The Bends » Mark Lee

Twelve

„Quickly, Hyojin. We have to check on your sister." Mr. Coghlan spoke and dragged the nine-year-old after him. His wife had already entered the room, where they middle-child Hana was lying in, plugged on to several machines that helped her ease the pain in her lungs due to the inflammation after the asthma attack.

Mr. Coghlan decided to pick up Hyojin and carry the tired child into the room. He settled Hyojin on a chair before walking up to his wife who had tears in her eyes. „We shouldn't have allowed her to come back to Seoul. The air, the fine dust, everything is just too much for her." Mrs. Coghlan sighed and brushed her hands through her hair. Hoseok, who was sitting next to the bed, waiting for Miyeong to come and check the results of Hana's vitals, looked at his parents. „Mum, Dad she is happier here. She has her friends here and she is more Korean than she is Irish." Hoseok explained and Mrs. Coghlan looked down. „I know that she is a Korean at heart." She spoke and looked at her pale daughter. „But she is sick!" The woman looked at her son and Hoseok sighed. „I was looking out for her!" He said strictly and stood up. „She was fine all this time," Hoseok argued but his mother only shook her head. „She'll never be normal." Mrs. Coghlan said when a knock interrupted the family and Dr. Song entered the room.

„Good night, Family Coghlan." Miyeong greeted the family, now wearing her white doctor's cloak. „I just checked the results of Hana's check up and it was indeed a heavy and dry inflammation." Dr. Song said. „She is absolutely not allowed to do any exhausting sports at all. She has a different kind of asthma that reacts to exhaustion much harder than other patients. She can live healthy with her inhaler but she can't do any more soccer." Doctor Song spoke and looked at the bed where she saw that Hana had woken up. With wide brown eyes, the high school lass stared at her doctor. Tears forming in the corner of her eyes as she finally realized that her dream of becoming a pro soccer player crushed right in front of her. She whimpered a little, showing her family that she was awake.

„Chicken!" Mrs. Coghlan announced and Hana shook her head. „It's better for you, Han." Mr. Coghlan said but Hana kept shaking her head, fumbling with the cables of all the machines that were plugged into her body.

Hana cried out a loud and hurtful sound, no one realized the girl was capable of. Soon countless tears streamed down her face and her parents looked at her in shock. They didn't even realize how much soccer actually meant for their daughter.

Hoseok turned to his parents and shook his head when his mother opened his mouth to say something. But not even Hoseok's face could stop Mrs. Coghlan from saying what she wanted to say ever since she came to South Korea. „Hana, come back to Ireland with us. We're leaving in a week. Come with us. The air in Cork is better and after all, you applied for Irish-"

„No!" Hana yelled and shocked everyone. Hana watched Dr. Song bow and leave the family alone. Hana licked her lips and looked at her mother. „Don't force me to come to Ireland. I won't leave South Korea!" She cried out and her mother looked at her daughter in shock. Hana was never rebelling against her family and now she was.

„I can't leave, Mum!" She cried out. „I have Soonbok, Yoogeun, and Mark here! I can't leave Mark! I haven't confessed to him at all!" Hana yelled and cried even more. „I am not going to Ireland with you." And with these words, Hana ended the conversation.

—

A week later Hana was dismissed from the hospital and was allowed to go back home. Dr. Song gave her a higher medication for her inhaler so the inflammation problems wouldn't be too hurtful for the teenager.

The first day back at school went by quietly, as Hana only did what she had to do. She didn't even listen to the gossip their class had and in her lunch break, she went to search for the Park-siblings to tell them her, well her doctor's decision.

Park Chankyun and Chanmi were sitting at their lunch table with their soccer teams and looked surprised when Hana approached them. „Hana, where have you been?" Chanmi asked but when she saw Hana's expression she knew where the classmate has been. „In the hospital?" Chanmi guessed and Hana only nodded. „I-I only came to tell you that I can never ever join the soccer practice again," Hana said and wanted to turn around when Chanmi grabbed her arm. „I'm so sorry, Hana." She said and Hana looked down. „You are such a good player but life handicapped you with an illness that can't be healed. A talented person like you doesn't deserve something like this. Hana Coghlan, I am really sorry." Chanmi said and bowed as an apology.

The other people that were sitting at the table looked surprised at Queen Chanmi's reaction to the other girl.

„If you want, you can join our team as a manager. It's hard being captain and manager at the same time." Chanmi said but Hana shook her head. „Thank you for offering me that space, but I never ever want to do something that makes me think of soccer. Thank you." Hana bowed and turned around to leave Chanmi, Chankyun and the other soccer players behind.

This chapter of her life was now officially done.

—

It was yet another study date for Hana and her friends. Yoogeun was currently sleeping on his psych book, while Soonbok was taking notes and quietly humming to a song. Hana doodled into her notebook, too exhausted from life, to study anything at all.

Mark, who was sitting next to Hana, watched her and sighed. They all knew why Hana was quiet and sad these days and no one was able to cheer her up. Mark sighed. He felt bad for the girl. Hana was always nice and charismatic, bringing a smile to Mark's face whenever she spoke English to him. But now she wasn't speaking at all. Mark looked down to Hana's doodle and saw it was a little creature playing soccer. But suddenly Hana crossed out the whole doodle and lay her head on the book. Mark bit his lip.

„Han?" He asked in English and Hana looked up with an empty look on her face. „Let's go eat Jjangmyeon." He smiled and started packing up his stuff. Hana watched him and pointed to her chest before answering. „You and Me?" She asked and Mark nodded. „Come on, pack your bags." He smiled and Hana nodded, doing as he told her.

Soonbok watched the two of them but didn't say anything as she watched Mark and Hana leave the library. „Maybe he can cheer her up," Soonbok said before poking Yoogeun's cheek with a pen.

„Two portions of Jjangmyeon and two ciders, please!" Mark ordered once the two of them reached a tiny Jjangmyeon shop in Myeongdong. Hana was sitting on her bench looking at the poster of Wanna One's King Daniel that was stuck to a freeze, where the shop owner had her boxes of Hite Extra Cold storage.

Mark sat down, after ordering and smiled. „I know it's hard these days, Hana." He immediately started talking to her. „It's like someone is stealing your future that you planned so accurately. But I have to agree with everyone, your health is much more important than soccer." Mark spoke and rested his head on his palms, watching her intensely. He took a deep breath before looking at his own hands. „I'd be more than sad if you would ever hurt yourself because of something you love to do," Mark said and Hana opened her mouth, a sob leaving her mouth. „Mark", she started and gulped once again. Mark immediately scratched his nape, making the young girl go even more wobbly on the knee. She sighed. She could live without playing soccer if she could see this side of Mark even more.

„Mark, I", she started but then held her breath as the woman came with their bowls of Jjangmyeon.

Mark, I like-like you a lot.