Four months.
Four months since the incident at the Seoul Army Hospital.
Four months since Dae Ho took a bullet for Haneul.
Four months since Dae Ho shot Vee dead.
Four months since Haneul went back to his everyday life.
Four months since Dae Ho's—
"Dr. Kim!" A resident with round glasses calls him, pulling Haneul back from his thoughts. "I checked the patient's status and it's normal. I think she can be discharged tomorrow."
"Alright." The doctor nods. "You can leave for today then."
The other bows to him in respect and walks away. Haneul goes on rounds, checking on his patients before he ends his shift for the day. He directly goes home to get ready for the charity gala he's invited to along with his parents and brother.
He puts on a deep blue velvet suit with golden threading along the lapels and instead of wearing a shirt, he puts on a satin waistcoat of the same color as the event isn't anything official. With a Rolex watch and a few puffs of perfume, the doctor walks out of his place after gelling his hair in a comma hairstyle.
The event is as luxurious as all other Haneul attends usually, overflowing drinks and jazz music, overpriced jewelry, and clothing worn by the guests. The clicking of pencil heels against the floorboards is as prevalent as the idle chatter in the hall. The diamond necklace to be auctioned is placed in a bulletproof glass box in the middle of the hall.
Haneul spots Shin Naeun in a white dress, a man's arm around her waist. If it was more than a year ago, the doctor's heart would've plummeted at the sight but now he doesn't feel anything. He's healed from their broken marriage and moved on. Now she's just another person he knows. The said woman struts towards him with a raised brow and a glass in her dainty hand.
"Haneul, did you get my wedding invitation?" Naeun asks with a victorious smirk as if she has the upper hand, gracefully twirling the drink in her hand.
"I did. But I will not be attending it since I'm busy." Haneul replies without care. He isn't stupid enough to cheer his ex's wedding.
"Aww, did you still not move on like you say?"Naeun scans her surroundings before she speaks again. "Where's your watchdog? I don't see him today."
"Who?"
"Park Dae Ho, who else." The woman shrugs followed by a peal of pretentious laughter. "I promised him he'd get invited to my wedding when he had a lot of crap to say to defend you." She rolls her eyes and takes a sip from her glass. "Oh right! I heard what happened to him a few months ago, that's too bad. He didn't deserve that." She fakes sympathy with a hand on her heart. "Who would fill the void in your heart now?"
Haneul clenches his fist. "I'm going to get that necklace today so watch out, Naeun." The woman has a weird obsession with buying the items off of an auction, making her feel superior to other people.
"You wouldn't. You don't even have anyone to give it to."
"Says who? And it doesn't matter, I'm just doing it to spite you." The bluehead smiles and walks off, grabbing a tart from the waiter passing by him. He takes out his mobile phone and calls Yoon. "Hey, remember the photos you had of Jo Euntak, the CEO of GV Electronics."
"Yeah, I have them, what about it?"
"I think they might need a little leaking since Naeun pissed me off again."
Yoon laughs, the sound of his clapping hands being heard from the other end. "I thought you didn't want to jeopardize the mother of your child like that."
"Now I do." Haneul hangs up with a satisfied sigh.
The necklace that was sitting in the middle of the hall is now on the stage beside the announcer. "Greetings!" The man starts as he waves his hand to get the audience's attention. "We will now start the bidding of this gorgeous and unique diamond necklace. The starting bid is 1 million! Let me hear your price!"
"2 million!"
"3.5 million!"
"4!" The crowd silences after that so Haneul steps in.
"6 million!" He shouts as he eyes Naeun sideways.
"8 million!" Naeun raises her hand with a challenging glint in her eyes.
"11 million!"
"12," Haneul shrugs, already feeling happy about how the woman fell for his bait.
"16 million!"
The doctor goes mum, the announcers taking over when there's no more bidding. "Sold! The necklace is sold to the beautiful Shin Naeun for 16 million!"
Everyone cheers, raising a toast. The necklace is put on Naeun's bare neck, the jewelry glittering against her pale skin. She runs a hand over the smooth diamonds, her cherry lips stretched into a sweeping grin. She skips towards Haneul to show off the piece. "You'll never win against me, Haneul."
The doctor folds his hands over his chest with confidence. "I'm not sure about that. You paid fifteen million for a necklace worth four. Who's the real winner here, Naeun?"
The furious face the woman displays is nothing less than the bliss one feels when drinking water after a strenuous run.
The reporters crowd around the lady to record her win tonight when their mobile phones ping together. There's a collective gasp from the reporters and the first one speaks. "Ms. Shin, did you know your future husband has more than a professional relationship with his secretary?" The reporter asks as he shoves his recorder to her face.
"What, that's nonsense!"
"These pictures say otherwise." The next reporter informs showing the pictures of Euntak and his secretary in questionable intimacy that were leaked online just a few minutes ago. Shin Naeun blanches as she feels her world toppling over. The night she was supposed to be glorified is now plastered with shame.
Haneul's lips stretch widely but he is interrupted when he gets a call.
"Dr. Kim, your patient is awake!"
The doctor bolts out of the party, directly going to the hospital without making any stops. He parks his car in front of the main gate and runs in, sucking in a breath at the sight of medical staff checking the patient's vitals. Haneul's shoulders drop in relief as the boy who was unconscious for three days in a row after his surgery has his eyes wide open.
"How are you feeling?" He asks as he closes into the patient with a small smile.
"Good," the boy answers with a nod of his head.
"Dr. Kim!"
Haneul turns to the voice behind him. "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Cha." The parents who cursed at him and his medical inabilities just days ago have grateful eyes with tears in them.
"Thank you so much!" The father holds his hand and shakes it, bowing to him after.
"Just doing my job as a doctor, but you're welcome." Haneul returns the gesture. "I'll leave you alone with your son now. He can be discharged tomorrow after we're done with the necessary tests."
Haneul exits the room, closing the door behind him. He walks through the hallways when his feet bring him to a certain hospital room. He slides open the door and steps in, staring at the figure tucked under white sheets. "How long are you going to lay here without moving a muscle?" Haneul chuckles but it lacks humor, teeth biting the skin off of his lower lip. "This V.I.P. room is costing me on a daily basis." He removes his blazer and throws it on the chair beside the hospital bed, shuddering lightly at the coolness that hits his bare arms.
Soomin is at his parents' house so maybe he could spend the night here. The room has a comfortable sofa cum bed and Haneul is already tired, falling asleep wouldn't be a problem. He takes a last look at the man on the hospital bed. His hair is longer and his face has grown a stubble, the dented low cheekbones healthier than ever, and his eyes void of dark circles. The doctor makes a mental note to ask the nurse in charge to trim his hair and shave the stubble.
"Goodnight, Park Dae Ho," Haneul says as he plops on the sofa, and not long after sleep overtakes him.
When Dae Ho was brought to the E.R. and had his surgery done, the fighter had lost quite a lot of blood. He survived but his battered state induced his comatose state. It's been four months and Haneul has been restless since. At least being in a coma has a chance of having Dae Ho back instead of confirming his death in the operating room. But he doesn't know how long it's going to take till the younger shows signs of waking up. His wounds have healed but there's no further progress. There's nothing medically wrong with him anymore. It's as if his body is making up for all the sleepless years he's spent after getting his long overdue closure.
There's a beep. Then another one. The beeping gets louder by the second and Haneul jolts awake when the door of the hospital room opens harshly. Three men enter, running towards Dae Ho. "Dr. Kim! I think he's having a seizure!"
Haneul's eyes widen in worry, immediately taking the defibrillator paddle plates and charging them as the others expose Dae Ho's chest. He presses the paddles and the fighter's body jerks up. "160 joules!" The bluehead commands as his eyes trained on the declining numbers on the ECG machine.
"200 joules!" He feels sweat around the fingers clutching onto the handle of the defibrillator due to nervousness but Haneul doesn't give in. Dae Ho's heartbeat drops to 35 but the doctor keeps going. "230 joules!"
"250 joules!"
"270 joules!"
"Dr. Kim! That's enough!" One of the doctors holds Haneul as he's about to apply shock for the fifth time. He struggles in his grip and watches as the spikes and dips of the ECG wave plunge into a flatline.
Beep...
"N-No..." Haneul chokes as his legs give out and he slumps in the trainee's arms. Four months of patience and all for nothing. It's over. Park Dae Ho is gone...again without a proper goodbye.
"Dr. Kim!" One of the assistants shakes Haneul and the doctor follows the finger that's pointing at something. His breath hitches at the wave lines turning rapid from slow ones. Dae Ho's heart just restarted. And the beeping sound of the machine fills the room once again. Haneul peels his eyes shut and covers them with his hand, feeling the wetness of his tears, a newfound hope strengthening him.
Park Dae Ho is back from the dead and he couldn't ask for more.
When everything settles down a few minutes later, Haneul and his team stare as the man who's been on the bed for four months opens his eyes slowly.
"Dae Ho!" The bluehead moves and comes in his line of sight.
"W-who are you...?" Are the first words the fighter speaks as he squints at Haneul's face.
"What...?"
Usually, patients who wake up after a coma have disoriented thoughts for some time but it still takes Haneul aback. They continue the procedures, checking Dae Ho's vitals and stability, informing him that he would be kept under observation for some time just to be sure of everything.
"Rise and shine!" Haneul barges in a day later after Dae Ho wakes up, food packets in his hands. "You need to eat if you want to move around well."
"Who are you again?" The fighter sits up and combs his hair with his fingers.
Haneul rolls his eyes at the question. "I'm your doctor and friend, we have a long history."
"I don't think I'd be friends with a man so obnoxious and someone with blue hair."
"Rude till the very end." The doctor mutters as he brings the overbed table and places the food he got on it.
"Haneul, I—"
"Hyung," Haneul interrupts him. "I'm your hyung, two years older than you. That's what you call me, please do the same."
"Yeah, not happening. Once was more than enough. You liar."
The doctor pauses his hand in the air, the room suddenly too silent. He scoffs, pointing chopsticks at Dae Ho in offense. "So you do remember! Stop playing with me," he whines, dropping in the chair. "Don't do this to me after all I went through! Why did you even pretend to not know me?"
Dae Ho's eyes widen in surprise like a deer caught in headlights. He presses his lips together, his playful expression changing into a serious one. "I—I didn't...I didn't know how to react. After everything and what I said at the end, I...I was embarrassed." He puts his hands on his face. "I'd rather die than face this embarrassment."
"..."
Haneul facepalms with a scoff. "So you thought it was better to just wipe me off from your existence."
"Right. When you say it like that, it does sound a bit dramatic." The younger flushes and turns his head to the side.
"That's even more dramatic than I am! You had me worried for nothing," Haneul groans as he unwraps his sandwich and munches on it. "Yoon will be visiting you in some time."
It's casual, none of them has brought up the incident at Seoul Army Hospital. It hasn't been long since he woke up and Haneul wouldn't want to pressurize Dae Ho into talking about it. But a thought has been nagging him endlessly for months and he doesn't know how long he'd be able to keep it in.
"What's going on in that galaxy brain of yours, doc?"
"Nothing," Haneul ignores him and takes a sip of his juice.
"So...am I still alive because Vee isn't dead yet?"
"Dude!" Haneul splutters on his drink, coughing and slapping his chest. "You really have no filter! And no, you shot him dead that day."
"He deserved far more worse than mere bullets to kill him." The fighter takes the bowl and drinks the soup directly from it. He's achieved his goal and now there's no direction for him. What awaits ahead is the mundane life of a retired drunk. He feels empty, and doesn't know his destination after he's discharged from the hospital.
"Thank you." Haneul's words bring out Dae Ho from his thoughts.
"For what?"
"You saved my life." The doctor's smile is calming, his crescent eyes showing how grateful he is.
"You saved mine, it's only right that I return the favor."
"Huh?" Haneul tilts his head. "I never took a bullet for you though."
"Yeah, but if it weren't for you and then ChangMin-ssi, I might have been dead long ago. Saving a life doesn't always mean hurting yourself physically to protect the other but also being there for them at their lowest point." Dae Ho explains as he plays with the strings of his hospital gown. "I wanted to die but you pulled me up even when our relationship seemed to be broken beyond repair. After that day in the basement when I killed the man, I was sure it was over, you'd never look back at the monster I had become. But...here we are." The fighter chuckles with mirth dancing in his eyes.
"Awh, look at you being all sappy," Haneul drawls, tapping the heels of his shoes on the floor. "Who would've thought it'd take four months of deep slumber to open your eyes, literally and metaphorically." He chortles almost falling off the chair he's sitting on.
"Way to ruin the moment, you insufferable man-child."
"You ar—"
The door bursts open, and a tall man rushes inside. "Boss!" Choi Yoon runs and clings to Dae Ho's neck, uncaring for the food that spills on the table. "You're breathing! You won the war!" He cries shaking the man violently.
"Lord! Why am I surrounded by such dramatic men," Dae Ho complains but still wraps his arms around the florist's shoulders.
"Oh right!" Yoon pushes the fighter away. "Before I forget, some cops are here to see you so I bolted before they could get to you."
"What!" Haneul abruptly stands up and pulls at Dae Ho's arm. "You should leave before they find you!"
"No, wai—"
"Now is not the time to be a righteous citizen of the country, Park Dae Ho. I'll handle the cops and you should find a hiding place for now." The doctor reprimands, removing the bed table and the sheet covering Dae Ho. "You—"
"Ahem!" A throat clears and Haneul whips his head towards the sound, eyes popping at the men in police uniform. The chief of police stands in the front, three other men trailing behind him. "Officer Park Dae Ho," the man with a thick mustache addresses him, his posture upright.
'Officer?'
Haneul becomes wary as he moves forward and stands beside the hospital bed. "As of today, you're released from your undercover duties. The police department appreciates your efforts in helping us arrest unlawful individuals and organizations." He gives the fighter a proud salute, and Dae Ho does the same. "We wish you a quick recovery and best of luck with your next step." They bow to each other and the chief leaves the room along with his team.
Haneul and Choi Yoon stare in bewilderment, their mouths agape. "What in the world just happened...?"
"I didn't know he'd be here as soon as I woke up. It's a funny story actually..." Dae Ho scratches the back of his neck with a tint of pink coloring his cheeks. "ChangMin-ssi was an undercover cop and he took me under his wing. He promised that he'd help with my revenge only if I followed his guidance. And voila! I'm not the big bad wolf but the beast from Beauty and the Beast."
He gets judging eyes from the other two. "Y-you know..." the fighter struggles to find words. "The wolf is rotten in and out both but the beast is scary from outside but sort of a good man from within—"
"No one cares about the wolf and the beast!" Haneul and Yoon yell in unison.
"Why didn't you tell me anything about it!"
"Even if it was true, it doesn't change the fact that I've killed people and dabbled my hands in drugs. Or doesn't justify my outbursts and unaccounted behavior. If I told you I was undercover, it would've given me an excuse to include you in my life and I didn't want that. Being an undercover cop was just a faux badge I wore to fulfill what I was after." Dae Ho's eyes meet the doctor's. "There it is, the whole truth. There isn't anything more I'm hiding."
Haneul and Yoon exchange glances and nod, their lips stretching into grins and they jump at the fighter, tackling him. They don't need to exchange words to convey their feelings, letting their actions do the speaking instead.
"I can't breathe!" Dae Ho grunts but it falls on deaf ears.
Laughter fills the room so do their hearts.