Smoke- lee heeseung

XII

"It is a restless heart that aches."
— Christina Rossetti

»--•--«

It was long after school hours had ended when Yuwon finally stirred. The infirmary was quiet, dimly lit by the soft glow of a lamp on the nurse's desk. The sterile smell of antiseptic lingered in the air, and the faint hum of an air conditioner filled the silence. Her eyelids fluttered open, and for a moment, she felt disoriented, her mind struggling to piece together where she was.

Then, the weight of exhaustion settled in. Her body felt heavy, her limbs weak, as if gravity had doubled since she last closed her eyes. The faint soreness in her arm made her glance down, noticing the IV drip attached to her wrist. A quiet sigh escaped her lips.

Slowly, the memories began to flood back—the failed experiment, the fire alarms, the argument with Heeseung. The way he had pulled her out of harm's way only to tear her down with his cold, cutting words afterward. She could still hear his voice in her head, calm yet laced with cruelty.

"You're a mess, Yuwon. No amount of pretending otherwise is going to change that."

She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she sat up in the bed. The anger that had simmered within her before she passed out returned, but it was dulled by the overwhelming fatigue that still weighed her down. Her head throbbed lightly, and she could feel the dry remnants of blood on her upper lip from the nosebleed earlier.

With a groan, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, her feet barely touching the cold tile floor before she paused, feeling the room spin for a moment. She gripped the edge of the bed tightly, waiting for the wave of dizziness to pass.

The infirmary was empty. The nurse had probably stepped out, and judging by the eerie silence, the school had long since emptied out for the day. There was no sign of Heeseung—not that she expected him to stay. He had made it perfectly clear how little he cared.

Of course, he didn't stay. She scoffed to herself, the bitterness welling up again. Why would he? Motherfucker didn't even bother to fucking apologize.

As she tried to stand, her body protested, a reminder of just how badly she had pushed herself. The exhaustion wasn't just from today; it had been building for weeks, maybe even months. She had refused to slow down, to show any sign of weakness, even as everything started to crumble beneath the surface.

And now, here she was—alone, drained, and still haunted by the scars she tried so hard to keep hidden.

As Yuwon sat there, still trying to steady herself, the door to the infirmary creaked open. She looked up, and there stood the nurse, no longer in her uniform but dressed in casual clothes—a clear sign that the day was long over for her. Her jacket hung loosely on her shoulders, and her bag was slung across her body, as if she was just about to leave.

"You're awake," the nurse said softly, walking over to check the IV drip still attached to Yuwon's arm. There was a gentle but knowing look in her eyes, one that immediately put Yuwon on edge.

"Yeah," Yuwon muttered, her voice scratchy. She cleared her throat, trying to sound more composed. "How long was I out?"

"Long enough. School's been out for hours," the nurse replied, adjusting the IV before glancing at Yuwon's tired face. "I didn't want to disturb you. You looked like you needed the rest."

Yuwon nodded weakly, still trying to shake the lingering dizziness. Her mind was a mess of conflicting thoughts, but one question hung in the air, heavy and unspoken. She braced herself, hoping the nurse hadn't contacted anyone.