I couldn't let her go, not even if wanted to, not even if I needed to, I could not let Aria go. Not when she was so weak, so vulnerable, so broken. The exact thing I was fearing would happen happened, and it was killing me to know that not only was Jay suffering, but now also Aria. I could have prevented this. I could have made sure Jay was on top of her meds. I could have kept this all from happening. Me. "It's all my fault! Taeil, I should've been watching her! I should have been watching her! Not laying in the bed because of a few bruises! This is my fault! All of it!" My heart broke in a million tiny piece, the small pieces bursting into flames as I looked down and into Aria's face. A thick trail of blood flowing from her nose as her body trembled and slid down my own and into a heap on the floor. Her face was wet with tears and cracked into an expression i would never be able to erase from my memory. She was heart broken. I could hear Yesung's voice, I could hear his footsteps, but they were so faint, so distant, that he might as well have been miles away. "Ta-Taeil what's wrong with Aria? Aria? Are you okay?!" Yesung's voice was frantic and thick with concern, but it did not match the way I was feeling, not even remotely. Sinking to the ground I scooped Aria up in my arms and used my shirt to wipe the continuously flowing blood from her nose. Why is her nose bleeding so much?!? i thouhgt she was getting better! I wondered frantically, my heart bound to fall out of my mouth. If Jay was not worry enough, now I had Aria to be concerned about as well. "Babe you have to calm down... y-you're nose is bleeding. You're hurting yourself. You can't do that. Please Ary stop crying, if you keep hurting yourself Jay's not going to get better. Please calm down. For Jay...for me..." I could hear the panic in my voice as i watched even more blood gush out of Aria's nose and i knew that was only giving Aria more a reason to cry. She was stressing too much and i needed to calm her down before she passed out, or worse. Taking her head in my hand and pressing her into my chest i began to rock her back and forth as if she were a small child, pulling her into my lap before burying my face in her thick soft hair. "Calm down Aria please, for Jay...you have to calm down...please...it hurts me to see you like this. J-Jay's gonna be alright,  I know she will. She has to be so she can see you again." I murmured these sweet soothing things into her ear, coaxing her ruptured soul and calming her heart. "Taeil is Aria alright??" Jongwoon's voice took me by surprise, I had forgotten all about him. Turning to face the older I found that he had gathered some tissues. Taking them in my hand, I used the tissues to wipe away the rest if the blood that poured from Aria's nose. "I don't know." I whispered to myself more than to Jongwoon. "She'll be fine." I whispered, this time loud enough for Yesung to hear, my eyes trained on Aria's head. Her body was still shaking despite the fact that the sound of her heavy sobs had ceased. I was afraid to pull her away, I was afraid to see her grave face. "Baby girl?" I called out to her, my tone calm, voice soft. She responded to me with a simple fleeting glance before laying her head against my chest. "Aria can you...are you alright?" The sound of Yesung's voice caught me off guard again, and it must have caught Aria by surprise as well because the moment his voice resonated through the room, she stiffened. Sitting up rather abruptly, Aria wiped her swollen eyes and tried to fix herself up. But it was no use, he had already seen it all. "Aria stop, it's okay...Yesung knows about what happened to Jay." I could see Yesung nodding out the corner of my eye, "It must be difficult to hear this kind of information from so far a distance. If only we could have been there when it happened." Yesung said to no one in particular, his hands curling into fists. "Ary, are you okay? Y-your nose started bleeding...is still bleeding..." I noted as even more blood trickled from her nose. "I'm f-fine, just scared...for Jay...I should have made sure she was okay instead of worrying about myself, Taeil. I should have." Aria's voice was far too unstable for my comfort, I knew that the last thing she was, was fine. But before I could get a word in edgewise, Aria had already gotten up from my lap and stumbled over to the door. "Aria wait, you shouldn't be moving so much after that nose bleed! Taeil get her! Stop her!" Yesung exclaimed in my direction as he started after Aria himself. With every bit of energy in me I shot from the floor and jetted passed Yesung, making it to Aria in less the ten seconds. Just in time too. Aria leaned against the wall next to Jongwoon's classroom, her eyes closed and her nose still trickling blood, but only a little. "It's too much..." She whispered quietly before sliding to the floor, her eyes closed, lips barely parting to form a word. She looked absolutely drained. "She can't handle it by herself...I should have been there...watching her..." Aria's voice was so small and broken I couldn't hear a word she was saying, but I didn't care. It was as if she could not feel her own body as she slumped to the floor, she just slipped through the air. "Aria. Aria. Come on, get up...she wouldn't want you to neglect yourself either. If this is how your body responds to stress after you've almost completely healed, think about what would have happened had you not taken time out to rest. Jay would hate herself for knowing that you stressed and hurt yourself over her." I lifted Aria to her feet and began taking her toward the car. "But Taeil-" I didn't even give Aria a chance to finish her sentence before placing a finger against her lips, "It's not your fault babe...stop blaming yourself. You're only making yourself worse. Jay is already gonna kill me when she finds out about your nose bleed." I peered over at Aria to see her eyes wide and trained on my shirt,  she was looking at all of the blood surely. "...that's my blood? All of it...?" I nodded my head slightly and looked into Aria's face, only to see her eyes rolling around in her head. She was going to pass out. "Aria stay with me okay?! You have to stay awake to see Jay. You have to." My heart broke even more then, her eyes were heavy with exhaustion, her body was utterly drained, she needed to sleep. I should have let her. It was clear that her body was taking a toll against Woohyun's beatings, and I knew that was the main reason her nose was bleeding. He had hurt her so much, it was incredible she was keeping up right. But it boggled my mind that she was responding after so much time had elapsed since their last encounter. I wonder if she still hurts... I thought as I helped Aria into the passenger seat and buckled her in. "You can sleep on our way there?" I suggested, my aching heart giving in at last. "...no, if I go to sleep now...I won't wake up to see Jay." Aria whispered before laying her head against the head rest, too fatigue to even hold her gaze with me. I sighed heavily and nodded lightly, "Okay Aria...but you're going to rest asap alright?" "Alright." Aria breathed faintly, her eyes falling shut, only to open seconds later. Shaking my head, I shut her door and headed to the drivers side. I called Yesung to let him know that we already left for the hospital and that we'd meet him there. It was going to be difficult to explain to Yesung what exactly happened to Aria, but I knew I could think of something. It didn't take me as long as I had thought it would to get to the hospital,  and it didn't take long to get Jay's room number and doctor info. But it did take a bit of time getting Aria to the room. Her nose had started bleeding multiple times in the car and I knew it was because she was still stressing, straining her brain and body more than she could handle. We had to wash up as well, which took a no of time. Simply cleaning any blood from our hands or arms and changing my shirt before going in to see Jay. Luckily for Aria, for, Yesung, for all of us, Jay was doing just fine. When we walked into the hospital room, we were relieved to see her smiling as Daehyun spoke to her, her smile lighting up the dim room as it grew even wider when she laid eyes on us. "Jay, you're alright?! Oh my god, what happened to you? I'm so sorry for not making sure that you took your medicine...and I'm sorry for not being there for you all this time..." I tried to grab Aria before that happened,  before she guilt tripped herself, before she could begin blaming herself again; because I knew what would come afterwards. The moment I saw her body shaking I sprang into action, "Baby calm down.  She's alright,  She's fine. She's fine." I grabbed Aria up in my arms and cradled her against me, the feeling of warm drops of liquid dripping on to my shirt making me tense. Please let them be tears. I pleaded silently, squeezing my eyes shut. "Aria it's okay, I'm fine...I promise. Please stop crying...don't blame yourself. Please. Y-you're going to make yourself ill. The doctors gave me a stronger prescription and treated me. I should be going home soon. " Jay said as she scooted to the edge of her bed and touched Aria's shoulder. Aria stopped shaking then, but I could still feel the drops of liquid plop onto my shirt, seeping into the fabric and onto my skin. Her nose is bleeding again. I concluded when I felt just how warm the mysterious fluid was against my skin. "I'm sorry, Jay." Aria whispered softly, her head resting against my chest, she was done, I could feel it. All of her weight was in my arms, against my body, she was completely drained. It scared me how easily she could break, just moments ago she was doing perfectly fine. Then it all came crashing down seemingly the moment Woohyun set foot in our view. I looked up at Jay and Daehyun and smiled sadly, "Let me take her outside and try to calm her down okay? We'll only be a second." I said to Jay and Daehyun as i lifted Aria to her feet, making sure to keep her face hidden in my chest. "Okay." Jay whispered in response, her eyes trained on both Aria and I as i discreetly attempted to move out of the room without alerting Jay, or Daehyun, of Aria's condition. No One's POV Taeil didn't want to alarm Jay of what happened to Aria, not so soon after her being admitted into the hospital, he was not sure how her heart could handle it. His heart could barely handle seeing Aria that way. Wrapping his arms around Aria's body and pulling her gently toward the door, Taeil looked over his shoulder to see if Daehyun and Jay were still watching them, another small smile gracing his lips when he saw that they were indeed still watching them. Shutting the door behind him, Taeil looked down into Aria's shielded face to see her red puffy eyes, fluttering open, a small breath slipping passed her lips as she closed her eyes again. Rubbing her cheek tenderly, Taeil smiled faintly, "I don't know what i am going to do if i have to see you suffer anymore." Taeil whispered before looking around for some assistance. When a nurse came waltzing in from around the corner, he immediately called for her attention, asking her right away for something to clean up the blood that was still coming from Aria's nose. Aria was so dazed that she barely could understand what was happening between Taeil and the nurse, she barely could feel the blood pouring from her nose. Bringing her hands up to her nose, Aria pinched her nose closed and leaned forward. Looking up at the nurse, Aria could see that the lady was worried, her eyesbrows were furrowed together and her hand was in front of , muffling the gasps that escaped the second she saw the blood. Before the nurse could jump to conclusions, Aria interjected, "I'm fine, i just hit my nose on the door frame on my way out. My friend is inside and i did not want to alert her. She just woke up." The nurse looked down at Aria, her eyes filling with even more worry. She wasn't buying it. "Please. I don't want my friend worrying about me, not after she just woke up from an asthma attack. I am fine, i promise. My nose just bleeds easily after it gets hit." Aria grabbed onto Taeil as she said these things, the strength within her dwindling swiftly, no matter how much she told everyone she was okay, she knew more than anyone that she was not. The nurse nodded her head, "Okay. As long as you are alright sweetheart. I will be right back with some gauze and sanitary wipes. Keep your head tilted forward and your nose pinched together." Aria nodded her head at the sweet nurse's orders and continued to do what she was told. Peering up at Taeil, Aria parted her lips to call him over, but all that came out of was a quiet sigh as her head, even lighter than before began to spin, "Taeil!" Aria exclaimed, reaching a hand out to grab for him . Within the blink of an eye, Taeil rushed over to Aria and swept her in his arms and brought her to one of the nearby chairs. "Aria, wh-what...you're scaring me. What's happening? Why is your nose bleeding so much? Ha-has this happened before?" Taeil asked these questions as calmly as possible, but there was no hiding the fear in his voice. "I thought you were getting better." Taeil inserted as he watched Aria lay her head on his chest again, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her to him. "I am...i was..." Aria paused and bit her bottom lip, her eyes jetting around the room, almost as if she was frightened. "I wasn't trying to run into him, it just happened. He didn't even say anything to me, he just shoved me. Hard. And i fell...i fell and hit my head against the corner of a wall." Aria whispered the last part, her eyes settling on Taeil's but only for a second before she shut them and looked away, her fidgeting hands coming to a halt as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm so sorry for just now telling you this. I should have told you about it when it happened but i didn't want you to get upset. I didn't want you to lash out...i didn't want him to have anymore reason to hurt you." Taeil looked down at Aria in disbelief, his eyes prickling with tears, the words he was preparing to form stuck in his throat. "That son of a put his hands on you again?!" Taeil exclaimed, his eyes wide and hia cheeks red, "How hard did you hit your head? Oh my god! You could have a concussion. You can't hide things like this from me, Aria! N-not...not again..." Taeil could feel the tears collecting at his lashes and wiped them away before they could fall, "I'm sorry. You were already going through so much with trying to take care of me and trying to keep up with Jay. On top of that you have classes...i just...i didn't want to add on to you're load."  Aria's voice was a mere whisper, but before Taeil could respond, the nurse had returned with gauze and sanitary wipes. "Is she alright?" The nurse asked upon seeing Taeil holding Aria. "Oh! I'm fine, i just had to sit down. I am a bit faint hearted." Aria whispered suddenly,  her eyes widening immediately.  The nurse looked at Taeil for conformation of Aria's statement, nodding her own head when she saw him nod in approval. "Well alright, here's the gauze and sanitary wipes. How about i help you clean that up, huh?" The nurse asked kindly, her lips tugging into a sweet sincere smile. Aria nodded her head again, not at all moving her lips to speak, afraid that she would give herself away. Taeil sat Aria up in the chair so that the nurse could tend to his girlfriend's bleeding nose. Half of him hoped that the nurse would take it upon herself and make sure that Aria was okay, using that little flashlight he was sure she had in her pocket to look in her eyes, but the other half of him knew that if the nurse did examine Aria, that they all would be screwed. And the likeliness of Jay leaving the hospital soon would be out of the window the moment she found out her dongsaeng was being abused and almost beaten to death on a daily. It didn't take the nurse long at all to clean up Aria's nose and get the bleeding to cease and that was much to Taeil's relief. The nurse left not too soon after she finished up with Aria, letting the younger girl know that if there was anything she needed all she had to do was ask. With a small mumbled 'thank you' and 'have a nice evening', Aria averted her attention away from the nurse and peered over at Taeil, who had yet to take his eyes off of her face. " Don't look at me like that Taeil. I'm fine, okay? Please...just...just don't worry about me right now. Jay needs to get better and it won't help her any if i sit out here being weak. I have to go back in there and make sure she's alright." Aria tried to stand up from the chair, but found it difficult to stay up right, the strength in her body totally gone. Taeil grabbed Aria's hands and pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close to his heart, he could feel how tense she was, and knew right away that she was terrified. Not only for her own life, but for Jay's, for his, and he knew that that stress alone, was making it even harder for Aria to get better. "Aria, how hard did he push you? And please answer me honestly." Aria looked at Taeil through hazy eyes and nodded slowly, tears collecting at her bottom lashes. "It wasn't too many hours ago... I was just stepping out to use the restroom. I wasn't expecting to see him and...I don't think he was expecting to see me either. But when he did see me he began walking up to me, with a smirk on his lips. I turned around and started running back toward the my class room. But I didn't make it far before he grabbed my hair and threw me into the wall over by the staircase. My head hit the corner of the wall and for a second I out. I...I couldn't even see him run off after that i was so out of it. I didn't think i'd be able to get back to the class room i was so..shocked...my nose did not start bleeding until a few hours after i hit my head. You and Jay were in class then, so i just stopped the bleeding and rested as much as i could without going to sleep. But it was difficult, i was so...tired... This is the third time my nose has bleed since i hit my head, i guess it is because i am stressed. B-but I'm fine, so don't worry." Aria whispered these words as she layed her head on Taeil's chest and wrapped her arms around his stomach. Taeil could tell that Aria was beat, that she needed to sleep but was pushing herself to stay up for Jay's sake. Shaking his head, Taeil placed a hand at the back of Aria's head and her hair gently. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there to protect you Ary. I really am. He'll pay for what he did to you." Aria smiled a little, her eyelids falling slowly over her eyes. "You don't need to apologize. I'm...I'm fine now..." Aria breathed before shutting her eyes, her body slackening against Taeil's as she allowed herself a few minutes of rest. Taeil and Aria sat like that for ten minutes, undisturbed and silent, just the two of them using the presence of one another as comfort. "I'm s-so tired, Taeil..." Aria mumbled a little while later, her eyes reopening before sitting up and standing to her feet, her hand resting on Taeil's shoulder. "And i know i need to rest but i want to make sure Jay is taken care of properly before...before i fall asleep...i'm so tired..." Aria's speech was beginning to slur, she was doing too much in her current state, she was worrying excessively, and none of it was helping her any. Taeil jumped up to his feet and wrapped an arm around Aria's waist before she could pass out, considering she was in fact going to pass out; he just wanted to be safe. The both of them went back into Jay's room to find her and Daehyun  engaged in a deep conversation, both their heads snapping up at the sound of their footsteps scuff the ground. "Hyung, is Aria alright?" Daehyun asked the moment his face met Taeil's his eyes darting to the ground where both he and Aria were kneeling before he left outside. A soft gasp escaped Aria's mouth as she saw what it was Daehyun was looking at, three large dark drops of blood. Aria looked up at Jay and Daehyun, her breath held within her chest as she thought of an explanation, "I'm fine guys, i just...i hit my nose before i got here. When i got the call from you about Jay....I lost my wits about myself. I um....I c-couldn't focus and i ran into a door." Aria smiled sheepishly, her head light, her vision doubled. She grabbed onto Taeil as tightly as she could without giving away her true physical  stature. "Aria, you've been hurting yourself an awful lot lately. Are you sure you are okay? I mean...when we went out that time you looked like you were in so much pain, as if it was hard for you to stand up ri-" Taeil looked up at Daehyun then, giving him the deadliest glare he could muster at that moment. Jay looked over at Daehyun confused as to why he suddenly stopped talking, "What are you talking about Daehyun?" Jay asked seriously but received no answer. Daehyun held eye contact with Taeil, his lips sealed shut as the rest of his statement burned at the tip of his tongue. "My tummy was hurting that evening, it was nothing serious." Aria said with a hint of chipper to her tone. Jay looked between Daehyun and Aria utterly confused, her brows furrowed together. She was about to ask again when Taeil's voice popped into her head. 'She didn't fall down the stairs...' Looking at Aria now, Jay could see that her dongsaeng was tired, but who wouldn't be after a long day's work. No. When Jay really looked at Aria, she didnt see a normal exhaustion, she saw fatigue and weaknesses, something she never displayed. "Are you sure that's why your nose was bleeding? It wasn't because you...fell down the stairs a few days ago? Right? You don't have a concussion or anything?  Right?!" Aria glanced at Jay and forced a smile, her heart racing in her chest, her heading throbbing from having been so lightheaded for so long. "Of course not Jay! I'm fine, don't you dare worry about me, okay? Just...just focus on getting better. I'll be...alright..." Everyone could hear how Aria's voice died down as she spoke, how her words slurred togther just slightly. "Aria, are you sure? You don't sound too good?" Aria laughed, despite the fact she could not comprehend what Jay asked her like she normally would. "I'm just a little...a little sleepy...oh um...have any of you heard from Yesung?  He should be here soon." Aria added to change the subject,  her strength completely gone. If it weren't for Taeil standing there behind her, Aria would have surely collapsed onto the floor. "No. I haven't really been speaking to him lately." Aria looked at Jay then, her eyes widening. "Jay, i want you to know...there really is not anything going on between me and Jongwoon. I didn't mean to make him late to meet you that night. I was just helping him grade papers and needed some help...i didn't mean to make him lose track of time." Jay smiled at Aria and shook her head, "Of course I know that Aria." Jay scrunched her face as she noticed the way Aria grabbed onto Taeil, her eyelids falling shut as if she were falling asleep. Something is wrong... Jay speculated as she watch Taeil and Aria's actions closely, taking note of the way they glanced at each other, taking note of how Taeil would Aria's neck or cheek, his fingers running gently over her soft delicate skin soothingly, tenderly. He looked so protective, defensive even, his shoulders tensing every second Aria moved, even the slightest bit. There was no alluding from it, something was wrong with Aria, and it was only a matter of time before Jay found out exactly what it was. But before Jay could move her lips to inquire further, the door was thrown wide open. Everyone snapped their heads up expecting to see a frantic Yesung but was shocked speechless when they instead beheld a slightly irritated Woohyun. Aria gasped at rhe sight of Woohyun, her blood going cold and her heart stopping in her chest. "Hey Woohyun? What....what are you doing here?" Jay asked as the male approached her and Aria, his eyes only moving between the two. "Hey Jay, I um heard that you were admitted into the hospital so I wanted to see if you were okay. Oh look, hey babe. So this is why you have been ignoring my calls. Thought you were...running from me..." Woohyun smirked as he said these words, his eyes trained dead on Aria's face, "Of course not Woohyun...why would you think that?" Aria's voice was small and almost inaudible as she spoke to Woohyun, her and Taeil's joined hands now hidden behind her back. "I haven't seen you lately, can't blame me for thinking the worst." Woohyun walked up to Aria, his arms open wide, "Especially after you...fell down the stairs a few days back. " Woohyun whispered in Aria's ear, his eyes now trained on Taeil's face. Aria stiffened in Woohyun's arms, her chilled blood freezing. "We need to talk." Woohyun whispered harshly against Aria's ear, squeezing her painfully tight. Aria gasped lightly, her eyes shutting as she practically fainted in his arms. "Mm okay..." Aria breathed as Woohyun loosened his grip on her. Aria turned to look at Jay, "Hey I'll be right back okay? Sorry. This should only take a second. I need to...talk to Woohyun." Aria faked a laugh before going out into the hallway with Woohyun. "Okay bu-" before Jay could even begin to finish her sentence, Woohyun whisked Aria out into the corridor, the door to the hospital room slamming shut. Taeil's eyes were trained on the door knob, his hands clenching into fists as he resisted the urge to run outside after them. "That bastard! What could he possibly want that he had to pull her out of the room like that? Couldn't he see that she was occupied?" Daehyun exclaimed from his spot on the chair next to Jay's bed. Taeil and Jay both glanced at Daehyun and nodded their heads, "I know right. She needs to be laying down. She looks exhausted." Jay said looking over toward the door and frowning a little. Taeil looked at the door and growled lowly, he didn't trust Aria with Woohyun for one second. He knew that Woohyun was up to no good, and it was taking all of his willpower not to go chasing after them. "Woohyun is weird like that. He always does that. I don't like it." Jay spat, laying back against her pillows as she felt a slight headache began to press against her skull. "Me either." Taeil said, looking over at Jay and smiling a bit. Clenching his hand into a fist Taeil went over and took a set on the couch, his leg jiggling with growing impatience. He better not lay a finger on her. Taeil thought as he looked at the door once more, hoping that Aria came walking back into the room like she left it but without Woohyun. But something told Taeil that his hope was simply that, a hope, and a false one at that. Woohyun clutched Aria's wrist the moment the door to Jay's room shut and began to drag her through the hall and around the corner. Looking all around him, Woohyun made sure there was no audience, that he had taken Aria somewhere no one would find them. Turning the corner, Woohyun found a dark slim hallway that led to a supply closet. Without warning woohyun yanked Aria in front of him and shoved her down the hallway until she was up against the back wall. Grabbing a fist full of Aria's hair, Woohyun jerked her head back. "You think you're cute huh? Ignoring me like that! You didnt think you could run for ever did you?!" Woohyun whispered harshly, pulling her head back so that it collided with the wall. Aria gasped at the shocking impact and squeezed her eyes shut, "Woohyun please...I wasn't trying to-" Aria began to say but stopped when Woohyun brought her head back again. "Don't lie to me! I saw you and that guy earlier! You. Are. Not. Fooling. Me." With each of his final words Woohyun brought her head back against the wall, bright white flashes of light blinding her vision as she struggled to keep shut, as she struggled to stay awake and not succumb to the pain that blossomed through her head. Biting her tongue Aria held in her cries, clenching her fists she weakly pushed at Woohyun. The taste of copper and salt was strong in Aria's mouth, "S-stop it~!" Aria croaked, the feeling of blood trickling from waking her up as Woohyun jerked her head back against the wall for the last time. "Why should I?! Huh? You haven't learned your lesson." Woohyun growled before shoving her head into the wall forcibly. Aria bit down on her tongue but it did not stop the cry from leaving . Woohyun brought a hand up to cover but Aria slapped it away, "Don't!" Aria exclaimed as she tried to bare the excruciating pain that rang through her head. Not at all pleased with Aria's behavior, Woohyun draw a fist back and socked her jaw. Immediately Aria crumpled to the floor, her hands flying to as she yelped in pain. Woohyun bent down and yanked Aria to her feet, not even giving her a chance to be in pain. "Remind me again why you were ignoring me?" Woohyun snarled, pulling Aria close, the sight of blood dripping from her lips distracting him from going any further than what he already had. Woohyun's eyes widened at the sight of the blood. His intentions weren't to draw blood at all, he only wanted to put her in check, show her who was in charge. Aria slumped into Woohyun's chest, the male immediately pushing her off of him. "Yah~!" Woohyun exclaimed, "I have to go...mm...I have to go wash my mouth out..." Aria mumbled as blood dripped down her chin, stumbling away from Woohyun and out into the open corridor, her destination the lady's room. Jay, Taeil, and Daehyun's heads all popped up at the sound of a banging noise against the far wall. Their faces scrunching up in confusion and curiosity. "What the hell is that?" Daehyun asked shaking his head. Taeil looked up toward the door, his eyes growing round and wide. Aria! He mentally screamed, looking over at Jay and Daehyun before calmly jumping to his feet. "I don't know but I'll go check it out okay? Whatever it is, it's...annoying...." Taeil said, his feet itching to run out of the room. Daehyun nodded his head at Taeil before the older could leave, "Alright." Daehyun said looking down at Jay, who wore a confused and rather worrisome expression on her face. "Hey, Taeil...check on Aria too. She's been gone for a little while and you know she looked so tired." Taeil nodded his head at Jay and smiled faintly before shutting the door behind him. Stopping for a quick second, Taeil listened for the banging sound but did no longer hear it, instead he heard the soft snickering of a male followed by loud footsteps. Glancing up and over toward the sound of footsteps, Taeil laid eyes on a smirking Woohyun fixing his jacket. "Hey...um...where's Aria? Did you hear that banging?" Taeil asked, looking at Woohyun from the corners of his eyes suspiciously. Snickering even more than he was before Woohyun glanced at Taeil, "Hmph, i should have known you were gonna be the one to come out here," Woohyun mumbled, shaking his head and looked away from the older, shorter male. "...she's in the restroom. And no, i didn't hear any banging noise. You must be hearing things. Is everything okay in there with Jay?" Woohyun asked, looking down at his hands and wiping them on his pants as if something were on them. That's when he saw it, that's when Taeil saw the blood on Woohyun's jacket. The jacket was dark, almost black, but the white specks in the jacket's fabric made the vibrant red stains visible. "What did you do to her?" Taeil asked Woohyun, his voice calm and quiet, his eyes live flames. Anyone seeing Taeil would immediately be intimidated, for the look in his eyes read murder. Woohyun narrowed his eyes at Taeil and snorted. "You're funny. I didn't do a thing to Aria. What would make you think I did anything to her?" Woohyun asked coolly,  putting his hands in his pockets and peering over at Taeil. "It's written on your face." Taeil spat, clenching his fist to his sides as the strong urge to kick Woohyun's tore at his body. "Pardon?" Woohyun asked, his tone edgy and his volume much louder than before. "You heard me. What did you do to Aria?" Taeil asked again, this time much more aggressive than last time. Woohyun snickered, "I didn't do a thing to her. But she was telling me about a headache she had. I told her she should rest, but she never listens she's so...hard headed..." Woohyun remarked, smirking at Taeil, who caught on right away. Taking a couple of quick steps toward Woohyun, Taeil growled, "You bastard!" Taeil exclaimed, only to be stopped by the sound of Aria's weak voice. "Taeil! Taeil!" Aria called from across the way, her weak body sparking with energy when she saw him angrily approaching Woohyun. Picking up her pace drastically, Aria began to sprint toward Taeil, "Taeil, I'm fine!" Aria whispered as she plowed into his body and pushed him away from Woohyun with all her might. She's so...broken.... Taeil thought as he noticed how exhausted Aria looked, as he noted how she hung on to him so as not to collapse. "I'm fine, I just had to splash some water on my face. I was tired remember?" Aria lied, grabbing onto Taeil's shirt and smiling painfully. Calm down. I'm okay. Aria mouthed, her placid face wrinkling not too long afterward into an expression of sheer pain, her body lurching forward violently. "Aagh!" Aria exclaimed, unable to catch the cry of pain before it slipped past her lips. Woohyun had punched her in the back, his face free of any revealing expressions as he executed the action. If Taeil had not known any better he would have thought she just lost strength in her legs and simply fell forward. But "Hey Aria, I'll catch you later okay? I just remembered, I bought a gift for Jay but left it at my place. I'll give it to her when she gets out. Besides it's kinda late and I have work tomorrow. Tell Jay I'm sorry I couldn't stay. Taeil." Woohyun said finally, nodding his head at the aforementioned and subtly glaring at Aria, who was trying her hardest not to cry. "Mkay Woohyun, I'll...I'll call you later." Aria breathed, looking up and forcing a faint smile. Taeil clenched his fists tight as Woohyun walked up to Aria and pecked her lips, the urge to lay into him so strong it took all of him not to throw a punch. Taeil and Aria waited, the tension in the air so thick it could be cut with a knife, until Woohyun disappeared down the elevator before making any sudden movements. But judged on how weak Aria looked, Taeil needed to act fast or she might pass out. "Aria, baby what did he do to you?" Taeil asked, his eyes watering the moment Aria turned around and he looked into his girlfriend's eyes. "Don't worry about it, Taeil. I'm okay. Let's just go back in there with Jay. She's probably worried sick." Aria whisped, reaching up to wipe Taeil's eyes, struggling to keep tears of her own from falling. Taeil pressed his lips into a thin line, his blood boiling as he watched Aria wipe his eyes, as he watched her lips begin to tremble.  Turning away from Taeil, Aria began toward Jay's hospital room, her feet not lifting from the ground for she was too weak to take full steps at the moment. Any energy that Aria did have, she wanted to save it for when she had to go into the room with Jay and Daehyun. "Ary please, you're...you're hurting. I can see it. You need lay down, you need to rest." Taeil whispered, walking up behind Aria and wrapping his arms gently around her waist, pulling her into his body. "Taeil i can't be weak anymore...especially now, not when Jay is in the hospital. I have to be there for her, and i cannot do that if I..." Aria stopped talking as her eye lids began to droop, a soft cry leaving her lips "I have to be...strong...for Jay..." Aria whispered brokenly, placing her hands on Taeil's and clutching onto him before letting go and stepping out of his arms. Sighing heavily, Taeil allowed Aria to approach the door, but did not let her open it until he was right behind her again. Placing his hand on top of Aria's, Taeil pushed the door open and took a few steps so that his front was against her back, "H-hey Jay, sorry I took so long. Woohyun had to leave. He said he bought you something but left it at home, he'll give it too you when he sees you again. Are you alright? Daehyun keeping you company i see." Aria looked up at Daehyun and smiled faintly before walking over to Jay's bed and stood at the foot. "I'm fine Ary really, please stop stressing. And that's um sweet of Woohyun. Are you alright? You look so tired. Did something happen?" Jay asked, her voice full of concern. Aria snickered and nodded her head, but right away did she learn how bad of an idea that was. "Yeah. I'm okay, i just...i was crying so much earlier i guess my eyes are swollen. That and I have a massive headache." Aria whispered, looking Jay in her eyes and smiling brightly, leaning over to grab onto the edge for support. "Aria." Taeil hissed, reaching forward to grab her but stopping short when she waved him away. "You need to lay down then!" Jay exclaimed, her motherly side showing as she chastised her dongsaeng. Aria shook her head and laughed, "Jay I'm fin-" But Taeil cut her off, "She's right Aria, you need to rest. You've been pushing yourself way too hard today." Taeil's voice was stern, almost frighteningly so, and everyone in the room noticed. Aria turned around and looked at Taeil, her lips parted as if she was going to reply but didn't, instead she just slipped off her shoes and slid them underneath the hospital bed, completely ignoring him. "I'll go to sleep when you go to sleep, okay Jay? I need to make sure you are breathing alright." Aria said as she slowly, and painfully climbed onto the bed and sat at the very edge. Jay looked at Taeil and then at Daehyun, her lips tugging into a very slight and rather uncomfortable grin. "Whatever you say, Ary." Jay sighed, laying back against her pillows trying to get as comfortable as she could. Taeil peered at Aria, his lashes moist from having shed those few tears back in the corridor. Taeil had not blinked but six times before the door to Jay's room was thrown open once more, his parted lips sealing shut. This time Taeil was ready to fight. But to his and everyone else's surprise, it was Yesung, not Woohyun, who stood in the doorway. Looking over at the older man, Taeil smiled a little, "Hey Yesung...we didn't know when you'd show up. Glad you made it." Taeil said, glancing away from Jongwoon to Jay, who was looking away from the scene, ignoring the man she wanted so badly to see. Yesung walked further into the room, his attention solely on Jay. "Hey Taeil, every thing is okay I hope." Yesung muttered, slowly approaching Jay's hospital bed. Taeil looked up at Daehyun, whose face was beet red, his lips pressed together into a thin white line. Even with the limited knowledge he had on the situation, Taeil could tell right away Daehyun was not fond of Yesung. Glancing over at Aria, Taeil's eyes bound open, the very girl who was awake minutes ago, was now curled up in a fetal position fast asleep. With out alarming any one else in the room, Taeil walked over to Aria, peering down into her peaceful face, looking to see if she was breathing alright. That's when he noticed the blood trickling from . Bending down abruptly, Taeil scooped Aria up and cradled her against his chest. "What? She's already asleep? I knew she was tired. She looked so exhausted." Jay exclaimed, the slight commotion drawing her attention,  but only momentarily. Taeil looked at Jay and smiled forcefully, "Yeah, must have been a rough day for her then. She was awake like 10 minutes ago." Jay mumbled, her eye brows bunching together in confusion and maybe concern. "I'm gonna go lay her down over there okay?" Taeil said quietly, looking up at Jay to see her and Yesung in a deep and rather hushed conversation. "Just go ahead, i'll tell her when she finishes talking with Mr. Kim." Daehyun said suddenly, his tone bitter, his voice low. Taeil nodded his head at the younger boy before leaning down to clean away the blood that ran down Aria's chin. What did he do to her out there? Taeil wondered frantically, his heart beating a millions times per second as he slowly moved the girl from the bed and over to the couch, laying her down so that her back was facing the others and her head was resting on his thigh. Aria shifted around when Taeil settled down, a small and rather painful sounding moan escaping her lips, her face wrinkling into an expression of sheer pain. Taeil her cheeks softly, leaning down to place a feathery kiss on her forehead, his eyes trained on her face as he watched Aria try to sleep. Every time Aria made the slightest display of discomfort made Taeil tense, holding his breath as he made sure her nose or mouth did not start to bleed again. He didn't get any sleep that night. No, Taeil stayed up all night to make sure Aria was sleeping well, to make sure she was breathing well, to make sure that whatever it was Woohyun did to her was not causing her any possibly fatal issues. "I love you Ary, you know that right? I love you much. So you have to get better okay? I have to see you happy again." Taeil whispered softly, knowing Aria's answer to his question with no doubt. Hugging Aria against his body before lying his head back to rest a bit, Taeil whispered 'I love you' one last time. If only I could turn back time...i would make sure none of this ever happened to you Aria. Ever. Taeil thought as he peered up at the ceiling,  the feeling of Aria's warm body against his reassuring, because at least he still had her with him.  Even though he felt helpless now, Taeil still had a chance to save Aria,  he still had a chance to make things better for her, for them. He just hopes that it is is too late when he does finally do something about it. In fact, after this evening's unfortunate events, Taeil was completely and utterly done with Woohyun and his possessive ways for good. As far as he was concerned,  the next time he and Woohyun ever crossed paths again was the last time Taeil would let that snake get away with all he has done to Aria. To Taeil, Woohyun was a dead man walking, and he put it on everything that the second he catches Woohyun hurting Aria would be the moment he succumbs to violence. Woohyun didn't understand why it was he was still feeling so irate, so hostile after he took out his anger out on Aria back at the hospital. All he knew was as he drove back to his place,  he could not help but to frown and growl to himself, his body hot with rage. She had been playing him behind hia back the entire time they were together. Since day one,  Woohyun knew Aria was going to be trouble, especially when it came to her relationship with Taeil. Thinking about it now,  Woohyun couldn't believe he actually believed her when she said they were just friends. But he wasn't going to let her go, he wasn't going to lose to yet another man. In Woohyun's mind, Aria was his, he saw her first, he made the first move, he won. However, obtaining and keeping Aria was not as easy as it looked or soundrd. No matter how small that girl looked to be, she was a strong and stubborn one, never has Woohyun ever had to go to this extremes to keep a girl on his arms. Ever. But I'll teach her...just let me see her with that guy one more time. Let me see them displaying affection towards one another again...Aria would wish she never ran crying to him in the first place... Woohyun grumbled mentally, his hands tightening around the steering wheel, his foot pressing heavier on the gas pedal. Woohyun left the hospital with the intention of going home,  but found himself standing at a bar, ordering his forth round of shots. Woohyun wasn't exactly a lightweight but that did not stop the effects of the alcohol from altering his actions, his thoughts, making each one of them hasher, more aggressive, his emotions completely engulfing his logic. I'll definitely show her what happens when she plays me. Woohyun thought, snarling as he turned up his very last shot. Wiping a hand across his mouth abruptly, Woohyun stuffed his hand into his pocket and took out a few bills and threw them on the bar top before turning on his heels and stalking out of the building. Anyone with in a 5 mile radius could see that Woohyun was drunk off his , his eyelids hanging low over his eyes as he slumped into his car and quickly started it. Looking over his shoulder, his vision doubled and blurry, Woohyun out the gear in drive and turned the wheel, taking off into the night with out one care on his mind. Aria... Her name echoed in Woohyun's mind as he struggled to focus on the road ahead, his logic and motor skills so gone he barely knew where he was going. If it weren't for muscle memorization,  Woohyun and his car would more than like be wrapped around a pole, or worse, in a five car pile up. Getting into his house was one of the most challenging things for Woohyun in that moment,  his hands so shaky and unstable that it took him eight minutes to put the key in the lock and get his door open. Stumbling inside Woohyun tossed his keys on the kitchen counter before going straight to his room. Discarding his jacket and losing his belt, Woohyun began to undress, stopping the moment he ed his last button on his shirt,  leaving the item of clothing open, exposing his bare chest. A low growl rose in his throat as the thought of Aria and Taeil still being together ran across his brain. I should have made her come back with me. Woohyun thought as he took his phone out and began to dial Aria's number. But instead of dial the number, Woohyun hurled the phone across the room. He was so fed up by the simple thought of losing Aria to some one as plain and average as Taeil  that he was disgusted even thinking about it. Growling to himself as he stalked into the kitchen, Woohyun snatched a glass from the cupboard and slammed it on the counter next to his collection of alcohols. Grabbing one by random, Woohyun popped the top off of his liquor and poured himself a generous amount in the glass, turning it up not seconds after putting the bottle down. Now clenching the glass, Woohyun shut his eyes, image after image of Aria with Taeil replaying on the insides of his eyelids.