The echoes of my brother's voice lingered in my ears. Gradually, as if sinking into the floor, his words ceased to reach me. When I could no longer hear them, I opened my eyes. My body felt unresponsive, and everything appeared blurry. I blinked a few times, finding myself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. A woman, dressed in a nurse's uniform, whose face I didn't recognize, came into view. Her eyes widened in surprise. She took a sharp breath and then shouted something towards another direction.
"He... he's awake!"
Upon hearing her voice, I closed my eyes again, succumbing to genuine sleep, free from the confines of the tunnel.
*****
Subsequently, due to the efforts of doctors and nurses who conducted numerous tests, I discovered that I was in the hospital's intensive care unit. Shortly afterward, I was transferred to a private hospital room. However, my initial welcome in the new space was not entirely pleasant.
"Aaaah! Taemin! Taemin!"
"Aaa-aaah. What do I.....Taemin is alive...uhhh.."
Because of the two people wailing on either side of me, I became aware of the pain in my body, especially a sharp pain in my abdomen. Oh, damn. Profanities involuntarily escaped my mind, but fortunately, there was a nurse to assist.
"The patient needs to stay calm."
Displaying a seasoned approach to such situations, the nurse efficiently separated the two individuals from me. Despite her efforts, they continued to whimper and cling to me, this time grasping onto the bed's metal frame, sustaining a persistent commotion in the room.
"Taemin! Do you recognize who I am?! It's me, it's me!"
"Uhuhuh― Can you see me, Taemin?! Do you know my name?!"
"........"
"Cough! Taemin! Why aren't you speaking! Uhuhuk... Do you not recognize me? Can't you remember?! What should we do? I guess you don't recognize me. Maybe he's become an idiot!"
"Uhuh― Taemin, did you become an idiot? What should we do, Manager-nim? Not only bad-tempered but also an idiot!"
Right after I opened my eyes perfectly fine, I found myself being called an idiot by these two idiots. Were they doing it on purpose? Eventually, I couldn't hold back and spoke up.
"... Just shut up."
My voice emerged weakly, likely due to my lack of strength, yet they responded by raising their voices even louder.
"Waah! Taemin! Do you recognize me? Uhuhuk! It's the same! Your annoying way of speaking is just the same as usual!"
"Uhuhuh... I'm really relieved, Taemin! You're not an idiot! You're not an idiot! Uhuhuhuh..."
I couldn't contain a muttered curse, but it only seemed to make them happier as they continued to torment me. Damn it, why did I have to survive this?
*****
As the tears subsided, it felt like a tempest had passed, and I began to comprehend the situation.
"...... A week?"
I inquired, attempting to sit up and lift my upper body. The pair, their eyes swollen from crying, nodded in response.
"Yeah, you woke up after a week."
"They said you would wake up in a day after the surgery went well, but you didn't open your eyes for a whole week. Do you know how worried we were?"
