cold | junhao

二十四

The flight drags on for what feels like hours. Every second, Jun panics that somehow he won't make it back and get to the hospital and something awful will happen. His eyes are practically glued to the clock, watching every long minute trail by. 

Finally, glimmering lights appear out the window, slowly growing closer as the plane begins to descend. He breathes a sigh of relief.

Not having the need to wait and retrieve his luggage, Jun barrels off the plane and sprints through the crowds of people, making straight for the exit without a second thought. His feet pound against the floor and his legs start to ache, but nothing in him wants to slow down. 

When the fresh air hits his face, the lack of sea air in the city does nothing to calm Jun - it's just a reminder of how far away from Minghao he still is. He looks around him, grinning when he spots a bus shelter across the car park at the side of the road. When he ends up stood in front of it, Jun's eyes scan the times listed, coming to a stop on the final row.

 Glancing at his watch, he lets out a ragged sigh. It's too late to catch a bus; the last one left well over an hour ago. 

As Jun makes his way back to the front entrance, the first trickles of rain spit down on his shoulders. Then, moments later, the skies open up and it pours like a tsunami. He stops in the middle of the car park, a heavy sinking feeling in his chest as he stares up at the clouds and curses. He pulls his hood over his head, legs trembling and shoulders hunched as he sits on a bench, leaning back with drooped eyes and an emotionless expression.

By now the taxis are long gone, all taken up by other people aching to get home and hide from the rain. 

Pulling up a contact on his phone, Jun gazes at Minghao's name etched atop the screen. It's no use, he reminds himself. He blocked you, remember? Still, his fingers hover over the dial button, a little spark of hope still ignited within him that somehow, Minghao would pick up if Jun called him. 

Before he can even try, another number appears on his screen. It's Mingyu. What does he want? Jun frowns - Mingyu rarely rings him for anything. After a few seconds, he answers. 

"Mingyu?" 

"Did Wonwoo tell you about Minghao? I'm on my way to the hospital now. You get back the day after tomorrow, right?"

Jun lets out a short laugh, although it shakes unsteadily due to his body temperature slowly dropping. He wraps an arm over himself in attempt to warm up. "Actually," he starts. "I'm at the airport right now. But I'm stuck here." He hears a deflated sigh.

"Why am I not surprised? You know, you're a bit of an idiot, Jun." 

"So I've been told.'

There's a long pause until Mingyu speaks up again. "Alright," he admits. "I'm on my way. I'll be ten minutes."

***

"So you just left? Without telling anyone?"

Jun shrugs. "Not exactly-" he scratches at his arm. "Yuqi, Renjun and Yeji knew I left. And my manager hasn't called, so either he hasn't;t noticed I'm gone or doesn't care."

Mingyu keeps his gaze fixated on the road, but Jun catches the subtle eye roll after he speaks. "You would've done it for Wonwoo."

"Damn right I would've," Mingyu agrees. "Except I don't have a job that could easily fire me for it. You're not even supposed to be dating him, for fucks sake."

"Just because you're a daddy's boy." Jun presses his forehead against the window, turning his back to Mingyu and instead staring at the city as they drive through. Eventually they're back into the countryside, inching closer to the ocean and home.

"If it weren't for me you'd still be stuck at the airport." Mingyu mutters. 

Jun sighs and leans back in the chair. "Sorry," he says. "I'm just stressed as fuck... I'm worried about Minghao, confused because he cut me off, scared of how Park's gonna react when he realises I ignored him... really fucking worried about Minghao." 

Jun moves back to looking out the window, where the sky is completely dark besides shining specks when stars litter the space above the car, so clear and bright that it's like a blanket of fairy lights draped over them. 

"Hey, Jun? You awake?"

Jun peeks his eyes open - not realising he'd closed them in the first place, and blinks. "Yeah?"

"We're here."

Sure enough, Jun looks up to see the hospital standing before him - white lights tearing like a knife through his still drowsy vision and stretching further up above his eye line from the passenger seat of the car. Shaking off his dead arm from resting his head against it, Jun stumbles out of the car. 

Only then does he quicken his pace, suddenly more awake and speed-walking through the people entering and leaving the building, trying his best to avoid colliding into them. 

Mingyu keeps up with him, although he moves slightly ahead when they pass the sliding doors. At first, Jun thinks he must be in a rush to find Wonwoo, but he stops in front of another doctor instead, calling out to him with urgency in his voice.

Jun doesn't catch what they're saying exactly, only sees the nods of the doctor who glances over Mingyu's shoulder at him. Mingyu dashes off, and the doctor walks over to Jun. His name tag reads Kim Doyoung.

"Are you here to see Mr. Xu?" he asks, smiling slightly. Jun nods, immediately following Doyoung, skipping a step every few seconds in his anticipation to get there quicker. 

After a few flights of stairs and walking down identical corridors so Jun's sure he'll never find the exit again, Doyoung stops by a door and gestures to it. "Xu Minghao is in here. Press the button if you need anything." Jun listens to him walking further and further away back towards the stairs, not moving until he can't hear the doctor anymore. Only then does he slide the door open and walk into the room.

Jun doesn't know what else he was expecting, but nothing prepares him for the sight of Minghao lying in a hospital bed, eyes closed with a cannula in his nose and needles in his arm. He sits on the bed beside him, gently taking a hand between both of his. Minghao doesn't stir. "I'm sorry," Jun sniffs, although he's not completely sure what he's apologising for. Is he sorry for going to China? Is he sorry for not being here sooner? What about the article? I'm sorry for whatever I did.

"Although it doesn't look it, I promise he's just sleeping."

The voice comes from the doorway, and Jun turns round to see Wonwoo, a small smile on his face. Mingyu loiters in the corridor outside, but doesn't come in before the door is shut.

Jun quickly wipes a hand over his nose and clears his throat. "What do you mean?"

Wonwoo leans against the wall and crosses his arms, surveying the couple for a few seconds before answering. "We ate dinner together earlier. I'm sure he would've loved to be awake for this part, but his body needed rest so I gave him something to help him sleep," he explains. "He'll wake up in the morning and be able to go home."

Jun lets out a sigh. Thank God. "You're sure?"

Wonwoo purses his lips. "Never. But there isn't much that can go wrong, so my guess is pretty good. I wouldn't let you get your hopes up otherwise."

 Nodding, Jun runs his thumb over Minghao's hand, "Then... can I stay here tonight?" At first, Wonwoo rolls his eyes, but after a look at Jun's pleading face, he exhales and nods.

"Have you eaten?" Jun shakes his head. With a disapproving sigh, Wonwoo walks back over to the door and grabs the handle. "I'll go get you some dinner."

He leaves, and Jun hears the door click shut a moment later. His head drops into his hands and he rubs at his eyes, fighting to stay awake. But it feels impossible, and within seconds Jun slides from the bed and onto the floor, his head leaning back against the mattress right beside Minghao's hand. Eyes fluttering shut, Jun gives in to his body's demand and falls to sleep.