Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

***

A laugh sounded in Rona's ear, disturbing her sleep. Slowly she opened her eyes to find out the sound. After she opened her eyes, she saw a man holding his phone while occasionally making a chuckle as if he was watching something fun or funny. Without needing to see clearly the owner of the laughter, from his laughter alone she already knew the identity of the person.

"Minhyuk-ah…" She called him softly. The person who realized his name was called by her immediately put down her phone and looked at her.

"Oh, you awake?"

She almost rolled her eyes at his question. Doesn't her friend realize that anyone will wake up at the sound of his laughter?

"Yeah, I guess."

"I almost kissed the sleeping beauty who sleeps all night long to finally awake."

"Tch. Jeni will kill you." She scoffed through a teasing smile that spread across her face.

"I'm willing to die at her hands. I'd even let my heart stop beating for her." She saw Minhyuk acting dramatically by placing his hand on his chest.

"I get it, Romeo. What a stupid thing I said." She grumbled in annoyance. 

After Minhyuk chuckled at her answer, he changed his face to a calmer one and looked at her a little more seriously. "The doctor said that it is likely that you will always feel sleepy and sleep more because of the treatment to reduce the pain in your head. Jeni said you woke up in the middle of the night because of the pain."

She looked at her friend before smiling a little. "Yes. Last night I had a bad dream that caused my head to hurt a lot."

"What did you dream about?"

Minhyuk's question brought Rona who previously spoke while looking into his eyes, averted her eyes. She couldn't tell the truth but also couldn't lie if she answered while having contact with his eyes.

"I dunno, I forgot." It was a lie. She still remembered it. Remembering so vividly how her nightmare felt so real.

"I see," Minhyuk nodded after hearing her lie.

She didn't know the meaning of the response and nod given by Minhyuk. Did he believe that she forgot about it or did he somehow realize she doesn't want to talk about it?

"Oh right, I have something to confess. Last night Seokhoon came to see you but you were sleeping. Instead of you finding out about this from someone else and being angry with me for not telling you, I should be the one to tell you. I confess that I was the one who brought him to see you. I know you probably don't want to meet him and I know it's wrong to do that without your permission so I won't defend myself." Without further ado, Minhyuk confessed something at length to her while looking guilty. Rona watched Minhyuk who after finishing his confession lowered his head. Even though she was honestly annoyed that Minhyuk let Seokhoon come see her, she knew that her friend didn't have bad intentions.

Perhaps not hearing any response from her to his confession, Minhyuk lifted his head and stared at her. With a bit of fear, he asked her, "Are you angry?" 

"At you?" She asked back and Minhyuk just nodded his head.

"No, I'm not angry at you." She shook her head in an honest answer, but her eyes shifted to the outside of the window.

"But?" Minhyuk's response caused her to look back at him. The playful and unserious expression that always appeared on his face disappeared, replaced by a calm face that didn't match Minhyuk's childish personality.

"But what?" She raised her eyebrows confused by her friend's question.

"Somehow I feel your statement is not finished." Again, a calm gaze appeared in his eyes looking at hers. 

This Minhyuk's perspective slowly made her worried that he could guess what was wrestling in her mind. Yes, she wasn't angry at Minhyuk, because actually, she was more angry at Seokhoon for various reasons that suddenly appeared as soon as she found out that Seokhoon was by her bedside. However, she was a little disappointed with Minhyuk's act because she had made up her mind about her relationship with Seokhoon, especially when her ex-boyfriend didn't come to visit her right away. She already had a decision to end her relationship with Seokhoon but by letting her ex-boyfriend come to visit her last night, Minhyuk created a new doubt in her decision. But then, she couldn't tell Minhyuk about this. After a moment of silence, Rona looked at the person who was now one of her closest friends. The confused look on Minhyuk's face elicited a bit of guilt for trying to hide the truth from someone who was now very caring to her. She took a deep breath before giving her response.

"I don't know why Seokhoon only came to see me when I was asleep. Even though I waited for him all day." She wanted to be honest with Minhyuk and tell him about her inner struggles, but she still couldn't do it. Therefore, she only gave a little honesty about the series of anxieties she was feeling.

"Ah, that…" Minhyuk laughed awkwardly before scratching the back of his head. "I'll tell you the reason why but don't tell Jeni."

"What do you mean?" She was confused by Jeni being dragged into their conversation.

"Jeni forbids Seokhoon to see you again. She can't forgive Seokhoon because of the accident you had." Minhyuk answered as clearly as possible.

"Oh,"

"And she has given the letter you wrote to Seokhoon to support her reason that you also want nothing from Seokhoon anymore."

Minhyuk's answer brought a realization as to why Seokhoon said that he had read the letter from her. The letter she wrote but had not yet had the chance to give it to him.

"Is that what you really want? End everything and want nothing from Seokhoon anymore?"

Minhyuk's question created hesitation in her to answer it. Luckily, she was saved from Minhyuk's question after the door of her room opened to reveal Ms Shim, Logan and her father.

"Rona… what perfect timing when we arrived you were already awake. At first, we were worried that you were still sleeping." Ms Shim walked quickly to her bed. Minhyuk who also saw their arrival immediately stood up from his seat and walked away from her bedside to invite Ms Shim to sit down.

"Good morning, Ms Shim." Minhyuk greeted Joo Seokkyung's biological mother shortly after he stood up.

"Good morning too Minhyuk-ah." Ms Shim patted Minhyuk on the back before looking up at her and smiling. "And good morning, Rona."

"Good morning ahjumma." She smiled back.

"You look better than yesterday." Logan asked her while standing on the end of her bed beside her wheelchair father.

She smiled in response. "I guess."

"Of course, she looks better. This sleeping beauty has had some pretty good sleep."  Minhyuk sounded teasing. And she replied by giving a sharp stare as if to show that she would kill him after she recovered.

"Hahaha. Then why are you here so early? You don't have a class?" Logan turned his gaze to Minhyuk.

"I don't have morning classes. But I also don't want to stay at my grandfather's house any longer. My grandmother came last night and the atmosphere at home is really uncomfortable." Minhyuk shook his head shakily. Logan laughed and Ms Shim just smiled. Meanwhile, another person who entered with them seemed uninterested in Minhyuk's story. That person looked at Rona with a look that could make her feel uneasy. Therefore, she averted her gaze so as not to stare at him.

"Does your head still hurt?" The man asked her in a worried tone even though he seemed to know that she was avoiding his gaze.

"A little." She only answered briefly while still avoiding her eyes.

"Doctor will bring us the latest scans and will explain to us the latest developments. I'm sure the results will be good because you're the strongest girl I've known." Ms Shim lightly patted her arm.

"Wait a little longer, Rona-ya. When it was confirmed that there was nothing wrong with your head. You probably will only do a short course of physiotherapy and you can go home. I've prepared a place to stay for you." Logan added.

She paused and looked at her father who was still looking at her worriedly. Before she turned back to look at Logan. A question she wanted to ask because of her curiosity whether she would live alone or live with her father. Logan and Ms Shim won't let her live with her father, do they?

"You will stay with Jeni and her mother. Ms Kang Mari seems to have considered you as her daughter already." Before Rona could ask, as if Logan knew what was in her mind he told her what she wanted to know. She nodded and looked at her hands, didn't know what her feelings were. Was she happy she won't live with her father or be disappointed?

"But while you're here, you will still get supervision from all of us, not just Kang Mari and her daughter."

"I'll even add some guards standing in front of your room."

Rona turned to Logan and raised her eyebrows. The statements that Ms Shim and he gave alternately confused her.

"That's because Cheon Seojin is still free, and it is not safe yet for you. Who knows what harm she will give you." Not Logan but her father answered her confusion.

"Didn't Ms Cheon have dementia? Is she still dangerous?" Minhyuk blurted out a question whose words caused her to be more confused.

Dementia? Cheon Seojin had premature senility?

"Yeah, but-"

"Impossible." She whispered. Cut whatever sentence Logan wanted to say.

"What's wrong Rona?" Ms Shim turned to her with a mixture of worry and curiosity on her face. Rona then looked back at her.

"Cheon Seojin can't possibly have dementia."

"What do you mean?" Logan bent down and looked at her seriously before adding, "What happened to you in the community room was because she thought you were Ha Eunbyeol."

"No," She shook her head. She didn't want to tell more, because if she told them then everyone in the room would know that the man in the wheelchair who was now staring at her with a gaze that never left her was her biological father. Rona looked at Ms Shim and then at Logan before taking a longer look at her father. But they seemed to want her to elaborate more. She gulped and became silent for some quiet time before finally opening her mouth.

"At first she kept acting as if I was Ha Eunbyeol. But after ahjussi got hurt because Cheon Seojin and I accidentally called him appa, Cheon Seojin then got mad and showed her true nature. She yelled at me that I was like my mom and repeated the words that everything is all my mother's fault. She kept taking out insults on mom." 

In the end, the decision Rona took was to tell the truth.  Because after all, she didn't want to continue to pretend that she didn't know the truth.

Her father looked very surprised, as well as everyone in the room.

"Appa? You call me appa? Why?"

Her head began to throb again. The pain gradually began to be felt. Rona tried to hold it in because for some reason she wanted to let it all out, take out everything she had been keeping for herself. She then looked at her father. She didn't care that her father knew the fact that she was his biological daughter. She didn't care what her father would do either. She just wanted to let everything out of her stuffed chest.

"Because that's the fact. You are my biological father. I can no longer pretend not to know that." She said confidently as if she no longer cared about what happened next.

"You know?" 

What she wasn't expecting, her father gave out a question that surprised her back. She looked at her father sharply after she finally knew what his question meant.

"And you knew it all of this time?" She asked back. The mixed feelings that arose made her head throb even more painfully but she ignored the pain because her curiosity was more important.

Her father was silent for a moment before nodding.

"Yoonhee told me when… when I turned myself in as the one who committed the crime that happened to you."

Her curiosity had indeed been answered, but Rona's mixed feelings were still swirling in her stuffed chest.

"You knew I'm your daughter but you only visited me after my mother died? Not trying to come to me to apologize. Not only apologizing for breaking your promise to always be by my mother's side, but also not apologizing for what you have done to me to satisfy your other daughter?" Rona's tears started welling up in her eyes. Not tears of sadness but tears of disappointment. The fact that her father knew that she was her biological daughter honestly made Rona a little relieved, but what her father did to her still hurts her.

Her father was silent. Rona looked at her father who was actually also looking at her but as she had seen before, her father's gaze though looked sad still felt empty. His pupils moved rapidly in all directions, not concentrating on her. And the look in her father's eyes was annoying her and added to her anger at him.

"Rona-ya, calm down." Ms Shim tried to calm her down by stroking the side of her head.

"Well, what should I expect? Because after all, to you your daughter is just Ha Eunbyeol." She scoffed.

"Rona-ya, Dr Ha also-"

"Logan, it's okay. Rona was right. I wasn't a very good father to her." Rona could see the guilt on his face. A few traces of teardrops were also visible on his cheeks.

"But Dr Ha…"

She then saw her father shaking his head, preventing her former teacher from speaking further. An enormous attack of pain assaulted her head making Rona wince slightly.

"Are you okay?" Minhyuk seemed to see what happened to her and he rushed to her. She turned to Minhyuk. The tears that had previously welled up trickled down. Either dripping because of the sadness and anger she had or dripping because of the pain that attacked her head.

"Minhyuk-ah, my head hurts so much." She told her friend instead of telling the three adults in the room. Seeing the body language of Ms Shim and Logan who were not surprised by the fact that she was her father's biological daughter caused her to realize that they also knew this. And it disappointed her a little because none of them had told her.

"Okay, I'll call the nurse to do something to ease your pain." Minhyuk tapped her lightly on the shoulder before taking the communication device to the nurses' station and telling them about her current condition.

As Minhyuk communicated through the tool, Rona closed her eyes hoping that this would ease her pain. She felt her arm being stroked and she knew it was by Ms Shim.

"We're sorry, Rona-ya. It's all our fault." Were her words before she felt her forehead being kissed. She didn't know what the words meant. Was Ms Shim apologizing because they hid the truth from her or was she apologizing because this talk caused her to feel a pain in her head?

Soon she heard the sound of the door opening, bringing her to open her eyes. A nurse came up to her with a medical kit. And she knew what would happen next. The nurse will give her something that will relieve her pain and put her back to sleep. Although from the bottom of her heart, she preferred the nurse to give her something that could make her forget everything. Forgetting the pain in her head, and forgetting the pain in her heart.

***

"Omma!"

"Hhm?"

"Have you ever been deeply hurt because of someone you care about?"

"What with this question?"

"Nothing, it's… It's just that while we are now on our way to leave Korea, I also want to leave all the bad memories in that country at the same time. But… I don't know how. I don't know if I can forget the memories, especially the memories when I felt hurt because the person that I thought loved me and cared about me."

"Is this about Seokhoon?"

"Eh?"

"You think I don't know that you're dating Seokhoon? Kang Mari is such a gossiper. The first thing I heard when I came out of the apartment and saw her in front of the elevator, is how she sarcastically said you can do what I do."

"What'd you mean?"

"I don't know if she praised you or mocked you because you could make Seokhoon prefer you over Ha Eunbyeol."

"That's…"

"For the answer to your question. I have felt it before too. I experienced heartache, disappointment, and anger when people I care about hurt me deeply. The pain was so great that I felt a deep hatred for that person. But deep inside the bottom of my heart, I know the moment that person appears in front of me again, I will definitely forgive him and forget the hate, anger, and pain I felt before."

"Who is he?"

"Don't be like me, Rona. I hope you can love yourself more than that person. A person who is not worthy of your forgiveness."

"Can I?"

"Well, I have my doubts too. You are my daughter after all. I am a very kindhearted person. So you must be one too."

"Omma!! How can you praise yourself?!?"

"Hahahaha…"

"Tch."

"I just hope you're not stupid like me."

"Don't worry, I certainly will be better and smarter than you."

"Tch, look at you praising yourself too."

"Well, I'm your daughter."

"Yes yes yes… you are my daughter. My dearest daughter who is taken after me."

Rona opened her eyes, her memories with her mother returned to her dreams. And as soon as she opened her eyes she saw someone sitting beside her bed reading. The figure of a man who was not her closest friend, Logan, nor even her father looked very focused on the book in front of him. A book that looked very familiar to her. The figure of the man she last saw on the night when she learned the truth about her mother's death.  The man who although hurt her and left her, still made her miss him.

"I just hope you're not stupid like me."

Her mother's words rang in her ears. Reminding her not to be stupid, get carried away and fall back into a state that will make her look pathetic. She had to keep remembering how his back walked away from her and left her alone. Twice he had left her and also made her wait for him.  After making her wait for his reply to her emails, waiting for him in that ill-fated room, and the new one waiting for him to come to visit her.

Rona watched him who had not realized that she was awake, while considering whether he deserved to be given another chance by her.

'Should we have another chance, Seokhoon-ah?'  She asked herself.

"Rona-ya, you're awake. Does your head hurt?" As if hearing her call his name silently, Seokhoon turned to her with a smile. The hand that had previously held the book was now holding her hand. As if what happened between them never existed.

"What are you doing here?" She asked weakly and flatly as she withdrew her hand from his slowly. She could see that Seokhoon was taken aback before smiling again as if he couldn't read her distaste for his presence.

"Oh, Minhyuk was out for a bit to buy a very late lunch. Jeni hasn't come back from her class either. Don't worry I'll just be here until Minhyuk comes back." Seokhoon stood up awkwardly. And she could only stare at him in silence.

"Are you thirsty?" She saw Seokhoon then walked towards the table beside her bed. Her eyes watched her ex-boyfriend carefully while remembering what Seokhoon said last night. He wanted her to give him one more chance, wanted to try one more time, and wanted to restart their story from the beginning. The wish that Rona thought he no longer had. 

Rona was still looking at her ex-boyfriend who was searching for something on the table. Her eyes were like magnets that followed him wherever he moved. Including staring at the back facing her. The cold back that left her in front of his Penthouse elevator. The memory that suddenly appeared dawned on her and brought back her senses. Her eyes turned elsewhere and a sky-blue envelope caught her eyes. The envelope lay on the table near the flower vase containing her favorite flowers.

"Finally, I found the straw. Do you want-" She heard Seokhoon suddenly stop talking. And from the corner of her eyes, she knew that he had stopped what he was doing to follow her eyes.

"That's a letter from Dr Ha to you." And as if knowing what she was thinking, Seokhoon gave an answer to her curiosity. She raised her head to look at him and squinted her eyes which were met with a wide smile on his handsome face. Seokhoon then put down the glass filled with drinking water that he had previously wanted to give her and took the envelope with a similar color to the view outside her window.

"Dr Ha came here when you were still asleep and asked me to give it to you. Would you like to read it?" Seokhoon looked at her and she could only stare silently at the envelope while thinking about her father's intention.

"Do you want me to read it for you?" 

The question immediately woke her up and she shook her head, "Give it to me." She thrust her palm slowly toward his hand that was holding the envelope.

"Okay." She didn't know maybe because Seokhoon saw the movement of her hand that was still weak or maybe because he was trying to be nice to her so that she would grant his wish to give him another chance, Seokhoon's hand didn't give her the envelope but instead opened it and took out the contents before placing it in her palm.

Rona stared at the paper in her hand. Considering whether she should read it now or later or never. She didn't know what was on her father's mind for giving her a letter. Is this a farewell letter from him? If that was true, wouldn't that be great? Because from his little effort, Rona herself felt that the relationship between a father and daughter like theirs was beyond repair.

She bit her lip, deep down in her heart... Rona wanted to give him a chance to be a father. And she also wanted to feel the love of a father. So far, she didn't have that luxury and sometimes she felt jealous of the bond between a father and daughter. She also wanted to feel spoiled by a father like her father spoiled Ha Eunbyeol.

"I know how you feel about Dr Ha. But you should at least know what he's trying to tell you."

She looked at Seokhoon and again the man gave her the soft smile he always gave her. The comfort smile that she always missed because his smile is like a booster for her to live her days after losing her universe, her mother.

The paper that was in her hand she finally opened and the handwriting that she guessed belonged to her father decorated the plain paper. Her eyes began to move to read the writing.

Rona-ya,

When you opened your eyes after a long time lying in a coma, I really regretted that I could no longer see the beauty of your black orbs that looked just like your mother. I truly like your mother's beautiful eyes and when I see your eyes, I am grateful that you have inherited her beautiful eyes. Her black orbs that always look bigger and shining when they're burning with passion and high dedication to do what she wants to do is something I love to see. That's why when I saw your eyes on the night of the Cheong Ah festival, I smiled proudly at your enthusiasm even though at that time I didn't know the fact that you were my daughter. I really like to see the fire dancing inside your eyes. To think that I almost couldn't see those anymore, because of the accident that happened to you. An accident that I realized I also contributed to.

The night after your mother told me the fact that you are my daughter, your beautiful shining eyes were always flashing in front of my eyes. Your eyes which also seem to be able to tell what is inside your mind and feelings were always haunting me. I seemed to see that the eyes that were usually always fiery became dim and lifeless. It haunted me every night. I couldn't stop blaming myself. I already feel like I am such a trash who has the heart to hurt innocent people, and then the revelation your mother brought to me hits me hard, making me feel that I am the most despicable and cruel person. As a punishment, I lost a daughter due to my crimes. The daughter I was supposed to take care of and not hurt. But you should know…. whether you are my biological daughter or not, believe me when I say that I still love you like my own daughter when we lived together as a family. The feeling that I threw away and forgot when I decided to hurt you and your mother. Like a fool blinded by selfishness.

Those eyes that I thought were lifeless, I saw them again when we met at the court. The light was back in your eyes. Even though I also saw the look of disappointment you gave me when our eyes met. There was no longer the look of happiness you give when we eat together at the dinner table. No more excited eyes burning when you reply back to your mother. And I realized at that moment, I lost the time and a chance to be a father to you.

At your mother's funeral, I saw those passionate and fiery eyes again. But this time it was also filled with pools of tears. And also hateful. When you gave me that look, I realized I was too late. I could only lower my eyes, didn't have the courage to see your eyes filled with hatred. Because I know when you give that kind of passionate and dedicated look in your eyes it means you really mean it.  And I know at that time you truly hated me.

I thought my punishment was just the look filled with hatred that you gave me. But I got the punishment that I accepted willingly because I deserved it. Because now I can't see your beautiful eyes anymore. If I could only disappoint you and did nothing to redeem myself although I could read how you feel from the look in your eyes, then it's best if this useless ability is taken away.

Rona-ya,

I'm sorry…

And please forgive me…

I know I'm not doing my duty like a father to his daughter. And I know you're not going to give me a chance to make things right. And I accept that, I really accept that. But you should know Rona-ya, even though the chances for me are only 5% or maybe 1%, I want to redeem the lost time, the time when I should become a father to you. I genuinely wanted it, especially after we lost Yoonhee. I wanted to tell you that I'm your father. But I know I was too late and I can only stand as a shadow without you knowing that I am your father. That's why I didn't try because I know you won't forgive me.

But that changed when you said that you called me 'appa'. I became greedy. I'd love to hear you call me appa again.

Therefore Rona-ya…

From today onwards, I will spend my time making up for the lost time. I will be a father to you. It doesn't matter if you give me a chance or not, I will still do it. Like a shadow that will never leave. I will make you call me appa again.

Wait there, after you get out of the hospital I will create new memories for us. Memories as a family.

I love you, my beloved daughter.

The words on the paper given by him moved her. The words that are strung together seem to be chosen carefully and as clearly as possible. A series of sentences were arranged as an expression of his father's feelings. Rona knew that and was aware of the wish her father had for them. From his gestures and actions so far, she knew her father was trying to make up for lost time. Time for him to be a father to her. But Rona always denied it, her mind always reminded her not to forget all of her father's deeds. When her heart wanted to forgive and give him another chance, her mind always prevented it.

However, when she read the letter from him, her mind went weak and her defenses crumbled. The wall of defense that she had built, which was always sturdy when dealing with her father, was slowly starting to collapse. She would never forget the rescue her father gave in the community room at that time. He took a hit for her, caught her when she fell, and was always by her side during her coma. She knew it was his attempt to redeem himself. Should they start over as father and daughter?

"Dr Ha maybe not a good person because of his past involvement with my father. But I can say that he is a good father to Ha Eubyeol. I'm sorry maybe the example I gave didn't please you. I just want to set an example as an excuse so you can give him a chance as a father to you."

She looked at Seokhoon who was again holding the back of his head while laughing awkwardly.

"You read the letter?" Not Seokhoon's defense of her father that caught her attention but she was actually interested in how Seokhoon could find out that he was her father and he wanted her to give him a chance to be a father to her.

"Oh no! Of course not!" Seokhoon shook his hand.

"Then how did you know?" Rona asked expressionlessly. Although she and Seokhoon were still unclear about their relationship. Even though she still couldn't forgive him. And even though a large part of her chose not to talk to him. She chose to be civil with him. Because after all, if she indulged her emotions and feelings too much, she would explode and she didn't want to feel any more pain in her head.

"Know what? The fact that you're his biological daughter? Or the fact he wants a chance to be your father?"

Rona shifted her gaze back to the letter without answering his questions.

"If it was about the first fact, it was Eunbyeol who told us all that you were his biological daughter when she offered to donate her blood for you."

"Eunbyeol?" She raised her eyebrows.

"And the second one, I had a chat with your father last night and he told me everything. He was at the right time when I needed enlightenment. A time when I also didn't know what I should do about us. Should I accept your wish or should I beg for another chance?"

Rona looked back at Seokhoon, not understanding why he turned the topic to be about them. Seokhoon noticed her confused look before he slowly picked up the letter she was holding and stared at the letter written sincerely by her father.

"May I read it?" He asked her permission.

"Do what you want." The answer that sounded unfriendly was answered with a smile by him.

"Dr Ha and also me, we both know that our chance is gone. When I was about to give up and accept if you don't give me a chance, he gave his point of view. For him, if you don't give him another chance, then he will create that chance. It doesn't matter whether you like it or not." After finishing his sentence, the man turned his head and looked back at her with a gentle gaze full of affection.

The gaze that Seokhoon gave her succeeded in making Rona's heart beat a little faster before she finally broke their eye contact.

"Tch. I don't understand what you're saying." Rona laid her head on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling of her room and lost herself in thought, creating silence between them.

"Turns out he knows you better than I thought. His writing about your eyes was spot on." But the silence didn't last long because Seokhoon again tried to create a conversation with her. She glanced at him, Seokhoon seemed focused on reading the letter in his hand.

"Ah! That's why his gaze looked lifeless."

"What do you mean?" Seokhoon's statement brought her to turn towards him. Seokhoon stared at her for a moment before pointing at her father's letter.

"I thought my punishment was just the look filled with hatred that you gave me. But I got the punishment that I accepted willingly because I deserved it. Because now I can't see your beautiful eyes anymore. If I could only disappoint you and did nothing to redeem myself although I could read how you feel from the look in your eyes, then it's best if this useless ability is taken away." Seokhoon read her father's letter quite loudly in response to her question. But she still didn't understand.

Seeing the confusion that was probably seen on her face, Seokhoon put down her letter and took her hand and held it with both of his hands. Seokhoon's gesture should have brought her to withdraw her hand but Rona was still thinking about what he wanted to say.

"Rona-ya, looks like your father lost his eyesight."

Seokhoon's answer later instead drove her to withdraw her hand. "No way, he-" Rona then fell silent. The scene of how she felt her father would not look her in the eye flashed in her head. Suddenly there was a rise of guilt as she had shouted at him for not wanting to look at her. No! The guilt wasn't only because she scolded him but because her father became like that since the night of her accident, their accident.

"Is this all because of me? I-" Before Rona could continue her words, Seokhoon again took her hand and held it tighter.

"The accident might have caused him to lose his eyesight but you should know that it wasn't your fault. It was Cheon Seojin's. This accident was purely because of Cheon Seojin. Okay?" Seokhoon calmed her down before she acted hysterically for blaming herself. She didn't hear his words to calm her down by saying that the accident wasn't her fault. Because it was the truth. It was her fault, if only she didn't stay in that room.

If only she hadn't waited for him…

Rona stared at Seokhoon who gave her a reassuring smile as if he didn't have any guilt. As if he had no idea that the accident wouldn't have happened if only he had replied to her message. If only he hadn't kept her waiting. She glared at him angrily and opened her mouth to say it was all his fault.

"I told you, your plan won't work Minhyuk-ah!" Suddenly the sound of the door opening followed by the sound of footsteps and a voice that sounded familiar stopped Rona from speaking.

"I know, but-.  Oh!  Rona-ya, you're awake?  I thought you would sleep until night like yesterday." Along with a girl whose voice caused her to stop speaking, Minhyuk was walking in front of the girl approaching her bed. Rona's eyes stared at Minhyuk for a while before directing her gaze towards the new person whom she last saw the night her mother died.

"Joo Seokkyung?" She said her name softly. The person she called looked shocked and stiff for a moment before she smiled awkwardly. Her eyes didn't meet hers but stared at Seokhoon and Minhyuk for a while.

"Hi!" An awkward reply could be heard in her tone. "Long time no see." And she still didn't look at Rona even though the girl who made her school days like hell stood in front of her bed.

Seeing her not return Seokkyung's greeting, seemed to make Seokkyung realize so she added, "I'd better wait outside. Minhyuk said that you shouldn't be too stressed. And I don't want my presence to make your condition worse." Seokkyung turned around to walk towards the door before looking surprised at something. Seokhoon also looked surprised and immediately let go of her hand and stood up. The look on Minhyuk's face was no better. Everyone was acting as if they were shocked by something.

"Je… Jeni-ya" Minhyuk stammered her best friend's name. And Rona immediately knew the reason why everyone was shocked.

"What are you two here for?" Jeni said firmly but full of anger.

"Jeni-ya, this is not the time to be mad at them. That's not what we came here for." The characteristic motherly voice was heard after. Kang Mari, aka Jeni's mother, then walked over to her bed while the others just froze in their places.

"Rona-ya, how do you feel?" Ms Kang was then standing on the opposite side of Seokhoon and speaking to her in a worried tone.

"No, Omma! They shouldn't be here. They will only make Rona's condition worse." But before Rona could answer Ms Kang's question, Jeni expressed her frustration.

"Looks like you're the one who created the situation worse." Seokkyung replied.

"You!" Jeni looked like she was about to attack Seokkyung before Minhyuk intervened.

"Jeni-ya, stop it!" Ms Kang left her position to stand next to Jeni in order to calm her daughter down.

"Get out of here!"

"Yoo Jeni, I said stop!!" Ms Kang raised her voice. "This isn't the right time to be fussing over trivial matters like this! We're not here to fight. We're here for Rona."

"That's why, Omma! Having them here will only make things worse. Dr Ha's death will definitely make Rona-"

"What do you mean by Dr Ha's death?" Rona didn't hear the continuation of Jeni's angry words because she only heard until Jeni said Dr Ha's death.

Her father's death…

"That's…" Jeni looked stretched out stiff, realizing her loose talk.

"Jeni-ya?" She stared at her best friend whose expression immediately turned to one of guilt.

"Rona-ya… you better calm down first."

"What do you mean by Dr Ha's death?!?" Rona raised her voice even more.

"We can't tell you if you're not calm down first. Especially with your unstable condition." Ms Kang then came up to her and took her hand to caress.

"Isn't it too late? Your silence will make my condition worse." She started threatening. Ms Kang nodded and returned to stroking her hand.

"But promise me you won't do anything to make your condition worse?"

"Ahjumma!!"

"You have to promise first…" However, Ms Kang, like her daughter, was oblivious to the desperation in her plea.

"Ahjummaaaa…" Rona's tone dropped and even sounded begging. Unknowingly, her tears started welling up. So did the middle-aged woman beside her.

"Dr Ha… Dr Ha fell from Eunbyeol's apartment building and he…" Ms Kang's hands seemed to wipe away her tears.  "He… I'm sorry Rona, but Dr Ha is gone."

That bad news was like lightning that strikes in the heat of the day. It's like she's having a deja vu and her memories go back to that fateful night when she lost her mother. Her tears started flowing.

"Seokkyung-ah, call the nurse! Quick!" Seokhoon was heard giving instructions before sitting up on her bed and Seokkyung moved according to his order.

"Impossible!" She withdrew her hand from Ms Kang's grip and looked at Jeni and then at Minhyuk. "That's not true. Lee Minhyuk! You saw it, didn't you? This morning my father was fine. He… he was probably in his room." Tears were flowing. She tried to get up to sit up. She had to check it out herself

"Rona-ya, calm down… Please!" Seokhoon held her shoulders.

"He… he promised to start carrying out his duties as a father to me. So he shouldn't just leave me after promising me that. Why did he break his promise again?"

"Rona-ya…"

"Why did he do that? Why was he there?"  She asked him.

"It was because… He was worried about Ha Eunbyeol, that's why he went there alone without anyone accompanying him so the accident happened." Ms Kang replied to her with hesitation.

"Ha Eunbyeol?! Ha Eunbyeol again!! Why does he always think about his other daughter without ever thinking about me?" Rona tried to remove the tube in her hand.

"Rona-ya! I'm begging you. Please calm down!" Seokhoon pulled her into his arms. His hand gently stroked her back.

"Let me go!" Seokhoon's act only made her more emotional. And the pain slowly began to appear. With all her strength she tried to push Seokhoon from her. But he just hugged her tighter.

"I said let me go!" Her hands began to clench and started to punch him.

"I will never let you go again. Never!" She heard Seokhoon whisper in her ear.

Lie! Everything is a lie! Everyone is lying. Either Seokhoon or her father. They all lied to her.

"Lies! You are all liars! YOU ALL LIE TO ME." And in the end, Rona couldn't hold it all in. While continuing to struggle and trying to let herself go from Seokhoon's embrace, Rona was crying hysterically.

"Rona-ya… Please…" Seokhoon's voice sounded hoarse, and something felt wet on her clothes. And she knew right away, it was Seokhoon's tears that wet her clothes. But that just pushed her to be angrier. This man has no right to cry. This man had no right to pity her. Because this is all…

"All of this is your fault…" She whispered but her curt tone showed that she didn't need comfort from him.

"I-"

"This is all your fault!!" She started hitting Seokhoon's chest while trying to get away from him. "This is all your fault!" She kept repeating the words like a mantra.

"IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Suddenly, she felt a very painful attack hit her head. Making her breathing even more erratic and her heart beating very fast. Like an earthquake, the attacks kept coming. She tried to hold the pain but the pain won't stop coming.

"IT'S HURT!" She screamed while holding her head. In the end, she couldn't hold back the last attack that caused everything to become dark.

"Appa…"

Was the last word she spoke.

***

Everything happened so fast. It was so fast that he couldn't do anything. He had just tried to hold back Rona's anger by soothing her. Then he sat there accepting Rona's punches while she kept blaming him. And when he was just about to say sorry, suddenly the woman he loved was now leaning limply on him after screaming her pain out. It was like a woman who was trying to get away from him and hit him with all her might, suddenly disappeared from his arms and what was now a woman lying unconscious in his hold.

"Rona-ya…" Panic began to arise. His eyes widened as he checked on her.

"RONA-YA!" He shouted her name after the woman with those closed eyes did not react to his call.

He didn't hear the sound of footsteps, nor did he hear the panic around him. He could only focus on the woman in his arms. He kept calling her name without realizing the tears started to flow from his eyes.

"You can't do this to me." He kept begging her.

"Excuse me..." A command followed by a tug he felt. Causing him to release his grip on Rona. A person in white began to replace him holding Rona's body.

"I can't feel her breath or her heartbeat. Give me a defibrillator!"

The statement given by the man in white in front of him brought him more panic. He tried to approach Rona's body again, which was now lying on the bed.

"What do you mean you can't feel her heartbeat? Rona-ya!!! Wake up!" He pushed the man to be close to her.

"Get him out of here." However, another order caused him to be pulled away from Rona.

"Oppa, we have to get out." He heard his sister say while pulling his hand but he brushed it off.

"You don't understand Seokkyung-ah. I can't leave her. I won't leave her again." He answered while looking at Rona, whose body was now covered by two people who were trying to help.

"I know! But we'd better let them do their thing to save her." Seokkyung pulled him back. And his body began to be dragged away from Rona's bed.

"I CAN'T!!" He brushed his hand away before finally looking at Seokkyung. "I can't leave her. I have to be by her side." He begged his sister.

"Oppa…"

"Seokkyung is right! We need to get out first. Let them do their job and after that, you can stay by her side as long as you want." Now it's Minhyuk's turn to push him towards the door.

"You don't understand!!! Get off me!!!" With the strength of two people who for some reason could beat his strength, he was pushed further and further away from Rona's bed and began to approach the door. And no matter how hard he tried, they managed to get him out of Rona's room. He realized he was outside Rona's room after the door closed right in front of him.

He stared at the door for a long time, a small window that was on the door allowed him to see what was going on inside before a nurse pulled the curtain that was beside Rona's bed and covered what he was seeing. He fell down limply while lowering his head. His sobs grew louder in his own ears. Droplets of tears were seen starting to wet the floor he was staring at.

"You can't do this to me, Rona-ya." He didn't care if the floor was getting wet with his tears and the sound of his crying echoed in the hallway where he was.

"Please don't leave me." His fists clenched and he pounded the floor several times.

"Oppa..." He felt his body being hugged from the side.

"You even haven't heard my apology." He kept throwing his fists to the floor as if he wanted the earth to swallow him alive.

"What should I do if you just leave me like this?" But his fists felt weak and his cries broke out even more. He couldn't think of anything.  Fear enveloped him.

The fear of losing her drives him madder.

***

Seokkyung grieved for her brother who kept blaming himself. Tears came out of her eyes pitying what had just happened. She seemed to feel the pain of her brother. But she didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say to calm her brother.

"It's all my fault, Omma! I shouldn't talk about Dr Ha's death. You stupid mouth, why don't you shut up?!" She heard Jeni also blame herself. But she didn't look at her schoolmate. Her only attention was focused on her brother. Her poor brother.

"It's okay..."

"It's not okay…. Omma!! What if Rona doesn't survive?"

"Jeni-ya…"

"What if Rona gives up? After losing her mother and now she also loses her father. What if Rona thinks of giving up?!"

She heard the conversation between mother and daughter. No matter how hard she wanted to argue so Seokhoon wouldn't blame himself even more, she couldn't deny it. Because after all, Rona had suffered too much so giving up was probably the choice she would choose.

"You all idiots!" She turned towards the source of the voice that suddenly sounded like blaming them. Lee Minhyuk looked at her brother before looking at Jeni.

"I thought Joo Seokhoon and Yoo Jeni were the people who understood Bae Rona the most. Turns out I was wrong. You guys are just pretending to understand her."

"Lee Minhyuk, what are you doing?" She stood up and faced Minhyuk who turned his head to stare at Rona's room.

"You two should know Rona is not a person who gives up easily."

"But-"

"You think she'll just give up like that? She's Bae Rona. Someone who was so confident against me on the first day of school. Someone who dared to open up the school's disgrace at the school's model selection event. Someone who dared to challenge me, Seokkyung and Eunbyeol. Someone who rose after her mother's death and is relentless in repairing her mother's name."

Seokkyung could only silently stare at Minhyuk. Likewise with Jeni who did not dare to argue. Only the sound of her brother's sobs could still be heard.

"Did all of you forget? Rona… is determined to fulfill her dream of becoming a world-class soprano for her mother. Do you think this matter can make her forget about her dream just like that? Stupid!"

She saw Minhyuk shaking his head in the middle of his speech.

"Rona isn't that kind of person. She isn't someone who just gives up easily. You really underestimate Rona's strength."

Minhyuk finished his speech by walking away from the door before continuing, "I'll call Logan."

Seokkyung was silent before she finally came to her senses and crouched down next to her brother who was still sitting on the floor and looking down. She could still see the tears falling from his eyes and the sound of sobbing could still be heard.

"Minhyuk is right. Rona won't give up. She won't just leave you like that before she beats you to a pulp." She spoke to her brother. Tried to tease him a little in order to cheer him up.

"Stupid…" Seokhoon replied softly.

And like an answered prayer. Rona's room opened.

Her brother immediately stood up, facing the man in white who came out of Rona's room. Before he could say anything, the man told them the good news they wanted to hear.

"Ms Bae's heartbeat has returned."

***