“She won’t be conscious for at least a few more hours.” Park Bom announced as she entered the private room where their new and mysterious friend laid, still unconscious after an aborted brain surgery.

“So everyone keeps telling me.” Jiyong mumbled from his place in front of the windows. He kept his back towards Bom as he stared at whatever was outside Sandara’s window.

Bom approached him, putting down the bags she was carrying. “Did you even rest, Jiyong?” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve been here since yesterday moring and I know you were also with her the night before her surgery. You need to rest -”

“How can you say that?” Jiyong asked, shrugging her hand off his shoulder. He wasn’t angry. “She’s lying there because we almost killed her.”

“We were trying to help.” Bom reminded him. “We’ve been over this a thousand times, Kwon Jiyong! And I know that the rest of the guys as well as Hyesun has spoken to you about this. We’re just trying to help. We’re doing our best, and really, isn’t that what everyone can expect of us?”

“I promised her..” He whispered.

“You promised you’d try.” Bom answered softly looping her arm through Jiyong’s forcefully and leaning her head on his shoulder despite his resistance. “You promised her you’d do everything you can and you are. You promised her a home if she doesn’t get her memories back. You promised her a life whether or not she remembers.. And that meant- means so much to her. She had the courage to go ahead with the surgery because she knows you’ll be here when she wakes up regardless of the outcome.”

“Did she really?”

“Really what? Care about you? Trust you?” Bom smiled at him. “Yes, she did. All that and more.”

“More?” There was a tinge of hope in his voice that had Bom suppressing the grin that was threatening to explode from her face.

She hummed her answer noncommittally before releasing his arm and grabbing his hand instead. “That’s something you two would have to discuss when she’s awake. For now, why don’t you join me and eat something. Then get a shower or something cause you’re starting to stink. One whiff of you and Sandara might just go back into a coma.”

“Don’t even joke about that. Please.” Jiyong begged quietly as he took a seat. His mind couldn't even fathom the possibility.

“Well, it’s true.” Bom hid her smile as she started bringing out the food containers out of the bags. “You really aren’t smelling anywhere near mildly attractive at this point.” She’s exaggerating of course. It’s only been a day. Sure, Jiyong’s looking rumpled and exhausted but he’s still super hot - something that she’s sure Sandara would still appreciate once she she wakes up. Throwing a glance at her still unconscious friend, her expression softened as she willed Sandara to wake up soon. She misses what she now considers her Park sister. Once again she found herself wondering how someone they just met under super suspicious circumstances has become such a huge part of their lives. Sandara’s captured their hearts with her quiet strength, vivacious spirit and almost childlike purity. She’s seen so much horrors in her life and yet she refuses to give up. It would be so easy for her to forget about her past and just let Jiyong take care of her as he so obviously wants to, but Sandara wants to reclaim herself. “Come on. You won’t do Sandara any good if you’re exhausted and smelly. After we eat, you can grab a shower while I sit with her. I brought you some clothes and stuff.” She pointed to a duffel bag that she left by the door. “Seungri packed that so I take no responsibility for whatever is inside, okay?”

“Knowing that rat, he probably packed the most ridiculous combo of clothes.” Jiyong grumbled even as he started eating. His hunger finally making itself known once faced with all the delicious food Bom brought over. Bom kept a steady chatter that only required minimal participation from Jiyong. He looked at her and saw how her eyes would dart to Sandara whenever she thought he was distracted. In his worry, sometimes Jiyong forgets that he’s not the only one invested in Sandara’s wellbeing. “She’ll be okay, noona. We’ll make sure of it.”

For a moment, the smile on Bom’s face wavered. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, “Of course she will. Of course we will.”

__________________________

“You lie.” Kaminari aka Park Sanghyun seethed. His eyes were full of rage but there was a thread of desperation there. “She’s dead. My sister is dead.”

“She’s not.” Kim Jaejonng answered calmly even though his instincts were screaming at him because of the menace coming from Sanghyun’s friends - Miru and Rijun who were watching every twitch he’s body is doing. “If you are the Park Sanghyun I’m looking for and if your sister is Park Sandara, then she’s alive.”

Sanghyun was practically vibrating with all the emotions that Jaejong could only suspect he’s feeling.

Rijun stepped forward, sword still at the ready. Gone was the joking, silly boy from their earlier encounters. Here was a warrior bent on protecting his friend. Jaejoong could only respect that. “Prove it.”

“I have a photo in my phone.” Jaejoong raised his hands to show he didn’t mean any harm. He slowly lowered one hand and started pulling the phone from his pocket. Miru stepped closer eyes steady on him as he covered his friends. He unlocked his phone and pulled up the Sandara’s file photo that Big Bang sent him. He slowly turned the phone towards the three men in front of him. His eyes fixed on Sanghyun as he stared at the photo hungrily.

Sanghyun reached for the phone and tears started running down his cheeks but he remained silent.

“Hot damn. You’re sister’s hot.” Miru commented causing Rijun to hit him on the head. “What? She is. How can she look so much like Kaminari but so different?”

“She’s a girl, stupid.” Rijun whispered under his breath. “Also so not the time.”

“How?”

“How what?” Jaejoong asked. “How is she alive? No idea. Honestly. I was asked to look for yo