Mirage

36

Entering the room was dreadful.

He had expected to be greeted brightly but nothing had come except for the beep from the machines that were connected to the unconscious body laid on the bed.

The machines, they were countless that Sunwoo could not recognize each functions on Haeun.

Sighing, he sat down on the chair by the bed, soullessly staring at her. Her skin was white, like some kind of clothes that had been bleached. Still she looked beautiful, even with an oxygen mask covering half of her face.

"Hey baby", Sunwoo greeted with a pout as he pulled the chair closer to the bed. "Are you that tired that you don't want to wake up?"

Of course there would be no answer and that was enough to break his heart.

Sunwoo reached for her hand, caressing the cold skin carefully. He wondered what had those slender fingers written down in the journal about the day she met Jihoon. 

Maybe Haeun's instinct had been activated, that he would go for the book. That was why she kept it away - at the place where only she knew.

"You know I'd always have your back", he said, his vision was now cloudy. "You should've told me about it".

Another sigh escaped.

He felt too tired these days, though he did not do anything. He even skipped his soccer practice because he was not able to perform well and that had enraged him.

He needed to be recharged but his charger was sleeping for way too long.

"Ah, I've been listening to your favourite song. Its title is horizon right?" he beamed, taking his phone out from his pocket and started scrolling down his playlist. "I've fallen for the song too".

Playing the song on the low volume as he placed his phone on the bed, Sunwoo shut his eyes tight, immersing himself in every lyrics he heard.

Unknowingly his chest felt stuffy of the amount of tears he held back. Sunwoo was struggled to not make any noises, so he bite his lower lip, hoping that the threatening tears would go away instantly.

The song was no help either. The beautiful lyrics overwhelmed him even more with only Haeun filing in his mind.

By reflex he took her hand to his chest, letting the rhythm of his heart beating against her palm.

"It's been beating only for you. Can you please wake up to make it continuously beating?"

That was when beads of tears started rolling down his cheek. He could not hold the feeling anymore, he cried silently with eyes closed.

However, the sincerity the two held for the love they shared somehow was a miracle. In every beats of his heart had triggered Haeun to be back alive as she batted her eyes slowly, adjusting to the bright light around her.

The warm touch against her skin made her roll her head towards the specific direction, a little bit startled to see Sunwoo who had his head down whilst holding her hand against his chest.

It took Haeun much energy to move her hand that ended up patting his chest.

"H-Hi t-there", she greeted weakly as Sunwoo jolted up, moving closer to her. She immediately noticed the dampness on his cheeks. "Y-You cry? W-Why?"

Sunwoo smiled sincerely, nuzzling into her another palm that was wiping the stain on his cheek. "I miss you".

It was then, Haeun pulled the oxygen mask away, flashing her tiring smile.

"How long has it been?"

"To be specific", Sunwoo sniffled, caressing her bang like usual. "50 hours".

"I'm glad I'm awake", she tried to speak more, she tried to enlighten Sunwoo's mood up knowing how down he had been. But it was painful - to be active as soon as you wake up.

"We'll talk more, but now, let me call the doctor first", Sunwoo excitedly launching his steps towards the door but before he could go through it, he turn to look at her again. "Don't miss me, I'll just go for a minute and will come back with your parents too".

Haeun grinned. Sunwoo was too cute for her too handle. Sometimes she asked herself too, was he the same person that would always be grumpy whenever she appear in front of him?

He had changed, or maybe this was the real him.

The quick checkup with the doctor went by in a second, Haeun was then left alone with Sunwoo as her parent was needed by the hospital for whatever reasons it were. Of course he would be glad to be with her, there was no way he would leave her unattended.

"Tell me why you're here instead of school", the girl who was leaning against the mattress that had been taking up halfway asked, catching Sunwoo off guard. "Something had happened right?"

"N-No", he tried to deny however by now, Haeun could have told the differences in every ways he talked - this one representing lying.

"Sunwoo..."

He rolled his eyes upon hearing that tone. The tone which was telling that she did not buy it, the tone which left him with no choice other than telling the truth.

"I fought with some people".

"Some?"

"Okay, 2 people. But the first one was intentional, and the second one was an accident".

The fright on Haeun's face was evident. Who would not be freaked out when you were told that your boyfriend intentionally picked a fight with someone? And some more what could have happened to accidentally fight with someone?

"Okay, who's the second?" she felt the adrenaline consume her in the slightest way.

"Eric..?"

"What?" it was then, Haeun's heart rate raced, she had almost had a heart attack. "Sunwoo, what exactly happened?"

"He told me not to leave the school and I was furious".

"He did the right thing", she sighed, throwing her palm to ruffling his hair. "You know that".

"I know, and I regretted it", he looked down at his fingers which were fiddling with each other.

The guilt he had over Eric was too big that Sunwoo was so sure he wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully tonight.

"And who was the first one?"

The next query that had left Haeun's lips somehow made Sunwoo gulp. He knew she probably would hate it but he could not lie to her.

He would never.

Sighing once again with eyes closed, Sunwoo was gambling on his future. He was so ready for any consequences.

"Jihoon..." carefully he looked for Haeun's eyes, expecting to see fury inside them but instead, they were blank as she stared at the plain wall ahead.

Like that name was meaningless.

"Sunwoo", she called him with the loving tone she always used, slowly pulling up her smile when their eyes met.

The gaze she portrayed was unreadable and full with questions. It had drawn Sunwoo to find out more about it but Haeun was too clever to end his curiosity.

"How you had asked me to ignore everything about Jiyeon, let's ignore Jihoon too".