the villainess x the soos (collaboration between small_mew and abralhugres)

Part 9

Sometimes time can feel like a ticking bomb waiting to explode at any moment– far too short and at the same far too long. Slow due to anxiety and desperation that fills up one's mind. That's exactly how Jungsoo felt when he arrived at the hospital together with Roksu. He couldn't determine whether or not the trip was too long or too short.

Regardless, Jungsoo wasn't sure what to expect as he rushed through it, disregarding the nurse that tried to stop him to identify him. He needed to see him.

Roksu didn't attempt to stop Jungsoo as he sighed and addressed the poor nurse that actually had nothing to do with this.

"Kim Roksu and Choi Jungsoo, we're here to visit patient Choi Han." The stoic man answered and the nurse nodded.

"It's late, visiting hours are over." The nurse said with a tired frown. Roksu looked at her with a neutral expression. He expected this to happen. It was kind of to be expected. The stoic man planned to do a lot of things once arriving here, but it is going to be hard since the brunette received the calls so late.

He looked at her and asked calmly: "We won't stay long. Please."

There was a desperation that the nurse saw daily. It wasn't that she was particularly moved, you didn't work a job like hers without growing a thick skin to tragedy, but she wasn't heartless either.

"Alright... Just don't make unnecessary scenes." She said before going back to the reception desk. She turned the blind eye on them, since both men seemed really stressed. Besides, it wasn't like they were strangers. She'd seen them visit the comatose patient multiple times. Roksu continued walking towards Choi Han's room.

And she knew the news they must have received today.

One can grow numb to tragedy but to disregard it would be to let go of one's humanity altogether.

Choi Han was announced brain dead earlier today. There wasn't even any point in keeping him on life support any longer. The family still didn't want to let go though. Most families didn't. Despite the futility they didn't want to give up.

From what the nurse had witnessed, the Choi's weren't the sort to let go easily.

Jungsoo practically collapsed into the chair. Uncle Han didn't look any different than he had for the last few months. He couldn't actually be gone.

How could they say he was gone...?

His mouth went dry and he held Han's still warm hand with his own shaking hand.

Uncle Han had always been strong. He was strong enough to make it through this. He had to be.

Uncle Han had always been there for him. No matter what. No matter how hard it got. No matter how painful it was.

Han couldn't be gone.

Jungsoo was crying. It was embarrassing. He was already ten years old and he shouldn't be crying, that was something that only babies did. He knew he had to be stronger than that.

But the stinging pain in his knee was unbearable and he'd dropped his sword too and he was never going to be as good at swordsmanship as the rest of his family. He could pour all of his heart and soul into it and it just wouldn't matter.

He was a failure.

At ten years old, Choi Jungsoo compared himself to others and found that he fell short of expectations. Sure, the skinned knee hurt but the pain in his little heart was far worse.

"Jungsoo."

He stiffened. He didn't want uncle Han to witness him looking so pathetic. What if he said that Jungsoo was too young and he wouldn't teach him anymore? What if his cousin was right and Jungsoo had no talent at all?