ECHOES IN SILENCE | Yoon Jaehyuk FF |✅

page | 05

The fight for her return

At midnight, Jae finally dragged himself through the front door, his steps heavy with exhaustion. It had been one of those days—the kind that left him feeling drained from the inside out. He’d spent the entire day buried in back-to-back meetings, client presentations, and that painfully long board meeting with the directors. To say his day was hectic was an understatement. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a second to breathe. But none of it mattered anymore. Not the stress, not the workload—nothing. The only thing on his mind as he kicked off his shoes was Zumi.

He tried to tiptoe through the hallway, his feet instinctively guiding him to her room. He knew he shouldn’t disturb her. It was late, and she needed rest more than anything. But he couldn’t help it. No matter how tired he was, no matter how late it was, seeing her was something he needed  to do. She was his first and foremost priority, always had been, always would be. Even with his schedule tying him down, even with his exhaustion pulling him toward bed, he felt this overwhelming need to see her—just for a moment, just to remind himself she was still there.

With the gentleness of someone trying not to break something fragile, Jae pushed her door open. His heart pounded in his chest, a strange mix of emotions swirling inside him. Happiness? Nervousness? Fear? Maybe all three. Earlier that day, the doctors had delivered some news that had left him both overjoyed and scared to hope too much. Zumi was responding to her surroundings. Finally.!!! After so long, she was showing signs that she could feel the surroundings and barely twitching of eyes. That tiny sliver of good news had brightened his entire day, lighting a fire in him that no amount of fatigue could extinguish.

He approached her bed slowly, his eyes never leaving her. She was still—her body unmoving except for the soft rise and fall of her chest. Her face was calm, expressionless, but beautiful as ever. Jae couldn’t help but smile, though a part of him ached at the sight of her like this. Carefully, he sat down on the chair next to her bed and took her hand in his. He intertwined their fingers, as if to remind both of them of the connection they shared. His thumb gently brushed against her skin, sending a silent message of love and reassurance.

He had so much to say. Words bubbled up in his throat, desperate to be spoken. But it was late, and the stillness of the night seemed too sacred to disturb. So instead, he just sat there, holding her hand, staring at her. His gaze traced every detail of her face—her closed eyes, her delicate features, the soft curve of her lips. She’s here,  he reminded himself. She’s still here.

After a long moment, he lifted her hand to his cheek, closing his eyes as he pressed it against his skin. It was warm, soft, and so real. He kissed the back of her hand, the gesture filled with all the unspoken words he couldn’t bring himself to say out loud. “I just wanted to see you, Zumi,” he whispered, his voice barely audible in the quiet room. “I’m so happy. The doctors said you’re responding. That’s amazing. Thank you… thank you for fighting. Please, keep fighting. I need you to wake up soon. I miss you.”

His voice cracked a little at the end, and he leaned in to place a gentle kiss on her lips, as soft as a feather. He stayed there for a moment, letting the silence wrap around them before finally pulling back. Reluctantly, he stood up, casting one last glance at her before slipping out of the room. Tomorrow,he thought. Tomorrow, I’ll spend the whole day with you.

The next morning

Jae woke up later than usual, the exhaustion from the previous day catching up to him. But today felt different. There was a lightness in his chest, a sense of hope that hadn’t been there before. After getting ready, he decided he’d spend the entire day with Zumi. No distractions, no work—just them.