"Even when a star dies, it gives birth to another one. It's mere existence is life and growth. One day I wish to be as infinite as the stars. To exist forever, if at least in their hearts."
When you left, you were not looking for a savior.
When he...
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You've never liked hospitals.
The overwhelming smell of disinfectant and chemicals trying to wash away the stench of death and blood that lingers on the pristine white walls and floors. It's supposed to be numbing, an anesthetic to those in pain, those whose minds are already numbed by confusion and deliria.
But it's a lie.
Distracting from the chaos that occurs behind the closed doors your mother has disappeared behind. Fluorescent to wash you out, make it easier to distinguish what's wrong with you. Disinfectant to wash away the sickness, the remnants of your flaws. Chemicals to alter what's been broken.
A poor man's job trying to put together hordes of porcelain dolls that have been shattered. A desperate attempt to save that which cannot be saved. Order fighting against Chaos in a losing war.
You hate it.
You hate that no matter how long you stare at that door, she may never come out. You hate not knowing. You hate waiting for someone else to tell you if she's worthy enough to be saved. You hate the pitying glances, the murmurs of the staff, the sideways looks. You hate the doubt, and you hate that it's there.
You've never liked hospitals.
Jaejin knows this.
When the two of you were younger, and you had just moved to Korea, you would ditch school each time there was a checkup. You hated being touched and prodded, and you never wanted them to see your scars. Most times you'd be caught, but it soon came to the point where even the teachers just accepted it would occur and didn't bother trying to stop you from leaving. Even when you grew up, you would put off your hospital checkups, sometimes not even going for a year before someone else had forced you to.
As he watches you now, he can't help but wonder if you hated being in a hospital, or if you hated the idea of being broken.
You jump as he taps your shoulder, waking from the focus you had been enthralled in just a moment ago. As you meet Jaejin's eyes you can see he's apologetic, and you have to take a deep breath to keep yourself from breaking. He knows how hard this situation is for you, and he understands how many memories it's triggered as a result.
Glancing behind him, you notice the police questioning Sunoh a few feet away. You know why they're here, why Jaejin has come to retrieve you before he can even speak a word. And he already knows what your response is, but he still has to ask.
"They told me they've finished their interrogation with the suspect." That's right, Sunoh was able to withhold one of the attackers before he could escape. "In order to finish their investigation, however, they need our account of what's happened. They're just waiting for you to tell them anything you know."
"How considerate of them." You scoff rolling your eyes as you turn from the pair, and look back to Jaejin. The bitter sarcasm isn't lost on him, and he gently ushers you to a quiet corner where he can speak to you, away from the whispers and stares.
