The music coming from Wheein's headphones got cut suddenly in the middle of recording a verse. Her eyes opened to find out if the producer was dealing with some technical difficulties. She was shocked to find that Yongsun was one of the people looking at her with urgency and concern.

 

Wait. Why was unnie here? Did she suddenly teleport to the other agency's studio?

 

It didn't make sense since the producer that was signalling her to come outside the booth for a second was from her agency. Her heart pounded. What could've happened that unnie had to visit her in the middle of a recording?

 

The moment she got out of the booth, Yong led her to the hallway,

 

"She's been in an accident again." 

 

Wheein's eyes widened and before she can speak, Yong continued.

 

"She's okay. But I wanted to see if you were as well. You weren't answering your phone so I called ahead here and they told me you were still recording. Come on, I'm driving you there."

 

Wheein nodded and turned around to run back into the studio. She grabbed her bag, bidding goodbye to the producer and leaving before hearing an answer.

 

Both of them were quiet throughout the ride, the only sound coming from the way Wheein fidgeted with the car handle and her bouncing legs. Multiple times she picked up her phone just to put it back down again after the screen lights up.

 

2 missed calls. It wasn't even that much but she knows they were made to let her know about her girlfriend's situation. And she can't help but beat herself up for not at least bringing her phone with her in the booth. 

 

Soon they saw the private hospital where Hyejin was rushed to and her heart that calmed down a bit a while ago started picking up its pace again. Her palms felt clammy and suddenly dry.

 

Yong swerved the car in the parking lot before turning it off. They got out and walked towards the entrance. Yong looked over her shoulder just to see the younger woman frozen and a few steps back. She sighed and walked over to Wheein.

 

"Unnie…" Wheein's voice broke and her eyes watered.

 

"She'll be fine Whee." Yongsun comfortingly said again while she moved beside her and gently lead her, rubbing her back.

 

Wheein drew comfort from the way her unnie was calm in this situation and followed her to Hyejin's private room. It was supposed to be an out-patient circumstance but their manager deemed it better to have privacy, which they were thankful for.

 

She took a deep breath and stilled her shaky hands once they were in front of the door to Hyejin's room. Yong just watched her as she wiped some stray tears. Wheein turned the knob and schooled a soft smile on her face since she knows her girlfriend would feel bad for making her worry.

 

The moment her eyes landed on Hyejin though, it felt like her smile wasn't the only one that's gonna fall. 

Her usually confident girlfriend with a booming aura looked so small on the hospital bed. She had obvious bruises on her knee and her right arm was bandaged. There were no wires or tubes that ran from Hyejin to any machines or drip which was a small relief. 

 

Wheein was mad.

She was mad that this could happen to her girlfriend that she loves so much. She's mad at their managers for not insisting to drive Hyejin to and from their home. She's mad at herself for not offering to drive for her. But mostly she's mad at Hyejin for being so stubborn despite being offered help. 

 

This was the fourth time and Wheein felt like she was gonna self destruct anytime with all the feelings that comes with being informed that Hyejin got into car accidents because she was so distracted and stressed with her comeback.

 

Then she heard Hyejin's voice convince Yong how she is actually fine and to not worry. She looked up, not noticing that her fists were clenched and her eyes were trained on the floor during contemplation. And both their unnie and her girlfriend waited patiently for her. 

 

She met Hyejin's eyes, and she knew she couldn't be really mad at her. She sighed deeply and walked over, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. She let her lips linger a bit while reaching for Hyejin's left hand before pulling away and leaving a kiss on her girlfriend's knuckles too. 

 

She didn't say anything, she couldn't. Wheein didn't trust her voice not to break or her thoughts to falter if she tried speaking. So she let her actions convey what she feels. 

 

Yong cleared and got the maknaes' attention, "I'll try to sort out the papers with manager-nim so you can get discharged." She informed Hyejin before smiling sympathetically at Wheein and walking out the room.

 

"I'm sorry." Hyejin apologized outright. She said it while looking directly at Wheein, making sure her girlfriend knows she meant it. It might not be her first apology for this kind of situation but she doesn't mean it any less.

 

Wheein was quiet as she sat down next to her and Hyejin was starting to get nervous with how intense her stare is but then the older maknae squeezed her hand and leaned in.

 

Wheein trailed her hand on Hyejin's nape and kissed her. It was desperate but passionate and Hyejin tried to keep up with her girlfriend. Wheein was seeking comfort from the kiss and Hyejin would damn well give it to her. 

 

They pulled away due to breathlessness. Wheein nestled on Hyejin's neck while the latter her back and let her shed a few tears. 

 

Yongsun was soon back and smiled softly at them despite the worry evident in her eyes. She told them the papers are okay and she'll drive them home instead of their manager. She was still their unnie and she wouldn't be able to think properly til she sees them safe at home. 

 

Once they were at Hyejin's building, Yongsun offered to see them off to the elevators but Wheein assured her that they were going to be fine and she should go home to rest. 

 

Their unnie relented and off-handedly told them that she was going back to the agency and meet Byulyi since their other unnie wasn't able to catch up to Yong when she picked up Wheein. 

 

"Was she mad?" Hyejin asked as Yong hugged her, careful not to put pressure on her bandaged arm. 

 

Yong chuckled, "At you? No. At the other cars and the rest of the people in them while they were stuck in traffic? Yes. I heard her cursing on the phone and telling me that maybe she should walk the 1 hour distance from where she was to the hospital you were in. I had to placate her and asked her to just wait for me in the agency."

 

"I'm sorry, unnie." Hyejin said shyly, this is the second time she apologized today and it made her feel bad to have to worry them. "Thank you for helping Whee though." 

 

"Anything for you, Hyejin-ah. Just don't make it a habit getting into accidents anymore, okay?" Their unnie answered. Hyejin nodded and thought their conversation was over until she felt Yong cup her cheeks and look at her sternly, "And listen to your girlfriend when she looks out for you. Don't be stubborn, Wheenie only has the best intentions, okay?" 

 

As fierce as Hyejin is, one look from Yong like that and she feels like she's back during her trainee days. She nodded fervently, "I will unnie." 

 

Yongsun nodded back and whispered that she was just going to say goodbye to Wheein who was standing a few steps behind them. The brunette didn't seem to have heard them despite her position since she was too deep in thought and was staring faraway. 

 

Hyejin watched as Wheein shook her head as if waking up and smiling genuinely at Yong when the older tried to go in for a hug. They bid their goodbyes and watched as their leader drove away. 

 

Wheein reached a hand out to Hyejin which the latter took gratefully. She still had a little limp because of the hits her knee took but she could navigate okay without a wheelchair. Hyejin leaned on Wheein while riding up the elevator and felt a kiss on her temple. 

 

Even when they were already alone inside the apartment, the only words Hyejin heard from her girlfriend was that she was off to prepare some light dinner for them and that Hyejin should rest up on the couch first. 

 

She did as she was told, not wanting to stress Wheein more and also her body was still sore from earlier. She curled up on the couch and replied to the messages from Byul-unnie and her parents. She decided to check her schedules too and sighed heavily when she saw what she had to push back while recovering.

 

"What's with the sigh, does your arm or leg still hurt?" Wheein asked after carefully placing a tray on the coffee table. She helped Hyejin up in a sitting position and sat next to her.

 

Hyejin eyed the bowl of Soegogi-muguk and two bowls of rice, remembering how hungry she was. She tried to reeled back before the brunette noticed and figured out that she hasn't eaten since breakfast. 

 

Too late. Wheein was already eyeing her suspiciously, "Hungry?" 

 

Her tone was a bit harsh knowing her girlfriend probably skipped meals because of rehearsals and meetings. She has time to buy staff food but ignores eating hers. 

 

Obviously caught already, Hyejin just nodded timidly and tried to reach for the bowls. Wheein lightly slapped her hands away and grabbed it for her. Hyejin watched as Wheein scooped some soup on top of the rice along with some of the beef before leaning closer to her. 

 

Wheein blew on the warm food that was on the spoon before levelling it against Hyejin's mouth.

The younger woman gratefully ate whatever was offered to her and dutifully chewed while Wheein ate some of hers in between. 

 

"You still haven't answered me, what was with the sigh? Does anything hurt?" Wheein asked while swiping the side of Hyejin's lips with her thumb. 

 

"I'm still sore and sometimes my knee hurts but I'm worried about the schedules I have to push back. What if they push me to release it already and I won't be ready? This is my art, I want to show people how much it means to me" Hyejin rambled. She knows the pressure of a comeback but it's been hard this year and somehow the higher ups are making it extra hard with their orders.

 

Wheein put down the food back on the coffee table, her jaw tensing. She leaned back again and wrapped her arms around Hyejin while the latter settled her head on Wheein's shoulder. 

 

"I'm sorry that I can't do much to get them off your back and I know how much you want to put your all when it comes to music but please take care of yourself. I love you--" Wheein's voice broke and the tears she thought wouldn't show up, fell freely. But she never loosened her hold, it's almost like she was scared that her girlfriend would be gone if she did. She trudged through, 

 

"You don't know how much I love you. And the fact that I almost lost you four times...I don't even know hyej. I wouldn't know what I would do without you." 

 

She didn't know how she ended up with Hyejin holding her instead as sobs went through her body but she welcomed it. She pushed her face on the crook of the younger's neck and tried to calm down.

 

"I know how much Whee. I love you just the same. I'll take care of myself and I'm sorry for making you worry." Hyejin kissed her gently on top of her head. "Please stop crying" she whispered, trying to hold back her own tears.

 

They stayed like that for a while, waiting for their hearts and breaths to settle. Hyejin was glad that Wheein got the words out of her chest and didn't harbor them til the next day and against her protest, agreed to have Wheein drive her to the agency in the morning and her manager at night. 

 

They eventually got up to shower with Wheein fussing over Hyejin since her movements are still limited and got a good night's rest.

 

-----

 

It's been weeks now since Wheein took it upon herself to wake up early everyday and make sure her girlfriend ate breakfast and drove her to the agency. It didn't matter if she didn't have work til afternoon or she was running late, she guided Hyejin to the car every morning, drove her to the agency, kissed and hugged her goodbye, and then tells her to take care of herself and she'll see her later.

 

And Hyejin, as much as she feels guilty sometimes for taking this much time from Wheein, feels her love for the brunette grow til it's the thing she feels the most. Leaving bad vibes and doubts no place in her mind. 

 

It's the same this morning but what's different is that it's D-day of her comeback. There's a lot and she means A LOT of things planned today. Her nerves started showing up and she kept forgetting stuff that she's supposed to bring so she kept walking back and forth around her apartment. 

Wheein, who had been mostly spending the night in her place recently, waited on the kitchen counter with Hyejin's breakfast next to her. 

 

"Okay, I got everything ready." Hyejin exclaimed a little breathless as she walked over to Wheein with her bag strapped on her shoulder.

 

"Okay, come here for a sec"

 

Hyejin walked closer to the brunette and before she could ask why she was pulled in a bear hug.

She instantly melted in the hug, Wheein's hugs were the best. She pressed her face more on Wheein's neck and inhaled deeply.

 

"You're gonna do really great and I'm already telling you now that I'm so proud of you. Thank you for letting me take care of you these past days." Wheein whispered close to Hyejin's ear while she swayed them softly. 

When Hyejin pulled back it was evident that she was about to cry, "Wheein-ah, I love you" she leaned her forehead on Wheein's.

 

"I love you too, Hyejin-ah. Come home to me later, I'll wait for you"

 

And Wheein did wait for her. Late into the night Hyejin stumbled tiredly into Wheein's apartment and found the brunette curled up on the couch watching tv. There was cake, a banner, and all kinds of food that Wheein prepared to congratulate her. But what she remembered the most was Wheein's loving smile that greeted her the moment their eyes met.