Swapped by fate

Chapter 27

Felix’s POV

Sitting in this waiting room is like being stuck in some kind of twisted reality show where you know something terrible’s about to happen, but you can’t do anything about it. I’m here, right outside the room where Nami’s getting her first chemo session, and everything feels wrong. The fluorescent lights are too bright, the chairs are too uncomfortable, and every minute that ticks by feels like a lifetime. I can’t stop fidgeting, tapping my fingers against the armrest like that’ll somehow make the time go faster.

Jeongin and Seungmin are here too, sitting across from me, both trying to keep things light, but I can tell they’re just as freaked out as I am. Seungmin’s scrolling through his phone, but he’s not even paying attention to it. Jeongin’s staring off into space like he’s deep in thought, but I know him well enough to know he’s just zoning out, trying to distract himself.

Then there’s Hyunjin. He hasn’t said a word since we got here. He’s sitting in the corner, head in his hands, like he’s carrying the weight of the world. Honestly, I don’t know how he’s holding it together. If I were him, I’d probably have already snapped. The guy cares about Nami so much, it’s written all over his face, in the way he looks at her, the way he’s been acting since her diagnosis. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like this before—so vulnerable, so... lost.

And then there’s me. I’m the funny guy, right? I’m the one who’s supposed to lighten the mood, crack a joke, make everyone forget how bad things are for a minute. But right now? I got nothing. Not a single stupid meme or witty comment can make this situation any better.

The nurse comes in after what feels like hours, breaking the silence with a soft, but matter-of-fact voice. “We recommend cutting her hair short,” she says, like she’s talking about the weather or something. “That way, it won’t be as traumatic when it starts falling out during the treatment.”

Those words hit like a sucker punch to the gut. My heart sinks. I glance over at Hyunjin, and I see the way his body tenses up. He looks up at the nurse, then at Nami, and his eyes are wide, filled with this... panic.

Nami’s sitting on the hospital bed, looking down at her long hair like she’s trying to memorize every strand. She doesn’t say anything, but I can see the fear in her eyes. She’s strong, we all know that, but this? This is different. This is real in a way that none of us were ready for.

“I can’t,” Hyunjin finally mutters, standing up so abruptly that his chair scrapes against the floor. “I just... I can’t do it.”

And then he’s gone. Just like that, he bolts out of the room, leaving the rest of us staring after him. For a second, the room is dead silent. No one knows what to say, no one knows what to do. Nami’s sitting there, her hands shaking slightly, still holding a piece of her hair.

I swallow hard, looking around at the others, waiting for someone to step up. But they’re all just as frozen as I am. Jeongin looks like he’s about to say something, but the words die in his throat. Seungmin’s expression is unreadable, and I know he’s trying to process everything just as much as I am.

Finally, I can’t take it anymore. I stand up, grabbing the scissors from the nurse. “I’ll do it,” I say, my voice louder than I meant it to be. Nami looks at me, her eyes wide, surprised, and I shrug, trying to play it cool. “It’s just hair, right?”

She gives me this small, broken smile, like she’s trying to be brave but doesn’t really believe it. “Yeah,” she whispers, “just hair.”

I sit down beside her, and for the first time in my life, I feel like the weight of what I’m doing might actually crush me. My hands are shaking, but I try to steady them as I grab a section of her hair. I don’t want to mess this up. I don’t want this to be more traumatic than it already is.

“You ready?” I ask, my voice soft, almost afraid.

Nami hesitates for a second, then nods, her voice barely audible. “Yeah... just do it.”

I take a deep breath, lifting the scissors, and start cutting. With each snip, a piece of her long, dark hair falls to the floor. I can’t explain the weird mix of emotions running through me—sadness, frustration, anger at how unfair this whole situation is. Nami’s one of the strongest people I know, but this... this is different.

The room is silent except for the sound of the scissors slicing through her hair. No one says a word. Even the nurse stands back, giving us space. It’s like everyone’s holding their breath, waiting for this to be over.

When I’m done, I sit back, looking at the strands of hair scattered around the floor. Nami reaches up, touching her now short hair, and for a second, she just stares at her reflection in the hospital window. She doesn’t cry. She doesn’t say anything. But I can see the pain in her eyes.

“You look badass,” I finally say, forcing a smile. “Seriously, you’re rocking it.”

She laughs, but it’s more of a shaky breath than an actual laugh. “Thanks, Felix.”

The door opens then, and Nami’s mom walks in. I hadn’t seen her since Nami got diagnosed. She looks tired, like she’s been crying for days. Her eyes fall on Nami, taking in the sight of her daughter’s freshly cut hair, and she freezes. There’s this heavy pause where no one says anything.

“Nami...” her mom starts, her voice trembling. “You... look beautiful.”

Nami doesn’t respond. She just gives a small nod, avoiding eye contact.

“I just... I wanted to stop by,” her mom continues, glancing at all of us before turning back to Nami. “I have to go back to work, but I’ll... I’ll call you later, okay?”

Nami just nods again. “Yeah. Sure.”

Her mom hesitates for a moment longer, like she wants to say something more, but then she just turns and walks out, leaving the room even more quiet than before.

Seungmin finally speaks up, breaking the awkward tension. “You really do look badass, Nami.”

Jeongin nods, chiming in with a small smile. “Yeah. You’re still you. No matter what.”

Nami looks at all of us, her eyes filled with something I can’t quite place—gratitude, exhaustion, maybe a bit of relief. “Thanks, guys,” she whispers. “I... I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

I give her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “We’re not going anywhere. You’re stuck with us.”

And that’s the truth. No matter how hard this gets, no matter how scary, we’re going to be here for her. All of us.

Just then, Hyunjin walks back into the room. His face is red, eyes puffy like he’s been crying. He doesn’t say anything at first. He just walks over to Nami, sitting down beside her on the bed, and takes her hand. She leans into him, and for a moment, it’s like the world narrows down to just the two of them.

I look away, giving them their space, but my heart’s still pounding. It’s hard, seeing them like this, knowing how much Hyunjin cares about her. It’s even harder knowing how much *I* care about her. But this isn’t the time for that. Right now, it’s about Nami, and making sure she knows she’s not alone.

The nurse comes back in after a while, giving us all a sympathetic look. “She’ll need to rest now. You can stay for a bit, but try to keep things quiet.”

We all nod, but no one moves. None of us are leaving. Not yet.

As I sit there, watching Nami drift off to sleep, I make a silent promise to myself: I’m going to be there for her, no matter what.