I'M (NOT) MARRIED || YUCHAE

TWENTY-FIVE

chp. 25

The room was heavy with fear and uncertainty, suffocating Chaeryeong's heart. Guilt, remorse, and regret swirled within her, like a turbulent storm crashing against her conscience. Time crawled by at an excruciating pace, stretching seconds into agonizing eternities.

Her mind became a tempest, a storm threatening to consume her. Each beat of her heart echoed like a drum of distress, reverberating through her veins.

She clung to threads of hope, desperately searching for a flicker of light in the enveloping darkness. But doubts whispered cruel uncertainties, gnawing at her like insidious shadows.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The clock on the wall measured time with infuriating sluggishness. The silence in the room was broken only by the tapping of Minho's foot, mirroring the chaos of Chaeryeong's thoughts. Rest was an elusive oasis, her eyes refusing to close without summoning the haunting image of Yuna's injured body.

"Get some rest, Chaeryeong," said Jungwoo, his voice was barely above a whisper, and it was evident that he was trying hard not to break down as well.

"She'll be out in a few minutes," Jeno muttered. "I'm sure."

Responsibility weighed upon her like a boulder, threatening to crush her spirit. Fragile as a glass sculpture, her soul teetered on the edge of shattering into irreparable fragments. She questioned if the universe conspired against her, if her actions invited this storm of pain into their lives.

"Why did you leave her driving in the rain?"

Jeongin's accusatory question cut through the air, reopening the wounds of her guilt. Before she could respond, Jeno's voice interjected.

"It's not her fault, Yuna kicked her out to protect her," Jeno defended, his gaze holding hesitation yet hope. "That's most likely what she tried to do."

"But..." Jeongin sighed, wiping his eyes with his palms.

"No buts," Jungwoo said, looking at him expectantly. "Chaeryeong didn't know what was happening. Yuna kicked her out without saying anything else, could you blame her?"

"I'm sorry," Chaeryeong murmured, causing all eyes to turn to her. "I shouldn't have left the car."

"Then you'd also be in the ER right now," Ningning shook her head. "Don't be stupid."

"You didn't know," Jisu forced a smile. "No worries."

Chaeryeong existed in a haze, a disconnected state that left her feeling as if she hovered between life and death. The passing moments blurred together, lost in a fog of worry and anxiety. The mere thought of Yuna's life hanging in the balance tormented her, tugging at her heartstrings with an unbearable weight.

In the midst of the hospital's corridors, grief resonated like an echo, reverberating through Chaeryeong's core. The anguished cries of families mourning their loved ones became a haunting melody, intertwining with the threads of her fears.

A harrowing question pierced through the haze of her thoughts, its weight settling upon her shoulders like an oppressive burden. What if her own path would soon mirror those grieving families?

Chaeryeong's breaths came in shallow gasps, each inhale tinged with anxiety and trepidation. Her senses heightened, attuned to every sound, every movement, as if seeking solace or solace in the doctor's arrival. But time played a cruel game, prolonging the anticipation, drawing out the torment, and leaving her suspended in an abyss of uncertainty.

Jungwoo's sudden movement jolted Chaeryeong from her mire of despair, snapping her attention to the figure emerging from the depths of the emergency room.