𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐄

019

A nurse emerged from the corridor and approached them. "Excuse me," she said softly, her voice cutting through the silence. Taehyung and Jisoo immediately snapped their heads in her direction.

"Ms. Kim's surgery has been completed," the nurse began, her expression neutral yet sympathetic. "She has been moved to a regular room. You can see her now if you'd like."

Relief washed over Taehyung, and a soft sigh escaped his lips.

The nurse nodded in response. "Please follow me," she said, gesturing for them to follow her. They both stood up from their seats and followed the nurse to Jennie's room.

...

The nurse opened the door, revealing Jennie lying in the bed, hooked up to various machines.

She lay motionless in the hospital bed, her once vibrant energy replaced by a frailty that seemed out of place.

Her usually plump, rosy lips were now chapped and colorless, looking dry and cracked. The usual rosy hue of her cheeks had paled, giving her a sickly pallor.

Her hair, which normally shone with a lustrous luster, now lay limply against her pillow, lacking its usual bounce.

Jisoo approached her bedside, her eyes brimming with worry. She reached out and gently touched Jennie's hand, feeling the coldness of her skin beneath her own trembling fingers.

"Nini," she whispered, her voice choked on air. "You look so tired and fragile."

Jennie's eyes fluttered open slowly, a weak smile graced her lips. Her voice was soft and hoarse as she replied, "Yaaah, stop being so dramatic, I'm fine."

Jisoo chuckled through her tears, looking down for a millisecond before looking up at her again. "Yeah, sure, you look perfectly fine, looking like a corpse and all," she voiced, gently squeezing Jennie's hand.

Jennie rolled her eyes weakly, her sarcasm peeking through. "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," she said, her voice laced with a touch of dry humor.

Taehyung stepped closer, his gaze lingering on her frail form. "You don't look fine. You look weak and sick," he said deeply looking into her eyes.

Jennie tried to brush it off with a shrug. "It's just the hospital effect. Makes everyone look extra awful," she replied, her attempt at downplaying her condition failing horribly.

Jisoo scoffed, folding her arms. "Yeah, sure, blame it on the hospital. That doesn't explain why you look like you could blow over with the slightest gust of wind."

•••

"What the fuck?!" the man in his forties roared, violently smashing the glass onto the floor, the room reverberating with the piercing sound.

"I-I'm so sorry, Boss," one of his men stammered, looking down, sweat forming on his forehead.

"You useless piece of shit! How dare you make such a stupid mistake!" he thundered, his voice filled with rage, making everyone in the room recoil in fear.

The room fell silent as the shards of broken glass scattered across the floor. The man's anger seemed to fill every corner, suffocating the air. His furious gaze swept across the room, landing on the trembling figure of his subordinate.

"You think a half-hearted apology will fix this? You're a disgrace!" he spat, his voice dripping with venom.

The subordinate swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper. "I-I'm sorry, Boss. It won't happen again."