HEAL || Lee Minho

8. Unwelcomed Illness

After having met up with Hyunjin, Haejin called her mother regarding the place they should meet at to go to the hospital. Haejin's mother told her to come to the office from where they could go to the hospital, since it was just a five-minute walk from the office. Haejin obliged, taking the bus for the nearest bus stop to the office.

Her mother's office wasn't far but wasn't close either, approximately a thirty-minute ride. The bus-ride was filled with anxious thoughts about the inevitable situation Haejin already had put herself into. Her mind wandered to the memory where she couldn't confess to Hyunjin how her mind was made for sure once she met Minho yesterday.

Thinking of Minho, she also thought of how the two of them used to be. She wondered if things would change between them after the marriage, would they be back to being the close buddies they were or would they be just awkward around each other... She really hoped for it to be the former.

...

Haejin had reached the office and was now calling her mother just like her mother had instructed her to. To her dismay, though, her mother did not pick up the call, probably because she was busy. So, Haejin stood in the lobby of the building on the ground floor, waiting for her mother to call her back. She expected for this to happen, that is, for her mother to be busy.

What she didn't expect was to run into Minho as she talked to the receptionist.

"Haejin?" A voice snapped Haejin out of the conversation she was having with the female receptionist. She recognised that voice in an instant, her heart rate quickening even before she saw his face.

"Oh... Hey..." Haejin turned back to face Minho dressed in formal wear with some papers in his hand. And, she couldn't deny that Minho was good-looking... indeed.

"What are you doing here?" Minho questioned, quite surprised as well as nervous to see Haejin. His heart rate had quickened as well, if not for an atmosphere with so many people, his heart would sure have combusted because of the lingering awkwardness between the two.

"Oh.. I had somewhere to go to with my mother so she called me here... But she isn't picking up the call." Haejin explained.

"I was just going to see her. You can come with me." Minho smiled slightly and Haejin nodded in response, taking his offer. She didn't fail to notice the visible disgust on the receptionist's face when Minho's hand made it's way to Haejin's back as he guided her to the elevators.

Haejin and Minho, both didn't speak anything for a while. And the only people being just them in the elevator made the atmosphere a little, or maybe a lot uncomfortable. Haejin tried her best to not look in Minho's direction, and so did Minho.

Yet, the two felt the need to speak literally anything in hopes of making the environment a little better.

"How are you?" Minho took the initiative as he slightly looked in Haejin's direction. He noticed the small frown on her face as she zoned out into nowhere particular. She then looked at him, her eyes a little surprised by the sudden question.

"I'm okay..." Haejin replied, looking away from Minho. Her lips formed a small pout, making Minho remember how she would pout when upset or uncertain about her own words.

He noticed, but chose to ignore it. He felt too out of place to meddle with the fact that she lied about her mood.

"And you?" She looked back at him. Her eyes were full of curiosity, curious about how must Minho be feeling. Was he okay or not? And many more such questions.

"I'm okay, too..." He trailed off. The two of them walked out of the elevator as they had reached their desired floor.

"Are you really?" She cross-questioned him. Unlike him, she had the courage to really to want to know about his state of mind.