(A/N: Final chapter guys! I can't believe we're almost finished!)

"Sir, he's loosing a lot of blood," the paramedic said desperately. "We can't stop the bleeding!"

"Keep him conscious! We have to try, we're almost at the hospital," the head paramedic ordered. Areum was sitting next the the half-conscious boy, clutching his hand desperately. 

"I need you to stay away, okay Sehun?" she whispered, forcing her voice not to waver. "Keep your eyes open and look at me, alright?"

"Areum..." he breathed, wincing. "I'm sorry."

Her heart shattered as she tightened her grip on her hand "I know... It's okay. We'll be at the hospital soon."

"No..." he shook his head slowly, eyelids lowering further. Worry and fear filled her insides. "I'm...sorry. It's...my fault you're...here."

She pressed her lips together, doing her best not to break down. "It's not your fault, Sehun. I'm okay. You just have to stay awake, okay?" She gently his face, brushing his hair out of the way. A paramedic noticed and was about to tell Areum to rest and check her own injuries, but the head paramedic stopped her. 

"Leave them be," he said, his face grim. "She's doing a good job of keeping him distracted and awake - I think he needs that more than anything else at the moment."

"Sir, his heart rate is dropping to dangerous levels!" A nurse called out, checking the heart monitor worriedly. Areum tensed. Sehun was almost completely unconscious now. 

"Sehun, you have to stay awake," she begged, choking back a sob. Despite her best efforts, her voice broke. "Sehun...SEHUN!"

"Sir, his heart rate has dropped completely!"

*************************

A steady beeping filled the air of the large hospital ward. A dark-haired teenage girl sat in the chair next to the bed, asleep with her head and arms resting on the side of the mattress. Her hand was intertwined with the inhabitant of the ward, a handsome blonde boy of similar age. The blonde was also unconscious, with an IV drip attached to his arm and a heart-rate monitor beeping steadily next to him. 

Suddenly, the door opened quietly and a middle-aged man, pressumably the boy's father, stepped in. His eyes softened at the sight of the young pair. 

"She's still here," he spoke quietly to someone behind him. The girl's parents and the man's wife stood behind him. "She's refused to leave his side since they finished the surgery."

"Just let them be," Areum's mother said, eyes sad. "With what they went through... they'll need each other the most for support."

The parents left quietly, leaving the two alone again. Silence once again filled the room, punctuated only by the faint, steady beating of the heart monitor. 

It had been 3 days since the incident. Sechul had been arrested and put in confinement until his trial. Sehun had been close to death by the time they arrived at the hospital. He was lucky, however, as the bullet didn't hit any organs or major arteries. Areum, after allowing her injuries to be checked and treated, stayed with the blonde and refused to leave him. 

She often had nightmares, haunted by the events of that night. Other times, the guilt ate at her - Sehun risked his life for her and that was why he was in a hospital ward. She had dark bags under her eyes and was exhausted, but she refused to leave his side. Their previous arguments no longer seemed important. 

Suddenly, the blonde's eyes flickered open as he groaned quietly in pain. His entire body ached, especially his back. His head throbbed and his throat felt parched. He blinked, wincing at the bright lights of the ward.  He looked around, taking notice of the heart monitor and the walls of the room before his attention landed on the girl sleeping soundly next to him. He felt their intertwined hands and his eyes softened, reaching out with his other hand to brush the hair out of her face. He lightly traced her cheek, frowning when he noticed the dark bags under her eyes. 

'How long have I been out? Where am I? What happened to Sechul?'

He felt a familiar burn of anger at the thought of his brother and his actions. A feeling of guilt followed - because of him, Areum had nearly lost her life. He sighed, gazing sadly at the girl next to him. Suddenly, her eyes fluttered open as she looked up blearily. His lips lifted into a small smile as she noticed him, her eyes going wide as she bolted up straight. 

"Sehun...?" she breathed, as if she couldn't believe he was awake in front of her. 

"Hey," he whispered back, his smile crooked as he reached out to her cheek. Her eyes filled with tears as she suddenly jumped forward, wrapping her arms around his frame and pulling him into a tight hug. He willingly returned the embrace, wrapping his free arm around her waist and pulling her closer, inhaling her familiar scent. 

"Sehun!" she cried, burying her face into the crook of his neck. "You ing jerk. Don't you dare scare me like that again!" She sobbed, her tears staining his hospital gown but he couldn't care less. He closed his eyes, enjoying the familiar sensation of having her in his arms again. 

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "For scaring you... and for hurting you, and for making you cry, and for not believing in you when I should have, and for leaving you, and for a million other things, I'm so...so sorry."

"Shh," she pulled back enough to look him in the eye. She saw he had tears running down his own face and gently wiped them away. "It's okay. I forgive you."

He leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. "I'm also sorry that you were nearly killed because of me... It's my fault it happened-"

"Sehun, this is the one thing I refuse to allow you to apologise for," Areum's voice was firm as she held his face, her hair brushing his skin. "What happened was not your fault."

He looked at her, eyes full of pain and anger and regret and self-hatred. It made her heart ache, seeing him torture himself like that. "Thank you... for saving me," she whispered instead, closing her eyes as he tucked her hair behind her ear. He leaned in closer until his lips where an inch from hers before the door suddenly burst open. 

"Sehun!" Chanyeol shouted, causing the two to jump apart, Areum's cheeks flushing red as she looked away, burning in embarrassment. 

"Chanyeol, you idiot! I told you to knock!" Baekhyun scolded from behind him, before peeking his head into the door. His expression brightened. "Sehun! You're awake!"

Soon, Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Kai, Kyungsoo, Junmyeon and Taeyeon had all piled into the room, expressing their relief of Sehun's recovery in their own ways. 

"Glad to see you back, buddy," Kai punched Sehun on the shoulder. "You scared us quite a bit there." The blonde grinned as he looked at his best friend. 

"Were you worried?" he jibed, causing the tanned male to scoff. 

"As if. Should have seen Baekhyun though - wouldn't stop pacing around and screaming. Nearly broke my eardrums when we told him you were in hospital."

The mood was happy and light-hearted as everyone fussed over the maknae. Areum watched, a small smile on her face. Relief filled her insides - everything was going to be okay. The storm had passed. 

Now, it was time to recover. 

**********************

Areum approached the building, curiosity and confusion flashing across her mind. Earlier that day, Sehun had called for an emergency meeting at his company's headquarters. He'd been released from the hospital after a few days and Areum had stayed with him for most of the time. She only went home to sleep because Sehun forced her to, claiming she looked like a zombie. 

Sehun and her's relationship had improved greatly. They'd talked everything out, making up and apologising. Joohyun had visited the hospital too and Sehun talked with her, making it clear about their platonic relationship. The brown-haired girl had been hurt, but she had no choice to accept it. She'd walked out without sparing Areum a glance. The latter had relieved once it was over. 

One topic they always skirted, however, was whether or not they were dating again. They also avoided the topic of the engagement. Areum wasn't sure whe