Dara woke up from a pair of soft lips that brushed against her cheek. She groaned and the hold on her hand tightened. 

“Dara-ah…” She heard a familiar voice, whispering her name. 

She opened her eyes, blinded by the light of the room. She lifted her other hand, covered her eyes with her arms. She squeezed her eyes shut first before opening it again; the white ceiling of the room welcomed her sight. Her mind was blurred of what happened. She wondered where she was because the last thing she remembered was being in the beach with Yunho. 

Yunho. Where was he? She asked herself and just then, everything came back to her. The construction, her running after Yunho, the collapse… Jiyong!

“Jiyong…” She mumbled as panic hit her. She dropped her arm that was covering her eyes and just then she felt her other hand being squeezed again. And when she looked to the side, she saw him… looking at her with an unreadable expression on his face… a look that immediately put so much pain in her. And by looking at him, she knew that she had hurt him… 

“Jiyong…” She mumbled again. He knew… she was sure he knew that she went to Yunho. 

She tried to sit up, realizing that she was in the hospital. With him still holding tightly on her hand, she struggled to sit up. He still didn’t say a word as he held her on her shoulder with his other hand, stopping her. She looked up at him, her brows furrowed; tears started to fill her eyes because she couldn’t read him… as if he had shut down on her again. Those eyes from before was looking back at her again. 

And when the tears were about to escape her eyes, Jiyong’s hand slipped from her shoulder up to the side of her neck. His eyes still locked on hers, he cupped her face and wiped the tear that escaped the side of one of her eyes. Dara gasped, her free hand crumpled the sheet of her bed. 

“I… I was just… I’m so-“ She started, her voice was trembling. But Jiyong cut her as he enveloped her in his arms, burying her face on his chest. He closed his eyes and shook his head as his arms tightened around her; his hands caressed the back of her head.

“I know.” He whispered. Dara couldn’t say more as tears continuously poured down from her eyes. She lifted her arms and wrapped it around Jiyong’s waist, hugging him back tightly. For a while they stayed like that, with her crying on his chest because of her fear of Jiyong going back to his old self. But when his gentle touches caressed her, his lips kissed her on top of her head, she soon found comfort and tears stopped from flowing. 

“You’ve made me so worried…” He broke the silence, as he mumbled against her hair. Dara opened her eyes; her lips parted.

“I’m sorry.” She mumbled back, her arms tightened around him again. 

“Don’t do this ever again, do you understand?” Jiyong told her, his voice sounded soft but it held full authority. He didn’t even ask her what happened… and Dara was worried for a second.

“I don’t know what I’ll become if anything bad happens to you.” He added as his breathing went deep. 

“Yes Jiyong, I won’t.” She nodded and set the thought aside. 

He pulled out from their hug, he held her by her shoulders as he stared at her. One of his hands reached for her face; his fingers caressed the cast that was wrapped around her head. Dara just watched him, held herself from questioning him why he wore such painful expression on his face. Jiyong’s brows curled as he traced her face with his fingers and when he stopped on her lips, he let out a deep sigh. His jaw tensed, his eyes ached from tears that wanted to fill it. He closed his eyes and leaned down to her. He brushed his lips against hers… reminding himself repeatedly that she was his. And that she will forever be. 

Dara closed her eyes. For a moment she forgot about Jiyong’s unspoken words… words that he held in himself yet it reflected in his eyes. His kiss made her forgot, just like it did before. She sighed in their kiss, surrendering everything just to have that kiss as it took away every pain, promising a forever of nothing but happiness within those moments of their lips against each other. The forever only lasted a few seconds as Jiyong pulled back and held her face between his hands, their foreheads against each other. 

“I… -“ Jiyong was about to tell her something but was stopped when a doctor entered the room, followed by a nurse. 

Jiyong immediately pulled away, the warmth of his hands faded as he stepped back and turned around.

Dara sat perfectly still, didn’t mind everything that was happening around her as her gaze stayed lock to Jiyong. She wanted to hear those words. She knew what he was about to say but she still wanted to hear it… even though his eyes said something else. 

Jiyong looked out the window first before facing the doctor and curved out a slight smile. The latter smiled brightly at him before he turned to his wife who was seated on her bed, looking at him with hopeful eyes. It pained him to look at her moreover tell her that he loved her… especially when he couldn’t be sure now if she really felt the same way towards him.