Chapter 20: Chapter Twenty
Jae was a little worried about Blaze's current expression. Maybe he shouldn't have told her about last night. But if it wasn't him, Blaze would probably ask Danica or Chae. Worse, to Cameron or Siegfried directly.
He took another sip of his coffee and looked back at Blaze, who seemed to be having a mental breakdown. "Blaze, are you okay?"
The man blinked a few times before finally coming to his senses. "Jae Legarda, can you order me an Americano?"
Jae frowned. "But you don't drink coffee, Blaze."
"Well, I need it. Now! Please," said Blaze.
Jae nodded and immediately went to the counter to order an Americano for his friend. Even though he wasn't really sure about leaving Blaze alone at their table. From time to time, he glanced at him to make sure his co-worker didn't commit suicide with a jam knife. A little too much indeed, but he couldn't be careless just a little. Especially with the man's current emotional state.
Five minutes later, he breathed a sigh of relief when he returned. Blaze was still alive without any injuries – except for the bandage on his left hand. "Your coffee, Blaze."
Blaze took a deep breath and grabbed the glass then tried to drink the coffee. But because it was still quite hot, he accidentally spilled it on his wound bandage. Jae moved quickly by taking the glass and asking the waiter for napkins and iced water.
Blaze winced in pain. Not only because of the wound but also the heat slowly creeping through the nerves of his hand. Jae is now very worried about him. And when the waiter came with a napkin and a glass of ice water, Jae swiftly took the napkin and wet it with ice water. Then he wrapped his left hand with the cold napkin. At least the heat should be removed.
"Hans won't be happy to see you two days in a row, Blaze Schift. But we have to go to the hospital."
*****
When Hans arrived at the ER, he immediately saw Jae with Blaze, who was now lying on the bed. He rushed over to him. He looked at Jae intently. "What is it?"
"The wound was exposed to hot coffee. I wrapped it with a cold napkin," said Jae.
Hans then focused on Blaze's hand. He carefully removed the napkin and bandage that wrapped the man's hand. When he saw the condition of Blaze's wound, he sighed. A little irritated that Blaze wasn't paying attention to his wound at all, but he was also relieved that the burn from the hot coffee didn't look as bad. Luckily enough, Jae moved quickly.
He glanced at Blaze briefly, then looked back at Jae. "You can wait outside. Let me take care of it."
"But, Hans..."
Blaze quickly cut off Jae's words. "Hey, just get out. Hans can treat me."
Jae sighed. "Okay, I'll go out."
Then the man walked out of the ER. Hans himself is now paying attention to Blaze, who is paying attention to his left hand which is reddish because of the hot coffee. Especially with the wounds that have not healed.
"It will definitely leave a mark," said Blaze.
"Looks like it's going to leave a mark. But you can remove it with surgery," said Hans while wearing gloves. He prepares to treat the man's wound – again.
Blaze smiled faintly. "If surgery can remove the scar, then can the scar on my heart also be removed?"
Hans was silent hearing the man's words. He looked at him again. But now Blaze chuckled. "Do not think about it. I'm just talking nonsense. My mind is in a mess right now. You just treat the wound."
Hans sat on a chair. "The wound in your heart can only be healed if you forget your love for Hailey, Blaze. And get a new love. It was the best surgery to remove the scar. Give me your hand."
And as long as Hans was treating his wound, Blaze just silently watched the doctor closely.
*****
Jennie frowned when she saw her older brother coming to the library with a bent face. Siegfried took one of the books between the shelves at random and sat next to his younger sister who was busy with her books. Jennie watched him closely.
"Cameron said something that made you unhappy?" said the young woman.
Sieg sighed and started reading. "How do you know?"
Jennie smiled faintly. "It's very visible. What is it? What about last night's events? You come home drunk and that's rare. Oh, wait! It feels like Siefried Lowells has never come home at night with such a support."
"Don't ask all kinds of questions, Jen. It's none of your business. Just focus on your book," said Siegfried.
Jennie then closed her book and watched her brother closely. Siegfried glanced slightly at his sister and took a deep breath. He looked at Jennie. "What do you want to know, eh? This is my problem."
"But usually, you talk. Even if you have problems at work," said Jennie.
Siegfried put his book on the table and looked at his sister seriously. "Well, I guess it's about time you started learning about privacy boundaries. There are actually a few things I didn't tell you completely, Jen. I guess this is one of the things I don't need to tell you."
The young woman suddenly pursed her lips in annoyance.
"Don't frown like that, honey. You're twenty-four years old. Come on, you will surely do the same to me later. Especially if you already have a lover," said Siegfried.
Jennie sighed. "Huh, sweetheart? Look at you, dear brother. Wait, you've agreed with mom. So, I guess it's just a matter of time until you don't have time for me. Maybe after this I will talk to Cameron or Tyler more often."
Sieg smiled faintly. "Oh, about that. Actually, I totally disagree. Mom is just exaggerating, honey. I never mentioned the word marriage."
Jennie raised an eyebrow. "Why? You even agreed to…. wait, are you back playing around? As previously? Woah, if mom finds out then…"
"Don't say it, eh? Please. I'm just tired of mom's nagging. We'll probably meet a few times. But if during the meeting I don't feel anything, I can cut ties," said Siegfried.
Jennie suddenly hit her brother's arm. "Hey, you think this marriage is some kind of game where you can stop in the middle? You have agreed to a meeting and engagement. If you break the engagement halfway…. Oh, mom will definitely have a heart attack."
"Hey, don't talk like that. Mom's high blood pressure may recur, but it won't lead to a heart attack. Besides, I really don't want to get married anytime soon. No woman has really…"
"Make you fall in love?" interrupted Jennie.
Sieg nodded and smiled. "Sounds cliche, doesn't it?"
"And also disgusting. Moreover, it is you, Siegfried," said Jennie with a small laugh.
Sieg ruffled his sister's hair. "Although it sounds disgusting as you say, but that's how I feel. All the women I was introduced to, they weren't attractive at all. They may be pretty, but that's just her face. I can see their personalities, even just from meeting them once."
"Gold Diggers?"
Sieg nodded again. "Or something like that. Well, who wouldn't be interested if they were to be matched with me?"
Jennie snorted in annoyance. Her brother is really a big headed. "There's one person who doesn't want to meet you even though she's going to be betrothed to you. Benice Schift. Even her younger brother came to see you. Right?"
Sieg was silent. Yes, Benice Schift. Only she didn't come to the matchmaking meeting and he met her younger brother, Blaze Schift. Since then, the two of them have always met at the wrong time and place. Hell, he just thought about it. Every time he meets the man, the unexpected always happens. Like a streak of bad luck. Especially with what happened last night. Gosh, stop thinking about it, Siegfried!
"I heard he became a lawyer for Lowells Group. You'll see him more often," said Jennie, waking him from his daydream.
He sighed. "Yes, that's correct."
Another misfortune is in sight.
*****
Blaze looked at Hans, who was walking towards his car. After treating his wound, the doctor said that they should talk. So, with a little forced he had to ask Jae to go home. Well, lucky enough he didn't bring a car to meet Jae earlier. But the situation in the same car with Hans made his stomach uncomfortable.
Hans opened the car door and looked at him. "Come in. We won't talk for long. I'll take you home too."
Blaze took a deep breath. He walked over to the man's car. "There's no need to take me. Let's talk, then I'll take a taxi home. You can't leave the hospital for long after all, can you?"
Hans smiled faintly. "You still act like you're twenty-seven. You are my last patient for today, Blaze. Well, you're lucky enough that you came just in time before I left."
Then Hans climbed into the car. Blaze sighed in annoyance. The man's attitude is still as annoying as before. Yesterday, he had thought that Hans was a little better, but today it still feels just as annoying. he opened the door and climbed in.
*****
Blaze watched Hans, who was busy with his sandwich. The man his age looked so hungry. Even with two large sandwiches in front of him right now it wasn't enough. He took a sip of his iced lemon tea.
"You look like you haven't eaten since yesterday," He said.
Hans swallowed the sandwich in his mouth. "Eh? How do you know? Since yesterday a lot of patients who came. Especially in ER there is still a shortage of people, so for two months I have to work there. I also only slept two hours cumulatively. Even just eating ramen is hard."
"ER? Aren't you supposed to be in pediatric surgery?" Blaze asked.
Hans looked at him. "How did you know I was in pediatric surgery? I don't think I ever told you."
"I heard it from Hailey. Even before you went to Germany, you wanted to be a pediatric surgeon," Blaze said.
Hans just oh- he then went back to eating his sandwich. Blaze took a deep breath and handed his sandwich to the doctor. The man suddenly looked at him again.
"Just eat first, then we can talk." Hans then stopped eating instead. He sipped his cola. Blaze frowned. "Why?"
"You don't feel awkward with me right now?"
"Why should I feel awkward? Well, maybe yes. Since we met until yesterday, you've always been cold. I tried to be nice, but your reaction was just the opposite."
"Until yesterday?"
Blaze nodded. "We've never had a chat like this. And yesterday when you treated me, I felt a little bit that you were being very nice to me."
Hans hissed in annoyance. "Hey, I've always been nice to you from the start."
"By always saying that my relationship with Hailey won't go well? Is that what you call being nice?" Blaze said annoyed with the man's annoying attitude again.
"At least I'm right, right? For years you waited, in the end you parted like this. If you listen to what I say, today you may have married another woman," said Hans.
Blaze started to get annoyed with Hans's attitude. He thought they could have a casual chat but it didn't feel like it was going to happen. "Is this what you wanted to talk about? You're wasting my time,"
He then left the man.
"You're wasting my time too, Blaze Schift! If you had listened to me and let go of your feelings for my sister, maybe I wouldn't have to go to Germany. Sit back and we talk like grown men. Don't act like you're twenty-seven years old," said Hans.
Blaze looked at Hans closely. "Who is still twenty-seven years old, Hans Reyes? What's your business regarding my feelings for Hailey? You may be her brother, but you are not my parents. Why should I follow your words to get rid of my feelings for Hailey? You even-"
"Because I like you, Blaze Schift."
Blaze became silent. Hans still looked at him with a serious face. There was no turning back. It's not the kind of confession the doctor expected, but who cares. He took a deep breath.
"Because Hailey never liked you more than I liked you. Because of me… Because you are Blaze Schift."
*****
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone