AT A DISTANCE, SPRING IS GREEN - BAE IN HYUK a.k.a NAM SOO HYUN

Part 7. Hurt Road

우리 이런 빌어먹을 세상을 같이 견디자

Let's put up with this damn world together

It was late at night, but Soo-hyun was still working on the construction site when his phone rang stopping his work. He took off his gloves and wiped off his sweat, before seeing Yeo joon's name appear on his phone screen.

"Eo, malhae. (Eo. You can talk.)" Soo hyun sighed hesitantly and picked up the call.

"You picked up."

"Of course. I still owe you." Koo-hyun sold the watch that Yeo joon gave him, and Soo-hyun intends to pay it off slowly, but Yeo joon refuses, instead replacing it by being warm to him.

"I'm working." Soo-hyun started talking again when he noticed Yeo Joon who hasn't spoken.

"At such a late time?" Yeo joon was shocked across the phone. "Yes. At such a late time." Soo-hyun replied quickly, starting to get irritated.

"I hurt someone and want to know how to return to the way things were." Yeo joon said in a weak voice. "Just tell her how you feel without embellishing." Soo-hyun rushed after receiving a warning from his boss. "That's it?"

"You're bad at that. Just do what you're bad at. Bye." Soo-hyun sighed, and hang up the phone.

After seeing the warmth that Soo-hyun gave Koo-hyun, Yeo joon just wanted to feel the warmth of an older brother, because he had never felt that. From a young age, Yeo Joon was treated harshly by his father and mother, and a cold attitude was always received from his older brother.

*** 

A long day passed just like that for Aeri. She sat leaning her back at the bus stop after part-time, 6 hours tutoring and 3 hours part-time in the library.

"I didn't know it would be this tired." She took a deep breath, and took out the earphones from her hoodie pocket, music is what Aeri has used to escape from the noise of the world.

A few minutes passed, and she closed her eyes enjoying the music, and the silence of the night, but the vibration of her phone made Aeri open her eyes. Yeo Joon.

"Eo, Joon-a." She picked up with a lazy voice. "Aeri-ya, are you done with tutoring?" Yeo joon's voice sounded frantic and breathless. "Eo, I'm done, I'm waiting for the bus, what are you up to? Were you running?" She got up on her back and asked him in her worried tone.

"The academy where you are tutoring is close to Hosu Hospital, right? Can you go to the ER? Soo-hyun sunbae fainted, I'll be on my way to catch up there later." Yeo Joon spoke in a hurry, Aeri who heard the news immediately hang up the call and ran to the hospital, without answering Yeo Joon's words.

***

Aeri dripping with sweat ran to the bed the ER receptionist pointed out. She opened the bedside curtain and saw Soo-hyun still asleep and mumbling something.

"Sunbae." She caught her breath and tightly gripped the hem of his sleeves with trembling hands. "Dad." "Dad." Soo-hyun babbled and tears trickled slowly from the corner of his eyes.

"Aeri-ya. What did the doctor say?" Not long after, Yeo joon came rushing in, looking at them both. "The results are still not out. What's actually going on? How did he passed out?" Aeri glanced at him briefly, then glued her eyes to Soo-hyun's pale face. "He passed out at the construction site." He sighed, also looking at Soo-hyun.