As he nodded slightly, Seunghyun suddenly burst into tears. Suhwan looked at him with surprised eyes.
“I was so worried. Are you really okay?”
“I’m… fine.”
Suhwan managed to answer and smiled faintly. He was fortunate to see Seunghyun as soon as he opened his eyes. If he had woken up and was still in that place, it would have been horrible and devastating. Even now, just recalling that time made his hands tremble.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I should have made sure Ju Geonyul wouldn’t approach you.”
“It’s… not your fault. I’m fine.”
“Haa, I really thought I was going crazy.”
Seunghyun rested his forehead against the back of Suhwan’s hand and exhaled in relief. Suhwan stared at him for a moment before speaking again.
“But what… happened to me? …What about Ju Geonyul?”
“…You don’t remember?”
“No.”
The last memory was a bit hazy. He seemed to have been struck on the cheek and collapsed while trying to escape from Geonyul. He had no idea what happened after that. When he opened his eyes, he was in this hospital room.
While Seunghyun hesitated to answer, Hwalyeon entered the hospital room. Her face was so haggard that one might suspect she had been through something terrible the night before. Suhwan looked at her with a surprised face.
“Suhwan!”
“Noona.”
“Thank goodness. Really, thank goodness.”
Hwalyeon caressed Suhwan’s face with delicate hands. After tracing over the bandage on one cheek, she pulled back her fingers and clenched her fist tightly. Angry pheromones suddenly spread from her.
“How dare that bastard.”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
“Suhwan.”
Hwalyeon closed her eyes tightly before opening them again to look down at Suhwan. A child so precious she wouldn’t feel pain even if she put him in her eye, yet someone dared to… Her eyes blazed with anger.
“Don’t worry. You just need to rest without any concerns. I’ll take care of everything.”
“Yes.”
He could trust Hwalyeon. Suhwan nodded with a tired face. Everything would be fine as long as he never had to face Geonyul again. If only he would stay away from both himself and Seunghyun.
“I… don’t want to see him ever again.”
“I understand. I’ll make it happen. I told you not to worry.”
“Yes.”
After nodding, Suhwan felt sleepy again now that he was reassured. He closed his eyes, feeling Hwalyeon’s comforting touch. He vaguely heard the voices of Hwalyeon and Seunghyun talking.
It was all right now. As long as he and Seunghyun were safe and could continue to be together, nothing else mattered. In the original story, Jin Suhwan was killed by Geonyul, but he had survived intact. It was as if he had overcome all trials.
So now only happiness with his loved one remained, Suhwan thought as he drifted off to sleep.
***
“Ugh…”
“…?”
Suhwan slightly opened his eyes, waking up to a faint sound in the hospital room.
What was that sound?
Blinking at the dark emptiness, Suhwan lowered his gaze.
The spacious VIP hospital room had better facilities than other rooms. But basically, there was only one bed for the patient. Any caregiver staying there would have to sleep on the sofa or a temporary bed.
Of course, the sofa was luxurious and the temporary bed was relatively wide compared to others, but it couldn’t be more comfortable than home. Suhwan looked down at Seunghyun sleeping on the temporary bed.
“Urgh.”
“…Seunghyun?”
Seunghyun was moaning, drenched in cold sweat. Suhwan was startled and called his name.
“Seunghyun, are you okay?”
“Ngh.”
“Seunghyun.”
When he reached down from the bed, he touched a damp cheek. Seunghyun had sweated so much in his sleep that Suhwan’s hands were instantly wet.
“Seunghyun, try to wake up. Okay?”
“Haaa.”
Was he having a nightmare? Suhwan carefully caressed Seunghyun’s cheeks and body, looking at his face with anxious eyes. Eventually, Seunghyun, who had been suffering, slowly opened his eyes.
“…Suhwan.”
“Yes, it’s me. Seunghyun.”
“Suhwan, don’t go…”
“What?”
Suhwan tilted his head at the unexpected words.
Then he realized that Seunghyun was talking nonsense after having a bad dream. Seunghyun continued to mutter with hazy eyes.
“Please, don’t go. Don’t…”
“Seunghyun, it’s okay. I’m right here. Okay?”
Suhwan stroked Seunghyun’s cheek while sniffling, then pulled him into a tight embrace.
After a while, Seunghyun, who had been mumbling incoherently, asked in a small voice.
“…Hyung?”
“Yes, Seunghyun.”
“Why… are you here? Not sleeping in the bed.”
“Ah.”
Seunghyun was looking at Suhwan, who was hugging him, with puzzled eyes. He seemed to have truly regained consciousness now. Suhwan actually thought this was good.
“I just wanted to sleep with you.”
“Oh, really?”
Seunghyun hugged Suhwan back with a relieved expression. He didn’t seem to remember having a nightmare, but the fear from it appeared to have lingered. Suhwan tightened his embrace around Seunghyun.
“I can’t breathe.”
“Sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize.”
A small laughing voice echoed in his ear. Suhwan felt guilty. It seemed that Seunghyun was anxious because of what had happened to him.
But it would be okay now. It was all over. Both he and Seunghyun would surely be fine after some time passed.
Believing this, Suhwan buried his face in Seunghyun’s chest.
***
After some more time passed, Suhwan was finally able to be discharged.
Suhwan spent most of his time in the hospital room receiving news. Except for telling the police about the incident when he regained consciousness, no one came to visit him. According to Hwalyeon, the fact that Suhwan was the victim was kept strictly confidential.
Thinking about it, he realized that if his identity was revealed, it would become an enormous scandal. A love triangle between the heirs of Hwamyeong and Hansung? What could be more sensational than that?
The power of authority was frightening. Suhwan heard from Hwalyeon that Geonyul was being punished without him having to lift a finger. Moreover, Hwalyeon had exposed Hansung and HS’s past to the world as if she had been waiting for this moment. Even Suhwan didn’t know that Hansung’s Chairman Ju Seonghyuk had been the one who brought down HS in the past. He wondered what the original author was thinking. Between Geonyul and Hansung itself, they were completely the axis of evil.
Anyway, Suhwan was able to recover in such peaceful times. He ate meals that were quite lavish for hospital food, enjoyed fruits peeled by Seunghyun, and passed the time playing mobile games or reading books. Since Seunghyun wouldn’t go home, even taking short naps in the hospital room, Suhwan rarely spent time alone.
Suhwan had asked why he was sleeping uncomfortably in the hospital room, but Seunghyun wouldn’t budge. Suhwan knew that he sometimes had nightmares at night. But he didn’t mention it for fear of making him more anxious. After all, while Suhwan was relatively fine during the day, at night he would recall the incident like a nightmare. Perhaps Seunghyun had noticed this as well, but he too didn’t show it to Suhwan.
As they both pretended not to know about each other’s wounds, Suhwan’s body recovered quickly, and the day of discharge approached.
“Ah… Finally home.”
Only after arriving home did he truly feel that everything was over. Suhwan felt what could only be described as liberation. There was nothing to worry about from the original story anymore. His face was brightened considerably.
“Hyung.”
“Yes?”
Suhwan turned his head at the soft voice calling him. Seunghyun was still looking at him with a worried face. Even though he had said he was fine so many times, Seunghyun still couldn’t be reassured. While Suhwan was wondering internally how to convince him of his good health, Seunghyun continued.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
