Slave To The Rhythm

Chapter 11

A week passed. A slow, painful week that seeped away the happiness of the broken family. Hoseok was still in the hospital, his legs were still healing but his heart... His heart was still raw. For a man whom dancing was his passion, what could be worse than losing his legs. 

Jimin visited him everyday, spending hours just watching him from the door. He never met him, his guilt wouldn't allow him to. He was sure Hoseok must hate him to the core, not only for what he said but because of him he lost his legs.

On the other hand, Jimin searched for ways relentlessly. He tracked down the doctor and fixed an appointment for a video call. He talked to the doctor along with Hoseok's current doctor explaining him the condition of Hoseok's legs. After hours of negotiations, Jimin literally begging him for his time, the doctor agreed to at least look at Hoseok's case.

 Jimin requested the doctor not to tell Hoseok that he was the one behind it and asked him to just say it was his idea. The doctor was confused, but he agreed. Jimin just hoped that Hoseok agrees. According to the Japanese doctor, Mr. Asahina, Hoseok had a slim chance of getting up again but it was a chance, nonetheless. A chance Jimin was pinning his hopes on.

Jimin tried his best to continue his life as normal. He went to college but didn't feel like dancing, he got the job he so wanted and went to teach, but faking smiles for those hours hurt his face. When he was home, his mother was mostly at the hospital. He spent most of his time sitting on the benches, looking blankly at the surroundings, thinking how everything went so wrong. That was the only time he allowed himself to break down and cry. He couldn't cry in front of his mother, he couldn't in front of his friends, only in this quiet loneliness did he find solace.

 Sometimes, he wanted to go in into his studio but the memory of him dancing there, so beautifully, so... enchantingly, haunted his memories and it hurt too much to step in. Hearing his mother sob at nights thinking he can't hear her make his nights sleepless, he felt guilty towards her too. He destroyed her new found happiness. Sometimes, he just wished to erase his existence from their lives... but he knew he had to mend things first. Once he has, he will quietly slip away. Maybe in all these months at the hospital that Hoseok will spend, he might forget him, if he never goes to meet him and move on. The thought somehow gave him unbearable pain but it also gave him hope. Hope that things can be alright in the future.

Weeks. It had been weeks since Hoseok was told of his disability. A disability that not only ruined his possibility of ever dancing again, but ruined his way of seeing the world. The world was cruel in his eyes. Nobody cared. Nobody cared for anyone. Anyone besides themselves. Through his "recovery" process, Jimin's mother had been coming in continuously, keeping him company. But he wasn't satisfied. No matter how long she stayed, there was a void in his heart, and he felt it, everyday. 

The boy. Jimin. Why had he not come to see him? After so long, why had he not cared enough to at least wish him a speedy recovery? He knew the boy was stubborn, but to be stubborn to the extreme of not caring about an injured person was a whole other thing. Jimin's actions angered Hoseok. His fists clenched as he realized that the boy didn't care. There would never be anything between them. But why was it that throughout his anger, he felt hurt. He felt a pain in his chest to think that Jimin had forgotten him. It was foolish, and he knew it. He knew that a normal person would put Jimin at fault for what had happened, but why couldn't he bring himself to hate the boy? Why did he feel like all the wrong was done by him and he himself? Looking down at his badly beaten legs, he cried. It seemed he had been crying a lot these days. He just wanted to go home. He wanted everything to go back to how it was before the fight.

Finally, after a month of talking and convincing, Dr. Asahina was convinced to take on Hoseok's case. He said he will come down to Korea and see him, he finally had the time. If he felt the surgery could be a success, he will do it.
The day of his arrival comes and Hoseok's doctor goes to greet him. Jimin is always around, just out of everyone's vision. He didn't want to be detected. As the two doctors enter his room to talk, Jimin crossed his fingers and stood by the door again. They enter and greet Hoseok but Dr. Asahina's first words made his heart drop.
"Where is young Mr. Park? I thought I would see him here along with Mr. Jung. That young boy is a stubborn one when it comes to people he cares for, dragging me all the way to Korea." He chuckles.
'No no no...! You were not supposed to mention me!' Jimin's mind screamed. He just hoped that the doctor helps his situation.
"Mr. Park won't be able to come here, he is stuck with some other important work and have me the charge for this meeting." The doctor said and they began to explain the situation to Hoseok, telling him about his condition and probable recovery by surgery and rehab. During the fracture, his hip had completely pressed the Sciatial nerve and that caused his disability. If the nerve could be freed by surgery, he could walk again, but it was a risky surgery that, if fails can ruin all chances of natural recovery, but natural recovery in such a case was no less than a miracle. It was up to Hoseok to choose, whether to take the risk of surgery or wait for the miracle. Jimin stood by the door to listen to it all, hoping he takes the chance. The Hoseok he knew would take it without a doubt.

Hoseok was confused, to say the least when he saw the strangers enter his room. At the mention of Jimin's surname, his heart skipped a beat. Was he here? Did he finally come to see him? His hope vanished when they said that he could not make it. But what did the man mean when he said that Jimin was stubborn when it came to people he cared about. Was Hoseok one of those people? The thought of it put a small smile on his face. His first smile since he arrived at the hospital. The situation was finally cleared out after the doctor and the stranger explained the situation. Turned out he was a surgeon who came all the way from Japan. Just the mention of the possibility of walking again made him sit up. Forgetting that he couldn't feel down there, he stood, or attempted to stand, only to collapse. "Yes! Yes! I want the surgery! Whatever the risk is, I want it!" he crawled over to the surgeon and looked up at him pleadingly. He felt like an idiot, but he really wanted the surgery. As he looked up at the man, Jimin crossed his mind. Had he been the reason that this miracle came to him? Looking up at the stranger, he asked one question. "Did Jimin ask for you to be here and perform the surgery on me?"

Jimin felt his heart crush at the sight of him falling on the floor, collapsing and begging the doctor for the surgery. He bit his lip to choke the sob threatening to come out as a silent tear slid down his face. But his next words froze him. He will be found out! He should talked to Dr. Asahina.
Dr. Asahina bent down and helped him up on the bed again. He patted his shoulder and assured him he will perform the surgery.
"As far as Mr Park is concerned... I think his name was Jimin. You know him, right doctor? You must know, I think it was Park Jimin."
He turns to Hoseok and speaks thoughtfully.
"He seemed to be around 18-20 years of age and very handsome."
Jimin's heart was thudding loudly, all his efforts went down the drain. Hoseok will know now. He couldn't bear it. He just hoped that the doctor denies his name. But his hopes betray him.
"Yes, that was it"
And that was it. He was done for.

Instead of a frown, a smile found its way onto Hoseok's face. It was him. He hadn't forgotten about him after all. He still thought about him. He cared. Cared about him enough to drag a renowned surgeon to Korea in order for Hoseok to walk again. A part of Hoseok told him that he probably only did it out of guilt. That there was nothing there. Just guilt, as he thought that what happened to Hoseok was his fault. His heart, however told him that Jimin actually worried. And he sure hoped his heart was right. "Where is he?" he asked, hopefully, looking at the door, expecting the small man to walk in any moment.

Seeing Hoseok smile so hopefully at the mention of his name made Jimin's heart flutter. Even after all this, even after he didn't visit him for a month while he was at the hospital, Hoseok still smiled at the mention of his name. It made him happy but it made him sadder still. How will it ever end like this?
When he asked the doctors where Jimin was and started looking around, Jimin panicked. He was only half hidden by the door as the doctors held Hoseok's attention but as Hoseok turned Jimin accidently banged the door shut. His heart was hammering as he slid down, his back to the door, hoping Hoseok didn't catch his silhouette and hoping still that he doesn't ask his mother to call him. Till now, be had been making excuses to get away with it. Delivering the things she asked for, dealing with the doctors, he kept her satisfied and she didn't force him either, knowing there must be some problem. He knew he couldn't face him and it's best he doesn't. Enough harm has been done by this revelation itself.

Seeing the door slam close, Hoseok's smile fell. It has to be Jimin. This scene was all too familiar. It took him back to the dance studio. The first time he danced after so long. He was being watched, and when confronting the peeper, the door was slammed shut in the same manner. But why didn't the boy want to see him? Getting of the bed and dragging himself to the door, he attempted to turn the door knob. "Chim?" he breathed out from the other side, hoping to hear a reply. It was a slim chance, but it could be.

Jimin's throat tightened at his call. He was caught. He couldn't respond. What does he say? That he doesn't want to see him? That will hurt him again and Jimin was tired of hurting him, even though it was for the good. But not replying at all might hurt him even more.
But, he wasn't sure if Jimin was there. He can't be. It was just one call, it could be just to check, just to confirm. Jimin stayed silent, not even breathing, not making a single sound, hoping he just lets it be.