Anew • Lee Mark

12.

"What are you-" Haechan wants to continue but the shock is so overwhelming that the words get stuck in his throat. He looks from Jaemin to Renjun to Chenle. Renjun looks away and Chenle looks down with sadness. Jisung on the other hand approaches Haechan and weakly grabs onto Haechan's shirt.

"Hyung..." Jisung's voice is a mix of pleading and holding back tears. Stunned Haechan turns to look at Seoyeon but suddenly her heart rate monitor starts beeping. Alarmed, Renjun rushes to check.

"Ya Haechan! Go get Kun quickly!" He continues to shout commands to the boys but no one moves as if their feet are stuck to the ground. Some like Mark, Haechan and Jisung stare in horror while some like Chenle and Jeno are panicking. 

"Move you idiots!" Jaemin yells as he pushes Jeno towards the door. "Jeno go inform the staff that it's an emergency! Hurry!" He next drags Haechan to the door. "Make use of that smart brain and find Kun!"

He then rushes to assist Renjun. Passing Mark on the way, he puts a hand on his shoulder. 

"We'll save her hyung."

~~~

"How could you?" Mark whispers as his eyes trace the details of Seoyeon's sleeping face. 

Involuntarily, memories he had tried to bury deep in the corner of his heart, surface. The very first time they met... his confession and their first date... the hugs and the head massages... their first fight as a couple... them breaking up... 

As soon as the investigation team had revealed that it was Seoyeon who had leaked confidential patient records and accused him of medical malpractice, he had felt like his heart had been stabbed with a hot knife. 

He was so heartbroken and furious that he had said quite hurtful things, humiliated her and publicly broken up with her in the middle of the hospital. 

He knows, guilty or not, no one deserves to be treated that way. Especially not a person like Seoyeon. A person like Seoyeon. Mark observes the way Seoyeon's forehead has scrunched up and her lips are slightly trembling. Could she really have done that? But the evidence...

His fingers move on their own as they gently trace the lines on her forehead. And almost magically, as if in response to his touch, she stops struggling and her pained expression is replaced with a peaceful one.

This woman is someone who believes her work to be her identity. A woman like her, who smiles through her own pain for her loved ones... My heart knows she can't do that. Then why... Are we missing something?

"Wake up, Seoyeon." Mark's eyes are filled with so many emotions as he continues to caress her forehead. "Fight with me. Get angry at me. Curse me, hit me. Do anything... Just don't keep lying like this."

"Don't you think it's too late to be saying that?" A voice cuts through the silence of the room.

Marks watches as Yangyang walks in and sets down a lavender scented diffuser in one corner of the room. Yangyang tunes out everything and fully focuses on Seoyeon for a moment, which does not go unnoticed by Mark.

Mark lets out a defeated sigh. "You like her." In reply, Yangyang gives a bitter smile. "Doesn't matter. She has only one man in her heart."

He stares down Mark with a burning gaze. "There were so many times I imagined how I would react when I would meet you, her ex."

"Yeah? And what did you plan to do? Hit me?"

"Yes. I wanted to punch you so bad."

Mark raises a brow, amused. "Then why don't you?" He retracts his hand carefully and stands up. Walking a bit closer to Yangyang, he tilts his face lightly. "Go on. I know I deserve it."

Yangyang's lips pull up a little. "And that's why I can't."

"Pardon?"

Yangyang crosses his arms sassily. "Honestly, I wish you were a total jerk. Then I would have no difficulty in beating you up. Did you have to be goody-two-shoes?"

"Excuse me?" Mark huffs out, baffled. He doesn't know whether he should feel offended or not. He sees no hostility in Yangyang and that bothers him for some reason.

"Aren't you mad at me?" Mark fidgets with the hem of his white coat. "I mean you like her and... like I'm her ex... who also hurt her so like..."

Yangyang shakes his head as a wistful smile takes over his lips. "You still don't get it do you?" Clueless, Mark shrugs. "You are a good man, Mark Lee. With a good heart. Your past with Seoyeon doesn't change that."

Mark opens his mouth to say something, but the words get stuck in his throat. Sensing what Mark wants to ask, Yangyang explains, "Me and Seoyeon used to have a lot of disagreements because she simply refused to let anyone badmouth her ex. I never understood why, till I met you."

Yangyang walks past Mark and closer to Seoyeon's bed. He stops at the foot of the bed and just admires her asleep face. 

"You know, she's the sort of woman who'll give her everything to the person she loves. And, for her that person was you."

"That person was me." Mark repeats to himself, softly.