{ chapter nineteen }

‘alright’

Sunny Saturday morning and it was Baek Hyun’s second day in the hospital, together with Se Hun.

Eric, Soo Yeon and Chan Yeol would visit and stay for hours, but they’d go home because they can’t have too many people inside the room. Also, Eric and his son Chan Yeol were busy with the case they’re setting upon the suspects. Chan Yeol’s still pissed off over the fact they managed to hurt one of them, but somehow feels satisfied that they’ll be in jail pretty much for the rest of the their lives.

Baek Hyun misses Jin Hee so much, and he couldn’t stop himself from staring while she peacefully sleeps. Her natural color was coming back, and it was a good sign. Every now and then, nurses and the doctor would come by to check on her. He and Se Hun would talk, and there was a time, when they both couldn’t fall asleep, they talked about what happened.

Baek Hyun confronted Se Hun about their recent fight, and the latter apologized to him, though whom he really needed to apologize to is the person lying on the hospital bed, still hasn’t woken up. All is cool between them; the younger just really needed to hear it from him since he was the one Jin Hee turned to when that happened. He needed to know if Se Hun regrets it, and he does.

“You really don’t know what you have until it’s gone,” Se Hun once said in their midnight talk, “or at least until you can feel it going away.”

Baek Hyun was up early and Se Hun was soundly sleeping on the couch. He watching some cartoons on the television, while sitting beside Jin Hee, left elbow on the bed and his left hand intertwined with hers. He was engrossed on watching that he didn’t notice the pair of eyes fluttering open.

The first thing she felt when she woke up was feeling like a sandstorm just ran past it.

But then, she couldn’t care less about her dry as a bone throat when she saw Baek Hyun holding her hand tightly while immensely watching Pororo on television.

She would’ve laughed endlessly if ’s all hydrated.

Her eyes then landed on her brother who was sleeping cutely, trying to fit his tall frame on the small couch. He failed obviously since his feet dangled along the armrest. She saw his bandaged foot, and comfort washed over her, knowing her brother’s fine and alive.

Jin Hee brushed her thumb on Baek Hyun’s, an act which the latter got shocked with. Baek Hyun quickly snapped his head to his girl, Pororo long gone and forgotten.

She weakly smiled, “Hey,”

Baek Hyun stood up from his chair too abruptly it almost fell over. He brought up his hands to her face and rubbed his thumbs on her cheeks. He excitedly smiled, “Hey.”

“Enjoy watching Pororo?” she asked, voice hoarse yet she managed a chuckle.

“Se Hun! Hey Se Hun! Wake up!” Baek Hyun shouted to his companion and turned back to Jin Hee, smile not fading, “The characters are cute, don’t judge.”

“Sure.”

Se Hun slowly gets up and looks around. He then sees his sister’s eyes open and smiling with Baek Hyun. Jin Hee turned to look at her brother who seemed stunned. She smiled at him.

“Se Hun, good morning. Is your leg alright?”

How? How could she worry about others before herself? How could she worry about his brother who all did was to push her away with hurtful words?

Se Hun suddenly got all shy, like he wasn’t a hundred percent determined to talk to her when she wakes up these past days. He refused to meet anyone’s eyes, but he nodded.

“Y-Yeah…”

“Dude, go call the doctor and tell them she’s awake. I’ll call everyone.” Baek Hyun grabbed his phone on the table. Se Hun, on the other hand, stood up and ran for the door to go outside like a massive sense was knocked upon him.

“Hello, Uncle! It’s me, Baek Hyun! Jin Hee’s awake!” the boy beside her told the news to her father elatedly.

“Baek, sorry to interrupt but can you get me glass of water, please?” Jin Hee requested.

“Hold on a second, uncle,” Baek Hyun covered the receiver with his hand, “Later, babe, we have to wait for the doctor.” Then he went back to the phone.

Jin Hee bit her lip and laughed, “’Babe’…” she must’ve laughed too much that the wound on her back ached, and she cried in pain.

Sometimes, laughter isn’t the best medicine.

The doctor’s check up passed by quickly and the three were left again in the room. Se Hun fiddled with his crutch and Baek Hyun stood beside her, assisting her to sit up. The wound still hurt, but it was nothing to be worried about.

Baek Hyun inched to her, his mouth close to her ear, “He wants to talk to you.” He pointed the older guy with his lips.

“Really? Okay, I’ll talk to him. Can you leave us for a minute?” She asked in a low voice.

He nodded, “Sure. You’ll be alright?”

“Yeah. I’ll just have Se Hun call you when we’re done.”

Baek Hyun laid a kiss on her temple before leaving. At the sound of the door, Se Hun looked up, only to find the younger gone, leaving him alone with his sister.

Sure, he was intent on apologizing and talking to her, but being in the real thing was harder than he thought. He could feel himself chickening out, but Jin Hee’s voice stopped him from doing so completely.

“Is the crutch a hassle?” she asked. Jin Hee just needed to make Se Hun feel that she’s not holding any grudges against him anymore, that he has no reason to be shy or uncertain.

Se Hun looked at the wooden helper and smiled a little, “Sometimes.” He stood up and went to his sister’s side, sitting on a chair.

She nodded, “Is it bad? Can you still play soccer?”

“Yeah, I still can…” he trailed off, “how about your wound on your back?”

“It aches, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” Jin Hee assured with a smile.

Silence came. No one talked for seconds, until Se Hun’s voice echoed.

“I’m sorry.” He said, looking down, “I’m sorry, for everything. You know that… that feeling when you think everything you see is right? But turns out, that everything is what blinds you from seeing the real right. For months, I refused to think and look at the things that was in front of me that I got blinded by something else; anger, hate, disappointment. Anger because I felt like I was betrayed. Hate because I hated you. Disappointment towards my father who cheated on mom. Everything was overwhelming…

“There’s you, who’s the new one in the family, whom Dad gave his attention to, he almost forgot about us. I hated you, I was jealous of you, I didn’t recognize you as my sister. Those times, I was thinking that Dad just pitied you and had no choice but to get you under his care, but it wasn’t effective whenever I see his eyes and smiles around you. Dad is and has always been sincere when it comes to us, to you.”

Jin Hee intently listened, absorbing his brother’s words. Se Hun didn’t meet her eyes, but she could see the emotions they’re reflecting.

“It may be shallow, but sometimes, I don’t get upset over the fact that I actually have a sister, but because I’m not the youngest anymore.” Se Hun chuckled in embarrassment, “The attention that I usually receive gets to another person instead, which is you, that’s why you’re the one I despised.

“But our recent fight… what I told you… it was the dumbest thing I said yet. I don’t mean it, Jin Hee. I don’t know if Baek Hyun or Chan Yeol told you, but when I get angry, I either say the smartest things or the stupidest ones, and I said the latter. I’m truly sorry about it, I…” Se Hun bit his lip, “I regret it.”

“Don’t worry, Se Hun. It’s cool.”

“No, it’s just… stupid. I felt guilty for it for days. I wanted to talk to you but I couldn’t find the right timing, and my ego always pulls me back. Good thing you talked that night. I was able to listen to you and to my logical self.