~ Chapter 2 ~

 

Chanyeol visited his father again the next few days. He entered the room with a heavy heart. He knew his father's days are ending. He just doesn't know how to withstand the pain on the day it would end. Worry filled his mind as he thought of his mother going into depression.

 

"Oh, you're here already", his mother said to him. "I'll leave your father to you. I'm almost late for work".

 

Mrs. Park grabbed her bag and hurriedly went outside the room, giving a quick peck on Chanyeol's cheek on her way there. Chanyeol settled down on the stool beside his father's bed and waved his hand in front of his dad's eyes.

 

"Can you see me dad?” he asked.

 

"Not t-that much. Y-you're a l-little blurred in m-my vision"

 

A sharp knife began to cut his heart as he listened to his father speaking. He felt great pain as his loving father stumbled upon his words.

 

"Are you having trouble speaking?" he asked softly.

 

"Y-yeah. T-the d-doctor said m-my speak-king will r-return to n-normal soon, th-though", he replied.

 

Chanyeol debated whether the doctor was telling the truth, or he was just making up lies to make his dad feel better. He heaved another sigh and proceeded to lay his head between his arms on the space beside his father. The hospital's sterile bed felt cold against his cheek, letting him feel also cold inside. He closed his eyes slowly, feeling the cold wisps of wind from the air conditioner. He felt his father's weak hand pat his head slowly. Chanyeol opened his eyes; his brown orbs turning to look at his father hand. His father’s frail and shaky hand was filled with wrinkles, and blue veins showing clearly. It looked horrible for him. Chanyeol sighed for the hundredth time and closed his eyes again, slowly falling into deep slumber.

 

Chanyeol woke up and found his father asleep in front of him. He slowly sat upright, careful not to wake his father, and stretched his arms. He debated mentally whether to take a short walk outside or to do his homework due three days after. He thought of the former. It wouldn't do any harm to do it the next day. He stood up and went outside, closing the door softly behind him and entering the quiet hall again; the soft click of the door closing disturbing the eerie silence of the hall.

 

His ears picked up a sound that seemed out of place in the silent hall. It was the sound of paper rustling in the wind. Chanyeol turned his head and saw a paper crane, standing straight and sharp. He crouched down, with intent of picking up the paper crane. Before his hand could touch its wing, the wind grew stronger and carried the paper crane away, landing two rooms away from his father's room. The cool wind his skin and gave him a tingly feeling. Chanyeol groaned and went to get it again. The wind blew it away from his hands again, this time, landing even farther three rooms away from the last.

 

"What the hell?!", Chanyeol said.

 

Either the paper crane hates him for crushing a fellow paper crane before or the wind was playing tricks on him. Chanyeol glared at the paper crane fiercely, his eyebrows scrunched up in anger and annoyance. He ran towards the paper crane quickly, hoping to reach it before the wind picks it up. The wind quickly carried the paper crane away from him, bringing it two rooms from the last. Chanyeol tried to stop but his long legs tangled at his failed attempt. He fell face first into the floor painfully; his hands just an inch away from where the paper crane landed. The cheek that hit the marbled floor reddened and stung. Chanyeol rubbed it softly, wincing when he touched it too hard.

 

"Really?" He grumbled. "Do you really hate me that much, huh?"

 

He wondered how a wind that strong could come inside a hospital. There wasn't a window insight; just a bunch of wide wooden doors that can’t provide any wind. Chanyeol felt goose bumps as he thought of spirits and ghosts. They were unreal and impossible but the thought still gave him fear. He reluctantly picked up the paper crane; a little surprised to see it stay still. There was a number written on its wing, with the same handwriting and the same black marker used to the last paper crane he saw days ago.

 

"270", he whispered softly as he read the number.

 

The wind blew again, grabbing the paper crane in his hand. It landed right in front of a door. Chanyeol looked up. Room 328. An image of the girl he saw before flashed through his mind . That was before his dad had any trouble speaking. It sent him a weird feeling, along with a strong beating of his heart. He didn't know whether it was fear or nervousness, but the two are almost the same in meaning. The sudden opening of the door surprised Chanyeol and interrupted his thoughts. A woman appeared from the door, also surprised to see him in front of the room. Chanyeol remembered her as the nurse who gladly took the fruits from him before.

 

"Um, what are you doing?" she asked, one of her eyebrows raised in suspicion.

 

Chanyeol remembered that he was still in the same position as he was when he tripped. He immediately stood up, his cheeks heating up.

 

"I'm sorry", he said as he bowed respectfully. "I tripped in front of your room".

 

"That's okay", she said and shrugged him off.

 

She noticed the paper crane in front of the door and bent down to pick it up. Chanyeol watched her, still standing up in the same position. Her face suddenly became strange, as if thinking of an idea.

 

"Hey, are you busy or something right now?" she asked Chanyeol. He heard hope in her voice, silently pleading him to say no.

 

"No, not really. I was just about to take a walk"

 

Bad response. She might be asking him for a date or something. That is something that he obviously wouldn't agree to. First of all, she was years older than him. Secondly, he is not interested in dating.

 

"But walking is not that really important, right?", she asked.

 

"Uh, it is important for one's health. It is a form of exercise that can strengthen a person's body. So I really need my walk right now.", he replied; not sure where his answer came from.

 

"Aw, come on. I'm a nurse. Your fit body obviously had enough exercise. A walk would mean nothing to you", she said in annoyance.

 

"But I like walking!"

 

She huffed. "I hope you don't misunderstand this. I'm not asking you out for a date or something. You're way too younger than me. ", she said. Chanyeol felt a surge of relief wash through him. "I'm just asking you for a simple favor, that's all"

 

"What favor?"

 

The nurse bit her lip. "You see, I was supposed to be on a date with my boyfriend, Kris. But my job hindered me from doing so. I just want to ask you if you could just act as a guardian for the patient that I'm taking care of for awhile", she said.

 

Chanyeol raised his eyebrow. "That's all? I'm going then", he said. He turned to leave the hall but the nurse immediately grabbed his shoulders before he could escape.

 

"Wait!" she said anxiously. "It was my patient who gave me permission to leave. I'm not doing this on my own. She can take care of herself but I don't want her to be alone in case accidents happen."

 

"Please", she begged. "You won't have to do anything hard at all. All you have to do is watch out for accidents and assist the patient when they do happen. I'll even give you money in return!"

 

Chanyeol's ear perked up at the sound of money. An image of his mom, tired and haggard after working hard, appeared on his mind. A small amount of money could help his family. Even if it’s just a little.

 

"How much?" he asked.

 

"Um, how about 20,000 won?" she said.

 

Chanyeol thought for a moment. It was too small compared to the bills and taxes that they had to pay. But it was better than nothing.

 

"I'll do it", Chanyeol said.

 

"Thank you very much", the nurse said. She hugged him and gave a peck on his cheek before running off to her boyfriend, leaving the paper crane in his hands. Chanyeol grimaced and wiped her saliva off her cheek. He wondered what kind of woman would kiss another guy while currently having a boyfriend. Isn't that supposed to be cheating?

 

Chanyeol went towards the door and reached for the doorknob. He stopped his hand from reaching it when he felt a cold chill go down his spine. The image of a dark set of eyes flashed through his mind. That was the patient that he was going to take care of. The girl with the long brown hair and the innocent looking eyes. He felt the cold wind touch him, as if urging him to open the door. Chanyeol gulped and slowly opened the door, fearing of what's inside. There were goose bumps forming in his arms as he touched the cold metal doorknob. White light seeped through the door, getting larger as he opened the door wider.

 

His eyes scanned the room. It was clean and neat, without a single speck of dirt. The bright white light of the fluorescent lamp made the room shine. Chanyeol noticed the hundreds of paper cranes, hanging on a string across the wall. The strings were tied from one end of the room to another. Each paper crane had a number written on its wing, all written by the same person with a nice handwriting.

 

*26, 78, 95, 156, 184, 201, 267*. He read the numbers mentally as his eyes skimmed on the paper cranes. The numbers ended on paper crane 269. He looked at the paper crane in his hand. 270. The paper crane he was holding belonged to the room.

 

His eyes searched for the patient and saw her on the bed, her back facing him. Chanyeol cleared his throat, though, reluctant to do it. The noise made the girl look at him. Chanyeol felt a strange feeling of nervousness as the girl faced him slowly. Her brown hair flipped and hanged in the air for a moment as her head slowly turned to see him. Her hair landed on her back gracefully revealing a face; her skin very pale and her features skinny and sharp. Chanyeol's heart began to beat even faster, out of fear and nervousness, as his brown orbs met hers.

 

 

 

 

a/n: 

Finally done with chapter 2~! I hope you all won't misunderstand Chayeol's beating of the heart as love. He and the girl haven't even met fully yet. That was just out of fear and nervousness. There was something about the girl's darks eyes that made him feel that. That's all I need to explain. They will really meet this time in the next chapter. I just started making stories that aren't one shots and fanfics so I hope you would understand if my writing isn' that good with the others.

And, by the way, most people would probably be annoyed by this, but I hope you would comment and subscribe. You don't have to if you don't want to. I'm just encouraging you, not forcing you. I'll still post the following chapters even if you don't. Such small reasons wouldn't pull me down. Even I get annoyed when authors start saying to people that they wouldn't update aymore if people won't comment and subscribe. Like I said earlier, I'm just encouraging you, not forcing you. Please comment and subscribe~! (If you only want to).

Thank you redandblack for the poster~! I really love it :)

If this author's note is too long and annoying for you, I'm really sorry. I think I'm saying too many things. But I hope you like the story~!