Unbeknownst to the others, Ji Min was holding back bitter, exhausted tears in her eyes the whole time. 

Not just from the start of the argument, but from the moment Chanyeol had picked up her call.

She missed them so much, and she also needed to vent out her feelings on someone. Ji Min knew that EXO, with their schedules and meetings, weren’t the right people to tell because they were equally drained but she couldn’t turn to anyone else.

It was amazing how many emotions could run through her through a forty minute phone call.

Now, she was on the floor. 

Her hands were by her side, shaking. She was so cold. Her eyes were wide open, staring straight ahead at the feet of the table. She could hear Victoria yelling her name over and over again, but there was nothing she could do.

“Ji Min-ssi, please, don’t close your eyes!” Now Luna was here, tapping her cheeks and laying her on her back.

Her eyelids were so heavy. Ji Min could feel the blood rushing through her head. God, she could even hear it.

Before her eyes could roll back into her head, the door opened and she distinctly heard Kai choke on her name.

But her eyes closed too soon, and soon she felt his cold and clammy hands grip her shoulders. He shook her. Hard. “Ji Min! Ji Min-ah! Ireona! Please, baby please.” she wanted to tell him to stop, to stop begging for her to wake because she couldn’t.

His fingers touched her face. Kai was shaking. Something wet dropped on her face and her eyes twitched at the contact. It hurt her that he was crying. Ji Min was really trying to open her eyes. She really was.

“Baby please.” she felt his warm breath by her ear and the agony in the whisper almost threw her over the edge.

“Everybody move.” A heavy voice full of command entered the room and she felt Kai’s weight lift off her. No! Don’t leave me! She floundered around in the darkness, searching for him.

“Miss, you need to calm down.” What on earth did he mean? That’s when she heard it. The erratic, shriek-like breathing. It was her. Ji Min relaxed herself as much as she could and the sound receded.

But her hands kept twitching. “Young man.” the doctor called again. Who? Kai? God she hoped it was him. Someone took her hand and she went limp in his grasp. Of course it was Kai.

“Help me lift her into a sitting position.” her body was hoisted up and her head and arms lolled forward like a doll. Suddenly, warm hands grabbed her neck and something cracked very loudly.

She choked on a breath before jerking her body and snapping open her eyes. Her body doubled over and her vision swum before her eyes.

“Ohhh…” Ji Min groaned and clutched at her stomach. It hurt so much. Everything just ached.

Damp hands cupped her face and before she could draw in another needed breath, all the air was out of her when Kai mashed his lips against hers. Their noses were pressing against each other and all she could see in her vision was him, but she desperately needed air.

“Mr Jong In-ssi, please, we need to check her.” He pulled away, and she tried not to look like she was breathing that hard, but his hands kept themselves planted on her cheeks.

“Do it.” His voice was strangled and he was quite pale. 

If Ji Min had not been so tired and sore, she would have been amused at how worried he was.

She got up slowly; wobbling a bit and let Victoria and Sulli guide her to the nearest chair. Kai ignored the looks the members of F(X) were giving him and walked over to her.

He sat down and held a cup of water to her dry lips. Ji Min refused, embarrassed at the attention the doctor was giving her and also trying to avoid the stares other people were giving her.

“Drink.” Jong In growled in her ear. 

She had no energy left to disobey him. “Miss Han, you need to go to the hospital and get a full body check up of your entire system. Though I strongly suspect it was down to lack of water – dehydration and exhaustion, it seems that some other of your health factors have come into play.”

Ji Min glared at the doctor with as much venom as she could muster. Shut up shut up! She screamed in her mind.

But the doctor continued to look through her as if she were not even there. “Your intermittent asthma has been present throughout your childhood yes?”

She nodded miserably. Jong In stared at her. She could feel his eyes boring into her head.

“We have no records of attacks and that’s good news, but I see that you have been given sleeping pills. Mild ones really, but still quite strong never the less. When were you given these?”

“Two weeks ago. Thursday.”

Her voice was quiet and she almost keeled over at the sudden flare of anger from Jong In. “Thursday?” he asked the doctor. His voice hid a boiling anger she feared more than anything.

“Jong In.” Sulli warned and he shut up again. 

The doctor gave Ji Min a suspicious look. “Are you the only one currently aware of your health issues Miss Han?”

Ji Min almost rolled her eyes. “Well my family knows, and now… so does everyone else.”

The doctor clipped a piece of paper to his folder and then gripped her elbow, getting her to stand up. “Well, let’s go the SM infirmary first and get your lungs and vitals checked, and then we’ll leave you and your… boyfriend,” he eyed Jong In, “alone to talk.”

-

“And you’re good! We’ll see you soon for another check up of your lungs sweetie.” the nurse beamed at Ji Min, who returned a weak smile. She rolled her shirt down and over her bra once again before shuffling her feet over the carpet.

Jong In stood at the other side of the room, leaning with hi back on the wall and his arms crossed. He was so tall; he towered over the nurse.

Ji Min originally wanted him out of the room, especially since she was going to take her shirt off, but with a sharp look from him, she knew there was no way she was getting out of this one too easily.

Even the jolly old nurse couldn’t kick tension in the as she bustled out of the room with a little more noise than necessary.

The door shut and Ji Min looked at the tiny dust bunnies on the edge of the white bed. Her heartbeat throbbed in her ears and she was going to burst in a minute.

“You got your medication the day we left for L.A*.” Jong In’s comment was even and impassive, but Ji Min knew his feelings were this close to bubbling over.

She had nothing to say.

“Ji Min!” He barked, getting off the wall and crossing the room in two steps. 

In a short second, he had her pressed up against the wall with his strong hands gripping her waist with more strength than she knew he had. His hands are going to leave a mark she thought.

“Tell me, tell me the truth!” He shook her, making her head loll around like a dolls’ and making her almost hit his head with hers.

“Yeah, I did.”

At her answer, his hands dropped to his own sides, and Jong In looked at her with a gaze so full of disappointment that Ji Min just wanted to die right there and then.

“I cannot believe you didn’t tell me!” Jong In ranted. He put his hands in his hair and walked around the room.

“Am I a bad boyfriend?” he turned to her, his eyes full of sadness and frustration. She shook her head and bit her bottom lip. “No it’s just that I-“

“NO, Ji Min, just… no. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.” He repeated.

“Don’t you trust me? You know what?!” he roared, “You always tell us that you’re not a kid, but actions like this are just completely selfish and hypocritical which makes you a child. Kyung Soo hyung and Joon Myun hyung always worry about you Ji Min, always!”

Jong In couldn’t stop ranting. A small part of him registered the tears that streamed down her face, but somehow, the flow of frustration didn’t ebb.

“You know, by the time you grow up we’ll all be what, twenty years old? Ji Min, stop being so selfish! You’re just a kid.”

The two of them went quiet.

The silence covered the room and the guilt settled in Jong In’s body. Only then did he register just how many times he called her a child. “Ji Min… I…” he couldn’t apologise and she couldn’t speak.

“Go Jong In. Go.” He didn’t hesitate and stalked out of the room.

Ji Min curled up on the bed and drew her legs up to her chest. Her tears spilled over and she buried her face in her cold hands. No one was around to hear her heartbroken sobs and chokes.

She was no longer a mature, sweet looking model with a kicking attitude.

She was now a simple child, completely broken and shattered; selfish and immature…

As labelled by her boyfriend.

-

* I'm actually not sure what day they left for L.A so sorry!!