Let Me Protect You (Sahyo)

Chapter 24

It was her favourite weather, one she had missed, being sheltered under a roof for so long. The sun's rays shining down, but not quite enough to be a nuisance to her eyes, and the wind just slight enough to be comfortable.

The sky seemed too happy for her right now.

She couldn't enjoy it, because despite the serenity of the rooftop garden, her thoughts were tumultuous in her. It could have been minutes or hours that had passed, but she didn't bother keeping track. All she wanted was quiet, away from beeping machines and nurses chattering and crying families. Away from the way Dahyun looked at her like she would break, the way Kihyun hovered near enough to guard her, but distant enough to not let his resentment show.

Once again, she had ran away, leaving her body and soul to follow. It wasn't a decision she was proud of, but then again she never bothered reigning any control over it at all.

Jihyo was somewhere downstairs, opening her eyes for the first time in a week, and she could only see it for herself in her own imagination.

Her grip on the railings tightened, as a feeling of nausea clutched at her gut. It felt like all her regret manifesting itself physically, and she almost couldn't bear it, letting her head hang. She stood there, counting her breaths until numbers took over everything else that was in her mind.

It was a long while later before she felt a shuffle of footsteps and heard the muffled rustle of grass.

"You weren't there when I woke up."

The voice was rough with disuse, but a sound that made tears brim in her eyes all over again hearing. It had been almost a week since she'd heard it, and the last time she did, she thought she wouldn't ever get to hear it again.

Sana turned around slowly, and there she was.

Jihyo was seated in her wheelchair, a slight tilt of her head signalling for Dahyun to leave them. And then they were alone again, only a small patch of grass between them.

"Don't make me get up and walk to you." The younger girl said again, her hands gripped tightly on the wheelchair's handle in warning.

Sana couldn't help the laugh that came out of her. Under the sunlight, she could see that the pallor under Jihyo 's eyes were now slightly more coloured in, the cuts on her cheeks healing nicely to thin white lines. She wanted to reach out and smooth them over with her thumb, imagining them fading away and leaving only rosiness in their place.

Still, she struggled to reply. Her lips stayed firmly shut, not trusting herself to say anything she wouldn't regret.

With a sigh, Jihyo wheeled herself across the grassy patch, stopping right beside the concrete seats next to Sana . She stared out at the scenery, trying to see what Sana saw in those blue skies, ant-sized cars, faraway hills and mountains.

Sana stared down at the back of her head instead. She was suddenly restless, fidgeting with the cottony fabric of her pants as her arms hung uselessly beside her.

"Okay I'm going to talk. But you can't interrupt me." Sana blurted out, sitting down on the seat and pulling the wheelchair to face her. Jihyo 's head followed, something unreadable crossing her face.

"Go ahead." The guard was looking at her with too much weight in her eyes, and Sana  wasn't sure she could get a word out if she returned the eye contact.

"I don't know how much you remembered of what happened in that lab, or if Dahyun and the others filled you in on everything." To her credit, Sanadidn't hesitate as she glanced up again. She held Jihyo's gaze as she said those words, without flinching or writhing away. "I just wanted you to know that I would have done it again. Given the same circumstances, I would not have chosen otherwise. I don't regret a single thing."