Chapter 5
Hope
“Gwaenchana? Soo Min-sshi, gwaenchana?” Jung Min asked her again and again, frantically as he made his way down the stairs as fast as he could with the injury that he already has on his abdomen due to the operation he had earlier that morning.
Yu Soo Min stood and eyed herself, trying to find any injury on her as a result of the fall. There was none. She gave Jung Min a grin.
“Ta da…scratchless. No pain and no injury. Your theory just got busted.”
“That is not funny…not funny at all. Did you fall on purpose?” Jung Min scolded her. His jaw tightened and his eyes glaring at her with a tint of panic in it.
“No…I fell. Really…I’m sorry I scared you Jung Min-sshi…I’m sorry,” she said, feeling guilty for making her only friend now, worry.
Jung Min held unto the railing for support, “Let’s just go back to our floor. I have had enough excitement for today.”
He didn’t even look at her as he made his exit out on the 5th floor and hit the down button on the elevator.
“Hey…I said I’m sorry.”
Jung Min continued giving her the silent treatment, not even looking at her. The elevator door opened and he stepped in as she followed thru, standing on the opposite of Jung Min, still eyeing him. She could see that he was upset at her. The elevator started to go down and stopped at the number 2, the level Park Jung Min hit the button on.
He waited inside the elevator when the door opened, holding onto the open button, and waiting for her to go out first. She sighed as she saw the averting eyes of Park Jung Min away from her. Slowly, she made her way out and waited for him to come out as well. He got out of the elevator and went straight to the direction of his room.
She can’t stand the hollow feeling inside of her as she saw the back of Park Jung Min in front of her with his head down.
“Park Jung Min-sshi…I’m sorry. I really, really am…please forgive me. I didn’t mean to make you worry,” she apologized, shouting across the hallway as she knew that only Park Jung Min was able to hear her. And she was glad that the shout stopped him on his track. She saw him stood there, still, for a while before turning to the back to face her.
“You are supposed to show me your room…”
She smiled when she heard him say that and not to mention the slight curve on his lips. The hollow feeling was now filled with gladness.
‘I’m forgiven…’ she thought as she hurriedly made her way towards him. As she was standing beside him, she apologized again, “I’m sorry Park Jung Min-sshi…”
“I’m sorry too…for venting my anger like that to you.”
“May I ask?”
“Ask?”
“Why were you angry?”
Park Jung Min scratched the back of his head, startled by her question. She watched him closely, waiting for his answer as they continued walking slowly, passing his room in the process.
Looking straight at the hallway, he finally gave her his answer, “I’m angry at myself. You fell and there was nothing that I could do to help you. I can’t hold you. I tried to grab onto you when you fell but it was like grabbing air.”
The answer wasn’t what she expected. She thought he was angry at her for not being careful but not the other way around. ‘He tried to grab me? To prevent me from falling?’
She continued staring at him in disbelieve. “Thank you…for trying.”
He didn’t say anything afterwards as she showed him the way to her room on the next section. She went inside first, eyeing the area for him. When the nurse’s station cleared, she quickly poked her head through the door and bid him to come in quietly.
“Well, this is me. Sorry for the mess…I don’t look too well in physical.”
He stood by the door and walked in cautiously, pain on his face as he watched her body with all the tubes, oxygen mask and monitors that monitor her heartbeat, her lungs capacity.
“I look like hell, right? Luckily in spirit I look exactly like how I look before getting shot at, which I am grateful. I don’t want to go around looking like that…” she said, trying to be cheerful.
She didn’t want him to pity her or feel sad for her. She had enough self-pitying already. But she saw how he looked at her after seeing her body. He was hurt and sad at her situation.
‘For someone who just knew me, he was quick to have those feelings. He really is a good person,’ she thought.
“Hey, don’t look at me like that…” she said, looking away from his eyes.
“Excuse me…visiting hours are over. Please go back to your room.”
The both of them were startled by the sudden intrusion, turned around and saw a nurse standing at the entrance door, looking at her visitor.
“I’m sorry. I’ll be on my way,” he said as he gave the nurse his sweet smile and a nod.
Probably realizing who he was, the nurse stared at him in shock before hurriedly walking away.
“This is going to be the gossip of the night…an idol visiting a geek who never has a visitor, after visiting hours,” she said, chuckling, feeling glad that the nurse broke the awkward situation from before.
He continued smiling and tilted his head to face her, “I guess so…wait till they see me coming to visit you tomorrow morning. It’s going to be huge news…”
“Well, you better go back to your room before the nurse comes back. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”
“Good night, Soo Min-sshi. I promise I’ll drop by tomorrow morning,” he said before walking away to the direction they came, towards his own room.
Comments