~FIND ME A HAPPY PLACE?~
"Disappointment"

The people around Seoul are lightly gone in the streets now. Ji Eun and I could barely see any citizen past by us or even cars. The light posts around the city kept the roads from darkness.

“We need to get you to a hospital”, Ji Eun says as she helped me on walking on the streets. She made me put my arms around her as support as her right arm is around my waist. I can’t walk straight without limping because of these damn pains in my chest and legs.

I tried to protest by saying how our budget doesn’t have the right to even pay for one night in a hospital.

“But you’re hurt!” she exclaimed, “You can’t let me stand here and see you suffering. You know you need some medical help. I’m sure they would accept you because you need their help. That’s what doctor’s do right? They help injured people.”

I sighed and just let her do whatever she wants. She’s like this when she’s determined to do something. Her eyes are filled with fire by now that says; you can’t stop me or something.

We finally found this nearby hospital. I looked at their facility and saw how big and very new their building. I gulped and began to feel nervous because I have a feeling they won’t accept a limping patient with barely enough money to pay for them. I looked at Ji Eun and she smiled at me as if she’s saying that everything is going to be okay.

Of course everything would be okay, she’s right here with me. That’s why.

We went inside and saw a nurse on the counter. She kept on reading a girly magazine as she laughs on it. Ji Eun coughed so we could get her attention and by any chance help me in my state of need.

The nurse looked at me and her eyebrows furrowed by seeing us. She looked at us like we disturbed her from her reading. So she put the magazine down and tried her best to smile even though I noticed her for her gestures from earlier.

“Hi” Ji Eun greeted her with a smile, “Would you kindly help us.”

The nurse’s looked at me and sneered, “What happened to him?”

“I got into a fight”, I simply said.

The nurse smirked and looked at our clothing as if looking if we have the money to pay them. I really have a bad feeling for this hospital. It’s like they only care about the patients that has the right kind of money to pay for their facilities.

“What kind of treatment do you want? The First class or the normal one?”, the nurse asked. She even raised her eyebrow like, let’s see if you have the money to even afford one, Losers!

“How much is the normal one?” Ji Eun voice started to get a little nervous.

“1,000 dollars per night” the nurse answered boringly.

Ji Eun looked at me and I whispered to her that our money is only around 500. We couldn’t afford one night in this damn hospital.

“We would like the normal one but we only have 500. Maybe we could make a deal by paying the first 500 and pay the other fee tomorrow morning. Please?” Ji Eun begged the nurse, “He really needs help. I have a feeling one of his ribs is broken and needs your medical attention”

The nurse only snickered and said, “What a stupid girl!”

I felt anger boil inside of me as I heard her say those words. I looked at the nurse in the eyes and said, “Hey! She’s not stupid.—“

I heard Ji Eun said, “It’s all right Suho. Calm down”

But I can’t. Ji Eun is not stupid. How could this nurse tell her that!

“Hey! Listen here” I told the nurse as I raised my finger, “Ji Eun is not stupid! She’s smart and I have a feeling she’s even smarter than you!”

The nurse laughed, “How can you say that? Did she ever gotten into college? I have a feeling she didn’t even got into one or even pay one. How low and poor you people are!”

It’s true. Unlike me, Ji Eun didn’t even had any chance on finishing her studies. She only finished High school and stopped as she graduated. Her parents didn’t let her into entering any kind of colleges even if it’s cheap because they said that it’s a waste of time. I remembered how Ji Eun became so broken hearted because she really wants to study and finish her studies. She’s smart and very hardworking when it comes to studying.

“Get away from here if you don’t have the money to pay our facilities. We don’t treat a thug and his stupid girlfriend. If I were you, I’d get a job!” the nurse said as she grabs her magazine again. I grabbed the magazine in her hands and thrown it in the ground.

“Hey!” she said, “Guards! Help!”

I grabbed the nurse’s collar and brought her face near to mine. I growled filled with anger as I saw fear in her eyes. I thought about how I could just punch this woman’s face for her saying how stupid and low we are. I hate her for that.

“Listen here you ” I whispered, “I won’t mind it if you told something bad about me. You can call me any nicknames if you want. You can call me a thug, thief, killer or even a monster but never ever! Call Ji Eun stupid! Got that!”

“HELP! GUARDS!” the nurse screamed as she tries to get my hands on her collar off.

Then in an instant I felt someone punch me in the face; Then in the stomach. I groaned in pain as I felt blood coming out of my mouth.

“HEY! DON’T HURT HIM! HE’S INJURED” Ji Eun screamed as she got grabbed in the shoulder by a guard.

A guard also grab me in the arms and dragged me outside the hospital. I felt pain in my chest and body as they ungraciously dragged me without any care for a beaten patient like me. I heard Ji Eun scream, “Hey! He’s hurt! Don’t touch me!”

We were thrown out in the streets again by two guards. I felt a terrible shot of pain in my chest again. I touched it and groaned because of the pain. I felt Ji Eun sit beside me on the ground and tried to help me get up.

I heard the guards laugh at us as they say, "What a pitiful sight! Ha!". I didn't tried to fight back because of my condition. But if I'm perfectly ok, I would beat them up in a heartbeat for hurting Ji Eun. 

“Are you ok?” I asked her.

I saw her smile weakly and said, “I’m fine. They didn't hurt me like what they did to you. I’m just a little bit sad because they didn’t even tired to help you.”

I hugged her and felt my shirt getting wet because of her tears. She cried because of me again. .

“I’m supposed to be the one asking if you’re ok. Why can’t you be worry about me if you should be worrying about yourself” she cried, “It’s my entire fault.”

“Hey. Don’t cry” I hushed her, “It’s not even your fault. You can’t ask me to stop worrying about you even with my condition. It's not in my nature to just put myself into safety without you getting safe first. You're important to me. You know what? We could still find another hospital here. I bet there’s a local hospital nearby.”

She looked at me and said, “Ok. Let’s go”. I put my hands around her cheeks and wiped her tears away.

“Don’t let her words get into you.” I say, “You’re not stupid. She’s just jealous because you’re beautiful, smart AND she looks old in her age because of her wrinkles and moles in her face”

She laughed and said, “You’re right. She does look funny with her moles and wrinkles.”

I smiled as we slowly walked again on the streets; to find a local hospital to help me.

We did found one but when we got there, It’s starting to close because it’s late. We saw a man outside; maybe a doctor and he saw us screaming at him that we need some help. The man quickly went inside and closed the door.

Ji Eun left my side and ran towards the door. She knocked the door but the man didn’t even open it for her. I heard a scream that said, “GO AWAY! WE’RE CLOSED AND I’M GOING TO SLEEP!”

“But we need your help!” Ji Eun screamed, “You’re a doctor right?! My friend here needs your help!”

We didn’t even got any response after that.

Ji Eun kept on knocking the door and screamed about how I need the man’s help. I just stared at her and began to feel angry with myself. Here is Ji Eun looking like a fool as she knock the door without no one to answer and I’m here doing nothing because of my injuries.

I hate myself. I don’t deserve this kind of attention from Ji Eun.

“Let’s go Ji Eun” I muttered, “Even though he could help me. You know he doesn’t want to.”

She looked at me, “But he’s a doctor?! Aren’t doctors supposed to be like that? Helping an injured citizen?”

“He doesn’t even care. He’s just like the nurse in the other hospital, only cares about the money of their patient not the actual patient.” I said, “The thing is, sometimes... Our big expectations around people only let us down. It's better to accept that the people around is not as good and kinds as we thought they would be.”

She began crying as she banged the door with her knuckles.

“Open this door! PLEASE I BEG YOU!” Ji Eun cried.

After a few knocks, she stopped and her knees gave out as she cried. She kept muttering how the people who knows and can help someone who is in need, can’t because of their own personal needs.

I also wanted to cry but I’m not crying for myself. I’m not crying because no one would rather help me out of sheer kindness. My tears are for the girl who got disappointed because her expectations around the people around her let her down. 

Meanwhile, I wanted to burn those two hospitals for being greedy and prejudiced.