“Yah, Lee Byunghun! Aren’t you going to school today?” Hana asked L.Joe as she stared at him still in bed.

Perhaps, the two have been used to sleeping beside each other every night. No one has crossed the line either. So, that means, they have both adjusted.

Hana walked towards L.Joe. “Hey,” She shook him a bit. But L.Joe is not even moving.

Hana was wondering since L.Joe was such a light sleeper and he would wake up from small noises like that. But now, she shook him and he was still sleeping.

She shook him off harder and noticed that L.Joe is holding onto his stomach while frowning. Her eyes widened when she realized what was happening. “Yah, Byunghun, what’s happening?” She asked as she held onto him.

“H-hurts.” L.Joe managed to say one word and Hana was all around the place.

Hell, L.Joe was in pain. His facial expression says so. And he was holding onto his abdomen.

“What hurts?” She asked panicking. “Tell me.” She asked.

But L.Joe was flinching in pain and he couldn’t speak or hear well. His attention was all into the pain he was feeling.

Hana went to get her phone and call the ambulance. Then she turned to L.Joe again. “Wait a bit more. The ambulance is coming.” She told him before calling Ahjumma.

Never.

Never ever in Hana’s life has she found herself this nervous.

Of course, she didn’t know what to do. She was so all over the place. Her heart was racing fast. She couldn’t think well. Tunnel vision. She couldn’t even look around.

Her eyes are all on L.Joe who is wincing and flinch in pain.

He looked so helpless in Hana’s eyes and it made her heart hurt.

She didn’t even know why she is this worried about him. He is not someone she loves. He is not the person who makes her day bright. He is not someone who her heart longs for.

But why?

Why is she this affected?

Her eyes softened as she looked at L.Joe in bed. Helpless. In pain. Broken.

At that instant, her heart skipped a beat.

----

“How’s he? Is he going to be fine?” Mrs. Lee asked the doctor.

Mrs. Lee and Hana are in the hospital right now.

Hana called Mrs. Lee as soon as the ambulance arrived and they have been in the emergency room for about an hour because of the tests done.

The doctor smiled. “Your son’s fine.” He replied making Hana and Mrs. Lee sigh in relief. “He just had an acute attack of his ulcer because he probably drank or ate something acidic after not eating anything at all.” He explained. “We’ll be transferring him to a private room so we can monitor his condition.” He smiled and left.

Mrs. Lee ran towards L.Joe and smiled.

Hana looked at L.Joe. She was thinking about what the doctor had just said. Not eating anything all? How could that be possible? Of course, L.Joe ate something for lunch and dinner. She didn’t see it because she dozed off the whole day but she was certain he ate some because Ahjumma cooked his favorite. There’s no way he’s not going to eat those.

Then he ate the cheesecake at the café. He even drank frappe.

She narrowed her eyes and thought. If there is someone who should be lying on a hospital bed right now because of not eating anything, it should be her? Right? She didn’t eat breakfast and lunch and just skipped to dinner, which she ate pasta and drank iced tea. She should be the one having ulcer right now, and not L.Joe.

But why?

*Did he really not eating anything?* She thought, totally into her thoughts.

“Hana?” Mrs. Lee suddenly called her bringing her back to the world.

Hana looked at Mrs. Lee. “Yes, Omonim?” She asked, not listening to her.

Mrs. Lee chuckled. “You must be really worried. You even spaced out.” She beamed as she hooked her arm with hers. “I said, we’ll be transferring Byunghun now.” She smiled.

Hana smiled back, awkwardly. Okay. She was spacing out because she was thinking of how this happened. She was so sure that L.Joe ate something.

“Ah… neh.” She smiled as they followed L.Joe who was being pushed to his private room.

---

“Hana, you should attend your class.” Mrs. Lee told Hana as soon as they had fixed everything in the room. “You should catch up.” She smiled.

Hana looked at Mrs. Lee. “But are you going to be okay?” She asked.

Mrs. Lee nodded. “Of course.” She assured. “And besides, you have done everything. You have to go to school.” She smiled.

Hana smiled back and nodded. The truth is, she almost forgot that today was a school day and just this morning, she was waking L.Joe up to go to school. But because of what happened to him, she totally forgot about everything.

Is that even acceptable?

“Ah… neh, omonim.” She smiled. “I’ll be back after class.” She said.

Mrs. Lee nodded. “Okay. You take care.” She smiled.

Hana nodded. “And I’ll be the one to inform the professors about this.” She smiled before walking out of the door.

Mrs. Lee watched Hana leave before looking at L.Joe with a smile. “I bet you two are really getting along well.” She spoke. “I’m glad.” She smiled once again.

---

“Hey, Hana!” Minji called her.

Hana smiled and waved at Minji.

“Where were you? I heard you didn’t go to morning class?” Minji asked in concern.

Hana smiled and nodded. “Just handled something urgent.” She replied. *Sorry, Minji.* She apologized in her mind.

Hana and her guilt strikes again.

She just doesn’t know how to break it Minji gently. She knows that she wouldn’t be able to do that because Minji will be hurt in any way. She knows that too well. And she hates herself for not being able to do anything to lessen the hurt for her best friend.

Minji nodded as she hooked her arm around Hana’s. “It’s weird though.” She beamed. “Byunghun oppa hasn’t contacted me since last night. And he didn’t come to school as well.” She spoke.

Hana stiffened at that instant. This is it. It is starting. She thought to herself.

She knows it was bound to happen but she still gets shocked and nervous whenever she thinks that it will happen soon.

She’s going to break hearts.

Break the hearts of the two closest persons in her life.

If it was a requirement, she wouldn’t have agreed to this in the first place.

Hana laughed awkwardly. “Maybe he got no load?” She asked dumbly. She wanted to kill herself at the moment.

Minji blinked at Hana. “Tss. Lame excuse, Kim Hana. Oppa has mobile plan.” She chuckled.

Hana laughed awkwardly. “Well, we might never know if the plan expired already.” She continued to stay the dumber.

Minji laughed out loud shaking her head. “Whatever, Hana. Your jokes are really not fun at all!” She teased.

Hana scoffed at Minji. “And what do you think about yours?” She beamed back.

Minji just shrugged and ran away.

Hana scoffed and ran after her.

Well, they are best friends anyway.

----

“Are you feeling better?”

Hana asked L.Joe.

Right after classes, Mrs. Lee asked Hana to come back to the hospital because she has to go somewhere urgent. Hana had no right to say no. So, here she is.

L.Joe had woken up moments after she left for school a while ago and was still awake up until now. He just couldn’t get a rest until he sees her again.

Hell, what is happening to him?

L.Joe nodded as he stared at her. “How was school?” He asked.

Hana shrugged. “I only attended 2 classes so I couldn’t really answer your question.” She replied as she peeled the fruits for her to eat. Well, L.Joe couldn’t eat any fruit except for apple because most fruits trigger ulcer.

“But…” Hana spoke. “Minji was so worried about you.” She continued. “She didn’t know that you are hospitalized and she was whining about you not contacting her since last night.” She finished.

That instant, guilt washed over L.Joe’s being.

He definitely forgot about Minji. He totally forgot about informing her.

Damn. What was he doing? He was so into someone else’s girl that he definitely forgot about his own happiness, his own princess, his Minji.

Hana shook her head at L.Joe. “That’s not how you roll, Lee Byunghun.” She said as she munched the fruits. “You better inform her before you get hospitalized for fracture this time. Courtesy of Kim Hana.” She warned.

L.Joe nodded and took his phone. He has to make it up to her.