"Miss Keekee, some water."
"O-oh thank you so much Kim."
GULP GULP GULP GULP!
"OOOOOH! My god. I never knew river water tasted, cough so good!"
Keekee finally felt like she landed on ground zero. Her soul had been drifting in the clouds from what happened, so feeling anchored on land really made her believe she was still alive. Her heart was still racing though, but she didn't know if it was from the fact she just got mugged and nearly raped - or dragged flying around like a stunt double in a violent action movie.
"Oh. Oh god." She gasped as she fanned herself with a maple leaf she was given to drink water from like a cup. “Thank you, Kim. Y-you're a life saver!”
Martial Kim simply nodded...because he couldn't make eye contact with her. Especially when the top of her clothing was torn wider. It showed a lot of skin, too much for someone as reserved and mild-mannered as the young master. So he kept his eyes on his surroundings, as if pretending to be vigilant for another attack.
"Oh...Oh man...that was just too close” Keekee sighed with relief, “...Hold up. Kim, where have you been!?"
Remembering something, Keekee rushed up to Martial Kim. The latter politely stepped away, because of her torn clothing in his eyes: she was essentially considered naked. So every time she tried to hop around to make eye contact, he had to be rude and avert his gaze.
"The Director had been looking all over for you!? He thought I made you mad and you walked out on the production!... D-did I make you mad? Please tell me what I did wrong to offend you?"
Martial Kim shook his head, because it was difficult to look at her when cleavage was visibly showing. She was, after all, a very beautiful and attractive lady in her youthful prime.
Keekee wiped the sweat off her brow, “Oh phew. I-I seriously thought th-that I pissed you off with something I said... Wait. If that isn’t the case, why are you still here in the mountains? N-not sure if you got the memo or text, but the film crew already packed up to do indoor shots back in the studio.”
So, that is why I could not find her and her camp. They left before I even knew it. What terrible timing. I wonder, if they had still been there – would that woman still be alive?
“Kim, are you okay? D-did I say something to upset you again?”
Martial Kim lacked the energy to respond and simply shook his head once more.
“By the way, Kim,” Keekee’s tone changed while she took a closer look at her friend, “How come you are still in costume?”
Costume? These are my usual clothing. Much like yours, albeit...less revealing.
“Didn’t you return it? To the Director’s wife? You know she handles costume management and the cleaning and—Oh god. Wh-what did you do to yourself? Th-the costume is ruined, mud and dirt all over. She’s going to have a heart attack in removing these stains!...Uh...urk—EEW! Wh-why do you smell like you swam through trash!? Did the Director force you to do another weird stunt before you left camp!?”
...A lot of things happened... Wait. If everyone has gone, what about Keekee?
“Huh? Kim? Wh-why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face...Oh why am I still here? Ah.”
Keekee staggered about on the spot, trying to gather the right words, “Well uh...long stupid story short... The Director kinda lost his watch in one of his previous shooting somewhere up there. Said it was limited edition – blah blah – said it had sentimental value – blah blah – said don’t come back without his watch or I won’t have a job to return to...I know. I’m pretty stupid huh.”
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“Of course not,” Martial Kim replied, not knowing what else better to say.
Somehow, it was enough to lift Keekee’s spirit back up the mountain in her spirit, “S-still. My god, Kim. Y-you’re an absolute mess! I-I don’t get it. Why haven’t you gone home?”
Martial Kim had over 100 ways to answer such a simple question. The fact there were too many fighting to be first, most of them feeling too outlandish for this situation, did he hesitate to respond.
Somehow, the silence itself gave Keekee a brand new answer, “Oh...Oh Kim...Could it be you?”
“???”
“...Suicide?”
Martial Kim had an incredulous look on his face, "I beg your pardon, Miss Keekee?"
The film assistant shuddered as she spoke. "Th-these mountains, they have a lot of suicide cases. It happens nearly every year. People wandering off into the woods to hang themselves, found years later withered in a ditch...or never found at all... Kim, d-did something terrible happen for you to--”
"Miss Keekee, there is a misunderstanding."
"Y-you say that, but look at you! Lost and alone! Not caring how dirty you got! A-and you were so hungry and thirsty when we first met. I-if I didn’t know better, I would have believed you were trying to starve yourself to death!”
N-no, I just...I was not able to get my mind straight of what was happening.
“At first, I thought you were just exhausted,” Keekee continued, “I honestly thought the Director pushed you too hard, he always does and it drives people mad. I should have asked, if you were alright back then. If-if I had known sooner—”
“Miss Keekee, hear me out—”
“And you were so, so, sooo sad.”
Ah. I see why she could be lead to such conclusion. The evidence itself is pretty much damning. However, how do I tell her the assumptions are all wrong. I am just far away from home lost in these foreign mountains.
Martial Kim was so distracted with his inner thoughts, he never realized Keekee swept his one hand in hers. She cupped them in her palms, warming his tired and bruised fingers and making sure she squeezed hard enough for her heart’s thoughts to get across his own like a telegraph.
It also made the mild mannered martial artist – turn beat red.
“Kim. Is it money problems? Did a girlfriend dump you? Bad divorce? Terrible luck with your acting career? What happened?”
“M-Miss Keekee. M-my hand. Please let go.”
“I-I was in a bad place...more or less like you.”
The revelation hammered silence into the young master.
Keekee held his hand close, her tone shaking, “I had friends and family to get me through the hard time. I was lucky. But I know some people who weren’t that fortunate. And honestly, there was nothing I could do to have convinced them... I don’t want to repeat my mistakes, not when I am seeing the signs again, playing out in front of me like this.”
Repeat her mistake...Why does this ring so true with me. How I failed that woman back in the mountains. The victim of a murder... Ah. I finally see now. Even Keekee, wishes to redeem herself like me.
Am I even worthy of her sympathy?
Keekee ended up flapping one hand about, it seems she lost track of what she wanted to say and was sweeping up words to get her message across, “I-I know we haven’t met long and I don’t even know your number. I...What you need right now, is a friend to get you through the bad times! So, let’s be friends! I mean, you are a suuuper nice guy Kim! So kind and polite – I mean, no one calls me Miss like you do! A-and you rescued me just like 10, 20, 30 minutes ago, I-I forgot. I...I...Friends! You and me! How about it!?”
Do I deserve your friendship? Martial Kim internally sighed to himself, After what has happened, I will only become a burden... But...how do I reject her, while she has those eyes of a lost stray kitten?
"...Miss Keekee."
"Yes? Yes buddy!?"
"I am sorry but we should not........I mean: I accept. Let us be friends."
Never would the young master realize, such a simple promise would lead him even further away from home and all that he believed in.
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