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“Let me go.”
“With who? Your new friends?” Bumseok, standing at the edge of that ring she hated so much, stared at her with malicious eyes—so different from the ones she remembered. “So you can hurt them again?”
“I didn’t hurt anyone!”
“Of course you did!”
Hyeori didn’t reply. She just watched him step closer. His hands reached for her face with a terrifying gentleness, and she realized her own hands were trembling.
Seeing him this close again was terrifying.
“Do those people matter more to you than us now? More than Sieun? More than Sooho? More than me?”
She fell silent again. Her sun-colored eyes locked with his, trembling—not just from fear, but from helplessness, from confusion.
“Say it. I want to hear you say it.”
A single tear rolled down from the boy’s left eye. Hyeori felt her own welling up too, but she kept staring at him.
“Bumseok-ah… please, let me go… to my friends… to Sieun…” Her lips curled into a pout, barely holding back her sobs. “Let me go to Sooho…”
They stared at each other for a long time. Then Hyeori slowly raised her hand and gently grasped his wrist—not to push him away, just to hold it.
“I don’t know your reasons… I probably never will,” she whispered. “If you were hurting that much… I’m sorry. But there are still people who need me… and people I need too…”
She softly lowered his hand from her face. “I’m sorry we couldn’t be a group of friends… like the ones I have now, Bumseok-ah…”
The boy just let her walk away, his eyes glossy and full of tears as he watched her cross to the other corner of the ring. Before stepping down, she turned around and gave him a small smile.
“Just go, Bumseok-ah…”
* * *
In the hospital room, Gotak sat next to Hyeori’s bed. When he heard a noise, he immediately put down his phone and leaned over to check on her—she was starting to wake up. His body shot upright, and his hands moved instinctively, though he hesitated, unsure if touching her would hurt her.
“Sooho-yah…” she whispered.
Gotak rushed to her side as she tried to sit up.
“Yah, don’t move. You’ll hurt yourself.”
“Sooho… I have to see Sooho…”
“Hyeori, please…”
She kept insisting as he pressed the call button beside the bed to alert the nurses.
“Gotak-ah… Sooho?”
He sighed and gently pushed her shoulders back so she wouldn’t strain herself. As he looked into her eyes, he could see the unmistakable daze of someone just waking up. But with her, there was always more. This time, her gaze was filled entirely with uncertainty.
“Sooho… he’s okay, Hyeori. Sooho’s okay.”
* * *
FIVE DAYS EARLIER
Sieun opened the hospital room door. The tall figure sitting up on the bed had long hair that brushed over his eyebrows. His face looked a little thinner, but what brought the most relief was the color returning to his cheeks.
He was back.
“It’s been a while… Are you okay?”
Sieun felt his throat tighten. He nodded, eyes already glistening.
Sooho gave a soft smile and glanced over his shoulder at the three heads peeking in from behind the door.
“And who are they?”
Sieun glanced back briefly, then looked at him again.
“My friends.”
That made Sooho’s smile widen—this time with pride. He nodded, his gaze steady on Sieun.
“That’s awesome,” he said softly, though he glanced again behind Sieun, watching the others enter as Sieun stepped forward. His expression shifted—his brows furrowed, and disappointment started creeping in.
“Where’s my sunshine?”
Sieun stiffened, glancing at the three boys, who didn’t seem to understand who he meant.
“Sooho…”
“Ah, I get it. You didn’t tell her, huh?” Sooho teased, narrowing his eyes. “She’s gonna curse you out when she gets here. Just wait.”
“Sooho-yah… Hyeori…”
The boy on the bed looked confused.
“What? Why are you acting weird? Just call her. I want to see her.”
Gotak, realizing Sieun couldn’t get the words out, stepped forward.
“Ah, sorry to butt in, but… Hyeori won’t be able to come today.”
Sooho looked him up and down before his anxiety spiked. He hated when people weren’t direct. He turned to Sieun, searching for answers. Sieun looked like he was about to cry, trembling slightly as he stared at the floor.
“Yah…” Sooho let out a nervous chuckle. “I just woke up from a coma. These jokes are—”
“Hyeori was in an accident,” Baku cut in. Everyone turned to look at him. His tone was serious. “Hyeori’s in shock… she hasn’t woken up yet. But she’s alive.”
Sooho froze for a second. Then, without a word, he threw off his blankets and tried to get out of bed.
Sieun and Gotak lunged forward to stop him.
“Yah! Yah, let go of me! Let me see Hyeori!”
“Sooho… you’re going to hurt yourself!”
“Yah! Were you just not going to tell me?! My girlfriend’s suffering, and you expect me to just lie here?! Let me go!”
The boys forced him back into bed, holding him down.
“Sooho, she’s going to be okay. But you need to get better first…”
“Get better?! That doesn’t matter! I want to see her! I want—”
“Nonna needs rest.”
Juntae’s voice came out louder than expected. Everyone fell silent, surprised at the firmness in his tone—especially those who knew how quiet he usually was.
“She’s exhausted. Now isn’t the right time. And hyung… you’re hurt too.”
Sooho stared at him, stunned, like he’d just heard a bad joke. But Sieun’s serious expression grounded him.
“Fine…” he muttered, looking up at the ceiling. “But once the doctor clears me… you’re not stopping me.”
SIX DAYS LATER
Sooho had finally been discharged. He still needed to come back for checkups and therapy—his walking was unsteady, and the headaches were brutal. The doctor had insisted he stay consistent.
But there was only one thing on Sooho’s mind: Hyeori.
Sieun had promised to pick him up, but he had class. So Sooho took his chance, snuck out of his room, and asked the nurses which room his girlfriend was in.
Now, he was walking slowly down the hallway, sticking close to the wall to keep his balance. He didn’t want to cause a scene—he just wanted to get to her. When he finally reached the door, he inhaled sharply and shut his eyes for a moment. His nerves were a mess.
Just like the day he picked her up for their first date.
His trembling hand pushed the door open slowly. His steps were quiet, unsure—until he saw her.
Thinner than he remembered. Shorter hair. Paler skin.
She was sitting on the bed, writing in a notebook. When she heard the door, she looked up, expecting her mom—since the boys were all at school.
But the moment she saw that familiar tall figure, brown hair and those eyes she knew better than her own, the pencil slipped from her fingers. Her eyes widened. Her mouth fell open.
Her heart felt like it had started beating again.
“Sooho?”
“How are you, my sunshine?”
She burst into tears. She tried to hold them back, but the first sob broke everything. Tears spilled down her cheeks like a waterfall. Seeing him there—his hair longer, his posture a little crooked, but standing. And his eyes, wide open, looking right at her.
Everything she’d wished for was right in front of her.
Sooho rushed to her, as fast as he could, and wrapped her in his arms. She cried harder at the warmth of him, the soft musky scent of wood that smelled like home—like a fireplace on a cold winter day.
Sooho’s hugs had always felt like that. Warm. Safe. Real.
“It’s okay, baby, I’m here… I’m with you, alright?” he whispered into her hair, breathing her in. It wasn’t the scent he remembered, but it was her, and that was enough. “I’m sorry… I left you for so long…”
She shook her head in his arms. She wanted to hold him forever, terrified he might disappear if she let go.
“I’ll make it up to you. I’ll make it all up to you… I’m never leaving you again, okay? I swear. Never again.”
He gently took her face in his hands, their eyes locking again—this time, with tears of joy. They were staring into the only eyes that gave them the strength to breathe, to keep going.
“I missed you so much…”
Sooho pouted a little before smiling, his eyes glassy.
“I’m here now, my beautiful sun. You’re never losing me again,” he whispered, brushing his lips against hers before giving her a slow, tender kiss—one they’d remember forever. “I love you, okay? I love you so much.”
A knot formed in her throat, so instead of answering, she hugged him again. He chuckled softly, sitting on the edge of the bed as his legs gave out, pulling her into a more comfortable position in his arms.
“How are you? Does anything hurt? Did the doctor check you already? Is everything okay?”
She suddenly pulled back like she’d remembered something urgent. Her eyes scanned him, searching for signs of trouble. But his soft smile calmed her.
“You’re really okay?”
“Like Jaxx after every premium food pack we bought him,” he nodded, caressing her cheek, though his eyes were worried. “And you, my love?” he asked gently. “Are you hurting?”
“I’m okay… you’re here, so… anything else feels small now.”
Sooho smiled, ears turning red as he began planting little kisses all over her face to hide his flustered state. She laughed softly, holding his hands as he kissed her cheeks, forehead, and finally her lips again—then squeezed her cheeks into a little duck face.
“I want things to stay like this… I wanna go home with you, with our babies…”
Hyeori froze. Her smile faded. She lowered her gaze to her hands. Sooho noticed immediately, leaning in to meet her eyes—already glassy again.
“Hey… what’s wrong? Did I hurt you? Tell me… tell me where it hurts, I—”
She shook her head. A tear slipped from her eye and landed on her hand. Sooho grew more anxious.
“I’m sorry…” she whispered, voice trembling. “Our babies… I couldn’t take care of them…”
Sooho’s heart shattered. It felt like a heavy blow to his chest. But more than that—it hurt to see her apologizing, her hands clasped like she was begging for forgiveness.
“My love…”
“I tried. I took them to the vet. They never missed a check-up. But they just… I don’t know what happened…”
He shook his head and took her hands, gently bringing them to his lips.
“It’s the cycle of life, sweetheart,” he said, looking into her eyes. He didn’t want her to think he didn’t care—he just didn’t want her blaming herself. “But it hurts to know your nights… were so lonely. Were they?”
She nodded, her lips trembling. “Jaxx tried to stay with me longer, but…”
He nodded too, like a proud but heartbroken father. His eyes welled up. “I knew I could count on him…” he murmured, playing with her fingers, noticing how thin her hands had become. “He looked after his mom even while he was in pain… He was a real Kang, don’t you think?”
She giggled softly, nodding as she rested her head on his shoulder. He couldn’t stop staring at her hands.
“Did Nala steal your protein shakes or something?” he asked. “Why do you look like this?” He lifted her hand slightly. “Did you eat properly? And your vitamins? You were supposed to take them every day.”
“I’m sorry… I couldn’t… I just…” She took a breath. “In my mind… if you weren’t okay… I didn’t deserve to be either.”
Sooho swallowed hard and looked away for a second, blinking rapidly to hold back tears. That pain again. The pain of knowing she’d punished herself. It was unbearable.
He gripped her hand tighter, leaning in to kiss her cheek and resting there a while, his nose brushing her skin gently. It felt like being in that dream again—but this time, with a calm heart because she was there.
“I’ll take care of you again, just like I used to…” he whispered, leaving another kiss.
“We’re gonna be okay, alright?”
“Alright.”
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