firefly | zhong chenle

CH25

"about what was worth and what wasn't. about why we must love and die."

-

The mission was soon wrapped up and Yuyi and Arin's conversation naturally came to a close. On the way back to the station, Arin thought a lot. About what was worth and what wasn't. About why we must love and die. It had never occurred to her that that might be the reason Chenle was always so closed off. Because he didn't want to hurt and hurt others.

Arriving back at the station, she headed to her own office to check on Jisung. Upon appearing in front of the younger boy, he jumped up, greeting her with such shocking energy for a wounded person.

"Arin!" Jisung chirped, waving at her "How was the mission? It sounded like a pretty intense one"

"Don't even get me started. Some woman thought that their cat being stuck up a tree was equivalent to a nuclear bomb. Sent all 3 units there only to realise it was a cat and an old woman" Arin shook her head in an exasperation "How are you doing? Feeling alright?"

"Much better. I swear I can do missions now" Jisung smiled, flexing his muscles to show her that he was fine.

Arin chuckled "Sit still". Her hand wrapped around his arm, bringing him to sit down on the bed. Applying a layer of medication on his burn wounds, the atmosphere suddenly went dead quiet. She didn't pay attention to the sudden disappearance of sound as she was too busy making sure the medication was well applied.

"Arin" Jisung spoke her name, in which she hummed in response.

"Arin" He said again, but this time, his thumb was on her chin, lifting her head up so that they made eye contact. This caught Arin off guard, so much to the point she dropped the cotton bud in her hands.

"I like you" Jisung almost whispered and the intensity of the atmosphere rose again. Her eyes widened, jaw falling open at the sudden confession. Jisung was indeed, a year younger than her but it always felt like he was her little brother, nothing more.

"You like...what?" Arin jumped up from her position, staring at him as if he'd gone insane.

"You. I like you" Jisung smiled "You were like...an angel, when I first saw you. You were the most beautiful person I've ever seen and...and I know, I'm young and you might think I'm impulsive but I'm really not. I thought long and hard about this and I don't care. I like you and I want to be with you"

He, Park Jisung, a firefighter, wasn't afraid to love despite the risks.

"Woah woah" Arin didn't know why that was the first thing that came out of her mouth. She stumbled backwards a bit, almost tripping over herself from the shock "Jisung, are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm certain" Jisung stood up and grabbed her wrist "I don't care what your answer is. Whatever it may be, I want to be able to pursue you"

Just as she was about to respond with her answer, she got a phone call. Apologising to Jisung, she picked up the unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Hi Arin. It's Hajoon. This is urgent. Your mother's heart rate stopped. The monitor says—"

She didn't even hear the rest of it before her phone clattered to the ground, horror flashing across her expression.

"What's wrong?" Jisung asked.

"I've...Ive got to go" Arin stammered, rushing out the door. Jisung chased after her, concerned that she was going to pass out or something, seeing as she looked as pale as a ghost right now. Arin's heart was racing, her mind a complete mess and she ran towards the streets, panic and anxiety all flooding to her head. She couldn't see the pedestrian crossing lines, nor could she see the traffic lights, crossing them blindly, desperate to go to her mother. She had done everything she could to protect her mother, and hearing her in a fatal state, killed Arin on the inside.

"Arin!" Jisung yelled at the girl, who was inches away from getting hit by a car. Arin couldn't hear anything, the panic muffling all sounds and bodies.

"Arin! Hwa Arin! Be careful you're gonna-"

And Jisung stopped dead in his tracks after hearing an ear deafening bang.

;

"Chenle. Oh my god. Zhong chenle...Arin, she-she...I don't know what to do"

Chenle was on the phone with Jisung, sitting on his couch with a can of coke in his hand. Upon hearing how startled Jisung was, Chenle sat up straighter, furrowing his eyebrow "What's wrong"

"Arin. She's in hospital. She got in a car crash and I don't know. Im on the—"

Chenle hung up immediately, heart sinking to the bottom of his stomach as he bolted out of his door. He had never ran so fast in his life, his feet taking him to the closet main roads. Sweat dripped from his forehead, his teeth tearing apart his bottom lip. He flung his arms around to get the attention of a taxi, but all the ones passing by were either occupied or didn't see him. Cursing, he begun to run. Against the wind and past the tall buildings. He simply ran. Chenle had no clue how far this hospital actually was, but all that mattered to him was getting to her.

Within minutes, he stumbled into the hospital, clutching the side of the register to stabilise himself.

"Hwa Arin. A girl who just got in a car accident" Chenle blurted out between pants.

"She's currently in ER right now. She won't be out until her surgery is complete" The nurse said.

"ER. Where's the fucking ER room" Chenle slammed his fist against the counter, catching the nurse off guard as she jolted in her seat.

"Down the hallway to your left"

Chenle didn't even hear the rest of the sentence before running towards the ER room. Upon arriving at the closed double doors with the blinking neon red sign, he saw Jisung, almost equally as distressed as he was, crouched against the wall.

"How did this happen" Chenle forced out through gritted teeth "How did this happen Park Jisung"

"I-I don't know. She got a phone call and then she just ran on the streets. She seemed desperate to get somewhere but..." Jisung shook his head "This is my fault. I'm sorry"

"She's our doctor Jisung. She's the girl you like and you still fail to protect her" Chenle yelled, gradually growing in volume "How can you fucking let this happen when she was right next to you?"

"I didn't know she was going to run on the streets like that. I was just as confused and-" Jisung tried to defend himself, earning a scoff from Chenle.

"Are you seriously trying to make an excuse right now?" Chenle's gaze now pierced Jisung's "She's on a hospital bed and you're trying to defend yourself?"

Jisung pursed his lips, realising he might've let his own emotions get to his head by trying to prove that it wasn't completely his fault

"Park Jisung listen to me" Chenle grabbed his collar and shoved him against the wall "If she get hurts again when you're literally next to her, I'll rip you apart"

And at that moment, Jisung realised something. He realised that perhaps, he wasn't the only one with feelings for Arin.

And now it all made sense.

a/n
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