Storybook » Hwang Minhyun

THREE

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Song of the Chapter: "Remember" by 9Muses.

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„This is my first day here," Daehwi announced once he and Yeolhee had sat down at one of the small tables in the cafeteria, a huge Area flavored Patbingsu in front of them. Yeolhee nodded and handed Daehwi a can of coke. „Same. Well, not my very first day but my first day once again." She explained and Daehwi nodded, his eyes drifting to the Bingsu once more. He quickly caught himself and looked back at the older girl. „My parents are not happy that I went here by myself." The young boy spoke and looked at his wrists. „I was just so lost," he confessed and Yeolhee leaned forwards and patted his shoulder. „Eat the Patbingsu. It'll cheer you up momentarily." She smiled, not hiding the true and Daehwi nodded.

The two patients continued eating their Patbingsu deliciously and when they were done eating the desert they finished their drinks. „Is it okay if I speak comfortably around you?" Yeolhee asked when Daehwi finished his coke. He nodded. „Of course. You're a Noona after all."

Yeolhee smiled at Daehwi's words. As someone who had always wanted a younger sibling, being friends with a sixteen-year-old boy was the closest she could get. After some problems during Yeolhee's birth, her mother wasn't allowed to get any more children. And even if Mr. and Mrs. Kang never said it was Yeolhee's fault, the girl knew it was her who hurt her mother back then.

Her parents had raised Yeolhee with so much love and adoration and made her into a humble and nice young woman before the first symptoms of her illness showed.

Yeolhee was a talented writer, writing romantic stories with a lot of feeling, making the readers squirm in their seats due to the exciting happenings between the two main characters.

But her illness made the characters be in constant pain so her later stories were all started but discontinued after a while. Yeolhee had lost all inspiration to write novels.

After thinking about her own illness for a while she looked at Daehwi. „Why'd you do it?" She asked pointing at the cuts on his wrists. Daehwi looked down. „It's pathetic." - „It's not, Daehwi-yah. If you hurt yourself it has a reason and the first thing is to admit the reason as embarrassing as it might sound." Yeolhee said and Daehwi looked at his wrists.

„I hate myself." The young boy confessed. „It's like everyone around me is better at everything. Everyone looks better, is smarter, more popular. And then there's Lee Daehwi." A painful smile erupted on Daehwi's lips. „I have bad grades, my friends don't really want to hang out with me anymore and I have the feeling I am losing my mind." Daehwi looked at Yeolhee. „It's like voices are telling me what to do. And I want that to stop. That's why I came to the hospital." Daehwi confessed. „I want to know what is wrong with me to change it. To become as healthy as possible."

It was an understatement to be stunned by Daehwi's words. Yeolhee looked at her own bruised wrists while repeating Daehwi's words in her mind. She wanted to be as healthy as possible as well. But whenever she saw a silver lining, her world broke apart once again. Yeolhee sighed and looked at Daehwi. „I want you to become healthy as well, Daehwi." She spoke and stood up, carrying the bowl of their Patbingsu to the counter.

Daehwi was on her heel when they bumped into two young men. „Oh, I'm sorry," Yeolhee spoke when she looked up and saw Foxman and his ill friend. „Oh! Yeolhee-sshi!" Hwang Minhyun called out and Daehwi and Kim Jaehwan, who was behind Minhyun looked at the woman in their midst. „Funny how often we bump into each other on this day." The slender man smiled and Yeolhee nodded. „I was just eating a Bingsu with Daehwi-yah," Yeolhee said and Minhyun looked at the young boy behind Yeolhee. „They're both from the psychological ward," Jaehwan whispered, checking out the color of their pajamas. Yeolhee gulped at his words and Minyhun hit his shoulder. „We shouldn't judge people for their illnesses, Jaehwanie. I mean you're allergic to peanuts and didn't even knew it!" Minhyun said and Jaehwan rolled his eyes.

„She was the one who helped me bringing you to the Emergency Room," Minhyun told his friend. „Kang Yeolhee, this is my best friend Kim Jaehwan. Jaehwan, this is Kang Yeolhee." Jaehwan stretched out his hand and Yeolhee shook his hand with a soft smile on her lips, when her bruises and cuts were exposed. With a heavy heart, she hid her arm behind her back, hearing Daehwi whisper a quiet, „Noona".

Jaehwan and Minhyun exchanged a glance while they watched Yeolhee flee away with Daehwi right behind her. Minhyun furrowed his brows. „Ever since meeting her, I wonder what her illness is," Minhyun announced and Jaehwan cocked his eyebrows. „That's quite personal, don't you think?" The latter asked and Minhyun nodded. „I know, I know. But she is quite interesting. Sadly I don't have my camera with me today. I'd love to take pictures of her and the little guy." Minhyun spoke while Jaehwan rolled his eyes.

„Dude, I am hungry and I'd love to grab some food right now." He said and dragged Minhyun through the cafeteria over to the counter where they could order food.

Yeolhee and Daehwi were breathing heavily once they made it back to the psychological ward of the hospital. A few nurses were looking at them when they were panting heavily but they didn't say a thing. Daehwi looked at Yeolhee.

„Why did we run away?" He asked, sounding as young as he was. „Ah, I was embarrassed of my cuts and bruises," Yeolhee explained touching the bruised skin on her wrist. „It's quite difficult to explain," Yeolhee said and Daehwi sighed. „You told me that I shouldn't be embarrassed about it. So you shouldn't be embarrassed about it either!" The young boy exclaimed and then yawned. „I think I need to head to bed. I am starting a medical therapy tomorrow." He announced and waved towards Yeolhee before walking off to his room.

Yeolhee sighed and walked into her own bedroom, sitting cross-legged on her bed and staring at her own hands, before taking her phone. Dr. Min had forbidden her to look at triggering pictures and here she was looking at pictures of people self-harming themselves. There was even a video of someone burning their fingers.

Disgusted at her own curiosity she locked the phone and threw it across her room, feeling empty and disgusted by herself. She sighed before taking her Lithium pills to calm her mood swings before she cuddled into her bed and thought about the three times she ran into Hwang Minhyun in just one day.