CHAPTER 24: (21) The Event

From the look of her eyes, everyone could have immediately known that she was nervous. Really nervous, but Sunghwa was trying her best to stay calm and composed, and act normal around everyone. Walking towards the recipient desk, a lady greeted her politely before proceeding to ask her name. "Good Evening Miss, your name is...?"

"Sunghwa. Park Sunghwa." She smiled while watching her flipped through a thick book filled with guest's names. Almost immediately after she spotted Sunghwa's name, she stood up and led her towards a huge luxurious looking; and heavily guarded wooden door. "Mr Lee is expecting you miss." the lady smiled as she ushered her pass the many guests.

The minute Sunghwa entered the ballroom, she stole the entire's room attention as everyone's eye fixed onto her attire, and her elegance. Being her typical self, she never loved being the centre of attention nor have everyone staring at her weirdly. Feeling weird, she lowered her head, allowing her hair to cover part of her face and took quick steps towards Lee SooMan. "Sunghwa! You're finally here." Lee SooMan greeted as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

Hugging back, she felt her heart warmed a little. "Ne, good evening harabeoji." 

"Hara- you're finally willing to call me that?! No more ahjusshi?" He exclaimed in excitement, eyes widening as he was unable to believe that Sunghwa has finally decided to acknowledge him as her grandfather. Lee SooMan has waited for this day for ages. Due to the bad relations he had with his beloved daughter, he never really got to see Sunghwa, needless to say communicate. So it really wasn't surprising that the day that Lee SooMan found Sunghwa, she couldn't even believe that that was her blood-related grandfather.

Letting out a small chuckle, Sunghwa grabbed both of his already wrinkled hands and looked at him. "Mianhae harabeoji, but from now on, I'll be by your side in place of her." It was as if Sunghwa could read his mind when she actually said that; Deep down in him, he missed his young, wild and yet caring daughter which would always care for him whenever he gets sick or work too late. But things turned negative when she decided to marry the wrong man, decided to leave house for good, decided to change for that one single man that he detest to the core. He missed those so badly, and of course he missed her so dearly. 

"Sunghwa yah..." the old man sniffed as he wrapped his palms over hers'.

Sunghwa was just about to ask Lee SooMan about the part where he's going to announce her when someone interrupted the both of them. "Chwesonghamnida sunbaenim, but I can borrow Sunghwa for a minute?" Onew grinned as he popped out from a corner.

Letting out a small grin, he nodded towards Onew and patted his shoulder. "Take good care of her alright." 

Grabbing her arm, Onew dragged Sunghwa into the waiting room behind the stage before wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her into a hug. "God, I miss you so bad." he commented.

Sunghwa's face immediately turned tomato red as heat shoot up from her body to her face; her heart was also thumping so hard that she worried that Onew might actually feel it through the hug. "I miss you too oppa. How are you doing?"

Pulling back to see her flushed face, he chuckled before continuing, "I'm fine. But what were you doing there with sunbaenim just now? And why are you here at an SM event?" 

"Oppa, would you believe me if I were to tell you the truth?" Sunghwa bit her lip nervously as she took in huge deep breaths.

"Of course I will silly!" He laughed, "You said it's the true right? I will." he spoke as he looked at her intently.

Taking things at her own pace, Sunghwa told Onew everything from the start where her mum left her and what happened so on. Thinking that she might recieve a bad response from him, she shut her eyes tight, biting her lips harder than usual. "Mianhae oppa. I didn't mean to hide things from you... I just didn't want you all to look at me differently from others. I just wanted to-"

"Enough!" Onew's loud voice cut her off. "Sunghwa, how could you- . Ugh nevermind about that. But don't you think you're a little way too selfish in taking things? You lied, because you were afraid that I might judge you, that I might think of you differently. But look at things now, do you think that lying would actually cover things up and make things alright? From the very start, if you were really truthful and honest to me I would really have looked at you from another point of view." 

"I was!" She exclaimed, tears b up in her eyes. "MY feelings for you were true oppa, I really didn't mean to lie. I really wanted to tell you and the rest of SHINee members but I just couldn't find the right time. I swear I wasn't using you or anything oppa, and I thought you said you would actually believe me? ..." her words trailed off.

"I- ... Alright, I don't want things to end off like this. Give me some time to absorb this okay?" And with that last sentence, Onew barged out of the room, leaving  Sunghwa hanging there.

"I should have seen this coming." She muttered under her breath as she looked up at the ceiling to hold back her tears. "Oh sure enough, I knew me being with him was just plain stupid from the start." 

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"Sunghwa? What are you doing in the room? I've been searching high and low for you. It's almost time for your appearance." Lee SooMan said, as he held his hand out for her. 

Doing the final touches on her face, she looked into the mirror once more to ensure that she was in the perfect condition for people to see. Minutes ago, she recieved a couple of texts from the SHINee members, all asking her what happened to Onew since they saw Onew dragged her to the back of the stage. She was about to reply that things were fine but she stopped, thinking that she might just be another liar or adding on to the amount of lies if she were to said that things were fine. Instead, she replied all of them : 'Please help me to take care of Onew-sshi. Tell him I'm sorry and I won't bother him again. Nice meeting you all.' 

Surely after she replied them this, she cried her heart out quietly in the corner of the room. She cried as she blamed herself for her stupidity, blamed herself for being so naive thinking that things could actually work out if she lied. 

"Sunghwa??" Lee SooMan looked at her worriedly. 

"Ne, I'm ready. Gaja." she forced a smile. 

 "Annyeonghasaeyo yoreobun." He greeted with a warm smile as loud cheers and applaud came from the audience. "I'd just like to take the chance of this event, to introduce this special someone to everyone. I've been finding her for so long, and finally, I found her. Of course, it would be nice if everyone were to welcome her warmly to the SM Family. She's Park Sunghwa, my grand-daughter." 

With that sentence, it was Sunghwa's cue to make her way up to the stage for everyone to see her. Bowing politely, she stood in front of the mic stand with Lee SooMan at the side. "Annyeonghasaeyo, Park Sunghwa imnida. I hope you guys would take good care of me, and please pardon me for my mistakes and all. Kamsahamnida." She spoke calmly as her eyes fixed on the door instead of SHINee's table. 

Loud applause was given to her from the bottom of the stage but soon cease when Lee SooMan stood infront of the mic again. "Ne, and there's another person I would like to introduce. Onew?" he called, "Come up here." Lee SooMan waved. 

Blinking blurly, the leader stood up from his table and made his way towards the stage. Up on the stage, Sunghwa took a glance at him and to her surprise, the both of them made an accidental eye contact. "Jinki sshi and my grand-daughter have apparently been going out. And yes, I've decided to approve of their relationship already, so can we give the both of them another round of applause to support them as well?" 

Clearly Lee SooMan's words shocked the whole hall including Sunghwa. Instead of an applause, whispers were heard everywhere as Onew stared at Lee SooMan, mouth wide opened. Clearing his throat, everyone's snapped out of their thoughts and gave a warm round of applause to the new couple in SM. Not to say that Sunghwa caught glances of LeeTeuk, Changmin and other staffs whistling and cheering. Of all times, Sunghwa just had to forget that today, harabeoji would be introducing Onew today. 

The thing is, they weren't even together anymore. 

"Noona!" Taemin screamed loudly as he jumped up from his chair and pointed behind of her frantically. 

Turning around, she saw a lady, in a waitress uniform charging towards her before grabbing her hair harshly. "You !" She cursed loudly before shoving her off the stage. Gasps and whispers echoed around Sunghwa as she held her head and let out a soft groan. 

"What in the w-" she whispered before feeling something hit her stomach. Tears spilled out from her eyes as she grabbed her stomach in pain, choking from the lady's kick. The only one who managed to react to this situation was Onew as he attempted to pull the lady off from her but ended up getting shoved away as well. 

"SECURITY! SOMEBODY GET THE SECURITY! LEETEUK SSHI, HURRY UP AND CALL THE AMBULANCE! QUICK!" Lee Soo Man shouted as he rushed down to where Sunghwa's body was sprawled on the floor. 

Sunghwa cried hard as she tried to grab the lady's leg to stop her kicking. When the kicking stopped, she thought everything was over. 

But how naive of her. The lady turned around to grab the nearest chair and smashed it right into Sunghwa before letting out an hysterical laughter. When the chair landed on her, Sunghwa could barely feel anything. She was numbed in pain, and the only thing she felt was something cold and thick flowing down from her head and to her face. 

Just as the lady was about to attack Sunghwa once more, 4 pairs of strong arms appeared behind her to grab the lady firm and tight before dragging her out of the ballroom. "THIS IS NOT OVER . YOU HEAR ME? I'LL COME BACK FOR MORE AGAIN." She shrieked, struggling out from the dominance of the 4 securities. 

Trying to keep her eyes open, Sunghwa wanted to get up from the floor but couldn't feel her hands and legs at all. She wished that none of this happened. In front of the whole SM Casts and Staffs, of all times, this incident occured. Why? Probably because she was fated to this obstacle, was fated to be embarassed once again. She tried. She really did, but why did her effort failed to make a difference? There was no one else to blame for except herself. Afterall, she was always the cause of a situation, always the cause of a problem. 

 On the other hand, the leader rushed to Sunghwa's side with a towel as he lifted her up onto his lap and applied pressure to her bleeding head. "Sunghwa? Sunghwa! Can you hear me?" Brushing her messy hair that covered her face, tears begin to well up in his eyes as he felt something like a dagger stabbed right through his heart internally. Sunghwa wanted to cuddle into Onew's chest. She wanted to take in deep breaths of his scent, wanted to feel safe and secure again. Only in his arms, then can she feel so special and unique. Only he, can give her such a extradionary feeling.

Before she could even see or hear Onew anymore, her world got engulfed into pitch black with the last thing she caught with her ears, "Sunghwa, please don't leave me! I need you, you hear me? You're NOT allowed to leave me, no I won't allow that. Please don't go, stay with me ok?" 

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ONEW'S POV 

I watched her being lifted up into the ambulance. Waited outside the operation room. Watched how the nurses and doctors ran in and out of the operating room with different equipments. Watched how Aunt Sheryl and Seol Yie cried so badly while waiting.  And now, I was left standing next to her bedside watching her sleep calmly. It already has been 7 weeks since that incident had already occured; Doctors told us that we shouldn't get our hopes up high as she had internal blood clot in the brain and would probably be in coma for the rest of her life. On the positive sides, she may wake up soon but with a few side effects.

I regretted badly, so badly for yelling at her back in the waiting room. I never meant to lose my temper at her, I just merely couldn't phrase my words right. 

I was never mad at her to begin with. And the thing which hurt me most was the message she sent me, the message she sent the SHINee members. If I didn't yell at her back there, I doubt she would ever be in the hospital. If I had reacted faster, had been to the gym with Jonghyun more often, I could have held back the lady. I could have saved Sunghwa back there. But what have I done? Nothing but harm to her. 

Leaning close to her, I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and caressed her cheeks softly. "Mianhae ah Sunghwa. Mianhae..." I whispered, kissing the palm of her hand. After the kiss, I felt the soft twitch on her fingers. Thinking it was just my imaginations, I waited and stared at those fingers again. "Sunghwa?" My voice broked, as her eyes slowly opened. 

I stared at her intently, waiting for her to gain back consciousness as I held her hand tightly within mine. "Sunghwa? Sunghwa...?" I spoke, my voice getting louder. I was definitely feeling over the moon, she's awake. Yes. My sleeping beauty, my beloved has finally woke up from the coma. 

Before I could even proceed to say anything, the first sentence which came out from shocked me right through the heart. 

"W-Who are yo-u?" her voice croaked, as she blinked.

A/N:       So how was it ? Did I de-proved or something? Since I didn't write for ages... But anyway, this is the longest update I've ever done! And I hope you really really really really like it !! Oh by the way, I decided to do from a different point of view for this chapter as well, I thought it might be both easier and simpler to express how Sunghwa and the rest really feels at the same time instead of just her all the time. So yeap, I did this chapter from  a 3rd person POV. 

Also, will you guys quit being a silent reader? I hate it so badly ): . Remember to vote for my story if you really really want me to update ok! (ps, my way of asking for votes)

TO : lowrah : Well yes, I did continue writing but I would appreciate it if I have more feedbacks from you as a reader :) . Still, thank you for supporting this fic x . Remember to vote ! 

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