ANAGAPESIS

10

Iris was not okay, absolutely not.

She went to the ladies every so often, washing her face and slapping her cheeks but still she felt weak.

The aftermath of the accident got her in a daze, tired, heavy eyelids that were ready to send her into a dreamland. Both her hands were cold, she kept remembering those moments from the crash.

It was not that bad. No one was injured, but still, it would be haunting her for a while now.

No one in her workplace knew about it. For she had kept it alone, not intending to let anyone know.

For she didn't want them to sympathize with her.

She was only exchanging messages with her mother who asked about the accident and also Jaehyun who once in a while assured her that everything would be fine.

It was enough for her but still, she felt disappointed for some unspoken reasons.

"See you next week Iris," her colleague said, waving as they were about to part ways after work.

Iris smiled like nothing bad had consumed her for the day, though how tiring her body had been. That wasn't a facade, but she tended to treat people differently based on the situation she was in.

She always thought that they, who didn't know about her problem were not eligible to know or be treated with the same emotions she was in.

She has to know how to control her emotions.

But, the glimpse of Jaehyun's car somehow made her portray her current condition - weak and tiring. She tried hard to pretend fine but she couldn't.

"I'm sorry Jaehyun, I don't know who to ask for help," she sounded so apologetic yet Jaehyun was only shaking his head.

"No need to be sorry. That is what a friend is for," he assured. "Let's go, you look terrible."

Iris refused to burden other people, she wanted to settle out everything herself but this kind of situation was really out of her hands. It was beyond her capability.

She asked Jaehyun for help to drive her home and the guy came with a deal. He would only send her home once she got a detailed checkup in the hospital.

And she had no power to say no.

"She's fine. Let her finish the drip then she can go home," Younghoon explained to his friend, who was standing in a corner, a bit far from the patient who was receiving the treatment. "How is her car?"

"In the workshop," Jaehyun said, hands pocketed as he stared at the sleeping Iris. "She is the strongest girl I've ever met."

"That's why you fell for her," Younghoon challenged, meeting with a pair of calm orbs unlike the flustered one he saw earlier at Juyeon's place. Jaehyun maybe was not denying it this time. "Are you admitting it now?"

"I-"

"Where is she?" a sudden chaos suddenly erupted in the Emergency Room from a flustered girl which got both men's attention. The girl found Jaehyun by the corner, immediately scooting towards him but then noticed the other man beside him. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here then?" Younghoon flustered and asked her back.

Alice scoffed, completely forgetting her first intention of coming in here when she got the sudden realization.

"You know Younghoon?" she asked Jaehyun who had his jaw dropped, not quite registering what was happening.

"He's my friend," the confused guy replied before he turned to his male friend. "Do you know Alice?"

"My scandal," nonchalantly Younghoon answered, almost receiving a smack from the girl.

Regardless, Jaehyun was left speechless. Alice was here after receiving a call from Iris as she was working as a nurse in the hospital where she was treated and Younghoon was the doctor who treated the sick girl.

Who would have expected that this fate had brought them as a circle?

"What's going on here?" it was then, that Iris joined them after finishing the drip, half-conscious. The tension between the three was so obvious that she could not help to dig in.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner about the accident?" Alice frustrated, hugged the girl tight before she pulled away, glaring. "And why didn't you tell me that Jaehyun's friend is Younghoon?"

Iris blinked, staring at them one by one. She was confused by the sudden chaos that erupted, nonetheless slowly deciphering as she read their faces, she probably could have guessed.

It was then she shook her head for thinking too much, it was tiring. "It's good you are here Alice, you can send me home right?"

"No," without hesitation she answered, no sign of remorse tinted in her eyes once she blurted that out made Iris slightly surprised. "I have tons of work here, Jaehyun can send you home."

Gasping, Iris kinda felt like a rejection yet she knew, from the tone Alice was speaking, she didn't have any intention to reject.

A small part of herself had whispered that her friend was busy, but another part was telling her that this was all a lie.

And the stare Alice shared with Younghoon had proven everything.

They were plotting something.