Stray Kids BL One Shots

The point of living || JeongHo || (A) (F)

Categories: Author's, Fluff...
Ship: JeongHo
!TOP MINHO!
DISCLAIMER: This is my original work. I'm sorry if it's sad, teary, makes you cry or anything else... I... I don't know how my brain came up with this idea....

WARNING: hospitals
6023 words

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Twelve years ago, in a hospital in Seoul, Minho lay quietly in his hospital bed. His mother had just left, promising to return with his favorite jelly beans, chocolate, and banana juice. She had also promised that a nurse would come by to entertain him soon. With his favorite manga book in hand, Minho was trying to pass the time, though a sense of loneliness lingered in the sterile room.

"Good," a voice interrupted his thoughts, and Minho looked up to see Nurse Joo entering the room. "You're still awake. Your mom said you weren't ready for sleep yet."

"I don't feel sleepy," Minho admitted, setting his manga aside.

"The saddest part is, I can't stay with you tonight," Nurse Joo said with a frown. "But since it's your birthday tomorrow, I decided to give you your present a little early!"

"Another manga book?!" Minho's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Something even better," the nurse replied, walking over to the door and opening it. A younger boy, a few years smaller than Minho, hesitantly stepped inside.

"Hello, my name is Jeongin," the boy introduced himself shyly. "Nurse Joo said there's another boy here who's about my age and..."

Jeongin looked up for the first time, his face breaking into a bright smile. "Wow," he exclaimed. "I think Nurse Joo might've lied to me."

"Why? Why do you look at me like I'm an alien?" Minho asked, puzzled by the boy's reaction.

Jeongin looked down again, shuffling his feet as he approached the bed. "Nurse Joo said we could stay together. She thought we might keep each other company since we're both bored out of our minds here." He clambered onto the bed, settling next to Minho.

"I'm not bored," Minho said, gesturing to the three piles of manga books stacked beside his bed. "I have these."

"I've never read manga," Jeongin whispered, almost to himself.

"Boys, I have to go," Nurse Joo interjected as his phone began to vibrate. "You two can stay here, keep each other company, and please, don't get into trouble, okay?" With that, he hurried out, leaving the boys alone together.

"What are you sick with? Cancer? My dad says after I go under some medical treatments, I'll be okay," Jeongin began to chatter, but Minho picked up his manga again, pretending to read. However, he was secretly observing the boy beside him, noticing how thin and frail he looked.

"You have cancer?" Minho asked quietly after a moment.

"Yeah," Jeongin shrugged. He had known for two years now that he was sick, and at nine years old, he had come to terms with the idea of dying. It was something his mind accepted, though his father still struggled with the reality. His father was likely sitting in the hospital café right now, desperately trying to figure out how to save his son.

"My liver isn't working," Minho eventually said, his voice low.

"Oh..." Jeongin responded softly.

"What type of cancer?" Minho asked, setting his book aside and turning his full attention to Jeongin.

"Leukemia," Jeongin replied, his voice almost detached, as if he were talking about someone else.

"My dad freaks out too much," Jeongin continued, trying to fill the silence. "He thinks it's safer for me to be here, but honestly, this place is boring. I have games at home. And a giant TV screen. My mom and I used to watch movies together all the time. Dad would come home, find us asleep, and just lay down next to us in my big bed."