Me After You | Choi Seungcheol

23. Restless Heart

By the time he finally pulled up to his grandmother's house, Seungcheol's ears were ringing and he could feel the warmth of blood seeping through his clothes, but none of that mattered to him.

His legs were unsteady as he staggered toward the front door, his heart pounding incessantly in his chest.

"Haeun!" he shouted as he stepped inside, his hoarse and fraught voice echoing through the empty living room.

"Seungcheol, you're bleeding!" Grandma Choi exclaimed, rushing in from the kitchen, her eyes widening in horror at the sight of him. "Why aren't you at the hospital? Did you drive here?!"

"W-where..." he struggled to form the words, his vision blurring as he leaned against the wall for support. "H... Haeun..."

"You need to sit down. You're in no condition to be here!" His grandmother's voice rose in alarm at his almost delirious state.

He took a faltering step forward, but his legs gave way beneath him. The room spun violently, the world around him fading in and out as he fell to the floor with a thud.

"Seungcheol!"

***

When he opened his eyes again, Seungcheol found himself in his childhood room. A sharp pain shot through his abdomen as he looked down at the fresh bandages snugly wrapped around his torso and the IV drip hanging from a stand beside him.

Hushed whispers surrounded him, and he turned to his left to see his grandma, Jeonghan, and Joshua standing near his bed.

"What happened?" He grunted, his throat dry and scratchy.

Joshua glared at him, incredulous. "Oh, you forgot how you prison break'd yourself out of the hospital, stole my car, and went on a three-hour joy ride even though you're not supposed to get behind the wheel for at least the next month?!" He ranted indignantly. "And then, your stitches burst, and you almost bled to death on your grandmother's carpet. Yeah, that was a real fun time for everyone!"

"Thankfully, Grandma Choi called her doctor, and he patched you up," Jeonghan added, his tone calmer but his expression disapproving. "But you could've killed yourself, Cheol. You need to take it easy."

"That's why you're staying here, under my watch, until further notice," Grandma Choi chimed in firmly from behind them.

"What about Haeun?" he asked, disregarding their concerns. "Is she still here?"

Grandma Choi gave Jeonghan and Joshua a knowing look. "You should rest for today. The guest rooms are ready."

"Shua," Seungcheol said hesitantly. "About Dokyeom and Mingyu, I—"

"You didn't mean to fire them," he cut in, offering a reassuring nod. "I'll talk to them; don't worry."

"Thanks," Seungcheol sighed in relief. "And I'm sorry for stealing your car."

"You're an idiot," Joshua replied ruefully, a small smile breaking through. "But you're our idiot, so it's alright."

Jeonghan approached and patted his shoulder. "Goodnight, buddy."

With that, they left the room, the door clicking shut behind them.

Seungcheol turned his gaze back to his grandmother. "She's gone, isn't she?"

Grandma Choi nodded slowly, sitting at the edge of his bed. "She wanted to visit her parents' grave before leaving. I don't know where she went after that."

"And you just let her go?!" he scowled, feeling betrayed. "You were supposed to be on my side."

"Believe me, I tried to get her to change her mind," she replied, gently taking his hand in hers. "But you can't hold on to someone who doesn't want to stay, honey. After everything that happened, Haeun needs to piece herself back together, and she wants to do that alone. It's her prerogative."