“Yah, Shownu! Where do you think you’re going!?” Jisung asked me, anger etched across her face.

I sighed before speaking. “None of your business, okay? I’ve finished talking with Jooheon and Minhyuk anyway, so don’t panic,”

She huffed and rested her chin on her hands. I shook my head and kept on my way. This shouldn’t be bothering me so much. I owe them nothing, but I still feel as though I’m indebted to them. Did I get too close to them? I gave myself a slight slap to get it together. The only thing that mattered was Minjoo; that was the reality of the situation. Family before friends, I kept telling myself.

Except they’re not even my friends. I shouldn’t fool myself.

Why was I stressing out about this all anyway? I had a day off thanks to Insoo’s generosity, which meant I could spend the whole day with my little sister. If the nurses are in a good mood, they might let me take her outside to the hospital gardens.

My steps became lighter as I pushed my problems away for the day, and soon arrived at the hospital in the afternoon. I could get five hours with her. I strode up to the reception desk and logged into the system as a visitor, before heading straight to Minjoo’s room.

I went in with a smile plastered on my face, but it wasn’t returned. She didn’t greet me brightly; she barely noticed my entrance at all. Assuming something was wrong, I rushed to her side, only to be pushed away weakly. “You can’t get rid of me with a shove, Minjoo,” I laughed nervously. She’s never usually this quiet.

“Oppa…” She muttered.

“What?” I asked.

“The nurses always gossip about you and your friends when they think I’m asleep… And they say you’re a bad man, oppa,” She turned to face me and I gulped.

“Not me, surely! They must be getting me confused with someone else,” I lied.

“I know you’re lying… I wish you didn’t. The work you do, doesn’t even count as work. I hate what you do,” She glared at the end of her bed, the sheets scrunched up in her little fists.

I ran my fingers through my hair. “You’ve got to understand Minjoo. I can take care of myself, and I can take care of you too. There’s nothing I can do about my job,” I told her, taking one of her hands. “How about we ask the nurse or doctor if we can go out to the gardens?” I suggested with a smile. To my relief, she nodded.

Within ten minutes, she was unplugged and unhooked from those machines, and helped into a wheelchair. The doctor injected her with some dextrose and told me to bring her back when she became tired or short of breath. I nodded and wheeled her down the ramp and into the green gardens.

There was a circular lawn with a path around it and small fountain in the middle. Outside of the lawn area were four rose bush beds and several benches to fill up the square area. Since it was a pleasant sunny day, a couple of elderly men were sat together on a bench with a chess board in between them, and a woman was sat on another bench reading a book. We found our own bench and I sat down at one end, manoeuvring Minjoo so that she was next to me.

“Will you quit your job?” She asks me.

“Minjoo, why are we still talking about this!?! Can’t I spend my day of with you in peace!? I don’t want to talk about it!” I raised my voice.

“Oppa, please don’t shout at me,” She said quietly.

“WHY?! I can shout if I want to! So what?” I continued, full of rage. Her eyes immediately welled up, and the guilt swept over me instantly.

There was silence as we looked away from each other. She furrowed her eyebrows and threw her fist down on the side of the bench. “FORGET ABOUT THE HOSPITAL BILLS; JUST STOP DOING HORRIBLE THINGS FOR MONEY!” She screeched at me. I saw a few nurses gather around, but they just watched from the sidelines upon seeing me. I looked back to Minjoo, and almost cried at her scrunched up face, eyes shut tight, but tears rolling down her cheeks.

“But, Minjoo… You’re the only thing that matters,” I sniffed, holding back my emotions. “I can’t just let you die,”

“And why not, oppa? You’re wasting your life for mine. And mine isn’t even worth it,” She was full on sobbing. The nurses had started to approach us out of concern, and I knew I wouldn’t have much more time before being dragged away.

I wiped away her tears and crouched down opposite her. I wanted to hug her and hold her tight, but I knew it would cause her too much pain, so I grasped her hands instead. “You’re only eight. Don’t talk like that. Ever,” I whispered sternly, my own vision becoming blurry. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I roughly shoved it off me.

“SHOWNU OPPA,” I could hear Minjoo yelp as her hands were ripped from mine. Two people held me back and I knew for sure that they had called security on me.

“GET THE OFF ME,” I tried shaking them off me as I fought to get back to Minjoo, but she had been wheeled back to her room, and I was escorted out reluctantly.

“You are no longer permitted to visit anyone in this hospital,” I was told sternly.

“But what’ll happen to my little sister?” I asked, my voice shaking.

“Has her stay and surgery been paid for?”

“Not completely, but if I can have some more time, I ca--“ I was cut off almost immediately.

“I’m sorry, but if that’s the case, she will have to leave within a few months if there is no improvement,”

“But she’ll receive the surgery, right?” I gulped.

“Yes, it’s scheduled today,” He informed me before going back into the hospital.

I stared at the hospital from the outside entrance. I ed it all up. I can’t visit anymore. I can’t pay anymore. I won’t be able to see her again… I sat down on the curb and cried the hardest I had in years. I hugged my knees to my chest hopelessly, and let everything sink in. I took my phone out of my pocket and shakily tapped in the passcode, and then a phone number. He picked up after two rings.

“Yeah?”

“I’ve changed my mind, Jooheon. I’m in,”