The leader of the Shadow Clan was dead, but Eunji didn’t feel nearly as relieved as she’d thought she’d be. Maybe it was because shortly after killing him, they had received word that the Shadow Clan had infiltrated the palace. Princess Naeun was safe, but the agents who had been guarding her had all been killed, except for Hayoung, who had been rushed to the hospital.

Yes, that was definitely it. Even though the clan that had been terrorizing the nation was on the verge of collapse, Eunji felt no sense of accomplishment. How could she when one of her teammates was on the brink of death?

Eunji and the others burst through the hospital doors, moving as fast as their fatigued bodies allowed. Bomi was leaning heavily on both Eunji and Chorong. She desperately needed treatment, but she had insisted on seeing Hayoung. 

Reporters, police, and royal agents were crowding both inside and outside the hospital, but Eunji and her team pushed through them. They immediately headed towards the emergency room waiting area, where they found Naeun and dozens of armed agents standing by, protecting her. They had practically taken over the hospital, since several agents and palace workers needed treatment.

The moment Naeun saw them approaching her, she stood and ran to them. She instantly went to Bomi and held her gently by her arms. “Oh my God, Bomi. Are you alright? I’ve been so worried.”

Bomi smiled grimly and nodded, despite her inability to stand on her own. “I’m fine, Princess. Are you?”

“I’m fine,” Naeun replied, but Eunji knew that was a lie. She knew that Bomi had also lied―they would all be lying if any of them said that they were fine. Naeun looked at the rest of them, and her eyes rested on Eunji. They were brimmed bright red. “And the rest of you?”

“A bit cut up and bruised, but unharmed nonetheless,” Chorong answered. That, at least, wasn’t much of a lie.

“Where’s Hayoung?” Namjoo pressed. The fear and urgency were all too apparent in her voice. “Is she okay?”

Naeun choked up, and her eyes began to line with tears. “We don’t know yet. She’s been in surgery for a long time.”

“What happened?” Eunji asked. Her arms felt numb by her side.

Naeun in her tears and told them about everything that had happened, from the time that the Shadow Clan had breached the palace gates to the time that Hayoung was rushed to the hospital. The palace was once again secure, and the king and queen were safe. They had been at the hospital with Naeun for a while, but they had gone back to the palace for an important meeting regarding their next steps to clean up the rest of the Shadow Clan. When Naeun finished, her cheeks were damp with tears, despite her effort to hold them in. Eunji reached over and soothed her arm gently.

“Hayoungie will be fine,” Namjoo said, though she didn’t seem too convinced herself. “She’ll bounce right back from this.”

Chorong wrapped an arm around Namjoo’s shoulder and pulled her into a hug, though she also looked unsettled. “Everything will be okay.”

Namjoo exhaled, and a single tear fell from her eyes. That was the beginning of the torrent of tears that followed; she fell to her knees and began sobbing. Eunji had never seen Namjoo cry this hard, and it brought tears to her own eyes. For a while, the only sound that filled the waiting area was that of their cries.

“Namjoo-ah…” Bomi leaned down towards Namjoo. Tears also stained her cheeks, and her face was very pale. “Hayoungie, she…” 

But before Bomi could finish her sentence, her knees suddenly buckled from underneath her and she collapsed to the floor.

“Bbom-ah!” Chorong cried and fell to her knees next to her. Eunji fell next to her, gently rolling Bomi onto her side. She was unconscious and looked like she was in severe pain.

“Bbom-ah, please,” Eunji murmured painfully. Please don’t leave me.

“Oh, God.” Namjoo paused her crying and crawled over to Bomi. “Bomi-unnie…She pushed herself too hard.”

Naeun knelt down and pressed two fingers to Bomi’s neck. “Her pulse is weak. I’ll go get help.”

She was gone before any of them could say anything, and she quickly returned with two nurses and a gurney. They wasted no time lifting Bomi onto the gurney, and when they were done, one of the nurses said, “One of you needs to come with us to speak on Yoon Bomi’s behalf.”

Eunji was about to offer herself, but Chorong beat her to it. The leader stepped forward unhesitantly and said, “I’ll do it. I’m fairly confident about her medical history.”

“Very well,” the nurse said. “Follow me.” 

Chorong looked to the others. “Bomi will be fine. Update me if anything happens with Hayoung-ah.”

Eunji murmured in agreement, and she watched Chorong walk quickly alongside an unconscious Bomi on the gurney. When Chorong and Bomi had disappeared from view, Eunji shrank down into a chair with her face in her hands, and fought down the exhaustion and worry that were anchoring her to her despair.

“Namjoo-ah, you should eat,” Naeun said softly. Namjoo looked up, and Naeun handed her a granola bar that she had bought from a vending machine. The younger woman looked terrible. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, and she was still in her blood-splattered mission clothes. They had been waiting in the hospital for about an hour, and they had still heard nothing from the doctors. Bomi, at least, had been treated and was resting. They had briefly gone to visit her before returning to the waiting area. Eunji and Chorong had stayed with Bomi.

“I’m not hungry,” Namjoo mumbled.  

“You don’t want to wash up or sleep, but you should at least still eat. You just got back from an intense mission and you need to replenish your energy somehow.” Naeun nudged the granola bar towards Namjoo again. “Please, Namjoo-ah. I know you’re worried about her, but she’d want you to eat in this situation.”

Namjoo sighed and begrudgingly accepted the granola bar. “Thank you, Unnie.”

Naeun sat down next to Namjoo as the other girl chewed on the excuse of a meal. She was exhausted beyond belief and was still processing the events of the day. It was difficult to believe that the leader of the Shadow Clan was truly dead. A decade-long war was finally coming to an end. So many changes would follow, and Naeun couldn’t keep up with all the possibilities and new alterations that would arise. She was glad, but she was also fearful of the little uncertainties in the future.

Still, she couldn’t bring herself to think about that right now. Her mind was still in shambles from what had happened a few hours ago. Most of the agents had left and only a few remained to secure the hospital, making the hospital the quietest that it had been for the past few hours.

“She told you that she loved you before she passed out, didn’t she?” Namjoo asked abruptly.

Naeun looked at Namjoo, startled. 

Namjoo just continued to nibble on her granola bar. “She told you everything.”

Naeun only nodded, still unsure of what to say.

“She has always held onto that promise that she made to you when you were teenagers. That summer, I had been on a vacation with my family and Hayoung had stayed at the academy. When I came back, you were all she could talk about, and when you recruited us for your team, she was beyond excited. She thought that this meant you had also held onto that promise, but when you two met again for the first time, you showed no indication of recalling Hayoung or her promise. It devastated her.” Namjoo finished the rest of the granola bar and brushed her fingers. “Yet she still loved you. I think she fell in love with you all over again.”

Naeun let that sink in for a moment. Hayoung had known. She was Naeun’s childhood love, and she’d been right under Naeun’s nose the entire time. “I’ve always held onto that promise too. I’ve been looking for her for years, and I never…I didn’t know it was her.” Naeun ducked her head in shame. “I remembered our promise, but I didn’t remember Hayoung.” 

“I think she figured that part out,” Namjoo said. “She has always wanted to tell you. I think she thought she was going to die, so she told you about her feelings right before she lost consciousness. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to rest peacefully without fulfilling that one thing.”

“I’m sorry, Namjoo-ah.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Namjoo asked. She looked down and picked at her fingers. “I love her.”

Namjoo’s confession didn’t surprise Naeun as much as she thought it would. In a way, Naeun had expected it, since Namjoo had always cared for Hayoung so lovingly. Naeun waited carefully for the other woman to continue.

Namjoo tilted her head back against the wall behind them. Tears were b her eyes again. “She doesn’t know, but I’m in love with her. I love her the same way that she loves you: unbelievably and undeniably. She’s been in love with you for over half her entire life, Unnie, and it hurts more than anything to watch her struggle because of it.”

Naeun wished she could do something to console Namjoo, but she knew that there was nothing she could really do. Naeun loved Hayoung, but it wasn’t in the way that the maknae loved her. It wasn’t the way that Naeun loved Eunji. She laid a hand on Namjoo’s hand and allowed her to voice her sorrows.

“Hayoungie has always wanted to tell you about her feelings, and I have always wanted to tell her about mine.” Namjoo’s lower lip quivered. “I’m scared I’ll never get to tell her.”

“Namjoo-ah…,” Naeun said softly.

“I’m scared, Unnie.” Namjoo’s shoulders were shaking as she cried. “I’m so, so scared.”

Naeun leaned over and wrapped Namjoo into a hug. Namjoo’s entire body began to tremble from her sobs as she cried into Naeun’s chest. Naeun tried her best to remain strong, but she couldn’t do it.

“It’ll be okay, Namjoo-ah,” Naeun said, patting Namjoo’s head gently. Tears dripped from her chin onto Namjoo’s hair. “Everything will be okay.”

They stayed there for a while in each other’s silent comfort. After about an hour, Chorong and Eunji returned from visiting Bomi and sat tiredly next to them. Eunji took the seat next to Naeun and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, and Naeun leaned into her touch. She and Namjoo had stopped crying long ago, but the pain was all the same.

Eventually, the time they had all been waiting for came. The sliding doors parted, and the doctor stepped out. He looked grave and immensely worn-out.

“Princess Naeun?” he called. Naeun and the others bolted from their seats.

“Doctor,” Namjoo said. “How is she?”

“The surgery went well. We were able to stop the bleeding and seal the wound without much complication. She is in stable condition and is resting now.”

Naeun nearly sagged in relief, but Namjoo said, “That’s not all though, is it?”

The doctor shook his head. “I’m afraid not. She is in stable condition right now, but we don’t know when she will wake up. Her coma could last a few weeks. She was also stabbed in a very critical place, and some nerves might have been damaged, but we won’t be able to tell until she wakes up. There is a chance that she may not be able to walk again.”

Silence fell upon them. Eunji gripped Naeun’s arm, and to her side, Namjoo looked utterly shattered. Chorong looked like she was struggling to maintain her composure.

The doctor continued, “Of course, we cannot be certain until she wakes up. For now, we can hope for the best. She is resting in room 35. You may visit her if you’d like.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Naeun said and bowed. The doctor bowed to each of them, then walked away to tend to another patient.

Naeun and the others located Hayoung’s room and slowly filed into her room. At first glance, Hayoung simply looked ill. She had only suffered from minor injuries aside from the major stab-wound, and the only apparent indication of her condition was the paleness in her face and lips. Her hair and body had been cleaned of the blood and grime. Naeun knew, though, that Hayoung’s major wound was hidden under her blankets, and what Naeun was seeing was no indication of Hayoung’s true pain.

“Hayoungie,” Namjoo murmured and slid into the seat next to the bed.

They sat in there for a while, taking turns holding Hayoung’s hands and praying for her wellbeing. After about thirty minutes, Naeun took one glance at Namjoo and took in the obvious agony in her eyes. The whole time that they had been there, Namjoo hadn’t let go of Hayoung’s hands once. She hadn’t even looked away from the maknae a single time.

Naeun cleared and announced, “I’m going to see if I can get any food from the cafeteria. Chorong and Eunji, would you like to come with me?”

Chorong and Eunji immediately understood. Eunji stood from her seat and asked Namjoo, “Do you want anything in particular?”

Namjoo shook her head, still keeping her eyes on Hayoung. “I don’t need anything. Thank you, though.”

Namjoo’s response sent a pang of sorrow to Naeun’s heart. Namjoo rejecting food had always been unheard of, and the fact that she was doing it now was only a testament to the anguish that she was feeling.

“We’ll get you something,” Chorong said definitively. “I’ll see if they have anything you’d like.”

Naeun, Chorong, and Eunji left the room silently, leaving Namjoo alone with Hayoung. When the door had shut behind them, Naeun said, “She’ll be fine. She just needs space and time right now.”

“She’s in love with her, isn’t she?” Chorong said quietly. Naeun stiffened, but Chorong just said, “It’s not a surprise.”

“Back then, she was talking about Hayoung…” Eunji murmured to herself.

“Back when?” Naeun asked.

“A while back, when we had just finished talking to Sungjae about Seungri’s phone, she told me about someone that she had feelings for,” Eunji explained, then stopped and shook her head. “But that’s not important right now. I know we left to give her space, but I think we should actually get food for Namjoo-ah.”

“You need to eat too,” Naeun said worriedly.

“You do too. We all do.”

Chorong glanced at Eunji, then at Naeun. Something shifted in her gaze, and she squared her shoulders. “It only takes one person to get food. I know everyone’s tastes, so I can go alone.”

“Are you sure, Unnie?” Eunji asked.

Chorong nodded. “I’ll be back soon.”

She quickly walked away, and once she was out of earshot, Naeun said, “She knows, doesn’t she?”

“She certainly suspects something,” Eunji replied. She turned to Naeun. “Let’s get some fresh air, Naeun-ah.”

Naeun hesitated, but she agreed and let Eunji lead her out of the hospital. Naeun had feared that they would walk into a crowd of reporters, but they had taken a side exit, and it was empty when they walked outside. Eunji shut the door gently behind them and leaned against the wall, breathing out a sigh. The sun was beginning to set, and it was a bit chilly, but Naeun invited the fresh air.

“How are you feeling?” Eunji asked.

“It’s a bit difficult right now, but I’ll be fine. You?”

“I’m holding up,” Eunji answered. “I’m glad you’re safe, though. When I heard about what had happened, I was terrified. I was scared of what I would come back to find.”

“What were you scared to find?”

“You dead,” Eunji answered. She looked up at the orange sky and let out a breath. “Though what I did find was not much better.”

“I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“It’s not like you intentionally tried to worry me,” Eunji chuckled shortly, then turned to face Naeun. “Naeun-ah…About what happened before I left. Should we…?”

“She told me she loved me,” Naeun blurted out. Eunji froze. “Before she fainted, Hayoungie told me she loved me. She’s been in love with me for a long time, but I was too busy falling in love with someone else to notice it.”

“It’s not your fault,” Eunji said. “I was also in the same boat.”

That was true, but it offered Naeun no consolation. Their situations were quite different. “Hayoung is the one I’ve been in search of for years.”

“What do you mean?” Eunji inquired carefully.

Naeun took a deep breath and told Eunji everything about her search for her childhood love. The whole time, Eunji stayed rigidly still, and that scared Naeun, because she couldn’t tell what Eunji was thinking. When she finished, Eunji still didn’t say anything. She looked both shocked and hurt.

“Eunji, could you please say something?” Naeun asked softly.

“I…,” Eunji hesitated. “I don’t know what to say.” She glanced away, and Naeun painfully noticed that she was shaking slightly. “Did you develop feelings for me because you actually fell for me, or because you thought that I was someone else?”

Naeun wished that Eunji had gotten angry and shouted at her, because that was what Naeun deserved, but there was nothing but soft sadness in Eunji’s voice. She knew that no matter how much she wished for it, Eunji would never explode on her―or anyone that she cared about.

“I don’t know,” Naeun admitted guiltily. “I don’t know if that’s what made me fall for you, but I did and I can't see myself falling for anyone else.”

“You fell in love with the idea of someone else,” Eunji muttered.

“Maybe I did or maybe I didn’t,” Naeun said. “But the fact of the matter is that it was you. I fell in love with you, and whether or not you’re my childhood love won’t change how I feel about you now.”

Eunji finally looked at Naeun. Her eyes were glassy with tears. “It doesn’t?”

“No. God no, Eunji. I love you now, I’ll love you tomorrow, and I’ll love you the day after tomorrow.” Naeun reached forward and grasped Eunji’s arms. “You make me feel normal. When I’m with you, I don’t feel like the princess. I just feel like Son Naeun.”

“I make you feel like Son Naeun…,” Eunji repeated.

“I don’t care if you’re my childhood love or not. I just care that you’re you.”

Eunji stared at Naeun, and for a brief second, Naeun feared that she wouldn’t be able to get through to Eunji. But to her relief, Eunji stepped forward and took Naeun’s face in her hands. “You love me?”

“A little too much for my own good.”

Eunji smiled, and Naeun swore that it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. “I thought I was the one who was good with words.”

“I learned from the best,” Naeun replied.

Eunji’s thumb Naeun’s cheek. She gazed at Naeun tenderly. “I love you, Son Naeun.”

“And I love you, Jeong Eunji.”

A tear rolled down Eunji’s cheek, and she pulled Naeun into a gentle kiss so delicate that Naeun was scared to move and break it. The day had been hellish, but in that moment, Naeun forgot about all of her worries, and her chest felt so light that she could fly. 

In that moment, nothing else mattered but her and Eunji.