Wonwoo refused to believe that this day had been one of the most memorable ones – one of the good ones – he'd experienced. That was saying it was absolutely enjoyable, considering Wonwoo didn't recall many memorable days.
Wonwoo noticed himself being in a significantly brighter mood by late noon, when it was almost time for lunch. Soon enough, a nurse entered the ward with the disgusting hospital food set prettily on a tray – as if it tasted any better that way. The nurse looked quite surprised by the unexpected presence in the ward, but didn't question it. He placed the tray on Wonwoo's bedside table, refilled his jug of water, and left within a few minutes.
Wonwoo gingerly looked to his side, trying not to gag at the shrimp congee, again. Mingyu had been observing him ever since they both had dissolved into silence. "I hate congee," he said, out of the blue.
"I know right,"
"But you have to eat,"
"No,"
"Please eat,"
"Make me,"
Wonwoo expected Mingyu to give up, and probably roll his eyes at him being so difficult. Instead, He dragged his chair to Wonwoo's side, and picked up the steaming bowl so easily – as if the hot metal didn't burn his bare palm – and held a spoonful of congee to Wonwoo's mouth. "Here, you said it,"
Wonwoo's eyes widened, his mouth hung open, and he felt his ears burn. He didn't know what to say, neither did he know what to do. Mingyu, without warning, shoved the spoon in his mouth, making Wonwoo choke and slap the back of Mingyu's head for real. He snagged the spoon from him. The evil grin on Mingyu's face told Wonwoo his plan had gone well. "Jeez, you didn't have to burn the insides of my mouth. This shit's boiling,"
"There's a reason why it's boiling,"
"I know,"
"Of course you do, Mr. Know-It-All,"
Wonwoo spent the next fifteen minutes trying to stomach the food, with Mingyu watching each of his actions.
"Stop staring,"
"Was I staring?"
"Very much,"
Mingyu didn't show any signs of backing out, but Wonwoo knew he did it as a deliberate attempt to annoy him.
Mingyu looked down at his watch a while later, and that was when Wonwoo noticed his shoulders drop. "What's wrong?"
"I have to go,"
"Shouldn't you be happy then?"
"I wouldn't admit it openly, but you're actually not that bad, Wonwoo," Mingyu smiled.
"We'll see if you say that once I get back." he snapped back, competitiveness lacing his voice, which he knew Mingyu had caught onto.
"I'm waiting~"
Wonwoo laughed, loud and clear. So hard, that he literally began shaking. He immediately stopped, though, when his bandaged head started throbbing due to the sudden movement. Mingyu was just about to leave, but ran to Wonwoo in an instant, holding the back of his head that Wonwoo clutched. "Careful Jeon. Every time I decide to leave you alone, you end up hurting yourself,"
"Shut up. Weren't you going?"
"I am. Goodbye for now, but I need my Calculus partner back soon,"
"We'll see about that,"
--
"Somi?"
Wonwoo mumbled in the silent darkness of his ward. He swore he just saw her. "Somi?" He called out again, as someone that looked scarily like Somi materialised near him. When they spoke, Wonwoo was convinced it was her.
"Hey Sunshine!" she chirped, her voice warm as ever.
"I'm no Sunshine, you know it,"
"You are, and I said it because I know it,"
Wonwoo rolled his eyes, as Somi chuckled, holding a hand over her mouth like she used to.
"I heard you had a visitor today," she said.
"I did,"
"Isn't that Kim Mingyu? The one from Pledis?"
"Yeah it was him,"
"It was nice talking to him?"
"It was. He's nice, he cares. Or at least, he's good at pretending,"
"Why do you say that?"
Wonwoo inhaled deeply. He didn't want to tell any of it to Somi, but he ended up doing so; there wasn't much he felt like hiding from his sister, although he knew the figure he saw was nowhere near to the real Somi. "I've done so much shit to him," Wonwoo began, "just out of frustration. Heck, I don't give a fuck about what Mum and Dad think of my academic record, but I have to go through hell for being second. And it's always him who's first. Mum and Dad have so much control over me, it scares me." he admitted, his voice barely a whisper.
"Aw Sunshine, don't say that. If they actually had so much control over you, you wouldn't bear to even talk to him like you did today,"
"You think so?"
"I know so,"
"I miss you." Wonwoo said suddenly.
"I do too, Sunshine. But at least we're talking right now, aren't we?"
"But you'll go away,"
"And I will always come back. You may not have seen me, and you may not, but I've always been there, and I will always be with you,"
"Promise?" Wonwoo stuck his pinky out.
Somi interlocked it with her own. "Promise,"
"But I still want to see you..."
"You can't get everything you want, now can you?"
"When have I ever gotten something I need, let alone want?"
"Didn't he visit you today?"
"He isn..."
There was a knowing smile on Somi's face, as she fondly stared at Wonwoo going through his little moment of realisation. "See? You might not realise it, but so much has happened that you won't understand right now, but it will make complete sense later on. Trust me," She rubbed a warm palm on his head, careful not to touch the bandaged area.
"Stay safe Sunshine, and just because I'm not there, don't go around doing stuff like," Somi pointed to his head, "that. It hurts me more than it hurts you,"
"You're the reason," Wonwoo faked a pout, crossing his arms. That made Somi laugh, and she patted his head once again.
"Go ahead and sleep now, Sunshine, you need to get better as soon as possible,"
"Please don't go..."
"I have to, Wonwoo. I'll be back, trust me,"
"Okay,"
Wonwoo leaned in for a hug, but Somi had already dissolved into thin air, and so did his surroundings. Moments later, he found himself in the dark ward again, but alone this time. There wasn't any Somi, and he wasn't smiling anymore. It was just him, left to think about what, whom he thought was Somi, had said.
