“Eomma” “I’ll be back soon” “I’m going to Hyerin’s cafe” Taemin was ready to leave the house as soon as the clock struck 8pm.

 

He was free for the whole day, and it was time that Hyerin would be free too now, so he was excited to finally meet her for the day.

 

It was hardly any day they skipped without meeting each other since the day they confessed their feelings, as Taemin’s schedule was finally free from heavy promotions in the very period of time.

 

He reached the cafe with all the regular disguise to avoid any mess, if anyone sees him by any accidental-chance.

 

Parking the car at his usual spot, he started walking down the stairs, and almost ran to the door in excitement, but his feet stopped when he heard someone talking too loudly, like someone was accusing & shouting in high pitch inside.

 

Thinking it was some customer he decided to wait out, till Hyerin handle the matter, but before he could turn back to walk away to stand aside from the door, his legs halted on mention of his name.

 

“Both Taemin oppa & I are adults to take all these decisions”

“So if you are fan of his, you better trust him”

He heard Hyerin’s voice, it was her stern, upset voice, he wanted to wait to understand the conversation, but when he heard the other person continuing,

 

“Don’t bring his name & try to distract me” it was a loud & angry voice of the other person, he was hearing now.

“I know you’re dating him for fame” her words were literally bursting out from now, disturbing the silence all around.

 

He opened the door to walk in, not thinking too far ahead of what the consequences would be if he suddenly appears, he was too furious by the accusations the person was making, clearly directing to Hyerin the way he heard it.

 

Hyerin lips tensed as she saw him walking in, her eyes going wider, “Oppa?” she was more terrified by his presence there now.

 

He took rapid steps towards them, “I need to talk to her” his shaky but loud voice made Gaeul straighten at her position, as he looked at her after Hyerin, marching in their direction.

 

“Whatever you’re saying is-” he paused, not even able to get to a proper word at the very moment.

 

“You have no rights to interfere in my dating life” It was hard to lower his pitch, “This is not what I expect from the people who claim to love me” he was standing in front of Gaeul looking into her eyes, with the anger flickering in his eyes as his lips trembled as heaviness caught his words.

 

“I thought I should tell you this myself” he looked in Gaeul’s eyes to make it straight-forward as possible.

 

Gaeul had tears in her eyes knowing the emotions in Taemin’s eyes but her mind was still contradicting inside to believe that he was angry because of her, “Oppa is saying all this just because unnie is here” tears falling down her cheeks, Gaeul’s voice had got softer with Taemin.

 

“You’re right” Taemin interrupted before she could say more, “I can say this because she is in front of me now” his voice was more clear & firm now, “Because she is one of the most important people I can’t afford to lose in my life” Hyerin was stunned by his words & her heart melted hearing his confession, she would have never heard otherwise.

 

The anger in Taemin’s eyes, she had never expected to see this side of him like this.

 

Even he didn’t know that he would say it out loud this way, but anger just made him say all that was floating into his thoughts since days.

 

“She makes me happy which you probably want me to be” his firmness in his words was making it clearer for him & Gaeul on the other hand was too ironical.

 

“And if you tell her to stay away from me” he continued.

 

“I’m the one who's going to be unhappy first” his voice got lower as he was hearing his own voice, realizing for himself.

 

“If you still want it, tell me?” His words felt like a sharp sword ripping Gaeul’s heart, as she watched him with betrayal in her eyes.

 

“You’ve changed,” Gaeul said in a dead tone.

 

“You don’t understand me” she was babbling to herself now, “Nobody understands me” Gaeul's eyes turned red in rage as her words disappeared in the heavy sobs.

 

“I can’t allow her to take you away from me” she turned to Hyerin with that fierceness in her eyes.

 

Her hand approached the knife-stand on the reception desk behind Hyerin, pulling Hyerin by wrist to choke her neck, Gaeul had managed to get her other hand on the grip of the knife in the very next second, to pull it out.

 

In a flash of seconds, Gaeul had the edge of the knife pressed against Hyerin’s neck, “I need you in my life” she said, staring Taemin with threatening eyes.

 

“I can’t allow her to take you away from me” she was shivering with fear but her eyes were so determined telling him to give up.

 

“Are you crazy?” he screamed in fear.

Taemin couldn’t stop himself from raising his voice, seeing the edge of the knife on Hyerin’s neck, making Gaeul flinched by his angry eyes staring at her.

 

His hands were trembling on his side as he felt weakness in his knees, feeling helpless.

 

All he wanted was to think of something that could get that knife off her hands somehow right now.

 

“Yes!” "I may go crazy" She was more resolute to use Hyerin to make her words come true seeing the fear behind his eyes.

“I can never allow this” Gaeul had this frustration in her eyes when she was throwing these spiteful words out, and crying at the same time, “Oppa should break up with her or I can just kill her here” she said in loud sobs.

 

Gaeul’s insensible words were bringing panic to him, seeing her uncontrolled like this, he was scared & clueless what to do as she was full of anger, when he looked in her eyes.

 

His heart was beating faster, sweat forming at the back of his neck, as he eyes fell on Hyerin again, her eyes shut, when her lips were pressed against each other in fear.

 

“Are you hearing yourself?” his words came out with the tears formed in his eyes.

 

He was losing his sense of mind, scared of Gaeul, who had nothing but this dark passion in her heart, he could see when he looked into her eyes.

 

“Please!” he fell down on his knees, “Please!” his lips trembled as he choked on his breath as a loud, heavy sob left his throat.

 

He looked down at the floor helpless, unable to face Hyerin in this situation, “Let her go” he didn’t know what to do other than beg her now.

 

“I’ll do as you say” all he knew now was to keep Hyerin safe, and this was the only way he could see.

 

“You need to promise me” Gaeul's voice was shaking, as her sobs got louder seeing him weak but she wasn’t ready to leave her thoughts, “You can’t fool me” her hands tightened on the knife as she pushed the edge closer to Hyerin’s skin, with the anxiety of Taemin changing his mind again.

 

This time the knife slightly went into Hyerin’s skin as the edge was sharp & Gaeul was unconsciously forcing it more than she knew, with the tight grip of her fingers on it.

 

Hyerin felt a slight bite-like sensation on her skin, but she wasn’t sure that it was because of Gaeul’s tight grip on her neck or the knife.

 

She was freezed, terrified of Gaeul’s impulsive response in return, as she kept her eyes shut to avoid looking into Taemin’s eyes, knowing it would break her too, as his pleading voice was already breaking her heart.

 

Hoping that Gaeul would listen to Taemin at a point & drop the knife, Hyerin decided to stay quiet as she would only worsen Gaeul’s anger then.

 

Taemin had lost his patience, “Just let her go” he screamed in anger & pain, bursting into tears as his hips collapsed on the floor completely.

 

Gaeul shuddered as she tightened the grip on the knife, but the anxiety turned into fear, as she ended up pulling the knife down strengthless, and the knife fell down with Hyerin’s blood on it.

 

Gaeul had pierced Hyerin’s skin with the knife by her tight hold & when she pulled it down in fear, it ended up extending the cut longer while pulling her hand down swiftly, without her conscious actions.

 

As soon as Hyerin found herself free from Gaeul’s grip, her hand reached her neck as she felt a stinging sensation there, to find blood on her hands.

She felt cold sweat forming on her forehead, before everything got dark in front of her eyes, and she lost her balance.

 

After hearing the thud of knife on ground, Taemin was shocked to see the knife’s edge painted with blood as he looked up to notice the shocked face of Hyerin, eyes wet with tears as his eyes trailed down to the cut on , blood oozing out continuously, his eyes went wide in shock, as he raised up on his knees to rise, his heart beats accelerated.

 

Before he could think or say anything, he saw Hyerin’s eyes closing as her shoulders dropped & her body came down, making him slide himself forward on the floor, in her direction to take her in arms before she could fall on ground.

 

The girl he wanted to protect was in his arms, unconscious & bleeding.

 

Blood was coming from the wound on her neck as he tried to cover it with the sleeve of his t-shirt in his immediate reflex, but it wasn’t stopping as his sleeve got soaked with her blood now.

 

His head was blank seeing her in his arms, “What should I do?” his voice was shaking & unclear as the sob he was holding inside in shock came out louder with the words.

“Ah!” His voice was quavering, “Hyerin!” he caressed her cheeks reaching her forehead wiping the sweat on her forehead with his fingers filled with blood.

 

After a few seconds, Hyerin’s eyelids fluttered as she tried to open her eyes with effort, “Oppa?” her voice was weak & low as the blood continued to flow with her every breath now, scaring him more.

 

“Hyerin-ah!” Taemin couldn’t stop crying now, holding Hyerin’s face in his palms carefully, as his hands were shivering, “Don’t talk”

“It’s bleeding” he pressed his sleeve with more pressure on the cut to prevent the bleeding “Don’t talk” he screamed in agitation, not knowing what he should do next.

 

“I’m scared” she said, making all his world collapse with those words..

 

He lost his calm, bursting into tears again, “Please-” voice trapped into his choked throat.

 

“Please, don’t talk” he cried, as his heart ached seeing the oozing blood not stopping by his any kind of effort.

 

“Let me think,” he stuttered trying to calm & think of a way to get Hyerin to hospital.

 

She had closed her eyes again, “Let me-” he reached into his pocket to pull out his phone, keeping Hyerin's head raised in one hand.

 

He opened his call-log to see Ryujin’s name flashing & clicked on it without wasting time.

 

“Ryujin-ah” his trembling weak voice was a clear sign of some unexpected situation .

 

“Oppa?” “Why are you crying?”

 

“Hyerin” he was still in the shock, to say the words in his mouth, “She is unconscious”

 

“There’s blood” he was stuttering in the sobs, “I don’t know what to do”

 

“What?” His words were making no sense to Ryujin but they were enough to shock her as her voice raised, “where are you?” “I’ll be there”

 

“Cafe” he answered to what he heard shortly, “She’s not opening her eyes” he started crying more now as fear got his heart again, “Come fast”

 

“Don’t worry” “Just be there” trying to calm him down Ryujin lowered her voice, “I’ll be there” “She’ll be fine” “Stay with her” she ended the line from her side as soon as she finished her words.

------------------------

 

The hospital was almost 20 mins from the cafe, but Ryujin was here in 10 mins after Taemin called, with the crazy speed she drove, through the mid street shortcut, she got to know from Hyerin a few weeks ago.

 

Ryujin entered the cafe, running to see Hyerin in Taemin’s arms, his beige sleeve turned dark red.

 

She ran to them as Taemin looked up at her with puffy, wet eyes, “Ryujin-ah!” his hands were busy palming the wound with pressure to stop the bleeding.

 

Ryujin sat down in front of him, panting because of her sprint to the cafe, putting the first-aid box in her hand on her side, “It’s okay” she took his hand to pull it away from the wound, “I’m here now”

 

She opened her box to take out some cotton gauze from the upper tray & pulled the small bottle opening it to pour a brown liquid on the gauze & reached for the wound to clean the blood, to measure the depth of the wound.

 

Her actions, precise & quick, as the professional surgeon she was.

 

The dim lights of the cafe were making it unable for her to see properly, so she got the torch from the box to flash it on the area.

 

“We need to take her to the hospital” she said, still trying to catch her breath, “Can you drive?” She looked up at Taemin for confirmation as he nodded quickly, gathering himself after hearing Ryujin’s words, “Is it too bad?'' He looked at her holding his heart at his sleeve.

 

“It’s not that deep but that was too close” Ryujin informed with quick words trying to act as fast as possible, “We need to stitch it before she loses more blood” she was blurting the words, managing to stop the bleeding by pressing multiple cotton-gauzes on the cut.

 

Ryujin was more composed as a doctor but her heart was equally terrified, seeing her friend in that condition.

 

“We should hurry” she had managed to stop the bleeding completely by now, covering the wound with a clean gauze around Hyerin’s neck for securing the dressing tight and applying appropriate pressure.

 

“Try lifting her without moving her neck too much,” she ordered as she stood up first, taking the box in her hand to observe Taemin.

 

He nodded to her in response preparing himself as he tightened his hold on Hyerin’s shoulder & slid his other hand below her waist, trying to push all his strength in his lower muscles to lift his body up, stretching his back straight to lift Hyerin from waist as well as back at the same time to avoid any jerk to her neck.

 

Ryujin lent her hand to support Hyerin’s neck as she found it moving it slightly as Taemin stood up straight with Hyerin in his arm.

 

Both of them started moving to the door immediately carefully without rushing much to avoid more bleeding.

 

“My car is there” Ryujin pointed at her car on the lane before the cafe to direct Taemin as he started moving in that direction.

Ryujin got in the back seat opening the car, moving to the other side making space for Hyerin, as Taemin got inside to put her into Ryujin's lap as Ryujin took her by securing her neck into her palms first.

 

He ran to the driver seat immediately after closing the door of the car on back, igniting the engine to drive off.

 

Ryujin got her phone out as they were off to her hospital now.

 

“Seokha, can you get that room from the emergency section ready for me?” “With sheets & gown?” Ryujin had called her friend & colleague from the hospital, as she was holding Hyerin securely in her arms.

 

“Don’t inform anybody till I get there” “It’s my personal case” she announced trying to avoid any mess for now, as she herself knew nothing yet but it seemed like something complicated.

 

“Thanks” Ryujin ended the call to get busy with her phone again.

 

“Come down at the gate of the emergency section in next 10 mins” she had called someone else this time.

 

“What happened?” A male voice answered from the other side of the call in surprise.

 

“Just come down for now” “I’ll explain to you later” she ended the call, putting on her flashlight now to check the bleeding again.

 

Thankfully the outermost gauze was still clean and white as she left a sigh of relief.

 

“What the hell happened?” she finally could ask now after the whole chaos.

 

“Gaeul did it” “It’s complicated” Taemin said, rubbing his forehead with one hand, his other hand secured on the wheel.

 

“It’s all because of me” tears started falling down his cheeks again.

 

“She would have never come across such situation otherwise” he was blurting half information which was way out of Ryujin’s mind to understand.

 

“Oppa!” “Calm down” “She’s out of danger now” she tried to comfort him, seeing him anxious again.

 

His thoughts were bizarre with the flashbacks of Gaeul and her words.

 

Because of me, she did that to her.

 

I could have lost Hyerin forever.

 

Just the thought of it was squeezing his heart, as he felt pain deep inside, causing more tears to roll down again.

 

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