*How's Jin Young oppa...?*

The operation light went off, but I felt that the time before the doctor came out of the emergency room was extremely long. My heart was beating loudly, and I found it difficult to breathe. I had never felt that a few seconds were so long before.

*Jebalyo, God, save him...* I held my shaking hands together as I prayed from the bottom of my heart. Then, a doctor came out from the operation room.

"Sunsaengnim! How's Jin Young oppa now? He's okay, geuji...?"
"Buin-nim, please calm down." A guard tried to pacify me, since I was asking questions with such force.
"How could I calm down? He, he...he was injured because of me!"
"Jin Young-ssi was able to do his best."
"Eh?"

After the doctor said that with a calm smile, Jin young, still unconscious, was carried out of the operation room.

"He's currently unconscious because of anesthesia, but he'll wake up soon."
"I'm so glad." Though Jin Young looked pale, I was happy he was still alive.
"He'll need to stay at the hospital for a little while, but he'll be fine if he gets some rest."
"Jjinjayo? There won't be any obstacles to his everyday life..."
"Ne."
"Ah...jeongmal kamsahabnida, sunsaengnim..." I thanked the doctor again and again.

"So Hyun ah, neo eodiga?"
"I'm going to see Jin Young oppa."

Once Byung Hun heard Jin Young's name, he looked a bit uncomfortable.

"How's his condition now? You've been going to check up on that idiot everyday, geuji?"
"Ne... He's getting better and better."
"I see... I need to thank him properly too, since he protected somebody important to me, but stop going to meet him everyday. I think it can't be helped since you feel guilty, but you'll just hurt him if you hang around and he gets the wrong idea. Unless you actually..."
"What are you saying? Me and Jin Young oppa are chingu, okay?"
"Are you really thinking that when you go and check up on him? I can't see your visits as just visits from a friend."

After he said that in a rather lonely voice, he closed the door and went to work. I understood what he wanted to say. I knew myself that my attitude when I checked up on Jin Young wasn't the one of just a friend. I was full of guilt about what had happened to Jin Young and felt really sorry. I hoped that by visiting him when he was unwell, at least a little of that guilt would go away.

*I'm the worst.*

"Oh, you are... You came today as well?"
"Annyeonghasaeyo. How's Jin Young oppa now?"

When I visited the hospital, there was Jin Young's father. He, unlike his son, was a very serious person.

*But I've heard that he dotes on his son. Jin Young oppa ended up as a bit of a clown though.*

He seemed like he was normally very strict, but in the end, he was indulgent with his only son.

"There is no helping it, since he's always going on about how he was nothing to do. This would be a good chance for him to stop playing around so much, though I suppose it would be unreasonable to ask that of him. However, I'm very glad he's fine right now. Ah, I don't mean to blame you, So Hyun-ssi..."
"Aniyo, I understand. Jeongmal joesonghabnida."
"Hajima, jebal. Though I was truly surprised when I heard about Jin Young from Byung Hun-ssi..."
"Jeongmal joesonghabnida."
"Anibnida, when I heard he was injured, I thought that he might've been injured by a woman. He is easily pleased, so he is rather undisciplined when it comes to women, isn't he? So he plays around with a fair number of women, and I thought that he ended up injured by one of them. That was why I was truly surprised when I heard that he was injured because he was protecting you, So Hyun-ssi. It made me happy as a father to know that he is so concerned about you. You certainly may feel the same way as the person who was saved. From my eyes as his appa, I can see that he changed after meeting you. Well, he's still an idiot at times..."
"Anibnida, Jin Young oppa has helped me with many things."
"It makes me happy as a father to hear that."
"Are you leaving already?"
"Ne, I still have work, but I ended up coming because I was worried about him. So Hyun-ssi, you must have many troubles yourself... Then, until we meet again. Please send my regards to Byung Hun-ssi as well."
"Ne, I will."

When I went into the hospital room, Jin Young was looking out the window aimlessly.

"As usual, you look like you're going to die from boredom."
"Oh, neo wasseo."
"Ne, I met abeoji in the corridor just now."
"Could you tell my dad this too? That he doesn't have to show his face here everyday."
"You're his only son, so he's worried about you."
"I just want to stop preaching at me everyday when he comes."
"He preaches at you?"
"Ne. It's like I'm listening Buddhist sutras everyday. He says things like I won't be able to get better if I act the way I do."
"I think he shouldn't speak like that since he's worried about you."
"I know, so I want to tell him to stop lecturing me."
"Isn't it because you don't usually listen to your father properly?"
"I think that's only a small factor. More importantly, you're coming to see me everyday, but did that guy say anything to you about it?"
"..."
"He must've said something, geuji? Since it's you, I bet you're coming anyway even though he said something."

I couldn't say anything back.

"Do you feel like you're obligated to come here?"
"Geugeo aniya!"
"I think it's enough. It's troubling for me to see your face every day when it looks so depressed. You're probably haven't noticed. You look sad every time you come here."
"That's not true..."
"I didn't protect you so you would look sad."
"Jung Jin Young!"
"Mianhae, but go home."
"Oppa..."
"I told you to go home. If you come like this every day, it'll just make me miserable."
"Mianhae. All I ever do is hurt you..."

"I'm back."
"Welcome home..."
"Hearing such a gloomy welcome will just make me feel more tired."
"..."
"So Hyun ah?"
"My bad then!"
"Did something happen? Usually you'd just accept words like that as a joke. Since you weren't like this this morning, did the idiot say something to you?" He frowned as he sat next to me.
"..."
"You're easy to understands as always.  Try talking about what happened."

I started talking about the conversation I had with Jin Young at the hospital.

"Get ready to head out. I'll bring you on a drive as a cchange of pace. Though the guards will be following."
"But you're tired from work."
"Don't worry about that, so get ready within ten minutes."
"Araseo... Yah, oppa..."
"Hmm?"
"Gomawo." With my back to Byung Hun, I thanked him quietly.
"Don't worry about it."

I couldn't see his expression since my back was to him, but I'm sure he was smiling gently.

*The truth is I should've talked to Jin Young oppa when he was injured...* However, because of how guilty I felt about it, I had been running away from that conversation.
*But that isn't good for either of us...* Even if Jin Young would be hurt, I had chosen Byung Hun. With that determination, I decided to talk to Jin Young.

Preview

"I'll be let out of the hospital the day after tomorrow."
"Eh? Already? But it's only been a month since you were hospitalized..."
"Ah, maja! Will you celebrate with me? I'd like it if you could make time to go out with me for just one day."
"Eh?"

Author's notes

2 chapters in a row for a day!! ok nites and see you guys next week!! :D