Notice: This chapter may touch slightly on a sensitive issue. Read at your own discretion. Better safe than sorry.

Recommended BGM: I Miss You, by Mamamoo

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Chapter 5 

 

Her lips were blue and chapped, her complexion was pale and her teeth were chattering. It was no surprise since she spent the whole night outside where the temperature was practically freezing and all she had on was three layers of t-shirt, sweater and her winter coat. It was a miracle that she didn't die of hypothermia and as soon as she was taken indoors, futons, towels and coats were piled on her to stop her from freezing to death. She was barely conscious when she was carried inside and she heard noises and incomprehensible mumblings so she blocked out the sound to relieve her headache. Since then, she kept on waking up and falling back to sleep repeatedly but there was always someone with her but in her dazed state, she hasn't been able to identify the person.

 

The scene from yesterday replayed in a loop in her dream; his big hand touching her shoulder, the way he closed in on her, his menacing figure towering over her. Her fear feels raw, as if it is happening at this moment, and she shriveled up, crying in a fetal position on the ground and she couldn't hold back a whimper as footsteps approached her and getting nearer and nearer with each hasty breath she took.

 

"Wheein! WHEEIN! WHEEIN-AH!!"

 

Her whole body violently shook and she woke up and instinctively she tried backing away but the person held her in a tight embrace and no matter how she trashed around, the person didn't let go. Her breathing was frantic and her heartbeat was racing and felt constricted so eventually she stopped her tantrum, struggling to breath.

 

"Breathe in, breathe out. Follow me, in and out, in and out. Please please Wheein-ah, in and out."

 

Slowly but surely, Wheein began to breathe normally after following the breathing exercise and then collapsed to the bed in exhaustion, tears still flowing down her face. Her arm was bleeding slightly when the IV needle detached from her arm after the struggle so the person tried to clean it but was afraid of another breakdown so she left it alone for now, opting to talk instead.

 

"Wheein? Do you recognize me?"

 

She blinked once, twice, and then turned her head to look at her best friend and when their eyes met, she could see the worry and pain in her best friend's eyes and wondered how hers would look like.

 

"H-Hye-Hyejin."

 

Her voice cracked but she managed to call out her name and when she did, she crumbled to the floor and cried silently, her back facing Wheein. She brought her hands to her face and muffled her cries into her hands, all the negative thoughts flashing through her mind. After the incident yesterday, she had been on full alert and was constantly worried about her best friend and with that strange phone call with Wheein, she couldn't sleep thinking about her. When she found her outside her door that morning, she had thought that she lost her.

 

A hand reached out to touch her back and Hyejin jumped onto the bed and hugged her tight, anchoring her to the reality and not in an imaginative world where there was no Wheein, and she hugged her close because she was afraid that Wheein would disappear if she didn't. Wheein lifted her hand to pat her head and caressed her back, comforting her best friend and maybe herself.

 

"Don't you ever do that again. Don't you ever pull that stunt again. Don't you dare…"

 

"Shush, Hyejin-ie. I promise, I won't. I'm sor-"

 

"I'm sorry for yesterday. If I didn't come late that wouldn't… I'm so sorry," Hyejin apologized in her ears as more tears trickled down her cheeks onto Wheein's sweater.

 

"Don't. Hyejin, please don't do that. Don't blame yourself. You saved us, you saved me. That's all that matters," Wheein bit her lower lips as memories from yesterday came back to her.

 

Did I really?

 

She finally backed away from the hug to properly look into her eyes, searching her face to see if she's hurt anywhere and to erase the image of Wheein's overly pale complexion from her mind. A sense of responsibility and a somewhat maternal love and care bubbled inside of her and she had to urge to make sure the person in front of her to never get hurt, not as long as she lived to protect her.

 

"Hyejin? I'm not sure if this is the right timing, but I'm hungry," Wheein pouted as she pat her stomach.

 

Maybe doing her usual routine will help.

 

"Aigoo, when are you not hungry? I'll fix up something for you but do you need anything before I go?"

 

"Can't you stay?"

 

"I'm gonna order Chinese food. The usual?"

 

"Thanks, Hyejin-ie."

 

"Love you too."

 

"Also, thank you."

 

"That's what friends are for."

 

While Hyejin called for delivery service, Wheein leaned against the headboard and just watched her best friend calmly repeating their orders to the person on the other line, the way she tapped her finger on the dressing table and the way she spoke with Jeonju accent. She felt familiar with everything and for once since yesterday, she felt safe and secure, and in control of the situation and that her best friend will be there if she need a hand. Maybe she had been living in blur all this time but the world got clearer and she just want to enjoy each day living life to the fullest and appreciate the people around her more.

 

"Wheein-ah? Are you not listening?"

 

"Oh? What is it?"

 

"I need to clean your arm. It's bleeding a little."

 

"Bleeding?"

 

"I put you on an IV drip and the needle came off earlier. I'll clean it and please don't be stubborn and let me put it in again."

 

"Do I really need the drip?"

 

"Yes! I need to make sure you're not gonna faint on me or else mom will be angry at me."

 

"Mom! Did she call?"

 

"She called early this morning, woke me up from sleep, and asked for you. I don't want to worry her so I told her that you slept over at my place and forgot to tell her," Hyejin replied as she dabbed cotton onto the seeping blood.

 

"I'm sorry I lied."

 

"I don't care about the lie but you should have told me that you were outside! I would have let you in, no questions asked."

 

"I don't know what came over me. I just can't push the doorbell," Wheein sighed, her head hung low.

 

"I'm just glad that you're fine. I honestly don't know what I'll do if anything happened to you."

 

"I'm sorry for the scare."

 

I should have known something was off with that phone call. I'm sorry that I didn't notice the signs.

 

"It's fine now. You're here, safe and warm and with me. That's enough for me."

 

S t i n g

 

"Ack, do you have to insert the needle at this timing? It stings. Are you sure you're allowed to do these?"

 

"Yah! I got my degree with first class and I'm a resident for a year already! I'm a qualified doctor!"

 

"Oooh, my best friend is a doctor! I'm impressed."

 

"You should! Only you would have a doctor best friend, no one else."

 

"That’s why I'm the luckiest person in this entire world!"

 

"What world? We're just in Jeonju, not even Seoul."

 

I'm the lucky one to have you as a best friend.

 

"At least you're famous," Wheein winked.

 

"That is a fact."

 

"There it is, Ahn Fatal. As expected, you're so fatal."

 

"The food will be here any minute now. I'm gonna fetch my wallet and get the money ready. Will you be okay?"

 

"Go. I'll manage."

 

"I'll just be a minute. The delivery guy is here already," Hyejin reassured as she stood up from her seat and went out to take the food.

 

Wheein raised her left hand to look at the IV needle stuck into her skin and tried making a fist but her fingers shook too much and she seemed to not have any energy to bend her fingers. She dryly snickered at her state and felt stupid for her reckless action last night, waiting outside Hyejin's door because she didn't have the courage to push the doorbell. She didn't want to unnecessarily worry her best friend but she ended up doing exactly that and even risking her own life. Still leaning on the headboard, she closed her eyes and listened to every sound in the apartment; the door swinging open, Hyejin greeting the delivery guy and the motorcycle noise fading away as it gets further from the apartment. When she re-opened her eyes, Hyejin was setting the table for the both of them to eat. At times like this, Wheein felt like Hyejin was meant to born earlier before her because she was always the one caring for her, when it's supposed to be the other way around - although sometimes they both act like kids and had to have someone else watching over them.

 

"Do you think you can handle these? Your body's still recovering."

 

"I'm not sure. I don't even know what my body wants right now."

 

"I'll let you have a bite and if you can't take it in, I'll make some porridge for you," Hyejin suggested as she cut the sweet sour pork into smaller portion before feeding it to Wheein.

 

"How is it?"

 

Wheein coughed out the food and immediately Hyejin grabbed the tissue and cleaned up the mess, putting aside the food. Worried that the smell might be overwhelming for her, Hyejin ended up bringing them out of the room and into the dining room.

 

"I'm sorry, Wheein-ah, but you'll have to eat porridge today until your body regains some strength."

 

Hyejin helped her drink some water from a glass and made sure she's warm, helped her lie on her back, before excusing herself to the kitchen.

 

"Just stay put right here and if you need anything, call out for me. Don't overdo it and just rest. I'll be back with some soup and porridge."

 

Wheein yawned in response, her eyes were droopy and she didn't know what came over her but she felt like napping even though she just woke up less than an hour ago. In her weakened state, she didn't even fight the sleepiness and instead went along with her body's wish and went to sleep.

 

Hyejin was worried about her because it's too quiet and once in a while would peek into the room to see her best friend's sleeping face, afraid that she would see a frown but for the sixth time she checked, there was not a single disturbed or pained expression so she would continue working on the chicken soup and the rice porridge. The Chinese food they ordered was getting cold so she moved them into several containers and packed it nicely into the fridge. When she was done cooking, she scooped some of the soup and porridge into two small bowls and brought it to her room.

 

Hyejin carefully and silently pulled a chair by the bed and sat as she watched her sleep. Whenever they had a sleepover, they would talk all night and challenged themselves to stay up but right before the clock ticked to midnight, Wheein would be fast asleep and Hyejin would always find herself staring at the sleeping girl, covering her with blankets and falling asleep beside her after being lulled to sleep by Wheein's steady breathing.

 

I'm sorry yesterday happened but I promise I'll protect that smile for as long as I live.