Haru has been sitting there on the same bench, cluelessly staring at the quiet empty garden. She is not sure what Mister Kim meant when he asked her to wait here. It has been 15 minutes since he left her there and now, she wonders if she should keep waiting or maybe she should go back to Haneul's room.
The faint footsteps approaching her makes her eyes perk up, turning to the left to see him walking towards her. He says nothing as he takes his seat beside her, putting the plastic bag he has been holding at the small space between them. Gently he takes out a can of coffee, opens it and hands it to her while showing her a soft smile.
"W-What is this?", she looks at him blankly.
"This is...coffee?"
"I-I know but why are you giving it to me?", she cannot believe she asked that question, but she really is lost.
"Because...this is yours?", he nods at her to take it again, offering another small smile. "I bought you coffee, I think this is the same as the one you chose from the vending machine the other night. I hope I got it right"
She ends up staring him with a big question mark on her face. It is even funnier because he is too staring at her with his hand that is holding her coffee extended towards her.
"You don't want this coffee?", he looks down at the coffee in his hand and he looks up again, looking puzzled. "Or do you want the other one?"
He puts the coffee to the side and starts rummaging through the plastic bag. He takes out a few other canned drinks and puts them in the space between them.
"I bought a few just in case one is not enough and—"
"Mister Kim", she stops him. "No, I didn't mean it that way"
Haru watches as he looks up at her with that round puppy eyes, almost making her heart skip another few beats. She had only seen the intimidating part of this man, but she had never seen this one. This innocent kind of adorable part of the man she has been so nervous whenever their eyes met.
"You are very thoughtful, Mister Kim"
"W-Why the sudden...?"
"No—I mean—You bought me coffee again"
"And also, some food", he takes out a packet of sandwich from the plastic and pushes it towards her. "I would have bought some hot instant noodles for you, but I don't think spicy food would do on an empty stomach"
"Why are you so...kind?"
Taehyung stares at her for a few seconds before breaking into a small smile as he takes the opened coffee and hands it to her.
"Kindness is a chain", he carefully tears the plastic of the sandwich and hands it to her. "Eat something. You want to wait for your cousin, right? You need the energy"
Her eyes glued on the sandwich in his hand as her heart begins to beat faster feeling her body reacting to his kindness. Not that she doubted his genuine gesture of buying her coffee and sandwiches, but it feels slightly out of place. None of this makes any sense and at the back of her head, she is still very much embarrassed to even look him in the eyes.
"You don't want the sandwich too?", his timid voice made her look up. "Do you want something warm?"
"No", she replies quickly, one hand gently taking the sandwich from his hand. "Thank you for this, Mister Kim. I am thankful for your kindness"
Taehyung flashes a smile before he pushes the opened can of coffee towards her, gesturing her to take it. He then opens another packet of sandwich and gently bites into the bread. He looks to the front, taking in the view of the small garden. As much as he wants to really enjoy the egg mayo sandwich he has bought for himself, a little part of him feels to aware of her presence.
He was not really thinking when he chose to approach her and placed his coat over her shoulders 30 minutes ago. He had no idea how his feet moved towards her, how his hands automatically removed the coat he was wearing and how the same hands gently placed the coat over her shoulders. He was not really thinking. It felt right. Doing it feels right. It could be just a kind gesture of being the older one between the two of them. A friendly gesture. It should be it.
But then, why does his heart feel like it is about to jump out of his chest?
The awkward silence between the two of them is starting to make the air around them feels heavy and uncomfortable. He steals a glance at her, relieved when she looks so deep in her thoughts and may or may not realize how time might have been moving painfully slow as they sit there.
"I've read your thesis", he chose to break the ice, turning to her slightly while putting on a relaxed face. "I have nothing to correct. You did a wonderful job with your writing, as expected"
"I-I did??", she almost—almost—dropped her sandwich when she heard it, too startled at the praise. "I did..?"
"Y-Yes", now it is his turn to stutter. Not because of the cold but the way Haru looks at him, her big sparkly eyes and surprised face might have accidentally shaken his entire being.
"I thought I ruined it because I barely had any time to complete it"
Taehyung gulps to himself, finding himself in a very confused state at the way his heart skipped a massive beat just a while ago. Quickly snapping out of it, he continues eating as he ignores the weird feeling building within him.
"Thank you, Mister Kim. For the food, and for the coffee"
"Don't mention—"
"And for sitting here with me"
The gentleness in her voice surprisingly made him froze, suddenly unable to chew the sandwich in his mouth as the words slowly sinks in. When it finally did, he swallowed slowly and hardly, letting every bit of sparks creeping on his skin calm down. He takes another bite of the sandwich as he stalls time to think of anything to say. It should not be hard to talk to her, should not it?
Is it because he had slept with her that it suddenly feels awkward? Or does it feel strange? Or is he just too aware of the silent embarrassment them both have agreed not to acknowledge? Or it is just him, being that person that tends to overthink at any given circumstances?
"You're welcome"
And that is all he managed to say.
-
Haru stayed by Haneul side the entire day, patiently waiting for her to wake up. The only time she went out is to grab a quick lunch when she realised her last meal was the sandwich from last night.
Last night. Yes, last night. The night Mister Kim sat by her side the entire time she was crying to herself.
How did she even cry in front of him while eating sandwich? How did it even happen?
"Oh god, why do I keep embarrassing myself in front of him", she buries her head in her hands, groaning and sighing to herself.
She recalls about last night and the exact moment she could not hold in the overwhelming sadness. She tried—really tried—to hold in all the tears while he was still seated beside her but every kind word he uttered seems to tear her heart even more. It was accidental, the little sob that fell from her lips were clearly unintended. She planned to eat her sandwich, drink the coffee, excused herself and cry in the toilet.
But her body betrayed her. Her feelings suddenly combined into a mess, inviting a whirlpool of unstable emotional breakdown. She was trembling, fighting herself and holding that one drop of tear at the corner of her eyes. But she failed. And once the tear trickled down her cheek, she knew there was no chance of her stopping it.
And that is when she apologized to Mister Kim and said she needed to cry there and then. To her very own surprise, he nodded and assured her that she needed the cry. He sat there in silence, not questioning her at all and let her cry. He didn't even try to stop her. He offered her another handkerchief, this time a dark blue one, on which reminded her about the first one he has given to her the other night.
"He is so kind....", she whispers to herself, staring at the handkerchief in her hand. "How can a person be this kind and gentle?"
She gets into a more comfortable position on the one-seater couch at the side of the bed, holding the little cloth up. She looks at it for a few seconds before bringing it closer to her nose. And there it is, the similar scent of lavender and chamomile. She had never known a man can smell as soft and as comforting as him. Even his brown coat smells the same.
And that's when it hit her. He smelled the same on the night they first met.
The memory from the night flashed right before her eyes, making her winced slightly as the details slowly waves in. She remembers. She remembers this smell. When she had unashamedly unbuttoned his shirt, she had caught the scent when she was so near to his neck. Or when she had his body pressed onto hers, she had smell it everywhere. Even his bed smelled soft, the lavender scent so strong but so soft it makes her want sleep longer the next morning.
Sighing to herself, she pushed those memories away as she folds the handkerchief neatly and placed it at the side. She turns to her cousin, hopeful eyes as she takes in her unconscious state laying there on the white bed. Dr Kim reminded her Haneul might be very weak for a few days after the surgery, the complication was not serious, but they still have to be mindful of her condition.
"Please, wake up", she leans closer to the bed. "I have so many things to tell you"
Her hand was about to reach for Haneul's when she feels her phone buzzing in the pocket of her sweatshirt. Startled at the sudden movement, she fished her phone out only to panic to see the caller's name on her screen.
"Jiwo—"
"Haru, please come. Please help me—I am scared—just come—", Jiwoo cries into the phone. "My dad is drunk again, and he is hitting my mom—save us"
-
Taehyung stands at the lift, hands holding the take-away food his brother has asked him to buy. Seokjin asked his favour earlier to get his favourite hamburger and fries from his beloved fast-food joint. Taehyung went straight from work, bought the food, and drove to the hospital right away. He did not go home first to change since Seokjin was begging him to come quick.
Hearing the door slides open, he looks up just to catch a glimpse of Haru running out of the lift. She ran pass his shoulder,feeling the wind gushing through him as she speeds across the area and disappears into the corner. It took him a few seconds to process everything before slowly zooming out of his bewildered state. He turns to the lift and realized the door had closed again, leaving him standing there dumbfounded.
But luckily the second lift behind him slides open and a kind nurse holds the door open and called him to get in. He must have been spacing out not to hear it. Thanking the middle-aged nurse, he leans on the side after pressing his floor. Then, his mind trails back to Haru.
The strange exprssion on her face just now keeps bugging him. She looks pale, eyes big as if she has just received the most shocking news in her life. She looks disturbed and shaken, as if she is in fear.
What is going on? What is happening to her? Did something happen to her cousin? But why is she leaving the hospital?
Millions of thoughts occupy his head as he walks towards Seokjin's room, not minding the surrounding of the hospital floor. He was clearly too into his thought, not realizing Seokjin has been calling him from the table.
"What is going on with you?", Seokjin waves his hand in front of his brother's lost face. "Did you see a ghost in the lift or something?"
Taehyung lets out a soft gasp as he finally zooms out, looking up in surprise to see Seokjin giving him a questioning look.
"Tae, what happened?", Seokjin looks worried now, eyebrows raised in question.
"I saw her running just now", he said without thinking, still bewildered. "Did something happen to her cousin?"
"Who?", Seokjin pulls the brown paper bag from his hands, placing it carefully on the table. "Who are you talking about?"
"Seo Haru", his voice was firmer this time. "Did something happen to her cousin?"
"Seo Haru—Oh Haru?", Seokjin looks at him, confused at first but then shakes his head. "Haneul is getting better. Nothing happened after the surgery. Why? Did you say she was running—to where?"
"I saw her left just now. She was basically rushing out of the hospital—did something happen?", Taehyung turns to his brother, his lost eyes searching for an answer to the million questions in his dizzy head. "Did something happen?
"Haru was in the room—shit", Seokjin quickly dumps the fries he was munching on and takes out his phone. He tapped on Haru's name on his speed dial and waited for a few seconds.
Taehyung watches anxiously as his brother keeps on redialling her number but to no avail. The slight worried expression on Seokjin's face was too noticeable for him not to ask.
"What is going on?"
"Shit, shit, shit", Seokjin pressed his forehead gently as he tries again. "I can't reach her"
"Hyung, what is going on?", he pressed on the question again, desperate for a context. "Tell me, did something happen?"
Seokjin sighs as he gives up and closed his eyes in distress. The soft tug on his sleeve made him look up, meeting his brother's confused eyes. He looked at him, trying to find words to explain but he couldn't. All he could muster to say is just the four words.
"I need your help"
~~~~~
NOTE
Hello everyone! Here is another update. It is quiteeee long so I hope it is good. Thank you for reading this book! I appreciate your time reading this! Love youuu