Realizing
This big worldHanna woke up that day at Hakyeon's side. Her aunt "suggested" they should sleep in Hanna's bed because the apartment was dirty and she couldn't let Hakyeon sleep in the floor. They were tired and Hakyeon was more than willing to do as auntie wanted, so they ended up like that. Actually, she was getting used to it. She got up slowly, trying not to touch Hakyeon. He looked angelic. His hair was a mess and his lips partially parted.
Hanna got out her room and went to the kitchen to have some water. Last night, auntie decided they needed to get to know each other so she poured a lot of soju, enought to make them loose every inhibition they had. Hyuk passed out at 10, but Hakyeon and Hanna had to endure it till past 2 in the morning.
Hanna knew her aunt was a very good drinker but she drained them both. She managed to get everything she wanted from the two. They were way to wasted to have some sort of concience over what they were saying. She remembered vaguely but was sure she had told her aunt every little detail of the travel. Form her heartache with Taekwoon to her medical problems. Auntie was so mad she hadn't tell her before that she smashed some glasses to the wall.
By the end of the night she was finally getting to the dephs of her and Hakyeon's relationship.
"Have you two slept together?"- Auntie asked.
"NO!"- Hanna yelled drunkly- "He's... not that kind of guy"
"Not that I don't want to"- Hakyeon said almost asleep- "She can be so y..."
"Kid... you have no idea!"- auntie continued- "She had every in school going for her when she was in highschool... even her bestfriend was..."
"MOM!"- Hanna yelled again- "I'm nothing special"
"She's just dumb"- auntie said- "She doesn't now she's got this beautiful legs, this pretty skin and those almond colored eyes... she's just stupid"
"Plain and simply"- Hakyeon encouraged- "She's got no idea what she can do to me in the morning... I have to go to the bathroom and..."
She blushed deeply just remembering the kiss she stole from him to make him stop speaking. Her aunt celebrated it pouring more and more.
Hanna was a good drinker, she had learned to have it deliciously during her years as a bartender. She could hold her drinks quite well, but that day she felt like . Her head spined and she had a severe headache in between her eyes, she looked at the clock in the kitchen. 5:50 in the morning. She had slept less than 2 hours, but she couldn't sleep no more. She had to be ready for the wedding and the apartment was a complete mess.
She started cleanning up silently, trying as much as possible not to make any loud sounds. Hyuk's snoring could be heared in all the apartment building. She couldn't believe there could be anyone in that apartment asleep with that dragon snoring. After an hour or so, she realized no one would get up, and then decided to go for a walk. Also, she had to call Hongbin. She hadn't had time to call him the day before, she just texted him she had arrived.
The last time she called him he was so excited it made her excited to. He told her everything was prepared to the wedding. Jiae's dress, the party, he even talked about the menu of the reception. She could only smile. She knew how much it meant for Hongbin that she was able to be there. Of course, Hanna was happy too, but she was terrified at the fact that she had to face Taekwoon. She needed to confront it once and for all, but it terrified her.
The sun was rising when she left home. It was early, but she knew she had to start getting ready for the wedding. At 12 they all should be at the church and then they'll drive to Hongbin's grandparents farm for the party. She walked down the street and decided to go for some bread for breakfast.
She walked down the same street she knew from her childhood, but for some strange reason it looked different. The kids kept walking with their parents to school. People getting ready to work in every other window of the tall apartments that surrounded the area. Half way through the main street. She remembered three months ago she was walking down the same path, going to meet him at that caffe.
Her head had started to hurt more, she could bearly open her eyes. She kept going. It was already half way to the bakery anyways. She could buy a pill at the pharmacy in the main street as soon as she got there.
"You are going to die little by little"-She remembered Hongbin's words the day she decided to meet Taekwoon. It was true, she had died litlle by little. It was amazing she had gone throught all that just in four months. She could say without a doubt that she had a line drawn in between her life. Before Taekwoon and after him. She laughed at the thought.
She arrived at the bakery and asked for a big bread, then she went to the pharmacy and popped two pills for the headache. She started walking back to the apartment but something stopped her.
"Hanna..."- she heared someone calling her, but even when she turned around, she couldn't find someone.
She decided to call Hongbin right there. Maybe it would be better if she could distract her thoughts off the terrible headache that started spreading to her whole body.
"Hello?"- she heared from the other side of the line.
"Binnie"
"Hanna?"
"Did I woke you?"
"Yes..."- his voice was husky but very low- "Why didn't you call me yesterday?... I was waiting for your call"
"I'm sorry... Auntie had me drinking till dawn"
"I figure that much"
"How are you?"
"... I'm good"- she heared something in his voice that was weird, but she couldn't figure it out.
"You don't sound good"- he took a while to answer back. She could hear some steps in the background, it sounded like he was going in a place highly transitated.
"...I'm at the hospital"
"WHAT?!"- she flipped. Her headache increased untll it made her listen to a sharp noise in her ear.
"Calm down, it's not me"- he whispered- "It's Taekwoon-hyung"- Hanna felt a ton of weight presuring her chest and she couldn't walk anymore. Suddenly, the sun was too much to be under. Her eyes ached way too much. Her breath became unsteady- "Hanna..."
"Hongbin... I'm gonna pass out"- she said- "Call auntie, I'm near the bakery of the..."- she started sweating cold all of a sudden and she had to crouch there so she wouldn't fall to the floor- "Get me there"- Every part of her body trembled violently and her right side was killing her.
"Hanna! HANNA!"
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As soon as she opened her eyes she knew she was in a hospital. The lights were dimmed but stilll hurted her eyes.
"Damn"- she said streatching a hand up to block the light and realizing the IV connected to her arm. She tried to look around to see if she could call anyone. It was, without a doubt, an emergency room. Her head still hurted as hell and the pain of her right side made it clear that the headache was not the result of too much drinking the night before. Taekwoon...
"Noona?"- Hyuk appeared through the courtains of the cubicle- "Hyung she woke up!"- he said. She tried to reach to him, but could't move much because of the IV. Suddenly it was like an earplug was conected to her. The whole emergency room was filled with sounds, kids crying, people coughing, machines beeping and even the pens rolling on paper sounded horrible.She could hear everything. Every little sound was like a gong in her head.
"Shhh..."- she said trying to block the noise with her hands. She shut her eyes too, the light was too much. She was starting to hiperventilate, untill she felt a touch on her forearm and opened a little her eyes so she could see who it was. Hakyeon's face came close to her and made her open her eyes a little bit more. He made one of her hands stop pushing her ears, but as soon as she did another rush of noises made her try to block it again.
"Hanna I need you to tell me what's wrong"- he said as low as possible. She couldn't concentrate, her head ws about to explote. It was exponential, the more she was awake, the more her head hurted- "Hanna... please"- she looked at him and noticed tears in his eyes. She bit her lip and tried to speak.
"My head..."- was the only thing she could mutter. It hurted too much, she couldn't think, she just wanted it to end. But then a moment of enlightment made her remember the phone call with Hongbin- "Take me to him"
"Where?"- Hakyeon asked softly, but she couldn't articulate another sound. She felt like she was going to pass out again. It was overwhelming. Hakyeon tried to make her stop squeazing her ears but it was the only realase she had in that moment- "Hyukie... call auntie"
In that moment another person came in: Hongbin. He passed by the other two and went directly to Hanna.
"Come on"- he said ripping the IV from her arm and lifting her bridal style. She tangled her arms around his neck and blocked the noise with his chest.
"Where are you taking her?!"- she could hear Hakyeon's voice, but Hongbin didn't answear, he just rushed throught the corridors.
"Binnie..."
"Shh..."- he whispered- "This ... I knew it. This would end bad"- he jumped into the elevator- "Both of you... so damn stubborn. When I left you at the airport I knew... "- she had never seen Hongbin swear like that- "Damn it..."- he stood quiet untill the elevator stopped. She couldn't see his expression but hse knew he was angry and desperate- "He's sweating cold since yesterday morning... he's dehidrating. And now you get here like this... damn, you two are killing each other"- she trembled in his arms- "I know you don't want to know but, he's... getting worse"- in that moment Hongbin entered a room. It was silent, not like the other parts of the hospital. Hanna felt better just with the noises out of her reach. She found the stength to open her eyes. And right there her headache stopped.
"Let me down"- she demanded. Hongbin dropped her at the side of the bed. Jiae and another lady were sitting in the sofa at the other side of the room silently. Hanna stood there, without saying a word. He was sleeping lightly. His slim body was carefully placed on his left side. Blonde bangs were sticking to his forehead, he had deep dark eyebags and an irregular breathing. A slight trembor on his limbs made him look even more fragil. He was bathed on cold sweat.
She could only look at his face. She couldn't think anything to say, she was just there. She just looked at Taekwoon. He couldn't move... she knew the feeling. He was freezing. After what seemed an eternity, he opened his eyes abruptly, like if he had been in a nightmare. In that moment, it hit her. She wouldn't be able to leave him. Ever.
"I..."- she tried to say, but his eyes called her to him. Without saying anything, she knew what he wanted.
"Yeah..."- she got in his bed. It wasn't needed, she wasn't agry, she didn't feel regret. All logic was unnecessary, she had to be there. She placed herself between his arms and put her forehead in his chest breathing in his scent. He was so thin, so horribly cold- "I'm sorry..."- she whispered- "I'm sorry"- she felt his hand her hair softly- "I should've come to you"- she said caressing his back trying to make friction with her hands. The wave of warmess consumed them both.
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