Love Procedure: SOOBIN & SOHEE

14: next to you

Where am I? My eyes fade awake, Yeonjun slept on my legs in what looked like a hospital bed. My body felt weak, I've never felt this weak.

"Sohee!"
He jumps awake, hugging me.
I couldn't pull away, im too tired.

"Get off me."
He doesn't listen, I lift my weak arms to push him with minimal force.

He finally listens to that.
"You... collapsed. The doctors said it was from severe exhaustion and they said that you'll feel more energized in a few days or so."
He says with a relieved grin.

But my face bitter, why would you care?
I remembered all the times I'd blush when he'd notice and ask about my health. When he dated Chaeyoung, he never saw how bad I was doing... after he graduated no one checked up on me.

He caresses my cheek with his warm rough hand, it felt just like before. My head leans on his hand as I was weak and tired, it irks me.

He slowly lets go as I lay back down.
My eyes shut and I face away from him, he knows I don't want to see him. I hope he forgot everything I said. How could he forget?

He's forgotten me tons, please forget this time too.

"Sohee.. I promise, I'll love you this time. We'll make this work. I might've not loved you as much as you did before, but we'll make this work for us- for the company's sake."
He clenches the hospital blanket, confessing so regretfully.

"Let it go. I learned how, it's been 10 years Yeonjun."
I gulped still not facing him. I'm surprised he broke up with Chaeyoung, as the first time I saw him again he still loved her. How does he move on just like that?

I'm getting choked up, i'm tired of crying it doesn't come out.

"Don't push me away anymore, we're married. Don't forget that. Don't let the past define us, as this is a new start."
He grabs my arm flipping me over to face him.

My eyebrows lower, what?
"Don't force this-"

He leaps in for a kiss. I can't do anything to push him away, my body is weak, I just woke up minutes ago. My hands were on his chest, I feel his heart beating. Please don't fall in love with me.

Please don't fall in love with me, i'm sick of you. If you fall I'll be wrecked.
He doesn't let go except to confess, each breath he takes to tell me,
"Sohee... forgive me... this is fate we're meant.. to be.. every life time.. you'll see my face.. you can't run from it."
He huffs, my eyes widened, I feel a tear roll down my face.

He's wrong, he's wrong, he's wrong! He quotes everything that made me reminisce every time fate has brought us together, I've seen him everywhere, he's in my dreams, I can't sleep because I think of him, you're my first love how can I run away from that?

You're not meant for me though. But I can't speak, we're now stuck together. On a contract, two rings and just like that we're married.

...

My lips stung, he finally left.

My lips they're numb. I feel lifeless, a bird in a cage.

The door creaks open, to my surprise it was San. This is the second time I've seen him. What brings him here again?

"Sohee.."
He brings flowers, even though my stay at the hospital isn't going to be long.