Chapter image by the lovely Imbyul <3 Go PM her for a request!

“Has she said anything?”

“No, she’s been quiet since she got here. When she woke up, we hoped she’d at least say something. But nothing.”

“She might be still in shock.”

The nurses were talking about the woman who sat in front of Room 896. One of them looked at her with concern, hoping to offer some help, but she has seen countless cases such as that woman’s. During shock, it was best to leave them alone.

The head nurse’s heart went out to the child.

“Ah, she’s in so much pain,” she remarked, “I wish we could help her.”

But the nurses knew all they could do was watch as the young woman stared into nothingness, fidgeting with her fingers every now and then.

The door of Room 896 opened, revealing a middle-aged man whose hand touched the girl’s shoulders.

“Ha-Jinah,” he said, “Do you wish to see him?”

--

There was still some throbbing in her head, but Ha-Jin paid the pain no mind as she sat beside his bed. Because of her silence, the room was filled with nothing but the sound of machines trying to keep him alive.

Her eyes fell on the pale and unconscious figure of Hwang Jae-Yeong—his body connected to wires and tubes, his breathing shallow, and his eyes still closed. It has been two days and he was still dead to the world.

Beside her, Ji-Hyun was gazing at her with worried eyes. Tae-Won, on the other hand, sat on the opposite side, watching his oldest brother with the same worry. No one could say anything as of the moment; there were no words to say.

Ha-Jin touched Jae-Yeong’s hand, hoping that he would wake up soon.

Since she woke up from the accident, the first thing on her mind was to see him. The nurses had to subdue her as she wordlessly struggled, indicating her wishes to see him. But they wouldn’t let her go unless she was stable.

When they finally allowed her (with Ji-Hyun assisting her), the sight of Jae-Yeong shocked her. But she had no right to complain.

At least, he was alive.

Still, there was no assurance if he’d wake up. Apparently, the crash was so severe, it was a miracle he was even breathing. She held his hand tighter, gazing at his unconscious figure, still thankful for the heavens.

For a brief moment, her eyes met with Tae-Won.

He was the first of the Hwangs to arrive at the hospital since the accident. According to Ji-Hyun, he was frantic when he came, demanding to see his brother. He was also the first one to see Jae-Yeong after the operation and has not left since.

The rest of the Hwangs, continued Ji-Hyun, followed. Hwang Kwang-Soo ordered to press to leave their family alone as they attend to his son. Even Hwang Shin-Hye came to see her adopted son, despite the tension. So far, Ha-Jin had no word about Il-Sung.

Tae-Won was left behind again as his family attended to other matters. Here he was, gazing at his hyung, also waiting for him to wake up.

It’s what they all wanted.

--

Ha-Jin gratefully drank the cup of tea offered by the nurses as she sat on her bed. She wanted to stay longer at Room 896, but the doctor told her it was time to return. The nurses led her back to her room and offered her food and medicine.

“Good job,” said the nurse who watched her finish her cup, “I see that you’re gaining your appetite.”

Ha-Jin gazed at the warm smile of the nurse (whose ID read “Lee Yoon Ah”) who had been tending to her continuously since she arrived. She wanted to thank the nurse extensively, but she was too weak to do so. All she could do was smile back.

“I know it’s been pretty hard,” continued Nurse Yoon-Ah, “But you’ll get there. Just hang on.”

There was a knock on the door.

“I’ll get it,” said the nurse, taking her tray. She opened the door, revealing a tired Hwang Tae-Won.

“Do you know this man?” Nurse Yoon-Ah asked Ha-Jin. By the door, Tae-Won was staring at her with his bloodshot eyes. He hasn’t had any decent sleep since he got here.

Ha-Jin nodded. The nurse allowed Tae-Won inside her room and closed the door, leaving the two in a puddle of silence.

It’s been days since they talked. Initially, the sight of him recently was enough to make her stomach churn. Since his unpleasant transformation and revelation of feelings, Ha-Jin was not too keen to wander in his presence. But hearing about him tending to his brother and actually seeing him threw in hints of the old Tae-Won she admired.

The one who was her friend.

Judging from the way he walked, it was obvious that he was also dead tired. She wondered why he spared her a visit.

“How are you?” were the first words out of his mouth.

“I…I’m…doing better.”

She was surprised at herself for finally speaking up. The previous days saw her struggling with words and expressing herself. After two days, here she was—finally able to sort out her thoughts.

Tae-Won stood in front of her bed, not bothering to sit.

“Ji-Hyun told me that you chased Jae-Yeong hyung when he was about to leave,” he told her, “Apparently, hyung was about to go to the States. We didn’t know about it. When Ji-Hyun saw that letter he left for you, we guessed that he didn’t tell you either.”

“Father has been worried,” he continued, “He knew that Jae-Yeong hyung was going through some sort of crisis, but he didn’t know the extent. He feels bad for neglecting hyung and to be honest…so do I.”

“I should’ve known better. He’s my brother and…I didn’t know any better.”

Ha-Jin saw Tae-Won bow down his head in guilt (or was it shame?) He sighed before he raised his eyes to face her again.

“I feel like I have a part in what happened,” he told her, “I haven’t been much of a good younger brother to him or a friend to you. This…this isn’t what I wanted. I got a little overwhelmed with everything, but that’s no excuse. He’s still my hyung and you’re still my friend.”

Tae-Won approached the right side of her bed, wearing an expression of remorse. She could see the sincerity of his words, as well as his eyes, as he came closer. He reached out for her hand and enclosed it in his.

“I’m sorry for being a jerk. I guess it contributed to the mess my hyung got himself into; I should’ve been more…considerate,” he said, “I’m sorry, Ha-Jinah.”

She wanted to hug him, but her body was still sore. Still, she had to hold back tears as her joy at having Tae-Won back by her side ruptured in her chest. Instead, she just allowed him to hold her hand as he apologized profusely. She just patted him on the shoulder—the friendly gesture they’ve always shared before.

It was good to have him back.

--

Ji-Hyun said that Il-Sung finally dropped by to see his brother just an hour ago. The presenter didn’t say much about the encounter, but there was something comforting in knowing that the second Hwang brother did not entirely abandon the eldest. Ha-Jin expected to see him when she got to Jae-Yeong’s room for her regular visit.

To her surprise, Il-Sung was no longer there. In his place was his fiancée, Nari.

Seeing Nari again after all those weeks brought a strange and unpleasant feeling for Ha-Jin. The model sat by Jae-Yeong’s side, holding his hand and crying. Despite her tears, she still looked fresh and flawless—almost as if she was an actress in a drama.

The sound of the door caused Nari to look in Ha-Jin’s direction.

An unpleasant coldness erupted in the room as the two women stared at each other.She could see that icy glare forming in Nari’s eyes—a sign that Ha-Jin was an unwelcome visitor. But she knew that the model had no right to kick her out.

Ha-Jin went inside and closed the door behind her.

“What are you doing here?” Nari asked in a spiteful tone.

“I’m visiting him, same as you,” answered Ha-Jin.

The model let go of Jae-Yeong’s unconscious hand and stood up from her spot; she was evidently furious. Ha-Jin, however, was not afraid of her. She has had enough of stooping down to Nari’s level.

“You,” began the model, “This is all your fault. If you just left him alone, he wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“You don’t have a say in that,” said Ha-Jin, “You can’t blame others.”

“But it’s true. I told him you were bad news and he didn’t listen. He was stubborn and look at him now,” argued Nari, pointing at Jae-Yeong’s unconscious figure, “He almost died because of you. Are you happy now?”

Nari was shaking in anger. Ha-Jin understood where the other girl was coming from; after all, it was evident that she still had feelings for her old flame. Her accusations, however, were uncalled for.

“Yes, I am happy,” answered Ha-Jin.

“What the hell?”

Ha-Jin approached the foot of the bed, looking up at the model with confidence.

“I’m happy that he chose to save me, that he didn’t want me to get hurt,” she said, “It shows that I matter to him as much as he matters to me. Because of the entire thing happened otherwise, I would also be willing to risk my life for him.”

“I’m happy because Jae-Yeong loves me to that extent. It’s one of the reasons why I love him too.”

“So you’re happy he’s almost dead?” spat Nari.

Ha-Jin ignored the infuriated model and approached the opposite side of Jae-Yeong’s bed. He was still the same as yesterday—lost in his dreams. The machines continued to pump life in him as he struggled to survive. Some were not optimistic with his chances of survival.

But Ha-Jin was.

He wasn’t almost or nearly dead. She knew that he wouldn’t leave her again.

--

The sight was too much for her heart to bear; she couldn’t help but let the tears flow freely.

The deafening scream of the machines threatened to make her ear burst, as well as quicken the pace of her already panicking heart. It wasn’t easy—watching the stream of nurses entering and exiting Room 896, their voices high pitched and urgent.

She held tight unto Tae-Won’s arm as they watched the doctors attempt to subdue the commotion. Two were holding on Jae-Yeong’s wildly thrashing arms as his seizures got the best of him while one administered the right amount of meds, hoping to get it right.

On the opposite side of the room, Hwang Kwang-Soo demanded the doctors to keep trying, to save his oldest son. He cannot lose his eldest, he said, he simply could not. Park Ji-Hyun had to the aging Hwang outside of the room when he lost his temper on a nurse, leaving Ha-Jin and Tae-Won to witness everything.

She wanted to scream, to pull her heart out. It was too much to see Jae-Yeong in pain.

Tae-Won tightened his hold on her. The youngest Hwang watched in alarm, fervently praying his brother would make it through. He has to, he thought, He has to live.

No one could explain what happened. All they knew was the attacks came and his life was on the line again. It was a mysterious phenomena science could not explain; all they could do was administer the right drugs and pray for the best.

Because that was all they could do—pray for the best.

--

It was the middle of the night and everyone had calmed down. Ha-Jin patiently damped his forehead with a cool cloth, as per the advice of the doctor. He might be unconscious, but he’d need something cold.

She wiped away the beads of sweat from his neck, gazing at his profile as she did. His breathing was pretty shallow, but at least, it was no longer troubled. She hoped he could at least enjoy a quiet rest.

It has been days.

Ha-Jin wondered, as she wiped his brow, if he was ever going to wake up. If he did, would he be the same person? Or would he be like one of those protagonists in dramas—trapped in a bubble of amnesia?

She hoped not.

As he slept, she moved closer to the point she was only an inch away.

Oh how she missed his voice. What she’d give to hear his laughter, his sarcasm, or even that annoyed grunt he makes. Anything to have him back.

Her hand went through his crop of hair, memorizing every strand.

“I love you,” was all she said.

They said people can still hear despite being unconscious; she fervently hoped he could hear what she just said. After all, she meant every word of it. She held his hand between hers and watched him.

There was a sudden movement.

Ha-Jin gasped as she saw his head tilt slightly to the left. Initially, she thought it was just a figment of her imagination. Then, his eyes began moving behind his lids and the hand enclosed between hers started to twitch. All of these almost made her heart stop. This was no imagination—he was waking up.

Eventually, his eyes opened up—slowly, but surely.

“Oh my god,” she whispered, “Oh my god.”

Jae-Yeong’s head slowly looked up at the ceiling, as if he was trying to figure out where he was. He looked disoriented, but when his eyes fell on her face, there was some sort of clarity. She watched as his eyes moved from her forehead to the tip of her nose and to the hands that held his.

He was awake.

“Jae-Yeongah?” she asked.

At first, he just stared at her, speechless. But the way he stared suggested he was studying her, if not, probably trying to remember her face.

“Jae-Yeong, you’re awake,” she said, subduing her excitement and tears, “Do you remember me?”

It took him some time before he registered what she just said. He gave her a slow nod, making Ha-Jin’s heart swell once more.

“Ah, you wait there,” she told him, “You wait there. I’ll go get a doctor. Oh my god, I’m so glad you’re awake.” She released her hand, smiling through her tears. “Stay there, okay? Oh my god.”

As she headed towards the door, she heard his voice for the first time.

“S…Soo-ya.”

--

A/N: Big shifts coming your way, but it might not be exactly what you think. Again, it might not or it might not be. I’ll leave the figuring out up to you. Be sure to wait for the next chapter because some announcement and, well, more revelations.

Tell me what you think will happen or…just what you think.