{ Hurtful Pride }

[ 10:00p.m. In Myungsoo's Hospital Ward ] 

It was a bright and sunny day as Myungsoo woke up upon the strong sun ray striking onto his fair skin. Myungsoo covered his face as he let off a yawn to see himself all alone in the empty hospital ward. He felt a stone in his heart as he stare at the empty seat beside him. He soon reminisced about the happenings yesterday. All the chashing and all the yelling.

Myungsoo sighed again. Feeling depressed, he clenched onto his chest with his fingers as he slammed his leg hardly. "Stupid leg. Can't you make me run forever? Why cant you tolerate the fever? Now I'm stuck in the hospital alone. And stupid me for yelling at her so angrily.." Myungsoo cursed under his breath as he stare at the gloomy room.

The room was dimly-lit as the shadows cornered each end of the room. There was several patches of light rays hung around the wall. A cold gush of wind blew against him, shivering his spines and sending me a chill down his spine. This was the price he had to pay, for being all bossy when he is not feeling well.

He d onto the blankets as he kicked them away with his legs as he wiggled his toes and pulled himself up from the bed. His leg felt weak as his whole body seemed to be too heavy for the leg to support. He collapsed into the ground as he gripped onto the edge of the bed forcefully. He cursed under his breath again as he pulled himself up, but his leg disobeyed him and he fell hard onto the ground.

Myungsoo clenched his teeth and with all his might, he pushed his body up. The nurse, who appeared to come into his room to check on his condition had her eyes widened in shock. Myungsoo, catching his breath, quickly sat down as the nurse ran towards him and supported his movement with her hands. 

Myungsoo stared at the able-bodied nurse. Slim, with the curves as her uniform fitted her in ever inch. She seemed to have pretty slim and shiny thighs as she had her hair bundled up. She wore a tiny tiara on her head as her face was flawless. Her skin was perfect and smooth in every end, every bit of her face was glimmering in beauty.

"You must take care of yourself, Mr Kim. Your body is still recovering from the high fever and your sudden fatigue. You must understand your condition." The nurse calmly said.

Her voice ringed into Myungsoo ears, trapping him into the wrath of her beautiful voice. That smooth, calm voice of hers was enchanting. It was getting addictive.

*Am I love-struck?* Myungsoo suddenly thought as he returned her with a forceful smile.

"Anyway, I'm your nurse-in-charge. Son Naeun. You can call me just by Naeun. That'd be fine with me." Naeun, the nurse said as her lips curved up, giving him a warming smile.

Myungsoo nodded his head as Naeun slowly removed her grip on his hand. She bowed at him as she took the clipboard infront of his bed as her eyes were stuck onto the details on the pieces of paper clipped onto the board. She studied them carefully as she wrote down several words onto the papers and placed it back to the holder. 

"Okay, I'll be going. Press the button if you need any help and the nurses and I will come and be your greatest help." Naeun said as she walked out of the room.

Myungsoo stare at her beautiful back. She was perfect and gorgeous in every angle. Is he feeling a bit of love for her already? Is this love at first sight? All these questions ringed into his head.

Myungsoo shook his head profusely as he tried to remove those questions away from his mind. Just then, the door swinged open as Jiyeon slowly moved her body into the room as she slowly approached beside Myungsoo who was sitting on the bed, restlessly.

"Myungsoo-sshi. Are you alright? Did something happen? I saw a nurse coming out from the room." Jiyeon asked.

Myungsoo glared at her for a while and nodded his head. "I'm recovering fine. By the way... is that nurse pretty?" Myungsoo curiously asked.

Jiyeon stare at him as she felt a stone in her heart. Her heart felt heavy as her soul was about of sunk itself in sorrow as she nodded her head forcefully. She remained silent until Myungsoo tapped on her hands.

"I hope I can know her better... but I'm sure I can, since she's my nurse-in-charge." Myungsoo said as he flashed an angelic smile. "I don't know why, this might seemed crazy, but I'm craving for her... I want to know her more.. Shes so beautiful, isn't she Jiyeon?" Myungsoo asked again as he held his head high, literally day-dreaming.

"Ne... she's beautiful." Jiyeon slowly mumbled as she buried her head in the chest.

Myungsoo stare at her as he lifted her head up with his fingers. His smile was beaming of joy as he suddenly notice the tinge of sadness in Jiyeon's eyes. He pouted for a second as he sighed.

"Jiyeon. Is everything okay? You seemed to be troubled by something." Myungsoo asked.

Jiyeon shook his head.

"Is it because of yesterday?" Myungsoo said. Jiyeon remained silent. He sighed.

He then replied, "You know... I'm really sorry for acting so angsty and cranky yesterday. I'm being like this its because my ego is strong. Yeah, it might sound like some bull excuse. But... im being like that is because of my orphanage past. I want to show others that I could take care of myself. 'Cos one day, I fell sick in the orphan home. I fell really sick. Really sick. Never been sick a lot of times there, even if I were, it wasn't that serious." Myungsoo said.

He cleared his throat and let off another dreadful sigh. He then continued, "I was so helpless then. I could just lie on the bed for hours and hours. I spend no time outside. I just laze on my bed, waiting for my fever to retreat. Then my orphanage friends laughed and teased me. The lady in-charge couldn't even bother any less about my well-being. She just feed me with pills and told me to recover well. That's all. Nothing else to talk about. People cotninue teasing and teasing me. Some bullied me even." 

"That's why... I am so angsty when I get sick. 'Cos I don't want anybody to laugh or criticize me and bully me anymore. I swear to myself... I won't be ostracized and bullied for the rest of my life. Those days were horrible. Absolutely horrible." Myungsoo said as he let off a sigh. 

"So... pardon me for my rudeness yesterday, Jiyeon." Myungsoo said as he gently caressed her shoulders.

Jiyeon nodded her head as she excused herself out of the ward. 

Jiyeon bit her lips nervously as she strolled across the hospital ward. Her mind was at loss. She was not concerned of his rudeness, but however, she was still thinking of Myungsoo's crush on the nurse in this hospital. She felt a tinge of sadness in her heart as she dragged her feet to a seat nearby. 

She buried her head in her chest as tears rolled down her cheeks. *Why can't he understand it?* She thought. *Maybe, its all my wishful thinking all along...* Jiyeon thought as she let off a forceful chuckle.

Myungsoo was whistling his favourite tune as his eyes wandered around the hospital room aimlessly. "What a boring day in the hospital. There's practically nothing to do.." Myungsoo mumbled to himself as his eyes stumbled across Jiyeon's bag. 

Curiosity strucked him as he digged into his bag for her phone. "Gotcha..." Myungsoo mumbled as he opened up the messages in the phone. There was only several contacts she have messaged, IU, Sungyeol and him. Out of the three of them, she messaged him the most. Upon seeing that, Myungsoo's lips curled up, forming a sheepish grin.

He then began to venture on her phone. He clicked onto the notes section of the phone to receive several strange and suspicious notes. Being suspicious of the notes, he clicked on them and read them carefully.

The first note read:

I am Jiyeon, Park Jiyeon. Just testing this phone. I'm really glad for Myungsoo-sshi for buying this phone for me. TO someone who barely knows me, and helped me so much, I'm really grateful for his graciousness. He's really a kind man. I can't believe his kindness could move me so much.. I'm so touched by him...

Anyway, this note is really pointless. But maybe I should make a diary out of this notes functions! This would really be a swell idea, won't it? I'm getting so excited, maybe I should keep writing my diary here! :)

Myungsoo chuckled and slowly said to himself, "This girl... she didn't know I'm like this? hahaha, it's pretty obvious. But i like helping people." 

The second note read:

I am Jiyeon, I guess this diary stuff didn't work at all. I got lazy to update. But whatever. Anyway, today I went to eat some barbecued pork and beef with Myungsoo-sshi at this restaurant near our house. It was really warming of him to feed me and stuff. Is this weird because I get butterflies feeling whenever he did some skinship with me? 

Though he seemed natural and alright in all those skinship... I don't know why I'm feeling like this... But I think I'm falling for him... What do I do now? My minds at lost. I'll just see how it works in the next few days, and that time when we shelter ourselves under a store, that was the most awkward thing that ever happened. We're both silent, while Myungsoo wrapped his arms around me and pull me in closer to prevent the rain from dripping my outfit.

That... that feeling I have was so magical.

Myungsoo bit his lips as he turned the phone off as he placed his head down. He had never thought of Jiyeon falling for him. Flashbacks of the past came ringing on his mind. Those things he did to Jiyeon, including the barbecue meal and that rain incident. The day out, shopping trips with her all came to his mind. He had never noticed her feelings and actions.

"So. So thats the reason for her awkwardness around me even if we met for 2 weeks..." Myungsoo mumbled to himself as he sighed.

Just then Jiyeon came in and her eyes caught attention of her phone on the bed. Being puzzled by her phone on the bed, she gasped as she hurriedly grabbed her phone and checked her contents.

She landed on her notes, who was being clicked onto. She glared at Myungsoo as she throwed her phone in the bag and stormed off the hospital, but before her feet could move an inch, Myungsoo gripped on her wrists. 

"Wae?" He asked.

A tear fell from her eyes as she tried to struggle out his firm grip. "You were looking at my phone..." Jiyeon said weakly.

"Mianhae... I was just too curious about it. I didn't did it out of purpose." Myungsoo apologized.

Jiyeon sniffed and sniffed as she stood there motionlessly. Being afraid of her cry, Myungsoo pulled himself out of the bed and hugged her from the back. Jiyeon froze on the spot as she bit her lips nervously. 

A stream of tears came falling down her cheeks as Myungsoo slowly whispered into his ears, "I didn't know by helping you and hanging out with you all along, you would have those fond feelings for me. If I hadn't checked your notes, I would never know. I didn't know you have such feelings for me."

Myungsoo gulped and continued, "So foolish of me for not noticing it. I'm such a pabo. But really, I helped you all the while is because I myself is a kind soul. Not bragging myself, but I enjoy the labour of helping others. I want to help everybody, I want to help those in need." 

"But, for all I helped before, you is the one that I wanted to help the most. You were so shabby back then, I knew you would need someone's tender care." Myungsoo said. He then added on, "I.. I think I love you too." 

Jiyeon's eyes widened in surprise as she did not expect those words coming out from his mouth. 

Myungsoo pulled himself away from the embrace as he spun Jiyeon around. "I lnow I might not have those feelings for you. But I'll try. As long as you give me the opportunityto try to love you. I promise you that I will cherish you." Myungsoo said.

Jiyeon closed her eyes as she continued sniffing. Her heart was throbbing in estacy as she could not help but to turn her head around from him. Myungsoo grabbed onto her face, with two hands cupping her face as he turned it back. She opened her eyes and their eyes met. 

"Forgive me for saying about that nurse. I will not look at her anymore. I'll change the nurse If you want. I'm really sorry for not noticing you and your feelings for the past 3 weeks." Myungsoo said.

"Do you love me?" Myungsoo said.

Jiyeon bit her lips. She paused for a second as the words came out of . I love you.

"That is all that matters now. I'll love you too." Myungsoo said as he pulled her in for a kiss.

Jiyeon and Myungsoo's head turned in harmony as they stood there, kissing each other, longing for their kisses. Myungsoo slowly pulled away from the kiss as he stare deep into her eyes. Being bewitched by her beauty and the kiss, he wrapped his arms all over her and slowly mumbled, "Stay with me alright? Accompany this sick man of yours. I took care of you, I should do the same? See, I can even withstand my weakness and come and hug you.." Myungsoo whined.

Jiyeon's lips curled up in delight as she slowly muttered in reply, "I'll of course stay with you... You're my man, and I should repay you also right?" Their foreheads touched each other as they continue to stare deep into each other's eyes.

[ 6:00p.m. In Dela Rosa Cafe ]

"Annyeonghaseyo." Sungyeol greeted as his eyes glimmered upon the sight of a beautiful young lady who stood infront of him. 

"Annyeong, is Park Jiyeon working today?" The girl said. 

"Oh, ani. She is having her off-day today. Is there anything I could pass the message to her? I'm her colleague by the way." Sungyeol said as he smiled sheepishly at her.

"That, I know. But I'm her friend, IU. You can just call me IU or Jieun. Jieun's my real name but Jiyeon calls me IU as IU is my nickname. Well my well-known nick name." IU chuckled as she continued on, "But what happened to her?"

Sungyeol pouted and replied, "Her boss, Myungsoo is sick. So I'm guessing she took several days off to take care of him. Myungsoo's being warded, so she had to take care of him." 

IU gasped in shock as she said, "Aish, she didn't even message me about it." 

Sungyeol chuckled upon her cuteness as his hands naturally ruffled her hair in playfulness.

IU pushed his hands away and shot him disgusted glances. "Mianhae, are you a pyscho?!" IU asked as she shot him another disgusted glare. 

She then stormed out of the cafe, leaving Sungyeol speechless.

"ahh... im not a pyscho!" Sungyeol yelled to himself. Yes, he was feeling so angsty.

Here's my long-awaited update!
Please give me comments about it, please please please.

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- Authornim