𝙴𝚚𝚞𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 4 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 | HAOBIN AU

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 15

| Flashback |

It had been a regular day for Hao and Taerae, or at least that’s what it was supposed to be. The two had spent the morning joking around between classes, sharing snacks, and complaining about their upcoming exams like they always did. Hao was good at hiding how he felt—how he had been feeling for the past few months.

The headaches, the exhaustion, the moments where his body felt like it was betraying him—he hadn’t told anyone. Not even Taerae, his best friend. He just brushed it off as stress. It’s nothing, he kept telling himself. Just focus on school. Everything will be fine.

But deep down, he knew something was wrong.

When the dizziness hit him in the middle of the hallway that day, his vision going blurry, he knew he couldn’t ignore it anymore. Taerae had been right there, thankfully, catching him before he collapsed completely. The panic in Taerae’s eyes was enough to send a wave of fear through Hao’s own chest.

“Are you okay?” Taerae’s voice had been laced with concern, his hands steadying Hao as he leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath.

“I’m fine, it’s just—just stress,” Hao muttered, but the weakness in his voice betrayed him.

Taerae didn’t buy it for a second. “Hao, this isn’t normal. You’ve been off for weeks.”

“I’m fine,” Hao insisted, but Taerae’s worried gaze was unrelenting.

“You’re going to the doctor,” Taerae said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Hao had wanted to argue, to brush it off, but when he looked into Taerae’s eyes, he saw the worry there—the fear that something could actually be wrong. So, he agreed. He’d go, just to put Taerae’s mind at ease.

ᯓ★

The waiting room of the hospital had been suffocating. The sterile smell of antiseptic and the constant beeping of machines did little to calm Hao’s nerves. He sat there, fidgeting, trying to distract himself by going over study notes on his phone while Taerae kept glancing over at him with a worried frown.

After what felt like an eternity, the doctor called his name.

Taerae stood up with him, ready to follow, but Hao had stopped him. “I’ll go in alone. It’s probably nothing. Just a checkup.”

Taerae hesitated but eventually nodded, sitting back down, his eyes never leaving Hao as he disappeared into the office.

ᯓ★

The doctor had been kind, but there was something unsettling in the way she looked at Hao after the tests. Her face had grown more serious, and Hao’s heart began to race as she started explaining the results. Her words were clinical, measured, but they hit him like a ton of bricks.

Chronic illness.

A condition that wasn’t immediately life-threatening but required constant management. Something that could worsen with stress and fatigue. Something that would be with him for the rest of his life.

Hao sat there in stunned silence, the weight of her words pressing down on him. His mind reeled, trying to make sense of it all. He had always been in control, always had a plan. Now, everything felt like it was crumbling beneath him.

“I know this is a lot to take in,” the doctor had said gently. “But with the right treatment and adjustments, you can manage this. You’ll have to make some changes, though.”

'Changes. Like what? Dropping my studies?—no I can't! I studied so hard' hao thought to himself

“I’m fine,” Hao had said, more to himself than the doctor. “I can handle it.”

The doctor gave him a soft, sympathetic smile, but didn’t argue. “Just take it one step at a time, okay?”

ᯓ★

When Hao finally walked out of the doctor’s office, he felt like the air had been sucked out of his lungs. Everything around him felt distant, muffled. Taerae was still waiting, sitting on the edge of his seat, his eyes wide with anticipation.

“How did it go?” Taerae asked, standing up immediately when he saw Hao’s pale face.

Hao didn’t answer right away. He didn’t know how to. How could he possibly explain that his life had just taken a turn he never saw coming?

“It’s...nothing serious,” Hao lied, forcing a smile. He didn’t want to worry Taerae, didn’t want anyone to treat him differently. “Just stress, like I thought.”

Taerae studied him carefully, clearly not convinced, but he didn’t push. “Okay. As long as you’re okay.”

Hao nodded, but inside, he was anything but okay.

As they walked out of the hospital together, Hao felt a pit form in his stomach. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Taerae the truth—not yet. Not until he figured out what he was going to do. How he was going to keep this a secret. How he was going to stay on top of everything without anyone knowing.

He had always been strong. He could handle this.

| End of flashback |