The atmosphere in the hospital room was thick with tension. Aerin's members sat in uneasy silence, their faces etched with worry. Yuna, struggling to hold back her tears, wiped them away as Xia quietly reassured her. They were all on edge, their minds consumed by thoughts of their leader.
Jihoon stormed into the waiting area, adrenaline surging through his veins. His heart pounded, his mind a storm of worry and anger. The news that Aerin had fainted had shattered him, and what infuriated him more was the delayed notification. The company had waited until after the award show to tell him—something so personal, so urgent, hidden away for the sake of their image.
His eyes scanned the room, landing on the familiar faces of Eclipse. Their shared expression of frustration mirrored his own. They, too, were helpless. He couldn't blame them, but the anger still bubbled in his chest.
The silence dragged on, suffocating, until Aki—he assumed it was Aki—spoke up, breaking the quiet.
"We tried to contact you, but the company stopped us. I'm sorry."
Jihoon nodded, his frustration draining away into resignation. "It's alright. I understand," he muttered, collapsing into one of the hard hospital chairs. His mind was numb, consumed by guilt.
He had always feared something like this might happen. He had nightmares about Aerin, the person he considered immediate family, getting hurt. They'd gotten close after she moved to Seoul—he had been the one constant in her life. And now that this had happened, and he hadn't been there to stop it, it all felt like a nightmare he couldn't wake from.
. . .
Thirty minutes passed, and Jihoon's thoughts still didn't stray from the image of Aerin lying unconscious in that sterile room. His expensive suit from the award show had long since ceased to matter. His coat was draped over his shoulders, a small shield from the prying eyes of the outside world.
But what haunted him most wasn't just Aerin's condition—it was how the company would handle it. He knew how Pledis worked. Depending on how serious this was, they could easily sweep it under the rug and get Aerin back to work as if nothing had happened. It was a brutal reality he despised about them.
This wasn't sickness. The fall had been enough to cause a concussion, and now, Aerin was in a coma. No matter how the company spun it, the severity of it couldn't be ignored.
His mind was jolted from its dark thoughts when the door to the operation room swung open.
"Are any of you family members of Kang Aerin?" The doctor's voice was calm, but the weight of the question made Jihoon's heart lurch.
"I'm her cousin, Lee Jihoon. How is she? Is she okay?" His voice was frantic, but the doctor held up a hand to quiet him.
"Ms. Kang suffered a severe case of food poisoning, which caused her to faint. The fall, however, resulted in a minor concussion, and she is now in a coma. We anticipate she'll wake up in a few hours—or perhaps a few days. There's no need to worry, Mr. Lee."
Jihoon's chest tightened at the words, but the doctor's casual reassurance didn't ease him. His family—his sister—was in a coma. It gnawed at him, the helplessness, the guilt.
Without a word, he rushed into the room, his heart hammering in his chest. He froze when he saw her. Aerin's small form, her face pale and framed with bandages, IVs connected to her slender arms. She looked fragile, vulnerable in a way that tore at him.
He sat down beside her, grasping her hand with tenderness. His throat tightened, and despite his resolve to remain composed, tears pricked at his eyes. His guilt overwhelmed him. He wasn't there when she needed him. He wasn't able to protect her.
The door creaked open, and Aki stepped in cautiously. Jihoon didn't look up at first, his focus solely on Aerin. But when she spoke, her words snapped him back to reality.
"Sunbaenim... the three of us are going to head out now. It's late, and you should probably get some rest too."
Jihoon's brow furrowed at the mention of the "three of them." He hadn't processed it at first, but now it clicked—Aki had said "three."
"Three of you?" He repeated, his voice hoarse from emotion.
"Yeah, Hyunjae left early. She said the company called for her. I think she had to go for something urgent... I'm not sure." Aki's tone was matter-of-fact, but Jihoon couldn't ignore the hint of unease in her words.
"Did she leave alone?" Jihoon asked before he could stop himself, the suspicion creeping into his voice.
Aki blinked, clearly taken aback by the question, but she nodded. "Yeah... I think so. Why?"
Jihoon didn't respond immediately. His mind was already racing with questions. Why had Hyunjae left early? Was there something more to her departure than just company business? He had a nagging feeling, a sense of something off about the whole situation. But he pushed it aside for now.
"Don't worry about me, Aki," he finally said, forcing a weak smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Get some rest."
Aki nodded, excusing herself as she left Jihoon alone with Aerin. He knew he should leave—he had to get some sleep before another full day of work—but he couldn't bring himself to walk away. Not yet.
It was already 5 a.m., and he was exhausted, but the night felt like it was far from over. He had left without informing his members of where he was going, and he knew they would be bombarding him with questions the moment he returned.
He sighed and stood up slowly, writing his contact information on the clipboard for the hospital staff. At least he had a small sense of assurance. If anything changed, he would be notified.
The questions would have to wait.
But in the back of his mind, Hyunjae's mysterious departure lingered. He would get answers eventually.
𝘈 / 𝘕 !
I don't know if all of you have seen, but Moonbin of Astro has sadly passed away this morning. I am not personally a stan of astro, but i have enjoyed their music since day 1 and this feels absolutely surreal and it still hasn't completely processed. This truly proves we fans don't know what's going on behind the scenes and we must be kind to all. I send my prayers to all of Moonbin's family and friends. May he rest in peace 🕊
