25... and Forever (Twenty Five Twenty One Fanfiction)

Chapter 5: Under the Same Sky

Hee do's POV

'What's your definition of our relationship?'

'Love. It's love. I love you, Hee do.'

He looks at me with the clearest eyes and a warm heart of vulnerability. His words are pure and gentle. All I see is him. It's like a camera that zooms in - it zooms in to him. He becomes so clear and sharp in front of me. I lean forward with the desire to feel his lips against mine -

My eyes snap open. I look around and find myself in Yi Jin's old room. In an atomic second, a splitting headache rips across my head and I wince in pain.

"Ow... That hurts." I groan as I rub my head painfully. It starts to come back to me: I was drinking with Seung Wan...and then everything from that moment goes blank.

"Are you awake?" The door opens and Seung Wan pokes her head into the room.

"Did I drink a lot last night?" I ask her, still wincing in pain from the headache.

"Yes, a lot. I never knew that small body of yours could fit so much alcohol inside." Seung wan says. "Come on. My mom prepared some breakfast and soup for you."

"Thank you for the food." I say with slight embarrassment as Seung wan's mother gives me a generous portion of soup.

"Eat more, our wonderful fencer." Seung wan's mother says warmly.

"...in latest news, additional bombings have occured in New York. One at a school, another at a cinema and the last one at a news reporting centre..." The news that comes from the TV rings in the background.

I immediately snap awake.

The after effects of alcohol suddenly fall off my body. Seung wan has the same reaction as me.

"Umma, can you turn up the TV volume?" Seung wan asks. Her mother nods. Our eyes are fixed onto the TV. The images of the places of destruction flash across the scene.

"...as of now, forces have been discharged to investigate the scene. We will return shortly." The reporter's voiceover comes to an abrupt stop.

"Did they just say... did they say the third one was at a news reporting centre?..." Seung wan's voice goes dry.

It feels like my head has been immersed in water and I can't hear anything. A muffledness surrounds me. Without another word, I grab my phone and call Yi jin.

"Pick up... pick up... please pick up..." I beg breathlessly as I wait for him to pick up the phone. Please pick up. Please pick up and tell me that you're okay. I beg.

"The call cannot be reached. Please try again later." A robotic voice replies.

"He's not picking up." I whisper. Seung wan looks at me wordlessly.

I don't think. I can't. My feet pick me up and I sprint out of the house.

"Hee do, where are you going?" Seung wan calls after me.

I burst through the door of my house. My veins feel like there's ice racing through them. Yet, at the same time the burning sensation of anxiety consumes me.

"Umma! Umma!" I call out desperately.

"What is it?" My mother says and appears from her room. Tears well up in my eyes.

"Did you hear the news? Did you hear it? There was news about a bombing at the news station! In New York!" I squeeze the words out of my throat that feels as rough as sandpaper.

"I know what you're talking about. I've made multiple phone calls. No one seems to know what's going on." My mother says and clutches her phone in her hand.

"Do you think... Do you think it's the place where... Yi jin is working?" I whisper. It feels like the walls around me are closing in and I can't breathe. My lungs seem to have been reduced to the size of a pea.

"I don't know, Hee do." My mother says.

The world arounds me seems to stop. My entire being feels weak and numb.

~

"Hee do, why aren't you eating?" Coach Yang asks me when she spots me at the school cafeteria. The food on the plate in front of me has barely moved. I shove rice back and forth across the plate listlessly.

"Hi Coach." I sigh.

"What happened to you?" Coach Yang asks me. I just shrug. My mind wanders. It goes through a daily roller coaster of emotions everyday as I think about Yi jin...

"Coach, she's been acting very weird. She barely eats these days." My teammates, who sit at the same table, comment. "Half the time, it's as if she's not even here." Another teammate snaps her fingers in front of my eyes, trying to get a reaction from me. Without looking at her, I simply wave her hand away. I have no energy to argue back.

"Look Coach! See? She has this constant hollow look in her eyes."

"Na Hee do, come with me." Coach Yang gestures for me to follow her.

"Are you okay?" She asks me when we're in her office.

"Yes Coach, I'm sorry. I just haven't had much of an appetite these days." I say, trying to muster up strength to speak.

Coach Yang places her hand on my shoulder. She pauses for a second before speaking.
"I'm sure Baek Yi jin is okay." Coach Yang says softly and almost apologetically.

I nod. My mouth feels too numb to speak. His name is like cold water that splashes on me. I shiver slightly.

"Do you want to take a few days off?" Coach Yang asks me. I shake my head. I don't bother to stop the hot tears from rolling down my face.

"I can't Coach... I need to do something. I need something to distract me. If I'm not fencing... I'm thinking and worrying about him... And if I'm thinking of him... I will... I will... Coach, I may lose my mind." I say in a shaky voice.

It's the first time I've seen Coach Yang speechless when she gives me a comforting hug.

~

"En garde. Prets. Allez."

My teammate's fencing sword swings towards me. I jerk backwards and crash down onto the mats. My fencing sword falls from my hand and lands with a dull thud.

"Na Hee do! Will you take this seriously? Just because you're a gold medalist doesn't mean you can look down on the rest of us!" My teammate says with a hiss.

"That's enough." Coach Yang says. "Go and get some rest, Ji Yang." She says to my teammate.

"Hee do, are you okay?" Coach Yang bends down to help me up.

"I'm okay." I say breathlessly. The world around me seems to be spinning.

"Have you heard from him yet?" Coach Yang asks quietly. I shake my head.

"Get some rest, okay?" Coach Yang says.

I want to reply but my mouth feels so dry. I feel like I've swallowed a huge pill and suddenly a pang of nausea hits me. My muscles seem to melt away and I don't have even the slightest bit of strength left. Coldness flush my face, yet my body feels like it's burning. I try to speak but whispers are the only things that I manage to utter. Before I can take another breath, the world around me goes dark.

Coach Yang's POV

"Baek..." Hee do whispers.

"Hm?" I say. Hee do, are you okay? I reach out to steady her. She looks flushed and sways slightly as if a strong wind is gushing in her direction.

Her eyes close and she falls backwards.

"HEE DO!"

"SOMEONE CALL THE AMBULANCE!"