I don't deserve you | YoonMin | English

PROLOGUE

A young man, presumably in his 20s woke up in a hospital bed. He slowly opened his eyes and groaned as if he was in intense pain. He glimpsed around the room he was in.

A doctor stepped closer to him and asked, 'Can you hear me?'

He slightly nodded in agreement.

The doctor said, 'I'm Kang Tae-Hyun. I'm your doctor for now. Do you know why you're here?'

He blinked before slightly nodding in agreement.

Doctor Kang said, 'You'll have to get some rest for a couple of hours. After that, your oxygen mask will be taken off. You can go home by Monday and that means tomorrow, of course.' with a warm smile.

He blinked once as if he was trying to say something but looked away from the doctor without a word in response.
Doctor Kang left the room without another word.

A few hours passed taciturnly.

Doctor Kang, with a nurse, came back to check on the young man who was just staring at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts.

Doctor Kang said, 'Let's get rid of that oxygen mask. Your wound will be alright within a week. It's not too deep. Your median nerve isn't damaged. You'll be fine.'

The nurse took off the oxygen mask as well as the electrodes of the ECG. He was lying on the bed with no emotion—still staring at the ceiling.

Doctor Kang said, 'Everything is normal. You're stable and all good. You can go home by tomorrow as I said earlier, but you'll have to visit your psychiatrist for sure.' to which he nodded in agreement without even sparing a glance at the doctor.

A cheerful man in his 20s came running to the young man.

He said, 'Hello, Doctor Kang! How's hyung doing?'

Doctor Kang explained everything to the cheerful young man and left with the nurse.

The cheerful man asked, 'Hyung! Why didn't you take your tablets?'
The young man said, 'Yaah, Jung Hoseok... Are you here just to scream at me? Why can't you just let me die in peace?'

Hoseok sat on the chair next to the young man and said, 'Hyung, listen to me. This is not you speaking. This is not you at all. You skipped your medicines and that's why you're going through all this. You don't deserve to die. You-'

The young man interrupted, 'I'm not in the mood to listen to your useless motivational talks. How was your class?'

Hoseok took a deep breath and said, 'Oh, how rude! My class was fine. I got a new student today. He's so cool. He's got incredible skills. I love how he dances energetically. He seems to be someone with great potential.'

He said, 'Mmm-hmm. Good for everyone.'
Hoseok said, 'Appa asked me about you.'
He asked, 'What did you say?'
Hoseok answered, 'The truth.'

The young man, in an alarmed tone, asked, 'Hob-ah, what the actual fuck? Did you just tell him that I cut myself?'

Hoseok answered, 'Uh, yeah? He's a professor! I can't just lie to him. He'd find out easily if I ever lied. I mean, I just said the truth though.'

He sighed in disbelief and closed his eyes.

Hoseok said, 'I'm going home for now. Appa is sick. Nothing much. Just the flu. I'll be back tomorrow morning to take you home.'

He hummed faintly in response.

Hoseok went near the young man and gently patted his shoulder. He whispered, 'Bye-bye, hyung...' and left the hospital room.

As soon as he left, the young man opened his eyes and glanced at the ceiling again.

He was feeling emotionally numb. The fact that he cut himself the previous day didn't seem to trouble him at all.

He felt like all he wanted to do was close his eyes forever.