All That We Held Dear - YiZhan (COMPLETED)

Arc II - By a Thread - Part 9

The light of day peeked over the horizon, dyeing the sky in shades of pink and orange. Outside, the world had been awake for a while, going about its business in the darkness of yet another early winter morning. In the small Buddhist hall, the only way Xiao Zhan could tell time had passed was by the muffled sounds of the hospital coming to life for another day.

They had sat in silence for a while. The woman hadn't explained her words, and he hadn't asked. They'd just remained as they were, him crying quietly for a time, her waiting patiently for the storm to pass. And pass it had.

His eyes burned, and he had a head-splitting headache. He was mentally and physically drained. Part of him wanted nothing more than to go back to his hotel and pass out, but he knew that Auntie Wang and Nurse Jang would be looking for him. Not to mention that another part of him, despite the fear, desperately needed to know how Yibo was faring. However, there was something comforting about this room and the woman who sat next to him. It offered a safety he was reluctant to leave. Plus, once he left, he had no way of knowing where all he'd said might end up. He cleared his throat.

"I.. Erh... I want to thank you for listening to me, Ms...?"

His voice was hoarse. She smiled at him.

"Yim. My name is Yim Soobin."

"Thank you, Ms. Yim. I'm really grateful..."

He handed her the handkerchief back, then scratched his neck, looking at the altar as he searched for words. How could he possibly say that the contents of his confession could end his and Yibo's careers without sounding like he was full of himself? Wouldn't asking her to keep it quiet not make her want to share even more? Fortunately, she saved him the trouble by speaking first.

"You don't have to worry about any of what you said getting out."

He turned to her, slightly embarrassed.

"T-thank you... It's just..."

"Don't worry. I'm not famous, but I understand the impact words can have. Although this is volunteer work, I still have to abide by a strict code of conduct and swore an oath of confidentiality. All you shared with me will remain here," she said, tapping her temple.

Some tension Xiao Zhan hadn't realized he'd been holding left his body. This relief amplified his exhaustion, making his body feel heavier.

"Thank you. And sorry. About your hand..." He said, shame washing over him at the thought of what he'd done.

"It's alright. I know it wasn't intentional," she replied, taking a closer look at her injury. "It doesn't hurt too much."

She gave him a mischievous smile.

"Actually, it hurt way more when you were squeezing it."

His face flushed. Her smile widened.

"I'm sorry. I really don't know what took over me," he said, wishing he could erase the memory of his outburst.

She shook her head.

"Don't worry. It comes with the territory. I've experienced worse."

She looked at her watch.

"I have to get ready for work. I should probably finish cleaning up this mess before someone walks in."

She got up. He followed. He was surprised to realize that she was almost as tall as Yibo.

"I'll help," he offered.

"No need, I'll handle it. Don't make me insist this time!"

He felt his face grow warm as Yim Soobin laughed. She put her uninjured hand on his upper arm.