Chapter Eleven:

"Chanmi-ah, just take a breath. I am sure he's fine. You said he just fainted, right?" Despite the fact that she was nervous too, Yerim held her friend's hand and tried to reassure her.

"Yeah, since he is in the hospital, he is in good care," Jay added to ease the anxious Chanmi while speeding towards the hospital. He had offered to drive both of them to the hospital after Yerim ended her phone call with Chanmi.

Chanmi just silently nodded at her friends, afraid her voice would shake if she spoke. Only she knew about Gray's health issues so she did not want to reveal anything to anyone without his permission, but her shaking pupils and fiddling fingers gave away her apparent unsteady and distressed state. Jay and Yerim knew that something much more serious than just mere fatigue had caused Gray to faint. However, despite their fears and curiosity, they respected Chanmi's reasons for not divulging any information and decided not to poke at her for any either. 

"Sorry that you have to miss your classes for this," Chanmi finally managed to say after taking several long deep breaths, trying to feign calmness amidst the chaos within her.

"What are you talking about? Why would you be sorry? It's not your fault and I have to go either way because he's my best friend," Jay casually replied. 
"Yeah, how important is one lecture compared to the health of your friend?" Yerim agreed. 

Once the friends arrived at the hospital, they immediately asked for Lee Sunghwa and were escorted to the sixth floor, the section for VIP patients. As the three college students followed a nurse down the cold and pearly white hallway that seemed to never end, the sterilized scent of the hospital filled their nostrils. At the end of the hallway, Chanmi turned around the corner and found her eyes meeting those of a familiar girl and those of a complete stranger.

"These people are also waiting for Lee Sunghwa," the nurse introduced the three newcomers to the two awaiting ladies. "Currently the doctor does not allow visitors until the patient's psychological state is stable so I recommend that you call to take a seat in the waiting room until so," she instructed before leaving. 

"Jay!" The older lady called out right when he saw the young man.

"Mrs. Lee," Jay replied, just as surprised. "Ah, this is Sunghwa's mother," he introduced to Chanmi and Yerim, who both bowed to her. 
"Hi, I am Jay's friend and Sunghwa's acquaintance," Yerim formally presented herself. 

"H-hello, my name is Chanmi and I am... Sunghwa's friend," Chanmi hesitated for a moment, not knowing what category she belonged to in Gray's world.
 
"Gray is lucky to have so many caring friends," She replied in a tired voice that was not very genuine. "Oh yes, and this is Ji-hye, Sunghwa's girlfriend."

"Y-yeh?" Jay accidentally stuttered when he heard the woman said "girlfriend." The word sent both Yerim and Jay into disarray. 

Is this why you've been so down? Did he dump you for this chick?! Why do you bother being so worried about him then? Yerim furiously thought, gritting her teeth in secret. She was unsure whether she should be pissed at Gray, who was laying in the hospital bed, or the pretty girl in front of her face. 

"Girlfriend," Mrs. Lee repeated. "I know, I never thought that brusque son of mine would fall for a girl, but Ji-hye seemed like the one." She convinced them. "She was the one who discovered him sick too. If it wasn't for her, he could be in real danger. I'm very grateful for her."

"It's really nothing, I was just bringing him some food," Ji-hye stayed humbled. However, ever since the appearance of Chanmi, she had stated to feel both insecure and irritated.

Chanmi felt her blood ran cold the entire time the conversation took place.

What place do I have here? She thought, feeling ashamed for feeling so entitled to worry for him, to care for him, to rush here and demand to see him, and to want to be by his side. "Girlfriend," the word rang in her ear, leaving her speechless and dazed as she listened on. So while these three unbearable days passed; these three days where you were missing from my world, these three days where every aching piece of me missed you, you were with her? She almost bitterly scoffed aloud.

"Uh... That's very fortunate," Jay said in reply to Mrs. Lee's comment, diffident about whether he should be grateful or not about the sudden appearance of Gray's so-called girlfriend. Although the words coming from Mrs. Lee's mouths were confident and assertive, Jay still found it hard to believe that the ambiguous relationship between Gray and Chanmi dissolved to nothing and that Gray was falling for someone else, especially Ji-hye, who just did not seem like Gray's type. She seemed like the type of girl who would hit on Gray, but also the type of girl that gets rejected from Gray. Fancy clothing, excessive makeup, perfect hair--just everything was not Gray's taste.

"Oh, that reminds me. Ji-hye called me here after the incident. How did you guys find out? Isn't this VIP? What kind of hospital gives information out to outsiders?" Mrs. Lee became blunt towards her son's friends. Although she knew they had good intentions, she was concerned about the security of her son's health information. 

"Oh, Chanmi told us," Jay honestly answered without thinking.

"Oh?" Mrs. Lee turned to the frailed girl next to Jay. Everything about the child seemed plained and distaseful to her eyes. She did not even bothered to pay any attention to the small girl who faded into the background the entire time until then. "How did you know?"

"I, uh" Chanmi did not know how to answer. She had originally gotten a phone call from the doctor who she met with Gray before and being the only one who knew about Gray's medical condition, she did not know how to answer without being suspicious.

"I called her," a male voice annouced. "She's a person that Gray feels comfortable with and someone who I need for Gray's treatment right now," the doctor walked towards the group of people.

"Hello everybody, I am Ryu Do-Yun, Gray's doctor," he introduced himself.  

"Why would you need her?" Mrs. Lee replied in an annoyed tone. "How is this girl close to my son?"

"That is not something I can answer," the doctor looked at her assertively.

"What are you talking about? I am his mother," she questioned in a demanding tone.

"Yes, yes you are, m'am. And I am his doctor. I do not deal with his personal affairs. If anything, you should ask him yourself," he coldly declared, leaving her speechless and red with anger. 

"There must be a mistake," Mrs. Lee insisted. She could not accept the fact that Chanmi was close with Gray. 

"No, I have met her before. I am sure she is the one that is close to Gray," the doctor firmly stated. "Anyway, please come with me this way Mrs.Park."

"Just me?" Chanmi asked, still shocked and shaking from Gray's mother's demeaner.

"Yes, just you."

"But I was the one who brough him in," Ji-hye could not stand still any longer. What is she? A ghost? As Gray's mother had confirmed, she was his girlfriend and his savior, yet she can't see him?

"Yes, thank you for bringing him in. Now, I will be the one treating him and my decisions are all for the best of the patient," the doctor reaffirmed, losing his patience with the women. 

"Just go!" Yerim nudged Chanmi forward. 

Chanmi slowly followed the doctor to another place as the crowd watched in disbelief. Jay and Yerim were both amazed at the doctor's determined attitude and slightly satisfied that they were not wrong about Gray and Chanmi's relationship after all. However, Mrs. Lee and Ji-hye were both boiling with anger and exploding with questions directed at Chanmi. 

"You've been through a lot," the doctor spoke as Chanmi walked behind him. 

"I'm not the one you should be concerned about," Chanmi whispered, as if she was out of breath. "How is he?"

"Don't worry. His state is stable, but the only person he wants to see right now is you."

"Me?" Chanmi did not know how to reply. She was mad at Gray, and part of her hated him, but once the doctor called her, she had been restlessly thinking about him and when the doctor invited her, she followed right away. What is wrong with me? Chanmi shook her head. 

"I will leave you two alone for now," the doctor turned around once they entered Gray's private room. "I feel like things are not going to great between you two right now so try not to say anything too stimulating because he's not in good condition right now," the doctor advised before making a departure. "Oh, and if you need anything, just press this button," he pointed at a button besides Gray's desk before closing the door. 

Staring blanky at Gray's lifeless figure on the hospital bed,