CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Crimson Eyes

HAEYOON CAN’T HELP but chuckle at Chanyeol’s exaggerated pout as he stared at the black screen of her phone.

“I don’t have the charger with me but I can send you the photos once I get home,” she reassured him with a pat on his head. “I’ll be discharged tomorrow after a few more tests, anyway.”

“Okay,” he said in a disappointed tone before he handed the device back to her.

“Good evening!” a cheery male voice was heard as soon as the door of her room swung open. “Tao is here at your service.”

“Hey, Tao,” Haeyoon smiled sweetly at the sight of the other Guardian. He was carrying a pretty bouquet of sunflowers on one hand while a cute panda stuffed toy was on the other.

The male returned her smile with a fond grin. “I brought you something,” he handed her the panda. “I hope you like it.”

“It’s so cute,” she said delightfully. “I love it.”

“And you brought nothing for me?” Chanyeol, who felt forgotten, spoke.

“And why would I bring you something?” Tao raised an eyebrow at Chanyeol, lips quirking up into a teasing smile. He started fixing the flowers he brought, putting them on the vase together with the daisies. “You have your own hands, feet and money; go buy on your own if you want anything.”

The other male made a face. “Stingy.”

When Tao was done, he grabbed a chair and sat on the other side of the girl’s bed, across Chanyeol. He gave his brother a look and said, “Aren’t you going to leave? I believe your turn is already over.”

“Nope,” Chanyeol replied, popping the ‘p’. “Yoongi specifically told me to stay with Haeyoonie until tomorrow.”

“Whatever you say,” Tao said dismissively, shrugging off his backpack before rummaging through it. “Hey, Yoonie, I have some movies here, wanna watch?” he asked as he pulled his laptop out of his bag. “Pick what you like.”

“Sure,” Haeyoon pulled her legs closer to her body to give space for Tao’s laptop on top of the bed. “What do you have there?”

“Probably anything but horror films,” Chanyeol said as he started peeling an orange from the basket.

Tao shot him a glare. “If there’s one person scared of horror movies, it’ll be Suho.” He booted up the device. “Remember last night? The movie’s not even that scary but he didn’t watch at all.”

“Really?” the girl perked up, eyes glinting with amusement. “He doesn’t seem like it.”

“Oh no,” Chanyeol snorted at Tao. “I’m so telling Suho that you told Haeyoon that.”

“Don’t you dare, Chanyeol!” he warned.

The fire Guardian had a smirk plastered on his face. “You know that he’ll get back at you twice.”

Tao groaned helplessly as he imagined the possible revenge their leader might bestow on him. “I’m so dead.”

Chanyeol’s reply was an obnoxious laugh.

“Shh, the movie’s starting,” Haeyoon shushed the two males as she grabbed her pillow and placed it on her lap.

“Seriously?” Tao balked when he saw the movie playing on his laptop’s screen. “Somewhere Only We Know?”

“What?” the girl raised a brow at him. “It’s a good movie! Plus, Wu Yi Fan is such a handsome actor.”

“Girls and their romance,” Chanyeol commented with a roll of his eyes.

“Oh yeah?” she gave Tao a meaningful stare. “So why does Tao have this movie then?”

Said boy sputtered and blushed, “W-well, it’s a good movie!”

Chanyeol and Haeyoon laughed at his expense.

“You, guys, are mean,” he pouted sulkily.

“I’m just kidding!” Haeyoon pinched Tao’s cheeks before she went back to the movie. “Now be quiet so I can watch properly.”

Almost two hours had passed before the movie ended and when Haeyoon looked at her two companions, they both fell asleep. Tao had his head buried on his folded arms propped on the edge of her bed while Chanyeol had both of his long legs propped on another chair and his arms crossed over his chest.

Haeyoon smiled before she thought of taking a walk outside her room. It’s already quarter to nine in the evening and she doubted that she’d bump into any of the boys taking care of Jungkook. But she grabbed her hoodie before going out of the room for good measure. 

With a deep sigh of relief, she pulled the hood over her head to hide her face before walking down the hall. It was a much needed walk and stretching for her because her muscles became stiff after being in bed for almost two days straight.

There was no particular place in her mind and she was just aimlessly wandering around the hospital, walking to wherever her feet would take her. After strolling for almost half an hour, she found herself on a particularly large hall with white wall. Several black leather settees were pushed back against the wall, facing a huge glass wall that revealed the hospital’s garden. It would’ve been a beautiful sight if it weren’t for the eerie darkness of the night that covered the patch like a thick blanket.

Haeyoon noticed a lone figure sitting on the far end of the hall. The bandage he had wrapped around his head stood in stark contrast with his dark locks. His side profile was as perfect as the first time she had seen him but she noted how unusually pale his skin had become.

Something inside her was urging her to go over to the boy but before she could even move a muscle, he turned to look at her as if he sensed that she was there.

“Haeyoon,” the boy said softly, eyes twinkling in happiness and relief.

A gentle smile overtook the girl’s face. “Hi there,” she approached him and sat on the space beside him. “What’re you doing here?”

“I can’t sleep,” he told her, his bright doe-like orbs never leaving her face. “I wanted to see you.”

Haeyoon heard the note of fear and uncertainty behind his voice and he looked so much like a lost little child.

“I’m here now,” she reached out to take one of his hands in hers and Jungkook didn’t hesitate to wrap his fingers around hers in a gentle but firm grip.

A comfortable silence settled upon them as they basked in each others presence as they looked out the glass window. The moon was no longer hiding behind the clouds and it shined down the garden, touching the little flowers with its dimmed glow.

“Your hand is warm,” Jungkook muttered quietly and Haeyoon just smiled in response. After another moment of silence, he said, “I’m sorry.”

Haeyoon turned and looked up at him. He maybe a year younger than her but he was undeniably several inches taller than her. “What for?”

The boy hung his head low, eyes trained on their intertwined hands. “It was my fault we’re here. It’s my fault that you’re hurt, too.” His voice was full of regret and Haeyoon felt how guilty he was.

“Hey,” she gently lifted his chin so she can look him in the eye. “It’s not your fault okay. I was told that it was an accident, don’t blame yourself, alright?”

Before Chanyeol came earlier, Yoongi had told Haeyoon that Jungkook got into an accident when another skater had lost his control and came barreling into the young boy. Jungkook fell off his own board and hit his head on the pavement in a very bad way.

Jungkook gave a small nod before his lips spread into that special smile that he only shows to Haeyoon.

“It’s getting late, we should go back now,” she announced but when she was about to stand up, Jungkook squeezed her hand tighter, effectively stopping her from leaving her seat.

“Can’t we…stay here just a little bit more?” he shyly asked as his cheeks regained some colors in them.

“But Jungkook they might be worried for you now,” she reminded him.

“They are sleeping when I left them.”

She was still hesitating because it’ll be bad if the boys would see them together.

“Please?” he looked at her with sad begging eyes akin to that of a cute begging little puppy and Haeyoon perfectly knew that she was fighting a losing battle. She had an incredibly soft spot for the boy, making resisting him impossible.

“Fine,” she surrendered, leaning against the couch. “But for just a little while, okay?”

Jungkook gave her a charming grin that showcased his cute bunny-teeth. He was obviously pleased as he scooted closer to her, snuggling comfortably against her side. He really liked being close to her because it makes him feel warm and fuzzy inside, happy and contented. “Thank you.”

She can’t help but smile at the adorable boy. She can get used to this.

“You missed your first day of school, you know,” she told him when she remembered that it was already the day that Jungkook should start going to school.

The boy perked up and looked at her with wide surprised eyes. School totally went out of his mind.

“It’s alright,” she chuckled at his reaction. “We’ll just inform the school of what happened.”

He casted his eyes down as he absent-mindedly played with her fingers. “Do I really have to go?”

Haeyoon sighed inaudibly when she noticed the doubt and insecurity in his words. She squeezed his hand reassuringly and said, “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Kookie. Besides, we’re there—the boys, Yoongi and me. We’ll help you; we’ll take care of you.”

He looked deep into her eyes, “Promise?”

“Promise,” she replied, uttering the words with utmost sincerity like always.

Jungkook smiled and as if he remembered something, his eyes suddenly glimmered in excitement. “I want to show you something.” He stood up, tugging at her hand so that she’ll follow him. “Come on.”

“And what is that?” she asked, an amused smile playing on her lips when she saw how giddy he was.

“Jimin and Taehyung taught me how to get a fizzy drink from the Wishing Box earlier,” he grinned widely at her before he started dragging her down the hallway.

“Wishing Box?” she asked confusedly, “Fizzy drink? What’re you talking about, Jungkook?”

“This!” he happily exclaimed when they came to a stop in front of a vending machine. “The Wishing Box!” He sounded so proud as if it was the ultimate discovery of the year.

“Err, Kookie,” she started, biting back a laugh. “That’s a vending machine.”

“No,” he shook his head at her, brows adorably pinched together. “It’s a Wishing Box.”

“Who told you that?”

“Jimin and Taehyung,” he told her.  “They said that all you have to do is insert a coin into this slot”—he pointed at the coin slot—“then wish for a drink, press a button and the Wishing Box will grant it.” He grinned innocently. “Kinda like a wishing well.”

Haeyoon can’t help but face-palm and groan at the same time. Those two boys, really.

“It’s called a vending machine, Jungkook,” she explained to him patiently. “You’re paying for the drinks with a coin. It’s not a Wishing Box. Those two idiots are just messing with you.”

“Eh?” Jungkook’s lower lip jutted out a little.

“Here,” she held out a coin to him that she got from the pocket of her hoodie. “Show me what you’ve learned.”

He did as he was told and after a push of a button, he presented a can of soda to her. “Here’s the fizzy drink, it’s my favorite,” he bashfully said with a cute shy smile.

Haeyoon chuckled. “It’s called a soda, sweetheart,” she told him as she pinched the tip of his nose before accepting the cold drink. “Don’t worry I’ll get back at those two for you.”

Not long after, Haeyoon decided that it was really time for them to return to their respective rooms. Despite Jungkook’s reluctance to part with her, he still obeyed her and went for the stairs since his room was one floor above her.

The moment she reached her room, she was surprised when the door of her room flew open, revealing a worried Chanyeol and Tao.

“Where have you been?” the latter blurted as soon as they laid eyes on her.

“Yeah, you disappeared suddenly,” Chanyeol added. “We’re worried, you know.”

Haeyoon bit her lip in guilt. “I’m sorry, I just wanted to have a walk and I don’t want to wake you up.”

The two males heaved a defeated sigh.

“Fine, I’ll forgive you since you’re so cute,” Chanyeol smiled cheekily at her.

“Come on,” Tao grabbed her hand. “I got so hungry worrying about you so you have to accompany me to the cafeteria.” He started dragging her towards the said place. Tao was careful with his long strides, keeping them at a considerate pace to make sure that Haeyoon can keep up.

“Hey, wait for me,” Chanyeol called out to them but still mindful with the volume of his voice since they were in a hospital.

“My stomach won’t wait for you,” Tao called back, making Haeyoon chortle.

IT WAS THE sudden coldness that stirred Haeyoon from her sleep. She opened her eyes only to be met by darkness that summoned goose-bumps on her skin.

Why was it so dark?

It took a few moments before her eyes adjusted and when they did, she noticed that she was alone in her room. There was no sign of Chanyeol or Tao.

The air around her sent chills down her spine and she decided to get out of the room.

The outside was as deserted and dark as her room. The only source of light was the pale glow of the moonlight, casting long ghoulish shadows against the walls and floor. The silence was deafening and it was making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on its ends

Wrapping her slim arms around herself, Haeyoon walked through the gloomy hallways, hoping to find even a single soul.

Where were all the people?

It was getting colder and creepier as the minutes pass by and Haeyoon’s heartbeat started picking its pace when she felt a presence behind her. She sped up her pace, resisting the urge to check out what’s behind her and it wasn’t long before she finally broke out into a full sprint.

She hastily ran down the length of the hallway, occasionally tripping over air, but she felt like she wasn’t getting anywhere. She felt confused, scared and alone. It was as if the hospital suddenly became an endless maze with no exit.

When she was about to turn on a corner, she caught something moving from the corner of her eyes and she instinctively stopped—which was a grave mistake on her part. Her eyes widened when a black figure materializes in front of her and her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach when she recognized it.

The cloaked man.

But this time, it wasn’t just one.

Her breath hitched and her heart almost stopped beating when an ashen bone-chilling hand reached out of the shadows and grabbed her right arm. She let out a blood-curdling scream before flailing her arm in panic and dread until the long thin fingers grasping her loosened. With her heart beating wildly against her chest, she scrambled away from them and darted to wherever her feet would take her. She was running almost blindly through the dark hospital until she found herself on the particular hallway where she saw Jungkook earlier.

The moon shined and filtered through the floor-to-ceiling glass wall, illuminating the place in an uncanny and unsettling way.

She froze in her spot.

“Jungkook?”

The boy was standing in the middle of the hall, looking out the glass wall, and he didn’t seem to hear her voice when she called to him. Haeyoon should’ve felt relieved, should’ve felt happy to know that she wasn’t alone but there was something about Jungkook that sent a queasy feeling on her stomach.

“Jungkook,” she called again, taking a few steps towards him but halted, her heart lurching in , when she saw five cloaked figures appearing behind him. Their faces were obscured by the pitch-black hood pulled over their heads and it sent a prickling sensation at the back of her head. “No…no…”

She wanted to run to him but the terror she felt glued her to her spot. She can’t scream nor move as if a hand is squeezing and holding her in place.

The cloaked figures started closing in on the boy and she watched in horror as Jungkook stayed rooted in his place as if he's in a daze.

‘Why in the world was he not moving?!’ her mind shouted in frustration and fright.

“Jungkook,” she wheezed, her lungs taking in erratic shallow breaths as she panicked and that’s when she realized that she really  can’t move. It wasn’t fear anymore, there’s nothing wrong with her and she was sure that something is really keeping her from moving. 

Her eyes widened when Jungkook finally heeded her silent calls. He slowly turned to her direction but when she saw his eyes, a cold shiver ran down her spine.

His eyes were red, irises a bright glowing crimson—utterly terrifyingly beautiful.

Suddenly, she felt like her strength was being out of her. She felt so weak, her head buzzing and her lungs constricting. Her vision became blurred before her knees buckled beneath her.

“Stop it, Siwon," she heard a grave voice said through the haze her head was in. She can’t see the owner of the voice but she can see the blurry image of Jungkook sprawled in the ground like her. 

The last thing she saw was one of the cloaked figures hovering over the boy’s body before she succumbed to unconsciousness.

“This can’t be happening,” another voice in the shadows said.

“They are...bonded,” a new voice hissed, its iciness piercing the silence like a sharp dagger. “We can’t do it like this.”

“What now, Leeteuk?”

“Let’s go,” the first voice that spoke announced as he looked at the two figures lying on the ground. He gritted his teeth. He didn’t expect this turn of events; it wasn’t part of the plan.

“But what about—,”

“We’ll get him some other time,” he growled. “We can’t keep this up, they'll know.”

"Stupid Guardians."

The cloaked men started disappearing one by one, retreating and blending in the darkness where they came from. Leeteuk was the last one to disappear and when he did, the last words he uttered lingered in the stillness of the night.

"We'll come back for you, dear Prince."

Author's Note:

Ohhhh~ new characters, huh. It took me longer than expected to post this one because I can’t get rid of my WB completely. *sigh* this is getting hard for me and the plot is about to get more twisted and complicated. I’m getting confused with what to write myself. Ugh. I need to get my mind straight! LOL! You still with me, guys? Hope so. ^_^

Anyway, I wanna hear from you, lovely people! Share your thoughts with me so that I’ll know that you are not getting lost in the flow of the story (like me. lmao!). ^_^

PS. Jackson is blonde! OMG. I think it’s the first time I saw him with such hair color. Their ‘Just Right’ is soo cute. And JB is freaking ruining my bias list! That little adorable sh*t!