I felt heavy, like my limbs had turned to lead and something heavy was pressing down my chest. My head throbbed and I realize I was hurting. It was getting hard to breath and an intake of breath brought a strong scent of antiseptic to my nose. Ayaaah! It's making my head hurt worst. I try to bring my hand up to my face but it felt weighed down, I focus on the feeling of my hand and I felt skin, delicate fingers and another person's hand. Dara. I gave the hand a small squeeze and slowly opened my eyes.

"Eh?!!!! What the heck Ji! Why are you holding my hand!" I quickly snatched my hand from his grasp. What the hell?

"Oi, Hyung! You were the one who took my hand in the first place when you were sleeping!"

I look at him both annoyed and skeptical. "Oi. Why are you even here? How did you find out?"

"Dara told me.... She came up to me two days ago. I've never seen her talk so long. But unlike what you said she wasn't soft spoken or shy. She just said to come see you. That she had been calling your in case of emergency number on your ID but nobody was answering. She's worried about you."

"Where is she?"

"She stays with you during the day, she doesn't come to school. She works in the afternoon, that's why she told me to stay with you... she comes back around ten."

"Eh? What time is it?" I started trying to sit up and a sharp pain ran across my back. "Oh." I lay back down then as soon as my back had contact with the bed my skin felt like it was burning. I bit my lip and started groaning. I feel Jiyong hand on my elbow and guiding me to my side.

"Aren't you going to ask how you are?" He said looking down on me while he arranged the pillow to accommodate my neck.

"I'm fine. The time?" Then it came to me, "Is Dara okay?"

He sighed. "It's six. Lay still do you want to eat anything?"

"No. Is she okay?"

"She's fine. Just worried."

I stayed silent; I willed it to be ten. I want to see her. A few minutes passed and Jiyong spoke up.

"Hyung, didn't I tell you to be careful with her."

I don't answer. I pout petulantly. I know I said I was going to stay away but she appeared out of nowhere! I couldn't ask her to run! She's weak they'd catch her! They would hurt her! I couldn't let that happen! I furrow my brow in annoyance.

"The first night she stayed here. The nurses told me she wouldn't stop crying."

Silence.

"Hyung, I think she loves you."

I look at him. And tentatively asked "...you think so?"

"What if she does? Now what? You play with her? That's not something she deserves. She has a difficult life, hyung! Don't be selfish! "

"How do you know about her life?!" Agitated more with the fact that Jiyong had a glimpse of her life than what he was saying.

"She told me! She said she wanted to stay until you woke up but she had to work or else they couldn't eat! She stays here until midnight, she insists to go home alone! You're putting her in danger! You're tiring her out and for what? Because you find her entertaining?! Wake up. Grow up, hyung!"

I look at him, he had pursed lips and his jaw clamp shut. He looked straight at me with accusing eyes. "Oi, Kwon, do you like her?" His eyes grew wide the he took a step back. 

"What the..." He started. "No!"

Good. I thought. Because she's mine.

---------------------------------------------------

Jiyong didn't speak after that. He helped me sit up and placed a food tray on my lap. I ate methodically trying not to think of what Ji said. I was being selfish. In a sense me being near her would hurt her. If what Jiyong said was true, if she was in love it would only mean that I could hurt her more. But mostly, I didn't care. The constant stinging on my back made me feel like I am enti