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JO GYEHYEON
✎ i. lovesick
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Your heart condition had always made it so that you were in and out of the hospital since you were two. You had hated the stark white walls and bright lights on the ceiling since you were that young, not to mention the bed with pillows so big you could probably fit your small body entirely on them and still have room. It always made you feel fragile and small - always being trapped in your hospital room, unable to get out.
But at least the nurses were nice. They helped you take your medication, talked with you when you got bored, went on walks with you to the outside patio in the hospital, and even read bedtime stories to you to help you fall asleep. They were definitely closer friends to you than any of your school friends which you rarely got to see anymore.
You thought you would always be alone in your hospital room, until one day a boy was put in the empty bed on the other side of the room. You were ten at the time, and took the addition to be a personal offence at first. It was supposed to be your room. You never had to share before.
For the first two weeks, you didn't speak a single word to the boy. You observed him in silence, judging whether he was a threat to the normalcy of your life or not. He had dark hair and catlike features. He also had a habit of singing when he thought you were asleep. Except you were rarely asleep, and instead heard his surprisingly beautiful voice softly letting out melodious notes.
One day at breakfast, you finally decided to talk to him.
"What's your name?" You asked him, poking at your small stack of pancakes to see how fluffy they were.
"Gyehyeon. What's yours?" He turned to you, small figure looking as fragile as yours as he sat up on his bed. Maybe you two were in the same boat.
"Y/n." You took a bite that was mostly strawberry sauce than actual pancake.
"Why are you here?"
"Heart condition. You?"
"My growth is stunted."
"Oh. Is that why you're so small?"
He nodded, a small smile gracing his face. You thought he looked cute.
"How old are you?" You asked.
"Almost 12. But I'm the size of a 7 year old." He pouted slightly, not touching his bowl of fruit.
"I'll turn 11 next month..." You echoed, "I'm short too, so don't feel bad about it... And the nurses here are really nice. I'm sure they'll get you to grow up tall." You encouraged, giving him a big smile.
"Is your heart condition serious?" He asked after some silence.
"My parents and the nurses say that I'll be fine, but they always have conversations I can't hear." You explained.
"That usually means they're hiding something from you and don't want you to know how bad it really is." Gyehyeon said sharply and you scoffed.
"What do you know about anything?!" You turned so you were facing away from the boy, his words cutting too deep. You didn't like being told you were sick, as if you didn't already know every time your heart acted up. You just wanted to be healthy.
"Sorry..." He mumbled, letting out a sigh and closing his eyes. A tear slipped down your cheek and the hollow beeping of your monitor was the only sound that filled the room.
//
"It's your big day!" You cheered as a 17 year old Gyehyeon stepped out in his surgery gown. He had grown a lot over the years thanks to a strict diet and medication, and could now almost pass as the height of a short fifteen year old. You were proud of his progress. He looked stronger and healthier despite still being shorter than average.
"If I die, it was nice having you as my roommate." He joked, masking his nerves.
"You won't die. We're pretty strong, you and I."
He nodded, "I'm proud of us... I've grown almost 30 centimetres, you've been getting better. Hopefully we'll both be out of here soon."
Gyehyeon and you loved to talk about the future - how your lives would be like away from the hospital. You would both be normal healthy teenagers going to a real school and having real friends. It seemed like a dream, but one that was obtainable. Eventually.
Nurse Park came in soon. She was your favourite nurse, and both yours and Gyehyeon's best friend.
"Look at you standing tall!" She said cheerily. She commented about Gyehyeon's height every time she came in and it always left him embarrassed.
You reached out your hand, still sitting on your bed. Gyehyeon shuffled over silently and clasped your outstretched hand gently. Nurse Park shifted through Gyehyeon's files in the cabinet on the side of the room, only adding to the tension and anxiety of the atmosphere.
Gyehyeon gave your hand a gentle squeeze as you laced your fingers with his. "You're gonna be fine." You whispered, bringing your intertwined hands up to your lips and kissing the back of his hand. He smiled.
"Once I get back from surgery, we'll have our first proper kiss, remember?" He talked to you in a hushed voice so that Nurse Park wouldn't overhear.
"I didn't forget. You'll have earned it by the time you're back in here." You whispered back, hugging his short body closer to yours.
Over the years, playful frenemies had grown into true friendship, and that had grown into a proper crush. Now you were both sure that you really liked each other.
Nurse Park turned around and you let go of Gyehyeon. He waved to you hopefully as he followed Nurse Park out of the room. Now you just had to wait.
It was probably the hardest wait of your life. He was undergoing a surgery that was supposed to help fix his spinal cord so he could grow without it obstructing him. You knew it would go well. It wasn't as big a procedure as some of the surgeries that you had gotten. But you still felt nervous for it because you could feel that he was nervous for it.
You spent your time listening to music and drawing little doodles of Gyehyeon as you waited for 10 hours to pass. Eventually, a nurse rolled a bed back into the room, and a knocked out Gyehyeon rested on it, looking peaceful and healthy.
You were relieved to have him back in your sight. Maybe it was because of his height that made you feel the need to watch over and protect him. Or maybe it was just because of how much he meant to you, but you always felt a little uneasy when anything big was happening to him and you weren't there for it.
You thanked the nurse and she left the room after telling you that he should wake up within an hour, but would still be tired and under the effects of the anaesthesia. Once you were alone you walked over to his bed, making a small spot to sit at the bottom while you waited for him to wake up.
He stirred after forty minutes, slowly blinking his eyes open. You glanced up from your phone, smiling widely once you saw that he was awake again.
"You did it!" You said happily, prompting a smile from him.
"I can't feel a thing." He said drowsily but clearly very happy.
"You hopefully won't remember me saying this because you're still under anaesthesia, but... you're really pretty. Even just after surgery you look so good, and it makes me blush." You blurted out.
"Is that why your cheeks are pink? Cute..." He mumbled, eyes falling back closed.
You scooted closer to him, "I'll let you sleep again... but don't forget about our kiss later. I'll be waiting." You murmured to a half asleep Gyehyeon. He smiled again. You brushed your hands through his hair gently in a way that only lulled him to sleep faster.
You had to leave the room for your daily walk and checkups after that, and by the time you got back, Gyehyeon was awake again. The anaesthesia had worn off, and he was back to his happy and savage way of speaking to the nurses, cute grin on his face the entire time.
You were given your dinner and left alone again. As soon as you were, you raced back over to Gyehyeon's bed and hopped on. He laughed at your eagerness, but you couldn't care to hide it.
"I believe you earned yourself a present for surviving the surgery, oh great and mighty Gyehyeon." You said dramatically, inching closer to him with each word.
"I wonder what this present could be?" He jested, grabbing your hands in his.
"I think it's long overdue."
"Definitely." He concurred, his face only centimetres away from yours.
You smiled and closed your eyes, soon feeling Gyehyeon's soft lips on yours in your first kiss. And it was amazing. He was amazing.
"I really like you." He whispered when he pulled out.
"Me too." You mumbled, kissing his nose quickly and making it dust slightly pink.
"I know... You said I was pretty after all." He said slyly, and your face turned a darker shade of pink from embarrassment. "Oh, and by the way... You make me blush too." He leaned in to kiss you again before you could freak out about him remembering your words from earlier.
He couldn't think of anything better than this moment. It was perfect.