The Piano and The Past. /Johnny/

Chapter 24

Boram's crying voice woke Nara up. "She's awake! Noona! Noona, can you hear me?" Jisung's voice echoed in Nara's head.

She nodded in response but couldn't reply back. She tried to move but the other boys immediately told her to just rest.

"Don't get up yet, noona." Jaemin said.

Nara could see that the boys were wearing their high school uniforms. 'What time is it now? The last time I know it was night...' She thought. Then she remembered Youngho, whose head was covered in blood.

"Yo-oung-ho ssi? Isss he...o-oka-kay?" She asked between her short breaths.

"He's fine after two days rest. His head concussion was nothing huge, it was just merely a bruise." Jeno explained. "He's outside if you want to meet him."

She nodded and tried to move her left arm. But something felt off. She couldn't feel her hand. 'What is happening?? Why can't I feel my hand??'

"Oh? Noona, if I were you I wouldn't move my left hand. The doctor said there were some fractures on the bones. So it is best to let it rest until it heals completely." Renjun fixed her hand position.

"Nara ya, I know this may sound bad but the doctor said it will heal completely, but not anytime soon." Boram said with tears on her face. "Your right hand is fine."

Nara's eyes widened in disbelief. 'This can't be happening! I have my recital in three weeks.' She kept trying to move her left hand but only immense pain felt deep into her bones. She screamed in pain. The boys tried to calm her down. 'This is not happening! It's just a dream. It's just a dream.' She yelled inside her head.

Outside the room, Youngho, who had the upper part of his head covered in bandage, sat in front of the door and felt a huge guilt engulfing him. He cried and kept blaming himself for not protecting Nara.

"You stupid useless person!" He kept hitting his head. The nurse saw him and tried to stop him.

"Sir, you're still recovering, don't do that." The nurse held his arm but he was too strong for her so she was pushed away, almost hit her head to the wall.

Youngho realised what he did and ran away, leaving the hallway.

--

There was a knock on the door. Nara was fazed and didn't care who came into her room. It was Youngjin. He was hospitalised in the same hospital. He came in with an IV stand by his side.

"Can I come in?"

"Whatever."

"Feeling any better?" He looked at her left hand. "Except for that hand."

"What does it matter anyway? I'm just half as dead without this hand. My recital is in three weeks."

"Remember when I said you could be a great pianist? I'm sorry for that. Only if I didn't say that, you wouldn't have to experience this."

Nara stared at him. "But it's too late, isn't it?"

"I know. If I could replace your hand with mine, I would. But you know it would never feel the same." He tucked a strand of her hair to the back of her ear. "I made a great sin. I'm sorry for everything. I can never stop apologising."

"Whether I forgive you or not, it doesn't make any difference with this hand, right?"

The nurse came in with her food. "Ah, you're having a guest. The cute boys must be still in school. They always come everyday."

"They do."

"And that tall patient. He's always outside." She set the table for Nara.

Nara knew that the nurse meant was Youngho. She hadn't met him ever since the accident. "He does?"

Youngjin looked at her. "He does. I met him earlier on the way here." He exhaled. "Do you want to meet him?"

"I feel a bit weird right now. So, I don't know."

Youngjin sighed in anxiety.

(Few minutes earlier)

Youngjin walked toward Nara's room after asking the room number at the nurse station. He saw Youngho was leaning on the wall right across Nara's room.

"Aren't you getting in?" Youngjin asked him.

"No, I'm fine. You may go."

"I'm sorry for what happened."

Youngho looked away.

"I wish you can help her. She had said goodbye to me, so I know that she won't like it when I help her." He tapped Youngho's shoulder. "I know you play piano, too. Start helping from that."

"I will try my best. Until she wants to see me."

"She will." Youngjin knocked the door.

--

Chenle peeled the orange. "But noona, you don't have to come to our talent show. You need to rest." He then ate it.

"Yah! It's supposed to be noona who eats that!" Jisung pointed at the orang inside Chenle's hand. "You will turn orange for eating so much."

He just showed his tongue. It was only the two of them who visited Nara. The ithers were busy practising for their talent show.

"It's fine, you can have it." Nara laughed at Chenle.

"See? She's letting me to eat this."

"I have promised to come see your talent show. So I will come. It's next week, right?"

The two boys nodded. "But be careful, noona. Promise?" Jisung said.

"Okay, I promise you, Park Jisung."

"Don't you want to see Youngho hyung?" Chenle randomly said. "We miss him too. He always locked himself inside his room whenever we come to his house."

Nara realised that Youngho too, was having a hard time accepting reality, after two accidents which were caused by him. She understood that he must be feeling drenched in his own guilt.

--

Later that night, Nara walked outside her room and found Youngho was sleeping on the chair in front of her room. He was discharged few days ago. He came with only his black leather jacket, no more layered outer was on sight. She reached out and caressed his hair.

He woke up from her touch. But his eyes were showing that he was afraid that he might hurt her again, so he backed up a little.

"Aren't you cold?" She sat down and asked him. She put her left hand slowly on her lap not to make any turbulence. He observed her hand.

"I'm fine." He replied awkwardly.

"I'm not going to blame you for what happened. At first I was shocked, yes. But then I realised, maybe I wasn't even meant to play a piano at the first place." She chuckled with a sad face. "It just can't be helped."

"But it was me who made that accident happened. It's completely my fault."

She stared at him and put her hand on his cheek. "Kiss me."

He was confused.

"I will forgive you if you kiss me."

"I can't. I don't know if I deserve you."

"Let's not take the guilt. Live like before the accident happened. Can you do that for me? It's just a hand, I'll find a way. At least I'm alive, right?"

He had his eyes teary with her words and kissed her. She smiled and kissed him back.

"I want you to forgive your past. Like I did. I have let him go, thanks to your help." She flashed a smile and stared at her left hand. "Now help me helping you. What happened in the past doesn't justify as to what happened to my hand. Try to do much better things rather than to dwell in your past. Just like what you did to me."

Youngho had his eyes teary and nodded to her words.

Nayeon, who just came from her work, hid herself after seeing the two kissed. She smiled and felt relieved.