Clear!

The response was never been heard. And the short but sharp remark was not preceded by anything but silence, an awkward and deafening silence. By the way their friend presented himself in front of them, made them conclude that he was contemplating on what to react or say.

His gaze darted anywhere but to them. Yi Jeong was afraid that when he met any of their gaze, he would just black out. The questions clouding in his brain for about years stayed hidden from the farthest end of his mind, still waiting to be brought in front. And oblivious to him, his friends would not let the night pass without settling anything bounded by their purpose.

"Ahemmm" A sound coming from Jiho brought everyone's attention back to the matter of purpose. The three of them looked at him, psyching the right timing to speak. And when Yi Jeong let out a soft sigh the three of them took it as a cue.

"Sorry!" They chorused and surprised at each other’s remark. Woobin and Junpyo looked at each other while Jiho chose to close his eyes contemplating that Yi Jeong might find things more awkward. And it did. Yi Jeong instantly bolted his head up the moment their words were processed.

"WHAT?!" The statement his friend made might be different from what he actually heard. So he needed to ask again. His eyes were bulging out from shock and confusion. What the hell was that for? Are they not considering me anymore? He's almost at the panicky state.

"Relax. What we mean is that... we already know what happened. Your reason of leaving and the truth behind the fabricated stories of your absence." Getting straight to the point was the only thing that Jiho thought right to salvage the frustrating situation. And with his revelation, the expression on Yi Jeong’s face turned to total confusion and black out.

"Yi Jeong-ah... it was Uncle who went to tell everything." Woobin added.

"Abojie? Why? When?"

"A few days ago. Before he left for Denmark to talk to Grandma Heajin. We already know that everything was caused by Senior So and that you weren't given any chance to refuse that's why you left." A short answer from four years of event but everything that Woobin said made sense to him. And that again, it was his father's initiative to tell his friends about what happen. Maybe he had predicted that Yi Jeong will be having a hard time dealing with the situation.

Junpyo has been nodding his head in agreement to Woobin before he speaks. "And that is why we’re saying 'sorry'. We've hated you for so long with the false reason. Because of that it became harder for you to settle yourself back here."

"I'm sor..." But Jiho cut his phrase.

"There is nothing to be sorry at your part, Yi Jeong. We know it's our welfare that you had considered first. And that is because it's your Grandpa. We know. We understand. But this time we're not going to let things slip to our grasp anymore. I hope that would be enough for you to understand."

"That you'll not let my Grandpa flee from what he did." Yi Jeong finished. Jiho knew that even though his friend despised his own Grandpa, still he’s his family. And it would still pain his friend if anything would happen to him. But things must be done, punishment must be granted for those of the doer.

"We know you just came from hell but you still have to know something more important." Woobin continued.

"Know what?"

"Gaeul-ah" Jiho announced.

…

"We shouldn't have left him at this moment." Junpyo stubbornly remarked. "He might do something foolish. I'll go back to company him." He his feet and was about to leave.

"Let him be, Gu Junpyo." It was Jiho who grabbed his arm to stop him from doing what's his planning to do. "He needs time. Alone. He won't do anything foolish and that is what I assure you." Jiho had thought that even though Yi Jeong might blame himself again from what had happen. He trusted his friend to be mature enough not to make something foolish to himself.

"Jiho is right, Junpyo. Us, being there would not help. He has to figure things out on his own. Don't worry I'll keep track of him. And I promise that he will remain sane no matter what." Woobin assured the overly worried Gu Junpyo.

All that had happen was known to everybody except from Yi Jeong. Though it might be oblivious to his friends, Junpyo was well aware of how much Yi Jeong treasured his girlfriend's best friend who became a sister to him. He knew how much he cared for her. How much he loved her. "But..."

Woobin just shook his head to him. And Junpyo was left with no choice but to stay and wait for what will happen.

…

"She got into an accident. She was hurt badly that she had to undergo several surgeries. Good thing is that her organs were all fine except from a slight puncture on her left lung. But... her head got worst concussion." - Woobin revealed

"She got another surgery to remove clots and to check further damages her head might have. The operation took too long. She... almost did not make it, Yi Jeong-ah” -Jiho said as calmly as possible.

Flash

"Dr. Han, we need to conduct another surgery. The new result from the 4D CT scan revealed worsening of the concussion leaving large traces of clots. Medication wouldn't be able to work on it"

Dr. Han gave an affirmative nod on the conveyed message. He turned towards the group of young people crowding inside the vacated private room. They all look stressed and worried, and with the news he have, he’s sure they might just feel worst. "I need to speak to her parents. We are conducting another operation to her and we have to do it urgently." He stated in his most calm manner but as he expected they had reacted the indifferently.

The only female among the group had started to tear up again. She had been sobbing from the moment he saw her and up until know. The tallest lad went to comfort her and though the young man was calming the young lady, the doctor could clearly see how he had clenched his hand at his side all this time.

His gaze then went on the loud sound coming from the young man with the red hair who had punched the bedside table breaking it into half; he's been cursing under his breath while displaying his frustration to things around the room.

By then the young man wearing white suit went on him with a calm but undoubtedly very worried expression. "They are still out of the country and on their flight to be here. I will be the one to explain to them about that surgery so please perform it now."

"Young man I still need to have their consent to..."

"Just do your job, Dr. Han. My friend cannot wait any longer. You know for the fact that time is running out. She might have irreversible damages if we wait more. So just go and perform the surgery or do I have to perform it myself?"

"You don't...

"I'm Yoon Dong Woon's grandson and this is our hospital. I'll take the responsibility." Jiho spoke sternly with irritation on his voice.

"I... I do understand.''

…

"CODE BLUE AT NEURO OR 1"

"WHAT!" It was Jandi who bolted first from her seat. She dashed towards the nurse who is about to enter the OR sterile area. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY? WHAT'S HAPPENING TO MY FRIEND?" She let a loud cry of inquiry towards the worried but calm nurse.

"I'm sorry Miss but I have to help and attend to your friend. The doctor will be the one to inform you. We will do our best." She placed both of her hand on Jandi's shoulder, channeling a comforting pressure before she left her behind.

All the emotions flooded down on Jandi, she was too overwhelmed with the situation that she flopped on the floor and blackout.

"YAH! GEUM JANDI!" She could hear them calling her but the sound was slowly faltering, and then silence.

…

"Patient unresponsive. Heart Rate weak and breathing absent."

"Prepare for intubation. Nurse Kim, please give 1 amp of epinephrine now and let me know when it's in."

"1 amp epinephrine administered, Dr. Han.”

"How's the Heart Rate, identify."

"Patient is having ventricular fibrillation, Dr. Han."

"Increase oxygen concentration as I perform compression."

"Heart rate still weak, Dr. Han."

"Give another dose of adrenaline."

"Attach patient to defibrillator. Prepare amiodarone. Charge defibrillator at 150 Joules."

"Charge!"

"Clear!?"

"Clear!?"

"Clear!?"

"You can't give up now. Not yet. Your friends will have my head cutoff, Gaeul-ssi. Do you hear me?"

…

"GAEUL!" Jandi bolted up from the hospital bed causing Junpyo to jump towards her. She clasped on his sleeves with her eyes pouring with tears. "WHERE IS SHE? HUH? JUNPYO WHERE IS GAEUL?"

"Gaeul is in the ICU. Her operation was successful and she has to be monitored at the moment. Woobin is with her. Her parents were sent home after the doctors had explained her current state.'' Jiho had spoken with controlled voice. By that she released her grasp on Junpyo and gave off a sigh of relief.

"We almost lost her. But she's fighting, Jandi. So stop sulking and go see her. Woobin is waiting for you at the ICU." Junpyo announced.

End of flash

"She was transferred on a private room but still she hasn’t regain consciousness. The next morning Jandi saw her awake, she smiled at her and closed her eyes back. Jandi alerted the doctors so they went to check her. After that, they had informed us that they will conduct further tests and evaluations." Jupyo stated but he stopped in the middle finding the right words to say. His uneasiness was noticed by Jiho who continued for him.

"That was the last time she opened her eyes, Yi Jeong-ah. She's asleep for 3 months. Her parents were losing their hopes because of her always poor evaluation. But Jandi said she'll wake up and us, we can't just let her leave that easily. We almost lost Junpyo before we just can't afford to lose her then."

Flash

Bright light was flashing onto her closed eyes. She wrinkled her nose and slowly opened her eyes. She was welcomed by a quiet and white painted room. She traveled her sight all around the unfamiliar place. She tried to pull herself up but her hands were being held by at her side. Her eyes darted on her left hand’s direction. The almond-brown orbs of her went wide and confusion was evident on her face. Her hand was held by someone who's sleeping uncomfortably beside her. His lower body was seated on the bedside chair while his upper half was bent down lying rather awkwardly on her bed.

Afraid to be noticed, she slowly withdrawn her left hand from his hold, but when she tried to pull more she felt her hand being held tighter. Defeated from her try, she just went back on her back and shifted her position towards the person beside her. He was sleeping soundly but with furrowed eyebrows. She smiled at his sleeping form without even knowing why, and then she brought her right hand near his face and stretched her two fingers between his furrowed brows. His brows then relaxed making him look like a sleeping child. She spent looking at his sleeping form for minutes before she fell asleep again.

The next time she opened her eyes, she saw the man a while ago with his back on her. She tilted her head a little and observed him doing something and then he turned his back and met her gaze. She smiled at him.

…

He was waiting for his glass to be filled with water when he felt somebody's watching him. He should have prepared himself from what happened next. In a swift he his back, his eyes went as wide as a saucer at the sight before him. She was seated on top of the bed looking at him. She tilted her head a little and smiled. Am I getting crazy? Hallucinating? No! It's really her, right?

"Gaeul-ah!"

He called to her like a whisper. She cannot understand why he looked so surprised to see her. She furrowed her brows in confusion but the next thing she knew was a sound of glass hitting the floor and a warm feeling enveloping her.

"You're awake! Jandi is right, you'll wake up. You're awake, Princess!" She heard him say.

"Princess?" He heard her repeat what he said. He released her from the hug, holding both of her shoulders; he looked and smiled at her. "Yes! Gaeul, I'm sorry to call you that but you know... the staff around here cal..."

His explanation was cut off by the opening of the door. "Woobin Sunbae! What's with the broken sou...? GAEUL!" Jandi was so shock at the sight in front of her. Woobin was holding her best friend's shoulders and she was awake seated on the bed, looking straight at her. "Gaeul!" She repeated her tears were now trailing down her cheeks. She was right all along. She did woke up, would smile back at her just like before.

Her confusion had grown into fear and anxiety. She couldn't understand why they keep on speaking to her like she was from somewhere but not earth. She saw the girl from the door crying as she made her way to her. She felt concern for them and for their action, so she asked.

"Who are you? Why are crying?"

The previous shock they had was no comparison to what they felt the moment Woobin and Jandi heard what she asked. Jandi stood froze from her spot and Woobin whipped his head back to her. Both of them prayed that she was currently not what they had feared her to be.

Woobin set his worries aside and composed himself before he spoke to her again. "Gaeul-ah, you're joking right? Of course you know us. I'm Woobin and that's Jandi." He pointed at Jandi's direction and looked back at her. To his horror, he saw her eyes widened. All confusion was written on her face. And then she started tearing up.

"I don't know you or her. Tell me... where am I? What am I doing here? Who are you? Who?"

End of flash

"She could not remember some fragments of her memory and that includes us and even Jandi. She can remember her parents but not that well. She was so surprised to see them aged and by that she went and inquired about how old she was. And then after, she had never spoken to anybody for a month. She would just stare at us and nod when asked. We remained beside her as frequent as possible, slowly we gained her trust again and she started speaking to us. Since it's Woobin that's always with her, she grew much closer to him than the rest of us. And in just few weeks, she had opened to us more and became comfortable around us." Jiho continued.

"For a person with memory loss, she's quite positive and understanding but sometimes I could see her cry out of frustration. She would always blame herself on why we can't concentrate with our own lives because we always come and look after her. That is why Junpyo told her to regain health faster so we would not camp inside her hospital room always.” There was an amused smile playing on Woobin’s lips. “I had expected her to feel down with that but then she smiled and agreed with Junpyo." Woobin paused and sighed lightly before he went on again.

"She would always ask Junpyo about Jandi because she felt guilty on not remembering her own best friend and with that they grow closer than before. Jiho would always have her with him and Jandi around the hospital even after she was allowed to be discharged. And for the purpose of her safety, Jiho insisted her to stay at his patio with Jandi while her parents were back in Japan. As days and months had pass, Gaeul became more bright and cheerful just like before."

Yi Jeong was too overwhelmed to even utter a word. He had never thought of it to happen. He now understands why his friends were all revved up to him at his sudden appearance. Yi Jeong should have failed to see her again if she had given up that easily. His sole purpose for fighting could have been crushed into ashes before he could even have it back. Everything was a shock to him but even worst when he heard the next statement from Woobin, the statement which turned his already shattered world upside down.

"She knows a little about you. We decided not tell more about you since you're away, we're afraid that she might ask more about you and we don't have things to answer her. I told her that she's more close to you before but I did not elaborate more because it's your responsibility to tell her so. And more because I had found a link that her accident was merely done with intention.” Woobin sighed deeply before he found the strength to continue. “It was related to your family, Yi Jeong-ah. And by Uncle's confirmation, we found out that it was Senior So who's behind it. I'm sorry."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N: I hope you guys would leave some comments. I'm just curious on how you thought about this type of story although I know it a bit of the cliché type. Thank you!