Believe in fate | Lee Know

Chapter 30

"Where is he?"

Ahri was running down the hall, frantically calling for someone to help her.

"Miss Ahri?" A nurse asked and Ahri whipped around to see an elderly woman smile at her.

"Where is he? Is he alright? What happened?" The panic was clearly written on her face and the nurse's face contorted into comfort.

"We don't know that yet, I'm sorry. He is still in surgery but a doctor will come to you and tell you more. You're welcomed to stay in the nurse's station until then."

Ahri nodded and followed the women in a daze. She didn't even remember how exactly she got there or what she was doing before that. The only thing she clearly registered is the overwhelming fear and ache in her chest. Ahri looked down and saw her hands trembling in her lap.

"Do you want me to call anyone?" The nurse asked once again, handing Ahri a cup of steaming hot tea. Ahri wordlessly accepting the cup but didn't seem to register what it was there for.
"Is there anyone?"

Ahri thought about the question for a mere second, immediately knowing who she wanted by her side now.

"Yes please"

•

"Ahri! What happened? Tell me, gorgeous, what happened?"

"I-I don't really know. He just- and then-when he- and now he's in surgery-school called me"

"It will be alright, I'm sure it will" Minho sat down next to Ahri and pulled her against his chest. He felt Ahri starting to cry against his hoodie and snuggling closer.

"I promised to protect them but I- I failed. He got hurt and I wasn't there!" Her voice broke and Minho felt his chest tighten even more.

"No, don't think that. You are doing everything in your power to give them the perfect life. It wasn't your fault at all, he will be alright. Jonghun is a strong boy."

After a while Ahri's sobs lessened and when Minho put her hair behind her ear, he saw that she must have fallen asleep from all the exhaustion.

The nurse from before came back into the waiting room and smiled once she saw the couple.

"Any news?" Minho asked in a hushed voice, not wanting to wake Ahri up. Minho didn't even know what happened in the first place, he just knew from the nurse that Ahri was waiting in the hospital because Jonghun was undergoing surgery.

"I don't know, I'm sorry. The surgery is still ongoing" The nurse asked if Minho wanted coffee or tea as well but he politely declined, instead pulling Ahri closer.

"I'm sorry to bother but do you know what exactly happened?" Minho asked, finally wanting to know why Jonghun even was in the hospital.

"From what I know he fell down a tree which wouldn't have been to bad since it wasn't high but he kinda fell on a stick? Which somehow hot stuck in his stomach. We hope no important organs where damaged."

After the nurse explained the situation she had to leave again to check on a different patient, leaving Minho to process the new information. He really didn't know why  Ahri was thinking she was at fault when it happened at his school.

About twenty minutes later a doctor came over to them and asked them if they were here for Jonghun.

"Yes we are", Minho answered expectingly, before turning to Ahri to wake her up, "Ahri, wake up. The doctor is here."

Ahri sprung up as if she'd been stung, grasping Minho's hand tightly before facing the doctor.

"The surgery is over, your son is alright. You can see him any minute now. He will need lots of rest the next week and here is the recipe for the painkillers he will have to take."

"Thank you so much!" Ahri quickly shook the doctor's hand, not bothering the correct him about Jonghun not being her son.

She turned around to hug Minho and the latter felt her relax in his hold.
"Let's go see him, shall we?"

The couple entered a room and saw Jonghun's tiny figure laying on one of the white beds.

"Jonghun, my little pumpkin!" Ahri rushed over to him and cradled her brother in her arms, both of them having teary eyes.

"Ahri, mommy, will I be alright?" Jonghun whispered and Ahri littered his face with kisses.

Even though Jonghun did remember his real parents, Ahri has always been a mom to him. He just refrained from calling her that because he knew it was making her emotional. But right now he didn't care, he just wanted to be hugged and kept safe.

"Yes of course you will be alright, you will just have to stay in bed a lot these next few days and let me pamper you!" Ahri reassured and ruffled his hair before letting him lay down properly again.

Of course she realised what Jonghun had called her but she had grown more used to it because Miga has been slipping up more recently. Miga had actually told her that she was aware that Ahri wasn't her real mom but she still was her mom.

After a talk with Minho, Ahri had started getting more comfortable with being called mom.

"Minho! You're here too!" Jonghun smiled and let himself be hugged again. "Of course I am, you are hurt so I will be there for you."

The doctor knocked again and asked Ahri to come outside to talk about the exact situation again.

"Does your stomach hurt, pumpkin?" Minho asked, getting himself a chair to sit next to the bed.

"A bit but the doctors made the pain go away mostly. And Minho- can I ask you something?" Jonghun asked shyly, fidgeting in his bed.

"Of course, what is it?"

"Well since Ahri is okay with us calling her mom now, I was wondering- you know- if you would be okay with us calling you... dad?"

Minho stared at the shy boy, noticing the small tear in his own eyes, "Are you sure? I mean I'm fine with MinMin."

"So you don't want to?"

Minho's eyes widened at the saddening expression he was seeing.
"No, no. That was not what I meant. I would feel honoured to be your dad but I don't want you to feel obligated to just because I'm Ahri's boyfriend."

"Don't worry, you're just as much a part of the family- dad" Jonghun smiled brightly and Minho could swear he had never been happier. Which he would say about a lot of moments with Ahri and the kids.

Just then Ahri entered the room again, confused about why Minho was smiling this brightly with slightly teary eyes. But when Minho just pulled her in for a short kiss, she chose to dismiss it.

•

"Jongi!" Miga called out and rand over to her brother on his bed. Soori followed a little less hurried but also hugged his older brother. Neither of them knew exactly what happened - and Ahri planned on keeping it that way - but they knew that their brother would need a lot of rest now.

"Minnie! You're here too!" Miga hugged the older male too, taking her place proudly on his lap.

Jonghun shook his head and corrected his sister,

"It's dad now!"

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~I can't believe 2023 is almost over
~the next Time I'll update it will already be 2024... (as probably a lot of people I obv plan to turn my life around for the better next year, we'll see how that will work out for two weeks at most)

~until next chapter
~~June