The Day I left You

Waking A New

"You doing okay?" Chan asked me over the phone.

"Yeah...I mean as okay as I can be, I guess." I said back, shuffling my feet on the floor anxiously.

"...How is she?"

"She's still...asleep..." I got up and walked over to her door and peered through the glass. She looked so helpless. Wounds across her cheeks and her head wrapped in a plethora of gauze and bandages. I felt like I couldn't do enough for her.

"Has she...woken up at all? How many days has it been now?"

"No, she's been...in a coma for the last week and a half. The doctor said she's still in rough condition, but her chances of coming out of it have increased since she was brought in." I said still staring at her with sorrow and guilt.

I hear Chan sigh and groan a little. "Well...Keep me updated on her, please..."

"I will."

"And Hyunjin?"

"Yeah?"

There was a significant pause before he spoke. "It's not your fault, dude..."

"Chan...I-"

"It's mine. I know you wanted to stay there with her while she waited to move...but I shamelessly convinced you she'd be okay. I'm the reason she got hurt, so please...Don't blame yourself for not staying..." The uneasy trembling in his voice made me realize he felt more guilty about her condition than I did.

"It's no one's fault but his...He's the one who chose to hurt her..."

"I-I just...I could've done more, and I'm sorry...She narrowly escaped death and if it weren't for you, she would've been gone. From now on, when you feel strongly about something or someone like this, don't let me stop you." Chan said with a shaky yet stern voice.

"Chan, it's oka-"

"The oldest doesn't always know best and some times I can't see what's really important outside of Stray kids because this is all I've known. You should do what you feel is right and not let me or anyone else tell you otherwise. Okay?"

I squinted the tears out of my eyes and wiped my face, trying to control my voice as I spoke.

"Yeah..."

"Okay...Well...Call me when something changes. The boys and I have to get ready for an interview."

"Okay...I'm sorry I can't be there. I know it was important for me to be with you for those..." I peered back into her room, hoping I'd see her eyes open. Like I did every time...

"Don't be sorry. Take care of her and bring her home. You can join us when she's well again."

"Thank you. I'll call you."

"Okay."

I hung up and looked at her once more through the door. I sighed and felt tears drip down my face as I tried to wipe them away at the same time.

"Excuse me. Are you her guardian?" I was spooked by the sudden voice behind me as I jumped and flipped around to see a few officers standing before me.

"Oh...Yes."

"Can we chat for a moment? We just have some updates for you regarding her case."

"Yeah, yeah of course."

______

Three more days had passed and I was still in the same position as I was two weeks ago. Sat by her side in the cold hospital room that was glaringly white with my head buried in her limp hand for hours. I held her hand as I slept sitting straight up most nights because if she were to wake up, I could feel it. It was mid November now and I was still hoping she'd wake up any moment. I started to lose a little bit of hope when the third week passed and then the fourth. The fifth week was different though...