Heavenly comfort.

Sulli was feeling as snug as a bug in a rug. She was surrounded by fluffy softness and warmth. It was so cozy that she did not want to wake up.

"Wait, the last time I remember, my head was in contact with the cold solid ground," her heavy eyelids shot open as the realisation dawned on her. She was welcomed by the sight of a self-illumination wall clock dominating the wall. She was in a dark room. The curtains were closed so she could not make up the time.

"Where is this? Why am I here?" she muttered to herself as she tried to get up but her attempt was in vain because her body was too weak to support herself. She realised she was on IV drip when she felt pain on her left hand. There was a stinging pain on her lower right abdomen. She also realised her right hand was being held in a warm palm.

"You're awake? I'm going to call the doctor!" Sulli's clouded mind turned crystal clear after realising the person holding her hand was Minho. "Don't," she whispered weakly and tried to reach out her hand to grab the hem of Minho's shirt.

"Okay okay I'll listen to your command, princess. But please don't move for now. If not your wound is never going to heal!" Minho came back to her side and tried to tug her back into the bed.

"Wound? What are you talking about?" Sulli was confused. She could not remember anything.

"Oh right, you underwent anaesthesia so you have no memory of it. Plus you even passed out in school," Minho was talking and nodding to himself.

"The whole thing is like this. I found you collapsed on the ground after I heard a loud thump sound. My heart almost stopped upon seeing your face that was as pale as death, you know! You were sweating profusely. Then I carried you to the infirmary. After a while,you started holding your lower abdomen and murmuring but you wouldn't wake up. After your eomma rushed to the school, she decided that you should be sent to the hospital. After checking, Doctor Kang realised that you were suffering from appendicitis. Good thing that you didn't have your lunch that afternoon so he could carry out the appendix-removal surgery last night," everything came clear to Sulli after listening to Minho's explanation. However, a new string of questions started flooding her mind.

"I heard everything yesterday. You know, Nana and ......" Sulli said and her voice trailed off upon remembering the painful memory.

"Don't worry, Mr. Doo is really efficient. He has taken care of everything. Nana was given severe demerit marks. She dropped out of the school by herself before the school kicked her out. As for Suzy, she had already woken up but I heard she is going to transfer. However she had already made a public statement about your innocence. She also spoke out her apology towards you during the assembly this morning in front of everyone. She was regretful that she could not apologise to you personally because her flight to the States was 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Thus, she asked me to pass this to you," Minho said and passed an envelope to Sulli.

"The States? She is going to USA? And you said in the afternoon? Didn't the clock struck three when I woke up just now? You can't mean that it's three o'clock in the morning now?" Sulli looked at Minho with doubtful eyes while putting the envelope under her pillow and decided to read it when she felt better.

"Yes and yes. What is wrong about three o'clock in the morning?" Minho answered casually but then he yawned next.

"But you and school......" Sulli asked. Her appearance seemed calm but she actually felt nervous deep inside. It was just Minho and her alone in the room late at night. What could have happened that parents even left her under Minho's care? There were more than one question that she wanted to ask but she was still too weak for that.

"Don't worry about me. Tomorrow,no today is Saturday! There is no school so I don't have to wake up at 6 a.m. I know you are wondering your parents' whereabout. Your father had to leave for an emergency business trip by dawn just now but he had been here to watch over you alongside your mother since you were admitted to the hospital. My parents learnt about your condition and they were also concerned about your mother's health because she was so worried that she did not sleep nor eat. They volunteered to look after you for a night so I followed them. They are sleeping on the bench outside. I told them I would take care of you. You know I...... Ahh nothing. I think you should rest now. You have been up for too long," Minho's voice trailed off as he rose from his seat.

"Can you please don't go? I...I...I am afraid of the dark," Sulli spoke in an undertone while her hand grabbed Minho's left pinky finger. Actually the darkness was not that daunting. It was the loneliness that Sulli could not deal with, not anymore.There was something more other than fear in her tone. She longed, no she needed Minho to keep her company.

"Arasso I'm not going. Guess I'll just suppress my urge to visit the toilet for you, princess. Now, sleep," Minho's humourous reply earned a giggle from Sulli but soon she frowned because her wound was starting to get painful.

"Hush,hush," two slender fingers crept in between her knitted eyebrows and soothed her forced wrinkles. Another strong and firm hand held her right hand tight. A lullaby was being hummed sotto voce yet it was alluring.

Finally feeling that she was being protected, Sulli fell asleep.

Little did she know that a feathery kiss was dropped on her forehead when her breathing was finally even out. 

Dear Sulli,

Hi there. I hope you are recovering well from the surgery. I underwent the same surgery when I was six. I can still feel the pain when I look at the scar on my tummy. Anyway, it'll fade as you age so don't worry, you have no worries when wearing a bikini *chuckles*

Please forgive me but I am trying to make a light start.

Here, I apologise for everything terrible that I have done to you in the past. You are kind, beautiful, smart and caring. You are the best friend one could ever have but I let my jealousy consumed my love and admiration towards you. I was too greedy. I wanted to have everything that you have. I should have believed you in the first place but instead I let Nana fed me all the false information about you. I know I can blame no one because I am responsible for my own actions.

I really wanted to seek your pardon personally but my family is migrating to USA today. We have planned to migrate after my graduation from high school but we have to bring forward the migration because my father is needed urgently by his company in the States. Maybe fate has already decided that I should stay out of your sight so you can embrace more happiness, enjoy your high school life to the fullest and end it with memories that will last you a life time. 

I apologise on behalf of Nana to you too. I do hope she will express her regret to you one day. I just learnt about what happened to her this morning. I still cannot get over the fact that the girl who seems so harmless is the mastermind behind the whole drama. I do not beg your forgiveness but I hope that you will not hold grudges towards Nana because it will trap you in hatred forever. 

After I cleared my jealousy and dislike towards you, I realise I was having the time of my life when being friends with you. It is a shame that I did everything that led to the break of our friendship. I truly regret that.

I really hope to see your cheerful smile, especially your beautiful eyesmile with my own eyes one day. Maybe one day in the future when you finally accept me as a friend again. You look the most gorgeous when the end of your lips are curved upwards! *Trust me, nobody can resist that, even MH, erherm*

I wish you the best in your future endeavours. With your diligence, intelligence and determination, I have faith that you will succeed in anything and everything you pursue. Perhaps one day I will see your face on Times magazine? Who knows what the future holds? 

Anyway, I think I am jabbering too much and this letter of apology is becoming a social letter. I AM SORRY, SULLI. I AM REALLY, REALLY SORRY.

Sincerely, 

SUZY

"Silly girl, I don't hate," Sulli chuckled but tears would not stop running down her cheeks. She was caressing the letter while reading it again and again. The whole misunderstanding and suffering were finally over.

"Maybe, I deserve to be happy," she thought and ignited her flame of hope about her future.

Author's note: How's the MinSul moment? Do let me know your thoughts!