Chapter Fourteen

Updated on 17th of November 2013.

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"Can she walk?" Kyungsoo asked the nurse who smiled a little at the boy's concern. "Of course she can. She didn't break her leg or anything." The nurse joked cheekily but her smile faded when she could see that there wasn't even a smile on the boy's face. Oh how she had just embarrassed herself. "She just needs to be more careful and,"

"No running for the time being." The nurse eyed Hae Lynn who stared at the ground in guilt. "Here's some ointment. She should rub it on her ankle every two times in a day to relieve the pain and if she does this for a week or two, the pain will be gone."

Kyungsoo took the bottle of ointment carefully and slipped it into his pocket. "May we leave now?" He asked and the only reply he got was a simple nod from the nurse before she left. He exhaled heavily, walking back towards the girl sitting down on the chair. He turned around and crouched down in front of her with his back facing her. She gulped audibly as she stared at his back. "K-Kyungsoo..."

"Get on. Before I change my mind."

Hesitantly, she got up carefully and her arms s around his neck. Although he was the one who offered - he shuddered inwardly when their skin came in contact with one another. "I'm lifting you up now." Kyungsoo announced to make sure she was ready. He hoisted her up by carrying her on his back as his hands were at the back of her kneecaps to support her weight on him as well as making sure she wouldn't fall off easily - it would be more troublesome.

"Ever heard of listening to orders?" Kyungsoo snapped as he walked her back to his house with her on his back. She wanted to say something to counter his remark but she couldn't when he continued. "I've never met a girl so stupid before. When you're injured, you should rest or something - not try to prove as if you're inhuman and pretend as if the pain doesn't exist."

Her lips parted to reply, but once again, he beat her to it.

"What if you injured your ankle even further? Things would be even harder then. God. Can't you use your brai-"

"Put me down." She demanded and he stilled, not taking a step further when the seriousness of her voice could be sensed. "What?"

Instead of asking her to repeat what he said, he simply crouched down and she got off his back. He turned around only to take notice she was trying to walk all the way back home by herself - it was such a big distance left, will she be able to do it?

Of course not, he thought.

"I get it. I do things that aren't probably the right thing to do for myself but I don't want to bring the team down. I can't."

"Aren't you bringing the team down by injuring yourself further? Where the hell is your common sense?"

This is where Hae Lynn gets confused. One minute they're fine and the next minute they're already bickering as if they're a married couple. What on earth is going on or precisely, what is their relationship? Friends? Enemies? Frenemies? Mutual partners? Even she doesn't know anymore. It was like a long string being tangled up and they were on their way of untangling it - and it's not a pretty process.

"Are you stupid?! How can you walk all the way home?!" He roared after raking his fingers through his hair in anger. Why was he getting so worked up over nothing? Even he has no answer to the following question. She halted her tracks and spun around to glare at him from a distance despite the day getting dark. "Yeah! I'm stupid! So what?" She snapped at him loud enough for him to sense she was getting pissed too. He stared at her with angry eyes as she collected herself, turned back around to continue walking back.

"Have it your way!" He shouted back at her even though she had already muted his voice out from her mind. He stood there in the middle of the sidewalk with a piece of him hoping she'd just turn around, admit she was wrong and request for his help to carry her but based on how far she was walking on her own, he knew she wouldn't.

"Again, Kyungsoo. You did it again." He mumbled softly, lifting his chin to see her figure disappear. 

What's wrong with you? Can't you be... nice?

"Where's Hae Lynn?" A voice came behind him and he spun around to eye another boy from a distance.

"She's walking back to my house."

Sehun instantly hissed as he glared at Kyungsoo. "And you allowed her to walk on her own?!"

"She insisted on it."

"And you just-! You know what? Forget you." With that, Sehun shook his head and sprinted forward - past Kyungsoo to catch up with Hae Lynn and possibly say comforting words that Kyungsoo would always fail in saying. Kyungsoo clenched a fist as he vaguely watched Sehun lifting Hae Lynn into his arms in an instant the moment he caught up with her.

Why can you be like that? Kyungsoo shook his head and turned around to let his back face them even though they weren't looking. You can never be like that, Kyungsoo.

"Hae Lynn! Oh my god! What's wrong with your leg?!" Mrs. Do asked in shock as she dashed towards the front door to aid Hae Lynn to sit down on the sofa. Sehun had already made his way back to school the moment he placed Hae Lynn down by the front door of Kyungsoo's house. He explained to Hae Lynn that even though she was off the hook from training - he was not and he would get slaughtered if he wasn't back there in ten minutes, since he convinced the coach that Hae Lynn needed him and he was right - obviously.

"I sprained my ankle and... well... I guess it's like this." Hae Lynn muttered meekly, earning a pitiful frown from Mrs. Do. "Does it hurt? Where's Kyungsoo?"

Hae Lynn's lips parted to say something but then the door opened and slammed shut. They were welcomed by a very grumpy Kyungsoo who just walked past the living room, straight to the stairs and another slamming of the door could be heard - indicating he had gone to his room. "There he is." Hae Lynn breathed out tiredly, staring at the stairs from the living room. Mrs. Do opened to say something, but she couldn't say anything. As much as she wanted to know what happened, she knew it was best not to question anything.

"I guess I'll be going to my room now." Hae Lynn stood up but before she could walk upstairs, Mrs. Do held her hand. "Your grandmother called."

Hae Lynn gulped and turned her head to eye Mrs. Do in expectation. "M-My grandmother?"

"She wants to see you. I know it's pretty late now, but I'll bring you to see her."

Hae Lynn nodded her head eagerly as she followed Mrs. Do out the door.

"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." Kyungsoo mumbled to himself, staring at the bottle of ointment in his hands. "How am I supposed to rub this for you if we just argued like that?" He shook the bottle harshly as he spoke to the bottle as if it was Hae Lynn. He slammed the bottle on the table and shot up from his seat. "Why are you being so damn confusing?!"

Kyungsoo breathed out tiredly as he walked away from his table, towards his bedroom door. He pressed his ear against it to hear if Hae Lynn was coming up but she had already gone to visit her grandmother - well isn't he a little lost here. 

"Where is she?" Kyungsoo whispered softly, hand on the door knob to twist it open but he pulled his hand away to lean his back against the door. He sighed deeply, shutting his eyes with a hand on his chest. "Why do you care anyway?" He pushed himself off the door and paced towards his table only to grab it. He held it tight and stormed out of his room, heading straight towards Hae Lynn's room. He knocked on the door hard and harsh, "Hae Lynn! Open up!"

He hissed when she didn't respond and he barged into the room. "Hae Lyn-!" His voice trailled off when he looked around only to realize she wasn't here. Instead, he closed the door behind him, taking small steps into the room he hasn't entered before - it was supposed to be his sister's room. "This was supposed to be your room." He muttered painfully as he scanned around the room. "You would've loved it, huh?"

"I'm sorry." Kyungsoo whispered to himself before he sat down on the floor. He scooted closer towards the bed where he rested his head on it with his arms stretched on the soft bed. "Is this how it would've felt like if you were sleeping here by my side?" Kyungsoo murmured softly as he fiddled with the cap of the bottle. "If I saved you in time... if..." He shook his head instead as he sighed deeply - the tragic incident in his head replayed constantly. When will it go away?

"Are you alright? Are you hurt? Have you been eating right?" Hae Lynn bombarded her grandmother with questions the moment she entered the ward. Her grandmother simply smiled warmly at her granddaughter's concern - it was heartwarming. "Hae Lynn... Have you been good?"

"This is not about me! This is about you! Look at you..." Hae Lynn stated dryly, coming closer towards her grandmother as she took a seat on the bed by her grandmother. "Will you be out soon?"

"I think so." Her grandmother answered cheerfully, earning a slight frown from her granddaughter. "Why? Is staying at the Do's that bad?" Hae Lynn shook her head as she pressed her lips together, holding onto her grandmother's hand as she brought it to her lips. "I just miss you..."

"Hae, I've only been in here for three days. Don't you think you're-"

"Overreacting?" Hae Lynn cut her grandmother off quick and sighed later on. "I know... But can you blame me? You're the only family member I have left..."

Guilt struck inside of Hae Lynn's grandmother at that familiar thought that was easily forgotten. Just because Hae Lynn was a cheerful girl now, doesn't mean that she doesn't feel hurt. Hae Lynn was practically the most pitiful girl her grandmother has ever known. Losing her mother and being hated by her stepmother - it was simply heartbreaking. The thought of knowing her biological father could even neglect his own daughter was what made Hae Lynn's grandmother's heart shatter.

"I'll be back soon and we'll bake cookies, alright?" Hae Lynn's grandmother tried lifting up the mood and Hae Lynn's eyes sparkled in anticipation. "You're on."

"But I'll only be out in a week."

"W-Why?" Hae Lynn leaned away with her grandmother's hand pressed onto her cheek. "They said it's advisable I rest here for some time until they think I'm ready to continue working-"

"You're not working!" Hae Lynn clarified and her grandmother was taken back by it. "Ha-"

"I've got a job and I'm tutoring someone right now. The bottom line is, I'm making money and you don't have to work so hard anymore. You only get to work five hours a day and that's it. No more than that."

Her grandmother chuckled and wanted to object but once she saw the determination that flashed up in Hae Lynn's eyes, she knew it would be hopeless. "Alright, alright. I'll let you have it your way when I get back. But..."

"What now?" Hae Lynn grew tired from her grandmother's concern. Hae Lynn was capable of taking care of herself - or that was what she thought. "I'm making money, I'm studying hard and I'm making sure your health comes first. What's wrong?" She let out an unsatisfied sigh but froze when her grandmother simply placed a hand on her cheek. "Get some rest - please? I can see you're losing your sleep..."

Hae Lynn gulped but shot up from the bed as she let go of her grandmother's hand. "I don't know what you're talking about! I'm leaving now!" Before her grandmother could protest or argue, Hae Lynn dipped down to press her lips on her grandmother's forehead before she gave a kiss on both sides of her cheeks. "Stay healthy grandma! See you tomorrow! Fighting!" With the pumping of two fist bumps in the air, Hae Lynn dashed out of the ward - leaving her grandmother chuckling before she fell asleep.

"Go get washed up and sleep after that, alright?"

"Yes Mrs. Do." Hae Lynn chuckled lightly and bid Mr. and Mrs. Do goodnight before she went upstairs. When she reached upstairs, she pressed her lips together as she couldn't walk straight towards her room. Instead, she turned her head to stare at the door opposite hers in hesitance. Was he feeling alright? Would it be okay if she went in there and talked things out? As much as she understood that it may or may not be all Kyungsoo's fault, it feels uncomfortable for her to know that there was a barrier between them and she doesn't like that at all.

She decided to just let it go and apologize tomorrow as she turned back around, heading straight towards her own room. She twisted the door knob open and stepped in only to let her lips part when Kyungsoo was lying down on the floor with his head and arms on the bed as he slept in that uncomfortable position. She closed the door behind her and carefully walked around him to get on the other side of the bed. "K-Kyungsoo, wake up." She tried nudging his hand a little with soft pokes but she gasped when his hand just darted forward to clutch onto her hand. "Hae Lynn..."

Her eyes widened as she thought that he noticed it was her but relaxed when she noticed he was just talking in his sleep. Then her eyebrows furrowed - was he dreaming of her at the moment? Rather than waking him up, she sat on the other end on the floor with her arm extended on the bed just to hold onto his hand. If she tried to pry it away, he would most definitely wake up based on how tight he was holding onto her hand. She too, felt this sense of warmth as she held onto his hand and even though she wouldn't admit it yet, she wants to hold on longer - it had this sort of assurance that they weren't enemies or that he didn't hate her.

She gulped when she caught herself staring at the way his eyes were closed and the way his chest moved upwards and downwards as he inhaled and exhaled. It was simply mesmerizing as she let the sight she was looking at sink into her mind. As her eyelids grew heavy, the soreness from her arm hasn't crossed her mind as long as she could hold onto his hand like this - the thought of washing up too didn't cross her mind.

The long awaited question that was planted in her mind for a long time that was answered tonight as she fell asleep like this, was finally answered.

She fell hard.

A/N : Sorry for the late-ish update D: Huge writer's block but now I guess I'm back on track! I'll try to update frequently and quickly! Do leave your comments on the chapters so I know you guys are reading yeah? See you soon! xoxo Oh, and for now the chapters are pretty short but the future updates will be longer.