DISGRACE ✴ kim rian

60 ─── ᶜᵒᵐᵉ ᵇᵃᶜᵏ

ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ

The hospital room was quiet, the rhythmic beeping of machines the only sound breaking the stillness of the night. Rian pushed the door open gently, his heart clenching at the sight before him. Mi-hee’s mother was curled up on the couch, her face pale with exhaustion but still holding an air of grace. Across the room, Mi-hee lay on the hospital bed, peaceful and still, the harsh fluorescent lights softening her features. 

Rian felt a lump rise in his throat as he stepped inside. He quietly closed the door behind him, the click barely audible. His gaze lingered on Mi-hee’s face, her closed eyes, her delicate frame. The woman who had always been full of fire, who could light up a room with her wit and determination, now lay silent. 

He couldn’t take it anymore. His heart broke as tears began to spill freely down his face. He approached her, his steps hesitant but heavy with emotion. 

“I miss you,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “I miss you so much, Mi-hee.” 

He pulled the chair closer to her bed and sat down, his trembling hand reaching out to hers. Her hand was warm, but it didn’t squeeze back. That absence of response shattered him further. 

“You are always so fearless,” he said, his voice soft but drenched in anguish. “I... I was such a coward. I never stood up for anything or anyone. But you? You stood against everything, even when the odds were stacked against you.” 

His fingers laced through hers as he lowered his head, his tears dripping onto the sheets. 

“I’ll finish it,” he vowed. “I swear to you, Mi-hee, I’ll make sure everything you fought for doesn’t go to waste. I’ll destroy the hierarchy, the lies, the corruption—all of it. For you. For us.” 

He leaned forward, his lips brushing her forehead in a tender kiss. It lingered, a silent plea for her to wake up, to return to him. 

As he pulled back, the thin hospital curtain shifted slightly, allowing a faint ray of early morning sunlight to pierce the room. It illuminated Mi-hee’s peaceful face, giving her an almost ethereal glow. Rian’s breath caught in his throat. 

“Please,” he whispered one last time, his voice trembling. “Come back to me.” 

With a heavy heart, he stood up, his hand reluctantly slipping away from hers. He cast one last glance at her before slipping out of the room, the door clicking softly behind him. 

The faint noise stirred Mi-hee’s mother awake. Her eyes fluttered open, and she immediately looked toward the bed. She frowned, noticing the faint shift of the chair near Mi-hee. Her gaze darted around the room, but there was no one there. 

She pushed herself off the couch and hurried to Mi-hee’s side, her heart pounding. Gently, she sat in the chair Rian had just vacated and took her daughter’s hand in her own. 

“Stay with me, Mi-hee,” she murmured, her voice breaking. “Please don’t leave me.” 

The sunlight grew brighter, filling the room with warmth, but Mi-hee’s mother barely noticed. Her focus remained solely on her daughter, clinging to the fragile hope that one day, those eyes would open again. 

ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ