exotic | k.th

10 ‣ the floor

Sandeok Hospital.
— Pediatric Wing.

"They said they'd call back in an hour." Dr. Jeong tells Joni, gently placing a hand on her arm as she crosses them and looks down nervously, slightly pacing as her heart beats uncomfortably. "Apparently the new police captain showed up wanting to see him—Minbyun's son. You can imagine the severity in that."

"Haru might actually fucking kill me.." Joni mumbles distractedly, closing her eyes and exhaling out a heavy breath through her nose as your face pops into her mind. Your tired, defeated face that always manages to have a smile for her and Aria. It extends Joni's guilt. "She's gonna kill me, I know she is—"

"Yeah," Dr. Jeong exhales softly, looking over at Aria as she watches the TV with those sad, sparkly eyes of hers, "she might just kill me, too." He looks away, back down at his feet as they start moving again. "Have one of the nurses let me know if Haru shows up, please." He asks, glancing back at Aria one last time. "And have Aria rest—if you can."

"She won't." Joni shakes her head softly. "Not unless she hears him."

G.D.A. District Penitentiary.
— Phone Sector.

"The hell's up with your face?" The short guard asks Taeheon as he stares blankly at the floor under the landlines. He's been doing so for the past ten minutes in silence as the two guards wait for instructions. Apparently there's been some miscommunications with the doctors or something.

"What? You mean the bruise or the desolation?" Taeheon asks blandly, keeping his eyes right where they've been. He couldn't be any less concerned with the interaction he just had with Taehyung—even if it had left with a painfully swollen red bruise. He's never had any remorse, not in the slightest. All he can think about is that phone.

And you, merely. Why had he mentioned you? It's a minor, quickly fleeting thought, but a thought that runs across his mind nonetheless. Where was that connection? Were you with him? Was he the one who left the mark? Of course he was. You always find away to do these things. You always find a way to be ungrateful.

"Man, you had that bruise and way more coming. I'm surprised he didn't shoot you in the face." Shorty crosses his arms over his chest and keeps a close eye on the inmate. "That kid's really something." He adds. "God knows I would've killed your sorry ass." He mumbles, raising his brows. "Right before speaking to your daughter, too."

"Speaking of daughters," the tall guard joins the conversation.

Sandeok Hospital.
— Pediatric Wing.

"Haru," Joni's surprised voice fills your ears as you head down one of the many hallways leading to your sister's room after an agonizingly long day of shoving down confusing anxieties and suffocating thoughts, "um—hey, hi." She greets you a little nervously, but you're too tired to notice.

"Hi." You greet back with the kindest smile you can muster, meeting her eyes briefly before lowering them again and continuing to walk with her alongside you. "How was your day?" You ask politely, wanting to think about anything else that didn't have to do with you. "How are the kids? How are things at home?"

"Haru, I," Joni turns to look at you with that familiar concerned kink in her eyebrows. You don't even have to turn and look at her to see it, "I should be asking you how your day was." She finishes her sentence painfully to you, clearing the distraction you wanted to form and shining a brighter light into your sensitive eyes.

"It was—normal." You lie, trying to keep your composure. "Nothing special." There's a brief silence as you approach the infamous pediatric hospital room door.