Ryung-gi's POV:
Things were going well for me after everything that happened right before Christmas. I started to spend time with BTS again, EXO, SHINee, GOT7, all started to spend time with me. I'd even gotten to meet BigBang. Appa had also asked these guys to introduce me to some of the female groups they knew. So I got to meet some of the girls. I liked them, especially f(x), but some of them were too excitable sometimes. Thankfully, the guys didn't usually leave me alone with them and would notice when they were getting to be too much for me and get me away. Everything was fine... at least until the month after I turned 12.
The Idol Star Athletic Championships were filmed and Tao, who was already having issues with an ankle injury, agitated it. He was in pain and needed time to recover. His managers didn't want that, they expected him, like when Kris got sick before I was in my accident, to deal with it and keep performing. Tao had had enough. He quit and left not only SM and EXO, but Korea. I got a video call from him, apologizing that he had to say goodbye like that, but he couldn't keep getting treated like that. It hurt so much. Tao was one of my teddy bears. He could always make me feel better when I was sad, since me getting too emotional was dangerous. Still, I had to be strong for him. He cried for me when I couldn't, but he needed to take care of himself. I told him he'd always be my oppa and to take care of himself, stay in touch, and I still loved him even though he had to do that. He cried some more before he ended the call.
When I got off the call, I was broken. I went into my room, grabbed the stuffed panda Tao had given me, and just curled up on my bed facing the wall. Appa came to check on me when he got home and I wouldn't talk to him. Soon after, Xiumin-oppa was in my room, holding me in my bed.
"Mianhae, Ryu-ah," he said to me. "I know how much you loved him. He's been struggling to get them to see he needed help and they ignored him. We've all tried to make sure he was taken care of, but we could only do so much, Sweetie."
Xiumin pulled me to him and I let him. I let him hold me tightly as he just tried to comfort me. Even though I heard him and understood, I was scared to say anything. So I nodded when he spoke. I was scared if I tried to speak I would start crying and not be able to stop until I was in the hospital again. Tao wouldn't want that and I didn't like having to stay there. I wanted to be strong for Tao.
After a while of Xiumin reassuring me the rest of EXO were staying together and that they'd still be there for me while he was still stroking my hair, Xiumin sat up, still holding me in his arms. I looked him in the eyes. It was the first time he'd seen my eyes or that I was holding the panda Tao gave me for my birthday the month before.
"Are you going to be okay, Ryu-ah?" Xiumin asked and I nodded. "Your appa wants you to take your emergency medication. It's been in here since I got here. Will you take it for me?"
I nodded again and he gave me the medication. After taking it, he helped me lay back down. Before he left, I spoke for the first time in hours, since Tao's call.
"Minseok-oppa?" I called to him, my voice shaky and scratchy.
"Yeah, Ryu-ah?" he looked back to me.
"Why does everyone keep leaving me?" I asked before I turned around and faced the wall, silent once again.
Xiumin's POV:
"Not everyone is leaving you, Ryu-ah," I said, shocked by her question. "Tao, Kris, and Luhan aren't in Korea anymore, but they're still part of your life. They still love you and you can call them. I know it doesn't feel that way, but that's the truth. It's not the same as with the accident."
I couldn't leave Ryu like that. I got back into bed with her and pulled her to me, stroking her hair again. Eventually, I realized she had fallen asleep. It was only then that I got up to leave her room. My heart broke for her. When I went outside to the living room, Jin and the rest of BTS were waiting to find out what happened.
"She's heartbroken," I told them. "She's sleeping now. I gave her the emergency medication, as you asked, but she's not taking Tao's leaving well. The only thing she said the entire time I was in there was to ask why everyone leaves her. She spent almost the entire time silent, facing the wall, holding the panda Tao gave her last month for her birthday. After she asked that, I couldn't leave her. I told her it's not the same as the accident. She can still call Tao, Kris, and Luhan and they love her still. Then I just held her and stroked her hair until she fell asleep."
"Did she cry? If she got too emotional it's bad for her heart," Yoongi asked, concerned.
"She didn't shed a single tear," I replied. "It's almost like she's shutting down in a sense. She even had a little bit of a distant look in her eyes when I picked her up and ultimately gave her the medication."
"Do you think she's in shock?" Jin asked.
"I don't think so," I answered. "I think, knowing what can happen if she gets too emotional and the fact that she knows Tao wouldn't want her to put herself in the hospital because of him, it's a defense mechanism to protect herself from the emotional fall-out."
"Wait, you mean she became semi-catatonic so she wouldn't cry and put a strain on her heart?" Kookie asked.
"Maybe," I said. "I know that when my little sister is upset she kinda shuts down a bit because she doesn't want to be bothered. It's not this extreme, but she doesn't have to worry about the same kind of health issues that Ryu has to."
"I didn't know you have a little sister," Taehyung said in shock.
"I promised my parents I would do everything I could to protect her from the spotlight, the fans, everything that comes with my career," I told him. "She deserves a chance at a normal childhood. Which I know that Jin was trying to give Ryu until the accident. Unfortunately, things changed. Still, Ryu is doing well. She loves all of you. She just needs some time. If she doesn't talk in two days, take her to her therapists and tell them what happened. Maybe one of them can get her talking safely."
"Thank you, Hyung," Jin said, bowing to me.
"It was my pleasure. If I can help any other way, let me know," I said and I left to go back to the dorm.
When I got there the guys wanted to know why BTS had asked me to come over. I explained about Ryu. They all looked worried. Lay and Chen in particular. Ryu had helped us as EXO-M smile again after Kris quit, and even after Luhan left. Knowing she was in pain and just not talking worried them as much as it did me. When I left the others, the two followed me to my room.
"How is she really, Hyung?" Chen asked me.
"She needs time to process this," I told him. "She knows getting too emotional isn't good for her heart and that's why I think she's just clutching the panda and not talking. But I got worried when she asked why everyone leaves her."
"Ryu-ah asked you that?" Lay asked and I nodded. "We have to do something for her like she did for us without even realizing it."
"I agree. When she's doing better, I'll see if Jin will let the three of us do something special for her," I told them.
A week and a half later, Lay, Chen, and I were picking Ryu up from BTS. Jin gave us permission to take her out for a day. She was off from classes between semesters, so he was more willing to let her out for the day. We took her to a small hall, not telling her why.
"What are we doing here, Oppas?" she asked, confused.
"You'll see, Ryu-ah," Lay told her, smiling at her.
"We have a surprise for you," Chen told her, stopping to hug her.
When we sat her down, one of the SM Rookies came on stage.
"Now that our special guest has arrived, it's time for our special event to begin," he started. "My name is Lee Taeyong and I will be your escort for today's event. Here is your host, Seo Johnny."
Johnny came on the stage and started.
"Welcome, Kim Ryung-gi to your special event," he started as Taeyong made it over to the seats we were at.
"Ryu-ah, this is Taeyong. He's a friend of our's. He's going to stay with you for a little bit. We'll be back later. I hope you enjoy this," I said to her before looking to Taeyong. "Take good care of her. Here's the bag of her medications and snacks. Instructions are in there. Don't worry, she's a good kid. She'll let you know what she needs, Tae. Just have fun."
I hugged her and kissed her cheek. After Lay and Chen did the same, we went backstage.
Taeyong's POV:
I took the bag and nodded as the members of EXO left.
"So, Ryung-gi, you can call me Tae. I'm 20. How old are you?" I asked her.
"12. I'm Kim Seokjin's daughter. He adopted me after our family died last year," she replied.
"Now, without further delay, here's SHINee!" Johnny said on the stage.
I could see Ryung-gi's eyes light up. As they performed, they came down and joked around with her. It was obvious they were familiar with her. Key and Jonghyun ruffled my hair and told me to take care of her between songs, which made her laugh.
"So, you're friends with the idols?" I asked her.
"Yeah, I met SHINee the night my brother and BTS had their comeback last August. Taemin, Key, and Jonghyun were backstage while BTS were performing and Got7 were babysitting me," she said casually.
"Got7 babysat you?" I asked in shock.
"Yup. And found it funny when I called Taemin a jerk."
I started laughing. She acted like Ten.
"You called Lee Taemin a jerk?"
"He called me a runt."
"You're funny, Ryung-gi."
"Call me Ryu. It's my nickname, Tae-oppa," she said to me.
After SHINee, BigBang performed. They got her up and dancing a little bit. While they did that, I looked over the instructions Xiumin-hyung left me and realized what was wrong with her. She had had a heart transplant a year ago. She didn't act like it. I watched her dancing. She seemed like a normal 12 year old, even if she had said she'd lost her family and Jin had become her father.
"You figured out what's wrong with me, didn't you?" she asked when she sat down and BigBang made their way backstage.
"How did you know?"
"You're looking at me differently," she said. "Look, I'm okay, Tae-oppa. I'm lucky. Without that heart, I probably wouldn't have woken up after the plane crash. Without it, I wouldn't be here. Yeah, my life is a lot different than it was before, but I have Appa and that's all that matters. I don't let my heart stop me from doing things. I still dance, and even though I'm not in regular school, I do still go to school, with tutors. I go to amusement parks, my friends are the idols and I get to hang out with them, I go to the theater, to the movies, shopping, anything I want. Sometimes I just need to take medication and rest to keep myself from having issues."
"I wouldn't have guessed that you've been through any of this, Ryu-ah," I said, with nothing but respect for her. "I admire you so much for not only surviving everything you have, but not letting it hold you back. I'm your fan, Kim Ryung-gi. I'll be cheering you on from now on so that you can do anything you want to with your life."
That made her smile.
"Thanks, Taeyong-ah," she said.
It was a long day of performances. Super Junior, f(x), Got7, Girls Generation, Boyfriend, Wondergirls, EXO, Twice, B.A.P., NU'EST, MonstaX, Pentagon, VIXX, and even us SM Rookies performed for Ryung-gi. EXO performed as both EXO K and EXO M. EXO M had Ten, YangYang, and WinWin step in for Tao, Kris, and Luhan, instead of having EXO K do it. It was all to make her smile. After the show, we found out it was to make her feel better after Tao had left.
"Do you feel better, Ryu-ah?" I asked her.
"I still miss him, but today made me feel a lot better," she said. "And seeing your friends that you said actually speak Mandarin helped. It's just been hard sometimes."
I hugged her.
"Things will get better," I told her. "Besides, all of these groups here today are here because they care about you. Think about that about when you're sad that Kris, Tao, and Luhan left. Not to mention, now the SM Rookies know about you. We're not just going to ignore that. You've made some new friends."
"You're the only one I've met."
As if on cue, the others made their way from backstage over to me. I introduced them to her. They were all excited to meet the girl that all this was done for. She told them she was Jin's 12 year old daughter and why, which just made the guys want to adopt her more.
"We may not be able to come get you like our seniors can, but we'll still be there for you," Ten said.
"We'll come see you when we can," I agreed.
"And when our seniors bring you to the SM building we can always ask if they'll bring you by to see us for a bit," WinWin said.
"That sounds like fun," Ryu said, smiling.
At that point, Xiumin-hyung came out already changed, with Chen and Lay. He came over to us and looked directly at me. I handed him back the bag with her medications. The only thing I used were the approved snacks in the bag.
"Did she have any issues, Taeyong?" he asked me.
"None at all," I told him. "She's an interesting girl. All of us have adopted her not only as a new friend, but as a little sister, Hyung."
He looked at me as if he was proud of us.
"Good. I'm glad to hear that," he said, looking at the rest of the Rookies. "I'll see what I can do to make sure that you can all see Ryu-ah."
The guys got excited.
"Now, we've got to get her home," he told us. "Taeyong, do want to come with us? So her father can meet one of you?"
I was shocked, but agreed. Ryu and I joked around in the car and laughed most of the way back to BTS' dorm. When the five of us got to the dorm, I stayed at her side as we walked to the front door. Suga answered the door and looked at Ryu and me weird, but Xiumin-hyung asked if we could see Jin. Ryu and I kept joking around while we waited.
When Jin met with us, he looked at Ryu and me in shock, as if he didn't expect to see she'd made a friend who was less than a decade older than her who wasn't in BTS. While Xiumin explained that the SM Rookies became fast friends with Ryu-ah, we kept laughing and joking around. I vaguely heard Jin reluctantly agree to allow us to be friends with Ryu-ah, so I gave her my number and she gave me her's. After that, we all became close friends.
Jin's POV:
"Ryu-ah, can I speak to you?" I asked her before she could head to her room after Xiumin, Chen, Lay, and Taeyong left.
"Sure, Appa," she said, smiling, sitting back down in the living room.
"You seemed really close to that boy," I started. "Do you know how much older than you he is?"
"Appa, I know Tae-oppa is 20," she said to me. "We're just friends. Xiumin-oppa asked him to stay with me because of what he did today and we got to know each other. He actually said he's my fan because I don't let what happened to me hold me back. He's like another big brother, Appa. That's all. I promise."
I looked at her. Ryu wasn't a naïve little girl anymore. Any remnants of that she'd still had died in the plane crash. Still, she was smart enough to know that I wouldn't allow her to be more than friends with anyone right now. She was still a kid, my baby. I didn't want to push and upset her. Especially not now that she came home smiling as much as she had.
"Okay, Ryu-ah," I told her. "Just as long as you know you're not going to be dating anyone anytime soon."
She laughed at me, kissing my cheek, and then left for her room. Yoongi came into the room after that.
"That's it?" he asked.
"She's happy and she knows that it's not okay for her to be more than friends with anyone, Yoongi," I started. "After the way she shut down when Tao left, it's not worth it to push things and upset her when she was laughing more than she has in a while. I'm going to trust her."
"And this kid?" he asked.
"If he tries anything stupid, I'll let you teach him why he was wrong," I told him, which made him smile.
"Fine, I'll accept that," he said, walking away.
Ryu-ah's POV
Over the next few months, I spent a lot of time doing schoolwork. This included being in the recording studios with the guys. Yoongi decided to make my music lessons music production lessons. So, as they worked on their albums, I studied not only how the albums were written and produced, but also the Japanese language since more of their songs were being translated into Japanese for another album there.
However, one day, I walked into the studio after some of my lessons to realize I recognized the song they were recording. Yoongi was in the booth with Namjoon and Kookie running the soundboard.
"I know this song," I said as I walked in.
"How?" Kookie asked me.
"Yoongi started writing it after my heart transplant," I told them. "He just won't tell me the meaning behind it."
Kookie and Joonie shared a look. Before I could ask them anything, Yoongi kicked Joonie out and sent Kookie into the booth.
"Come sit down," he said to me. "You're going to learn how to work the soundboard to get the best out of the maknae in there."
He was smirking. He was up to something. I wasn't sure what to think about it. But he was my teacher, so I just followed his directions. After a while, Kookie finally came out of the booth.
"What took so long to get the recording right?" he asked Yoongi.
"Why don't you ask your producer?" Yoongi replied, nodding at me.
"You let Ryu-ah produce my part?" he asked, surprised. "Can I hear it?"
I hit the button to play back what Kookie had recorded. He listened to it, smiling.
"He taught you well, Ryu-ah. It gets easier the longer you do it," Kookie said encouragingly.
"Thanks, Kookie."
"Should I send in Jimin-ssi?" Kookie asked Yoongi.
"No, not yet. I need half an hour to finish my lesson with Ryu-ah. Then I'll get you guys back in the booth," Yoongi replied.
After Kookie left, Yoongi looked at me.
"I know you recognize the song, and no I don't think the time is right for you to know what it really means yet. So, please, don't ask any of the guys, Ryu-ah," he said to me. "I'll tell you when I feel like you need to hear it."
"I'll try to be patient," I told him.
Thanks to Yoongi's lessons, I became a whiz in the producer's booth not long after that recording session with Jungkook. When he proved that to his bosses, they agreed to let me help produce because I had his ear and precision. It would only be allowed as deadlines neared for their albums since Yoongi wouldn't have time to teach me the piano, instead needing to be in the studio.
So, I helped him with the album. The guys didn't know the extent of how much I was doing behind the soundboard until they got the forward copies of the album itself and saw my name listed in the production notes. Yoongi gave Appa a check for all the work I'd done, smiling as he told me how quickly I'd picked it up.
When the album was completed, Yoongi and I went back to normal music lessons. Now he was teaching me the piano during the day, and to help me relax at night, the guitar. I was learning so much from him.
Two years later, December 2017:
Ryu's POV:
I was hanging out with Super Junior for the day. Appa, BTS, and most of the other groups had already started traveling for the end of year shows. I had found a reason to convince Appa to let me stay a little longer and travel with Leeteuk and the others later. We were having a great time, but I had a nagging feeling that something was wrong. I had texted Appa to make sure that he and the guys were fine and they were, but I couldn't kick the feeling.
Later that day, all of the members of Super Junior got alerts on the cell phone. They checked them and then looked at each other. Each of them had different emotions on their faces. Denial, grief, anger, confusion, were the prevalent ones. When they looked to me, I saw another emotion, pity, an emotion I hated.
"What's going on?" I asked them. "What was that alert you all just got?"
"Just something from SM," Donghae tried to tell me.
"No, Donghae, we can't hide this from her," Heechul snapped at him. "She'll find out on her own and it will be worse that way."
"What is going on?" I demanded.
Leeteuk took me by the shoulder and, along with Yesung, led me away from the others. They sat me down.
"Ryu-ah, we just got some very bad news," Yesung said to me.
"What news?" I asked.
"SM just sent out an announcement to all of their artists that we lost Jonghyun tonight, Ryu-ah," Leeteuk said gently.
"How?" I barely got out.
"They think he may have done it himself," Yesung said even more carefully, and my chest started to hurt worse than ever.
"I want to be brought to see him and the rest of SHINee," I said as firmly as I could.
"I don't think that's a good idea..." Yesung started.
"Let's go," Leeteuk interrupted.
As we started to travel, I started to cry on Donghae's shoulder. I overheard the other's asking Leeteuk why he was allowing this and he told them to really look at me. He pointed out that my color changed and he could see a visible change in my strength when I found out. Leeteuk told them it was better to bring me to where SHINee was with Jonghyun's body, so he could call my doctor to check me out.
After I saw Taemin, Key, Onew, and Minho, I finally broke in their arms. They cried with me. Leeteuk pried me away from them when my doctor got to the hospital. He admitted me overnight for observation. Leeteuk had already called Appa to let him know what had happened, so he was on his way back with all of BTS.
"I'm only staying overnight," I told my doctor. "I refuse to be in here for Jonghyun's funeral."
"Jonghyun would want you to take care of yourself," Key said from the door to my room after they'd settled me.
"I can't be stuck here and not be able to say goodbye. I didn't get to say goodbye to my family until 6 months after they'd died, Key-oppa. I can't do that again," I told him and he came over to hug me.
"Alright, Ryu-ah. We'll just have to make sure you're well enough to be let out of here by then," he told me.
True to his word, my friends helped me get discharged by late the following afternoon when Appa got there. I stayed close to SHINee and BTS until the funeral. They protected me from cameras and prying eyes. The day Jonghyun was laid to rest, I was there to say a proper goodbye to him, even though it was the hardest thing I'd had to do in my life.
Four months later:
Jin's POV:
"Appa?" Ryu came knocking on my bedroom door, getting my attention.
"What is it?" I asked her, still in awe that she'd been my daughter for four years already.
"I wanted to talk to you about school," she said hesitantly.
"What about it? I already found new tutors for you to start high school next March"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," she replied. "I want to go back to regular school, Appa."
I suddenly got nervous. Unless she was with someone I knew and trusted, she hadn't been out of my sight since the accident. Yes, she was growing up, almost 15 years old and in her last year of middle school, but she was still my daughter who had to be careful of so many things because of her heart.
"I don't know, Ryu-ah. You going back to a regular school may not be what's best," I told her.
"Appa, I love you, but you're acting like a jerk right now," she said angrily. "There's no reason for me to be tutored for school. My heart is fine. I do almost all normal activities someone my age does on a normal basis. I just need to take it careful if my heart rate goes a little high and I've been living like that for four years, Appa! I know how to monitor that by myself already. I know when I need to take my regular medications and my emergency medications. Just admit this is more about you being too scared to let me out of your sight for too long and not about me being able to go to a normal school."
I looked at her.
"Kim Ryung-gi! I've told you about talking to your elders like that! You can't just speak to people like that when you don't agree with what they say!" I admonished her.
"Stop changing the subject, Appa! Stop trying to make this about my attitude! Tell me the truth!" she exclaimed. "You know what... forget it!"
She left my room, slamming my door behind her. Kookie came rushing to my room not long after.
"What happened, Hyung?" he asked me.
"Ryung-gi told me I'm a jerk and that I'm scared to let her out of my sight," I told him, sighing. "I scolded her for how she spoke to me, and she slammed my door on her way out."
"Why does she think you're a jerk?"
"She wants to go back to regular school for high school, Jungkook-ah," I told him. "I told her I didn't think it was a good idea. She told me she's been dealing with her conditions for four years and knows how to do it by herself, so I need to admit it's more because I'm scared than her medical conditions."
"Maybe she's right, Jin-hyung. You're eomma to all of us, but until four years ago, you were Ryu's Oppa. She's been pretty laid back to you being her Appa all of a sudden, but you do cling to her," Kookie said.
"No I don't..."
"You've clung to Ryu-ah since before she became your daughter, Hyung," Kookie said. "When I first got here, you clung to me to fill in for the fact that Ryu-ah wasn't by your side. I didn't mind because I was young and scared, but eventually, I probably would've started made you back off. Ryu-ah has been through a lot. She's come to a point where she's confident she can manage her condition on her own and wants to go to school, Hyung. She's not asking to date. Don't you think she's earned some trust and freedom? She's been your biggest cheerleader since before you became her Appa, she continued to be your driving force after you became her Appa. She's not a normal 14 year old."
"I don't know, Jungkook-ah," I replied, and he sighed in frustration.
He left the room, coming back with Yoongi and pushing him inside. Yoongi looked between the two of us.
"Talk to him," Kookie told Yoongi. "He's clinging so tightly to Ryu-ah she called him a jerk and slammed his door. All of this because she wants to go back to regular school for high school, Hyung. He won't listen to me. Maybe he'll listen to you?"
One Year Later:
Ryu's POV:
I was standing outside the school. Chenle and Jisung came up to me smiling. Chenle was in his last year of high school. Jisung was in his second year. Then one of the Stray Kids came up to us.
"Hey, Ryung-gi," I.N said to me. "BamBam said I should introduce myself and that I'd most likely find you with these two."
He smiled at me and I smiled back.
"I'm Jeongin and I'm a third year like Chenle," he said. "BamBam and Yugyeom said that I should help Chenle and Jisung look out for you. He doesn't want anyone picking on you because you're a first year."
"Thanks, Jeongin, and you can call me Ryu-ah," I told him. "But if someone wants to start with me I'm pretty savage and can make them feel 10cm tall."
We all laughed and went into the school. After I got my schedule, the guys walked me to my first class. Before I went in, they looked to me.
"Are you sure you're ready?" Chenle asked me.
"I'm nervous," I told him. "I haven't been inside a school since I was 10 years old."
"Why did you want to come back?" Jisung asked.
"I don't know how to interact with anyone close to my age," I told him. "You guys are the closest guys to my age that I know."
At that point, Taehyun, Beomgyu, and Kai, all trainees at Big Hit came over to us.
"What about us, Ryu-ah? You don't know us?" Beomgyu asked with a smile as he put his arm around my shoulder.
"I do, but you're different. You speak BTS, not teenager," I told him laughing, making everyone else laugh. "What years are you guys in, anyway?"
"Taehyun and Beomgyu are second years. I'm in the same class as you," Kai replied with a smile.
"Speaking of which," Taehyun said. "The rest of us should get going before we're late. Leave the maknaes to class. We'll meet in the canteen later, alright?"
"Yeah, I'll get her there safe," Kai promised, and after the others said goodbye, he led me into class. "You know Jin-hyung is a nervous wreck about you being here, right?"
"I know, but I wanted to come back to school, Kai," I told him. "It's been five years since the accident and I haven't been in an actual school since before that."
"He's just worried about you, Ryu-ah," he replied.
"I know, but I need some space. I'm always surrounded by him or someone who will tell him if I have so much as a dizzy spell," I told him. "I'm gonna grow up eventually."
"Does the school know about...?" he asked, pointing to his chest.
"Yes, but only the teachers and administrators know. I asked that the students not be told. I don't want to be treated differently."
"Okay, so I won't say anything unless you really look like you're having trouble," Kai promised and I was grateful.
I smiled at him and the bell to start class rang. Classes weren't that bad. They were actually too easy for me. Within a few days, the teachers realized that I knew all the work and called Appa up to discuss it. They gave me a few tests to gauge my levels and decided to move me into the second year with Jisung, Taehyun, and Beomgyu. Starting at the beginning of the second week of school, I was no longer a first year with Kai, but a second year.
Starting the second week was more intimidating. It was good to have Jisung, Taehyun, and Beomgyu at my side because I was the smallest in all of my classes. Between the three of them, I had at least one of them in all of my classes and we still met up with I.N, Chenle, and Kai for lunch. Soon enough, I got into the swing of the schedule of school. The seven of us would meet outside the school before it started every morning and hang out. We'd have lunch together, then depending on the day of the week and BTS' schedule, I'd either head to the Big Hit building with Beomgyu, Kai, and Taehyun, or I'd head to either JYP with I.N to see Got7 and the Stray Kids, or go with Chenle and Jisung to hang out with NCT, Super Junior, or EXO. SHINee was taking a bit of a break figuring out what they wanted to do after Jonghyun. I still talked to them, but didn't see them as much.
We were in the canteen for lunch one day when some girls tried to start with me. I had heard them whispering behind my back for weeks. They had wanted to know why I got to hang out with some of the most popular guys in the school. Unfortunately, they didn't realize I'd also heard their plan to "accidentally" bump into me. I got up and turned around before they reached me.
"Just so we're clear, if you want to plan to 'accidentally' do anything, learn how to whisper," I said to them with a smirk. "And just so you're clear, if you 'accidentally' do anything to me, I will make you regret it for the either the rest of the time you're here or I'm here."
"You can't touch me. You'll get expelled," the leader said. "Besides, do you know who I am?"
"One, no, I don't know who you are. I don't pay attention to insignificant morons," I started and the canteen broke out in a chorus of laughs and people making noises encouraging the whole thing. "Two, I never said I'd touch you. I wouldn't. You're not worth getting suspended or expelled. There are other ways to make you regret... Oh wait, it would involve you having a brain. I guess that's out of the window."
I smirked at her again. She went to swing at me, but Beomgyu grabbed her hand.
"Don't touch my friend," he said to her, not sounding threatening or angry. "She's our friend and we're not gonna stand back and let anyone touch her."
"But Oppa, she insulted me," she whined.
"You were gonna try to dump something on her head," Taehyun pointed out, getting up and standing on the other side of me, smiling. "We'd be upset, but I don't think it's anything compared to how BTS, Got7, EXO, Super Junior, BigBang, Boyfriend, Monsta X, SHINee, NCT, or even the Stray Kids would react to you doing something to her. Besides, you really should excuse the way she talks. She's spent a lot of time in the last five years around Suga, Heechul, JB, Taemin, Jungkook, just to name a few. She may have picked up a few of their more savage habits."
"Why would she be so special to all those awesome idols?" she demanded. "She's nothing special."
"Who's nothing special?" a familiar voice said from the other side of the cafeteria as everyone gasped.
As everyone gasped, I saw Super Junior. They were doing a workshop at the school that day. I had forgotten. Heechul saw Beomgyu holding that girl's hand to keep her from hitting me. Beomgyu let the girl go as her hand dropped. Super Junior came to my side. I.N, Jisung, Chenle, and Kai stood at one side of me with Beomgyu and Taehyun as Super Junior stood at my other side.
"Were you the one who just said this girl is nothing special?" Heechul asked.
"I didn't mean it like that..." she started. "It's just that..."
"You meant it exactly like that," he interrupted her. "Ryu-ah is the youngest and the smallest in the second year class, having been skipped ahead. And Beomgyu stopped you from trying to hit her. You think she is lesser than you. Get this clear. ALL OF YOU, get this clear. Ryung-gi, is as good as our little sister. If any of you touch her, it doesn't make you better than her, it makes you a lesser person, the type of person Super Junior could never be proud to call part of our fandom."
He looked at the girl who was on the verge of tears.
"If you touch Kim Seokjin's daughter or breathe in her direction wrong again, I'll tell him and Suga," he said with a smile on his face.
"She's Jin's..." she said, startled and on the verge of tears.
"That's right, Honey," Heechul told her as he led me and the guys out of the canteen.
School was definitely interesting after that for a while. People were terrified of Heechul's threat. The guys and I would laugh about it when we would see the way the people who wanted to harass me were suddenly too scared to get close to me. Still, suddenly everyone wanted to be all of our friends. That was when Jisung and I started going off on our own together during lunch. I didn't like all the fakers around us. Jisung had trouble talking to other people in school.
"You don't have to come with me, Ryu-ah. I'll be fine on my own for lunch," he said as we hid out in an empty classroom with our lunches.
"I came because I don't want to be in the middle of all of that any more than you do, Jisung-Oppa," I told him. "All of those people trying to suck up to me... it makes my skin crawl."
He laughed and we ate our lunch.
"Are you sure that's the only reason you left?" he asked me one day.
"Yeah, I don't know how to deal with kids my age. The trainees at Big Hit didn't meet me until after I met NCT, so NCT Dream were the first people close to my age I'd met since before the plane crash. I don't count Kookie, Jimin, or V, they're family. The members of BTS took over as my brothers when I lost my older brother and Jin became my appa," I explained. "I didn't even meet the Stray Kids until after I'd met everyone else. NCT were really the first people I'd met close to my age. Everyone else I hung out with were closer Appa's age."
"I get that. It's why I have trouble talking to people our age. I've been surrounded by people so much older than me for so long, I don't know how to relate to someone born in this millennia," he said laughing.
"Now you know you're not alone. We can be awkward together," I told him, laughing, which made him laugh more.
"We should hurry," he said. "We have dance right after lunch and we have that duet piece we're supposed to perform today. Are you ready? I know we haven't had a lot of time to practice..."
"I practiced with Jungkook, but I still want to practice with you, so whenever you're ready to go," I told him.
"I'm ready."
We made it to the dance room after changing and still had some time before lunch was over. Jisung started the music for the duet we'd be graded on. Even though part of me had wished I had been partnered with Beomgyu or Taehyun because it would've been easier to practice after school with them, I didn't mind being Jisung's partner.
He grabbed my hand and began leading me in the piece. As the music picked up, so did the pace of the dance moves. We were able to keep pace with each other and stay on beat. Watching in the mirror, it didn't look too bad. When we finished running it through the first time, Beomgyu and Taehyun had come into the dance room. The two of us were having some water and I was catching my breath after the routine, making sure my heart rate wasn't too high.
"What are the two of you up to?" Beomgyu asked with a smirk.
"Rehearsing, Dork," I said, throwing my towel at him.
"If Ryu-ah is up to it, would you two watch us run it through again before class so you can give us critiques?" Jisung asked, and I nodded.
"Are you sure you're up to it, Ryu-ah?" Taehyun asked me.
"I'm good. My heart rate isn't bad. I don't even need my emergency medications," I promised him, and I was telling him the truth. "It's just at that normal accelerated pace from doing physical activity. I don't even have chest pain."
"Then we'll be glad to help you guys out," Beomgyu said, going to sit down along one of the walls with Taehyun as Jisung and I got ready to start again.
Jisung and I performed the piece again. It was more familiar to match Jisung this time. His height, frame, and even the way he moved were all different from Kookie's. Now that I'd already done the piece with him, I had readjusted to Jisung. It was much easier to meet every movement of his at the same time. We finished and looked to the boys.
"We caught the last twenty seconds or so of the first run through and this looks like you rehearsed it for a few weeks since," Taehyun said. "How did you do that?"
"Yeah, it looked good before, but something was a little off," Beomgyu said. "Now, it looks like the two of you have been dancing partners for years."
"I had to readjust to Jisung. I've been practicing with Kookie," I told them. "There's a slight height difference, the weight difference, the way each of them move is unique, so I needed to get used to Jisung's movements. He's my partner, the one who leads the dance here, not Kookie. Kookie's technique here is irrelevant. He was a stand-in."
Beomgyu and Taehyun laughed.
"He'd love to hear that," Beomgyu said.
I looked to Jisung.
"Jisung is my partner, he's the one who matters to this dance piece. Kookie will have to deal. He's a dancer above all else. If his ego takes a hit, his ego needs that hit," I said.
Jisung smiled. We ran the piece one more time before the class started. While Jisung drank some water, I grabbed our teacher.
"Can Jisung and I do our duet either in the middle or end of class?" I asked her.
"Why?" she asked me firmly.
"We were rehearsing before class and I just want to make sure I don't push myself too much. That's why I was wondering if other partners could do their duets before us so I could rest a bit and do it a little later in the class," I replied.
"Are you up to doing it?" she asked concerned, knowing about my heart.
"Yes, Ma'am. I'm just a little winded right now and my heart rate is still at that accelerated rate from the rehearsals we had. I just want to be cautious so I don't have a problem in your class," I told her.
"Okay," she said. "I'll look to you towards the half an hour mark. If you're still looking sweaty, I'll leave you and Jisung until towards the end of the class."
"Thank you, Ma'am," I told her, bowing to her before going to join Jisung in class.
I explained to him what I'd done and she explained there was going to be a change in order for the duets. She started calling other pairs. Halfway through the class, Jisung and I got up and performed. While we danced, we completely tuned out the class. We hit every turn, all the moves, and even the aerial at the end the teacher had given us because she knew that Jimin and Hobi had been my teachers before I'd started school.
"Well, at least the freaks are good at something," I heard one of the girls say as we walked by to go back to Beomgyu and Taehyun.
"Leave her alone! Remember what Heechul said," another girl said.
"How is he gonna find out?" the first girl asked.
I looked at Jisung and shrugged. I knew he was going to tell Heechul. I also knew Heechul was going to arrange a workshop in our dance class with Shindong, Donghae, and Eunhyuk on the same day BTS held a workshop in the school.
At the end of the class the teacher posted the grades for the duets. Jisung and I got the highest grades. When school was over, Taeyong was there with Johnny to pick up me, Chenle, and Jisung.
"I need to go talk to Heechul-hyung before rehearsal, Hyung," Jisung said to Taeyong.
"Why?" he asked, worried.
"He made something very clear when SuJu came to the school a while back and someone in our class thinks it was a joke. I want to let him know," he told Taeyong.
"What happened?" Taeyong asked, worried there was gonna be drama.
I explained what happened when SuJu came to the school and what happened that day. He looked at me and Jisung. Taeyong looked worried about us.
"The two of you are outcasts?" he asked.
"Kinda," I told him. "We spend time with Chenle, I.N, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Kai, but when everyone suddenly wanted to become our friends, it was too much. Jisung and me don't really know how to talk to kids our own age. It was one thing when it was the seven of us, but when our lunch table started being crowded, we started going off on our own. We haven't cut any of the other five off though. We just can't eat lunch with them."
"You're outcasts, Ryu-ah," Johnny told me.
"I don't care," I told him. "I'd rather have just a few people I can trust to talk to then a bunch of fakes."
"We'll take you to see Heechul before we take you to the practice room," Taeyong said. "Just... be careful. Don't rely on idols to solve all of your problems. It can make things worse for you in the next two years. Chenle, I.N... they won't be with you next year."
"I won't, Oppa," I promised Taeyong. "The only reason I'm with Jisung-Oppa that we should tell Heechul about this is because the girl literally thinks that there's no way for him to find out and that he won't do anything. We didn't tell him anything to begin with. SuJu got there as Beomgyu stopped a girl from trying to hit me."
"When you act like Suga to a bunch of catty teenage girls in high school, that's what's going to happen, Ryu-ah," Johnny said, laughing.
"It slipped. They were being morons. It was a reflex, Oppas."
As hard as Taeyong tried not to, he started laughing.
When we got to SM, Jisung and I explained everything to Heechul. Sure enough, he called the school and offered to do a day of dance workshops for the second years with Shindong, Eunhyuk, and Donghae. After promising to call back with a date, he called Jin to tell him everything. The two agreed on a date and then they both called the school to set up the workshops.
Jin's POV:
Ryu-ah looked tired when she was dropped off at home. I was worried about her after Heechul had called me. When I get stressed out sometimes, I cook. The guys love it. Still, I called Ryu-ah to come into the kitchen to eat.
"Thanks, Appa," she said to me.
"Ryu-ah, why didn't you tell me about what was going on at school?" I asked her gently.
"It was nothing I couldn't handle," she told me. "I only went to Heechul because he saw an incident a while back that Beomgyu and Taehyun stepped up to help me with. A girl tried to hit me. Beomgyu stopped her. Heechul saw Beomgyu holding her hand to keep her from hitting me and made it clear that if anyone started with me, there'd be consequences, including you and Suga. Jisung and I knew when we went to him, he was gonna call you."
"So you knew he'd call and you still told him?" I asked.
"Yeah. I didn't care that he told you, Appa," she said. "The stuff at school, it's a nuisance, not a problem, really. We went to Heechul to prove a point. That when he said there would be consequences, he was serious and he would find out if anyone was stupid enough to ignore him."
"But has anyone been bullying you?"
"Not since the day I basically tore that girl to shreds verbally and SuJu showed up," she admitted. "Now, they're either too afraid to mess with me or want to be my best friend. I kinda made myself an outcast with Jisung. We don't speak teenager."
"What about Beomgyu, Taehyun, Kai, I.N, and Chenle?"
"We hang out before school and we'll talk between classes when we see each other. We'll spend time together if we have classes together, but we just don't eat lunch together. There's too many people who hang out at our table now. The others may be okay with the attention, but neither of us are. We usually eat lunch together in an empty classroom."
I was worried hearing about that.
"Have you had any issues with your heart?"
"Not once," she said, proudly, which made me smile. "Even before it can become an issue, if I've done physical activity, I'll ask my teacher to allow me to push my turn for physical activity until the middle or end of class so I don't have an issue."
"So you haven't taken your emergency medications in school?"
"Nope. The only ones other than the faculty who know are Kai, Jisung, Beomgyu, Taehyun, I.N, and Chenle," she started. "They know I don't want that spread around the school. So they've promised not to say anything unless they see me actually going into distress and unable to help myself. It hasn't been an issue. But I always have a small bag with me so I have my meds, even when I can't have my backpack. I keep the typed instructions for the medications you gave BamBam and Yugyeom the first time they watched me on their own in the bag with my meds just in case."
"That's good, Ryu-ah," I said, still smiling. "I'm happy you're managing it as well as you are. I just wish you didn't have the trouble you did with other students."
"Kids are stupid. I'm going to be there for the rest of this academic year and all of next year, Appa," she said. "They'll either realize they're stupid and get over it or they won't. Either way, I've got a few great friends. Doesn't that matter more?"
I hugged her.
"You're right," I agreed.
She finished eating and I took her dishes.
"Do you need help with your homework? Jimin said he'd help," I told her.
"Actually, I could use his help with my math homework," she replied. "I finished all of my other homework while I was at SM with NCT."
"Alright. He's in his and Hobi's room," I told her.
Ryu's POV:
When I went to Hobi and Jimin's room, the door was open. I didn't even get a chance to knock before they called me inside. They already knew everything going on.
"Are you alright?" Hobi asked.
"Yeah. I'm good. Just proving a point by going to Heechul. He told the students there would be consequences, which included Appa and Suga. This girl doubted his ability to follow through. Just proving it's a mistake to ever doubt Kim Heechul," I told him.
"So, what can we do for you?" Hobi asked.
"Actually, I need some help with my math homework."
"Jimin, she's all yours," Hobi said and we all started laughing.
"Alright, Ryu-ah," Jimin said. "Why don't you drop your things in your room, and meet me in the dining room with your math textbook and notebook after you do?"
I nodded and went to do as he told me to. When I got to the living room, Jimin was waiting. I sat down and he sat with me and started helping me with my math homework. Kookie entered the dining room, looking like he was gonna try to help, but rushed out when he saw my math textbook. Jimin and I laughed at his reaction. When I finished, I yawned.
"Thanks, Oppa," I told Jimin.
"Anytime, Ryu-ah. But are you feeling okay?" he asked me as he put his hand to my forehead. "You feel a little warm."
"It's just been a long day and I'm tired," I told him.
"Are you sure that's all?" he asked me, worried.
"Yeah."
"Then wash up and get to bed," he said to me, hugging me.
"Alright. Good night, Oppa."
I didn't go back to school for three days. It turned out Jimin was right about my temperature. It went up over night. When Appa took me to the doctor, it turned out I had a mild cold, but with the anti-rejection medications I had to take since the heart transplant, which suppressed my immune system to prevent it from attacking my new heart, even that was a big deal for me. So for three days I stayed home, Appa with me the whole time taking care of me, as I did my best to beat the cold. Finally, when I went back to school, I had to wear a mask until I was completely better.
Thankfully, I was better by the time the workshops were happening, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to enjoy them to the fullest. I hadn't realized, but Heechul really wanted to make sure that everyone learned their lessons. He asked his friend Lee Honggi from FT Island to bring FT Island to workshop with the band musicians and prove his point for him. Heechul even called in Leo from VIXX to talk to the kids in the acting program. Earlier in the day, during my vocal class, BTS was there.
Everything was going fine. Yoongi called me out to match Jimin note for note, which I did. Then he told the class he was going to challenge me. He asked me to try to keep up with him as he started performing his part of "DNA," but someone spoke out.
"She's lived with you for who knows how long," one of the girls said. "How do we know you didn't teach her this, knowing you were coming in for this?"
"What's your name, Kid?" he asked her.
"Mina," she replied.
"Listen here, Mina," Yoongi started. "I've known Kim Ryung-gi for more than five years already. In that time, the only things she's learned from me are the piano and guitar... well that, and how to talk to people."
He smirked at her at that.
"It's okay, Suga," I said to him, handing him my MP3 player. "I'll handle this. Drop the volume at the beginning of the second verse."
He looked at the song that was pulled up then back to me.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Absolutely," I said with a smirk, which he returned.
The beginning of "Warrior" by B.A.P started to play. Right before Zelo started to rap at the beginning of the second verse, Yoongi dropped the volume so that you could barely hear the track. I perfectly matched Zelo, word for word, not losing the beat or tempo. When I finished, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Jisung were looking at me in shock. So were the guys from BTS. Yoongi gave me my MP3 player back.
"Good job, Kid," he said to me before he looked to the class. "Any other questions about how I coached her on what we were going to be showing you guys today?"
The class went quiet and BTS went back to the workshop. When I got to my music class, that was when I found out about FT Island. Honggi had the class try to play one of their songs by ear. The band would play part of the song and then he tested each student on how well they were able to play it back. Having been taught by Yoongi, I had no problem with the exercise.
"What's your name?" Honggi asked me.
"Kim Ryung-gi," I replied, not having had a chance to meet FT Island before.
"You've done the best in this exercise," he complimented me. "Good job. I'd like to see you again."
"Yes, Sir," I said to him.
"See me before you go to your next class," Honggi told me.
"Can you stop the crap?" a boy in my class exclaimed. "We all know you're here because of her. How long have you actually known her?"
"Who are you?" Jaejin asked him.
"Han Byungchul," he replied.
"Well, Han Byungchul, whatever your issue is here, I can assure you that nobody in FT Island has ever met Kim Ryung-gi before today," Jaejin told him. "Honggi was asked to come and do these workshops today as a favor from one of his friends, Kim Heechul. However, we've never met this girl. Though now I understand why Heechul was insistent on this. You guys are brazen and disrespectful to speak to your elders this way."
"What Jaejin is trying to say is that you're a bunch of brats and you need to knock your crap off," Honggi said to Byungchul. "We've never met Ryung-gi, but I'm glad I did this for Heechul. You little brats are picking on her and for what? Because she has more talent in her little toe than any of you have in your entire families? Get over yourselves. If any of you think you're going to get anywhere with your talent and this attitude, you're kidding yourselves. You'll get dropped from any entertainment company that signs you when they realize your mouth is more trouble than you're worth."
"Do you know who you're talking to? I'm signed to YG!" Byungchul said.
"I don't know who I'm talking to, Trainee, and I probably never will," Honggi told him. "YG will never debut someone like you. They have their hands full with Seungri."
The rest of FT Island and my class laughed. So did I. The bell rang and Honggi kept me behind. Jisung waited with me. Honggi looked to me to see if that was okay. I let him know it was.
"I really would like to get a chance to know you better," Honggi told me. "You can bring your friends if they have time."
"They'd have to ask their managers. I have six real friends in this school. Three of them are already debuted idols. Jisung is part of NCT Dream with another of our friends, Chenle. I'm also friends with I.N from Stray Kids. The other three are Big Hit trainees," I told him. "But what are you thinking?"
"Well, maybe the seven of you can come see us rehearse," he started. "Or we have a concert here in Seoul in a few weeks. I can give you guys all-access passes."
"I'd have to ask Appa," I replied. "If he's traveling with BTS or paranoid about me going to a rock concert he might say no."
"Your father is in BTS?" Jaejin asked.
"Jin. He adopted his little sister when their family died in an accident a few years back," Honggi replied for me. "If he's worried tell Heechul. I'll talk to him with Heechul."
"Alright," I said and he gave me and Jisung his number. "You guys both did great today. To think, I didn't even know the person Heechul asked me here to prove a point over was in this class."
We bowed to him and left class. After lunch we went to dance, where SuJu was waiting. This time, there was no denying that they were there because of the comment made in the class a few weeks back. Jisung and I went to sit with Beomgyu and Taehyun as far away from the coming carnage as we could.
"So," Heechul started. "I found out that someone in this class has been calling not only Kim Ryung-gi, who I deemed off-limits, but Park Jisung, our junior at SM, freaks. Not only that, this same someone did this under the delusion that I wouldn't be able to do anything."
Everyone else in the class looked at the girl who made the comments. She stood up.
"So what if I called them freaks?" she asked. "They are. And what? They went crying to you?"
"Actually, the only reason they said anything is because you called into question my ability to follow through on my warning," Heechul said with a smirk that said he wasn't playing. "I hope the second year class has enjoyed having their asses to you in all your classes today. All thanks to you. SuJu has been on the scene for a very long time. I've made a lot of friends over those years, many of them have no problem putting a bunch of out of line kids right back in their place."
"They put you up to this?" she demanded.
"No, she didn't put me up to anything. I warned this entire school to leave her alone or there would be consequences," he told her firmly, which made her shrink back a bit. "Welcome to your consequences. She only knew I called BTS as I told all of you I would do."
"Bullshit!" one of the boys said. "FT Island seemed very cozy with her!"
"Really? Because I've never had a chance to introduce her to them before. But I'm glad Honggi likes her," Heechul said. "Now watch your mouth. The only ones who will be cursing in here will be the four of us. Curse again and your going to be in detention for an hour for every slip. That goes for everyone in here."
The other students paled.
"Now, everyone, get off your asses," Shindong said to the class. "Start stretching."
A few minutes later, Shindong, Eunhyuk, and Donghae were leading us through one of the toughest routines I'd ever seen before. It was way past our class level. I got through it the first two times just fine. By the third time, I was starting to feel it. Jisung, Beomgyu, and Taehyun noticed. Beomgyu grabbed the bag with my meds. Taehyun got Heechul, who was playing technique police, discreetly. Jisung kept me standing upright.
"Ryu-ah, are you alright," Heechul asked me quietly as soon as he got to me, and I nodded.
"No, she's not. She started swaying," Jisung told him.
"And she got pale," Taehyun continued.
"Not to mention, she's having trouble breathing," Beomgyu finished, handing Heechul the bag of my meds. "She's not gonna want anyone to know about this. Take her outside. It will mean a lot if you protect this secret Heechul-hyung."
"I got her," Heechul said. "Jisung, take her to the hallway and sit her down. Taehyun, quietly let Shindong know why I'm going to have Jisung and Ryu-ah outside. Beomgyu, go tell Jin. If he's here and we don't tell him, he'll have all of our heads."
Jisung started quietly moving me to the hallway and helped me sit down. My chest hurt a little. Heechul was there a minute later with my meds.
"What do you need, Ryu-ah?" he asked me.
"There are instructions in the bag, Hyung," Jisung told him.
Heechul looked at the instructions and then pulled out the right medication and the bottle of water I kept in there for an emergency. He gave me my pill and Jisung helped me to sit up and take it. After I took it, I leaned back, putting my head on Jisung's shoulder.
"Do you feel better?" Heechul asked.
"It takes a few minutes for the emergency meds to kick in, Hyung," Jisung answered for me. "Until then, she usually just relaxes and waits out the pain."
Not long after Appa showed up with Yoongi. Heechul explained what happened. Appa thanked Jisung and Beomgyu for thinking quickly to get Heechul and Heechul for making sure I was taken care of. Jisung reluctantly let Yoongi take his place and went back to class with Beomgyu. Twenty minutes before the end of class, I was feeling back to myself.
"I'm okay, guys," I said, lifting my head off of Yoongi. "Thanks for helping me, Heechul-oppa."
"I'm just glad you're okay," he said.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Appa asked.
"Yeah. The pain and tightness in my chest has actually been gone for a little bit. I just waited to make sure I was okay," I told them, getting to my feet. "Gwaenchanha. I just should've taken a break after the second run through of the routine Shindong, Eunhyuk, and Donghae have my class doing. I was fine until then. It was the third time through that I had the issues. But Taehyun, Beomgyu, and Jisung acted quickly even though I thought I was okay."
"Maybe I should take you home early?" Appa mused.
"Ani, Appa," I told him. "Gwaenchanha."
"Hyung," Yoongi started. "I think we should leave her. She's got some good friends to look out for her. They'll take care of her. Besides, we'll be in the building for the rest of the day. If anything happens, we're minutes away."
"Alright," Appa conceded. "Thanks again, Heechul."
Heechul nodded and then they walked away.
"No more dancing for you today," Heechul told me. "I know you think you're fine. But don't overdo it. Come sit with me. We'll mock your classmates."
He smirked at me and I couldn't help laughing. We went inside. Shindong, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Jisung, Beomgyu, and Taehyun all looked relieved I was on my feet and doing okay. I sat with Heechul and watched the rest of the class. When a few students complained and asked why, Shindong just told them to mind their damn business and focus on fixing their technique.
Overall the day was a very amusing one. Even with the issue in my dance class, I had a great time. After school, Jisung, Taehyun, Beomgyu, and I were all heading to the SM building with SuJu. We had a big test coming up so the four of us were going to study there. Beomgyu and Taehyun were excused from training for the day to study, which was why we were going to SM, so Jisung could practice and study.
By the time I got home, Appa had my favorite foods ready for me. I could tell he was still nervous about what happened earlier in the day. I went to him in the kitchen after I dropped my things in my room. After giving him a hug, I sat down with him.
"Are you okay, Appa?" I asked him.
"I want you to see your cardiologist, Ryu-ah. To be safe," he said. "I made an appointment for the day after tomorrow."
"Appa, I can't that day. The test I was studying for tonight. That's when it is. I can't miss it. If you can reschedule it for another day, I'll go," I told him.
He looked at me worried. But I think he took into consideration that I wasn't telling him I wouldn't go, but I couldn't miss my exam.
"Alright, I'll call the office tomorrow and see if I can get you in either after school the same day or early next week," he conceded.
"Okay," I replied. "Just let me know so I don't go anywhere but to meet you to go to the office."
I ate quietly for a few minutes.
"Why didn't you stop sooner, Ryu-ah?" Appa asked. "It's not like you."
"I really felt okay even after the second run through, Appa," I told him. "It just happened during the third run through, kinda suddenly. The guys realized the change in me before I was aware of it myself. They stopped me and told Heechul."
"You can't dance at the level Shindong was pushing today," he said. "I know you want to be as normal a teenager as you can be, but..."
"I know I'm not, Appa," I told him. "I'm careful. Today just snuck up on me. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
He hugged me to him.
"I'm just glad you're okay, Ryu-ah. You're a handful sometimes, but I can't imagine my life without you," he said as he kissed the top of my head, laughing.
The following week, Appa and I went to see my cardiologist. He did a full work-up, including a stress test. When that was over, he sat down with me and Appa.
"Well, Jin, it's been close to five years since Ryu had her heart transplant," he started. "I understand why you brought her in. She hasn't had many attacks like what you described happened last week, with the exception of last December, in the last two years."
"How is she?" Appa asked.
"As I'm sure you're aware, not all heart transplants last typically less than two decades and it is likely that Ryu will need another heart transplant before she's 25," he said. "However, it doesn't seem as if you really need to worry about that at this time. Unless something comes back on the biopsy I did, Ryu seems perfectly healthy. I would just recommend for the next week that she do a little less physical activity in her dance class at school, at least until I get the results of the biopsy. I'll give you a note stating that she is only cleared for minimal participation in classes that require physical participation."
"Ryu will really need another heart transplant before she turns 25?" Appa asked in shock.
"Most heart transplants last between 11 and 14 years. She was 10 when she got her first heart. So she may need a new heart, if she stays healthy, by the time she's 24. However, if she's very lucky, the longest anyone who received a heart transplant has ever survived was 33 years. All you can do is exactly what you're doing now," he said. "If you think something is wrong, bring her in to see me. If she has an attack that her medication doesn't stop, bring her to the hospital and call me. And if she shows any signs of rejection or cardiac failure, get her to the hospital immediately and call me. If you do this, you are giving Ryu her best chance at living as normal a life as she can."
Appa just looked at me and I could tell that he was scared. I grabbed his hand and squeezed.
"Doc, can you give me a note excusing me from school today and tomorrow?" I asked him.
"Why?" he asked.
"I think Appa just went into overload. I think he needs to keep me close for a day or so to see for himself that I'm okay," I told him.
The cardiologist looked between me and Appa. Then he nodded his head. When we went home, Appa locked himself in his room. After practice, when the others got home, he was still in there.
"What's going on with Jin-hyung, Ryu-ah?" Kookie asked me.
"The cardiologist told him that pending the biopsy of my heart he did today, I'm perfectly healthy, which is good, considering it's already been five years since my heart transplant," I started.
"That's great news," Kookie replied excited. "So why isn't he coming out of his room or answering his phone."
"He also reminded him that most people who have heart transplants as young as I did need second heart transplants. He told him that if I stay healthy, I'm on track to need a new heart somewhere between 21 to 24 years old, Kookie," I told him. "Appa kinda went into shock. I'm not going to school tomorrow. The doctor excused me so I could be here for Appa."
As the others came to find out what was going on with Appa, Kookie told them for me. They all hugged me and told me they were sorry about the second heart transplant news. It didn't bother me. I wasn't stupid. I knew the heart I had wouldn't last forever. The news actually gave me hope. I didn't know I could get a second heart transplant. I thought I would die when this heart gave on me. My issue was I was worried about Appa.
Kookie, Yoongi, and I sat outside his room for hours. He didn't come out. Hobi cooked for us and I picked at it, not that hungry. I took my medications like I was supposed to. It was when Kookie and Yoongi tried to get me to go to my room to sleep that I refused. Appa didn't abandon me when I was broken. Now it was my time to return the favor. He needed to know that I was still here and okay. Whenever he opened his door, I was going to be there for him. They tried to argue with me, but eventually Joonie told them to leave me be, that this was between father and daughter, and this time, they needed to let me and Appa deal with this on our own.