The sharp pain surging up his spine finally managed to wake him up, after sleeping for hours in an awkward and straining position. Groaning slightly, he felt the inevitable ache in his limbs as he tried to stretch them, opening his eyes fully when the pain started get on his nerves. 

Taekwoon was confused for a brief moment, before he remembered how he ended up on the floor next to your bed. He only wanted to watch over you until you fell asleep, and at that point in time, he had no idea that he would collapse right there too. 

I better leave before- Standing up, he noticed his hand being held tightly by you as you continued to sleep soundly, and he could not help but to stare for a few minutes, before pulling himself back into reality. Taekwoon stilled when you stirred in your sleep once he managed to successfully pry your fingers off his hand, and breathed a sigh of relief when he made sure that he did not wake you up accidentally. 

He was just one step away from the door when he turned to notice the dishes in the sink which stopped him in his tracks. What if she wakes up when I- It's just a handful of cups and utensils, I'll be done within seconds. 

The sound of the tap water gushing through his hands and splashing onto the glassware distracted him from all thoughts, and he missed the sound of the bedroom door clicking open. However, no matter how detached he was from his surroundings, that one word managed to bring him back immediately. 'Sunbae?'

I knew it. Without a second thought, Taekwoon placed the dishes in his hands down and turned away, muttering under his breathe, 'I'm sorry.' 

You stood at the same spot, questioning his actions for a brief second before you realised that he was heading for the door, and your hands acted before you knew what you were doing.

'Are you going to treat me as a stranger again?'

Taekwoon's mind halted all processes the instant you wrapped your arms around his waist and he felt you leaning on his back, just when he was about to slip on his shoes. Why is she doing this to me? 

'You are, aren't you?' 

'It's not going to work. I can't stay around you.'

'Samchon can help you. I can tell-'

'He knows.'

'Then we can-'

'It's useless. You have to push me away.' It took him all his courage and will to pull your arms away from him as he took a step back from you. But he could not get himself to look at you as he stuck his line of sight to the ground. He knew, if he looked at your face just for one millisecond, he would never leave. And he could not risk it anymore after last night. Once was enough.  

'Stop it. Stop pushing people away.' 

The moment you saw him take another step back defensively just when you were about to move closer to him, you felt your heart break slightly. 'I-I'll hurt you.'

'You're not giving yourself a chance. Are you going to live the rest of your life like this? What if Leo takes over? You're okay with that too?' Why, why is he avoiding people? Why does he not want people to help him? 

'Yoon Jieun.'

'You know what, do whatever you want! I don't care if you go around on a rampage and end up in prison for the rest of your life. What does that have to do with me anyways?'

Little did you know, warm tears flowed down your cheeks. You quickly turned away from him, not wanting him to see you cry because of him. Only then, did he finally get himself to look up at your figure. And by how you were constantly sniffing and wiping the sleeve of your shirt on your face, he didn't have to think twice to know that you were dropping tears. 

'It's not okay to be sick. Why are you doing this to yourself?'

Why is she crying over this? Does she really, have feelings for me? 

'All I want to do is to help you, is that so wrong of me?'

I can't even control myself, how will you be able to do it? 

'Just leave! Leave.' You shouted in a sudden spurt of anger when all you heard was silence. However, this time, you were answered with a click sound. And once you turned around, he was no longer there. 

Stupid Jung Taekwoon. Why isn't he accepting help when someone's offering? Does he really want to live like that forever? I know I probably don't understand how it feels, but he can't just refuse people all the way right?

Your ringtone broke the silence in the room, and you frowned as you looked at the Caller ID that lit up on your phone. Hakyeon oppa shouldn't have pampered me. He shouldn't have allowed things to go my way every single time. 

And yet I still continue to disappoint him. 

It wasn't to your surprise when you received a message once your phone stopped ringing. 

     Why aren't you answering the call? Did something happen?

But you couldn't come up with a proper answer. Any reply you send in an attempt to justify your actions would just render him appearing at your doorstep in the nearest minute possible.

     Jiji?

     If you don't reply within the next minute, I'm going over.

Don't.

     Finally. What happened?

Oppa, can I have some alone time?

     Okay, call me if I can help with anything. Remember, nothing more than two pills.

 

'Hyung, is it normal for her to be here at 1am staring into thin air?'

'What do you mean?' Taekwoon immediately sat up in his bed when he realized who Hongbin was referring to. And to think that he wanted to whack the younger one for calling him at such an ungodly timing just a second ago. 

'The latte girl. She just reached 20 minutes ago and all she did is to sit there at the window seat. She didn't even touch the latte I prepared- She didn't even take a photo of the art that I tried so hard to do at midnight-'

'Tell her that you're closing.' He spat as he managed his coat on with one hand, his phone sandwiched between his ear and shoulder. 

'But we don't- We open for 24 hours.'

'Tell her to go home.' 

'What if she pesters me again? Why can't hyung come and talk to her yourself?'

'I'll text you, write it on a post-it and pass it to her. Make sure she goes back.'


 

'Remember not to have too many. There's side effects.'

'Remember to call samchon before taking it.'

'Remember to take down how many you're taking.'

Your mind was clouded with voices and your vision blurred for a second. You could feel yourself losing the strength in your legs as you stumbled slightly. Not again...

'I didn't take too many- I- I just couldn't fall asleep last night-' You mumbled softly to yourself, trying to persuade your head to let you off just this once.

'Remember-'

Something black flashed across your eyes when you were suddenly pulled back sharply, missing the van that zoomed past you by a mere inch. However, the swift action made your already unstable state of mind grow even more groggy, and you did not realise that you were now held firmly to someone's chest.

'Yoon Jieun?' Taekwoon's grip tightened on your wrist as he tilted his head downwards to look into your blank eyes.

'Remember...' However, that was all that came from your lips.

Remember? Taekwoon looked at you worriedly as he gripped onto you by your shoulders. 'Jieun- Yoon Jieun! Are you okay?'

'Yoon Jieun...' You repeated blindly, and that definitely did not help in calming Taekwoon down.

Spotting your phone in your hands, he quickly took it and didn't even have the time to feel relieved when he noticed that there wasn't a passcode.

'S-She's not okay. J-Jieun. There's something wrong.'

'Yoon Jieun...' Taekwoon would have rather you repeated the word 'Remember', instead of your own name over and over again, as he nervously listened to Minhyuk for instructions. 

 

Taekwoon repeatedly turn to look at you as you followed behind him quietly like a little puppy, with your hand in his. On the bright side, you weren't chanting your name over and over again any more. But that doesn't mean that you look like you were in the right state of mind. 

Only when you were nearing the compounds of Minhyuk's clinic did you finally get most of your senses back. And from the fact that the person who was holding tightly onto your hand was Taekwoon who doesn't look pleased, and that you could only vaguely remember your encounter with him, you knew you were in deep trouble. 

'Where are we going?' You asked cautiously, and it was the first statement that didn't consist your name, or the word 'remember'.

However, Taekwoon was not going to let his guard down. He knew that there was something that you were hiding, seeing how you were immediately on full alert as you scanned your surroundings, and from the way you were dragging your footsteps when you saw the building before you. 'To see your samchon.'

'But I'm okay-'


 

'I told you not to- You don't ever listen to me, do you?'

'I just couldn't sleep-'

'That isn't an excuse!'

Taekwoon stood quietly at the corner of the small room as he listened to your conversation with Minhyuk, which was more of an argument. He could tell that Minhyuk was genuinely angry at you, his neck red as his hands gripped tightly around the pen that he was holding onto.  

'Just this once, don't call them, please? I'll be good. I'll listen to you. I just don't want to worry them.'

'I didn't tell them the last time. And you said just that once too.'

'What if umma gets too worried!'

'Then they can just bring you back home.'

'Samchon! The last time was a year ago. I promise it wouldn't happen again.'

'You know those aren't the only side effects right? What if Taekwoon wasn't there just now? We'll be in a hospital already and you probably wouldn't even be able to talk back at me.' 

'Nothing will happen- It really won't- I'll stop. I'll stop taking them.' 

'This girl, I really can't get her.' Minhyuk finally turned to look at Taekwoon and sighed, to which ticked you off even more as you stood up from your seat and headed for the door. 'Drink milk with honey, it helps.'

'I don't drink milk.' 

'Then drink peppermint tea.'

'I don't take mint!' And with that, you slammed the door shut behind you, leaving the two males in the room. 

'Drop by when you're free, I'll talk to you then.' Minhyuk told Taekwoon, before urging him to follow after you.


 

When you quickened your steps, you could feel him doing the same, but with lesser difficulty than you were having since he could easily take longer strides.

'Stop following me!'

'If you're sick-'

'I don't want to hear it from you. You don't have the right to tell me that.'

'You need to take the bus to get back.'

But if I take the bus that means he'll follow me up and I'll be stuck with him! But it's too far to walk home either...

'Are you getting treated?' Taekwoon finally didn't have to raise his voice at you once you decided to give up keeping a wide gap between the both of you. 

'There's nothing to treat. I slept well when you were with me didn't I?'

Is this how she felt when I wasn't listening to her? If yes, it definitely doesn't feel pleasant at all. 'Why did it happen?'

'I don't know.'

'Shouldn't you find out?'

'I don't need to.'

'If you get treatment, I'll do something about myself too.'

The way your eyes lit up as you finally turned to look at him made him want to take back his words immediately. Taekwoon sighed when that was the only way to get your attention.




 

'Where's your pills?' Taekwoon asked the moment you got back, and you immediately found yourself blocking the way to your bedroom. 

'I don't have them.'

'Yoon Jieun.'

'Samchon didn't say-'

'You said you'll stop.'

'But I need time to stop- I can't just- Taekwoon sunbae!' You grabbed onto him when he tried to tug you gently away from the door, only to have his head rested against it as he groaned slightly. 'Sunbae?'

'I'm okay- I'm okay...' He managed to cough out, staying upright for a few seconds before his legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground, pulling you down with him. 

You immediately felt yourself panicking as you tried your best to hold him upright, but he ended up leaning his head on your shoulder instead as his hands unconsciously held you closely to him. You froze, not knowing what to do, or what was happening, until you felt his grip loosen in the next moment, the weight on your shoulders gone. 'Sunbae? Taekwoon-'

'What are you doing here- And were you with him?'


 

[A/N] Current situation:

me: I have prelims so I can't update

also me: I have prelims but inspiration only comes right before papers

HAHA dammit. okay so update: my prelim 1 went well!!! (like the prelims that I was talking about in my previous update) and now my prelim 2 is in less than two weeks HAHA so I really don't think I'll be updating until December (but who knows) (that was what I said in the prev chap too hahahaha) 

ANYWAYS, I hope that this chapter wasn't too messy and that it was okay!

As usual, thank you for all the comments and subscribes and wishes for my national exams omg I shall do well preparing for them before coming back here. 

Thank you! 

<3 

p.s. I lowkey feel like this is getting strangely similar to my other Leo fic dammit.