𝗖𝗢𝗔𝗦𝗧 | ateez ✓

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟔

❛❛ and whose fault is that? ❜❜
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soojin closed the door behind her and breathes out the breath she was unknowingly holding.

the taller turned to her and placed his hand on her back "are you alright?"

soojin nodded and smiled "it still feels unreal that they're really here"

the two walked side by side as they stopped in front of mingi and yunho's now shared room. the taller bided her goodbye and entered, giving the princess one last smile.

when soojin heard the door click, she stood outside, alone.

the halls of the ship seemed darker than usual as the gravity of the incident earlier slowly sank in. she felt guilt brewing in the pit of her stomach as her mind drifted of to the certain gunner.

her feet quickly led her towards the sick bay, her pace only slowing when she was just outside her destination.

with shaky hands, she softly knocked on it, her heart pounding as she opens the door.

soojin peeked inside and saw that the gunner was laid in one of the beds, shirtless. the white beddings of it were stained with crimson and san was beside him, pouring alcohol onto the open wound.

yeosang was over the corner, searching the cabinets for equipment and medical herbs.

the door creaked as she entered and grabbed the attention of the three. her heart thumped when her eyes trailed down onto the gunner's tone stomach, her face feeling as if it was burning.

the gunner glares at her as she looks down apologetically. san looks back and forth the two and spots the younger's expression, he takes some cotton, drenching it with some alcohol before pressing it only the gunner's wound.

wooyoung hissed, prying his eyes away from the girl and scowls at the prince, mumbling incoherent words as san shrugs innocently.

"soojin" yeosang called her, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the area where he was pounding some herbs. he lets go of the princess's hand and continues pounding "help me. you know the different types of herbs right?" she nodded.

"can you give me some goldenrod?" soojin searched for the yellow herb and grabbed a good amount before placing in into the mortar "now some dried marigold" soojin obeyed again and kept on doing whatever the wizard asked until a yellow-ish green-ish paste was formed.

yeosang gives the finished paste to san as the prince took it in his hand, mumbling a thank you to the wizard.

"do you want me to take over?" the brunette offered "i am a doctor"

san chuckled "i know how to do this yeosang. dont worry"

the wizard and soojin stayed side by side, watching as san carefully slathers the paste onto wooyoung's wound.

when san had spread the ointment evenly, he took the white bandage and wrapped it around the gunner's shoulder, trailing it around his chest and abdomen as well.

soojin avoided looking at the gunner until he was able to wear his shirt. when he was covered up, he laid back on the bed slowly "good thing you only got a broken rib and the wound wasnt able to reach your bone"

"only?" wooyoung said as he cradled his arm.

"yeah. only. you could have died wooyoung" san said. the gunner snapped his head towards the prince "and whose fault is that?"

soojin stared at the floor underneath her, unable to look at the gunner as her guilt bloomed in her stomach.

its my fault this happened to him.

she thought, fidgeting her fingers together. yeosang stood a little in front of the princess, protectively hiding half of her as he stared at the gunner.

"im sorry" she mumbled.

wooyoung glaced at her quickly before shutting his eyes "you better be"

san took a deep breath before pinching the bridge of his nose "but.. thank you wooyoung, if you weren't there— i dont know what would've happened to soojin"

the prince turned to his sister quickly "and you. we need to talk"

yeosang approaches the prince, placing a hand over the other's shoulder "before you scold her, there's so much we need to catch up about"

san's mood immediately brightens up as he smiled at the wizard.

the two exited the sick bay, leaving the princess and wooyoung alone.

soojin forced herself to approach the gunner, feet hesitantly taking small steps towards the bed wooyoung was settled in. the man still had his eyes closed, not even turning to her direction when she starts to speak.

"uhmm.. im really sorry" she mumbled.

wooyoung didnt budge as he remained in his position.

soojin sighed deeply "could you please say something?"

"what do you want me to say?" wooyoung lazily opened his eyes and looked at the princess "do you want me to say that i forgive you? because i dont"

she unknowingly pouted as her fingers fidgeted together.

"everytime you get into trouble, im always the one who's there. why are you always bumping into me any way? even if i avoid you, you're always there" wooyoung said calmly but soojin's heart felt like it was getting stepped on with every word the gunner said "i regretted saving you on that cliff. look at me now, i have a broken rib and my shoulder hurts like hell and it's because of you"

it took everything in soojin not to cry. she looked up and stared at the gunner with glistening eyes "im sorry, ok? i didnt ask you to save us by that cliff, you could have easily left us there but you didnt.. and im thankful for that" soojin's breathing started to get faster "its my fault.. its all my fault.. im sorry"

wooyoung raised a brow up "sorry isnt going to heal my body"

"why were you even in saseum forest?"

 the question took the boy by surprise, his eyes only staring at her whilst his mind tried to make up an excuse.

soojin waited for a few but the gunner had kept his mouth shut "you know what. nevermind"

she turned in her heels and went towards the door. her mood dropping low and her guilt eating her up.

★

shitty chapter aksown im so sorry
:(( also lol how long has it been since i last updated ????