TIP #6: “Il n’y a pas plus sourd que celui qui ne veut pas entendre”

(No one is as deaf as the one who does not want to listen)

At the hospital, In Hya gets her foot treated and bandaged while waiting for Baekhyun to regain conscious.

“Oh dear, it’s swollen so terribly, how did you manage to endure this?” The doctor muses as he delicately wraps her red ankle with gauze.

In Hya purses her lips as she suppresses the throbbing pain. “I don’t know..”

“Doctor.” A young nurse heads to their side, “The patient is awake.”

“He’s awake?” In Hya immediately rises and totters unsteadily to his bed.

“Be careful, you just sprained your foot.” The doctor warns her.

“Ahjussi, you feeling better?” She starts interrogating.

Baekhyun moans before his eyelids flutter wide open.

“Where.. Where am I?” He muffles while clutching the side of his head.

“Hospital. You passed out a while ago.” In Hya takes a seat next to him, “Ahjussi, what were you thinking? You were running a fever at 40 degrees.”

“I was?” Baekhyun blinks in surprise, “And stop calling me Ahjussi. Our age is not that much of a difference.”

“Fine.” She rolls her eyes and continues, “If you were sick in the first place, why did you even volunteer to come with Yunae?”

“Ka—i— I mean, Jongin was busy so he asked me specifically to help. Of course I had to.”

She hums, “That’s thoughtful of you. Guess you’re not as bad as I thought.”

Baekhyun chews his bottom lip, “Why did you even help me? We’re not even friends.”

In Hya narrows her eyes, “Look, I don’t need to be your friend. I just need to have a heart. Isn’t that what people normally do?”

Baekhyun is rendered speechless for a while before he snorts, “How convenient.”

In Hya exhales dramatically. It is pretty humorous seeing how pouty Baekhyun got since he had to use up some of her help earlier.

“You bandaged my wound pretty well just now.” He twirls his hand around to admire it.

“I used to do it for my brother last time. When he got injured like you.” She softly replies.

 “Last time? What about now?” Baekhyun quirks.

Her face darkens, making her look away so that she can block her face from his view.

“Not anymore.” She answers monotonously, “I’ll go fetch you some water.”

In Hya diverts the topic and heads over to the vending machine to get some drinks. Baekhyun notices her limping on one foot and finally realizes her bandaged foot.

“When did you injure your foot?” He asks with half-assed concern.

“Just now.”

“How.” He presses on for the sake of continuing.

“I fell.”

“Where?”

In Hya shoots a glare past her shoulder, “Quit it. Now you’re the one asking too many questions. It’s getting irritating.”

Baekhyun scoffs at her sarcastic attitude, “Yah, you think—“

He pauses when he sees Jongin by the ward door, panting heavily as if he’s been running for his life.

Baekhyun observes as Jongin’s pupils grow wider when he sees In Hya standing right before him.

“In Hya?! You too? What are you doing here?”

Baekhyun is unable to see her reaction but he predicts that she is equally bewildered.

Jongin’s jaw falls when he sees the bandage on her foot and kneels down to gently it.

“Is it serious?”

“Oi.” Baekhyun throws a pillow to the latter in which he catches it flawlessly.

It takes Jongin a while before he finally realizes Baekhyun crossed on bed.

“I’m the one hospitalized here.” He makes sure to emphasize.

“Ah hyung!” He runs over but not without dragging In Hya slowly along his side.

Baekhyun squints suspiciously at the couple.

“Yah! What in the world? I was in the office and the teacher suddenly called to say you were taken to the hospital.” Jongin flares up.

“Is Yunae back home? Geez, sorry. She must’ve got a shock.”

Jongin shakes his head, “Nevermind about her, she’s already back in her room. Now could you please explain how did this happen?”

He turns around to In Hya standing quietly by the side, “You should be sitting.” He gently tugs her down to a seat and towers over her.

“What about you? How did you get hurt?” His voice more honeyed this time, as he peers worriedly into her gaping face.

Baekhyun sniggers as the scene unfolds before him. His friend is such an easy book to read, completely a see-through so he decides to break off the silence by starting first, “Actually it was because I—“

“—It’s because of me.” In Hya immediately cuts him off, catching the two guys by surprise.

Baekhyun quips, “Huh? What the heck are yo—“

“I got lost in the forest and Baekhyun got cut by a rusty nail trying to search for me.”

Jongin draws closer as he examines her face, “You must’ve been frightened. Are you feeling better?”

In Hya nods and Jongin breaks into a warm smile. “That’s good to hear.”

“Ehem. Just so you know, I’m still here?” Baekhyun clears his throat in annoyance.

“I heard you idiot.” Jongin frowns, “Wait here, I’ll go get you two something to eat downstairs.” He jerks his head to Baekhyun and leaves the ward.

In Hya and Baekhyun exchange a couple of engulfing seconds alone before she gets up and retrieves her belongings, “I’ll take my leave too.”

She limps her way out of the ward as she makes her exit. She feels extremely vexed for not being able to walk properly and hisses along the way. This injury is definitely going to impose on her daily life and work.

In Hya would never have imagined that this excursion could have a turn of events like this. She has also spent quite a sum to treat her sprained foot.

Although relieved it isn’t a grave injury, the consultation itself almost cost a bomb.

And here she is, trying to make measly ends meet.

Baekhyun watches her from bed as she trudges as slow as a snail. He contemplates for a while before clenching his jaw and springs out, detaching the IV drips.

In Hya grips onto the side rails as she shuffles along the walkway. Baekhyun quickens his steps before he removes her hand from the railing and spins her around.

Her face is painted with grimace by his rough action, “Ow—“

“What the hell was that for? Don’t try to act all smart, it’s making me look ing pathetic.” Baekhyun growls.

In Hya is taken aback by his menacing tone and stands numb, “What-t are you doing? L-Let go, it hurts! Let go!”

“Lying like that, just to cover my — It’s pretty revolting.”

In Hya feels her anger bubbling and shoves him aside, “Seriously, speak properly like a civilized person, cos I’m not understanding any of what you’re saying now.”

“You don’t want to make me look weak, so you took the blame. You think I’ll be grateful for that?”

“Do you really think I did that for you?” She refutes at his aggresive character.

The glint in Baekhyun’s eyes transforms.

“Do you honestly think Jongin will be happy to know that he hadn’t even notice you, his bestfriend, was sick?”

His shoulders drop in resignation as she presses on.

“That’s your problem. You’re too selfish thinking about yourself that you don’t even bother caring about how other people would feel. Not everything is about you.” She shoots a forlorn glare, feeling indignant.

“And I didn’t ask you to be grateful for me. I feel so dumb now, being all worried that you were sick or could even be in danger. Maybe I should’ve just left you back at the hills to rot. To think that I even injured my foot trying to save you, and here you are hurling ridiculous accusations at me instead. You don’t even have to say thank you, but the least you could do is to at least appreciate my effort.”

“But you know what?” Her voice drops low, tinted with masked sadness, “I’ve long given up harbouring that idea. I take back wh