Yeona and Na-reul sat side by side in the sterile hospital waiting room, the harsh white lights buzzing overhead like an electric charge in the tense silence between them. The weight of the news hung heavy in the air, thick and suffocating, but the relief that her mother was stable hadn’t yet settled into their bones.
Na-reul’s fingers tapped nervously on his knee, eyes darting toward the door every few seconds, as if willing the doctor to return with better news or some kind of miracle. Yeona stared straight ahead, jaw tight, every muscle coiled, like she was holding back a storm—silent but fierce.
Neither of them spoke at first; the space was filled with that uncomfortable quiet where words felt useless. When Na-reul finally broke it, his voice was low, rough with exhaustion,
“I didn’t know Mom had been driving so late. This... this wasn’t supposed to happen.” Yeona’s lips pressed into a thin line.
“It never is.” The words were clipped, sharp, but not bitter. She exhaled slowly, trying to push the panic down, focusing instead on the unspoken promise between them—survival, no matter what.
After a long pause, Na-reul rose stiffly, cracking his knuckles as he moved toward the vending machines. “We should get something to eat. Keep it together.” Yeona nodded once, barely, eyes still fixed on the closed door, waiting for whatever came next.
After a moment of silence she picked up her phone that was ringing, tearing through the silence
"Half pint calling"
Yeona groaned before answering the call, already knowing who it was. “Ugh, why does she even bother—hello?”
“Hey! How are you? It’s been forever! I have to update you on Haru!” Dan Oh’s voice bubbled through the speaker like a little spark.
Yeona rolled her eyes but smiled a little anyway. “Remind me again—who’s Haru?”
“Aish! The tall, handsome guy I named, duh!” Dan Oh giggled like it was the funniest thing in the world.
“Okay, spill the tea when we meet at school,” Yeona said, glancing out the window to escape the conversation for a moment.
Outside, the world was weary but somehow still beautiful. The midday sun draped everything in gold, roads shimmered under the heat, and the skyscrapers sliced through the sky like giant glass blades. Specks of dust floated in the sunlight, dancing like tiny fireflies trapped in time.
Just as Yeona let herself enjoy the quiet for a second, the door burst open. Her cousins swarmed in, loud and messy as ever—like cockroaches scattering from a fresh spray of bug poison.
Feeling lightheaded but desperate for calm, Yeona looked out the window again. Below, the hospital was a river of anxious faces and rushing cars, all tangled in the rhythm of worry.
“Remind me again, what melodrama is going on this time?” Ji-eun’s voice broke through the room, teasing.
“Shush, let her have some peace, Ji-eun,” Na-reul said softly from his seat nearby.
“Na-reul hyung, should we go join her too?” Mingyu’s tired but cheerful voice chimed in.
“Give it a rest, you two idiots,” Ha-joon muttered, eyes locked on their mother’s hospital room door.
Yeona exchanged a look with the three brothers. The awkward silence between them stretched, neither knowing what to say.
Ji-eun finally broke it with a warm smile as he sat next to her and draped an arm over her shoulder. “I’m glad you came as soon as we called.”
Yeona rolled her eyes, pushing lightly against him. “No kidding, Sherlock. Of course I came—can’t you see?”
Mingyu grumbled under his breath, “Damn, are you my sister or Ha-joon’s?”
Ji-eun laughed and nudged him. “Considering he raised me half my life, I’d say I’m more like him.”
Yeona shook her head, fighting back a reluctant smile. The family chaos—loud, messy, exhausting—felt like the only thing grounding her right now.
But probably not for long, her life never seemed to give her a break so she reckoned. This won't be the last time something occurs. She just wanted to go home to her pets and sleep the day off. Perhaps sleep could give her a break
YOU ARE READING
|| Philophobia || Baek Kyung
FanfictionPhilophobia - the fear of falling in love " You know you're like the street cats near my house" "I'm sorry wha-" " I mean you have eaten my food and yet you are ungrateful as heck" "Hwang Yeona how dare you"
