LOYALTY

Apology

Jaison stirred in his sleep as he heard people talking around him.

"Please don't put him in any kind of situation that stresses him out." He heard a strained voice a few meters away from him. The person talking was going away from him, the loudness of the words dimming.

He tried to open his eyes but they felt too heavy. He forced them open and immediately shut them back. The amount of light entering his eyes blinded him for a moment. He continuously fluttered his eyelashes to adjust to the light.

He felt someone move on his left side.
He groaned when a sudden headache attacked his head. He palmed his forehead to relief some of the pain. Finally adjusting to the light, he looked beside him.

His best friend sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from him staring ahead with a hardened expression. He looked around the room with a scrunched face. It was his bed room. Recalling the event of last night, his head snapped to the two people talking near the door.
His family doctor and his mother were talking.

His room was huge so he couldn't hear their conversation but he had an idea. His mother's worried face said it all.

He sat up on the bed struggling a bit. His body had no energy.

Mujin turned his face to stare at the weakened man. He picked up a plate from beside him which wasn't in Jaison's view and pushed it towards him.
Jaison looked at the plate and then at his friend. He wore a night suit indicating he came here too early. Mrs.Kim must have called him.

The plate contained a perfectly sliced apple and a small plastic water bottle.

Jaison knew the look on his friend's face all too well but he didn't have the energy to speak. So he simply grabbed the plate quenched his thirst and filled his empty stomach.

The doctor had left. Mrs.Kim walked back to the bed when she found her son awake.

"How are you feeling , sweety?" She came forward and stood ahead of where Mujin sat. Her voice resonated worry. She was dead worried for him. Why wouldn't she be? He was passed out for more than 9 hours. He wasn't awake to witness the breakdown of the woman.

He kept the plate aside and looked at his mother reassuringly.
"I'm fine, mum." He actually felt better after eating something nutritious. Atleast he had the energy to talk.

"I'm sorry, sweety. Really. I wouldn't ha-"

"Hey!. Hey!. It wasn't your fault. Don't apologize." His mother shouldn't apologize. He deserved to suffer that attack after looking down on someone who never wronged him in the first place. Akira was a good person. He knew. His mother loved her for that. But he couldn't bring himself to open up to her. He had trust issues and they aren't gonna go away just because the person is nice. He was scared. His past had given him a scar. When scars heal, the marks still stay behind as a reminder. He wasn't even sure if his scar was healed.

"Yeah. It wasn't your fault. Stop apologizing to him." Mujin gave him emotionless eyes.
Jaison stared back at him blankly.

Mrs.Kim sensed the tensed atmosphere. She knew Mujin wanted to talk to him alone.
Its better if they talk.

She picked up the plate. "I'll get you something to eat." She smiled warmly at both of them.

She patted Mujin's head." Go easy on him." She whispered.
She walked out of the room closing the door behind.

The room was dead silent. They both waited for the other to speak first. Jaison had started to chew the insides of his cheek in anticipation. He was aware of Mujin's nature.