𝗦𝗨𝗡 & 𝗠𝗢𝗢𝗡 | ᴬᶰ ˢᵒᵒᴴᵒ 『English Version』

Chapter 30

"Wow. He's hot."

"You never stood a chance, Tak-ah..."

Hyeori smiled when she heard that. The boys had asked to come with her to the hospital—not because it was that late, but they gave her some excuse about not letting her walk around at night. She knew they were just curious, so she let them tag along.

"He'd probably help you get a girlfriend... he's good at matchmaking," she murmured, running her fingers through his hair. Gotak smirked and wrapped an arm around Juntae's shoulders, glancing at her.

"Alright. We'll be waiting in the cafeteria."

She made a face. "You sure? I don't want you to get bored."

The tall brunette shook his head, and Juntae quickly smiled. "There's a claw machine in the cafeteria."

Gotak nodded. "Oh, I saw it. A plush penguin looked at me weird. It was challenging me."

She raised an eyebrow with a grin. "Are you gonna win the penguin?"

"I will. I'll come back victorious," he declared. "C'mon, let's go get some change."

With that, the duo waved goodbye and walked out of the room, discussing whether a nearby store could break their bill. She watched them go, smiling faintly, a touch of melancholy in her chest.

The room fell silent, with only the hum of the monitor and Sooho's steady breathing filling the space. She walked deeper inside, her steps soft, as if any noise might wake the boy from his deep slumber.

"They're sweet, aren't they?" she asked, her voice slightly trembling. She smiled. "I know you'll be great friends when you wake up..."

She sank into the chair beside him with a heavy sigh. Her eyes settled on him, just like they always had.

Her hand rested delicately on his, as if afraid to hurt him. "So much happened this week..." She made a sound in her throat. "I always say that, I know... but this time, it's true... I didn't know who else to tell." She swallowed hard. That knot was back. The one that hadn't left since everything went down. "It's Baku. Do you remember him? Loud, messy hair... Anyway, some idiots—a group of students calling themselves 'The Union,' like they're some wannabe mafia—started pressuring him to join. And I guess they thought Humin was close to us, so they could use that. So they came here. To this hospital."

Her gaze dropped to her lap, fingers trembling as they fidgeted.

"It was a threat, Sooho. They came here like this was a damn convenience store... They didn't say anything. They just stood there... looking at you. Like they could hurt you. Even when you're already so broken."

She paused, staring at her hands. She didn't want to cry. Not yet.

"And then there's Sieun..." Her voice shook a little. She cleared her throat. "We fought. Just a little, but... it was ugly. He just wants to protect everyone, but so do I. And for a moment... for just a second... I forgot that he... I forgot the guilt he carries on his back... forgot that I'm not the only one suffering through all this..."

Her nose tingled—the warning sign. She didn't want to cry again.

"Sieun... got into a fight. Because of me. Because I wasn't paying enough attention." She scolded herself, like she did every time she remembered what had happened. "I took him home... patched him up and made him soup... like I used to for you after competitions..." She pouted a little. "Except he didn't ask for seconds like you would have." She laughed bitterly. "He's okay, in case you're wondering... After we ate, we slept, had breakfast... I made him go home. I didn't want his mom to worry... She doesn't like me much. I didn't want to make things worse."