Third Person

Namjoon paused in front of the hospital door. It wasn't the hospital his sister was at and he didn't know who had told him to come here. He wasn't even sure if he should be here.. But he was worried. 

Worried for someone he had never met. 

He pushed open the door, greeted by the curtain as a doctor dragged it across, blocking the view of the patient. 

"Oh, hello." He finished with the curtain and turned to me. "Are you here for the patient?" 

"Ah, yeah." Namjoon hesitated. "Can we talk outside?"

"Of course, though it wouldn't matter anyways. The patient is in a rough state." 

Namjoon stiffened with concern but followed the doctor out regardless, shutting the door behind them. "Do you happen to know who messaged me with her phone?" 

"A man was in here a while ago. That's all I know." The doctor frowned a bit. "He said that he got ahold of someone, I'm assuming you, and left. He claimed he had no relation with the patient to avoid payment."

"I assume he really has no relation with her." Namjoon mumbled. "How long has she been here? I haven't been able to contact her for nearly 2 days. What happened?" 

"She's been here for about that long." He glanced towards the door and let out a small sigh, looking back to Namjoon. "It appears to be a suicide attempt. The man that brought her here didn't give any contact information though so I can't question further."

Suicide? "Do you think he might have done this to her?" 

But the doctor shook his head with a bit of confusion. "I don't know, if I'm honest. She has bruises on her body but nothing to raise alarm. She tried to hang herself, as she now has a red ring around her neck as clear evidence. Whether the man hung her by force or she hung herself, we don't know and can't know until she wakes up." 

"What do you mean? Has she been out this entire time?" Namjoon gasped a little.

The doctor nodded, slowly. "We don't know why. She should be awake by now. We tested her blood to see if any drugs, prescribed or not, were in her system but there was no trace of anything. We believe it's just trauma from the incident that occured. If she doesn't wake up soon, it could be bad for her health, well worse than what it is now."

"I understand." Namjoon slumped a bit, thinking about the last time he spoke with her. She was acting funny to him, but ever since he met her, she's been acting weird. How was he supposed to know something was off with her? 

"Anyways, on another note." The doctor cleared his throat. "You're the only one that she has been in contact with and the only one we could get in contact with, coming from the man that took her here at least. I assume you're her boyfriend?" He asked after checking Namjoon's finger for a ring. 

"I'm just a friend.." Namjoon shook his head. 

"Do you know of any guardian?"

Namjoon hesitated again before answering. "I'm also her guardian." Namjoon remembered Seung Hwa's distaste in her parents and decided it would be best if they don't try and contact them again, well, if they tried in the first place anyways. 

The doctor gave a skeptical look but nodded anyways. "We'll discuss things later then. Go ahead and continue your visit." He bowed and hurried down the hall and into another patient's room. 

Namjoon paused once more, remaining hesitant on entering again. Should he respect her like he said he was going to do and not see who she is? 

But he really wanted to know of her condition with his own eyes rather than a description from the doctor. 

He decided it was best to sit against the wall inside the room, the curtain still separating the two.

Namjoon didn't know how long he sat there. It had to have been a long while since he had ended up falling asleep a few times. 

The only sign of anyone else behind that curtain was the breathing monitor ticking as her breathing levels got too low. But the doctor always came in and checked it, fixing the problem, and then leaving shortly after it. 

Namjoon visited every day since that day, always making sure he stayed behind the curtain when it was closed and outside the room when it was open. 

She did wake up on her third day of being admitted. But he never made his presence known. 

Seung Hwa knew though. She had the doctor tell her everytime Namjoon visited. But neither of them talked. 

They just enjoyed each other's company from behind a curtain.

Seung Hwa was released on her 6th day. The only reason they kept her so long was because she confirmed that this was indeed a suicide attempt so they wanted to make sure she was in the right state to leave. But was she?

Even Seung Hwa didn't know. 

----

1:00 PM

Nam Joon:

How do you feel? You're home now right? I had no idea you had such thoughts.. I hope me being there, even though you never saw me, was comforting enough.

Nam Joon: 

Instead of dealing with rough times like that, come to me next time. We're friends, remember?

Seung Hwa:

It wasn't suicide.

Nam Joon:

What? What do you mean?

Seung Hwa: 

Exactly what I said. It wasn't suicide. 

Nam Joon:

Then why did you say it was?! Are you saying someone tried to murder you? Was it that guy that brought you in there? 

Seung Hwa: 

It just wasn't suicide. 

Nam Joon:

Please.. You need to tell me. If it was murder then you're in danger. 

Seung Hwa: 

I have to go for a while. I got a new job.

Nam Joon:

A new one? What do you mean? 

Seen 1:10 PM 

 

5:50 PM 

Seung Hwa:

I'm moving. So I got a new job. 

Nam Joon:

What do you do now? When are you moving?

Seung Hwa:

Close to the same thing. I'm not going far. 

Nam Joon:

To get away from this man, right? That's why you're moving with so little money? 

Seung Hwa:

...

Seung Hwa:

Yeah. 

Nam Joon:

You're lying.

Seung Hwa:

I'm not.

Seen 6:00 PM 

 

1:00 AM

Nam Joon:

I'm starting to become a bad person. 

Nam Joon:

Why? Because I'm starting to not care about what you want. I'm starting to want to meet you more and uncover all your lies. 

Nam Joon:

But does it make me a bad person if it's to help you? 

Nam Joon:

I don't know. But I want to help you and I'm beginning to not care about your excuses on why you won't accept it. So I'm sorry for that. 

Seung Hwa:

I told you it wasn't suicide so stop thinking I need help.

Nam Joon:

If it wasn't suicide then it was attempted murder, Seung Hwa. You need help. 

Seung Hwa: 

Don't start to be like this. I really do not want to have to block you. 

Nam Joon:

You're in danger, Seung Hwa. 

Nam Joon:

Don't take this lightly, please.

Seung Hwa:

I'm going to give you one more ing chance because I have come to like your company. 

Seung Hwa:

Last chance. 

Seen 1:10 AM 

 

2:00 PM 

Seung Hwa: 

I saw your sister today. She said she hasn't seen you for a while.

Nam Joon:

I'm busy, lately. 

Seung Hwa:

I thought you were with her almost all the time though?

Nam Joon:

Things came up that I can't ignore. 

Seung Hwa:

You seem edgy.

Nam Joon: 

Sorry about it.

Seung Hwa is typing...

Seen 2:05 PM 

 

7:00 PM

Nam Joon:

You're living with him, aren't you? 

Nam Joon:

You're living with the man who tried to murder you, aren't you?

Nam Joon:

Don't you dare ignore me because I can easily go to the police with this.

Seung Hwa:

And when you do, I will die. 

Seung Hwa:

Don't you ing understand? Would I move in with him on my own freewill? Would I just tell you all this when he could find out and get angry? 

Seung Hwa:

I thought you were a smart person. I thought with all the ing lies I fed you, that you'd be able to unravel it without a single truth coming from my mouth. And for the most part, you did. But you still don't understand.

Nam Joon:

You can't just live there though! He won't even know that the police will come. 

Seung Hwa:

He knows I talk to you. 

Seung Hwa:

He already doesn't like it, don't test him.

Nam Joon:

When did you even meet this guy? All of this just came out of the blue

Seung Hwa:

He's always been around me.

Seung Hwa:

He's just never done anything like this.

Seung Hwa:

He's a powerful, wealthy person. 

Seung Hwa:

And he's very dangerous. 

Seung Hwa:

I don't dare anything. I'm deleting this conversation after this message so don't say anything more about it. You might end up getting me killed if you slip.

Nam Joon:

Wait

Seung Hwa:

What?

Nam Joon:

Give me a code word.

Seung Hwa:

A code word?

Nam Joon:

Like if you feel like you're in danger or if you want to talk about things.

Seung Hwa:

Hello. 

Nam Joon: 

You chose hello? 

Seung Hwa:

If we're just greeting each other, it can be hi. But the code word I pick is hello because it doesn't seem like it is hiding anything. 

Nam Joon:

Okay. Thank you.. Seung Hwa. For talking about it. I feel very worried that you're with him but I felt even worse when I didn't know anything, even though what I assumed was correct. 

Nam Joon:

When I ask how you are, answer according to how he's treated you, okay? 

Seung Hwa:

Ok. Deleting.

Conversation deleted. 

 

5:34 AM

Nam Joon:

My sister isn't doing well.

Nam Joon:

Her chemo is too much for her to handle, it seems.. 

Nam Joon:

I'm afraid to lose her, what do I do?

Seung Hwa:

I'm sorry, Namjoon. It must be really scary for the both of you.. I'm visiting her today around 2 this time, okay? 

Nam Joon:

Ok. Just be careful with her. 

Seung Hwa:

Of course. 

Nam Joon:

How are you? 

Seung Hwa:

Good. 

Nam Joon:

That's good :) 

Nam Joon:

Do you want to go on another date like last time? 

Seung Hwa:

What do you have planned?

Nam Joon:

Namsan Tower. There are hundreds of people there this time of year so it'll be impossible for us to run into each other. Besides, we don't even know what the other looks like so even if we do, we won't know it. We can meet at a certain place and see all of the same things.

Seung Hwa:

What if we notice the same person going to the same places?

Nam Joon:

Trust me, we won't. There are too many people and we'll be glued to our phones while traveling to the new viewing spot anyways. 

Seung Hwa:

Can we put a lock up? 

Nam Joon:

Of course. I'll put a lock up with my name and a message and then I'll tell you the whereabouts of it. You can either choose to put yours with mine or somewhere else and then just tell me where it is so I can see it. 

Seung Hwa:

That's so cheesy.

Seung Hwa:

But it sounds like a lot of fun. I'm in for it. 

Nam Joon: 

Let's meet in the observatory at 6:00 PM then, hm?

Seung Hwa:

Deal.

Seen 5:42 AM 

 

6:00 PM

Nam Joon: 

Are you here?

Seung Hwa:

Almost, still walking. But I will be in like 2 minutes. 

Nam Joon:

Did you like the cable ride? It was crowded, wasn't it?

Seung Hwa:

It was really cool though. I was lucky and got a nice view 

Nam Joon: 

Everywhere is a nice view here. 

Seung Hwa:

True. I'm here though. 

Nam Joon:

There are boards that lists the attractions here along the pillars in the middle. Find one, you'll probably have to shove people out of the way, and pick the first spot you want to go after you've looked around a bit. I'll pick the next and we'll trade off until there is no more places we'd like to see, that's when we'll do the lock stuff :) 

Seung Hwa:

Okay.

 

8:15 PM

Seung Hwa: 

I've seen everything I wanted to see.. Did you?

Nam Joon:

More or less. Let's buy the locks and then wrap up the date.

Seung Hwa:

Are you going to pick the spot? I want to put mine with yours. I don't want my lock to be alone. 

Nam Joon:

Yes, I will pick the spot. 

Seung Hwa: 

This was a good idea.. Thank you.

Nam Joon: 

:)

----

Seung Hwa's POV

Namjoon had told me the whereabouts of his lock and now all that was left was for me to find it. 

Clutching the lock in my hands, I gazed around in awe at all the locks, smiling at the sincere messages written on them as I walked by. What a cute thing to do. 

There was a saying that when a couple visits here and leaves their locks behind, their love would last a lifetime. But what happens when two people who've never met visit here and leave locks behind?

After a while of gazing at the other locks and then finally searching for Namjoon's, I found it. But I didn't just find a lock. My eyes trailed down to a bright red bag on the floor, pausing just in front of it. 

Looking up, my eyes met Namjoon's lock. His name was written neatly on the lock along with a word that was just so painful for me to read. Smile.

But, though it was painful, I smiled widely, grazing my fingertips over the lock. I wish I was a better person so that I could meet you. I wish it wouldn't be dangerous for us to meet. Who knows what this jerk would do to you if we met in person? He already hates that we talk. He only allows it because we don't know each other personally.

Shaking my head of all the troubling thoughts, I slipped the lock loop through his and locked it, smiling once more at the two locks now not only locked on the same railing, but locked together. I pulled out the sharpie from before and added 'Always' underneath my name. Now when the two words were read together, it would read Smile Always. 

Putting the sharpie away, I knelt down and read the tag on the bag to make sure it was intended for me. "Seung Hwa" was written neatly on the tag with no sender. But of course I knew just who it was. 

I glanced around and sat down completely, opening the bag and pushing aside the wrapping paper. A chocolate brown stuffed bear sat in the bag, holding a trimmed rose with a rolled up note tied around the rose. 

I slipped the rolled up note out of the lace that tied it and opened it up, reading it slowly. 

Seung Hwa,
We've never met but I hope one day we do.
You're going through a rough time with your parents and I hope you soon forget the troubles and move on.
I really do want to meet you, I believe you have so much more to offer than what you do now. 
Thank you for going on these dates with me, I feel as if I'm alongside you even though we can't see each other. 
It reminds me that you're real. It reminds me that you are a person, not just a screen.
I hope I cheered you up today. I hope you get a new start some day. 
And I hope I will be able to help you get a new start if you decide you want one.
I really, really hope to meet you some day.
I'll wait.
- Kim Nam Joon 

He used my parents as a coding, didn't he? He must have.. I sniffled a bit and swiped at the tears that somehow fell from my face. You don't even know who I am but yet you're so kind and sincere to me. Namjoon.. You have no idea how much I cherish our friendship, even if it may never grow to be past the screen. 

I carefully folded the note and stuck in the bag, taking out the rose before I situated the wrapping paper over the bear and stood up. Slipping the bag onto my wrist and holding the rose carefully, I took a picture of the two locks with my phone. Smiling, I left the railing without another glance back. 

Smile Always.

----

 

Ah.. Sorry! That was WAY longer than 2 weeks but I got side tracked... Anyways, here it is. I hope you enjoyed! Thank you for reading! ~PandaBiscuit~