Way 13 : The Aftermath

“Yonghwa..” Shin Hye called out from a far, with a man on her arms. Yonghwa turned and looked at her.. and then at the guy. His mood are ruined, that’s the same man she’s cheated with back in the days when she’s with him.

“Shameless.” Minhyuk mumbled but Seohyun heard it so she eyed Yonghwa worriedly. Seeing how anger took control of him, she felt a certain rage. She grabbed Yonghwa waist from the back, and hug him.

“Don’t go.” She said. “I know you are hurting.”

“I need to.” He unwrapped her arms that is hugging him, slowly and as gently as possible.

He walked away when he noticed the man in the brown hat again. He looked back and saw Seohyun..

“Seohyun duck!” He screamed, Minhyuk who’s his co detective before know the cue so he ran towards the guy while Yonghwa pulled Seohyun in for a hug.

‘BANG!’

Yonghwa body weakened, so Seohyun tightened her gripped. His body felt cold.. she fell with him to the floor with his body crushing her. She felt a warm liquid, she instantly knew what it is. She cried, still hugging him.

“Don’t go. Can’t you hear me? I said don’t go..” She quivered trying to find his warmness.

Somewhere…somewhere.. Just any sign of him, alive.

***

“Don’t leave.. me.. don’t leave me.” Yonghwa said repeatedly, trembling in fear. Seohyun who was staring at him the entire time, bitted her lips anxiously. She grabbed his trembling hand with both of her hands and bought it close to her body. She tried to warm it. Everytime he screamed in fear, she will slowly whisper word of comfort at his ears.

“I won’t leave you. Never.” She would say over and over again.

“I don’t want to go.” He said weakly, weaker than before.

“You won’t.” She said softly as if comforting herself.

“You will live.. I know you will.” She caressed the hand she was holding with her thumbs trying to soothe him. Desperately, hoping that it will warm his cold hand.

His eyes fluttered and he tried to open it, he saw a blurry image of a girl trying so hard to appear calm and then his world turned black. And he saw the same figure moving away from him, with a man wearing a brown hat snickering at him. He tried to reach for her but the image of her disappeared and instead it was replaced with a white light shining through with a young girl standing there.. He unknowingly moved towards the light.

“Krystal…” He mumbled for the last time..  he lets Krsytal leads him to the light.

 Seohyun eyes widened in fear. The feeling of guilty crept in between of her breaking heart. The graph started to show a decline.. and the beep sounds are starting to make an appearance.

She can’t take it anymore, her composure is crumbling down.. Her heart felt like it was pierced over and over again. She shook Yonghwa in desperation with her tears kept flowing at the now unmoving Yonghwa. She encircled his now weakened body trying to warm the coldness that is piercing to every single inch of her body. She pulled him closer, not wanting to let go believing it to be the end if he kept on continuing to be like that.

“Noo… kajima! Jaebal!! You promised me! We make a promise.. how dare you!” She hits his chest in desperation when the emergency worker tried to pull her away from him to move him outside.

“Seohyun sshi calm down…” They pulled her away and Yonghwa was lifted to the ICU. Seohyun ran along with them… holding his hand again, sobbing uncontrollably. Struggling to breath, struggling to grab the reality of him bleeding in front of her when just now he was grinning like a mad man he is.

“You can’t come in Seohyun sshi.” The doctor asked the nurse to pull her away.. and she just looked longingly as he moves. Helplessly, she held her heart and started to knock it. The door was closed, and his presence were no longer there.. she fell on to the floor. Kneeling, she stared at the door.. closing her eyes as the tears were decorating her puffy cheeks. Her nose are starting to get red, her makeup was smeared and her hair was messy.

She was an absolute mess.

It’s been 3 weeks. The trial for Krystal case has started and it’s on the 2^nd day but Yonghwa was still there, laying with his pale face.. showing no sign of recovery. She was never around, not once did she visited.. or even asked for his condition. She behaved like nothing ever happened… like Yonghwa never existed on her life. The only time where she showed sign of her vulnerable self was the night that Yonghwa got shot. The police were always around her to make sure no harm will get to her… eventhough the brown hat man still roamed around freely in the streets of Korea.

“Nice Seohyun sshi, yes..  it would be nicer if the man model is closer to you.” The male model enclosed her for a hug.

“Great!” Seohyun eyed the camera blankly..  when her face turned sour and her eyes got teary. The cameraman reminds her off Yonghwa. How sneakily he would took a picture of her from the bushes or among the crowds… and how sometimes she would called him out just to hang around him and creates reason like giving him an exclusive excess.

Her thoughts are interrupted when a woman walked in with her Prada handbag and Ray Ban shades. Her lips formed a smile.. amused of what she’s seeing.

“It’s not great.. it was the worst possible result you can get from her.”

“Unnie..” Seohyun stopped posing and stared at the woman.

“Annyeong Hyunnie.” Jessica put down her shades.. Seohyun eyes are starting to get teary, she tried to look away.

“Not going to give me a proper greeting Seohyun?” Seohyun bitted her lips and bowed to the cameraman asking for a break. She walked towards Jessica with a face of guilt and her back hunched. It’s been a long time since she last saw her.. she was happy but she knew she has no right to do it. She felt like she was stealing Jessica’s family member one by one.

“Sorry..” She mumbled, sitting down at the same restaurant table.

“Have you visit Yonghwa?” Jessica crossed her arms on her chest. Seohyun slightly shook her head.

“Not going to ask how is him?”

“I don’t deserve to ask.. neither do I deserve to sit in front of you like this.”

“You.. Choi Seohyun stand up now.”

“Ne?”

‘SMACK’ Jessica slapped Seohyun’s face. Seohyun stood there, shocked.

“Still not mad? Not going to talk with me properly?”

“You deserve to slap me.” She looked down on her feet.

“Seohyun..” Jessica sighed. “Can you just comfort me like what a dongsaeng would do? I lost one of mine.. and another one is still in a deep slumber. If you going to be all robot mode on me.. I’m going to kill you.” Jessica nose turned reddish, trying to hold back her pool of tears from pouring out.

“Unnie.” Seohyun looked at her, with a drop of tear staining her cheek. “It’s all my fault… Its all my fault. I’m a terrible person.” Seohyun said between her sobs, her mask has been thrown away from her.

“Yaaa!” Jessica pulled her for a hug. “Stop saying that. You are the nicest little girl I ever met especially when you stop being such a brat. You rascal, when are you going to stop lying? I know you love my brother.. I see it in your eyes. Even if it’s in the tv. I know both of you very well you know that.” Seohyun body started to tremble, trying to hold in her last thread of strength.

“You shouldn’t do that Seohyun.. you should stop playing around with your own feelings. You miss him, you meet him. You love him, you show him. You worry over him, you take care of him. Running away is not even a method.”

“Unnieeeeeee.” She started to sniffle, soaking the blonde woman shoulder with her tears.

“Yaaa.. I know it hurts. I’m hurting too…” Jessica patted her back slowly.

“I miss you unnie. I really miss you.”

“I miss you too.. I miss all of you but I needed time. It’s not that I despise you Hyunnie. It’s never like that. Sometimes, going away is the best decision someone can make to mature.. but when the time comes you need to face the truth. That’s what I learned. Stop running away, and stick by Yonghwa’s side. Ara?” Jessica pulled away from the hug, and raised the girl chin.. hoping that Seohyun will understand what she’s talking about.

“Arasseo..” Seohyun nodded slightly.

“Stop living for Krystal, Joohyun.” Jessica looked directly at her.. she felt her air was out of her. As the coldness started to envelop… Jessica started to embrace her for another hug.

“I’m such a stupid girl unnie.”

***

She walked off with her hoodie covering her head.. The hospital staffs were staring at her knowing fully well who is walking on their hospital hallway. There were a lot of rumors.. that Yonghwa and her are going to rough patches.. that they already broke up. She only said a sentence to them.. “What’s there to talk about when there’s nothing much.” Their relationship remained ambiguous to the public.

The surrounding is what she hated the most. The smell of surgery utensils.. the beeping sounds of the machine.. the sounds of squishing shoes on the floor running to perform their task.. the sounds of baby crying.. smell of blood were everywhere. The were following her from her back, wearing normal clothing not to seem obvious. She weren’t lying if she said she hadn’t grown paranoid and how she wishes to stay at home and locked herself in.

But what’s the use of it? If it showed how the brown hat man made an effect on her… or how she can’t sleep and will cry herself to sleep till there’s no tears anymore that can be shed.. with the flashing image of how Yonghwa protected her from being shot. She wishes it was her.. she wishes it was her on his place. But she knew if it was her then Krystal won’t get her justice and that Yonghwa won’t get his peace.

Maybe after this.. she just needed to stay out of the spotlight. That she should settle everything before living a more normal life. The life that she should have live.

The thing is… she chose this life.. It’s because of Krystal. She was living for her.. Krystal always dreamt of being a celebrity that people will adore. So she became one.. and every single week not once does she missed going to her grave and asked her why is this her dream.. that she doesn’t get it. Is it so fun to be scrutinized and adored… but she gave in. She tried to fit in, she worked her hardest and excel in it. End of the day, she still spoke such fond words on how glamorous the event is, the treatment is.

“Seohyun, why are you just staring at him?” Siwon held her tense shoulder that is mumbling stuff to the laying Yonghwa.

“Ahhh.. I think I should keep my distance. How is he?”

“Unresponsive.”

“Oppa.. I should go back.”

“Stay here.  Talk to him more Seohyun.. stop running away. Oppa can’t stay here forever you know. He needs a girl to take care of him.”

“5 minutes.. just 5 minutes.” Seohyun sat at the couch and stared at his lifeless body when she heard a click sound, sounding like the door is being lock. She jolted up from the couch and noticed the smirk on her oppa’s face. He was high five-ing with Tiffany. Since when they become so close with each other. She heaved a sigh.. she knew what they are up to. She used her forefinger and poke his chest. She proceed to touch his cheek… still cold. She climb to his bed… and laid beside him as careful as possible.. lifting those dangling IV drips. She stared at his side profile… her heart felt like it’s burning..

This is the reality.. he’s not waking up.

“Are you cold oppa?” She spoke with such a familiarity in her voice.. when she herself rarely even called him, her oppa. “You used to have such warmness in you.. so why are you so cold..” A tear started to roll down to her cheeks.. sideways. And drip to the bed.

“I’m sorry oppa.. but can I say that I love you so much.. so can I be selfish and want you to live on together with me. I will stop being a coward, be braver if you are by my side.”

She slowly pecked his cold right cheek.. and pulled him gently for a hug. Her head were on his chest.. She’s crying.. on his chest.. begging him to comeback.. begging him to be warm for her again.. begging him to see the outcome of this case.. begging him to see the criminal to pay for his crime. The safest place for her to talk was always him.. It was always him but he’s not there anymore for her.. and it hurts like hell.

People said that you won’t know how important that person is for you until that person leaves you.

She already knew that he meant something for her.. she just not quite sure what it is.. But she knew it’s better to leave him before it gets deeper.

So what now? He’s leaving her first… just like her mother did. Just like her appa did. Protecting her contaminated presence in the world. A germ that everybody should get rid of. Meaningless… She doesn’t do anything in the world to help people.

She’s such a brat and she should pay the price in the hardest way possible.

Getting hurt and going through such a tiny pain in her life doesn’t explain her selfishness to not have any care in the world. To ignore the fact that somebody truly loves her… when she just lives in the past. She needed to be strong.. She needed to..

With her puffy eyes, she went out of the room that is weirdly not lock anymore. Maybe her brother dropped by and opened the lock for her.. She looked back at Yonghwa.. and wiped the sweat off his forehead. She adjusted his bangs.. and looked at him sadly..

“I never deserves you.. never but I won’t say I regret meeting you.”

***

That day she went to shop for some groceries.. She went home and asked the maid to go back. She cooked some meal for the night and called her grandfather, Siwon oppa, together with Jessica, Tiffany and Yoona.

“So what’s with all of this Choi Seohyun? I thought you hated dining with me.. that you even forgot how to cook properly and you must dine in your room?” Her grandfather spoke coldly to her when suddenly she burst into tears. Her grandfather stared at her in shock.. together will all 4 people in the room.

“Seohyun…. Are you okay?!?” Her grandfather ran to her together with all the 4 people in the room with a concern look.

“I’m sorry..” She sobbed harder.. “I don’t deserve your presence in my life.”

“YAAA!” Tiffany screamed. “Don’t talk like you are going to commit a suicide. You keep saying that lately.”

“I will stop all this nonsense. I promise to all of you… I will just live my life.. I’m going to be a better person..” Her grandfather pulled the weak Seohyun for a hug.

“I’m going to be a lawyer again.. I phoned Wooyoung oppa, earlier today. I did a lot of thinking and came with this conclusion.”

“You did well Hyunnie.” Yoona who is holding back her tears caressed Seohyun’s hair softly.. She spoke with such a soft tone in her voice.. it’s been such a long time.. That she heard those soft voice of hers.. There’s no venom in it anymore.

“I’m not asking you to be a lawyer specifically Seohyun. I just wanted you to be that… in hope that you will remember what you used to be before all of this chaos. I’m partly to blame for what happened to you. Grandpa is so sorry.”

“So should I called 911?” Siwon still panicking.. causing everyone to burst into fits of laughters.

“YAAA!” Tiffany pulled Siwon for a headlock.

***

“I’m announcing a hiatus as an artist.” The reporters went nuts.. and the flashes are hurting her eyes.. She stood up and bowed.

“Why?!?” A reported asked her.

“I will be working as a lawyer.. As I will no longer officially be a public figure, I hope you will give me a little bit space to myself and especially to Yonghwa. Stop lingering at the hospital.. or not you will face immediate action.” crow

Among the crowd, a man is smirking. It was Dongwoon.

On the other sidem a figure who is laying on a bed.. is hearing those words from the television. His fingers started to move.. his eyes is struggling to open itself. When it opened.. he frowned at the figure shown at the television.

It was a girl… announcing something. What is it? No, the more important stuff will be..

“Where am I?”

Author's Note

Still unwell but i managed to update. Uhmm so i haven't done any rechecking on this chapter but since i was in hurry i still update it. It's been a while and on the last chapter i left it in such a cliffhanger. I hope this chapter is enough.