“Do you, Yook Sungjae?” asked Sooyoung, as she walked over to Sungjae’s bed. “How would you know if my heart is hurting? How would you know about ANYTHING that I’ve been through for these past few weeks?”

Sungjae showed no signs of fear as he looked Sooyoung in the eye. He knew that if he wanted to help Sooyoung stop hurting, he would have to go through with this, especially since he had been the cause of Sooyoung’s pain all this while. All he wanted to show Sooyoung now was that he would be there for her and that whatever she wanted to throw at him, he would gladly take and accept, if it meant that it would help Sooyoung heal.

“Do you know what you’ve put me through, Yook Sungjae?!” screamed Sooyoung, as she started hitting him on his chest, arms and legs, pretty much any inch of Sungjae’s skin that she could land her fist on. “Do you know how many tears I’ve shed? How many sleepless nights I’ve had to bear, thinking and worrying about whether you were okay? How many afternoons I spent in bed wondering if I would ever see you again? Do you? Do you? DO YOU?!” Sooyoung punctured every word she screamed with a punch on Sungjae, letting loose everything that she had bottled up for the past month.

Sungjae took his beating unflinchingly. If anything, this bit of physical pain was surely nothing compared to the emotional pain that he had put Sooyoung through. Minjae shrank into a corner out of fear. Mrs. Yang saw this and opened the door to pull Minjae out of the room.

“Mrs. Yang, eomma looks really scary now. Did Minjae do something wrong?” asked Minjae, as he nuzzled into Mrs. Yang’s shoulder in fear and confusion.

“No, no, Minjae-ah. Don’t ever think like that,” said Mrs. Yang, as she patted his back to comfort him. “Like I said, you did a very good job. Both with your appa and your eomma. Your eomma is like that now because she’s releasing all her pent-up emotions. You helped your eomma release her emotions. I promise you both your eomma and appa will be much better after today, Minjae-ah. So don’t be scared. You’ve done an excellent job in making their hearts hurt less.”

Minjae smiled and continued to rest his head on Mrs. Yang’s shoulder. Joohyun saw that Sooyoung was still hitting Sungjae and was about to enter the ward to stop her when she felt Changsub’s hand on hers.

“Leave them be. Sooyoung will be fine after venting everything out. Don’t worry about Sungjae. If anything, that idiot deserves it. This little bit of pain won’t do him harm. If anything, it’ll probably bring back the feeling in his left arm and leg a little faster,” assured Changsub.

Joohyun cast a worried look at the couple through the glass in the door and nodded. Back in the ward, Sooyoung was still hitting Sungjae with all her might, though her energy was rapidly dwindling.

“How could you say all those things as if it never meant anything to you, Yook Sungjae! How! Could! YOU!!!!!! I was so scared that you were going to leave me when you were in that operating theatre. You had the nerve to be sent in to that operating theatre twice! Did you have to punish me like that? And after you woke up, you convinced me that you didn’t love me anymore. You convinced me that you hated me to the core and that you didn't want me near you anymore! You even said that I was toying with you! How could you say all those horrible things? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? I HATE YOU YOOK SUNGJAE! I HATE YOU!” screamed Sooyoung, as she continued to hit him.

Sooyoung eventually stopped and broke into tears, as she cried her heart out on Sungjae’s shoulder. Sungjae put his arm around her comfortingly and held her against his chest.

“I love you, baby girl. I’m sorry that I can’t make up for all the pain that I’ve caused you. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, then please give me a chance to make it up to you. I love you so much, baby girl,” said Sungjae into Sooyoung’s ear.

The pair stayed in that position for a long time, as Sungjae waited patiently for Sooyoung to stop crying. The small group outside the ward watched, as Joohyun and Changsub smiled to each other.

“I think they’ve finally opened up to each other and accepted their own feelings,” said Joohyun with a sigh of relief.

“Changsub-hyung, are eomma and appa okay?” asked Minjae worriedly. “Eomma was shouting so loudly just now and now it looks like she’s crying.”

Changsub smiled and ruffled Minjae’s hair, before replying, “It’s all right, Minjae-ah. Like what Mrs. Yang said, this is your eomma and appa’s way of healing. Don’t worry about it.”

Minjae smiled his toothy smile and replied, “Neh~ Minjae will stop worrying.”

“All right Minjae, we should be heading back now,” said Mrs. Yang.

“Neh, Mrs. Yang,” said Minjae. “Anniyo Changsub-hyung. Anniyo, Joohyun-noona.”

“Anniyo, Minjae,” said Joohyun and Changsub, as they waved at Minjae.

“Do you think we can go in now?” asked Joohyun.

“Yeah, I think so,” said Changsub, after taking another look at the pair in the ward.

Joohyun and Changsub walked into the ward and saw Sungjae caressing Sooyoung’s head, as her cries quietened into sobs. Joohyun and Changsub smiled as they walked over to the bed.

“Well, looks like our long-suffering couple has finally come to terms with their feelings for each other,” said Changsub teasingly.

“Congrats, you two,” said Joohyun.

Sungjae just smiled and continued to caress Sooyoung’s head softly. Sooyoung’s sobs eventually quietened down completely. She pulled herself out of Sungjae’s touch and wiped the tears off her face. She stood up unsteadily, before slumping onto the floor as she fainted.

“Yah! Sooyoung-ah!” shouted Sungjae, as he struggled to get off the bed.

“Stay on the bed, Sungjae. We’ll help her,” ordered Changsub, as he slammed the button next to Sungjae’s bed to call for a nurse.

Changsub gently lifted Sooyoung onto the empty bed next to Sungjae, as they waited for the nurse to come in. The nurse came in shortly with a doctor and the doctor immediately started checking Sooyoung’s vital signs.

“Her pulse is still strong and the rest of her vital signs appear normal. I think she’s just collapsed due to fatigue. Has she been very stressed out over something recently?” asked the doctor.

“Yes, she has. So what should we do, doctor?” asked Changsub.

“We can admit her for observation now. She’s in no immediate danger but I would like to run some tests on her to make sure that she’s all right to function on her own,” replied the doctor.

“Thank you, doctor,” said Joohyun and Changsub.

“My nurse will show you where to get the paperwork done,” said the doctor, as he left the ward.

“I’ll go,” said Joohyun. “You stay here with Sungjae.”

Joohyun exited the ward with the doctor and nurse, while Changsub sat beside Sungjae’s bed.

“Kwenchana? Don’t worry, the doctor already said she just collapsed due to fatigue. It’s really nothing serious,” assured Changsub. “It’s pointless for us to worry now. She’s being well taken care of by the staff. We would only get in the way if we went along with them.”

“Arassoyo. But I’ve really put her through a lot, haven’t I?” said Sungjae in a dejected voice.

“It’s what you two had to go through to know how much you two mean to each other, Sungjae-ah. If anything, see it as a blessing in disguise,” said Changsub wisely.

“I don’t know what would have become of us if not for you and Joohyun-ssi. Thanks so much, bro,” said Sungjae.

“Come on, what are friends for?” laughed Changsub.

“So, do you think you and Joohyun-ssi will have a chance of getting together?” asked Sungjae cheekily.

“Me? And Joohyun-ssi?” asked Changsub incredulously. “You gotta be kidding me. I think Ilhoon has a thing for her, though he hasn’t taken much action to show it yet. I’ll go see if Joohyun-ssi