Those days - txtzy

part 2: 十

The intense smell of antiseptic was what Ryujin woke up to, along with the weak sunlight filtered in by stiff dusty blinds. Her stomach was tightly bound with soft white bandages, so she could hardly move. Something heavy rested on the bed she was on and when she twisted her head she was surprised to see a sleeping Beomgyu resting against the bed. Ryujin attempted to shift her body but the pain proved to be too much for her to move. The movement must have startled the sleeping beauty, who groggily opened his eyes but sat up wide awake when he saw that Ryujin was awake.

"Hey," Ryujin tried to greet, wincing as she lifted her head to meet his gaze. From what she managed to glimpse, Beomgu was still dressed in what he wore to the party, while Ryujin had on loose hospital clothing, most likely due to how the dress she had on probably now sported a rip.

"The dress..." Ryujin croaked out, making Beomgyu frown in confusion, "What about it?"

"Was it...expensive?" Ryujin coughed out, making Beomgyu scramble for water on her bedside table. As she took a few sips from a straw, Beomgyu managed a laugh, "You got stabbed and all you care about is the stupid dress?"

"It's pretty," Ryujin defended.

The boy scoffed, but his features softened. He mumbled a few words that Ryujin didn't quite catch. "What?" She asked softly before she groaned in pain. As Beomgyu roughly jammed his finger onto the call button, he shook his head to dismiss her questions. "Nothing, it's fine," He smiled, then got up as a nurse hurried to her and started to drag the curtains over her bed, wrapping her away from the world.

"I was so worried."

-

Ryujin had to spend quite some time in the hospital. Her friends visited, completely baffled as to how that managed to happen to her. Her family was even more distraught, her father holding her as if she was a fragile piece of glass and her mother breaking down into tears. "I wasn't going to die, you know," Ryujin teased as Yuna sniffled, her eyes red and bleary as if she hadn't slept in a while.

-

Beomgyu came to visit every time he was free. He fussed over her as if she was his girlfriend. After a great deal of medication and pain, Ryujin was able to sit up without feeling like her bowels were being stirred. And she was finally able to eat food instead of having a tube connected to her arm that indirectly fed her nutrients. "It's great. I'm good," Ryujin replied when Beomgyu asked her how she was feeling one afternoon. Yeji had just left after delivering the injured girl her homework and notes for the week. The duo had come with a take-away bag from the cafe Jisu worked at, which Ryujin had enthusiastically ripped open. As she waved a half-bitten fry, she curiously asked Beomgyu, "Why are you here again?"

"I can't be here?" Beomgyu lips quirked slightly.

"Nah, it's not that," Ryujin replied, "You don't have to be here, you know. You can go home and do other things." 

Beomgyu's didn't reply, only stopping to fumble with the controls of her hospital bed. Ryujin studied him carefully, her mouth slowly turning up in realisation.

"You know, you didn't have to invite me to those parties. You...you wanted me to come, didn't you?" Ryujin said carefully.

The boy froze, his tongue sliding out nervously to moisten his lips. "Maybe I did," Beomgyu finally said, "Because maybe I've been watching you from afar for a really long time." He didn't seem like the meek boy that had blushed furiously to ask her to the party. He finally seemed...confident. "Maybe I've liked you for a really long time."

Ryujin was utterly speechless, and Beomgyu took a moment to process what he had blurted out impulsively. 

He turned to leave but was prevented by a gentle tug at his sleeve. Ryujin raised her eyes to meet his carefully.

"Let's start off as friends, first, okay?"

Both unable to resist brilliant grins as Beomgyu nodded in agreement and Ryujin extended her hand for a handshake, just like how they did not too long ago.

What can I say?

The two finally found happily ever after.