ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ꜱᴇɴᴅ ┆|| ┆ni-ki

~fifty eight~

"Your father has been admitted to the hospital. You need to come immediately."

The phone slipped from her fingers, clattering onto the ground.

Everything around her seemed to blur; the sounds of her friends' laughter, the music, everything vanished in an instant.

Her mind went blank, leaving her staring numbly at the phone.

"Eunha?" Niki's voice was soft, and he placed a hand on her shoulder, concern etched on his face.

She turned toward him, feeling her throat tighten, but for a moment, she was speechless.

Seeing the tremble in her lip, he brushed a tear that had escaped down her cheek, his eyes full of quiet reassurance. "Hey... what happened?" he asked gently.

"It's my dad..." she finally choked out, her voice breaking. "He's... in the hospital."

Niki's hand rested on her arm, warm and steady. "He'll be okay." he said softly, his voice firm but comforting. "Don't worry."

She looked down, swallowing back more tears as she tried to ground herself as he hold her hand.

Then, after a moment, he squeezed her hand. "Do you... want me to come with you?"

Eunha nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "Yes... please."

Just as they turned to leave,the guys had noticed them stepping away.

Eunji was the first to approach, her brows furrowed with worry.

"What's going on?" she asked, glancing between them.

Niki glanced back at Eunha, silently checking if she wanted to explain.

When she nodded, he gently said, "Eunha's dad is in the hospital. She has to go."

Eunji's eyes widened, and she immediately reached for her jacket. "I'm coming with you." she said without hesitation, her tone unwavering.

"I'll go too." Sunghoon said, his voice quiet but firm.

Eunha managed a small nod, grateful for the silent support from her friends.

The three of them, together with Niki, moved through the party and toward the car, leaving behind the festive lights and laughter as they braced themselves for what was to come.

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The road stretched out before them, dark and only lit by the headlights of Sunghoon's car.

The night air was thick with tension, each moment pulling Eunha deeper into her thoughts.

In the backseat, Eunha leaned her head against Eunji's shoulder, seeking comfort from her best friend amid the chaos of emotions swirling in her chest. Eunji's arm wrapped around her, providing a sense of security that felt increasingly fragile.

Sunghoon's grip on the steering wheel was tight, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Niki sat beside him, casting worried glances in the rearview mirror. He wanted to reassure Eunha, to tell her everything would be okay, but the fear of what they might find at the hospital gnawed at him.

As they sped down the road, Eunha's thoughts drifted, a haze settling over her mind. The day was going perfectly before the news came.

"Eunha?" Eunji whispered, nudging her gently. "Are you okay?"

Eunha didn't respond. Instead, she closed her eyes, leaning deeper into Eunji's shoulder.

Her heart raced with fear for her father. She tried to push away the images of how the accident might have happened, but they crept back in, uninvited and cruel.

As they arrived at the hospital, Sunghoon parked hastily, and the four of them scrambled out of the car, urgency driving them forward.

Eunha's legs felt heavy as she stepped onto the pavement, the reality of the situation crashing down on her like a wave.

Her gaze darted around, searching for any sign of her father but instead, she spotted her mother near the reception desk, her face twisted in worry.

But when she caught sight of Eunha, her expression changed instantly, morphing into something fierce and accusing.

"What are you doing here?!" she screamed, her voice echoing through the waiting area. "You think you can just run away and leave me to deal with everything? Look at you, dressed like that on a night like this! You're a disgrace!"

Eunha flinched, the words hitting her like physical blows. She could feel her heart racing, the air leaving her lungs as she tried to process her mother's fury.

Sunghoon stood beside her, confusion etched on his face. He had no idea about the storm brewing between Eunha and her mother.

"Look, this isn't the time for this." Niki interjected, stepping forward, his voice steady. "Your daughter's been through a lot because of you. Can't you see that?"

Eunha barely heard them. She was zoning out, her eyes puffy from unshed tears. The reality of the night was closing in on her, and she felt like she was drifting away, trapped in a bubble that separated her from the chaos around her.

"Let's sit down for a minute." Eunji suggested gently, her voice cutting through the noise.

She led Eunha away from the confrontation, guiding her toward a row of plastic chairs.

Niki and Sunghoon remained with her mother, their presence a barrier between Eunha and her mother.

"You don't deserve to be a mother." Niki said, his tone low but firm, directed at Eunha's mother. "No child should have to endure this kind of treatment. Look at her, you broke her."

Eunha sat down, her head spinning as she processed the words being exchanged behind her.

The muffled arguments blurred into a distant hum. She felt lost, like she was watching everything unfold from underwater.

The tension in the air was palpable, but she was too exhausted to care about the fight between Niki and her mother.

Eunji settled next to her, wrapping an arm around Eunha's shoulders. "Just breathe, okay? We're here for you."

Eunha nodded, but the weight in her chest wouldn't lift. All she could think about was her father, alone in the hospital, and the guilt that washed over her for leaving home in the first place.

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