𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡 ;ʰˢʲ 『English Version』

Chapter XXIV

Aera jumped at the sound of something breaking inside the room; she had decided to leave when Suho's father had entered to see him.

The girl really didn't feel comfortable when the two of them were together in one place; it was very tense. Hearing the shouts of father and son, she stopped Jukyeong and Seojun as they approached her. The boy frowned but took the girl's hand to move a little closer to the commotion happening in the room. "I didn't know what happened to Seyeon either. I trusted Director Oh to fix things, but I didn't think he would do it this way. Do you really think I would have allowed it if I had known? He was your friend."

"Now you blame the director for your actions? I heard you asked him to do it just to cover a stupid dating rumor you had. Do you feel free of guilt just because you had no idea how they would mend your mistake?" Suho said, looking at his father with tear-filled eyes, a mix of anger and sadness swirling in them. "I... I didn't answer the last call Seyeon made to me before he committed suicide, and all this time I thought that had been the reason for his decision... Do you have any idea how shattered and guilty I felt? But in the end, you were the cause of it all! You were so worried about your own stupid scandal that you ruined someone else's life!"

"I... I reacted that way because I was scared you would be disappointed in me, that our relationship would become more tense if you saw those photos."

Aera wanted to roll her eyes at that, feeling it sounded hypocritical. "I never had expectations of you; why would I feel disappointed? I know what you did in the past; I know what you did the day my mother died..."

Aera grimaced, remembering how the boy had cried in an incredible way when she had confessed that side of his father to him. She truly hated seeing him cry; Suho didn't cry easily, and she knew that if he did, it was because he was genuinely affected, and at that moment, he looked completely affected. "Just get out of here!"

When Aera saw the boy touch his chest with some pain, she released Seojun's hand, running into the room. The boy collapsed onto the bed in pain, touching his shoulders. Aera could feel him trembling, cursing. She tried to caress his face, wanting to calm him like she used to do.

Like every time he had a panic attack.

But all the shouts at that moment—his father's, Jukyeong's—weren't helping at all. Seeing Seojun, who was watching the scene in shock from a corner, the girl called his attention. "Call a nurse." The boy nodded, running out of the room before Aera removed the man's hands from her son's body, pushing him away. "Sir, please leave the room... He'll be okay, but please, go."

When the man heard the girl's voice, he saw her giving him a pleading look before turning back to Suho, saying some things softly while touching his face. The boy grimaced, as if something hurt him, but his hands went to the girl's, gripping them tightly and pressing them to his face, as if the mere act of feeling her skin could calm him.

"Calm down, Suho, I'm here, okay? You can breathe easy... I'm by your side."

***

Seojun's eyes watched as Aera gently caressed Suho's face while saying something to Jukyeong before stepping away from the boy, who was unconscious on the stretcher in the room. He had required some tranquilizers, nothing strong because the girl had managed to calm him down a bit, but still, she had preferred to put him to sleep, at least until he was completely calm.

When Aera left the room, she smiled at her boyfriend, who tried to do the same, but only managed to give a tired grimace. Seojun was tired; it had been a day full of feelings for him. "You had a rough day, it seems."

"I just want to sleep until tomorrow," he confessed, watching the girl approach. When her hands took his face, he smiled, moving closer to her before leaving a kiss on her lips, feeling a little more relieved. "You have to go home; it's late."