Kintsugi // ATEEZ [Ishihara Sequel] ✔

22 Act

Seonghwa looks at the bruises on his legs, his face expressionless as the palace doctor tends to them, giving him the proper medication after assessing how badly he's hurt. He only sustained minor injuries, most of them bruises from using his body as a shield most of the time, while his fingers were injured as he used his bow as a weapon. It was his first time using the bow Hongjoong had made specially for him in a fight, and he's liking how the weapon is perfect for him, as he knows the blacksmith must have put everything in consideration when making it.

What he wishes is that there won't come another time where he has to use it in a fight.

"Luckily, you sustained minor injuries, and your vital organs are fine," the doctor, Dr. Kee announces. "You had no open wounds except for your cut lip. Still, you should have let me attend to you faster. It's my duty as the doctor, Your Majesty."

Seonghwa looks out the window as the doctor patches him up as he sighs. "I wasn't a patient as urgent as my wife. I could've treated them myself."

The doctor rolls away his chair, standing up as he stores away all his equipment and medication. "Your Majesty, you're a patient too."

Seonghwa releases a heavy breath, checking out the bandages he has around his body. "I've always been too late to stop her from getting hurt. How much more does she need to go through?" He stands up, "Thank you for checking up on me, and you may retire for the day. Thank you, you've worked nonstop when attending to my wife. You may also take a few days off, I've noticed that you didn't sleep a wink." He smiles, "I'm sure you need all the rest you can get too." He bows. "Thank you again."

"I'm sorry it wasn't enough," Dr. Kee says, his eyes under his glasses trained on the floor. "I feel like I'm not a competent doctor because I wasn't able to treat her that well and only watch as time goes by."

Seonghwa smiles again, but his eyes turn blue as he shakes his head. "Please don't blame yourself, I assure you that you've done the best that you can." He bows again before the doctor does the same, and he leaves the room.

As he's about to walk away from the sick bay, he runs into Jongho who has piles of documents under his arms. He doesn't feel the energy to ask what he's bringing, so he merely nods before passing by him. However, Jongho stops him in his tracks as soon as his back is towards him.

"Are you alright?" Jongho asks softly, turning around.

With his back towards Jongho, he grits his teeth before trying to stop himself from releasing the dam of tears he has been holding back. He turns around, smiles before saying, "Of course I am. I only sustained minor injuries."

Jongho stares at his eyes deeply, before switching the piles of documents from his left to his right arm. "I've known you for years and you can't lie." The left corner of his lips lift up. "Your eyes are betraying your words too. Also... I'm not asking whether you're fine physically. I'm asking if you are alright."

"No," he answers. "This just feels like a cruel recount of that day when she was stabbed during the event we had to unveil the Shadow King."

Jongho keeps quiet; he wasn't there when it all went down, so he didn't witness how heartbroken - according to the others - Seonghwa was when Akira was injured and couldn't wake up for a few days.

"I've failed again and again," he utters. "I can't even protect her."

"She chose to fight on her own," Yunho comes into the picture, bringing in the same amount of files like Jongho. Unlike Jongho who's holding them with one hand, Yunho has his in front of him, both hands holding them in place. "Because she has always been that kind of person. When things were looking dangerous and undesirable for our army, she'd ask us to save ourselves, but she stayed back to fight instead. She has no fear, that girl. I can never be a leader like her."