Hospital Visit (1)
The light flicked on in the dark room. It was the first time I'd turned on the lights since moving into this house. Strangely, it didn't feel unpleasant. Finding that odd, I looked at Yeon-a standing before me.
"Yeon-a."
"…Huu."
Yeon-a was still sniffling, dabbing at her tears with a tissue. She didn't usually wear heavy makeup, so her bare face looked just as pretty.
"Really… that was too much."
"Mi-mister… I'm sorry. I was being selfish."
"Yeah! You were selfish!"
"……."
Yeon-a let out a sigh as she watched me struggle to respond.
"Come here… let me hug you."
"O-okay."
"Does it hurt if I squeeze too tight?"
She loosened her embrace just a little. Her arms felt warm and comforting.
"…Why did you do that? Was it really that hard?"
"……."
It had been unbearable. I never expected Dad to appear so suddenly. Both mentally and physically, I'd reached my limit.
"…Yeah."
At my honest answer, Yeon-a sniffled and gently stroked my head.
"Talk to me… I thought you were fine and went to sleep."
"I'm sorry……."
When I apologized, she sniffled even harder, insisting she was the one who should be sorry. One of her eyes looked unfocused, making her appear even more pitiful. Before I could say anything about it, she kept talking.
"And… how could you say something like that? Asking me to tell you to die?"
"Urk……."
"If you ever do that again, I won't forgive you."
"Mi-mister, I'm sorry."
"Haah."
It really had been too much. I'd touched the very thing that made Yeon-a feel guilty. 'It was too cruel to someone who came to me because she wanted me to live…….' Far worse than just calling me a slacker. Reflecting on that, I reached out with my small hands and hugged her tightly. Her hands, wrapped around me, were incredibly warm.
"…The bad people are the ones who uploaded Junsu's photos without permission and that man, okay?"
"Yeah……."
"There's nothing for you to blame yourself for. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."
"…Yeah."
When I answered, Yeon-a smiled faintly.
"That wasn't a lie, right? You're really going to be okay now?"
"Of course… I'm okay now. Thank you for hugging me."
I'd poured out tears, blood, and every emotion at once. For the first time, I felt like I could finally sleep soundly. And there was one more blessing.
"…Now, self-harm doesn't feel good anymore."
The reason for hurting myself had vanished. Yeon-a stroked my head and turned off the fluorescent light that had lit up the narrow room.
A hospital room bathed in warm sunlight. Giseong and Haram sat beside the fragile Junsu, unable to get any real sleep. The surgery had been a success, but recovery was now entirely up to him. He'd lost a lot of blood and had pushed himself to restrain Takheon. Naturally, his body was in no condition to be fine, and everyone was worried. Only Yuho, whose family waited at home, had gone back; Haram and Giseong took turns staying by his side.
"…You'll be able to go home soon."
Haram spoke in a worn-out voice. The hopeful news was that Junsu's parents—his guardians—would arrive soon, allowing the two of them to finally leave. Hearing this, Giseong smiled, though guilt clouded his expression.
"…I at least hoped he'd wake up before we left."
"That… yeah."
Haram sighed and looked at the unconscious Junsu. He'd been groaning through the night, but now he lay silent again. His heart beat steadily, his breathing was even. Yet he remained as precarious as a candle in the wind.
"He'll recover quickly. He's young."
"…We can only hope."
The doctor had said he'd wake soon, but anxiety filled both their hearts. They'd seen Junsu's face turn blue as he bled out from the knife wound in his stomach. In the ambulance, his blood pressure had plummeted—he'd nearly died for real.
"……."
"……."
The two stared blankly into space. So much had happened since evening.
"Haah… If only someone hadn't bragged."
"…If only I hadn't been late, we could've changed locations faster."
"It's not your fault, Giseong-nim."
Giseong smiled awkwardly. Haram firmly reassured him.
"The real problem is the people who uploaded it online without thinking… Posting it without consent is just too much."
"You're right about that."
Haram puffed out her cheeks. Giseong let out a weak laugh, then stood up after checking a message from Junsu's parents.
"They've arrived at the hospital… Let's go."
"Ah… Okay……."
"Are you streaming today?"
"…I think I need to sleep. I'm exhausted, and after everything that happened, I need time to recover."
Haram smiled awkwardly. Giseong nodded in understanding. Just then, Junsu's parents entered the room and grabbed both Junsu and Haram's hands. While the couple sniffled and called Junsu's name, Giseong and Haram calmly explained his condition.
"None of the vital organs were hit… And the important blood vessels weren't damaged either."
When Haram forced a smile as she spoke, Junsu's mother pulled her into a tight hug.
"Oh dear… Thank you, thank you… Thank you for saving our son."
"Eh…? I-I didn't save him…!"
Haram flustered. Giseong spoke up beside her.
"Who was the one who called the police first and rode in the ambulance to explain everything?"
"Th-that…!"
Haram's face looked ready to burst. At that moment—
"…Mom, Dad…? Ah… Giseong and Akari-nim……."
"…!!"
"…!!"
Junsu's voice came from the bed behind them. He'd regained consciousness.
"Junsu hyung…!!"
"Kei-nim!!"
"Oh dear, Junsu…!"
"Our Junsu woke up!?"
Four voices echoed through the private room. Junsu, barely awake, muttered blankly.
"…Ah, an unfamiliar ceiling."
After Haram, Junsu, and his exhausted parents had all left, Junsu lay alone, turning up the painkiller drip with a sigh.
"Haah… Does it still hurt…? Is this thing even working?"
He glared at the IV, but of course the pain didn't ease. He sighed again.
"……."
That wasn't what mattered right now. Above all, he was worried about Suhyun. He'd known she'd grown up in a difficult environment, but never imagined she was facing death threats.
"…I hope she made it home safely."
After being stabbed, he'd forced himself to stay conscious long enough to get her to safety, but everything after that was a blur. He sighed. It had been complete chaos. All he remembered was trying to stop that man with a blade lodged in his stomach. Even as the knife twisted painfully inside him, he'd kept forcing strength into his body.
"I should at least let her know I'm okay."
Junsu picked up his phone—the surest way to tell everyone he'd woken up.
-Click!
The shutter sounded, and a photo appeared: Junsu making a V-sign with a weak, pained smile. A slightly ridiculous selfie.
Receiving that apology, Suhyun burst into tears.
"Yeon-a…! I-I guess he doesn't hate me after all…!!"
"That's right. What a relief."
"Yeah…!"
"Mm… Don't spill your food."
Her appetite had returned. She finished the breakfast Yeon-a had made for her.
I'd been staring at my phone for a while.
Everyone seemed to be moving past yesterday's events. Seeing that, I gathered my courage and typed a message.
When I sent it, Yeon-a—who'd been stroking my head—stopped and looked at me with slightly surprised eyes.
"I was going to ask, but I guess I don't need to?"
"Ah… Th-thank you……."
"You've grown, our Suhyun……."
She gazed at me with a wistful look. Smiling awkwardly, I nodded.
"I-I guess I've grown… a little."
Even though the self-harm wound from yesterday still hurt, I felt like I'd grown in my own way. Soon, a reply came from Junsu-nim.
Promising not to apologize, I quickly finished my breakfast.