𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙫𝙖𝙨 • 𝙚𝙣𝙝𝙮𝙥𝙚𝙣 + 𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣

𝗳𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻

𝙞'𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜'𝙨 𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞'𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙪𝙥 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 - 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗼

After Joshua left the room, Lee Chaerin finally had the time to unwind from all the excitement and fun they had. Spending time together, the fresh air of the outside world, and the feeling of giddiness in her heart. Call her delusional, if you will. Even the small cacti plant in the window seemed to agree with her.

The curtain to her bed opened to reveal Emily, a nurse from America who worked in this country after marrying into a Korean Family. "Emily-ssi!" Chaerin greeted as she accepted her lavender sweater and white pants she wore from the accident. "Is that what I think it is?"

A laugh bellowed from Emily as she nodded. "You noticed? Our anniversary was last night. Then he gave me this necklace." Emily took out a heart-shaped locket with initials of E and M written in English alphabet.

"E and M?" Chaerin questioned as Emily helped her to the bathroom to change. "Choi Minwoo-ssi was that romantic?"

Emily nodded. "Don't look at me like that. Minwoo always takes me on dates when we're in the U.S. though." Chaerin laughed as she finally finished wearing her clothes, careful to not touch her bandaged waist.

"I was just saying. Most people break up if there's no communication. No offense. If he really loves you, he should spend more time with you," Chaerin added. "Look at you. You have a successful career in being a nurse. And I get that he's a pilot and all, but he still hasn't called you that much."

Emily sighed, sounding too much of a mother disappointed with her child. Chaerin felt a hand combing out her dry wavy hair with her hands. "You're still young, Chaerin-ssi. Someday you'll realize that trust is all that matters. Heard from my nieces that young people needed to talk too much to their partner? Is that why you're asking me?"

"... I'm just worried," Chaerin mumbled.

"A phone call for Patient Lee Chaerin!" Emily took one more pat to her head and handed over the crutches to her hands. "Take care, would 'ya? Don't want to see you here in the hospital as a patient."

Chaerin nodded and walked with the aid from crutches to the receptionist area. Ms. Park looked up from her papers and handed over the forms from the little window. "Would 'ya look at that? Lee Chaerin-nim, you're one lucky girl. The blade missed almost all your organs."

She nodded in response as a serious expression took over her face. To be honest, she's still confused when everyone's treating her nicely in this place. It was almost too good to be true.

"Even got a lovebird to visit her and take her outside the garden." Chaerin reddened and huffed as she tried to look indifferent at the constant teasing. "Oh, they're calling again."

"Not another word, Ms. Park," she said after covering the speaker of her phone. "Besides, he told me that we're just friends."

"Harsh," Ms. Park commented.

"Yes, Lee Chaerin speaking." As she kept hearing the other person's words, she mouthed an 'excuse me' to the receptionist. "Yes, sir. I'm in a private area now."

'As I said. Miss Lee Chaerin, we have received that you had an accident for two days?' The other line asked.

"Yes, sir. I encountered a criminal who at that time of the scene happened to kill somebody else. I still haven't received the police's analysis of the crime, but I... am one of the victims."

Chaerin heard the other line become silent. "Ah," she blurted out in pain.

'If you don't mind me asking, what happened?'

Blood stained her fingertips after her habit of scratching her wrists resurfaced. "I-It's nothing. What were you saying, sir?"

'Well, Miss Lee Chaerin. As I was saying, you failed to submit an excuse letter for your absence to your professors within the subjects of the day. To remind you, it has only been the 1st semester of your program. A top student like you should take care of yourself.' The other line added. 'We do get your circumstances and therefore, we'll need to meet your guardian regarding this matter.'

"Sir, I appreciate your generosity for this matter. But does it really have to reach my uncle about this?" Chaerin whispered while trying to wipe the blood off her scrubs. "I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. My uncle's in Seoul. A law firm. Commuting to this place would take hours and money, and I can't afford that."

'We'll take that into consideration. But please do contact your guardian, Miss Lee. We'll get back to you as soon as you discharge.' The other person on the line hung up, leaving her to slump down the floor and alerted the nurse of the blood splattering to the floor. Even with somebody's hands covering her wrists, escorting her to the room, and the nurses' worried speeches, Lee Chaerin still hasn't recovered from the shock.

As annoying as her uncle is, Lee Chaerin still believed that being far away from him will be the best for him. A pity that he doesn't think the same. It took a dozen persuasion and warnings before he came into senses that he'll need to stay in his own apartment if he needed to stay in his new school.

"-I need to see her, please!" A worried voice that sounds familiar rang from the receptionist. There stood her uncle, dressed in wrinkled suits and messily tucked papers seen from his tight grip on his suitcase. "I'm her guardian, Lee Yuta. I received a phone call about her here? Look. I just traveled here from Seoul and haven't slept for two days. I just need one look and I'm out of here."

Seeing the nurses bid their goodbye, Chaerin sighed and rubbed her forehead from the incoming headache. 'Here comes another drama,' she thought. The young woman begrudgingly stood by the door, bandaged wrists to her pockets, and clearly enjoyed the panicked expression of him.

"Ms. Park, it's okay," Chaerin added. "That's really my uncle. Yes, we look too much alike. We know."

Uncle Yuta ran to her, carefully hugging her after hearing her injuries. "Thought I lost you," he said as he took a look from her head to toe. "They said that you've been stabbed? Who is it? Go home and put on your best suit. I'll be presenting you as your lawyer."

"Look, I'm fine. We're fine. We didn't know that there was a rampaging killer in the neighborhood. I wasn't alone, okay? If that's what you're implying. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Everyone does that almost everyday," she laughed as she added. "Even you made a slip up in high school-"

"What do you mean you're fine?" He then pointed at her abdomen. "You are seventeen, young and full of life, and may I remind you that you are a teenager, for goodness sake. How could you say that after being stabbed? Can you even hear yourself?"

Chaerin nervously laughed and looked everywhere except her uncle's eyes. "I can hear myself just fine. Look, I'm sorry for trying to get me and my friend to safety. It's either him or me. What are you expecting me to do?"

"Be selfish!" Uncle Yuta gripped her shoulders, making her hands hidden in her pockets out in visible sight. "I know you're protecting him, but think about yourself too. What do you think will happen if help doesn't arrive? Did you ever think that I'll be standing here in front of you? No. I'll be kneeling on that table, crying my heart out for the only remaining family that I cared for."

He stopped.

And he locked his eyes to hers. In horror.

Then he slowly looked down.

"Chaerin?"

Looking at the dark brown eyes staring at her own, she felt petrified and unable to speak. There was confusion, guilt, and horror reflecting in them like they were trying to drown in a pool of denial. "Uncle Yuta? Why'd you stop?" Chaerin asked. "You're scaring me."

He then slowly opened his mouth to speak. But he hesitated.

Chaerin followed his gaze.

Oh.

The bandages were dyed red. And he saw it.