Swapped by fate

Chapter 26

Jisung’s POV

We’re all packed into Felix’s car, speeding down the highway like we’re on some kind of mission—because we are. Nami’s about to start her first round of chemo, and we’re not letting her go through that alone. Hell no. The squad is rolling deep, and there’s no backing out now.

I’m wedged between Jeongin and Seungmin in the back, and it’s not exactly the comfiest spot, but whatever. Lee Know’s in the very back, low-key glaring at Felix every time he takes a turn like he’s in *The Fast and the Furious*. Felix doesn’t seem to care, though—dude’s blasting music like this is a pre-game or something. The vibe is all over the place.

“Yo, can you not drive like a psycho?” I yell over the music, gripping the seatbelt so tight my knuckles turn white. “We’re trying to make it to the hospital, not end up in one.”

Felix just grins, cranking up the volume even more. “Relax, we’ll get there in one piece. Nami’s not gonna want to see us if we roll in looking half-dead.”

Seungmin’s squished next to me, giving Felix a side-eye. “Bro, if you keep this up, I’m about to puke all over your car, and that’s a promise.”

“Maybe puke on Jisung instead,” Jeongin chimes in, smirking. “His hoodie’s already a mess.”

I glance down at the pizza stain from last night. “First of all, rude. Second of all, I’m here for emotional support, not fashion advice. Nami doesn’t care what I look like.”

Lee Know finally speaks up from the back. “Let’s just get there without any bodily fluids flying around, alright?”

We finally pull up to the hospital, and I’m actually impressed we made it without anyone hurling or killing each other. The place looks… kinda intimidating. Big, clean, with this weird smell that hits you the second you walk in. It smells like too much sanitizer and bad vibes. Hospitals give me the creeps, man.

Hyunjin’s already there, of course. Dude looks like he’s been pacing for hours, even though it’s, like, 8 AM. He’s got this serious look on his face, and I can tell he’s in full-on stress mode. Ever since Nami’s diagnosis, he’s been a whole different person. We’re all worried, but him? He’s taking it to a whole new level.

“Hey, where’s Nami?” I ask, trying to sound chill, even though my stomach’s doing flips.

Hyunjin nods toward the hallway. “She’s in the room. They’re getting her prepped.”

"Cool, cool,” I say, rubbing my hands together like I’m trying to hype myself up. “Let’s go see her. I’m sure she’s bored out of her mind without us.”

We walk down the hallway, and it’s quieter than I expected. Too quiet. I hate it. Hospitals are always too quiet, like they’re holding their breath, waiting for something bad to happen. We get to Nami’s room, and I swear my heart’s pounding in my chest. I’m not good at this serious shit, but I’m trying. For her.

We walk in, and there she is—Nami, lying on the bed in one of those ugly-ass hospital gowns. She looks so small in that bed, and it hits me all at once that this is real. Like, this is really happening. But she smiles when she sees us, and that’s all I need to see to know that we’ve got to keep it together.

“Hey, you made it,” she says, her voice a little shaky but still trying to sound like her usual self.

“Of course we did,” I say, stepping up to her bed like this is no big deal. “Like we’d miss a chance to hang out with you. Plus, you’re totally rocking that hospital gown. Fashion goals.”

Nami snorts, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, right. I feel like a giant pillow in this thing.”

Felix grins, leaning against the wall. “You’re a cute pillow, though.”

Everyone laughs, and for a second, it almost feels normal again. Like we’re just hanging out at Stacy’s house or something, not sitting in a hospital about to watch our friend go through chemo.

“Yo, you need anything?” Jeongin asks, looking around like he’s about to run out and grab snacks or something. “Water? Chips? An excuse to ditch this whole thing?”

Nami smiles, shaking her head. “Nah, I’m good. Just… trying not to freak out.”

I can see it in her eyes, though. She’s scared. Hell, we’re all scared, but we can’t let her see that. Not now.

“Nami,” I say, pulling up a chair next to her bed. “You’re gonna be fine. You’re, like, the toughest person I know. Plus, you’ve got us. We’re not going anywhere.”

Changbin steps up, crossing his arms like he’s ready to fight someone. “Yeah, and if anyone tries to kick us out, they’re gonna have to deal with me.”

Lee Know scoffs, but there’s a small smile on his face. “Right, ‘cause you’d totally win that fight.”

Nami laughs, and for a second, it feels like we’re winning. Like we’ve managed to distract her from the fact that she’s about to go through something terrifying.

“Thanks, guys,” she says softly, looking at each of us. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Cry. A lot,” Seungmin deadpans, earning a chorus of laughs.

But then, before we can keep the jokes going, the nurse comes in. And just like that, the mood shifts again. The vibe gets heavier, and I feel my throat tighten. It’s time. The nurse starts talking, explaining what’s going to happen next, and I feel like I’m watching everything through a fog.

“We’re going to take Nami to the chemo room now,” the nurse says, giving us that professional-but-not-too-friendly smile that nurses always have. “You can walk with her if you’d like.”

I glance at the others, and we all nod. There’s no way we’re letting her go alone. Not today.

Nami takes a deep breath as they start wheeling her bed down the hallway, and we walk alongside her. It feels surreal, like this can’t actually be happening. But it is. It’s all happening right in front of us, and none of us can do a damn thing about it.

“Hey,” I say, trying to lighten the mood again. “You’re about to be the toughest badass in this whole hospital, you know that?”

She smirks, but it’s weak. “If you say so.”

“I do say so,” I insist. “And when this is all over, we’re gonna celebrate. Like, the biggest party ever. Felix will DJ, Changbin will do karaoke, and I’ll make sure the snacks are on point.”

Felix laughs. “I’m down.”

Changbin shakes his head, but he’s grinning. “I’m not doing karaoke, bro.”

Nami chuckles, but I can tell she’s nervous. The closer we get to the chemo room, the quieter she gets. The nurse stops outside the door, giving us a gentle smile.

“This is where we go in,” she says. “You can wait right here, or in the waiting room. We’ll let you know when she’s done.”

Nami looks up at us, and for a second, I swear I see tears in her eyes. But she blinks them away, trying to stay strong.

“I’ll see you guys after,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Yeah, you will,” Hyunjin says, stepping closer and taking her hand. “And we’ll be right here. Promise.”

We all watch as they wheel her into the room, and the door closes behind her. The second it does, the air feels heavy, like someone just dropped a ton of bricks on us. None of us know what to say now.

“So… waiting room?” Felix finally asks, breaking the silence.

“Yeah,” I mumble, feeling weirdly hollow. “Waiting room.”

We head back down the hall, and it’s like we’ve all lost that energy we came in with. We find some chairs in the waiting room and sit down, the silence stretching out uncomfortably.

Felix finally pulls out the snacks he packed and tosses a bag of chips at me. “Here, bro. You’re gonna need these.”

I catch the bag, forcing a smile. “Thanks, man.”

But even as we sit there, eating chips and pretending like everything’s fine, I can’t shake the feeling that nothing’s ever gonna be the same after today.