Rivalry Rewritten: Enmity to Intimacy ( Volume: 2)

Thirty Six

          What if we rewrite the stars?
         Say you were made to be mine
          Nothing could keep us apart
   You'll be the one I was meant to find
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Wooyoung’s hands trembled as he gripped the phone, his heart pounding in his chest. The voice on the other end was calm, but the words were devastating.

“This is Dr. Kim from Seoul General Hospital. I’m calling about San Choi. He’s been in an accident and we need you to come to the hospital immediately.”

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. Wooyoung felt as if he had been punched in the gut, the air knocked out of him. “An accident? Is he okay?” His voice came out as a whisper.

Dr. Kim’s voice remained steady. “San is in critical condition. He has slipped into a coma. We need you to come to the hospital as soon as possible.”

Wooyoung’s legs gave out, and he sank to the floor. Tears streamed down his face as he struggled to comprehend the gravity of the situation. San, the love of his life, was in a coma. How was this even possible?

He quickly gathered his composure, knowing he had to be strong for Jiwoo. He grabbed her from her crib, his tears falling onto her tiny hands as he whispered, “We’re going to see Daddy, baby girl. Hold on.”

With Jiwoo in his arms, Wooyoung raced to his car, his mind in a fog of fear and disbelief. The drive to the hospital felt like an eternity. Every second that ticked by was a reminder of the uncertainty that awaited him.

When he finally arrived at the hospital, he burst through the doors, his eyes wild and searching. “I’m here for San Choi,” he gasped out to the nurse at the front desk.

The nurse nodded sympathetically and directed him to the ICU. As he approached the room, his heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. Dr. Lee met him outside the room, his expression grave.

“Wooyoung, I’m afraid San’s condition is very serious. He’s slipped into a coma, and we don’t know when or if he will wake up. It could be days, weeks, or even years.”

Wooyoung’s knees buckled, and he leaned against the wall for support. The weight of Dr. Kim’s words crushed him. How could this be happening? What would he do without San? What about Jiwoo?

“Can I see him?” Wooyoung’s voice was barely audible, choked with tears.

Dr. Kim nodded and opened the door. Wooyoung stepped inside, his heart breaking at the sight before him. San lay motionless on the bed, tubes and wires connected to various machines. His face was pale, and his body seemed so still, so unlike the vibrant man Wooyoung knew and loved.

Wooyoung approached the bed, tears streaming down his face. He gently placed Jiwoo in a nearby chair and took San’s hand in his own. “San, please wake up. We need you. Jiwoo needs you. I need you.”

The only response was the steady beeping of the heart monitor. Wooyoung collapsed beside the bed, his sobs echoing in the sterile room. He felt as if his world was crumbling around him. How was he supposed to go on without San?

Jiwoo’s tiny cries brought him back to the present. He wiped his tears and picked her up, holding her close. “Daddy’s going to be okay,” he whispered, more to convince himself than her. “He has to be.”

The hospital room was heavy with the steady beep of the heart monitor, a rhythmic reminder of San's fragile state. Wooyoung sat beside San, clutching his hand tightly, his heart aching with every second that passed. He had been there for hours, whispering words of love and encouragement, praying for a miracle.