Everything happened so fast.

If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have taken my eyes off of her.

I was chasing after Irene when I saw that she had dropped her phone. I was picking it up for her when I heard a chilling scream followed by a dull thud. When I turned around, I saw a masked man running away with Irene’s bag and Irene was on the ground, her blood mixing with the drizzling rain.

I still remembered how cold her skin was when I went over to her, how scared I was that she wouldn’t open her eyes no matter how much I was shaking her and screaming her name.

I was already in tears by the time I realized I needed to call for help. My fingers had trembled, from the fear and the cold, as I dialed 112. My voice was barely a whisper as I spoke to the operator. I was so out of it that I just nodded my head along to whatever the operator had said. I just knew that I needed to keep Irene warm while I waited for the ambulance.

I draped my jacket over Irene’s still body, my fingers still trembling. I sat next to her, watching her face getting paler by the second, not even caring that I was soaked to the bone. I didn’t even know when the rain stopped or when the ambulance arrived.

I was silent all the way to the hospital, but I never let Irene’s hand go.

I couldn’t.

Even if she wanted me to, I couldn’t…at least not right now.

They eventually pried me away from Irene when we arrived at the hospital. The nurses took over and wheeled Irene into the emergency room, leaving me alone outside. I found a bench directly in front of the room and sat there, my eyes never leaving the heavy double doors, expecting someone to come out soon and tell me that everything was going to be okay.

A nurse came by and gave me a towel to dry myself with, but I wasn’t paying attention. She helped pat me dry instead and I let her. She was gentle and polite, patting my upper body with the thick towel. Then, she left and came back with a cup of warm coffee.

I looked at her then and thanked her.

She simply smiled, put the mug in my hand and walked away.

Everything that had happened felt like a distant dream, a nightmare. But the shivers running up and down my spine told me that it was real, that I was very much awake.

The warmth from the cup spread from my palm to my whole body. I took a sip of the coffee, testing its warmth, before taking big gulps until it was drained. I felt a little better, a little warmer, but I was still worried about Irene. I set the empty cup on the seat next to me and then I realized that I was still clutching Irene’s phone in my other hand.

I made a mental note to return the phone as soon as she was out of surgery.

Suddenly, the phone vibrated in my hand and a familiar name flashed across the screen.

I frowned, confused.

Byul?

Curious, I picked up the call.

“H-Hello?”

There was a pause before I heard Byul’s voice on the other line.

“Wheein?”

I wasn’t sure if it was her voice or it was her saying my name, but my heart swelled with feelings I don’t recognize and then tears started welling up in my eyes. I had to cover my mouth to stop myself from sobbing out loud.

“Wheein, why do you have Joohyun-ssi’s phone?”

At the mention of Irene, I couldn’t control my sobbing anymore.

“Byul-ah,” I cried, clutching at the phone with both hands as if it was my only lifeline, “Byul-ah, she’s…she’s…”

“Wheein-ah, listen to me,” her voice was suddenly sharp, surprising me, “where are you right now?”

“At the hospital…” a hiccup escaped, and I quickly covered my mouth in embarrassment, “…I came with her. She’s in surgery right now...”

“Okay. Text me the address. I’m coming, Wheein-ah.”

I shared my location after the call ended. Then, I leaned back and sighed. I might even say that my mouth twitched a little. I wasn’t sure what exactly, but after talking to Byul, the tension in my body seemed to have vanished.

“I’m coming, Wheein-ah.”

Her words kept playing in my head, making me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. She sounded worried, but she also sounded reliable – another side of Byul that I only came to know now.

I caught myself smiling and quickly wiped it away. I was in no position to be thinking about someone else when I still don’t know what was happening with Irene. I glanced at the operating room and sighed. There was still no sign of the surgery ending anytime soon.

My vision started to blur. I shook my head, trying to clear the blurriness, but my head suddenly felt heavy. I started to lose my balance, but I quickly held myself up with one hand. I knew it was a temporary fix because my arms felt weak for some reason; I knew that I would collapse soon.

Then I remembered that my clothes were damp and that the hospital’s air-conditioning was at full blast.

Oh. I think it’s a fever…

That was the last thought I had before my vision darkened and I felt my body falling…

I went in and out of my consciousness, vaguely aware that someone had carried my body away from the hard surface of the bench I had sat on.

This person’s voice was familiar, but I couldn’t remember who it was.

This person was wearing a perfume, but it had faded slightly, and the smell was mixed with the scent of rain. I inhaled deeply, feeling a little nostalgic whenever I could smell rain.

I must have done something to this person because I could hear their heart picking up speed. Strangely enough, this person’s heartbeat made me feel comfortable and drowsy and soon enough, I drifted off again.

When I woke up, I saw a drip stand with a tube leading from the transparent bag to the needle jabbed into my left wrist.

I was confused and a little disoriented, but then I started to remember.

The mugging, Irene on the ground, the ambulance ride, the operating room.

My heart thudded with worry.

Oh no. How long was I passed out? Is the surgery over? Is Irene okay?

I hastily sat up, intending to rip the needle out of my wrist and make my way towards Irene. That was when I realized that my right hand was occupied by something soft and warm. I looked down, ready to toss away whatever soft and warm (also really comfortable, by the way) thing away…

My jaw literally dropped.

It was Byul. That soft and warm (and comfortable) thing was Byul!

She was sleeping soundly, one hand firmly grasping mine; my very own dark-haired Sleeping Beauty.

What the? Not mine! Not yours! Get a grip Jung Wheein!

I caught sight of the fading scar on her neck and instinctively felt like touching it. But Byul suddenly stirred. She opened her eyes, still heavy with sleep, and looked at me. When she realized I was awake, she sat up, rubbed her eyes with her free hand and flashed that familiar crooked smile of hers.

“Hey,” she greeted me, stifling a short yawn, “how long were you awake?”

“Not long. Did you see Irene? How is she?”

“She’s okay. The doctor said she lost a lot of blood and there was a deep cut on her forehead, but she’s not in any danger. She just needs plenty of rest.”

I let out a sigh of relief.

“How are you feeling, Wheein-ah?”

I blinked. Byul was looking at me with concerned eyes, her hand slightly squeezing mine, and I felt my temperature rising.

“I feel better after sleeping,” I replied, quickly looking away, “um, could you let go of my hand?”

“Why?”

I looked at her, surprised. “Because this isn’t right?”

Byul raised an eyebrow, smirking as if she knew something I didn’t. “Really? But you were the one holding on to me, saying not to let go.”

I was blushing now. “Th-that’s just fever talk. Why did you take me seriously?”

“I don’t know,” Byul shrugged, “it felt like the right thing to do.”

I wasn’t sure what I was thinking, but my body knew better and before I realized it, I was leaning down and kissing Byul on the mouth.

I quickly pulled back, but Byul wouldn’t let me go. She climbed on the bed, cupped my face with both hands and pressed against mine.

The kiss was slow and sweet, like she was trying to tell me something. It was hard to resist when that one kiss was already igniting a fire inside me, making my heart beat faster than I could ever remember. So, I kissed her back, throwing caution to the wind.

She eventually stopped and looked at me with a frown.

“Is something wrong?”

I noticed that there was a wetness under my eyes and Byul was using her thumbs to wipe them away. It must have happened during the kiss.

“I’m not sure…”

“Is it the kiss?”

I chuckled. “The kiss was fine.”

“Then…are you worried about Joohyun-ssi?”

I let out a sigh. “Irene broke up with me last night.”

“Yeah, I know.”

I twisted my head out of her grasp and stared at her. “You know?”

Byul moved slightly away, sitting in a polite manner with her hands folded neatly in her lap. “I talked to Irene after she got out of surgery. She told me everything.”

“So…you know what she’s planning?”

“Yes,” Byul ran a hand through her hair and sighed, “and I disagreed. I told her we can find another way. my father’s plans.”

“And Irene? She’s okay with it?”

“She’s still worried, but her sister Jinyoung is talking with her now,” Byul looked at me with a cheeky grin, “oh and I called her over because I was busy taking care of you and your fever last night.”

I blushed and looked away. “Don’t tease me…”

Byul laughed, but then she was suddenly serious as she took both of my hands in hers. “If Joohyun-ssi wants you back, I’m not going to let you go that easily,” she looks at me with determined eyes, “because that kiss we just shared? It tells me that you have longed for me as much as I have for you. I’m not going to give you up for anyone anymore, Jung Wheein.”

“But Byul, it’s too soon…”

“I know, I know. But tell me I’m not wrong,” she pleaded with her eyes, “at least tell me that.”

I pulled her towards me and kissed her, long enough to make her cheeks flushed. I secretly felt satisfied when I saw the splashes of pink across her fair skin, taking pleasure in knowing that I was the reason they were there.

“You’re not wrong, Byul-ah,” I pulled away from the kiss and stared deep into her eyes, “but I mean, I just broke up with Irene, like yesterday. Literally. Now I’m with another woman. It’s…a weird situation. You get that, right?”

Byul chuckled and laid her head down on my chest. “I get it, but how can I resist the chance to have you in my arms again?”

“Yeah, I know,” I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head, “I’m pretty hard to resist.”

“Oh wow,” Byul looked at me with raised brows, “I didn’t know you were this shameless, Jung Wheein.”

I stuck out my tongue at her. “Well, too bad. You’re stuck with me now.”

“That’s just how I-”

Suddenly, Byul’s phone rang. She looked at the screen and her face scrunched up in pain.

“, , . I completely forgot,” Byul practically jumped down from my bed and started gathering up her stuff, “I have a lunch appointment today and I’m running late!”

I felt a little disappointed that she couldn’t stay longer. “You’ll come and visit later?”

“Of course,” she leans down and gave me a quick kiss, “oh and the police caught the guy by the way.”

I perked up at this new information. “You mean the robber?”

“Yeah. He was in the back alley, rummaging through Joohyun-ssi’s stuff. I don’t know what he’s looking for, but whatever it is, he didn’t find it.”

I scowled. “What could he possibly-”

I suddenly remembered what Irene was discussing with me shortly before the incident. At that time, Irene handed me a business card with an address written across the back. Irene told me that it could be important, but she didn’t want to pursue it because she was afraid for her and her family’s safety.

“Wheein…?”

Byul’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked at her and smiled.

“It’s nothing. I’ll tell you about it when you come back.”

Byul hesitated for a bit, glanced at her phone, then back at me. Finally, she sighed and nodded before heading out.

After Byul left, I noticed that there was a phone on the table next to my bed. It wasn’t mine because I left house without it, but then I remembered holding on to Irene’s on the way to the hospital and answering Byul’s call on it.

Returning Irene’s phone would be a good pretext to visit her and discuss about the incident.

I waited until visiting hours were over and Irene’s sister had gone home.

Then, I sneaked into her room.

The nurse had taken me off the drip, so it was easier to move about. She also specifically told me to rest, which I wasn’t, because I urgently needed to talk to Irene and getting caught here would be a hassle.

“Who’s there?”

I heard Irene’s voice calling out nervously as I entered.

“It’s me, Irene.”

She was sitting up in bed, looking elegant even in a simple patient gown, but her beautiful face looked pale now with one side of her head covered in bandage.

She looked at me with a confused frown. “Wheein? Why are you here?”

“I came here in the ambulance with you,” I approached her cautiously and when she didn’t stop me, I sat in the empty chair next to the bed, “and I’ve been holding on to your phone so…here.”

I placed her phone on the bedside table and she quietly thanked me.

It was awkward for a moment before I decided to bring up the incident.

“Um, Byul told me that they caught the robber.”

“That’s good, but…Byul, huh?” Irene eyed me with a smirk. “Did you two get together already?”

I tried to play it cool, but I could feel my face warming up. “It’s not like that…”

“I told her that we broke up, so I thought she would jump you or something.”

Her words shocked me. “She didn’t jump me!”

“Ah, so you jumped her.”

I was too flustered to counter her. I mean…it wasn’t a complete lie.

“Anyways,” I cleared my throat, trying to calm myself down, “Byul said the robber was looking for something in your bag. The most significant thing I can think of is that card you gave me.”

Irene pursed her lips, thinking. “It’s not that far-fetched. I mean, the woman did say she knew things, which I assumed is about CEO Moon,” she looked at me worriedly, “do you think CEO Moon sent the man after me?”

“I don’t know. I mean, the man wasn’t after you. He was after whatever was supposed to be in your bag…”

“Did you talk about this with Byulyi-ssi?”

I shook my head. “I wanted to talk to you first. I thought we could figure out what’s going on before I tell Byul about it.”

“Personally, I don’t care anymore. Byulyi-ssi told me that there’s a way out of CEO Moon’s plans and my sister told me to trust her, so I will. But I’m not going to do anything else. I gave you the card, Wheein. It’s up to you what you want to do with it.”

“You’re not curious at all?”

“I was, but that’s what landed me in CEO Moon’s bad books, so…”

“But if I need your help, will you be willing to lend me a hand?”

Irene smiled. “Of course.”

I smiled back. “That’s good to hear. I’ll talk to Byul about this. I’ll let you know if anything happens.”

I started to get up, but Irene grabbed my hand, stopping me.

“And Wheein?”

“Yeah?”

“Please don’t lie to yourself anymore.”

I was taken aback by her words, but then I slowly nodded. I knew what she was getting at and, even though I was reluctant to admit it, she had a point.

“Yeah. Thanks, Irene. For everything.”

She gave me a weak smile and finally let my hand go.

“Take care, Jung Wheein.”

I turned and walked out of the room, never looking back.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N: Hi, everyone. It's been a while. I'm sorry if this turn of events feels absurd, but I can't stand angsty wheebyul anymore TT.TT

But we're close to finding out what's going on, so that's something! Oh and another piece of drama dropping in the next chapter! I hope I'll be able to make it a comedy though 😂

Thank you for reading! ^^