The flowerbed - Aespa's Giselle x M!Reader

The hospital room (Part 2)

Chaewon's POV - A week later

The morning felt too bright for what it was. A week had passed like a breath and an eternity all at once. Sakura walked silently beside me as we approached the now-familiar hospital entrance, Eunchae bouncing nervously behind us.

"You don't have to come," I'd told her earlier when she insisted on joining. But her response had been immediate: "Family supports family, unnie."

Room 247 looked different today. The medical equipment was gone, replaced by a small duffel bag containing everything he'd keep from his life in Seoul. Everything that wouldn't hurt too much to remember.

"Ready to go?" I asked, trying to keep my voice light.

He nodded, already dressed in clothes his sister had brought. The bandages were mostly gone now, but something about him still looked fragile. Breakable.

"You don't have to do this," Sakura said softly. "There are other ways-"

"Are there?" His laugh held no humor. "I can't even get coffee without seeing their faces on every billboard. Every TV screen shows me what I can't protect them from. Do you know what that does to someone, Sakura?"

He gestured to his injuries. "I hear things. About Manager Choi. About what he's doing to them. And I can't..." his voice cracked. "I can't even walk down the street without someone recognizing me. The 'disgraced manager' who 'ruined' aespa's reputation."

"We could figure something out," she insisted. "Give it time-"

I watched his hands shake slightly as he continued. "The company's watching me. Every time I'm spotted anywhere near their schedules, they crack down harder. Manager Choi uses it as an excuse to push them further. Make examples of them."

"But leaving Seoul entirely..." I started.

"My sister's place..." he swallowed hard. "It's quiet. Away from reporters. I can actually focus on recovery without worrying every paparazzi photo will spark new 'controversies' they have to deny."

"They're strong enough to handle-" Sakura tried.

"They shouldn't have to!" The force of his words surprised us all. "Every day I stay here makes it harder for them to adapt. To accept their new reality. How can Giselle move forward when sasaengs keep sending her photos of me? How can any of them focus on survival when they're constantly worried about protecting me too?"

His voice softened. "They'll weather this storm. I trust them to be stronger than the company, stronger than Manager Choi. But they can't do that if I'm here as a constant reminder of everything they lost. Of everything they're still losing."

The truth of his words hung heavy in the hospital room. This wasn't just noble sacrifice - it was painful necessity.

"Time won't change the fact that I'm poison to their careers right now," he added in. "Every company in Seoul has blacklisted me. Fans track my movements, waiting for any excuse to create more scandal. You know what happened at that convenience store - and that was just the beginning."

He paused, something dark crossing his expression. "There's something I haven't told anyone. About two weeks ago, when I was first able to walk properly again..."

Sakura and I exchanged looks, sensing whatever came next had changed everything.

"I tried to see them," he admitted quietly. "Just once. I thought... I thought maybe if I could just explain, if we could talk for even a moment..." His hands shook as he continued. "I knew their practice schedule. Knew when Manager Choi usually took his lunch break. I thought I had it planned perfectly."