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Aiko & Heeseung
The worry gnawed at Heeseung as he paced the hallway. His mind kept circling back to the file he'd seen in Dr. Nakamura's office: "Blood Sample – Neomorph Connection." It haunted him, the vague words and what they could mean. Whatever was going on, it wasn't good.
He didn't have long to ruminate, though, because Aiko returned from another testing session looking worse than ever.
She walked into the communal room, her steps slow and unsteady. The group was scattered, talking and laughing, but as soon as they saw her, everything stopped.
"Whoa," Jungwon said, standing up. "Aiko, you look like crap. What happened?"
Jake frowned. "You okay? You look... I don't know, pale or something."
Aiko waved them off weakly. "I'm fine. Just... tired." Her words were slurred, her voice faint. She stumbled, and Heeseung was by her side in an instant.
"Hey, hey." He slipped an arm around her, steadying her. "Aiko, you're not fine. Sit down for a second."
But before she could respond, her knees buckled.
"Shit!" Heeseung caught her before she hit the floor, holding her limp body against his chest. His heart pounded in his ears as panic set in. "Aiko! Hey, wake up!"
Yuna rushed over, eyes wide. "What the hell? What's wrong with her?"
"I don't know!" Heeseung snapped, lifting Aiko into his arms. "I'm taking her to her mom. Move!"
The others scrambled out of the way, their worried voices fading as Heeseung carried Aiko out of the room. She was light in his arms, too light, and her skin felt clammy against his hands.
"Hang in there, Aiko," he muttered, his voice tight. "You're gonna be fine. You have to be fine."
Heeseung reached Dr. Nakamura's lab, kicking the door open with his foot. The older woman looked up from her work, startled.
"What is going on?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing as she saw Aiko in his arms.
"She passed out!" Heeseung said, his voice edged with panic. "She's been tired, drained, and now she's unconscious. What the hell is happening to her?"
Dr. Nakamura immediately moved into action, clearing a space on one of the lab beds. "Put her down here," she ordered, her calm demeanor unnerving.
Heeseung carefully placed Aiko on the bed, brushing her hair out of her face as her mother checked her pulse and began examining her.
"She's just exhausted," Dr. Nakamura said after a moment, though Heeseung didn't miss the tightness in her tone. "Her body's been through a lot with the tests. I warned her about overexerting herself."
Heeseung clenched his fists. "Exhausted? She was mumbling and barely standing! What kind of tests are you running on her?"
Dr. Nakamura gave him a sharp look. "Tests that are necessary, Heeseung. If you care about her, you'll let me do my job."
"I do care about her," he shot back, his voice rising. "That's why I want to know what the hell you're putting her through."
Dr. Nakamura sighed, straightening up. "She'll recover. She just needs rest. You can stay if you want, but I suggest you stop questioning my methods."
Heeseung glared at her but said nothing, pulling up a chair beside the bed. He sat down heavily, his hands gripping the armrests as he watched Aiko's pale face.
After a long silence, Dr. Nakamura spoke again, her tone softer. "Heeseung, I know you're worried. But everything I'm doing is for her benefit."
He didn't look at her. "Then why does it feel like you're hiding something?"
Dr. Nakamura's expression hardened, but she didn't respond. She turned back to her work, leaving Heeseung alone with Aiko.
He reached out, taking her hand in his. It was cold, and he hated the way it felt so lifeless.
"You gotta wake up, Aiko," he murmured. "You're the strongest person I know. This place... this whole situation, it's nothing without you."
Minutes passed, each one stretching endlessly. Heeseung stayed by her side, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. Every so often, he glanced at her mother, who worked silently at her station.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Aiko stirred. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she blinked up at him.
"Hee...seung?" Her voice was weak but clear enough to make his heart leap.
"I'm here," he said, leaning closer. "You scared the hell out of me."
She tried to sit up, but he gently pushed her back down. "Don't. Just rest."
"What happened?" she asked, her brow furrowing.
"You passed out," he explained, his voice soft. "You've been pushing yourself too hard."
Dr. Nakamura approached, her expression neutral. "Aiko, I told you to take it easy. This is exactly why."
Aiko looked at her mother, then back at Heeseung. "I'm fine now."
"You're not fine," Heeseung insisted. "You've been tired for days, Aiko. Something's going on."
Dr. Nakamura cut in. "I'll adjust her schedule. She won't be doing any more tests for now."
Heeseung narrowed his eyes at her but didn't argue. He turned back to Aiko, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You need to take care of yourself, okay? No more pretending you're fine when you're not."
Aiko managed a small smile. "Okay, okay. I'll rest."
"Good," he said, his tone softening. "Because if you scare me like that again, I swear..." He trailed off, shaking his head.
"Swear what?" she teased weakly.
"That I'll... I don't know, force you to take naps every hour," he joked, earning a faint laugh from her.
Dr. Nakamura watched the exchange silently before speaking. "She'll recover with some sleep. I'll make sure of it."
Heeseung didn't thank her, but he nodded, focusing entirely on Aiko.
As Aiko drifted back into a light sleep, Heeseung stayed by her side, his resolve hardening. Whatever was going on here, whatever Dr. Nakamura was hiding, he was going to find out. For Aiko.
