I passed down the street.

It was cold.

Freezing to be exact. But I knew I had to keep on walking if I wanted to arrive home quickly.

My feet took one step, and another...

And another...


I was dizzy. My head was hurting and I held it with my left hand with my laptop bag clinging on my  fingers while my right hand trembled to tighten my jacket, but still, the cold was defeatless. I shivered once again and quickened my steps.

I walked cross the street without looking left and right when I suddenly felt a force pushing me to my left side and heard a screeching tire. I gasped but before my brain could process what had happened, I was pushed down to the ground and....

It was all black....




“Are you okay?” I heard him asked with a worried  tone.

I grunted and opened my eyes slowly. I held my head and looked around. It was all white walls surrounding me.
And then, there he was, on the left side of the bed I was sleeping on. The first thing I noticed about him was his pillowy lips and once he grinned, I could see his gummy smile. Then I realized that his height was more than average when I saw that his head was almost as tall as the door frame.

“Where am I?” I asked softly with a hoarse voice and rubbed my eyes.

“You're in the hospital..”

“W-What happened?”

He scratched the back of his head while I tried to recollect what happened before. Ah... The car...

“You were the one driving that car is it?” I asked softly with an expresionless gaze.

“Ne... I'm sorry... I didn't see you coming,” he answered me and I could immediately sense his guilty tone.

I felt bad for him. After all, I was the one who was not concentrating to where I was going.

“Uhm... Actually.... It was my fault,” I finally said softly, breaking the silence that happened for 30 seconds or so between us.

“Ne?”

I sighed and laid back on the bed.

“It was just... really cold and um I...”

“You were sick,”

“No, I wasn't,” I remembered denying him.

“The doctor checked on you and he said you got a high fever. Thank God you're better now,”

I tilted my head a bit. Quite impressed by how consice he spoke actually.

“You have a minor injury in your left leg. The bone is a bit misplaced but the doctor said you'll recover in a while,”

I nodded.

True enough. I tried to raise my left leg up but the only thing I gain was pain.  

“Do you have any relatives or friends that I could tell your situation to?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“No... I'll recover in a while any way,”

He furrowed his eyebrows, not believing me but nodded.

“I'll pay the hospital fees,” I told him.
 
“Ah... you don't really need to do that... I just did..”

“Mwo?”

“Yea... I just finished signing the bill before you woke up,” he said softly with his smile.

I wasn't sure if it was just me in my 'unwell' state or is his smile really contagious?

“You look good when you smile,” he commented.

“Thanks...” I remembered responding him softly.

“I'm Lee Sungyeol by the way,” he suddenly introduced himself and offered me his right hand which I shook with immediately.

“Kang Eunji,”

“So... I guess... we're friends?” he asked awkwardly.

I giggled and nodded.

“Do you want any thing from the canteen? I'm actually quite hungry now,” he offered me.

I looked at the wall clock. 1 a.m.

“Can't I go down too?” I asked him once I realized my growling stomach.

He threw his unsure gaze to the wheelchair at the corner of the room and turned to me. I smiled.

“Please?”

“The doctor said you can't...”

“It's 1 o'clock... come on, you gotta help me, at least now, when my stomach is already growling for food,” I begged him.

He finally nodded and I smiled with satisfaction immediately.

He dragged the wheelchair to the right side of my bed and I slowly sat at the edge. He held my right hand as my right foot stepped down the cold floor. I flinched a bit when I dropped my left leg down. The pain could be clearly felt. He immediately helped me lifting my left leg slowly as I sat down at the wheelchair. It was uncomfortable but then, there was only one thing on my mind: Food.

“Ready?”

I nodded and he pushed it from behind. We passed through the quiet hallway slowly, making sure no one would spot us.

“You know if someone sees us we'll be so dead- no- I'll be so dead,” he whisphered.

I laughed silently.

“Shut up! It's just us going to the canteen,” I said back softly as we went down the elevator.

We cringed our eyes as we heard the 'ting!' from the elevator before the door open and we went out. We arrived in front of the small canteen with no one inside it, except for the sleepy canteen lady. He opened the glass door first before pushing me inside and closing it again. He then pushed me to one of the table in the corner.

“What do you want? I'll order for you there,” he asked.

“Mmh.. Chicken and coffee,” I told him.

“Coffee? But it's late night,” I remember him ask. So he's a concerned man huh?

“That's fine,” I finally said after chuckling.

He went to the counter and I found myself staring at his tall figure. He didn't have a very pleasing face or body but.... I didn't know.... he just seemed to be a good man.

He smiled to the cashier after taking his orders and sat in front of me with a tray full of our midnight meal.

“Don't you have anyone waiting for you? Like your girlfriend or mom maybe?”  I surprised myself by starting the conversation. And I didn't know why my tone sounded unexpectedly intimidating when I said the word 'girlfriend'.

He shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of his tea.

“Well, my girlfriend's asleep and I don't really live with my mom, I live with my brother,” he explained while I just nodded.

“How about you?”

“I don't know... Well, I rarely see my parents, they're too busy with their business and since I'm their only child, I'm pretty lonely at times. The only time I meet people is when I go to work,”

“Where do you work at?” He asked after nodding his head.

“Model's boutique. Well, it's a part time job, but it's not bad,” I said.

“No boyfriend?”

“Unfortunately no,” I said with a laugh, followed by his.

We then ate silently. Not an awkward silent. Just silent.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you that you will be staying in the hospital for a day or two,” he said suddenly.
 
I raised my eye brows.

“Really?  Can't I just go home tomorrow?”

He shook his head and smiled.

“Doctor's orders,”

I sighed and took out my cell phone to text Sunyoong, my only friend, who didn't wear freaky outfit in Model's botique, to tell her I would be absent for a day or two.

“But hey, I can accompany you everytime I get back from work,” I remember him said.

“Ne?” I asked blandly.

He shook his head and hit mines softly.

“Stop being so slow at responding. I just told you that I could visit you so that you won't get bored while you're alone here,”

I giggled.

“Well, Lee Sungyeol, although we just met, I found out that you were brave enough to hit my head and even offer to visit me everyday,” I told him with a small laugh, followed by his gummy smile.

“But wouldn't your girlfriend have a problem with that?” I asked in a more serious tone.

“Aniya, don't worry about her,” he shook his head.

I nodded.

“Alright then, I guess I would see you again tomorrow,” I told him and he nodded.

We finished our meals and he pushed me back to my room, said “See you,” and left.

So that was the first night.

The first night I met a guy called Lee Sungyeol whom I had no idea about.

The first night that I could smile even after an accident.



The first night that would change my life...



 

“So what happened after that?” The