Falling For The Park Brothers' Sister ⚊ Nishimura Riki

Chapter Fifty Four

The clock on the wall seemed to mock them, ticking relentlessly as each second dragged on.

Five days.

Five days since the accident.

Five days since Jiyoo had been placed in that sterile, lifeless room, connected to machines that beeped and hummed in rhythmic, mechanical certainty. The same machines that kept her alive—but not awake.

Jungwon sat at the foot of her bed, his hands clasped tightly together, his gaze fixed on the floor. His legs were restless, swinging beneath him, but his eyes remained glued to the faint rise and fall of Jiyoo’s chest, the only indication that she was still with them.

Sunoo stood by the window, his back to the others, his hands tucked into his pockets. He didn’t speak, but the tension radiating off him was palpable.

They were all waiting. Hoping. Praying. But no matter how many times they whispered their hopes into the silence of the room, nothing changed. Park Jiyoo remained motionless.

Ni-ki…

Ni-ki had been there since the first night, and as much as they tried to help him, they all saw it—he was breaking apart.

The way his shoulders slumped when the doctors passed by without even a glance toward them. The way his hand trembled every time he reached for hers, the warmth of his fingers brushing against hers, only to be met with nothing in return. The way his eyes refused to leave her face, willing her to wake up, even though they all knew she couldn’t hear him.

Ni-ki was pretending. He always had that smile on his face—the one he wore when he tried to act tough, when he made light of the darkest situations. But even the strongest act could only hold up for so long.

He was starting to crack.

And Jungwon and Sunoo were the only ones who could see it.

Sunoo glanced at Jungwon, catching his eye for a brief moment. Both of them were worried. They didn’t have to say anything—they knew what the other was thinking.

Ni-ki needed a break.

"Hey, man," Sunoo called softly, his voice breaking through the stillness of the room. "You need to rest. Just a few hours. You’ve been here nonstop."

Ni-ki turned his head toward him, the faintest hint of a smile on his face, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

"I’m fine," he said, his voice hoarse, rough from days of barely sleeping. "She wouldn’t leave me alone if it were me in there. So I’m not leaving her either."

But his words rang hollow.

Jungwon exchanged a glance with Sunoo. Neither of them spoke again.

The door to the room creaked open, and they all looked up.

Jimin entered first, followed by Sunghoon and Jay. They had brought food, a small gesture of care, but it felt so insignificant in comparison to the weight of what they were all going through.

Chanyeol and Akira followed closely behind them. Akira’s face was drawn with worry, her hand resting lightly on her rounded stomach, and Chanyeol’s face was etched with guilt.

“We brought some food,” Jimin said quietly, offering a tray toward Ni-ki, who didn’t respond at first.

He was too lost in his thoughts to acknowledge the food, his eyes still fixed on Jiyoo’s unmoving form.

Ni-ki didn’t want food. He didn’t want anything but Jiyoo’s voice, Jiyoo’s laughter.

Chanyeol sighed, his hands running through his hair. "I should’ve been there. I should’ve known. We never should’ve gone to that restaurant. I didn’t even know—"