✓ nostalgia | jungwon

chapter 50.

     "Oh," was all Hajoon said as he adjusted his white coat. The man had been there all afternoon, like he had everyday. He was a pediatrician whose patients usually consisted of children under eighteen, but after a few conversations and subtle threats, he'd managed to get the hospital to let him handle his daughter's case. No doctor would care for her as much as he already did.

     He motioned over to his side. "Well then, what are you waiting for?"

     Jungwon flickered his eyes towards the hospital bed, and it was safe to say that he couldn't look away. Han Yebin stared straight back at him, her hollow eyes widened slightly. She looked paler and thinner in the robe she wore. Her left arm was wrapped in a cast, and her dark hair fell down her shoulders through the bandage her head was wrapped in. Cuts and bruises littered her skin, but to him, she was the same. Exactly like before.

     "She hasn't really said anything yet. It's normal for patients to wake up in a state of confusion," Hajoon explained. "Just talk to her like you usually would."

     "Hi," Jungwon suddenly said.

     Hajoon raised an eyebrow at him, and Yebin seemed to continue staring at him without a word.

     "These are uh- for you." Jungwon held up the bouquet of forget-me-nots, taking slow steps towards the hospital bed. He glanced at the vase on her bedside table, encasing the flowers he'd gotten her last week too. "I usually just put these on your table, but it looks like these old ones are dying anyway, I'll just throw them-"

     "Oh, give me that," Hajoon snatched the old flowers, cutting Jungwon's rambling off. "I'll leave you two alone."

     The man sighed as he walked out, but not before whispering over to Jungwon, "In case you've forgotten, she's your girlfriend."

     "Right," Jungwon answered. Hajoon didn't know about the wish. He probably wouldn't have believed it either. When he left the room, there were a few moments of silence before Jungwon glanced at her again.

     Yebin gave him a small smile, and a broad grin immediately stretched across Jungwon's face as he sighed out. Before he knew it, he was walking towards her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders, careful not to touch any of her injuries. He closed his eyes as she weakly hugged him back, feeling at ease for the first time in a while.

     "I-I'm sorry." Jungwon pulled away, slightly panicked as he realized hugging a stranger would probably be uncomfortable on her end. "I just- missed you, a lot."

     He then handed her the bouquet he was still holding, and she laughed lightly, admiring the flowers she'd been given.

     Yebin smiled. "Thank you, Jungwon."

     The boy immediately looked up, his eyes growing wide. "What did you say?"

     "Thank you-?"

     "No, you- called me Jungwon."

     Yebin tilted her head at him. "Isn't that your name? Yang Jungwon?"

     "You-you remember me?"

     She nodded slowly.

     Jungwon let out a laugh of pure disbelief, running a hand through his hair. "Ah, you idiot! You fucking scared me!"

     "Why?" Yebin asked.

      His face fell. "I told you about that wish I made before. You were supposed to forget about me. But I guess you were right. Maybe the universe thought my wish was stupid and decided not to grant it."