apartment block 17

[ 071 ]

healing hospital

"jisoo-ah," jeonghan whispered, shaking the boy lightly. he didn't wake up.

jeonghan took out his phone and faced the home screen at the sleeping boy.

"it's 2017 now. happy new year," jeonghan said softly, planting a gentle kiss on his lips.

seungcheol stood behind, watching silently. "happy new year," he echoed. jeonghan smiled.

"when will he wake up?" jeonghan asked quietly.

"doctor said in a few hours. maybe," seungcheol replied, unsure.

seungcheol had been woken up by his phone ringing the day before, a frantic resident telling him that someone had been hit by a car in front of apartment block 17. he rushed down immediately and was even more shocked to see that it was jisoo.

he'd never felt that panicked in his life. one of his friends was laying face down on the gravel, a thick flow of red pouring from various wounds tearing through his delicate, pale flesh. he didn't know what to do, and he hadn't brought his phone with him in the rush. so he had blindly stumbled up to jeonghan's apartment.

jisoo was okay, thanks to the prompt response by the local hospital. he had been rushed for immediate surgery and was now in a 'stable condition', though he had yet to wake up.

"he's not in a coma, is he?" jeonghan asked in a small voice.

"no, he's just asleep," seungcheol assured him.

jeonghan took jisoo's hand and squeezed it tightly, hoping to get some sort of response.

jisoo wasn't right. he was paler than usual, the sparkle in his eyes not visible as they were closed, his hands cold as ice and lacking the warmth jeonghan always craved. it wasn't 'jisoo'. it was a much more fragile, broken version of the boy jeonghan loved.

"i called jisoo's parents," seungcheol said, breaking the pained silence in the room. "they're flying over from la."

jeonghan raised his eyebrows. "they're flying all the way here?"

"their son just got hit by a car," seungcheol said. "of course they'd fly all the way here."

jeonghan had never met jisoo's parents in person, having only spoken with them through the occasional skype calls he'd join. they seemed friendly, but jeonghan couldn't help but feel nervous.

he didn't take care of jisoo well enough. he should've forced jisoo to sleep and not overwork himself. he didn't want jisoo's parents to be disappointed in their son's boyfriend and force him to move back to america with them. jeonghan definitely didn't feel ready to meet the in-laws.

a sudden pressure in his hand brought him back to reality. jeonghan looked down at his hand in surprise - jisoo was gripping it tightly.

"jisoo?" jeonghan leant in closer. the boy's eyes fluttered open slowly, squinting upon registering the bright hospital lights. jeonghan stroked his hair and gripped his hand tighter.

"jisoo," jeonghan repeated, softer.

seungcheol stood up straighter. "i'll go call the doctor," he said as he rushed out of the room.

jisoo's eyebrows knitted together as he attempted to sit up. he glanced at jeonghan and pursed his lips.

"why am i in the hospital?" he asked with a broken voice. but jeonghan had never heard anything so angelic and welcoming in his life.

"you didn't look left and right when you crossed the road," jeonghan shook his head in mock disappointment. jisoo frowned and stared jeonghan straight in the eyes. he was scarily intimidating, unlike the soft and pure 'jisoo' that jeonghan knew.

"who are you?" jisoo asked coldly.

jeonghan's heart dropped to his stomach. no way... there's no way he forgot—

"jeonghan," he said softly.

"well, jeonghan," jisoo said, his voice slowly returning to the original softness it used to be, "could you call my parents or someone to pick me up? i should probably speak to someone i know. are you a doctor here?"

"jisoo-ah," jeonghan narrowed his eyes angrily. "i'll slap you."

jisoo looked taken aback. "i've never met such a rude stranger." at that moment, seungcheol came back into the room with a female doctor.

"oh, you've finally woken up," the doctor said. "it's good to have you back."

"doctor," jeonghan turned to her with a slightly annoyed expression, "he didn't get any head injuries, did he?"

"he had a mild concussion from the impact of the crash," the doctor replied.

"but he wouldn't have severe memory loss, would he?" jeonghan pushed on.

"it's possible—"

jisoo started laughing, slapping jeonghan's shoulder repeatedly. "i was joking."

jeonghan turned to him, annoyed. he pushed jisoo back onto the bed roughly. "i hate you."

"and that's why you stayed next to me for the past day? because you hate me?" jisoo grinned.

"yeah," jeonghan said, unable to hold back a laugh.

seungcheol rolled his eyes. "i'm going to leave now," he waved as he exited, after bowing politely to the doctor. jisoo waved back with a smile.

"happy new year, jeonghan," jisoo returned his attention to him, his lips already halfway to his.

the doctor looked away in embarrassment. it was quite difficult for her to check the patient's vitals while his boyfriend was scolding him for going out to get 3am coffee.

"i swear i'll kill you if you ever do something so stupid again."

"but jeonghan, i'd die either way."

"that's not the point, idiot."

"maybe i should just move back to la."

"wait, no! i'm sorry, i love you, please don't leave me—"

"that's more like it."

"happy new year, shua."

"you said that already."

"just shut up and kiss me."

"fine."