DISGRACE ──── ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ ✔️

57 ─── ˢˡᵉᵉᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᵇᵉᵃᵘᵗʸ (except she doesn't wake up with a kiss)

ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ

The hours dragged on in the sterile, unforgiving silence of the hospital, each minute heavier than the last. The waiting room had become a quiet, anxious tomb, with only the occasional murmur of voices and the shuffle of footsteps on the cold tile floors. No one could sleep, not really. The tension in the air kept them all wide-eyed and restless, sitting with their thoughts, waiting for news, and clinging to the faintest hope that Mi-hee would make it through the night.

Rian was the first to stir as the first rays of sunlight began to filter through the narrow windows of the waiting room, casting a soft, golden light across the floor. His eyes fluttered open, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on him, but the moment he saw the light, his body jolted to a start. He shot up from his chair, the last remnants of sleep evaporating as panic surged through him. He had to know. Had they heard anything?

Rian didn’t waste a second. He rushed through the corridors, his heart racing, his breath coming fast. The hospital felt like a maze as he desperately searched for any sign of a doctor, any indication that Mi-hee was still alive, still fighting. His mind raced with a thousand thoughts—fear, anger, guilt, desperation—all building up like a storm he couldn’t escape.

Finally, he spotted a doctor in the hallway, his face drawn and tired. Rian didn’t hesitate. He approached the doctor quickly, his voice urgent but trembling with emotion.

“Is she okay? How is she? Please, tell me she’s alright.” His words came out faster than he could control, his hands shaking.

The doctor looked at him, his expression serious but not as bleak as Rian had expected. “She’s stable now. She’s out of danger,” he said, his voice steady. “The shock to her system was severe, but she’s strong. We’ve managed to stabilize her.”

Rian’s breath caught in his throat, the relief washing over him in waves. But the doctor’s next words brought a sense of dread back to his chest.

“She’s in a coma. It’s too early to say for certain, but we’re hopeful. With time, she should wake up.”

"How fucking long?", Rian’s voice dropped. The thought of her being here yet so distant. Rian hated it.

The doctor sighed, "It’s a miracle she's breathing. We can't be sure, it solely depends on her will."

Rian nodded, his hands gripping the edge of the wall for support. The weight that had been suffocating him for hours finally began to lift, but it was quickly replaced with something darker—rage. The thought of whoever had done this to Mi-hee, whoever had driven her to this point, burned a hole in his chest. He could feel the anger building, consuming him. He couldn’t just stand by and let this person get away with it.

When he turned back to the waiting room, Jae-i, Kang-ha, and Mi-hee’s mother were stirring, waking up from their restless slumber. The moment they saw Rian, they knew. The tension in the room shifted, the weight of uncertainty easing, but the relief was short-lived.

Rian’s gaze was cold, his jaw clenched tight as he turned to face them, his anger now palpable.

“She’s alive,” Rian said, his voice thick with emotion. “But I’ll be damned if the person who did this to her walks free. I’ll find them. I’ll make their life a living hell.”

Jae-i stood up quickly, her face filled with concern as she rushed to him. “Rian, don’t do this. Please. You can’t let your anger control you right now.”

But Rian wasn’t listening. The fire in his eyes was burning too brightly to be extinguished. He shook his head, his fists clenched at his sides.

“I’m not letting this go,” he said, his voice low but fierce. “I will find them. I’ll make them pay for what they did to her. No one hurts Mi-hee and gets away with it.”

Jae-i reached out to him, grabbing his arm, her expression pleading. “Rian, listen—please! This won’t help her. It won’t bring her back any faster.”

But Rian shook her hand off his arm, his face hardening with determination. “I’m not doing this for me, Jae-i. I’m doing it for her.” His eyes narrowed, his mind already set on his course of action. He couldn’t sit idly by any longer. He had to make this right. “I’m going. Don’t try to stop me.”

Without another word, Rian turned and stormed out of the hospital, his footsteps echoing in the hallway. His mind was already racing with plans, with vengeance. Nothing—no one—would stop him from making sure that whoever had hurt Mi-hee faced the consequences they deserved.

Inside the waiting room, the others stood in silence, the weight of what was happening settling like a heavy fog. Jae-i watched Rian leave, her heart heavy with worry. But she knew there was no stopping him once his mind was made up.

ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ