Guarded |Jeemin x Sarang | IZNA

CHAPTER 6

Morning light crept into the bathroom, illuminating the fragile form of a girl lying motionless on the cold floor. Her knuckles were cracked and bleeding, a testament to the pain that had ravaged her soul. Tears had long since dried on her cheeks, leaving behind a salty residue that glistened in the growing light. The air was heavy with the scent of despair, and the silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the soft drip of water from the faucet. The girl's chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, a reminder that even in the darkest moments, Jeemin's story didn't end there.

The knocking on the apartment door began as a gentle tap, a soft voice from a concerned friend "Jeemin open the door". But as the seconds ticked by with no response, the knocks grew louder and more insistent. The girl standing in the hallway, her brow furrowed with worry, pounded on the door with increasing urgency. The silence from within was deafening, and her mind raced with worst-case scenarios. She called out her friend's name, her voice trembling with fear. Still, there was no answer. The knocking became a frenzied drumbeat, echoing down the hallway.

"Jeemin, are you in there?" the worried girl called out, her voice laced with concern as she knocked on the door again. But the silence was oppressive, with no hint of movement or response from within. She tried calling Jeemin's phone, but it rang out, plunging her into deeper unease. With growing alarm, she decided to seek out the owner, Mrs. Kim, who lived in the adjacent apartment. "Mrs. Kim, did Jeemin come back last night?," she asked, her voice trembling and Mrs Kim told her that she saw Jeemin entering to her apartment last night. The girl was so worried about her friend because she was aware of her friend's past.

"I've been trying to reach her, but she's not answering. Can I please borrow the spare keys? I need to check on her." The said girl explained and Mrs. Kim's expression turned grave as she handed over the keys, sharing the girl's concern for Jeemin's well-being.

As she opened the door using the spare keys and entered the apartment, her eyes scanned the room, but there was no sign of Jeemin. She rushed to Jeemin's bedroom thinking she might be in her room, her heart racing with every step, but the room was empty. A sense of dread crept over her as she approached the bathroom, her last hope. She slowly turned the door handle and pushed the door open, her eyes widening in horror. Jeemin lay motionless on the cold floor, her face pale and clammy. The girl's expression transformed from worry to shock and despair as she rushed to her friend's side, shaking her gently. "Jeemin, wake up! What happened to you? Please, wake up!" she pleaded, her voice cracking with sobs. Tears streamed down her face as she gazed at Jeemin's unconscious form, her mind reeling with fear and uncertainty.

Yunah's cries and shouts for Jeemin had gone unanswered for what felt like an eternity. She had held her friend's limp body in her arms, pleading with her to wake up, but Jeemin's eyes remained closed, her face pale and still. With a surge of adrenaline and desperation, Yunah scooped up Jeemin and rushed her to the hospital with the help of Mrs Kim, her heart racing with every step. As she burst through the emergency room doors, she begged the medical staff to help her friend, her voice hoarse from screaming and her eyes red from tears. "Please, you have to save her!" she implored, her body shaking with fear and anxiety. The medical team quickly sprang into action, surrounding Jeemin with a flurry of activity as they worked to revive her. Yunah watched, her mind numb and her spirit trembling, as the doctors and nurses fought to bring her friend back from the brink of unconsciousness. The thought of losing her childhood friend was unbearable for Yunah.

( Time skip to the evening)

As the evening sun cast a warm orange glow through the hospital windows, Jeemin lay motionless on the bed, surrounded by the soft beeps of machines and the gentle hum of fluorescent lights. The antiseptic scent of the hospital filled the air, mingling with the faint aroma of fresh linens and the whispered conversations of nurses in the hallway. Yunah sat beside Jeemin, clutching Jeemin's hand in hers, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy from hours of crying. The hospital room was quiet, except for the occasional rustle of papers or the soft creak of the bed as Jeemin shifted slightly. As the exhaustion finally caught up with her, Yunah's eyelids drooped, her head nodding forward as she fell asleep, her hand still clasped around Jeemin's. The soft rise and fall of her chest was the only indication that she was still holding on, still waiting for her friend to wake up.

Jeemin's eyelids fluttered open, like delicate petals unfolding from a tight bud. A single tear escaped, tracing a lonely path down her cheek, as she gazed up at the hospital ceiling. She had been so sure she wouldn't make it, that this time would be the end of her life. But fate had other plans, and she was alive again, her chest rising and falling with a soft, shaky breath. Her gaze drifted to Yunah, who slept beside her, clutching her hand with a fierce devotion. Jeemin's eyes welled up with fresh tears as she took in the sight of her friend's exhausted face, etched with worry and love. Slowly, she reached up and stroked Yunah's hair, her fingers tracing gentle patterns on her scalp. A soft smile spread across her face, filled with gratitude and affection.

Yunah's eyes fluttered open, her gaze meeting Jeemin's as she felt the gentle touch on her head. Relief washed over her, followed by a wave of worry, as she took in Jeemin's fragile appearance. "Jeemin, oh my god, I was so scared," Yunah whispered, her voice cracking as she hugged her friend tightly. Tears burst forth, streaming down her face as she held Jeemin close. "Why did you do this to yourself? You know how worried I was about you!" Yunah's body shook with sobs, the thought of losing her friend almost too much to bear.

Jeemin, too, was overcome with emotion, her own tears flowing as she hugged Yunah back. She felt a deep pang of guilt, realizing that her actions had caused her friend such pain. "I'm really sorry, Yunah, but it was too much to handle" Jeemin whispered, her voice muffled against Yunah's shoulder. "I've caused an innocent girl the pain that she didn't deserve" Jeemin began to cry harder thinking of Sarang who didn't do anything wrong but loved her.

Yunah broke the hug, her eyes red and puffy, but filled with determination. She felt bad for the girl that Jeemin had caused the pain but her concern had shifted from the girl her friend had hurt to her friend's own fragile existence. She couldn't shake the feeling that Jeemin's life was hanging by a thread, and she was determined to be the one to help pull her back from the edge. Despite Jeemin's mistakes, Yunah's heart ached with a deep empathy for her friend's struggles, and she knew she had to prioritize Jeemin's well-being above all else."
"Promise me, Jeemin, no matter what you're going through, you won't hurt yourself again," she said, her voice firm but trembling. "I'll be here for you, always. We'll face it together, okay?" Yunah's eyes pleaded with Jeemin to promise, to assure her that she wouldn't have to endure the agony of almost losing her friend again.

Jeemin's heart swelled with gratitude and joy as she nodded her head, knowing that Yunah was always by her side, a constant source of strength and comfort in every tough situation.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Jeemin's voice caught in her throat, and she struggled to speak, her words choked back by tears and sorrow

A brief time passed and Jeemin began to open up to Yunah, revealing the painful reason behind her self harm. Jeemin's words tumbled out in a heartfelt confession, sharing the depths of her pain, her guilt, and her feelings of hopelessness. Yunah listened, her expression a mix of empathy and sorrow, as she grasped Jeemin's hands in hers telling her that giving up her life wasn't a solution to what she did.

"Jeemin, don't punish yourself and those who love you for mistakes that aren't entirely yours to own. Your worth and their love are not defined by the mistakes your family made"

Jeemin's eyes welled up with tears once more as Yunah's words washed over her. She felt a weight lift, knowing she could trust her friend with her deepest secrets. Yunah's grip on her hands tightened, a symbol of her unwavering support. "I'll never leave your side, Jeemin. No matter what life throws our way, I'll always be here for you"

Jeemin's tears flowed freely now, a mix of sadness and gratitude. She felt blessed to have a friend like Yunah, who accepted her for who she was, without judgment. "I'm so lucky to have you, Yunah," Jeemin sobbed, her body shaking with emotion. "I don't deserve you"

"Shh, don't say that. You are worthy of love and happiness, and I'm here to remind you of that every day. I love you so much, Jeemin."

Yunah's arms enveloped Jeemin in a warm embrace, holding her close as they both let their tears fall, a symbol of their unbreakable bond.

CHAPTER 6 COMPLETED

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