HEAL || Lee Minho

7. The Grand Revelation to Hyunjin

"Hyunjin, listen carefully and don't freak out. Please." Haejin implored to Hyunjin, afraid that her friend might pass out on hearing the news of her marriage.

"You're scaring me Haejin." Hyunjin's voice and expressions were now that of worry. Just what could be so surprising, so unusual that Haejin was being this cautious even before telling him. The adrenaline was rushing through Hyunjin's veins, his pulse so strong that it could be seen on his slender wrist.

Haejin's condition wasn't any different. She kept shaking her legs under the table, licked her dry lips from time to time and fumbled with her fingers, all while fighting her crazy heart beat which she could feel throughout her body, and which kept her voice trapped inside her throat.

"I'm getting married." Haejin spoke in a go, closing her eyes and clenching her fists. Her breathing was laboured and the moments these words left her mouth, she felt as if her lungs and her heart had stopped working. The tension could be felt by her in every part of her body, her jaw clenched, her shoulders raised, her feet resting on toes...

Hyunjin, though, couldn't register her words yet. To him, the words 'Haejin' and 'marry' did not and could not belong in the same sentence, in a positive way. He just rolled his eyes and laughed it off. "You're getting what?" Hyunjin scoffed, taking a sip from his ice americano.

"I'm not joking Hyunjin." Haejin sighed deeply, her eyebrows furrowed in distress. The tone of her voice was rather stern and composed, in complete contrast to her mental state which was all out of place. As much as she wanted to admit that she indeed was joking, she couldn't... because really, she was going to marry.

"Haejin..." There was confusion laced in Hyunjin's voice and on his face. His unsure expressions were a sign that he had got the idea of Haejin being serious, but as said before... he could never expect the two words framed positively in a sentence.

"I'm dead serious, Hwang." Now that Haejin had gained a little control over her shattered inner self, she once again confirmed her previous statement of her getting married.

"What the fuck, Haejin? You're aware of your words, right?" Hyunjin asked as his voice started getting a little impatient.

"I am.. it's true, Hyunjin, really." Haejin's soft yet strong voice finally made Hyunjin believe her words. His mind going feral because of the revelation, all of the nerves in his brain working their best to decipher the situation but nothing made sense to him.

He was aware of Haejin's wish of never wanting to get involved romantically with any man. He was aware of her past-trauma, and how she had PTSD of her past even though she never had gotten clinically diagnosed. He was aware of the fact that Haejin wanted nothing but a simple life with a more simple, 9-5 corporate job in some big firm once she graduates. So, hearing that she was getting married really didn't get inside of his brain.

"What? How? The fuck? Are you serious?" One by one the questions left Hyunjin's mouth, his expressions having hints of various emotions like worry, curiosity, confusion.. but the most dominant emotion was... anger?

"Hey, calm down. Let me explain..." Haejin reached for Hyunjin's hand on the table, holding on to it tightly. She also needed strength to recite the situation to Hyunjin, just going through everyone's words in her mind was tiring enough.. and having to quote them was definitely not easier than the previously mentioned task. She hoped that Hyunjin's reassuring grip on her hand would provide her with the strength to quote Mr and Mrs Lee's words once again.

"I'm listening, go on." Hyunjin spoke firmly, bringing his other hand to rest upon Haejin's shaking hand. He figured that she needed strength, for the topic of marriage wasn't one which she could talk about freely.