Sleeping Beauty Syndrome

31

"I don't know how many times I've been lying here, cuddling with you and begging you to wake up again... I've lost count... not even the tears I've cried on your chest or against your shoulder, I'm sure you could fill lakes with them. Are you really going to let me marry someone else? Have you perhaps already given up on me? I mean, we've only had one day as a couple... Why is the world so unfair, why do I have to stay awake while you sleep here? We could have just woken up together again sometime, but no." I tried to hold back the tears and swallow the lump that had formed in my throat as I furtively scrunched up my nose. Wooyoung was his usual self, showing no reaction at all, not even a twitch of his eyelash to show me that maybe he heard what I said, but Lee said he sure as hell heard it since it wasn't a deep coma.

"Tomorrow is the day and you can't blame me then, I really tried to wake you up. Even Sunny played on you and pulled your nose, bit your cheek, but you stubbornly lay there. Should I take that to mean that you wouldn't have wanted to marry me anyway? You know, Seonghwa will certainly make a good husband if you don't want me..." I just kept on talking, but I couldn't hold back my sobs any longer.

"Forget that nonsense... I just wanted to provoke you... Please Wooyoung, wake up before it's too late. It hurts so much to see you and the others lying there like this for months now. I really don't know how much more I can take... I miss you so terribly, your laugh, at the same time the most annoying and best laugh I've ever heard, your kisses and the way you look at me. I know you can't help it, but I feel so ignored. What if our feelings for each other just disappear again now? How long will we last if nothing ever changes in your condition? Our relationship was still so fresh, I'm so scared that it's not strong enough for us to get through this unscathed. Or I put all my affection into you, my hopes for a future together and then you wake up and don't want me anymore, what do I do then? I love you, Wooyoung, but I'm so unsure how to proceed. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I don't want to be hurt myself either. So please, wake up. I need you..." sobbing quietly, I snuggled up to him as close as I could. Out of the corner of my eye, I had already seen that someone had come into the room and had now sat down on the bed. My vision was too blurred and I could only tell it was San by the way he sighed.

"I know, Noona... it's so awful. I could go crazy because Yeosang misses everything with Sunny, after all she's our child now, I had him registered as a parent too. But we have to be strong for our late sleepers. We'll get through this together, we'll stick it out together and we'll cry together. And when they wake up, we rejoice together. And please don't make a face tomorrow like you're being led to execution, Seonghwa hyung is only doing this for you, so please don't make him feel like it's a terrible thing to marry him. OK?" he admonished me sternly and then lay down next to us to cuddle with us.

"Yeah, you're right... I'll smile for him, just like he deserves..."