Hayan Night

⑱You Don't Understand

 
Jeongguk rested his head against the bed next to his beaten body, exhausted. He was still holding his hand and caressing it gently as his tears dripped down his cheeks but not so frequently now. And without realizing it, he fell asleep.

Namjoon walked into the room with the doctor again since he had to check his vitals and breathing. "Jeongguk. Get up, they have to examine him."

"No, no need to wake him up," the doctor said with a small smile. "He can stay here if he wants to, but that's not a good position to sleep in."

"I don't think he cares about that," Namjoon muttered so quietly the doctor didn't seem to have heard him. He walked closer to the bed too, and his eyes fell on their interlocked hands.

"I'll come again later," the doctor said after he finished the checkup and exited the room.

Only breathing sounds could be heard as Namjoon sat on a chair away from the two. Although he was tired, he couldn't sleep. Seeing his friend like this once again was awfully painful. And just like that, without doing anything at all, more than an hour passed when he caught V's body twitching.

He sat bolt upright and rushed to his side. "V," he called as he saw Taehyung squeeze his eyes in his attempt to open them. "Oh, thank God."

Taehyung swallowed multiple times as his throat felt extremely dry. He raised his weakened hand and pulled his oxygen mask down. "Why—Why is—fuck." His throat was so swollen it burned as he tried to talk.

"Don't talk. Here." Namjoon grabbed a plastic cup and poured some water in it. He took a straw and helped him raise his head to take a sip. He winced in pain as he laid his head back down and gulped thickly.

He knew Jeongguk was there. He didn't have to look at him to know he was there. He could feel the tender hold on his hand — the soft, warm touch was awfully familiar.

"Take him out of here."

Confusion painted over Namjoon's features at his sudden request. "Why?"

"I don't want him here. I don't want him to see me like this. He's scared. And I hate it."

"Tae, he has already seen you. And cried for you. There's no point in taking him away now."

"Take him out of here," he repeated, his tone more decisive. "He'll only get hurt more if he stays next to me."

"How will this work exactly? You'll pretend to be sleeping and I'll just wake him up and throw him out? He won't leave. He won't listen to me."

"Make him listen to you. I don't care."

"Okay, okay. Don't talk anymore. You're in pain," Namjoon uttered with a bitter sigh. V gave him a knowing look, and he nodded in return. Once he put the oxygen mask back and closed his eyes, Namjoon walked to the other side of the bed. "Kook, wake up." He shook him a little and heard him hum. "Kook."

Jeongguk flinched then and shot his eyes open as he sat straighter. "What happened? Is he okay?"

"He's fine. You should go home and rest, Kook. You've been working for hours."

"No," he said sternly and squeezed Taehyung's hand. "I'm not leaving him."

"Jeongguk, please. There's no reason to be here. I'll stay with him. Don't worry." He stepped closer and tugged at his hand, but Jeongguk jerked away from his touch.

"No!" he said, his voice coming out choked. "I did this to him. The least I can do is be there for him."

"What are you talking about?"

A stuttering sigh seeped through Jeongguk's lips as he returned his gaze to the injured boy. "It's my fault he's in this bed right now. He took the beating for me." Unable to rein back his emotions, he broke down to tears again. "He did it so I won't have to keep company to the customers anymore. I can't just leave. I can't go home and pretend that this is not my fault."