Chapter 6


Everyone who was waiting outside of the emergency room just stood at their place as if their feet were rooted to the ground, witnessing Hongki who were thrown to the floor by Jonghyun. They were just shocked by what they have heard from Jihyun and Hongki’s conversation. The rest (other than Taemin and Minho) never thought that all this while Hongki have a deeper feeling for Jihyun. All the times that Hongki was trying to be near Jihyun, they see that as Hongki’s way of welcoming Jihyun to their family. A way to make Jihyun comfortable with their unusual surrounding. Since she was surrounded by gangsters (where’s the normality in that anyway, even though she was once bullied by one). A way to protect Jihyun from harms way. A way to help his hyung, Jinki. But now, it seems that all these acts were a way for Hongki to be near Jihyun.

Mr and Mrs Lee were quite shocked that their second son has deeper feeling for Jinki’s wife. Never in their time that they were together in the mansion that they thought it even possible. Yes, Jihyun is not someone who is very beautiful that every man will stop in their track to take a second look to stare at her. Nor is she someone who will be envied by the female population by her beauty or iness. If someone wants to look for that trait, they will find it in Kim HyunAe who is now Key’s wife or Choi Hyerin who is the current girlfriend of Jonghyun; but was called as Rin since Jonghyun and Key’s younger sister is also known as Hyerin.

Jihyun. She is just average in beauty but she has a crystal brown orbs that you can drown in. She has a soft long straight brown hair that reaches the middle of her torso. Her height is average too. She only reached below Jinki’s ear. She has quite a slim figure, skin light in colour. Though she is average in the looks department, but they guessed it’s from her personality that drew Jinki and Hongki to her.

Hongki who was still on the floor wiped the blood off his face with one of his hand while the other hand he used to push himself back up. He only got to a kneeling position to push his body to a standing position when Jonghyun lunged back at him. He grabbed Hongki’s front shirt with both of his fist clenched tight on Hongki’s thin material of a shirt. Jonghyun dragged Hongki with enough strength to make him stand up on his foot. Then he pushed Hongki back roughly until Hongki’s back slammed on the hospital wall.

“Stop kidding around Hongki. You mean to tell me that Jinki is in that operation room now because you can’t get Jihyun?!” snarled Jonghyun to Hongki.

Jihyun who can’t stand to look at Hongki being handled roughly by Jonghyun went to Jonghyun’s side. She tugged on Jonghyun’s arm from putting on more force on Hongki.

“Jonghyun oppa, *jebal. No more violence for tonight. No one have to be hurt anymore. Jebal oppa.” Jihyun begged with tears still streaked on her face.

Even though she knew that Hongki was at fault with what happened to Jinki, she still doesn’t want him to be hurt. She still viewed Hongki as part of her family in the Lee household. Jinki’s condition is more important to her now. Jonghyun who was still angry at Hongki for the reason that doesn’t make sense to him, didn’t listen to a thing that Jihyun was saying. He was too angry at Hongki to notice her tugging at his arm. When he realized that someone was tugging his arm, he pushed the person away. He didn’t realize that he put too much strength to it that caused Jihyun to fall to the ground.

“Jonghyun oppa!” Two voices simultaneously shouted out. Both HyunAe and Hyerin ran to Jihyun’s side.

“Jihyun, gwaenchana?!” HyunAe asked in a panic voice. To see Jihyun still sobbing on the ground made her angry at Jonghyun who pushed her down.

“Jonghyun oppa, *keumanhae! Stop it now!” HyunAe shouted to Jonghyun, “You could’ve hurt Jihyun and her baby.” HyunAe continued.

That piece of information made the people around the area shocked once again. But this time, instead of their attention to Hongki, now it’s on Jihyun who was on the floor. Jihyun was still sobbing while circling her arms on her still flat abdomen. HyunAe’s voice and statement of Jihyun’s condition broke Jonghyun’s anger reverie.

Jihyun...is pregnant? Jonghyun thought. 

His grip on Hongki’s shirt loosened and his arm dropped to his side. He looked at Jihyun on the floor with HyunAe and Hyerin on both of her side. 

I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I hurt her and Jinki’s child. 

He dropped to his knees and gathered Jihyun on his strong arm. Since Jinki confessed to him that he was in love with Jihyun, he always makes sure that the two will be happy together for they deserved it. He took it upon himself to take care of his best friend’s partner. He already took it to himself that he will treat Jihyun as his own sister. That is why he was so angry with Hongki.

Hongki was stunned when he heard that Jihyun is bearing Jinki hyung’s child. He stood with the wall as his place to lean on. His knees buckled and he slid to the floor.

Jihyun is with Jinki hyung’s child. They’re going to have a child. I am to be an uncle. The sentence kept circling in his mind. What have I done? What have I done? 

Hongki lifted up his hands and grabbed his hair. Pulling it with all his strength. Guilt and shame seeping in his being. Reality dawn slowly upon him. 

Jihyun never sees me as more than a friend. Never sees me as more than a brother after she married Jinki hyung. Never. And me, what did I do? I forced my feelings unto her. When that didn’t work, I was stupid enough to turn to Joon. Hah! Yeah. Stupid. Jonghyun hyung was right. I AM STUPID. 

Hongki kept on blaming himself silently. He felt that everything was his fault that Jinki hyung is on the emergency room, battling between life and death. Which one will win? Life? Or death? He can’t bring himself up again if Death wins over. He would be consumed by guilt and shame. He would let himself drown in it. Funny isn’t it? Guilt and shame have such power to hold onto a person.

Hongki finally lifted up his face and looked at Jihyun who was in Jonghyun’s arms. Jonghyun kept on rocking her back and forth, giving off the feeling of comfort. He roamed his eyes to Hyerin who was kneeling beside Jonghyun, caressing Jihyun’s hair. Then he swept his eyes to HyunAe who was slowly picked up by Key. Key brought her to sit beside Taemin on the bench. Key’s face was serious and worried. He must be worried about HyunAe’s condition and the addition of Jihyun’s condition too. While Key’s arms were around HyunAe, his eyes were on Jihyun. Taemin’s demeanour screamed anxiety. He keeps on glancing between Jihyun and the double doors of the emergency room. Hongki’s eyes next landed on Minho who was still standing and leaning on the white-washed wall. Staring at nothing with a poker face. Finally his eyes landed on his parents. His mother now is in his father’s arms, leaning on his husband’s strong stance. Mr. Lee’s eyes clashed with Hongki and Hongki can see all the emotion on his father’s eyes. Disappointment, worries, confusion. Mr. Lee shook his head and turned his eyes away from Hongki. That action itself made Hongki’s heart break. It’s as if he was viewed as something that is not worth of their attention anymore. Hongki’s head hung low.

After what seems like hours, the double doors of the emergency room finally open. A figure in green attire with green cap that covered all his hair with a white mask draped around the lower part of his face walked to us. He stopped in front of our group and took out his white mask.

“Are all of you the family of the patient, Lee Jinki?” he asked while surveying us all who were in different position of the small waiting area.

“Neh.” A chorus of voice answered the doctor. If the man found that it’s hard to believe that all these people are Jinki’s family, he didn’t show it at all. Instead he looked at Mr and Mrs Lee who looked like the parents of the patient. After replying to the doctor’s question just now, Jihyun struggled to get out of Jonghyun’s arms and stood up to walk to the doctor’s side.

“Doctor, is my husband alright?” she asked with a cracked and wavering voice. The doctor changed his attention to Jihyun.

“Mrs Lee.” He acknowledged her, “I am Doctor Kim Jongwoon.” He introduced himself. Then he cracked a small smile that made his small eyes smaller. “Jinki-shi is now in a stable condition. It is a wonder that the bullet didn’t penetrate to his brain. The bullet grazed through his left temple. That’s what made him lost quite a lot of blood.”

The moment the doctor announced that Jinki is in a stable condition, the sound of people exhaling their breath could be heard resounding around the room. Jihyun was so relief that she began to fall again but caught up just in time by Minho who was near to her. He held Jihyun tightly in his arms and squeezed her arms to comfort her.

“It is a miracle that the bullet didn’t penetrate the vital point on his head. If it’s even a centimetre off, he could be in a complicated situation or worse, dead.” Doctor Kim continued to give them information. “For now, I’ll have him move to another room. But for the time being, I will only allow one person to visit him.” Then Doctor Kim told the group of people the room that Jinki would be taken to and went on to his own destination.

A few nurses came out pushing the stretcher that Jinki laid on. He looked very pale coupled up with his milky white skin. Jihyun who saw her husband immediately followed after the nurses that were bringing Jinki to his room. 

The rest of the group slowly followed Jihyun and the nurses to Jinki’s room. Hongki was still stuck standing near the wall and surveying the people that turning their back on him to Jinki. Hongki felt that he doesn’t even have the privilege to see his hyung. His heart was heavy with burdens by what had caused it to happen. He felt anguished. Suddenly, he felt someone patted his shoulder and squeezed it as if to tell him that it will be alright. He turned to see that Minho was the one who was beside him, looking at him questioningly. He was the only one that didn’t look at him with accusing eyes. Hongki gave him a tentative smile which Minho gave a small smile in returned.

“Thanks Minho.” Hongki murmured quietly to Minho and grabbed Minho’s hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze too.

“Just give them time. Too much has happened tonight. I can’t say that all that happened tonight is 100% your fault Hongki, but you know that your silly action does result to this. I can’t say that the rest will forgive you easily, or what you have done is pardonable. It’s all up to them.” Minho said to Hongki.

Hongki stayed silent for a while, and then he asked Minho, “Why are you here with me Minho? You know about me loving Jihyun a long time ago. I have no valid excuse for my action except I did it driven by jealousy. Why are you still with me? You must be angry with me as Jonghyun hyung and Taemin.”

Minho considered his answer for a while. He looked at Hongki and said, “How you are feeling is up to you Hongki. Nobody can say you should be feeling a certain way about anything. Likewise, you can’t force your feelings to others too, isn’t it?”

What Minho had said really struck him in ways more than one. How can he neglect that bit of information? 

“I’m not saying this to make you feel worse Hongki. I’m just saying that every person has their rights with their own emotions. That’s why I can’t really blame you for your emotions. But that doesn’t mean that I am okay with your action. Yes, tonight can end in a different way than this. I can’t even bring myself to entertain the idea of what if Jinki hyung can’t make it. But you see the thought is still there.” Minho said in the deep voice of his. Minho grabbed Hongki’s other shoulder and turned him to face him.

“Hongki, we have been friends since we’re still in our diapers. I know you’ve made a mistake by going to Joon. I still didn’t get it why you went to him when you know our history with him. But I want you to know that I got your back bro.”

Hongki stared at Minho’s sincere eyes and gulped down the quiver that started to rise up his throat. He can’t believe it that even after what he had done; Minho still continued giving him support. It made him feel even guiltier. He hung his head trying to prevent the tears that gathered at the corner of his eyes from falling. But his effort fall short when Minho embraced him and patted his back. He let the tears fell freely and returned Minho’s hug.

I hope I can still make things right. The thought was very much embed in Hongki’s mind.


***


To be continued...


A/N:
*Jebal = Please
*Keumanhae = Stop

It’s another short chapter. Yes, it was revealed to the rest of the people that Jihyun is pregnant with Jinki’s child. Triple news bomb for them in one night isn’t it. Jinki’s been shot, Hongki was in love with Jihyun and Jihyun’s pregnancy. Tsk, tsk. What else in stores? 
Hohoho. By the way, do you notice who the cameo in this chapter is? It’s Yesung (Kim Jongwoon is the real name) Kekeke. Anybody a fan of Yesung? 
Anyway, the next chapter update will be quite a long chapter with the last chapter on the present time for the moment. And we will have more of Taemin too.  Comments and subs are love.  Until the next update, Annyeong~~