4/4: Moving Forward

 

***

 

Upon pulling the car into the ground park, Yoona hurriedly runs to the lift and pressed the ninth-floor button before she rings Seohyun's number again. She wasn't able to talk to her because the call ended after a couple of minutes.

 

She keeps her patience until the lift reached the floor, she almost trips along the way. But when she arrived at Seohyun's apartment, she was greeted by a few neighbors crowing the door. Her heart beats anxiously as she hesitantly peeks inside behind the ahjummas, only to see shattered glasses, while Mr. Seo is cleaning up the living room. 

 

"Wha-what happened?" She asked out loud earning looks from everyone.

 

"Oh, Yoona-ssi." One of them smiles at her.

 

"Where's Seohyun?"

 

"She came with the rescuers."

 

"What happened?" She asked in surprise.

 

"It wasn't her who was hurt though, her mother."  Another lady explained it to her.

 

"We don't know how did it happen but Mrs. Seo received a big cut on her arm and there's on her forehead."

 

"I think the glass coffee table hurt her."

 

"What hospital did they bring her?" Yoona asked anxiously. She remembers the fight between Seohyun and her mother. She hopes the latter didn't really hurt her mother.

 

"Handae Seoul Hospital." Mr. Seo answered loud enough for the doe-eyed to tilt her head towards him.

 

"T-thank you, Mr. Seo." Yoona bowed and hastily runs back to the lift. She took her phone out again and dialed Seohyun's number. But still, she wasn't answering. She doesn't mind, however. She knows the hospital either way. 

 

However, her manager calls her. 

 

[Where are you? The audition is starting.]

 

"I don't think I can do it today, Unnie. Tell the staff to just go home."

 

[What?! Are you insane? I mean, this is your chance-]

 

"And please tell the directors to give me another time for that. There's an emergency I just need to go."

 

[What happened to Seohyun?]

 

"Ha-how'd you know..."

 

[You called her earlier, didn't you? So this is about her?]

 

"Y-yes. I will call later once I reach her." She said as she stepped out of the lift and jogs to her van nearby.

 

[Okay. Be careful on the way.]

 

"Thanks, Unnie." Ending the call, she put aside her phone and finally drives off in a hurry.

 

***

 

Sliding the door behind closed, Seohyun let out a huge exhale before she walks to a nearby vending machine. She inserted a bill before she pressed the button for her chosen can of coffee. Her heart is still heavy as her mind is still occupied by what happened. Due to her frustrations, she pushed her mother accidentally and the latter falls on the coffee table, pretty hard that it broke it. Now her mother is resting from her injuries and the doctor shares that it might take a month before she fully recovers.

 

Upon hearing the can drops on the holder, she bends down and picked it up casually. She was about to open it when someone snatched it from her.

 

"Yoona." and she brightens a little to see the doe-eyed smiling at her.

 

"What happened?" ask Yoona, handing back the coffee after opening it for her.

 

Seohyun sighs heavily. "I had a fight with Omma. I returned to my apartment to get a few of my clothes but she was yelling at me, telling me that I'm ungrateful as a daughter and everything that really hurts me. I got furious and I talked back. In the middle of it, I push her hard and she fell on the coffee table."

 

"That explains the broken glasses and the shattered glasses I heard on the phone." The doe-eyed shares softly.

 

"How'd you know?"

 

"I think you accidentally answered my phone while fighting with her."

 

"That makes sense." Seohyun said as she took a sip of her drink.

 

"But you didn't answer my calls anymore when I tried to contact you again." Yoona inserted a bill also on the machine and pressed the button.

 

"I dropped it along the way."

 

"At home or-"

 

"I think in the ER?" Seohyun couldn't be sure but she remembers feeling something sleeping off her pants. "Yes, it was there."

 

"I'll check later in their customer service then." Yoona nodded before she picked up her banana milk and handed it to her girlfriend then took the coffee. "You know coffee had been bad for you." she reminded.

 

Seohyun smiled and giggled lightly. "Thanks." 

 

"How's your mother?"

 

"She's sleeping right now after she had stitched her injured arm."

 

"So it was true, those ahjummas are saying."

 

She nodded and sighed. "I think due to concussion that the bone on her arm has limp. She will be confined for weeks and might only leave the hospital if she has fully healed."

 

Yoona nodded gently and she pulled her for a hug, tapping her back continuously. "She will be fine, don't worry too much." she comforted softly.

 

"I might just rest for a month too." Seohyun whispers.

 

"You're planning to look after her, aren't you?"

 

"Yes. I feel guilty you know." She sighs heavily again.

 

Yoona pulled back and smiles warmly. "Don't blame yourself too much. Or you might not able to move on."

 

"You don't know how much I love my parents too, Yoongie. What happened was like... I feel like I'm really the worse daughter."

 

"What?! No. Don't say that. You know what was the cause of this."

 

"What if my mother won't forgive me?"

 

"Aish, then so be it. I think it was her fault too. She keeps yelling at you and you can't keep your emotions at bay. I think I would lose my temper as well if I was there." Yoona ended it with an assuring smile. "It will be fine okay? Your mother will realize her mistake now that this happen." 

 

Seohyun can't help and shed some tears. "I really hope so, Yoongie. I really hope so." she wipes her tears off as Yoona hugs her again. She can't hold back the growing heaviness inside her as she cried on her shoulder.

 

***

 

the next day...

 

Sliding the door open, Seohyun carefully stepped inside with a tray of porridge and fruits for her mother. She immediately smiled when she saw her slowly waking up just as she approached her and place the tray on the table.

 

"Where's your father?" Mrs. Seo asks as she slowly sits up.

 

"He will be here later. For now, have some porridge first, Omma." She softly offers, handing her the spoon.

 

Mrs. Seo stares at her daughter vaguely then gently receives it. "Please leave, I'd like to eat alone." she coldly requested.

 

"But your other arm-"

 

"I can handle it, Seohyun!"

 

Seohyun jumps in surprised. "O-okay." But she can't blame her. She bowed and hastily exited the ward, immediately letting out a huge exhale heavily. 

 

"I bet, she doesn't want to eat with you around?" Yoona wasn't able to eavesdrop but she can sense it on her girlfriend's face. She reached the ward just as the door opens.

 

"What else is new?" Seohyun sighs, leading the walk to the cafeteria.

 

"Himnae! Don't stop what you're doing right now." Yoona cheers her, as she holds her right hand.

 

"Thanks." She smiled as she glanced at the doe-eyed. "But what are you doing here?" But she remembers the audition that was canceled yesterday. "Yah, you can't stay here!" she scolded.

 

"I know. It will be later though, so we have all the morning today." Yoona grinned so wide. She is confident she will get the role but if not, she doesn't mind. 

 

"Tsk." Seohyun shakes her head in disbelief as they resumed their walk to the lift. "What do you want to eat?"

 

"Kimbap. I wasn't able to taste your own kimbap yesterday, so yeah."

 

"Aish, eat a full meal so you will have more strength later."

 

"Chincha? Okay, I will buy for us then." Yoona shrugs her shoulders. "You need to eat a lot too so it will be easy for you to continue looking after your mother."

 

"It will be a tough battle." Seohyun muttered a bit as she smiles confidently.

 

-

 

"Wait." However, Seohyun realized something just as they reached the first floor of the hospital and hasn't stepped out of the lift.

 

"Wae?" Yoona raised her eyebrows.

 

"I'll just come out and buy our food. We can't be seen together in a public place."

 

"Why not?" 

 

"Their attention will really be on us and they might disturb us in our meal." She explained, stepping out of the lift casually. 

 

"So where should we wait?" 

 

Seohyun got quiet as she thinks of it for a while until she remembers something she heard from the nurse earlier. "Their lounge room. I think it's okay to sneak in there." she grinned.

 

"Are you sure?" Yoona let out a soft chuckle.

 

"It's still so early you know. So wait for me here and let's go there together." She said and quickly jogs toward the cafeteria.

 

Yoona can't help and scoff. She was about to say something but the younger girl is so fast from leaving her. She decided to wait while pacing back and forth near the lift. She bows and smiles to some nurses passing at her for the next couple of minutes.

 

As soon as she's seeing her jogging back towards her, she stopped from walking and wave at her with bright smiles. But she frowns when someone bumps into her and she dropped the paper bags. She hurriedly rushed to her side and help her pick up the containers while the young nurse apologize before leaving them.

 

"How could that nurse not look at what he's going? Aish." Seohyun hissed in frustration and send glares to the back of the nurse.

 

"Looks like he's on call."

 

"Still! It almost spills our food."

 

Yoona chuckles as she finds her girlfriend's pout adorable. "It's fine now."

 

"Let's go." Seohyun announced, taking her hand and walking with her back to the lift in no time.

 

***

 

Unfortunately, when they reached the lounge, there were a lot of nurses and doctors hanging out. They decided to go to the garden but the place is as crowded as the first floor. Before they could give up, Yoona saw a janitor's room and decided to drag Seohyun there with her.

 

"What the, this is going to be the first time, having breakfast with you in a small odd room." Seohyun chuckles as they sit down on the small chair across from each other.

 

Yoona giggles. "I know right? But this is the only place that's not public." she explained at the same time.

 

"Well, I don't mind." Said Seohyun as she shrugs her shoulders and finally took a bite of their kimbap. She had been starving and can't stop eating.

 

"Wait, you didn't buy us drinks?" Yoona however realized it was only just-food. 

 

"Oh, there's a vending machine nearby." Seohyun attempted to stand up but the doe-eyed beats her. 

 

"Stay. I got it." 

 

"Get me coffee instead."

 

Yoona shakes her head stubbornly only before she stepped out of the room. Along the way, she didn't notice the janitor coming out from a patient's room. Her focus was on the machine until she reached it and got their drinks. When she returned, she unexpectedly couldn't open it. "Seohyun, open the door." so she shouted.

 

"What?" Seohyun who had no idea, put her food first before she tries to open the door. "I can't. I think it was locked outside." she replied loudly.

 

"What?!"

 

"I think... yeah I heard a faint noise earlier. The janitor probably came and locked it without checking inside. Go look for the janitor."

 

"Aish. Just as I thought I could finish my food. But anyway, I'll go look." Yoona said and quickly started looking around the floor of the hospital.

 

Seohyun let out a heavy exhale as she took her seat back. "What the heck had been happening to me?" She chuckled in amusement. It was like she had been unlucky this past as her birthday is coming closer. 

 

Meanwhile, Yoona is having a hard time, especially when patients and nurses recognize her, they would stop her and ask for an autograph, photos, and even a hug. It's like a fan meeting in the hospital everywhere she goes. She couldn't decline them however and it took her hours before she finally found one of the janitors. 

 

"What took you so long?" Seohyun asks a bit weak as she stepped sweating a lot. 

 

"I'm sorry. But, here, I got us our drinks." Yoona grinned sheepishly.

 

"I NEED WATER!" Shouted the younger girl in demand.

 

Without a word, Yoona runs back to the vending machine and got herself a bottle of water in just a couple of seconds. She rubs the back of her neck while smiling sheepishly and awkwardly at the younger girl, who is drinking fast in front of her. But before she can forget her stomach grumbles. "I'm starving." she utters lowly. Yet as she tilt her head to the containers, it was almost empty. Seohyun ate her share.

 

"Well then, let's just go to the cafeteria, no more hiding. Tsk." Seohyun learned her lesson. She leads them the way while wiping her sweats. She almost fainted inside the room, it was like a sauna being inside for hours. And she hates it damn much.

 

Yoona could only smile in amusement while walking quietly with her.

 

*** 

 

After bidding farewell to the doe-eyed, Seohyun finally returned to her mother's ward. But instead of having the chance to talk to her, her father was there. She tried to stay close but her mother would send glares at her. So she ends up sitting on a nearby sofa and busy herself chatting with her staff while eavesdropping on her parents. They aren't mentioning her, however, but she's hoping her mother would call her and ask her to help her with something. But for the next couple of hours, she never heard her name. Instead, her father is doing the work for her mother. Worse, both are so cold at her throughout until dinner. It was like she was a statue that they don't see her.

 

Her situation only lightened when she decided to go out and meet the doe-eyed again in a cafe. 

 

"Hey, everything's alright?" Yoona asked her when she returned from the counter with their order.

 

"Yup. Well, technically not because as expected, my parents are treating me the same since they learned about us." Seohyun answered with a fake smile.

 

Reaching for the younger girl's hands across the table, Yoona gives them a gentle squeeze. "Hang in there. I know it's tough and I'm ashamed that I couldn't do anything about this... but... I'm so proud of you. I'm so ing proud of you." she can't resist and cursed earning a chuckle from the latter which made her smile. 

 

"You really know how to cheer me up. Let's not talk about them, what happened to your audition?" Seohyun knew it was important for her.

 

Yoona smiled even brighter. "I will know in a couple of months." 

 

"What? you almost fooled me with your smile." Seohyun unconsciously hit her on the shoulder.

 

"I was just giving you a head-on." The doe-eyed laughs. "The project will start next year so there's still plenty of time." and explain further.

 

"I hope you get it. It's going to be huge for your career."

 

"I know right? The news said it may take six months of filming but it depends still."

 

"And How was Inwoo? Is he still pranking you?" Seohyun remembers the dog incident and learned about Inwoo being the owner of it.

 

"Oh, speaking of him, I received his text message telling me that he received a restraining order." Yoona grinned.

 

"Omo."

 

"That's right, my friend has advised about it, so he can't do any pranks anymore." 

 

Seohyun smiled brightly. "Happy to hear that. Even though you kind of deserves that also." She giggles.

 

"What?" Yoona exclaimed in disbelief.

 

"I mean, you pranked him first, weren't you?"

 

"But mine is just light and it didn't danger him." The doe-eyed defended firmly. "While his-"

 

"I know, I know... I'm sorry. I mean, I didn't know the difference. Well then, this ends the prank games." Seohyun shrugs her shoulders before drinks on her frappe and takes a bite of her cake. 

 

Yoona quickly took the tissue paper and wipe the corner of her lips. "How about you? I just realized that it's not worth taking a break with what's happening right now with your parents."

 

"What? You just cheer me up about it. There's no way I'm going to stop. Either way, there's no deadline on the offer projects for me."

 

"Well."

 

"And about the birthday date you're planning, I'm kind of thinking twice about it now. You know, I have to be on my mother's side."

 

"Yet, you're here with me."

 

"It's just today, I doubt the same situation will come tomorrow or in the next couple of days."

 

Yoona smiled proudly. The way Seohyun speaks positively is really amazing and she loves her even more for that. "Well then, don't forget to call me whenever you need me, okay? You know I will immediately drive to you." she winks afterward.

 

Seohyun scoffed. "Tsk." she's speechless of her girlfriend's level of confidence. "So please, be patient with me, okay?" she requested earning a nod. She check the surroundings and realized there are only a few customers and seemed not to recognize them, she leaned into a peck on her lips. 

 

Yoona smiled giddily. "I love you." and softly says.

 

"I love you more." The younger replied with a giggle. 

 

***

 

Opening the door slowly, Seohyun walked inside the ward carefully but the lights were , startling her. 

 

"Where were you? I thought you're going to look after me?" Mrs. Seo coldly asks.

 

"I..." She was about to explain when something made her realize; that her mother finally talked to her again. "Just outside the hospital." she replied with a vague expression as she headed to the sofa.

 

"You were with Yoona, weren't you?"

 

She paused and looked back at her mother. "Is that a problem with you?" she raised her eyebrows nonchalantly." 

 

'Treat her the way she treats you as well.' Yoona's last advice earlier rings in her mind and she's doing it.

 

"What?" Mrs. Seo scoffed in disbelief.

 

"If there isn't then, good night." She smiled briefly before she set the pillow on the sofa and laid down, back facing her mother. 'I hope this will work.' she thought while smirking.

 

"Aish, don't ever leave again. Your father will be busy next week." 

 

"Okay." She answered simply. "Kindly turn off the lights, I want to sleep fast." and requested in the process.

 

Mrs. Seo hissed but she grabs the remote again to turn off the lights. She grumpily laid down on her bed and pulled the comforter still grumpy. She closes her eyes but after a couple of minutes, she can't sleep and she turns to watch the back of her daughter with a heavy sigh. 'Why are you hurting me this bad? What's with that Yoona and you like her a lot? She's not worth it.'

 

Seohyun has fallen asleep already and is dreaming of a nice vacation wi