1.0 | Whisper Sweet Nothing | k.th✓

08:20

C H A P T E R  F O R T Y - F I V E

My head was throbbing, my body; numb and sore all over the place. I scanned my surroundings and the first thing I heard was the sound of the heart monitor beeping.

"Chaewon?"

"Eomma?" I looked up and saw her casting a weak smile. She looked troubled and the dark circles around her eyes proved it. "Where am I?"

"You're at the hospital, sweetheart."

"What?" I abruptly sat up but my throbbing head forced me to lay back on the pillow. "How long was I out?"

"Long enough." She held my hand and intertwined our fingers together. Tears slowly forming at the corner of her eyes; she brushed my hair back and caressed my cheek.

"Eomma?"

"I'm sorry." She blinked and a tear rolled down her cheek. She swiftly wiped it off and took a deep breath as her lips parted. "I think it's time I tell you."

"Tell me what?" I furrowed my eyebrows and coughed a little; clearing my throat.

"How your father died."

She held my hand with both her hands as she leaned closer. "Before I tell you, I just want you to know that I did it because I love you and didn't want you to worry."

"You're scaring me, eomma." I frowned even more.

She lowered her gaze as she stiffened her whole body. "He had a brain tumor and apparently," she paused and stared at me with teary eyes; her hands holding my hands tightly, afraid to let go. "-you have it too." Her lips were trembling as she pulled my hands closer to her mouth; kissing it as her tears streamed down her cheeks to my hand.

"I'm sorry," her voice came out in a breath of air.

"You're lying." I shook my head vigorously and attempted to pull my hand back but, she held it even tighter. She shook her head and kept mouthing 'I'm sorry' over and over again. "Eomma, stop lying!" I cried out. She pulled me to a hug which I didn't reply.

"I wish I am, but I'm not." She pulled away and let out a heavy sigh and wiped her wet cheeks. "The symptoms you had, were clear proves. The doctor even verified it."

"S-Symptoms?"

"The night you came home wet from the rain, you suddenly fainted at the front door," she recalled. "Gab Soon told us that you've had a lot of headaches before the school semester started."

I grew quiet.

"She also mentioned you've passed out more than five times during my out station last year. Is that true?"

"Eomma— "

"Is that true?" She repeated herself.

"It was nothing— "

"It's not nothing, Chaewon!" She bursted in tears. "If you had told me sooner, we could've done a check up! We could've prevent this from happening! W-We could've... done something," she sobbed.

She wiped her tears and the corner of her lips curved slightly. "You're going to be okay. I promise. We're leaving to United States for your treatment next week."

"Where would we even live? W-Where did you even get the money from? What about my friends here? and w-what about your boyfriend? Are you just going to leave everything and —"

"He was the one who suggested and paid for everything else," she sighed. "You're more important to me, Chaewon. I've lost your dad. I don't want to lose you either."

I felt a pang in my chest. Something so confusing that I couldn't put a finger on it. Mad? confused? All these mixed emotions came rushing in and I felt under pressure.

"Don't tell Taehyung," I breathlessly uttered.

"Chaewon— "

"Don't tell him, eomma. Please," I teared up. "I don't want to hurt him anymore." I looked down on the ring I was wearing. The one that Taehyung gave me. "Not this time," I muttered and slid the ring off my finger and placed it in the drawer of the table beside me.

"Chaewon," she quietly called out my name and took out a bowled-like container. She opened the lid and fought against the sad tears. "Eat your porridge, okay?"

"I have no appetite." I rest my head on the pillow and turned my back on her, my body now facing the other side of the room.

"I love you, Chaewon." She gently placed a peck on my head and left the room.

.
.
.

# S O T D

❝Just like a dream of last night
Just like pictures in my head
Oh I can’t realize that
Still I wonder why it is.❞

— LIKE A STAR.

(edited 09/09: so like, I recently learned about alleles, genes, homozygous, heterozygous and so on... and so like, Iearned that it's not so possible to inherit tumor. but like.. it's a fiction book so, what the heck right??)