Baby U - Teen Top

 

Narrator's POV

 

Day 124

 

Her hand flew to her forehead in agitation. As she did, the other members seated across the table cringed, afraid they might have said the wrong thing. She turned quickly to Donghae. "What? You never told me you had cancer...of the ovary...and I didn't even know you had ovaries!" she exclaimed hoarsely. "So anytime, you might have gotten pregnant?" Min Yu grumbled to herself. "What if I become a father?!? A FREAKING MOTHER FATHER! Oh god no...And you might even be a better mother than I will be!"

 

Kyuhyun, unable to contain his amusement, tossed his head back and laughed. "I don't have ovaries, OKAY? I don't even have cancer," Donghae crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. "It's her," he pointed to a picture with multiple holes. "Who is she and why don't I know her?" Min Yu's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

 

"It's Donghae's new girlfriend~" teased Kyuhyun, and braced himself for the blow after Min Yu's deadly hands enclosed on a ceramic plate. If not for alert Sungmin, then Super Junior's maknae might have had a few stitches on his face here and there. With her hair looking like a bird's nest and her eyes bloodshot, it was obvious Min Yu still wasn't recovering from last night's hangover.

 

"What's this about?" she asked curiously as the picture was being passed on from one member to the next. "Baek Sun Hye, 28 years of age and might not probably reach her 29th," started Leeteuk. "Why are there tons of holes in it?" asked Ryeowook, but he didn't have to ask since he spotted Heechul with a mischievous expression and a fork in his hand.

 

"Then why haven't you told us a week earlier?" Eunhyuk complained while wincing as Min Yu repeatedly bruised his shoulder with her head. "I only received it 2 days ago!" shouted Leeteuk in defense. His statement was followed by loud mumblings of disagreement and violent reactions. "ARGH," Min Yu stood up, her face glowering in danger. "Please don't add to the hammering in my head or else I'll give each one of you ovaries with cancer."

 

She smiled sourly at the members' fearful reaction and spun on her heels to leave, clutching her throbbing forehead. But before she could take another step forward, Donghae took ahold of her wrists and forced her back. "What?" she whined angrily. Her other hand shielded her eyes from the rays emanating from the open windows. 

 

Meanwhile, on the other end of the table, the two eldest members were fighting over a 14-page report. "Look here," Heechul's finger almost tore the paper into pieces. "It says she only has one year to live, yet she wants to stay with us for at least 3 months? What kind of dying person would think of living with aging idols when her days are already numbered?!"

 

"Do you think I agree to this? The time you left this garbage in my house, I called the manager," protested Leeteuk.

 

 "What did he say then?" 

 

"He says it's kind of like her dying wish. I DON'T KNOW!" The frustrated leader buried his face in his palms. 

 

"What if she suddenly drops dead here in our dorm? It'd be a feast to the media. If one of us treats her coldly and she gets offended, the headlines would read how we're so unkind to a cancer patient. If she's seen with a Super Junior member, 'Insert-Super-Junior-member-name-here' is dating a cancer patient."

 

"That's not the worst of it, though," confessed Leeteuk. The rest of the group leaned over to hear more. Leeteuk's eyes locked with that of Donghae's, and he gestured him to move nearer with his finger. "I think she's madly obsessed with Donghae." At the sound of his name, Min Yu suddenly became alert, like she wasn't wasted and hangover a mere minute ago. 

 

Donghae threw a help-me-get-out-of-this glance towards her way. "What do you want me to do?" she slumped over the table and closed her eyes. It was all Kyuhyun's fault. He just felt he had to dart inside Donghae's room without warning and wake her up. "Ya, I thought we're best friends!" exclaimed Donghae as he shook her by the shoulders.

 

"Best friend your face," she propped her head up with her upright hand. He had a helpless look on his face, and the fact that she was the reason behind it made the matter entertaining to her. "Come on~ Oppa needs help," Donghae stomped his foot under the table. It trembled with the noise he was making. "DAEBAK~ So now it's oppa, huh?" She giggled like crazy.

 

"But yeobo!" he exclaimed loudly. "I really need help!"

 

His words somehow pressed the FREEZE button inside her, and she stared back at him, wide-eyed. So this is how he feels, she thought, whenever I use my tactics on him. And now he's using it against me..."I have no idea how to help you on this one," she heaved an exasperated sigh. "Do you really want to see me with another girl? I'd have to bring her everywhere, and she'd live here with us. Do you want that to happen?" he threatened menacingly.

 

"I'm obviously prettier," Min Yu snatched the photo away from Heechul's destructive hands. She faked a coughing fit. "And I sure have more years to live." And, as if remembering her previous dilemma, pushed her chair back. earning a piercing shriek as the chair's leg skidded across the floor. "Just try to exchange me for her, you'll have a black eye when you wake up."

 

Donghae's POV

 

"Where are you going?" I demanded after Min Yu descended the stairs lazily. "Are you going to rob a bank or something?" I stifled a laugh, noticing her oversized hoodie and dark wash jeans. I could feel her eyes glaring at me even behind the tinted sunglasses. "Where are you going?" Her feet trampled noiselessly against the wood and remained frozen on the last step of the staircase.

 

"Hospital," she muttered softly while her hands balled into fists and she rubbed her eyes sleepily. I patted my lap, gesturing for her to sit on it. She obliged, rather slowly, making it look like she was dragging her feet. I gestured to the bag slung lazily over her shoulder, "What time will you go home?" To which, she replied with a clueless shrug. "Bypass surgeries take three to six hours, not just minutes," explained Min Yu as she leaned against me.

 

I buried my face against her hair, breathing in her scent and filling my lungs with her. "Does my best friend want some company?" I offered, toying with the car keys inside my pocket. "Sure." I grabbed the remote control and turned the television off. My eyes wandered around the whole living room, as if searching. It's like I've forgotten something...

 

"What is it?" She must have noticed my scrunched up expression. 

 

I beamed a smile. "Let's go."

 

My hand reached out for the door knob, but not the door in front of me opened. "Yes, sure!" a voice exclaimed from upstairs. Oh right, I remember now. I just don't know how to make the situation less awkward than it already is. "Oppa?" Sun Hye called out. Her light footsteps sounded as she walked down the stairs step by step. I wanted to punch myself in the face.

 

Min Yu wore a questioning look on her face. "Sorry to keep you wai--" Sun Hye hadn't had the chance to finish her sentence. I gulped down and scratched the back of my head nervously. "Min Yu, this is Sun Hye..." I watched as my girlfriend's face showed no emotion. But I had an inkling as to what might be bubbling inside her right now, and I'd have to brace myself for it later. "She's older than you, so..."

 

"Hi." The word came coldly from her lips. "Annyeonghaseyo~ I hope we get along well," Sun Hye held her hand out, and I wanted to warn her out loud that it might be ignored. And it was. Min Yu glared at the hand until it slowly fell back to the older's side. "I'm sorry. I forgot we were supposed to watch a movie together," I chomped down on my tongue at the guilty confession.

 

"Oh. Were you about to leave?" Sun Hye started to walk backwards. "No!" Min Yu protested with an unexpected smile plastered on her face. "I can go by myself," she held onto my forearm gently and let go. "Are you sure?" the other pressed, and Min Yu just nodded curtly. She reached out for the door, but I tugged at her hand. "Best friend~"

 

She smiled and tiptoed to whisper something against my ear. "Make better plans next time, arasseo?" I felt her soft lips on my cheek before she dashed out the door. I held onto the side of my face, as if that would help preserve her kiss until the next time we see each other again. From behind, Sun Hye cleared , trying to make her presence known. 

 

"Let's go," I called out with a renewed sigh. 

 

Narrator's POV

 

"How much will everything cost?" Sung Yeon, Chun Hae's current wife, clutched her chest in suspense after Min Yu had asked the question. She had a grave look on her face, and was still wearing the tinted sunglasses, afraid that the immaculate fluorescent bulbs might blind her any minute. A few feet away in the same doctor's office, Seul Gi, the child, was busy playing on the rubber mat.

 

"All in all?" The doctor flipped through the scattered medical papers on his desk. The stethoscope was still slung around his neck, ready to use. "I'd say the operation itself would cost twelve million won." The woman had saltwater leaking from her eyes. Her job as a waitress doesn't pay much, and compared to the twelve million won needed to make her husband well, it wasn't even enough even if she worked for one year straight.

 

Min Yu nodded calmly. "What would happen afterwards?"

 

"What afterwards?" The man slumped back on the cushions of his swivel chair.

 

"Oh quit playing with me, doctor." Her forefinger was pointed menacingly towards the man. "We both know damn well what I'm talking about. And don't treat me like I can't pay twelve million won." The expert's eyes narrowed after her statement and obviously couldn't hide his amusement. "Well, according to studies, 51% of patients undergoing the surgery suffer from cognitive impairment after the operation."

 

"What, like memory loss? And how long will it last?"

 

"Possibly, but it can be more of decline in mental capacity. At his age, he's a young one to undergo the surgery, compared to the larger percent of elderly patients. Well, I'd say about six months or less. When do you want him to be operated exactly?"

 

"Can it be right now?" Min Yu turned to the distressed woman sitting quietly beside her. 

 

"W-what about the t-twelve--" 

 

"Don't worry about the money," she assured her. "I'll take care of everything."

 

Donghae's POV

 

The movie wasn't like I imagined it would be -- or perhaps it was just because Sun Hye kept asking what had transpired the whole time she had covered her eyes, which was unlike how Min Yu is. And I silently wished I hadn't taken her out for a day at the cinema. "Where do you want to eat?" I asked, shoving both my hands into the warm pockets of my jeans. I could have held her hand instead, but she wasn't Min Yu.

 

"Anywhere," Sun Hye replied. Was there really a restaurant or a fast food chain called Anywhere? If there was, then the customers would be couples with bored looking boyfriends falling in line to order. I motioned to the nearest McDonalds I could spot, though the back of my mind still hesitated after remembering what Min Yu had explained to me about their grease-covered food and artificial preservatives.

 

Sure enough, I was recognized again. Fans flocked form different directions, aiming their phones and cameras towards my way. I searched for Sun Hye and, after finding her, I had my arm protectively around her shoulders to push against the crowd hindering our way. When the people thinned out, I let my hand fall back to my side as we both headed to the fast food chain.

 

My phone went off and started ringing loudly, capturing attentions from random strangers as it blared a song different from the ringtone I had set. Pressing ACCEPT, "Yoboseyo?" I answered, obviously stifling a laugh. "What's so funny?" Min Yu greeted as a starter. "Did you just record Eunhyuk's concert in the shower and set it as my ringtone?" I replied with a hint of accusing.

 

She let out a chuckle. "It's his fault he was singing an SNSD song. Now, where are you?" My free hand covered the phone's receiver. "Sun Hye-ssi," I fished my wallet out and handed her some cash. "Buy whatever you want. I'll go find a seat." She nodded with a bright smile as I left, fulfilling my statement of finding a vacant spot amidst the crowded place, or maybe just living up to my excuse so I could be alone for once.

 

"McDonalds~" I exclaimed proudly. "I'll be there in a few," said Min Yu and hung up. My heart fluttered like a bird's wings with the thought of me seeing her again. "What's with the cheeky smile?" Sun Hye sat down across from me while putting down her tray of food. "Min Yu's coming," I revealed, sipping from a large cup of Coke she had bought for me. The carbonated drink warmed down my throat.

 

"How long have you two been together?" she asked curiously, getting started on bombarding me with questions while picking at her food. "Three...four months?" I shrugged. "I really don't keep count. And it's like it was just days ago," I smiled to myself. "So why do you call each other as best friends?" asked Sun Hye curiously.

 

"We fight like an old married couple, play around like siblings, talk like best friends, and flirt like teenagers. Is something wrong?" I responded as-a-matter-of-factly, to which she just shook her head. "Is she really..." she seemed reluctant to continue. "Is she really that cold, though? Or is she mad at me in any way?"

 

I almost fell down from my chair in protest. "OF COURSE NOT!" I defended quite loudly. Almost all of the customers had heard me disagree. "Sorry," I scratched the back of my head and wondered why it was so difficult for me to keep such things discreet. "She's just hungover and preoccupied and all. Though she always is, it's just a different matter at hand right now. And I'm kind of worried..."

 

"Kind of?" Sun Hye giggled. "You look like you could use some sleep, some more food, and less stress. It's like you'll pull your hair out any minute. You're so tense. And you tell me you're just 'kind of' worried?" She scrutinized my face in detail. Did I really look that predictable and transparent? "You have got to be kidding me," she shook her head. 

 

"Well what do you want me to do?" I drank more of the soda and pressed the cold cup against the side of my face in comfort. "Min Yu's keeping secrets from me. I wonder if she eats on time or just satisfies her hunger with coffee. I have absolutely no idea what's running through her mind these days. She still drinks even when I tell her not to -- but of course I take care of her when she's hungover, like I have a choice. With all these, can you tell me how I can eat and sleep when I'm not sure if she does the same?"

 

I breathed in sharply through my dry lips, my right busy a handful of hair, almost threatening to pull it out of its roots -- she was right. Or maybe I was just overreacting on a lot of things? "Relax," Sun Hye flashed another of her grins. I sighed and inhaled, filling my lungs with air. Why was I so worked up with tension? "Why are you like that, anyways? It's not like she'll drop dead if you don't worry about her even for just a fraction of a second," Sun Hye added.

 

"She will." Now, it was my turn to chuckle. "If I don't remind her to do things, she won't eat, she won't sleep, she won't budge. She had lived in her apartment for years and yet it was always me who cleaned it. She needs me to remind her about a lot of things. I don't know about you, but it feels great to be needed sometimes -- to know someone wouldn't be able to do a lot if you weren't there."

 

"She always fusses about how she's independent and all grown up, but we all know she isn't. Min Yu's just confident about a lot of stuff because she knows we'll be there for her. Isn't that how people normally feel? And maybe I'm just feeling guilty after leaving her for five years...I don't know. Right now, it's not just about me anymore." My forefinger drew shapes using the moisture on the cup.

 

I looked up, only to see Sun Hye staring back blankly. "What?" I laughed and waved my hand frantically in front of her face. It seemed to work, for she snapped out of her little trance and continued eating. "So," I threw impatient glances towards my watch, waiting as the minutes ticked by. "Now I've said some crappy facts about me, it's your turn now."

 

"Well," she first sighed. "I'm twenty eight and I'm dying. Isn't that grand?" she exclaimed with fake excitement. Who else would be proud to say they only got a year more to live? "No really," I pressed, resting my chin to let her know I'm an attentive listener. She brushed her hair away and tucked it behind her ear. "It's not a really interesting story to hear. I'd rather listen to you talk," she admitted truthfully.

 

"Come on," I poked her nose with my index finger. "If we're going to live together for months, then I should probably know a thing or two," I insisted persuasively. She smiled and sipped some of her beverage before proceeding. "Have you ever read the papers?" Sun Hye's eyebrow arched in question. "Not really. It had a hundred pages. I got lazy after seeing the thickness of that thing," I confessed. "What's it about, though?"

 

She lightly hit my arm. "It has fourteen pages. But anyway, it's kind of useless too. My mother grew wary of everything since they had known about my sickness. She became overreacting. Honestly, I've only seen and heard of Super Junior in a music video, and she suddenly asked if I wanted to see you guys in person. But she didn't have to ask, for she made plans herself without asking me. And tada! I'm now here."

 

Sun Hye paused and her eyes were fixed on something from behind. A heartbeat later, Min Yu was standing in front of us. "Here," I patted the seat of the chair right next to me. She placed her bag dutifully on the floor by her feet and let out an exhausted sigh. I reached for her hand to hold and leaned over to give her a soothing kiss. "What is it?"

 

Her lower lip trembled and she quickly bit it down harshly. Her free hand clawed on her jeans, threatening to rip it apart. "Tell me what's wrong," I requested softly, lifting her chin up to scrutinize her expression carefully. "Do you two still have something to do later?" asked Min Yu, ignoring my previous statement like she was deaf.

 

Sun Hye replied with a silent "No." Min Yu removed her sunglasses, revealing her red-rimmed eyes with dark circles of sleeplessness underneath. Her pale complexion with her skin stretched taut on her cheekbones which threatened to break through added more to my worries. "What's worse, having short term memory loss or getting dumber?" Her question spluttered out carelessly.

 

"Either is no better than the other," I commented, heaving my hand up and down her tense forearm. "Well do you know the worst part?" she demanded, her voice getting softer and weaker with every word. "What is?" I caressed the side of her face as her eyes turned watery. "After the surgery," she rested her head on my shoulder. "I don't know what will happen. It's either he forgets almost everything, becomes overly fearful, act like he knows nothing, or all of the above."

 

She cried soundlessly, ruining my shirt with her tears. No smart words formed inside my head. But really, if I said anything, would it make her father better? Though she had no idea how much I wanted to comfort her, I didn't want to make the situation worse. "Don't cry, please?" I begged, my insides clenching at the sight of her. 

 

"It's the first time after so long that I can say to myself, 'I'm contented. I have a mother, I have a father. It doesn't matter that omma has married someone else, and that appa has a family of his own.' But then this came. After his operation, there's this fear in me that my own father won't remember my name. And I'll be fatherless again. It's different from how it is for you. Your father died, but he was still a father to you. Unlike for me, he's still alive and breathing yet he won't know me. What's the use of having a father in the first place?"

 

Hot tears burned on my shoulder from where she wept. It was a pitiful sight, and it made me even more helpless. My own tears brimmed and I racked my brain desperately for any clue that might assure her everything would be alright in the end. "Maybe when he wakes up, he'll start talking in a different language, and it'll be only you that'll understand what he says."

 

She sat upright, her tear-stricken face still as beautiful as ever, and laughed before sending light punches towards my arm. Min Yu snatched my Coke away and emptied its contents swiftly. "Ya, that was mine," I whined while pretending to get angry. "Don't be mad or I'll cry again," she threatened. "Best friend, don't cry anymore~" I pinched her cheek harshly.