Suzy’s lips and eyes were already swollen and her face was red but tears did not stop welling out from her. She tried biting her lip to muffle her cries but they continued trembling. Every part of her was shaking. Sobs continually left her as she grieved from the doctor’s news.

“It’s a disease called Lymphoma- a cancer originating in the lymphatic system.”

She clutched on her pants, desperately grasping for support until she felt a hand land on her shoulder. Her cries became louder and harder as Sehun pulled her into his chest. She didn’t know how much more Sehun’s polo could handle as tears once again, flooded on it. Sehun felt his eyes warming up but he stopped the tears from flowing and instead, pulled Suzy closer to him.

They were sitting in front of Hana’s room because they were afraid that Hana would feel more vulnerable once she sees how broken her parents were. However, the door creaked and opened, revealing a confused Jongin.

“Why are you just here? Hana’s looking for you a while ago but she’s asleep now,” Jongin said innocently.

But then, he noticed that Suzy’s shoulders started trembling more and Sehun’s eyes were already red as balls of tears started accumulating in the corner of his eyes. Jongin felt his heart thumping loudly with what the two was showing.

“Y-You,” Jongin stuttered as he trembled with fear. “W-Why are you crying?”

Sehun slowly met Jongin’s gaze and he saw how anxiety was written all over Jongin’s face.

“Please tell me you’re crying just because you hate hospitals,” Jongin said as he tried to sound cheerful.

“I was with Hana the whole day and she’s completely fine,” he started convincing himself when the two did not reply but somehow he knew otherwise.

Jongin forced a smile but his voice broke as he asked, “Hana’s okay, right?”

A tear escaped Sehun’s eyes as he flashed a bitter smile and shook his head no.

Hana’s eyes fluttered open as she felt that her little fingers were being played with. The white ceiling of the hospital welcomed her sight until she turned and saw her mother’s smile. Hana smiled in reply but then her smile faded when she noticed that Suzy’s eyes were puffy. Concern was written in the girl’s small eyes as she tried to sit up and Suzy helped her in doing so.

“Omma, did you cry?” she asked.

Suzy smiled a little as she asked, “Do I look ugly?”

Hana shook her head and gave out a bright smile as she gave Suzy thumbs up and said, “Still the most beautiful woman on Earth.”

Suzy gave out a light chuckle and Hana did the same but then her eyes travelled to the two men sitting on the couch. Seeing them in the same state as Suzy’s, she turned to Suzy again with a serious expression on her face.

“But omma,” Hana whispered. “Why did you cry?”

Suzy said nothing but clasped Hana’s hand with both of hers. She brought it up to her face as she placed a sound but light kiss on the little hand. She could feel that her eyes were b with tears once more, and she immediately blinked them off.

“Omma,” Hana called her again, this time with a more demanding tone.

The two stared into each other’s eyes as Hana added in a whisper, “Was it because of me?”

Suzy’s grasp on Hana’s hand tightened but the girl continued to ask, “Am I sick?”

Tears escaped from Suzy’s eyes once more but she immediately brushed it away as she nodded, yes.

“Don’t worry omma. This is just like colds, right? I’ll just drink medicine and rest and it would go away, right?”

Suzy breathed deeply as she flattened Hana’s palm on her cheek, feeling the girl’s warmth.

“It’s more complicated than colds,” Suzy explained. “You’ll need different kinds of medicines. Some are even painful.”

Fear had registered in the girl’s system but then she said with an assuring voice, “Then I’ll get well, right?”

“The survival of the patient depends on how receptive her body is to the treatments and how fast the cancer cells will grow or die. At this point, I can’t assure you anything.”

Suzy tucked a hair behind Hana’s ear as she asked, “You… do you remember what omma used to tell you always?”

Hana tilted her head in question as she asked, “Which one?”

“That…” Suzy started and stared in the girl’s eyes as she continued, “Everything will be okay in the end.”

“If it’s not okay, then it’s not yet the end,” Hana finished with a bright smile.

Suzy nodded enthusiastically and hugged the girl tight but carefully as she tried to prevent herself from crying, refusing to look vulnerable in front of her already fragile daughter.

Sehun bowed as he entered Mr. Oh’s office and the latter smiled at him as he gestured him to sit down. Seeing Sehun’s stooped figure and lifeless eyes, Mr. Oh became filled with worry.

“What’s the matter?” he quickly asked.

“That…” Sehun whispered as he kept his gaze on the ground. “I need help from work.”

Mr. Oh’s eyebrows creased but then he smiled as he said, “I don’t think there’s any problem with the company. In fact, the sales are doing well.”

Sehun then met his gaze and Mr. Oh saw how tired and swollen it was. Sehun smiled sadly as he replied, “The problem is not at work.”

Mr. Oh felt his heart being broken little by little as he saw how Sehun’s eyes brimmed with tears. The last time he saw Sehun cry wa