Chapter 4

Hyejin called Wheein later that evening after she came back from the hospital, worried that she suddenly disappeared without saying anything.

"Oh, Wheein-ah. Where are you?"

"Me… I'm… Uh, home."

Hyejin raised an eyebrow at the stuttering and pauses so she pursued on the matter.

"Seriously, where are you? How can you just disappear like that?"

Hyejin heard her sigh and took a deep breath. She was getting nervous because she knew her bestfriend like the back of her hand but this person, the person on the other line, Hyejin was unfamiliar with. Wheein was always bright, hyper and straightforward, never hesitating.

"I am home. I just got back," Wheein finally answered.

"You sound off, Wheein-ah. Something wrong? Do I need to come over?"

"It-It's fine. So many things happened today and I'm really tired."

"Alright, go and rest. Did you tell mom?"

Hyejin and Wheein were close since they were in diapers and they had been calling each other's parents as their own and the feeling was mutual. They're practically sisters, not blood-related, but they would have each other's back no matter what.

"I didn't. I told her that I fell down the stairs."

There was silence on the line for a few minutes.

"Wheepup, get some rest. I'll come by tomorrow."

"Hyejin-ie, thanks."

"Always."

I'm sorry, Hyejin. I lied.

That night, Wheein sat down at the doorsteps, hesitating to ring the doorbell. She knew it was stupid, considering the freezing temperature outside but she didn't do anything. She sat down, zipping up her winter coat and tucking her hands into the warmth of her pockets. Leaning her head against the door, she made herself comfortable and ended up dozing off to dreamland.

Is it fate?

She was lying down on the hospital bed, wide awake even as the day turned darker and the air got colder. She had barely slept a wink after waking up for the first time in the hospital and this time, she had more than her insomnia to blame for the lack of sleep.

"Shh, shh. It's okay, you're safe. I'm here and Hyejin too. We won't let anyone hurt you," Moonbyul cooed as she tugged on their linked pinkie fingers.

She kept thinking of what she said to Wheein and it's been bothering her ever since. After she accidentally opened her wound, Wheein had left the room by herself, running, and never returning afterwards to see her condition. Moonbyul can't think of any reason why she did so and wondered if she had done something wrong, something that offended the younger girl without even realizing it.

I mean, I did pin her to the floor, unintentionally of course! Maybe I triggered her trauma?

She would have pulled out her hair in frustration but her arm was still in recovery and she had experienced enough pain for the day so she just sighed as she counted sheep in her mind.

Three hundred and seventy, three hundred and seventy-one, three hun-

Her voice faltered when the sheep stumbled and fell down instead of jumping over the fence.

Okay, I'm loony. I'm imagining things now too. What did the doctor say about my head again?

"Moonbyul-ssi, I was told that you hit your head on the asphalt during the incident. We took an X-ray and a CT-scan to make sure that it's not a serious problem and other than a slight bump, a bruising at the base of your skull, we concluded that you didn't suffer from any concussions. However, since you fell unconscious right after the impact, we need to monitor your condition for 24 hours before releasing you," the doctor explained after he finished patching her back up.

"What about the hospital bill?"

"I'll take care of it. You got injured because you're trying to protect Wheein, my best friend. I talked with my father and he agreed with me."

"I couldn't possibly impose on you," Moonbyul declined.

"You are most definitely not. I grew up with Wheein and our family are so close with each other. I would never imagine a life without her and what you did, it's very admirable of you. Please let me repay your kindness," Hyejin insisted, her eyes burning with passion.

"It seemed like I can't change your mind. Thank you."

"I'm the one who needs to thank you. If anything had happened to her, I wouldn't forgive myself."

"You saved us both. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Truth to be told, Moonbyul wished that she had followed her own advice. She had always been so strict with herself; taking overtime on the weekends, studying in between breaks and looking for more part-time jobs. Her mind threatened to dig up a fragment of her past, a past she had tried to forget by keeping herself busy. It was because of her past that she had decided to move to Jeonju, in search for solace and inner peace. Insomnia, it's the result of her past. She had decided to lock it away, sealing her past in a Pandora box and never opening it.

Tonight, as she lay down on the hospital bed, her mask cracked and she let a tear escaped her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she chanted throughout the night, silently sobbing.