Short Stories-Kai Ships Only! Volume 3

✨️Tyunning- Fragile

"Don't- don't come near me..."

Taehyun was visiting his dad at the hospital to bring him lunch. While he did want to see his dad, he really wanted to see the project he was working on. His dad wasn't specific on the details but he did share a few things.

One. There was a boy with a "glass" immune system.

Two. The boy was almost a year younger than him.

Three. The boy was abandoned by his family for his condition.

Four. His name is Hyuka.

Dr. Kang acted as a father figure towards Hyuka. He felt every child should have someone to look up to. He often stayed later than he needed to keep him company.

Because he chose to stay late, Taehyun often felt neglected. The boy saw more of his dad than he did. His bitterness changed to sympathy when his father told him of Hyuka's condition two nights ago.

It was 11pm. His father had just gotten home after another 14 hour long shift. Taehyun was supposed to be asleep but he stayed up to give his dad a piece of his mind. He rushed out of his room and yelled "YOU MISSED MY GAME! YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD BE THERE!"

"I-"

"YOU'RE A BETTER FATHER TO THAT BOY THAN ME! YOU PROMISED DAD! I BET YOU WISH HE WAS YOUR SON!"

Dr. Kang sat down at the dining room table with a heavy heart. "Son... he almost died today."

Still furious, Taehyun spat "HE ALMOST DIES EVERY DAY! I DON'T HAVE A CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER EVERY DAY!"

"No. Son. His heart stopped. Someone opened the door to his room without proper equipment or permission. I was dealing with the police."

"Oh..." Taehyun sat down across from his father. He pushed over a cold plate of food and asked "you were with the police? Is he okay?"

"He's okay now." Dr. Kang slowly chewed his food. By every account, he was exhausted physically and emotionally. He truly had every intention of seeing his son's game but he had to make a choice. Either miss a game or risk Hyuka dying. The choice was easy. Taehyun was alive. Hyuka wouldn't be if he hadn't stayed. "I almost forgot how much I hate dealing with the police. God, I don't think I've had to deal with them since that woman tried to steal drugs from the pharmacy." Not wanting to eat cold food anymore, Dr. Kang got up to pop the plate into the microwave. "How was the game? Did you guys win?"

"We won... I scored the first goal. Beomgyu scored the last one to win it."

"I really am sorry I missed it. I tried to go. I was on my way out until I heard the alarms."

"Who set them off?"

"You know I can't tell you that."

"I know..."

The microwave beeped. Dr. Kang sat back down with his warm plate of food. Between bites, he explained "I can't give you a lot of details but it was a girl. She somehow snuck past security when I was leaving. She acted like she knew him... I don't know. We don't need to talk about this."

"Did Hyuka recognize her?"

Dr. Kang stopped mid-bite due to surprise from his son's curiosity. Taehyun had never cared about his project before. "He didn't. He passed out shortly after she hugged him. The footage..."

"Dad?"

"He kept begging her to leave and she wouldn't. It's my fault. I spend so much time with him because he has no one. As a result, I neglect my own son and my own wife and when I do prioritize them, Hyuka still almost dies. I see you in him. Whenever he has issues, I think of you. I love you and your mother. I'm retiring at the end of the year. I've missed enough of your life. It's time to make amends."