’t hide the concern in his eyes.  

Jaejoong couldn’t help but smile. It was obvious that Max still had feelings for Fate, but was just hiding it.  

“She said she’s fine. But I doubt it. I think she’s sick or something. She’s becoming quite pale,” Jaejoong answered.  

Max stood up and moved towards the side of the bed. He then carefully touched Fate’s cheek to check if she had a fever.  

“She doesn’t seem to have a fever. Maybe she just needs some rest,” Max said as he again stood up and moved away.  

“You still love her, and yet you’re making her suffer. When will your revenge end Max? Don’t you think she’s had enough? Have pity on her,” Jaejoong said.  

Max looked at his friend. “Honestly, I don’t know what to think anymore,” he replied with a low voice.  

Suddenly…  

“Max, you need to see this right away,” Xiah shouted as he came barging into the room.  

Jaejoong and Max quickly followed Xiah into the living room. Micky and U-Know were watching the TV which was broadcasting an evening news.  

“Now back to our top headline news… we have just received this news moments ago. It seems a set of photos are currently sweeping the net right now. And fans of the famous DBSK are quite shocked with the photos posted in more than half of the top online news sites.

In the photos, Max… the youngest of the DBSK members is seen kissing one of the back up dancers of the group. Now what is causing the commotion is the fact that Max is currently involved with the racer Fate Nakamura. Some of Fate’s fans are already sending hate comments on DBSK sites specifically for Max. This is really causing such a big commotion in the music and entertainment industry right now.”  

Then the TV station started to show Max’s pictures kissing Mina. They were obviously in a bar. And the pictures was obviously very recent.  

The other DBSK members were all shocked.  

“So is this what you have been doing while Fate was so busy cleaning up your room?” Jaejoong shouted angrily.  

“Jae,” U-Know uttered as he tried to control Jaejoong.  

“You’re really unbelievable. Just leave her if you don’t want her anymore. You don’t have to go on playing around and cheating on her,” Jaejoong continued,  

Max lowered his head in embarrassment. He was totally lost with what to say. He was also shocked after seeing those pictures of him and Mina in the bar.  

“Max, what’s going on?” Fate suddenly asked.  

Shocked and scared, all the DBSK boys suddenly turned to look at Fate. Micky quickly turned off the TV. He was afraid that Fate might see what was on the news.  
Tears were already streaming down from Fate’s eyes. “You don’t have to turn it off Micky… I already saw everything.”  

Micky lowered his head. He felt horrible just seeing the pitiful expression on Fate’s face.  

“Fate…I … I …” Max tried to utter something but he was totally lost for words. Now it was time for him to be the one at fault.  

Fate tried to control her tears. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to say anything. You don’t have to explain a single thing. I… I understand. I… I… I think I should be going now,” she suddenly said as she hurriedly walked out.  

Max just stood as if frozen. He wanted to run after her. But he felt he had no right to do so.  

“You’re really something. You’re not even going to run after her and try to explain? Way to go, Max. You’ve really turned into a real monster. I hope she just wakes up and leaves you permanently. You don’t deserve her…” Jaejoong said as he stormed out of the room.  

U-Know, Micky and Xiah just exchanged glances with each other. They all wanted to say something, but they felt that Jaejoong had already spoken enough for all of them. They also pitied Max in a way. And they could see that he was already in pain as well.  

An hour later….  

Fate didn’t know how she was able to drive and arrive safely back at the hotel. Somehow both her mind and heart were in total confusion. Tears were clouding her eyes as she hurriedly went to her room.  

Once inside… she immediately broke down into an uncontrollable sob. She cried out and screamed. She was hurt so badly that she couldn’t take it anymore. Her whole body trembled as she wept. She finally released all the pain and anger she was feeling.  

Suddenly…   “Aaaaahhhh,” Fate cried out in pain. She quickly fell down on her knees and then fell down on the floor. She started to cry out in pain. The throbbing pain in her abdomen was growing with every passing minute.  

Half an hour later…  

Michael worriedly waited as the manager of the hotel tried to open Fate’s room. He had been calling her for over half an hour, but there was no answer. The receptionist of the hotel already confirmed that she had returned to the hotel. So he decided to ask the help of the hotel staff to open Fate’s room.  

He hurriedly went inside the room, the moment it was opened. And he was stunned to see Fate lying in the middle of the living room soaked in a pool of blood. He quickly rushed to her side…  

“Fate,” he uttered with fear. He held her in his arms and tried to touch her pale face.

“Fate? Please wake up… Don’t scare me please…”   But Fate was already unconscious and very pale. She had lost a lot of blood. And even her breathing was already very slow.  

“Help! Someone call an ambulance please,” he quickly called out to the hotel manager.   “Fate, hold on…. Fate…. Don’t let go… I am here. Fate…. Don’t leave me,” Michael cried out as he tightly held on to her cold body.