I remember that night when I was there alone with Jiyong oppa, our families went to a wedding of our neighborhood people

, and as we were training then, we finished and returned home directly.

I was waiting for Jiyong oppa as I got unloaded from the bus, at the bus stop bench eating a lollipop and surfing my phone alone.

But then something hovered above me creating a shadow, so I lifted my head to see a group of 3 boys smiling in a silly way at me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“You’re really pretty.” One of them said.

“Our princess, would you spend the night with us.” They kept talking ridiculously.

I didn’t want to leave without Jiyong oppa, but these dummies kept annoying me.

“Leave me alone, or you will regret it.”

“Omo, she just threatened us hyung!” they sarcastically laughed at me.

I held tight on my bag, and started running away from them.

“Where are you going our princess?”

“Leave me alone!”

“Hey come here!” they started running too.

I reached our playground near my house.

“Hyung, she entered here…” he said breathlessly.

I hugged my two legs and hided carefully under the slider, as Jiyong oppa told me once, that if something happens, just stay there and he will find me.

“Cute girl…”

“Hey pretty, where are you?” they kept calling.

“Our princess, come here, this oppa will-” then a strong smash sound got created.  

I shut my two ears with my hands from the fear.

“Who the hell are you to hit our hyung?” they shouted.

I peeked to see who they are talking to, but I the other games were blocking the view.

They fought for a while, then a strong sound busted out BAAAAAMM!!

I was shivering with fear alone there.

The voices of the boys became inaudible.

Then to hear a weak footsteps approaching me.

He peeked at me and smiled, “I’m sorry that I’m late little girl.”

I lifted my head up to see Jiyong oppa there.

“Oppa!” I went out and hugged him immediately.

“Were you this afraid from them?” he noticed me shivering.

“Why were you late tonight?” I was crying.

He my hair gently, “I’m sorry, I taught them a lesson, don’t worry...” then his voice faded, and something heavy fell on my shoulder.

“Oppa?” I called, “O-Oppa, what’s wrong? Don’t joke around with me!”

Then I noticed oppa’s wet shirt wasn’t because of his sweat, it was… Blood!

“O-Oppa!” I cried out as I saw my hand dyed in dark red. 

His ear and head were bleeding severely.

“Oppa, get your conscious back please!...” I was crying in fear, “Oppa!!” I cried my lungs out.

I took him carefully to the slider next to us, leaned him there and took my phone out and called an ambulance first, then called my father and told him.

“Oppa!” I held his hand so tight in the ambulance that my knuckles turned white.

“Young girl, what happened?” the doctor asked me as we were in the emergency room.

“I w-was chased, then o-oppa came and… they were fighting,” I broke into hard tears then, “I heard a strong sound, then o-oppa came to me and he fell like that…”

The doctor was ordering the nurses and residents to do something, and then came to me, “Don’t worry, he will be alright.” She held me by my shoulder, “Stop crying and do what I’m going to tell you to do.”

Tears couldn’t stop then.

“Do you get me?”

I nodded.

“First did you call any guardian for him?”

I nodded.

“Great, then we’re going to take an X-ray for him first and make some tests, stay here and when his guardian comes tell him to see me.”

I held onto her gown before going, “Is he going to be alr-right?” I pouted like a 5 years old little girl.

She smiled and said, “Don’t worry, he will be fine.”

I kept praying for him while sobbing until oppa’s parents came together with my parents to the ER.

“Jiyong-ah!” they cried.

“Oh, Taeyeon, what happened? Where’s Jiyong?” my father found me.

“They took him to make some tests, the doctor told me to take you to her when you’re here.” I did my job then.

“Where?”

They talked and talked.

I saw our mothers crying.

It’s all because of me. I hit my thighs and cried till my tears dried out, as I was all night beside him.

My parents kept trying to drag me back home, but I swore to never leave oppa’s side ever.

I felt a tug on my hand as I was holding his hand, I lifted my head up, to see him looking back at me. “Oppa!” I cried out, “Are you okay?”

“Jiyong-ah,” Ajumma took him to her chest.

He blinked for couple of times, then said, “Why are you talking in low voice?”

I wasn’t actually, I was shouting then.

“Oppa, what are you talking about?”

“What? Talk in loud voice.”

“Doctor!” I called for her.

“How are you feeling young boy?”

“Why are you all not making voices?”

“Doctor, what is he talking about? We’re talking in an audible voice.”

“Mother, can I talk to you outside for a moment?”

“My dear,” she took us outside his room, “He got a Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), commonly known as sudden deafness, due to TBI which means Traumatic brain injury, and it is a nondegenerative, noncon insult to the brain from an external mechanical force, possibly leading to permanent or temporary impairment of cognitive, physical, and psychosocial functions, with an associated diminished or altered state of consciousness.”

“What?!” we both exclaimed, and tears started to flow uncontrollably.

“This status is considered as medical emergency.” She said, “He got hit at his head by a solid object, suspected to be metallic, it made a head injury which affected the nerve that connects the ear to the brain.”

“Oh my,” Ajumma kept hitting herself in guiltiness, “What should I do now, oh my, my son’s future disappeared now!”

The doctor looked at us with questioning face, “O-Oppa is a trainee, he will be a singer soon.”

“Oh my,” she reacted, “Don’t worry, there’s a possibility that it would be temporary; since the injury isn’t that serious, we gave him some drugs now, and we’re keeping him under observation for 24 hours.”  

“My kid!” Ajumma hysterically called and lost her balance that Kwon father went to catch her. 

She looked at me and said, “There’s hope.”

With a wet face, I b