He didn’t think of anything except getting to her and her friend. He didn’t wince when he felt the heat or feel any pain at all when the shards of glasses cut through his face especially if it means bringing her back to safety with her friend specifically alive.

He coughed as he accidentally inhaled the heavy smoke and covered his nose with his cloth. Through the thick hazy smoke, he couldn’t see a thing but he had to hurriedly search for her before the smoke get to him completely. He felt his eyes burning and looked down on the ground. Through the cloud of smoke, he spotted two figures lying down on the ground not far from him and carefully approached them. He kneeled down on Irene and felt her pulse which was currently beating but slow.

He noticed another figure and saw blood flowing underneath him. Bogum rushed to Jaehyun and felt his pulse as well. A slow pulsing but faint which alarmed him instantly. He made Jaehyun laid down on his back and made a shocking discovery. Blood gushed out from his body and from his peripheral vision, next to Jaehyun was a bloody knife. It didn’t take Bogum that long to know who tried to stab the guy.

He carefully lifted the guy one arm draped around him and held Irene next to him by the waist. He didn’t really think through how he’s going to get them outside to safety what’s with the fire still blazing hot. Unexpectedly and probably the worst time ever, Irene stirred and started to cough.

“Irene? You alright?” he shouted but she didn’t reply as she found herself struggling to breath. She covered her nose with her shirt and tried to focus on the voice. She recognised that voice shouting to her but didn’t know whether she was hallucinating or dreaming about him.

The figure next to him snapped her out of her musing and nodded to assure him. She struggled to find her voice with all the smokes around them. “Jaehyun. Let’s get him out here quick.”

She went to next to Jaehyun and draped his other arm around her shoulder. Together they quickly sprinted to the window. He abruptly stopped and looked at her to see her hesitancy.

“We don’t have time for this. You go first” he shouted at her but before they could, they felt the door behind them being slammed opened. They recognised the fire fighters in their tunic uniform. Both Bogum and Irene practically ran fast as they could to them and out of the building. Something crash down hard behind them followed by another.

Both handed Jaehyun to one of the fire fighters while the other two escorted both Bogum and Irene out.

Paramedics immediately went to the three victims with Bogum and Irene being given with oxygen and Jaehyun laid on the gurney. Because his wound was fatal and he lost a lot of blood, the paramedic requested a helicopter to airlift him to the hospital. They checked for his pulse which was growing weaker.

Chaeyeon and the others immediately rushed to the three of them. She hugged both her cousin and Irene assuring herself that they were well truly alive. It was foolish of her cousin to just spontaneously ran into the fire but she wouldn’t hold it on him because he just save two people.

She next went to the person who got caught in all of this mess who looked really pale and lying motionless. Chaeyeon started to burst into tears after seeing the severity of his injury and when she heard what the paramedic said, she prayed and pleaded he’ll make it because…..She stopped the negative thoughts that entered her mind.

All of this started because of her and he paid the price of it from her crazy ex-boyfriend.

She clutched his hand as the paramedic worked something on him. Then the whirling sound from the helicopter blades that was descending can be heard. The paramedic rushed their patient inside while Chaeyeon stood there immobile just staring at the helicopter until it lifted from the ground and headed towards the hospital direction.

Her mind had gone blank and she felt numb. She let the emotions she held back and the negative thoughts and scenarios played to her mind. The feeling of guilt overruled them all.

“Chaeyeon” Chungha called her name with Nayoung by her side but Chaeyeon didn’t respond to the two of them. She didn’t hear any of the commotions around her.

In fact, she just wanted to be left alone for now with her dark thoughts as her friend at night.

“Please. Just take me home” she pleaded as her tears fell again.

***

Nayoung, Chungha, Ten, Taeil, Johnny, Bogum, Irene and Jaehyun’s parents were seated at the waiting area outside of the operation room praying silently for Jaehyun. Jaehyun’s parents were especially shocked and worried when they were greeted by a police officer at the front door of their house about their son. They immediately rushed to the hospital and currently were holding on to each other with the husband comforting his wife with little success.

For the other seven people, Ten pace around the area with Taeil and Johnny having a serious conversation. Nayoung checked her mobile phone several times in case there’s a message or call from Chaeyeon with Chungha asking every now and then but none came. Bogum and Irene were also having a conversation likely about what happened to her.

The two girls arrived a bit late at the hospital just a moment ago. Although Ten didn’t directly ask considering there’s Jaehyun’s parents nearby but both girl knew what he was asking when he saw only the two of them.

The three of them sat a bit far at the corner. “Where is she?”

Nayoung looked downcast before replying. “She didn’t want to come. We already persuaded her but….she shut us out.”

Ten nodded in understanding.

The automatic door sliding opened revealing the surgeon who was wearing his green scrub. Jaehyun’s father stood up first and followed by the others who crowded around him to listen to the doctor.

“How is he doctor?”

“Well the injury he had gotten result him in losing a lot of blood and he suffer as well from too much smoke inhalation from the fire. He also had several cuts on his face. Due to his blood loss, we would like for some of you to donate your blood to him.” The surgeon informed and then added as an afterthought “I will say it’s a miracle that he’s still alive even through all that.”

Ten, Irene and both Jaehyun’s parents volunteered while the others remained seated and waited for several more agonizing hours.

It was already eight at night when the surgeon came out again and smiled at them confirming that Jaehyun was going to be alright.

Tears of joy and hugging and one nearly kissing incident were going around the waiting area.

***

 

28/5

11.45 a.m.

When Jaehyun opened his eyes, he was in a white room at the hospital. Sunlight poured through the window on his left, warming him and the bed. He tried to get up and winced in pain as he held his stomach. He looked down to see a bandage had wrapped around his torso. The memories then came flooding back to him from getting kidnapped to getting stabbed and then left to die with Irene when Junhong lit the house on fire. He wondered if he’s been caught yet by the authority.

He leaned back on the bed and saw his father sleeping on the sofa.

He called out to him but ended up having a raspy voice and realised he was really parched. He coughed which awoke his father who was all too happy to Jaehyun woke up.

“How are you doing son?” He fluffed the pillow before putting it behind Jaehyun who settled comfortably. Jaehyun pointed towards the water and cup which his father did.

After drinking it, Jaehyun answered “Feeling a little dizzy but I’m fine. How long was I here?”

“Only a day. You just had your surgery last night. You don’t know how your mom and I were really worried about you. Imagine our surprise when an officer came to the house to inform us about you.” His father then proceeded to tell Jaehyun on what the doctor told them last night.

While his father was telling him all these time, Jaehyun noticed that there were eye bag under his father’s eyes and exhaustion on his face. He felt a stab of guilt for making his parents worry especially his mother. He could imagine how his mother reacted to this ordeal the moment the police officer came to their house.

“Where’s mom?” Jaehyun asked seeing that she wasn’t in the room.

“She had to go home for a while to check up on things but she’ll be back. Both of us were sleeping here last night.” His father was about to say something when he was interrupted when the door swung opened and his friend Ten poke his head in.

“Hey Jaehyun.” Ten greeted and entered the room with Taeil followed closely behind by Nayoung and Chungha who brought fruits. His heart accelerated as he waited for the one person that’s been on his mind at that last moment. He had to tell her how he feels and though knew there was a probability he’s going to be rejected, at least he made his feelings known to her. He’s not going to hide or denied it anymore.

The moment Chungha closed the door, he frowned. Where is she?

“I’ll be waiting outside” Jaehyun’s father nodded to his son and the others.

He looked at both girls, letting his expression to convey the question. Ten and Taeil were quiet as they watched Jaehyun and the girls’ interaction.

Chungha avoided answering by placing the fruits on the table beside the bed but Nayoung did. There was a moment of hesitation on her part before she told him in the end. “Chaeyeon……she….she’s been locking herself in her apartment and won’t come out. We tried to get her to come last night and today but still she refused. We don’t know what happen to her.”

“I think she felt guilty.” Chungha silently said on the side and turned a sympathetic glanced towards him. “That is from what I observe. She probably thinks she bought this whole mess to you. Both of you were getting closer with each other and someone didn’t like it at all. In the end you got injured because she ignored the warning signs that had already been there.”

He shook his head. “She shouldn’t be guilty about all this. I was ignorant as well. Junhong already threatened me to begin with when he saw me with her back at the library. My life was more at stake than her and yet I didn’t care about all of that.” He really couldn’t believe that she felt she was the one at fault here. If anything, he was the one who was wrong. She already did warned and told him to report to the police but he didn’t comply.

“I’m sorry Jaehyun.” Nayoung said.

He didn’t have anything to say to that and just nodded.

The others were silent before Ten spoke “Well if it makes you feel any better, Junhong was caught this morning at his apartment while he was still sleeping.”

Well that’s new to him. He can breathe in relieve knowing that Junhong was already arrested and won’t be harassing him and Chaeyeon anymore after this. “How?”

“Let’s just say….the police had some…outside help this time around.” He smirked and it took Jaehyun a moment before he understood. His friend Kun lend a hand even though he knew what he did was illegal. He would have to thank Kun later on. Speaking of which…

“Do you guys have my phone with you?”

Taeil nodded and he took out from his pocket before giving it to his friend. “I already charged your phone. Good thing it wasn’t smash or stolen at that time.”

Jaehyun just stared mindlessly down at his phone for a while contemplating something in his head which didn’t go unnoticed by his visitors.

“What’s wrong?” Chungha asked.

Just then the door behind them was swung opened again and this time around, two men dressed in suit entered. “I’m sorry to intrude but we’re both detectives working on this case. We would like to question him about the recent event.” He motioned towards Jaehyun.

Jaehyun’s visitor nodded in compliance and told him they were coming again later before closing the door behind them leaving him and the two detectives.

From the looks of it, the detectives were clearly eager to close the case and have Junhong put behind bars. Something he agrees it and it’s time for him to put this nightmare behind him.