Cassano Siblings || ff

{ 16 }

Jang Hanseok's POV

"She... she survived?" I murmured as I glanced at the news. They mentioned the hospital's location. Alright, I need to head there.

It was still early in the morning, about 6 am, but I couldn't rest, fearing Victoria had passed away. Thank goodness she's alive!

I quickly freshened up and drove over to the hospital...

When I got there, I noticed Mrs. Cha Young sleeping on the chairs in the hallway, so she must have come too.

I decided to let her be and inquired about Victoria's room. "Hello, I need to see Mrs. Victoria Cassano; she arrived here last night," I hurriedly mentioned. She nodded and provided me with the room number. I thanked her swiftly and headed towards the room.

I took a deep breath as I stood in front of the room, unsure of what awaited me.

I cautiously pushed the door open and was met with a sight that deeply unsettled me.

There was my brother, Hanseo, sitting on a chair with his head resting on Victoria's hand, both of them fast asleep.

As my brother stirred awake at the creak of the door, he rubbed his eyes and turned to face me, our eyes meeting. He swallowed nervously.

"Brother? What are you doing here?" He inquired, eyeing me... Huh?

"I should be asking you that. Why are you laying your head on Victoria's hand and sleeping? Are you two close or something?" I questioned darkly, speaking softly so as not to disturb Victoria.

"Yes, we're close," he replied confidently, though his actions showed a deep concern for her. I hummed. "Leave. I want to be alone with Victoria," I demanded.

"Brother, how do you know her?" he asked, clearly worried about her safety. "All you need to know is that I love this girl as my best friend. I would protect her at any cost, so leave," I stated darkly, as he sighed.

"Please, hurt me if you must, but not her," he whispered before stepping away. His eyes held worry as I sighed and sat next to her on the chair.

I held her hand gently, making sure not to disturb any wires. "I'm sorry..." I whispered with regret. I heard her groan as she started to wake up, her heart monitor showing a slight increase, indicating her awakening.

She slowly opened her eyes, focusing on me with weariness and a smile. "Hey," she mumbled. I tightened my grip on her hand, hearing her weak voice.

"How are you feeling?" I asked softly, concern evident on my face. "I've been better, but it's okay," she replied. I sighed.

"H-How did you end up here?" I asked, fearing her response. "Two men attacked me," she said, making me swallow hard. "Where are they now?" I inquired.

She sighed, looking around. "I don't know," she replied. "Did they hurt you a lot?" I asked, my hidden anger towards those men surfacing.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't hurt badly," she sarcastically remarked. "Y-yes... you're right..." I replied, feeling mentally weak seeing my best friend in this state because of me.

I attempted to appear unaffected, but inside, I was a mix of emotions – angry, sad, guilty, happy, and frustrated. Luckily, she was too exhausted to notice anything amiss.

I sat there for about half an hour, trying to chat with her a bit and help her relax, but I couldn't bear the idea that everything that had happened to her was because of me.

"Victoria... I'm going to head out now. Call me if you need anything, okay?" I said softly, gently squeezing her hand for comfort. She warmly smiled at me and nodded.