No Goodbyes

The silence had rece more. But this time, it was one filled with hope.

The nearly hour-long drive felt like it only took ten minutes. At least, to Joonmyeon, it did. The prospect of knowing Hyesung was alive and alright was all he could’ve asked for. It was making his heart beat loudly in his chest, so fast and so strong that it was nearly painful.

As soon as Kris pulled the car to a stop, Joonmyeon was out the door, rushing towards the crowd.

He pushed through the ocean of bodies, screaming Hyesung’s name, begging in his mind for her to be alright. The crowd, seeming to realize his desperation and love, parted like the Red Sea for Moses.

Joonmyeon rushed out, ducking under the police tape. No one tried to stop him, probably under Yoochun’s orders. He stopped, breathing heavily, as he saw a dark van, all doors opened, parked in front of the airport.

“Hyesung!”

Her name left his lips before he could think. He rushed past the paramedics and cops, past the blinking lights, not bothering to look at the people they’d arrested. Until one caught his eye, causing him to stop and slow down.

The words left his lips like he couldn’t believe he was saying them. “Mother… you had Hyesung… the entire time?”

Glaring at her youngest son as she was led away, Mrs. Kim just spat, “You were always a disappointment. Now look what you’ve done, Joonmyeon. Could you be any more of a failure to the Kim family?” The cop holding her arms behind her quieted her with a harsh pull on her arms, then sending Joonmyeon a look of sympathy.

If it was any other time, Joonmyeon would have needed the sympathy.

But he didn’t in that moment.

All he needed was to assure that Hyesung was safe.

He rushed past the cops who were all discussing their next move, discussing targeting the FINE Co. in general or even raiding the Kim household. Not that any of it mattered to Joonmyeon.

He couldn’t have cared less about the house, the company, and even his parents at that point. They meant nothing to him.

Then he saw it.

The brown hair splayed around a pale face. A blanket covered her unmoving body that lay on a stretcher, a mask on her face as she breathed unsteadily. She seemed like she was sleeping. There were paramedics pulling the stretcher into an ambulance. Joonmyeon forced himself to speed up.

He stopped right as the paramedics were going to close the doors. “Please let me ride with you!” he begged. “She’s my girlfriend… I want to know how she’s doing…”

And the tears returned with no mercy.

Both the paramedics exchanged a look, but nodded. Joonmyeon immediately jumped into the ambulance. “She wasn’t physically harmed, just a little bruising on her wrists. There are sedatives in her system, but they should be wearing off in a few hours,” one informed him as he followed Joonmyeon and swung himself up into the ambulance.

He nodded, grasping Hyesung’s cold hand in his.

Joonmyeon felt the tears leaking from his eyes once again. But he didn’t do anything to stop them this time. He wanted to cry so badly. She was alright. Even if he was being a crybaby, he thought that this was one time he was allowed to cry.

He could’ve lost her forever.

“Hyesung… I’m so glad,” he murmured, holding her hand close to his face. “You’re alive…” A sniffle left him as he watched her pale face.

The paramedics worked to keep her breathing, the heart monitor beating steadily. A hand rested on his shoulder. One of the medics, who looked to be not much older than Joonmyeon, smiled down at the younger. “She’ll be alright, kid.”

Those words were what Joonmyeon needed.

His angelic, dazzling smile returned at full force as he beamed, messy streaks from the residual teardrops that still fell, not out of sadness, but happiness. “Thank you,” he managed through his bloodshot eyes.

Thank you.

Joonmyeon sat at Hyesung’s bed, telling her a story about when he was a child.

“And then, Miyoung noona tripped over the hose. She got soaked, and in her new, pretty party dress, too.” He chuckled. “Junsu got so upset. He was worried that she’d leave his birthday early. He leant her one of his oversized T-shirts so she’d have something to wear at the party. Of course, it fit her like one…”

Even though he was laughing at the happy memory, one that seemed like it’d only been yesterday, the lack of a laughing companion quickly saddened him.

He sighed heavily, squeezing Hyesung’s smaller hand in his. “Wake up soon, Hye. We’re all waiting for you,” he whispered.

And they all were.

Kris had quickly followed the ambulance, and, although Hyesung wasn’t in any danger to her life, they’d quickly realized that Joonmyeon might’ve wanted some time with Hyesung. After all, he’d just gotten her back. They respected his decision, fleei