ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ꜱᴇɴᴅ ┆|| ┆ni-ki

~thirty seven~

Eunha's eyelids fluttered open, blinking against the soft glow of hospital lights. It took her a moment to piece together where she was, the last thing she remembered was the beach, the cold shock of the water, and the way everything seemed to overwhelm her all at once.

Now, she was lying in a hospital bed.

Her body felt heavy, weak, and the ache in her stomach was still there, though it had dulled slightly. She shifted a little, wincing at the pain that shot through her abdomen.

"Eunha?" A voice called out to her, quiet but filled with concern. It was Niki.

She slowly turned her head, noticing him sitting beside her bed, his face pale with worry. His wet hair clung to his forehead, and his eyes searched her face, trying to gauge if she was really awake or still half-dazed.

"You're... here?" she whispered, her voice hoarse, throat dry.

He nodded, his hand resting on the edge of her hospital bed, fingers slightly trembling. "Yeah. You collapsed... and I... I carried you here."

The memory of the beach flashed in her mind. She hadn't meant to faint, hadn't wanted to cause such a scene, but her body had given out before she could stop it.

Her lips moved to speak, but she couldn't find the right words. The weight of everything pressed down on her, the humiliation, the pain, the exhaustion from both her cramps and the emotional toll of the day.

"Don't try to talk." Niki added softly. "You need to rest. The doctor said you were dehydrated and your body was exhausted. You pushed yourself too hard."

Eunha blinked, processing his words. She tried to sit up a little, but the pain shot through her again, making her flinch.

"Wait, careful." Niki reached over, gently guiding her back to a more comfortable position. "Don't move too much yet."

She stared at the ceiling for a moment, her mind swirling with everything that had happened.

"I'm sorry..." Eunha whispered.

Niki's eyebrows furrowed, and he shook his head. "You don't have anything to be sorry for. None of this was your fault."

But she did. At least, that's how it felt. She had ruined the day, made everyone worry, and now she was lying here, weak and helpless.

"Let's talk about something else and forget about all of this?" Eunha asked, a faint smile on her face.

"Of course." Niki replied.

"Since I ruined the day, what about we do it again?" she asked excitedly.

"I'd love to, but..."

"But?" Eunha asked, confused.

"Just me and you this time." He smiled.

Eunha could feel her heart beating fast, her words sticking in her throat. Butterflies danced in her stomach as she blushed.

And before she could say anything, the sound of footsteps approached the door. She heard hushed voices outside, followed by the creak of the door opening.

And before the door opened, Niki grabbed her hand and winked at her.

The boys, Jay, Sunghoon, Heeseung, Jake, Jungwon, and Sunoo, peeked into the room, their faces filled with concern.

"Is she awake?" Jay whispered, though it was more like a stage whisper that everyone could hear.

Niki glanced at them and nodded. "Yeah, she just woke up."

The group filed in quietly, their usual playful energy subdued by the seriousness of the situation.

Sunghoon stepped forward first, his brows furrowed. "Hey, are you okay? You really scared us back there."

"Yeah I'm feeling better, thanks for asking."

Jungwon looked around for a moment before turning his attention to Niki. "Have you eaten? Should we get her something? Maybe some water?"

Niki nodded toward a tray by the bedside, where a small bottle of water and a few snacks were sitting. "The nurse brought these earlier, but she hasn't had anything yet."

Sunoo grabbed the bottle and twisted off the cap, offering it to Eunha with a warm smile. "Here, drink this. You'll feel better."

Eunha took the water gratefully, sipping it slowly. "Thanks."

Jake, who had been standing near the back of the group, finally spoke up, his voice soft. "You don't have to push yourself too hard, okay? If you need more time to rest, we can go."

Eunha looked up at them, feeling a strange warmth in her chest. Despite the chaos of the day, despite how she felt, they were all here, worried about her. It was a small comfort, but a comfort nonetheless.

"I'm really okay." she said again. "Thank you, though."

Heeseung crossed his arms, leaning against the wall with a thoughtful expression. "What happened, though? You looked fine before we went to the beach."

"I was feeling tired before coming to the beach, that's it." She smiled.

Sunghoon finally sighed and said, "Well, just so you know, Eunseo's gone. We told her to leave after... everything."

Eunha's eyes widened in surprise. "She left?"

Jay nodded, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Yeah, we didn't think it was right for her to stay after what she did. She was acting all fake concerned, but we knew better."

"If I ever catch her, I'll—" Sunoo began but was quickly interrupted by Jungwon.

"It's okay, it's okay."

"I'm glad." Eunha admitted quietly, her fingers gripping the edge of the hospital blanket.

"But who invited her?" Heeseung asked.

"You guys didn't invite her?" Eunha asked.

"No, we only found out this morning when we saw her in the car with us." Sunghoon explained.

"It's me." Niki admitted. "I didn't want her to come, but she asked if I was free this weekend, and I told her about our plans. She kind of invited herself, and I couldn't say no. Sorry, guys."

"It's okay, but you need to learn to say 'no' more often." Jay advised.

Niki nodded.

"By the way, where are the girls?" Eunha asked.

At the exact moment Hana and Eunji entered, rushing to Eunha's side. "You scared us!" Hana exclaimed, grabbing Eunha's hand tightly. "Don't ever do that again!"

Eunji nodded. "I swear, if I ever met that bitch again, I'll kill her."

Despite herself, Eunha laughed softly. "It's okay don't worry, I'm okay."

Niki watched the scene unfold with a small smile, staying by Eunha's side as the others tried to cheer her up.

Even though the day had been a disaster in so many ways, Eunha realized that she wasn't alone. She had people who cared about her, people who would stay by her side no matter what.

As the group continued talking and joking, Eunha leaned back against the pillows, letting the noise wash over her. She was still tired, and her body still ached, but she didn't feel as overwhelmed anymore. Not with them around.

Niki's hand was still resting on hers, a silent reminder that he was there if she needed him. And for now, that was enough.

"Let her sleep." Niki whispered, glancing at the group. "She needs time."

They nodded silently, backing out of the room, their footsteps fading as they left Eunha to rest.

Niki stayed, though. He remained seated beside her bed, his eyes fixed on her, even as her breathing evened out and she drifted off into sleep.

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