Shenanigans

27

'Tae, are you sick ?'

Taehyung felt his world stopped with those few words. He didn't know his lungs could hurt this bad when he didn't put any work to it. He looked back at Hana, staring into her glazing brown orbs.

Don't cry. Please don't cry.

His voice croaked, 'Where did you hear that ?'

Hana closed her eyes, 'Is it true ?'

'I am not healthy but I am not sick. Well, at least not anymore.' Taehyung said quietly, leaning against the headboard.

Hana sat up and scoot closer to him until their shoulders touch, 'What do you mean by that ?'

'Well,' Taehyung cleared his throat. 'I was born with a congenital heart defects. I was diagnosed with VSD when I was an infant.'

'What does that mean ?' She asked, there's curiosity and hesitation in her voice. It scared her, listening to him talking about something that might take him away from her.

'Ventricular septal defect. Means, you have hole in your septum.' Taehyung said, trying to sound nonchalant.

'So you have hole in your heart ?'

Taehyung laughed at how surprisingly funny that sound, 'Pretty much.'

He continued, 'It was a common heart defects and highly curable, but I still have to undergo an open-heart surgery, when I was a baby.'

Hana's heart was beating faster than normal and she wondered if the boy besides her was breathing fine, 'You were a strong baby.'

His smile was forlon, 'I guess I was. It was a success, as expected. However, every month I have to go to the local hospital for check ups and once a year, my dad would bring me to a cardiology hospital in Chelsea for annual assessment.'

'So that's where you go ? But the lady said you went to America.' Hana stated, confused.

Taehyung looked at her quizzically, 'What lady ?'

'Oh ? Well- um-,' Hana stuttered, suddenly embarrassed to admit that she waited for him in front of his house almost everyday.'I went to your house once, to see if you're back. Then there's this one lady, she was walking her dog.'

'Mrs. Ahn ?'

'I guess ? I forgot to ask for her name. Well, she told me you were sick and that you went to America for treatment.' She mumbled.

'She must've misheard it then.'

'I think so.' She nodded. 'But, Tae, why is it so long ? You were there for a month.'

Taehyung inhaled slowly, 'Well, it was supposed to be a one week trip there but when they checked my heart, they noticed something wrong with it.'

Hana was trying to calm her heart beat down, assuring herself that it was nothing serious.

'So you know that hole in the heart that I said before ?' Taehyung fiddled with her fingers. He always found himself reaching out for her soft, small hand.

Hana was trying to ignore the tingles that his small circles drawings was giving her, 'That they have managed to cover up successfully ?'

'Well, they don't know how it happened, but my septum wall was thin apparently and somehow, another holes appeared.' He said sullenly.

Hana looked at him, 'Holes ?'

Taehyung lifted his gaze to meet hers, 'It was one of the rare cases of vsd. I have several holes in my heart, you see. They called it 'swiss cheese' septal defects. I thought it was disgusting.'