-Author pov-
Inha runs inside the hospital as soon as she gets down from the cab, leaving her manager to pay for the cab along with carrying the luggage in. She ran, as fast as her swollen-from-heels foot took her.
"Jung Hoseok, VVIP." she said to the receptionist. "Your ID please." she said and Inha took out, slamming it on the table. The receptionist checked her name on the 'Only people to be allowed list' that consisted of some 15 people including Hobi's family and close friends.
The receptionist nodded, allowing access to Hobi's room. "Thank you," Inha mutters, if anyone didn't know how worried she was, it might have looked like she was angry, while she actually was not. Or maybe she was, on one particular person.
She ran towards the elevator, thankful that this one was at the ground floor as soon as she reached it. If it was necessary, she would've used the stairs too. Only for him, all for him.
The elevator ride left as if it took forever, whereas in reality it only took about a minute and half. Inha stomped to the right as soon as the metallic door opened, she could hear the faint murmuring and she saw Jin, Jungkook Suga and Namjoon standing there.
The boys were too busy staring at the room door that they failed to notice the girl behind them. Just as Inha was about to call on Namjoon, the doors opened and a doctor walked out, nurses following behind him. Meanwhile, Inha ran towards the small group, standing in the back so no one could see her.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Kim... I really don't think there's a lot we can do. Since you brought Mr. Jung here, I've been keeping a close eye on his chart and... I think this might have something to do with his soulmate. I-"
"Bullshit," Yoongi spat furiously, "What's wrong with you people?! No one's ever had it this way because of their soulmate Doctor! And you out of everyone here should know that!"
The doctor shook his head as Namjoon and Jin tried to calm Yoongi. "I'm sorry, I've been in this profession since half of my life... And I have worked far and wide enough to know, sometimes, even science has to bow to its knees. Mr. Min. I'm sorry, the best and least we can do is keep him on sedatives so he doesn't feel the pain. I-"
"No! You will-"
The doctor turned to look at Namjoon instead, "I suggest you call in his loved ones, Mr. Kim. There is only so much we can do... I- I'll send the nurse with the pain killers... And also, try not to.. Burden him emotionally..." he's a sun....
The doctor left, and Jungkook fell to his knees. Sprouts of tears ran from the youngster's eyes as he tried to take a hold of his emotions. Yoongi, too, had to lean against the wall, his legs too weak to take the weight of the tragedy that had struck them.
"He- he's too young hyung," Namjoon mumbled, trying to find some explanation for his brother's ill health. "We- we have to... I'll go-" and he ran out. No one stopped him, all of them suffocating under the heavy emotions and the news they had received.
"Oppa! How's H-" Ivy, Jimin and Taehyung entered the hallway, falling silent as their eyes swept across the boys. Realisation dawned on them as Taehyung stumbled closer to Jungkook, taking his shaking form in his arms. But at the same time, he couldn't stop his own eyes from watering.
"He- he's... Hobi- he-" The eldest member tried to say something, refusing to succumb to tears in front of his younger brothers.
-Flashback-
"But, mum, I still think this is kind of cool, I mean, c'mon. We're talking about soulmates here. Soul Pieces mom!"
"What's fun about having innocent people die, you brat? You call this fun?"
The girls exchanged a glance, wondering what the elder woman was talking about.
"If any one of them ever leaves, then the other will perish... And that too, a slow, painful death. You don't know? Oh those city people, never telling Kids full story. You know, if you don't meet your soulmate, or rather find your soul piece in the time in which you're supposed to, you or they die... Because, think of it. If one person doesn't find the other, there is technically an extra human in this world. You see now?"
Ivy and Inha nodded thoughtfully, understanding what Mrs. Kim meant.
"But what if they are both very close, like- like in the same room or same friends group but they have no idea! So.. They just die? Even if their other piece was always there??"
Mrs. Kim smiled softly at her daughter.
"What's meant to be, always happens, baby. If God paired the two, he always meant them to end up together. And if that doesn't happen, well what can we do? We're just humans... That's just the way this world runs."
-end of flashback-
"Stop crying! Nothing is happening to him, you hear me! Stop this shit right now!" Inha snapped at them, as rage filled her body. It was too unfair, all of this was just too unfair. He couldn't be just.. He couldn't just leave them like that! There was so much he still had to achieve! Everything he had said in the past year raced back to Inha's mind. She couldn't stop feeling. She couldn't stop all the emotions this was making her go through.
Rage, sorrow, negativity, guilt and most of all, Inha regretted. She was regretting every minute she had lost while she ran from him, and from the ghost of his words.
I don't want to die so soon you know, I haven't even found my soulmate yet.
His words from the car rang in her ears as she stormed past everyone, slamming the door to his room open, but then what she saw, made her almost fall to her knees, she felt as if someone knocked the wind out of her lungs. She felt choked, suffocated, and she couldn't stop those tears that welled up in her eyes.
She slowly walked towards Hobi who was lying on the white bed. Wires attached on his wrist, oxygen mask on his face and his pale body that was covered by a thick blanket. Inha remembered all those times she saw him smile, giving off happy sunny vibes.
She sat on the steel stool beside the bed, the stool screeched, pushing back the minimal sound of the machines behind. Those machines that proved that he was living and his heart is still beating.
Inha slowly took his cold, clammy hand in hers, she missed having his skin against hers. She caressed his knuckles and then wiped her own tears, before smiling a little. He had to know a little truth. The truth she wanted to tell every time but either a jumping person with a Ouija board, or a phone call interrupted her.
"Want to know a secret? What was I saying before Suga called you?" She didn't wait for an answer. "I was going to say, I would love to be your moon, Hobi-ya." her voice was merely above a whisper, but she knew he would listen to her. It was her heart speaking, voice doesn't matter.
"Maybe it was that time when we went on a walk together? Or that time when I accidentally slept on your shoulder? I-d-k, I don't remember, and it doesn't even matter, all that matters is, I want you to be there with me, Hobi. Always. Like you were with me in the hospital, and in jail, and in the trampoline park. I-"
Inha was interrupted by a knock, a nurse walked in and she slightly bowed. "His vitals are coming back up ma'am, I will have to remove that mask and change his IV." she said and Inha nodded, standing up, giving the nurse space to do her work. A sigh of relief ran through Inha's body hearing that Hobi is doing a little well now.
Inha looks outside, noticing movement in front of the room. She saw 4 heads, fighting to be able to peek inside. Inha raised her right eyebrow as a habit, and walked outside after wiping her tears.
"Guys, go and get some rest, look at those eyebags you have. The next time you go live, ARMYs are gonna get scared to their core. They'd definitely think that you are some ghosts." she says, managing to get a smile on their faces from her sarcasm. "Go." she insists and Jin nods.
"Kookie, come with me, Suga, stay here with Joon. Tae and Ivy, you are banned from stepping into this room just like Jimin." Jin orders and everyone nods, listening to the eldest. Ivy walks towards Inha to give her a hug before leaving.
"Let's go and eat while she's here with Hobi." Namjoon says and Suga nods. Walking away after informing Inha. The girl turned back towards the room and saw the nurse walking out. She stopped right before Inha and said, "It was you who spoke to him and now he's doing better, let's hope that he'll be back." Inha nods, bowing slightly.
'Lets hope.' the irony. Inha chuckled, walking in.
"The nurse asked me to hope for you to be back. I'm not hoping, Hobi-ya, I'm fucking praying on my knees. You know that I'm an atheist right. I'll do anything for you, Jung Hoseok. So stop playing... And come back to me." Inha sits back on the stool, her hand back holding his hand. She slightly bent towards him, observing his calm features.
Inha raised her hand to caress his face. He looked fragile. Almost like a glass piece, and she was scared to hurt him, break him. "You remember the day we had to kiss. I still remember how my heart beat as if it would jump out of my ribcage. But you spoiled it by placing your thumb in between." she chuckled, complaining.
She leaned in closer, and she felt his breath. "I can feel that you are alive and are going to be back Hobi." she mumbled, and then gasped.
"This reminds me of Snow white you know, I'm your princess charming." she chuckled at her own joke, so sure that Hobi would've actually laughed at it. "Shall I try kissing you? Will it work?" she leaned in, their lips almost brushing. "Sorry." and she gently placed her lips on his. She pecked him and stayed like that, loving the feel of his lips against hers. She always wondered how it would've been.
Inha pulled out slowly, a feeling of sorrow spreading in her heart. "Did it work? Are you coming-" she was cut off by the beeping of the ECG machine that was on Hobi's left side.
Inha's sorrow was now exchanged with confusion, fear and anxiety.
The beeps echoed around the room and the very next moment doctors rushed into the room and the nurse hurriedly asked Inha to leave the room.
Did it work?
•••
Lovely Co-author ivyB4winter
Thank you for reading 'Soul Piece'
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~Ivy Miles and Inha Choi