The sun had slowly risen on the horizon... specks of light were flowing through the spaces of the hospital curtains... the hospital hallway was filled with patients, nurses and doctors roaming around... meanwhile the couple was still oblivious to everything around them as they were snuggled comfortably against each other.
Cyril felt sudden uneasiness and slowly opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw his still sleeping girlfriend snuggled securely on his chest with one hand fisting his shirt.
"Eira must have thought I was a pillow or her stuffed toy" he chuckled.
*FLASH*
Cyril blinked "..."
*FLASH*
Cyril looked up and saw the heart specialist snapping pictures of them sleeping, Mr. and Mrs. Choi smiling at the heart specialist's antics and nurses giggling and whispering behind them.
"Uh... we just..." Cyril scrambled on as he carefully placed Eira's head down on the pillow and tried to remove the hand clutching his shirt but Eira was gripping way too tight so he was having difficulties.
"No.. no...its okay!" the doctor replied while still snapping pictures, the nurses behind him nodding in reply.
"It's okay son, we trust you... besides, I know Eira must have begged you to cuddle with her", Mr. Choi answered when he saw the guilt etched on Cyril's face.
Cyril gave a smile at Mr. Choi then tried to remove Eira's had on his shirt which earned a grunt from the sleeping girl. Cyril had no choice but to lightly shake Eira's shoulders.
"Love, let go of my shirt please...."
"Hmm... no...don't wanna..."
Ignoring the gushes and mumbles of "aw... she's so cute!!" and "they look so adorable together", Cyril gave another shake plus a pat on Eira's cheek, "love... your mom and dad are here. Wake up..."
Eira slowly let Cyril's shirt go as she yawned and rubbed her eyes. Cyril took the opportunity to slide off the bed and smooth the part Eira gripped on his shirt while she was asleep. Eira sat up with her pink and bloated cheeks and smiled with her eyes still closed...
"Go'mornin... "
The nurses squealed and Dr. Park took some more pictures as the Choi seniors rushed and enveloped their adorable –just woken up – daughter. Cyril smiled at his beloved's adorableness in the morning.
"Sorry for the late greeting... good morning.."
Mr. Choi patted Cyril's shoulder as response while Mrs. Choi opted with a smile quite similar to Eira's while she was busy hugging the now slowly wakening girl. When Eira's consciousness had finally coped up with the morning, she pouted at the sight of the specialist with the camera.
"Uncle, don't tell me you took pictures of me while I was asleep again! You always do that when I stay here and I've told you I don't like it."
The heart specialist pinched Eira's cheeks which earned a very deadly glare from the now red faced and pouting patient. The doctor just laughed and snapped another picture of Eira's face before wiggling his eyebrows at Cyril.
"Hey boyfriend, I have lots of He Ran pictures on my hard drive... I can give you copies if you want."
"UNCLE!!!!"
The heart specialist laughed and winked at Eira, "don't you have anything to say princess?"
Eira froze and Mrs. Choi released Eira so she can see her daughter's face while patiently waiting for an answer.
"Princess?"
"er...um... we... I decided..."
Mr. Choi cocked an eyebrow at her daughter's stammering, "this is not pertaining to marriage, I hope..."
"Eh?" "HUH?!"
Cyril and Eira exclaimed at the same time, both wide eyed at Eira's dad. Dr. Park laughed heartily again and Eira this time sent a scarier glare which made the heart specialist laugh even harder.
Cyril chuckled and thought that Eira had been hanging around him too much. He rubbed Eira's back as support and also to get her to calm down a little. Said girl breathed deeply and started to speak...
"I agreed to undergo the operation."
Mrs. Choi started to tear up and Mr. Choi immediately hugged his wife, smiling at both Eira and Cyril... the young couple looked at each other and smiled...
"Maybe... just maybe, I made the right choice" thought Eira.
"JungSu... what does she have to do now?"
The doctor turned the camera he was holding off and placed it in his pocket before facing Eira's father. "We're going to monitor her for the next 24 hours: blood pressure, heartbeat, temperature, signs of pain, nausea, sudden attacks. Other tests are just the normal tests we've been doing on He Ran. After we get the results tomorrow morning, we can go ahead and have the operation in the afternoon."
Eira started to feel the nervousness and fright coming back... she felt cold sweat on her face... her lips trembling slightly. She bit them hoping no one noticed but she knew it did not go when she felt her mom kiss her forehead and Cyril hold her hand.
Mr. Choi knew how scared her daughter must feel so he gave her the most charming smile he can produce. Even the normally stoic (professional mode) or crazy (normal mode) Dr. Park had a rare gentle smile on his face when Eira turned to look at him.
The nurses inside the room were touched at the loving scene before them while the nurses peeking inside were gushing at how handsome Dr. Park is when he smiles, how lucky the Choi girl is for having a loving and gorgeous boyfriend and how Mr. Choi must have been a stunner when he was their age.
Mrs. Choi who has heard the comments about her husband crossed her arms and glared at the nurses gushing at the three handsome males inside the room. Eira and Cyril looked at Mrs. Choi then at the girls outside with confused faces while Mr. Choi sighed.
Dr. Park who was now chuckling softly patted Mr. Choi's arm "Big Brother, I think it's better if you let Big sister blow her steam outside before she kills one of our staff."
"Mom, what's wrong?"
Mrs. Choi did not bother to hide the scowl on her face when she faced her daughter, "they're ogling your dad."
"huh?" Eira's gaze flickered back to the girls "oh... "
She saw her father send emergency signals to her and Eira smiled as cutely as she can, "mama... I want strawberry milk... can I have some?"
"We'll go and buy you one, princess... darling, let's go." Mr. Choi held Mrs. Choi's arm and led her outside still glaring at the girls they passed by.
Eira scratched her head and smiled apologetically at Cyril, "Sorry love...my mother is just..." Cyril nodded and returned Eira's smile.
"You mom hadn't changed one bit..." Dr. Park chuckled. "Okay, I'm returning to my desk for now. I'll check on your stats every now and then, He Ran. Once I have the results, I'll give the go signal for the fasting. Just call me if you have any questions."
Dr. Park patted Eira's cheek and smiled at Cyril before he walked out the door not before slipping his professional mask; the nurses following him and leaving the couple behind.
"Eira, what did he mean by fasting?"
"I need to not eat for some hours before the operation. Don't worry, I can handle it."
Cyril sighed but nodded nevertheless. A few minutes later, the door opened and the MHL boys came in with their manager.
"Big Sis! Big Brother!"
Eira smiled at the newcomers "Wow... my room's busy this early. Thank you for visiting!"
Cyril greeted the younger ones with a smile, Benedict with a friendly pat and a polite bow to their manager. Mick ran straight to Eira's side with Tyrone and Jun following. Benedict went to Eira's other side and ruffled his cousin's hair earning a swat from said cousin who was busy taking out the food on the plastic. Benedict chuckled and settled beside Cyril.
"Cy, we need to go back for practice. We are performing tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah... I figured you have forgotten"
Cyril glimpsed at Eira who was laughing at Mick's joke, "So that means I won't be with her during the operation."
"Yeah..."
"...."
"We can't cancel. I've already asked."
Cyril sighed and nodded. As much as he wants to be with Eira on the day of her operation, he knows he can't just throw away his responsibilities. He is the leader of MHL and he should act like it.
"Should I explain this to my cousin or would you do the honor?"
"I will. Later."
A hand tugging on his sleeve made Cyril and Benedict look at Eira, she had been calling them to hand the boxed lunches (or breakfast) they brought. Benedict took his boxed food and ruffled Eira's hair which earned a grunt and a death glare from said cousin.
"You've been hanging out with Cyril too much He Ran..."
The four other men in the room nodded but gulped when they felt two death glares sent their way. The younger MHL boys sat with their manager on the couch smiling awkwardly. Benedict shook his head and joined the four on the couch just as the Choi seniors came in.
The boys and their manager stood up and bowed politely to the new comers and the couple smiled at their guests. Eira grinned at her parents and took out two other boxes and offered them.
"Ah, thank you dear..."
Mr. Choi took the boxes from Eira's hand and placed them on the table. Mrs. Choi hands the plastic to Cyril who took out the strawberry milk and gave it to Eira after putting the straw in. Eira and Benedict were eyeing the Choi couple who were smiling sweetly at each other. Benedict raised an eyebrow at the couple's extra sweetness then looked questioningly at his cousin.
Eira scoffed, "Believe me you don't wanna know..."
Benedict sighed and shook his head then opened his boxed food. The trio who were starting to eat also stopped to look at the Choi couple... Tyrone and Mick exchanged smiles and continued to eat when Mick noticed that meat was missing in his boxed food.
His eyes narrowed, "no one steals from my food"
Mick gritted his teeth and observed each one carefully and formulated analysis on his head. "Big brother ben just opened his box so he is out of the suspect list.... Big sis and Big brother Cy are too far to take my meat... and Big bro Ty cannot finish his own food so he will not take mine... that means..."
"THIEF! Why did you take my meat!"
"I did not!"
"Big brother June, I need it to grow! Why did you steal from me?"
"I said I did not steal anything from you!"
Tyrone who was looking at the two, took one of his meat and placed it on Jun's box. Mick screamed when he saw Ty placing the meat on Jun's box while Jun was excitedly bouncing up and down.
"I'll give you one too..." then placed another piece of meat on Mick's box.
"I was the one who got stolen from! You should have given me first!"
Jun stood and faced Mick, "I really did not take your meat I promise!"
"Then who did?!"
The rest of the room's attention was captured by Mick's voice. Eira and Cyril looked at each other while Benedict signaled to his aunt and uncle that everything was okay. Tyrone looked like a confused puppy looking at both Jun and Mick who were now both standing.
"Both of you shut up."
Cyril's calm command made Jun and Mick flinch and look at each other. Cyril moved to walk closer to the group but Eira held his arm.
"Micky, come and sit beside me..."
Eira patted the space beside her on the bed and Mick grinned running to follow his big sis. Cyril looked at Eira questioningly and she just winked at him. Once Mick was seated beside her, she placed some more meat on Mick's box.
"Little Micky, you shouldn't accuse someone of stealing."
Mick spoke in a low voice, "but he did take my meat..."
Eira ruffled Mick's hair and smiled, "he did not. I know."
Benedict was looking at Eira and Mick with a grin, Jun gave Eira a grateful smile and Tyrone was still looking a little confused.
Cyril crossed his arms, "do you know who?"
"Someone was just a little hungrier today... right Manager Uncle?"
MHL's manager paled and gave a weak smile at Eira while everyone else was looking intently at him. He wiped cold sweat on his forehead, "I'm sorry..."
Jun, Mick and Cyril gaped at their manager while Benedict and Tyrone continued eating as if nothing happened. The Chois chuckled and shook their head while Eira looked amused at the situation.
"UNCLE!!!!!"
"I'm really sorry Mick... I was hungry... I'll replace it... "
Cyril was able to recover amongst the three first and he cleared his throat... "let's drop this and continue eating. Mick, you owe Jun."
Mick stood and went over to Jun with his head hung low, "I'm sorry brother Junnie..."
Jun smiled and patted Mick's head, "its okay... just eat."
Mick smiled and walked/ran to Eira's side to continue eating, Eira grinned at the boy/man beside her and Cyril took a seat at the chair close to Eira's bed to continue eating.
The silence lasted while everyone was taking their breakfast... occasional smiles and grins were thrown here and there... Jun patted their manager's back to let him feel that he had forgotten about the incident earlier earning a sheepish smile from the guilty manager.
Not long after, the nurses came in to check on Eira's stats... they were blushing when their eyes landed on the guys inside the room. Eira could understand them so she just smiled in encouragement to the nurse taking her blood pressure.
The other nurse seems to have taken interest on Cyril as she kept smiling at him even though Cyril was busy checking on Eira or the Chois to even notice her. Mick moved back to his seat between the manager and Jun but not before giving the manager a smile to show he's cool with everything. Soon he was immersed with watching videos of their performances over the internet together with Tyrone and Jun.
The stats were taken but the other nurse was still not successful in taking Cyril's attention away and she was openly showing her disappointment. The first nurse smiled before leaving earning grateful smiles from everybody. The second nurse who was recording the results was sulking and openly glaring at Eira who smiled sweetly earning an amused chuckle from Benedict.
Once the nurses left, Cyril touched Eira's arm to get her attention. He gave his girlfriend a sad smile and Eira felt nervous all of a sudden...
"Eira, I... "
"Yes?"
"I have to go with the others later. We have a performance tomorrow so we have to continue practice."
Eira released a heavy relieved sigh, "I thought it was something really really worrisome."
"I can't be here for the operation..."
"I'll be fine. You know I'm happy whenever you perform with the rest of the boys. Do what you do best and make me proud like you always do."
Cyril smiled and hugged Eira who was grinning in return. They broke apart just before the door opened revealing a new guest. MHL and even Eira's parents stood up to welcome the newcomer.
He was wearing casual clothes and sunglasses but even then he looks like he stepped out of a fashion magazine. MHL and their manager bowed politely while Mr. Choi shook hands with the newcomer who bowed politely at the smiling Choi seniors.
"We are grateful for the visit, Anthony"
"It's my pleasure Brother Dong Min, I'm sorry for looking unkept today. I was supposed to be here yesterday but something came up "
The room seemed smaller now that Anthony Rothschild himself has visited, thought Eira. She watched him bow politely at her parents and nervously smiled when he moved closer to her patient bed.
"How are you?"
"I'm feeling better now, Sir. Thank you for letting my cousin and the rest stay with me."
"You're welcome. It was right to allow them to stay with you given the situation. However they do have a performance tomorrow so I'm going to be borrowing them for a bit. Just call me by my Tony, Anthony or big brother. I'm not that old."
Eira smiled despite the nervousness she was feeling, "uh... okay big brother Tony..."
"Good girl... you are a perfect balance of your parents little one"
Heeyoung chuckled and invited Anthony to sit with them and talk about random stuff as the CEO rarely had personal time.
Credits to: https://www.deviantart.com/sandyclock/art/OC-Kalkarsten-Vryzas-970774197