•How long till you start falling apart?•
Min Sehyuk, a new transfer student from the U.S. joins Hanhwa university and entangles himself with the resident bully after defending a student. He becomes the new target, taking each punch with a smile, ask...
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"Your father is alive."
"Your father is alive."
"Your father is alive."
It feels like deja vu the moment Kihyun enters the room. His father lying on the bed, immobile, with machines connected to his body. The last time he saw the man in this state, Kihyun was beaten to death. He shudders at the memory, pausing in his steps as he takes in his surroundings. It's a V.I.P. hospital ward, with a luxurious bed and a seven-seater sofa set, along with a snack machine and water cooler for visitors. Kihyun clutches his mobile phone, ready with the police number, just in case his father wakes up and repeats what happened last time.
Sehyuk was adamant about coming with him even after Kihyun declined sternly. But the younger is as stubborn as a mule and tagged along with him. "You ain't my parent to stop me from going where I want." That's what he argued with. Now, the boy stands outside the hospital ward while Kihyun visits his father.
"The doctor will be here soon to explain his condition," the head maid says, looking at Kihyun from where she's sitting. "I know this must be a hard time for you since your mother is not here and your father is in this state."
Kihyun closes his eyes and breathes in. "How is the situation with my mother?"
"She confessed to shooting your father but since he is alive, the lawyer assured her that she would be given a light sentence if they can prove the years of domestic violence she faced. May as well present her actions as a self-defense because she was beaten up when the police took her into custody."
Kihyun hums, eyes darting towards his father. He spent traumatic two weeks only for the man to be alive. It's ironic, really. If he had picked up the maid's call the first time, he wouldn't have spent so much time ruminating about his actions. He's his own enemy, always sabotaging.
Kihyun closes his eyes for a moment and takes in a deep breath, closing on to his father. "How is his—"
The ward door opens, revealing a woman in her late forties, hair tied in an updo and a white coat buttoned on her body. "Hello, I'm Dr. Kwang DoHee." He casts her hand forward for a shake.
"Kang Kihyun. Kang Wooshik's son."
The woman him a practiced smile, glancing at Wooshik. "Have you been filled in with the details of your father's condition?"
Kihyun shakes his head. "No, not yet."
"Alright." DoHee sighs, slipping her hands into her coat pockets. "Your father was shot in his vertebrae, more specifically around his C3 and C4, causing him a spine injury. I would get into the medical explanation but it'll be complicated for you to understand. All in all, he is completely paralyzed for life..."
Kihyun gasps, head whipping to look at the man in the bed.
"I'm sorry. He will have to be assisted for eating and drinking, as well as for passing urine and feces. Since he's paralyzed neck down, he can hear and see the things around him. But his eye movement is restricted to up and down and blinking. So, that's the only way he can communicate."
