The door slid open, and Yerin walked in. Suho and Hauen both turned to look at her.
Suho's face lit up with a smile, but Yerin just stood there quietly, unsure how to react.
Hauen got up and walked toward her with a gentle smile. "Come," she said softly.
Yerin gave a small, forced smile in return.
"You two should talk. I'll wait outside," Hauen said kindly and walked out, giving them privacy.
Yerin sat down on the chair beside Suho's bed. Her eyes scanned him slowly, the bandages, the scars, the pale face. He looked so different that she barely recognized him. The man she loved, her handsome, lively Suho, looked completely broken.
"What happened to you? How did this happen?" she asked in a low voice.
Suho looked up at her weakly and said, "I don't know… everything happened in a second, and now I'm here."
Her eyes stopped on his scarred face. "Your face…?" she whispered.
He smiled faintly. "Ruined, right? Just the result of the accident. Your handsome Suho isn't handsome anymore," he said, trying to joke.
Yerin looked at him, her voice trembling. "Are you okay?"
And those two simple words, Are you okay, hit him harder than any wound. His chest tightened, and his eyes burned with pain.
He looked down, his lips trembling.
"Suho…?" Yerin called softly, her voice full of worry.
And suddenly, he pulled her into his arms and broke down completely.
"I'm not okay, Yerina… I'm not," he cried, his voice cracking against her shoulder. "My whole life changed in just a few seconds. I lost myself, Yerina… and I don't even know how to handle it anymore."
He clung to her tightly, his body shaking as he cried. Yerin gently stroked his back, her own eyes filling up as she felt his pain through every word.
After a while, he pulled back just enough to look at her, tears still streaming down his face. "I can't walk again, Yerina…" he confessed, his voice breaking.
Her eyes widened, her throat tightening. "Suho…"
"I'm damaged for life," he said quietly. "I've become a burden, and it's killing me inside. Every day I wake up feeling trapped, helpless… I've been dying silently. But now that you're here—" he choked up again, "—I can finally breathe. I missed you, my love."
In that moment, he looked so small, so broken, like a little boy just wanting comfort from the only person who made him feel safe.
Yerin's hand trembled as she reached out and touched his legs gently.
"I can't feel them," he said honestly, his voice hollow.
She looked back at him, her eyes full of tears.
"And… we lost the baby too," he whispered, his voice barely a breath.
Yerin sat quietly, trying to process everything he had just said, everything that had happened in the last two weeks. Her heart ached seeing him like this, broken and defeated.
"I've lost everything in a matter of seconds, Yerina… everything, my face, my legs, my baby," he said softly, his voice tired and fragile. "The only thing I have left now… is you."
He wasn't trying to sound dramatic; he was just exhausted, emotionally drained, pouring his heart out to the one person he loved most.
Yerin reached out and gently patted his shoulder. "Don't worry… everything will be alright," she said quietly, though even she wasn't sure if she believed her own words.
He nodded faintly, then smiled weakly when she handed him a small bouquet. "Here… these are for you," she said.
He looked at the flowers for a moment before taking them carefully. Bringing them close, he inhaled the soft scent and smiled. "Hmm… they smell like you," he murmured.
Yerin let out a small, sad laugh and smiled back at him. For a few minutes, they just talked softly, simple things, small things, as if trying to pretend life was still normal.
Then the door opened gently, and Hauen stepped inside. "You guys are done?" she asked softly, her eyes shifting between the two of them.
Suho smiled, "What happened?"
"Actually… Yuna aunty is coming, so…" Hauen said softly.
Suho let out a quiet sigh and closed his eyes in frustration.
Yerin stood up, understanding what that meant. "Okay, fine, I'll go now. I'll meet you again once you're discharged, okay?" she said gently.
He nodded, a little sad but trying to hide it. As she turned to leave, he suddenly reached out and held her wrist. Yerin turned back, surprised, before she could say anything, he pulled her into a tight hug.
He buried his face into her hair, breathing her in like he'd been starving for her warmth. Hauen stood there silently, watching them. Yerin hugged him back, gently rubbing his shoulder.
When he finally looked up at her, he pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I love you," he whispered.
She smiled faintly, her voice trembling, "Me too."
With that, she gave him one last look and left the room quietly.
Suho sat there smiling like an idiot, the kind of smile that comes after seeing someone you love after a long time.
Hauen walked back to him and sat on the chair beside his bed. "Feeling good now?" she asked with a knowing smile.
He nodded, still smiling. "Thank you, Hauen."
She smiled teasingly, "Mention not, husband."
He laughed lightly. "You want something?" she asked softly.
He looked at her and said, "I just want to get out of this room. It's suffocating me. Can you help me with that? If you're okay with it?"
She nodded immediately. "Yeah, wait a second, I'll ask the doctor."
He smiled in relief and nodded, "Okay."
After a few minutes, Hauen came back with a male caretaker."The doctor said yes," she said brightly.
The nurse helped Suho out of bed and onto a wheelchair, then took him to the hospital garden. Hauen followed behind.
As soon as they reached the garden, Suho took a deep breath and felt the fresh air.Hauen smiled and told the nurse, "I'll take care of him." The nurse nodded and left.
She pushed Suho's wheelchair toward a quiet, beautiful corner of the garden. Suho looked around, smiling."Wow, this feels like heaven. I was suffocating in that room," he said.
Hauen smiled. "Don't worry, you'll be discharged soon, and your therapy will start at home.""Really?" he asked, looking up at her.She nodded.
"That's good to hear. I never want to come back to a hospital again," he said, half-laughing.
Hauen chuckled softly, then gently began to massage his shoulders. Suho looked up at her in surprise, and she quickly stopped.
He smiled and said, "That feels good, please continue."
Hauen smiled back and kept massaging his shoulders. Suho leaned back, relaxing under her gentle touch. After a moment, her hands moved up toward his head."Should I massage your head too?" she asked softly.
"If it's a free service, please continue," he teased.
She chuckled and began running her fingers through his short, spiky hair, gently massaging his scalp."Wah… that feels amazing, Hauen. Please don't spoil me like this, I might get addicted to you," he said with his eyes closed, voice calm and teasing.
Her heart skipped a beat, and her hands suddenly slowed. Addicted to me? she thought, her chest tightening a little. That feels… too right.
Suho opened his eyes when he noticed her pause."What happened?" he asked.
"Nothing," she said quickly, smiling, and continued massaging.
A while later, she started pushing his wheelchair around the garden, letting him enjoy the fresh air and soft sunlight. Suho looked peaceful, his tension easing as they moved slowly through the quiet paths.
As night began to swallow the daylight, Hauen gently pushed Suho's wheelchair back to his hospital room.
He refused to get back on the bed right away, insisting on sitting in the chair a little longer. They talked for a while, mostly about Yerin, as always. Hauen listened quietly, her heart aching, but she didn't let it show. She just smiled and nodded, letting him pour out his thoughts.
Later, she helped feed him dinner, making sure he ate properly. Once he was done, the caretaker helped him back onto the bed. He looked tired but peaceful.
"Stay here tonight," he said softly, almost pleading.
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."
So she stayed, sitting on the small couch near his bed as the room grew quiet, the only sound being the steady rhythm of his breathing as he drifted to sleep.