Chapter 6

"S-she's having an attack again."

Jaehyun's heart was pounding in fear, tears staining his peach white cheeks and coat as he ran towards the hospitals front desk.

"Where, where is Jung Herin's room please?" he asks in desperation, voice cracking at the thought and anxiety filling his body up.

"Room 423. And who may they b--"

"I'm her brother. Jung Jaehyun." he says in panic with slight care. He immediately asks for the specific location of the room and when then nurse tells him, the nurse could only hear and see the remaining footprints of Jaehyun's footsteps left, running as fast as he could.

He enters the room that said '423'. His hands were trembling, fingers tipped with raindrops from running all the way from the street corner to the front of the hospital. His body arched and heart about to explode, he opens the door.

The first thing his eyes catch sight of is Ten's face puffy, blank with tears threatening to fall once again the moment he saw Jaehyun. "T-t-ten." the voice comes out as more of a croak instead of a call. Ten turns to run into Jaehyun and wraps his arms on the other, the tears beginning to fall from both of them.

"I-i didn't mean it. I just said something about how beautiful your m-mo--" before the shorter could even finish his nearly incoherent words, Jaehyun just gestured him to keep quiet instead, comforting the other who was in a pool of tears.

He didn't know when these attacks started or how it began. All he knew was that Herin was easily provoked by the mention of their parents, leaving a bitter memory in her and causing her panic attacks. And what made things worse was that she had breathing complications that made her attacks worse than they already are. Jaehyun had to make sure this never happened or else she would be admitted to the hospital again, till now.

"Its okay Ten. Its okay." Jaehyun says, resting his chin on the shorter who was crying on his shoulders. "I-i should've never brought it up. I'm sorry Jae-I really am." Ten looks again to the side to see the unconscious figure of a brown haired girl whose breathing hastened as seen through her clothes. Soon after Ten breaks down again on Jaehyun who moves an inch closer towards the bedside table of where Herin layed.

Jaehyun was at a loss for words, both choking for words and thoughts running wild and jumbled in anxiety. His palms grip the small pale fingers of the girl and the grip tightens, with that Jaehyun's tears begin to flow inaudibly.

"Please wake up princess, please don't leave me." Jaehyun mutters, slightly at a loss for words and smiling gently at their contact. Both of his hands now caress the youngers pale fingers that show tension from what could've been her sister resisting Ten. "W-w-why did this have to happen?!" Jaehyun stutters, anger slightly present in his fading voice.

"J-j-jaehyun. I'll go get us something to eat so you can h-ha--" Ten barely gets through the sentence before bursting into tears again and walks out. All of this was hard for all of them but especially for Ten who saw Herin as his own sister, the thought made Jaehyun's heart feel like it was being crushed and torn with his breathing becoming faster by the second.

Jaehyun spent a good minute letting his emotions and tears fall, his heart nearly breaking in two for the burden his parents death caused on his sister and how its even affected his friend. 'Why'd you have to leave us?' Jaehyun mentally curses, thoughts becoming hazy with anger. Jaehyun couldn't help it, Herin would've been always the happy girl she would be if it weren't for his mom and dad leaving them and Jaehyun can't help but somewhat blame them.

To a certain extent Jaehyun felt burdened and guilty that he too, was at fault for his sister becoming like this. If he were at least a slightly better brother to his sister. A brother that never thought of all the mundane things like dating, and all that. If he were the brother that devoted his time to work and her happiness when she needed him the most, all of this would've never happened.

The thought made his head spin in guilt and his head felt like a throbbing piece of pain. He couldn't take the emotion that was eating him inside out and so he caresses the girl's sweating fingers and leave the room. He closes the door leading to the outside which surprisingly had an open balcony just to the left.

Jaehyun went out and immediately the wind hit him like a rock, painful and cold. Out there he wondered how and why these things had to transpire in his life. His parents leaving them at an early age, his sister experiencing panic attacks.

And Taeyong. Of course, how could Jaehyun's pretty mind forget the short blonde hair that he just wanted to punch the living light out of. He wasn't going to go and exactly do that, they had a contract of sorts, didn't they?

Taeyong had a face. But in the short time Jaehyun spoke with the guy perfectly showed that he was just a face, a heartless puncheable face. Jaehyun shivers at the thought, just as the snow begins to fall and sunrise begins to cover his skin and for a slight moment, Jaehyun smiled and nearly forgot about all of the problems that came crashing down on him at once.

Reality hit back the moment he saw smaller palms hold his wrists; Ten. "So, wanna talk about it?" the shorter asks, giving him a cup of coffee. Jaehyun answers with a grateful smile, nodding as if in thanks. 

"You know, I wonder how life would've turned out if mom and dad were still here?" Jaehyun asked with a slight bitter tone, eyes darting off into the distance. "I'd probably be missing my other half right now, and I'd probably never meet Youngho." Ten muses, laughing gently but with a slight grit. 

He was thankful Ten was there for him, Ten was kind, always there for him and even stood up for him in the darkest times of his life in the past 3 years, something he never was (and that's why they see each other as their 'other half'). "I wonder if my parents would've liked you?" Jaehyun cooes, slightly tapping on his half empty coffee cup all the while Ten let's out a light hearted chuckle.

"They'd probably be amazing parents. Not that I don't have amazing parents." Ten said back with such pride that Jaehyun wouldn't admit to being a tad bit jealous he's got parents to own up to. His parents left them 5 years ago and even then, the memory still remained fresh, fresher than ever in Herin's mind.

"Yeah, yeah. They were." Jaehyun speaks up, head slowly ducking until he was eye to eye with the cup of coffee. The way he said the words with emphasis made his heart hurt even more, it was the kind of hurt that didn't need tears because it was all too painful for even that. He felt the kind of pain that slowly tugged at you, not letting you cry but makes you constantly feel like your about to.

"What's wrong Jae?" Ten asks in English. Jaehyun smiled at the shorter. Ten only ever spoke English to him when he was truly concerned for the other and right now, concern and care was exactly just what Jaehyun needed. "I just miss them." he said with such longingness that Ten just had to hug it out with him, his slender fingers taking Jaehyun by the waist and gripping his coat.

Jaehyun truly missed them, his dad's dumbfounded smile each time Jaehyun would outwit him in video games. His mom's proud look each time he hands over his report card. Then all four of them would go to a nearby eatery and order Jaehyun's favorite form of breakfast; pancakes.

His thoughts run aground the moment Ten grabs his hand and brings him back to the suite room. Ten let's out a sigh as he goes into the bathroom. "I'll go freshen up." he says as the bathroom door closes. Jaehyun walks back to the stool and sat on it, holding Herin's hand once again.

'She's still unconscious.' Jaehyun thinks. Pleading that his sister finally opens her beautiful brown eyes that he took pride in seeing. 

Eventually, Ten finishes and changes clothes gesturing Jaehyun to do the same as well. "You go take a bath, I brought you clothes and I'll take care of princess." Ten says adamantly, making Jaehyun feel proud that he's had a best friend who has just as much love for Herin as he does.

Eventually he takes a bath and finishes, frisking his hair with the remaining droplets of water. It wasn't until he heard Ten's voice speak in such happiness and clarity that he ran out faster than he ever could.

And she lie there, eyes open and smile completely plastered on her face with a very peaceful expression. Jaehyun felt like all the pain went away just for a slight second seeing Herin's face light up.

"Hey princess."

"Your not wearing clothes."

And Jaehyun slightly chuckled at her sister's snarky remarks, she was back to being the Herin he loved.

But that didn't make the nagging worry behind his back disappear.

---

"Got it?" Taeyong said with such demand that Jaehyun just wanted to punch him again. 'Thrice.' Jaehyun mentally noted the number of times he felt like punching the guy in front of him, proud smirk plastered all over his face.

"Yeah. Got it." and as if on cue, Jaehyun expression reverted from a worried one to an immediate lovelorn smile, one filled with blush and excitement. One that completely hid the neverending worry for Herin. He immediately grabbed Taeyong's smaller wrist and held it gently, like how lovers do. Jaehyun swore his facade worked, seeing as how he felt Taeyong's eyes boring holes onto his body.

"You gotta get used to this, babe." Jaehyun says with such care and affection this could've literally passed as a legitimate conversation between two lovers. Except that Jaehyun wants to punch Taeyong in the face for forcing him into this situation.

"U-u-um yeah. And remember. No liking me." Taeyong said with a slight undertone of worry that Jaehyun hadn't caught in.

"Like hell I would. I'm straight." Jaehyun said defensively. Of course he was straight, he did this for the money, and he did this because situations forced him into this.

"Whatever."