Jiyong signed the papers needed in the surgery for Jihyun. He went back to the waiting area near the operation room glancing once in a while to the door. He was silently praying for the girl’s success surgery and for her fast recovery.

“!” he cursed loudly. He was having the urge to hit his head on the nearest wall for being so stupid in leaving them alone.

“Damn you Kwon!!” he raked his fingers through his hair and sighed.

As he was contemplating what had happened to his sister, the phone in his hand rang. That’s when he realized that he was still holding Dara’s phone.

Lee Junki’s name was flashing and without further ado he answered the call but he didn’t say anything at all.

“Dara?! Where are you already?” the panic voice of Junki came.

Jiyong’s brow rose but still he remained silent.

“I’m not joking okay? You’re mom is in the hospital right now. Please come here.”

He froze on his spot. What?!

He checked the name again to see if it’s a prank call but it came from Lee Junki. And that name sounds reliable for a source.

“We need you in here … she needs you in here Sandy” and with that, the call ended.

Jiyong stood up and walked to where the nurse placed Dara after glancing back at the OR’s door.

I’ll check on her first and I’ll be back in here.

Upon reaching the room, she was nowhere to be found. The blanket that supposed to cover her was on the floor crumpled. No sign of her in here. He instantly ran inside the bathroom but it was untouched.

“DARA?!!” he shouted. “!!”

The nurses that were assigned to Dara ran towards him upon hearing his uproar.

“What happened sir?” one of them asked.

“Oh dang—“ one whispered upon seeing the empty bed of hers then he scrambled back to his station to report the missing patient.

Jiyong closed his eyes and leaned on the doorframe. Just what on earth is happening?

First his sister is inside the operation room then second his girlfriend just found unconscious on the floor and then she went missing in a matter of minutes.

“Missing—“ his eyes widened. “No” he whispered to himself, “she’s not missing, she received the call … about her mother and she … left” he ran back to where he sat earlier and scan her phone for the recent call logs. And he’s right. She really did receive a call that probably got her knocked down on the floor due to the shock of both events.

“What have I missed?” he sank back down on his seat while calming his nerves.

The nurses checked up on Dara for some damaged but she only bumped her head lightly causing no injury inside her brain. They placed her inside the room just near the emergency room in case of mishap with their find out though they doubt it.

As soon as Dara regained her consciousness, she immediately bolted up to sit and looked around. She realized she’s nowhere near her mother and she’s still in Seoul. She stood up and changed back to her clothes; she then slowly sneaked out of her room and ran as fast as she could before anyone could catch her.

“I’m sorry Jihyun. I’m sorry Jiyong. But my mother is in danger too” with tears rolling down on her cheeks she hailed a cab to the bus station that will lead her to Busan.

“I’m really, really sorry …”

The doctor that performed the surgery of Jihyun went out finally with a small smile on his lips. “Mr. Kwon” he called Jiyong’s attention who was still sitting on the same bench.

When he heard his name, he immediately bolted up from his seat and approached the doctor. “Is she okay now? Is my sister fine already?”

The doctor nodded and showed him the result. “Jihyun got appendicitis and we needed immediate surgery for it in order for her to be cured instantly. She ate too much rice cakes too that caused her indigestion at the same time.”

He nodded his head and thanked the doctor and his team. Jihyun was sent to Dara’s supposed room and she was sleeping soundly. He then sat beside her and held her hand.

“Oh gosh baby you scared me so much. Oppa is very worried of you” he softly said while brushing her hair. “Get well soon okay?” he kissed her forehead and took out his phone. There were few missed calls of Nana and messages from his secretary.

Jiyong glanced at the other phone that was in his hand. Dara.

“Please, be safe. I don’t want you to be in danger. And … come back to us …”

DARA’S POV

As soon as I stepped out of the bus, it was already late at night. The night was eerie silent but I braced myself and waited for a taxi that will take me to the said hospital. I could feel my head throbbing, probably from the impact I had when I was knocked down by my own self.

DAMN!

Why must taxis are not around when I need them the most? Ughh!

I need to wait.

I need to wait for a taxi to come or it’ll take me hours to walk it from here.

But my mom is at the emergency room and I need to see her.

“Ahhhh jinjjaaa!!!” I picked up my feet and make a dash to the direction of the hospital, looking back for any signs of taxis or cars; I could just hitch to anyone. I don’t care if my life is at stake for hitching a stranger’s car but who cares? I need to see my mother, and nothing can delay me to that.

I was running so fast that I could think that this is the fastest I have ever done in my whole life. Stopping at red light, resume on running at green light. Stop, resume. Stop, resume. And I did that for I don’t know how long until I could familiarize the street. This street will lead me to another then to another three streets before I could reach home.

I don’t even know why I am running home when in the first place I need to go to the hospital. I just had a gut feeling that something’s wrong. I felt it when I arrived in here. Something’s off with this set-up. My heart isn’t beating so loud because of nervousness but it was beating so much because I was running kilometers of it. Adrenaline rush, that’s what they call.

Before I could reach the last street that will finally be leading me home, I saw a familiar figure. That figure whom I known for life. It was standing at a convenience store while drinking some cola.

“Sanghyun?” he glanced at my direction and his eyes widened in surprise.

“Dara noona?!” he ran to me as he threw the can on the way, “why are you here?!!”

“Huh?” why would he ask me that? “I thought mom’s in the hospital?”

“HOSPITAL?!!!” and that was the time his voice raised. “What are you talking about noona? Umma is sleeping at home.”

“Sleeping? Are you even kidding me Park Cheondung??!!!!” and that was also the time I raised my voice. Just what the actually freak show is this?”

“Neh noona, umma and appa are sleeping. They were sleeping when I got out. What’s wrong?” Sanghyun was looking at me worriedly.

“Someone called me and told me that mom’s in the hospital and had a heart attack” the anger in my face was very visible and I could almost feel the flaring of my nose.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me to our house. He opened the door to our parents’ room and there right before my eyes is the sleeping figure of our parents.

I could feel my blood boiling inside my body. I would burst out any minute from now if not with Sanghyun caressing my arms tonight.

“Noona come here” and then he pulled me into his warm embrace. “Who told you about that?”

Hot tears rolled down on my cheeks as I buried my face in Sanghyun’s chest. “Junki oppa” as soon as I said his name I couldn’t help but feel angry at him. My fist balled up in their own as I’m trying to stifle my sobs.

He rubbed my back as he gently rocked our bodies. “Don’t worry noona, we’ll talk with him tomorrow arrasso?”

And I could only nod my head.

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