ASTRONOMY | SEUNGJIN

23 - Away from him

"Hello? Mother?"

While crying, his phone suddenly rang.

"Is this Mrs. Kim's son? This is Busan Medical Hospital, and we'd like to inform you that your mother has been rushed here due to a car crash."

Seungmin's heart sank... car crash? After the call, they immediately rushed to the train station to return to Busan.

"She's going to be okay, don't worry." Hyunjin affirmed, trying his best to comfort Seungmin, but no matter what he says, Seungmin was still nervous.

Why his mother out of all people? He couldn't lose his mother- not now, not ever. Unpleasant thoughts filled his head, making him think of the worst scenarios possible.

"Just cry, it's okay I'm here," Hyunjin said, rubbing Seungmin's back in circles, hoping he would calm down.

They arrived in Busan after 3 hours and immediately went to the hospital.

"Name please?" The person in front asked. "Kim Seungmin" he was starting to shake, anxiety was taking over him.

"Sir, please wait here. Your mother was rushed to the operating room due to severe head trauma." Head trauma? What really happened? "Seungmin!" His nanny called.

"W-what happened?" He wasn't ready to hear what she was going to say. "Your father is apparently cheating, she found out about it and suddenly drove away."

"She found out about Father; this is his fault."

He had no one else but his father to blame. If only he had not cheated, if he had not left, if he had not pretended to be working, then all of this wouldn't have happened. This was his father's fault. The reason his mother is in the operating room right now was his father's fault.

"She's in a coma. We found a concerning amount of pills in her, which caused an overdose." The doctor explained.

"We also found alcohol in her car, which may or may not have caused the accident." The police officer added,

Seungmin was stressed. First, he finds his father, whom he couldn't contact for months in Seoul, and apparently has a newborn baby? Then his mother gets into an accident because of that very reason.

"Seung, it's 3 a.m. get some rest." Hyunjin did not leave Seungmin's side, not even for a minute. "I'll stay here. You should get home, it's late." Seungmin felt bad for Hyunjin. He was tired, but he still chose to stay with Seungmin.

Eventually, after much convincing, Seungmin finally convinced Hyunjin to go home. "Okay, fine, but I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

Despite only five hours of sleep, Hyunjin managed to go to the hospital. He brought food and extra things that Seungmin needed. The elevator was going to close when a man got in.

"25th floor," he said, and oddly enough, it was the same floor he was going to, where Seungmin and his confined mother were.

Was the man following him? Why is he going the exact same way Hyunjin was going? He scanned the doors, and after a few steps, he finally found room 3.

"Seung, it's me," he knocked on the door before it opened, revealing a tired-looking Seungmin. He had been looking after his mother since last night, barely getting any sleep.

"How are you?" What a stupid question to ask; obviously, Seungmin was not okay. "The doctors said she's brain dead. She'll basically die without the support machine, she won't ever wake up." Seungmin sobbed through his words. It was painful. He tried being in denial, but the truth is the truth. She's dead, just like that, he lost his mother.

They didn't even notice someone get in the room, they were too busy crying.

"Seungmin," he spoke. Him, his father, the reason for all this. Seungmin didn't even want to question why he was there, he just wanted him gone. "How dare you show your face here?! This is your fault!" He started throwing punches at his father.

Hyunjin was fast enough to restrain Seungmin, but Seungmin was not one to give up. He's not himself right now, he does not give a fuck about consequences anymore. His mind was only filled with sadness and anger. Seeing his father triggered the worst in him.

"You should've died instead of her!" He shouted, with tears flowing down his face.

Seungmin's words stung, hurting because they were true. His father did not try to talk or fight back. He deserves it, and he knows that.

After hearing the news, he rushed to Busan. He knew Seungmin wouldn't be able to handle this well. He was right, but being there made it worse. This was not the right time to meet Seungmin.

"Seung, calm down" were the last words Seungmin heard before his vision got blurry, and fully loosing consciousness. "Call a doctor!" Hyunjin shouted to Seungmin's father.

Seungmin had fainted due to stress, lack of sleep, and hyperventilation. He is now properly resting while Hyunjin looks after him.

"I suggest you stay away from him, even for a while. I know I have no say in this since you are his father, but it's for his own good." Hyunjin said to Seungmin's father.

"The life support of his mother will be taken away tomorrow. I'd like to be there for him," Seungmin's father insisted. "I won't ever leave him, so please, sir, stay away from him," Hyunjin argued.

So he did; Hyunjin stayed there, waiting for Seungmin to wake up. He couldn't help but notice Seungmin's puffy face from all the crying, the tear stains on his cheeks, his pale lips, and the dark circles under his eyes... all that, yet he still looked perfect to Hyunjin, still prettier than ever.

Is this what love was like? Still finding beauty in one's imperfections.

He didn't want to leave. He didn't want Seungmin to wake up all alone, so he stayed. He stayed there until he fell asleep. He needed to save up energy for when Seungmin wakes up because he had to tell him the news- that they have to take his mother off life support.

It was not going to be easy, not for him, not for Seungmin.