12 August 2018, 11:10 AM

It was the final day of the drama shooting. I was sitting reading my script for the final day, and I could see Yu Bin in the distance. Since it was the last day, our company had decided to treat everyone, all staff and actors to lunch. And trucks filled with food had come and were parked near the area. Yu Bin was helping the catering staff to get the food set up in a self-service counter at the clearing near the area. She was running around too much. And besides, it was really hot that day. Even when winter was coming that day the sun was really bright and it was mid-day and really hot.

Frustrated I got up and went to YuBin.

"Stop," I told her. "You don't really have to help them you know. That is not your job." I had not really talked with her for the last few days. I was angry, I was confused; I felt sort of hurt and betrayed. And I did not know how to deal with this situation. I needed more time to figure out what I wanted to do with this. So I avoided her mostly. And I realized that while I was avoiding her, she was working herself to death. She looked pale and weak. It was hard to watch.

"Go sit somewhere," I told her.

"It's okay. And they are short of staff. And we are sponsoring the food. It's food from you. So it needs to be perfect." She said.

"It's okay if it's not perfect."

"Maybe for you." She said. "But it's my job to make sure things related to you are perfect. You go do your job of acting, and let me do my job. And I am good at my job. Don't make me lose my reputation."

I just stared at her. She is impossible... But I felt angry with her for a lot of reasons. I felt just fed up. So I walked back. I was irritated to death.

I came to sit back in my seat. I was thirsty so I looked around. TaeHo was near me, he offered me a cold drink. I took it from his hand.

Even Park HyeShin, my co-actress was complaining about how hot it was today. "Ah..can't someone bring an outdoor fan out here." She was saying, "All my makeup is getting ruined because of sweat." She was wiping her face. "Are you okay, WooHyun Sunbae?" She asked me. I was feeling hot too. But I nodded. "Thank you for the food, Sunbae." She added to me. I smiled at her. But I was watching Yu Bin. HyeShin followed my eyes and looked at YuBin. "Ah...YuBin shi... She is so diligent and hardworking whenever I see her." HyeShin commented. "You must be really lucky to have such a hard-working manager, sunbae." [Sunbae : senior at school or work]

"I wish if she was a bit less hardworking though," I commented still watching Yu Bin. She was carrying a really heavy looking box full of food items or drinks and walking with real difficulty.

"YuBin Nuna is really something else," TaeHo commented behind me. "She is doing two jobs lately, do you know about that, Hyung?"

I looked at TaeHo, "You mean helping out with XIN's concert. Yeah, Taepyonim had told me about that."

"It's really kind of incredible you know. She stays up the whole night lately. Actually, my friend is also helping with the concert preparations and I go to see him sometimes. They are on duty on the stage in preparation for the outdoor concert, and well, Yu Bin Nuna is there mostly these days. I mean after she gets out of work here."

What the...!!

"Isn't stage building a bit too difficult job?" HyeShin asked to TaeHo.

"Exactly. She is doing jobs even men find difficult, like carrying big parts of the stage props and lightings and stuff around and climbing up to heights and fixing stuff. I saw her last day it was totally amazing to me. Is she is superhuman or what? And when does she sleep? Coz they work like the whole night. Even today she was there till 6 am or so... And I have not even seen her eat anything much lately."

I looked back at Yu Bin, now totally at my limits.

"It's kind of pitiful at times." TaeHo was saying. "But incredible at the same time. She is kind of my role model though. But no one can be like her. She is always working. I wonder when does she take a rest? I have not seen her sit still ever. I can't live like that ever."

I look down in frustration. Even I can't live like her ever. She is just too extreme. I just felt stuffed up and frustrated.

Then I heard a yell of alarm at a distance and looked up.

"YuBin Nuna..." TaeHo cried from my side.

"What happened?" I asked as I saw a crowd was gathering near the catering trucks.

"Hyung, YuBin Nuna fainted." Tae Ho said. I could make out Yu Bin's Military Green shirt on the ground. I jumped up and ran to her. I pushed through the catering staff who had gathered around her and knelt on the ground. She was lying on the ground, unconscious. "YuBin aa..." I cried, taking her head to my lap. "YuBin aa..." I shook her. She was not waking up. Shit..shit...Shit..shit...

Tae Ho was near me, and so were HyeShin and some other staff.

"Oh, God..." HyeShin was saying alarmed. "She doesn't look so good. Shouldn't we be calling an ambulance?"

"Yes. I will call..." TaeHo was already dialling the emergency number. I was just getting freaked out. "YuBin aa..." I called in vain again. "Kang Yu Bin... Please..." I am sorry. I am really sorry. I should have checked on you more. I should have at least forced you to take some rest. I am sorry I avoided you to avoid the conversation. Please... Please be okay...please

The director came to the scene now. And looked concerned...

And a few minutes the ambulance arrived. I wanted to get on the ambulance with her. But the director put a hand on my shoulder.

"We still need to finish that last scene." He said.

"Sir, now?" I asked appalled. "Didn't you see-"

"Yes, I know." The director said. "I know how difficult this situation is. But WooHyun shi, we need you here right now. If the shoot gets delayed, the editing gets delayed and the episode can't go out in time. The last episode is scheduled to go out this Saturday. It cannot be aired in time if you leave now. It will be a disaster."

He was right. If I go the episode cannot be aired in time...

"Let someone else go with her," Director said. "Someone from your agency."

"I will go, Hyung," TaeHo told me. "I can go with Nuna."

I looked at him. Actually, I really did not want to let her go with anyone else. I did not want to be away from her even for a second. But I had no choice. So I nodded at TaeHo. "Please take care of her. And update me."

"Yes." He nodded.

So he climbed onto the ambulance with the paramedics. And I watched the ambulance drive off with worry and concern. "Don't worry, sunbae." HyeShin touched my hand. "She will be okay."

I nodded.

"Will you be okay to act?" She asked, "It's a kiss scene as well. Will you be able to do it?"

The final scene where the couple has their happy ending kiss was the one left to shoot. I needed to be in a happy mood to shoot that scene. "I just need a moment to clear my head," I told HyeShin. Because the faster I finish with the shoot, the faster I can go to the hospital. 

12 August 2018 (same day), 12:37 PM

When I opened my eyes I was in the hospital, and I was being taken out in a stretcher. A few male nurses and a doctor were rUnning along in the stretcher, and when I turned my head I could see TaeHo running along with them. He noticed me.

"Oh, Nuna... You are awake. Are you okay?" he asked in a concerned voice. "We are at the hospital. You had fainted, do you remember?"

The doctor came to me as well. "Miss, can you hear me? How do you feel now?"

I had woken up because of something. My stomach hurt. I had woken up because of the pain, I guess. I wanted to tell them that my stomach hurt. But it hurt so badly that no voice would come out.

"Do you feel any pain anywhere?" The doctor was asking.

I was in a bed now. They transferred me to the bed. The doctors were flashing light into my eyes and stuff.

"It hurts." I managed to say.

"Where?" The doctor asked. "Miss, can you please tell me exactly where it hurts..."

I touched my lower abdomen. It hurt really bad. Like really bad. So much as tears were forming in my eyes. I was not a crying person though. I bit onto my lips. The doctor pressed onto my upper abdomen, I yelped in pain as it hurt way too much.

"Doctor..." TaeHo suddenly cried in shock. I couldn't see what he was seeing, but he was looking between my legs. "Blood."

Blood? I tried to sit up, it was hard, but I saw that my jeans had gone wet, and the white sheet on the bed was getting red in colour. Periods? No...It didn't... look like it.

"Ma'am, please lie down." The doctor said.

"But it's bleeding," I told him pointing at the blood that was coming from between my legs. "Why?"

"Are you pregnant, ma'am?" He asked.

"Huh?" I asked.

"What are you talking about? She is not married yet." TaeHo snapped at the doctor.

"Well, we can be sure only after a proper examination." The doctor said. "But on the initial look, it looks like a miscarriage. I am sorry." He got up. "I will get the ob-gyn doctor for you immediately." He left looking really flustered and in a hurry.

And I lay back on to the bed. It still hurt way too much. Actually, it had been hurting a bit since the day before yesterday. But I thought it might be just a pain before periods. That it will go away. And I ate painkillers and went about my life as usual. Even today morning it was actually hurting really a bit too much. Even when I was helping the caterers. I thought it will be fine. I thought it's just normal periods pain. But the truth was that I had not got periods last month. I was a bit worried when my periods didn't come last month. But it gets kind of irregular sometimes for me. So I did not think much of it... I mean, I did get a doubt, but I was like 'Nah...what are the odds'. I had not started to fear yet.

The ob-gyn doctor, a lady in her forties was by my side now, and she had brought scanning apparel. She started to examine me. "Are you pregnant, ma'am?" She asked me.

I didn't know. I stayed silent.

"Or if you don't know yet, is there a chance you might be pregnant?" She asked. "When was the last time you had periods?"

I looked at TaeHo. I was uncomfortable talking with him there.

"What's your relationship with the patient?" The doctor asked TaeHo.

"Just... I am her junior at work."

"Please go out." She told TaeHo. "Nurse, please take this young man outside and contact the family of this patient." TaeHo still looked confused, but they took him outside.

"TaeHo..." I called him before he can go.

"Yes, Nuna..."

"Don't tell anyone," I said.

"But..."

"Please..." I said... "Don't..."

He looked confused but he nodded. "Okay." He walked out.

The doctor turned back to me. "So are you pregnant?" She asked.

"I could be," I mumbled.

"How could you not know?"

"My periods were not that regular. So I thought I skipped a month..."

"Shouldn't we be calling your boyfriend?" The doctor was already pushing my shirt up for her to scan my stomach. I don't have one though – a boyfriend. "You seem unmarried." The doctor said. "Would calling your parents cause a problem?" She put gel on the scanning equipment and started scanning my stomach. I could see the monitor. "Yeah...It really is a miscarriage." The doctor said. "How unfortunate. The fetus seems to be about eight weeks old. About two months old." She looked at me with concern. "We would have to go for a surgical procedure of abortion. I am sorry to say that you have lost the baby."

A coldness spread through me, a numb coldness that I have never ever experienced before in my life. I could not say anything for a while. A streak of tear fell down from my eyes.

The doctor patted my shoulder. I guess she didn't seem to know what to say either.

"It might have hurt you for a while," The doctor said. "Why didn't you come to the hospital sooner?"

I was silent.

"It seems like over-work and stress might be a reason for the miscarriage." The doctor was continuing. "Were you eating well enough? And sleeping well enough?"

Her words were not really falling to my ears.

"Usually the chances of miscarriage are its highest at the first tri-mister."

I was still numb. Cold...

"Do the surgery," I said, quietly.

"Pardon?" The doctor did not hear me well.

"The abortion surgery. Please go ahead with it." I said.

"Okay. But we need the consent of a guardian for us to do it. We can't do it without a proper guardian or family member being present. That is the rule."

Damn...

"Can you please call my friend? I want to talk to him." I said.

"Okay..."

She went out and I heard her explaining the situation to TaeHo outside. TaeHo came to me in a while. He looked pale and concerned to death. "Nuna..." he called.

"TaeHo yaa... Listen carefully." I said and tried to sit up. He came to help me at once... "Do me a favour." I clutched onto his hand desperately. "Please..."

"Yes, Nuna. Tell me," He said. I have helped him out a lot before in small, small things, so I hopped he will repay the debt. "I need to get the surgery. So...please be my guardian, and sign the consent form."

"Huh? Me?" He sounded startled, and as if that's a burden on him. "Isn't it better to call the dad?" He asked. And then added in a confused voice, "But who is the dad?"

"No. You do it. Please." I asked TaeHo. "Please, TaeHo yaa..."

"Okay. Okay, Nuna." He said. "Since your safety and health comes first."

I nodded at him gratefully.

"And...don't tell anyone. Especially not Hyun."

"But..."

"Please..." I said. "No...Seriously, don't. Don't tell him. If you do, I will kill you. I am telling you TaeHo, and you know me. I will seriously kill you if you tell anyone else."

"Okay. I won't," he said, he was scared of me enough.

"Thank you..." 

12 August 2018 (same day), 11:00 pm

It was late at night when the shoot was over. I caught a taxi and hurried off to the hospital. I met TaeHo in front of the room YBin was in.

"How is she?" I asked TaeHo. I could only call him only once in between the shoot, and he had told me that the doctors had said it's not serious. Only then my breath came back.

"Sleeping." TaeHo indicated the room. She was in a regular four-person hospital wardroom. Because probably TaeHo did the admission procedure.

"Did you inform her family yet?" I asked.

"No. Not yet. Nuna asked me not to. And I did not have the contact details."

"Good that you didn't. Her mom will worry. I will call them and tell them. It's better to hear from me."

He nodded.

"What did the doctor say?" I asked him. "What had happened to her?"

TaeHo looked a bit uneasy. He looked down not meeting my eyes. "Nothing just...Stress, and a bit of anaemia from over-work. She had collapsed out of over-work."

"Is that all?" I asked, not assured yet.

"Yes." Tae Ho looked up. "She will get better if she take a bit or rest."

I nodded. "That's good." TaeHo nodded, but he was avoiding my eyes and looking a bit uneasy. "What happened?" I asked, "Is there anything more?"

"No." he shook his head.

"Okay... Then you go home now. I will stay by her now." I said.

"Okay..." he said a bit uneasy and reluctantly. "Or maybe not. Hyung, you go. I can stay."

That felt really bizarre. Coz well TaeHo and YuBin are not that much close for him to go as far as to stay at her hospital room. "Why?" I asked. I was closer to her. It was what 'I' should be doing.

TaeHo still looked distracted... "No...Hyung is a celebrity after all. What if people recognize you?"

"That's okay," I said. "YuBin is my manager, not some other random girl for there to be a scandal. So go home." He was still reluctant.

"What's with you?" I asked him.

"Nothing." He shook his head, "Then I will say goodbye to Nuna before I go."

"But she is sleeping. Why wake her? Let her sleep."

"I kind of need to wake her up. Sorry." He walked inside the room before I could stop him. And called in a loud voice. "Nuna..."

YuBin opened her eyes and looked around.

"Nuna, WooHyun Hyung is here." TaeHo said. And I looked at her, and she looked at me. And I didn't know what to do. It was awkward. So I just stood there.

"Then I will go now," TaeHo said and waved a bye to YuBin and walked out. After he was out, I went and sat by Yu Bin. There was a curtain around the beds, and the other patients could not see me. I drew the curtain around YuBin's bed as well and looked at her. I was still worried and concerned for her. I had imagined all sorts of worse case scenarios in the last few hours and just wanted to be near her. But now I was near her. And I did not know what to say. Things were way too weird between us.

"How do you feel now?" I finally asked.

"Better." She said.

And then there was silence. Awkward silence...

"Hm... YuBin aa...About..." I started, trying to figure out a way to bring up 'that' topic. But we were not alone. The other patients could not see me, but still may be able to hear me.

"Hm, sorry, but I think you should go home." She said quickly.

"Why?" I asked, a bit irked.

"You are Kim WooHyun."She whispered to me, "That's why. You are a celebrity. You should not be here. You can come to visit. But you should not stay here for long."

"Have you gone mad? If you are unwell, I can stay in the hospital and take care of you. It does not matter if I am a celebrity or not."

"Well, it does."

"It does not."

"This is a four-person room, Hyun. There are other patients."

"Then let's shift you to a single room," I said. I did not want to move an inch away from her. I wanted to stay by her side.

"I don't want to. And you go home. You even have that interview tomorrow, if you don't get proper sleep, you will look bad in photos." She said. "So go home. Just leave already." pushed me.

"Kang YuBin, please..." I felt really hurt. "Why are you doing this to me?" The last one was hurt, helpless, desperate question. Why? Why does she need to do this to me? And am I not even allowed to stay by her side??

She stared at me for a second not understanding my meaning. I meant a lot more than the current context.

"I am not doing anything." She said softly. "It's because you really need to leave. And don't worry. I will get discharged tomorrow anyway." She said.

"No. Stay in the hospital for a couple more days." I said. "You need rest."

"No. I am okay... So I will get discharged tomorrow. And I can just go to sleep here and wake up on my own very well for one night. So, go home now, and I will see you tomorrow." She smiled at me to reassure me. "Seriously I will. Okay..."

I kept looking at her. I wanted to hug her, get comforted by her, feel her fingers through my hair, press her head close to my chest and ruffle her hair... But she was not giving me an opening to slide into and make space for me. She was closing me away from all sides.

"Good night. And don't call mom. I had called YuRi earlier from my phone to tell her that I won't be home. So telling mom and her is not really necessary. I will get discharged tomorrow anyway. They need not necessarily know."

This is some kind of mental problem. Some super-woman complex or something. This is serious. I was pissed. I stared at her with irritation.

"Go...Good night." She touched my hand.

"At least let me stay by your side till you fall asleep," I said. "I will leave after you sleep." Don't push me away. Please... There were a lot of things I needed to ask her. And wanted to tell her that I know the truth now. But I figured now was not the time. She was unwell. She needs rest. "Go to sleep."

YuBin looked unsure. But she lay down. I sat on the bed, looking at her for a while. YuBin's hair was open. Usually it's bound tight. So it reminded me of our night. I had pulled her hair band out of her hair and her hair had fallen free, and I had moved my fingers through her hair.

I wanted to touch her. But I did not. Slowly, she went to sleep again.

I had promised to leave. So came out of the room and left.

13 August 2018, 2.30 pm

YuBin came back to the job from the next day itself. And she was again rUnning around doing all odd jobs. I watched her from a distance as she was talking to the photographer who just took my photos. I was tensed. Really tensed, and I was barely able to keep a smile doing the photoshoot.

But what was weird was that like me TaeHo was watching her as well. TaeHo was being weird since yesterday as well. And right now even, he was looking at YuBin and he took a deep sigh.

"Hey," I tapped TaeHo's shoulder. We were in the van. "What is up with you since yesterday?"

He turned to me. "I am not supposed to tell you." He said, looking frustrated.

"Not supposed to tell me what?"

"YuBin Nuna will kill me if I tell anyone." He scratched his head. "Ah...but she really should not be roaming around like this. She needs to take a rest."That statement made me worry. Was there something I don't know? Did she hide something from me again??

"What is it?"

"No. Never mind. She will kill me if I tell you."

"I will kill you if you don't tell me." I snapped. "Choose by whom you want to die? Coz your death is fixed now. So now tell me. If you don't tell me, I will have to take other means..." I grabbed his collar. "So better tell me." TaeHo was not so brave.

"Ah...why are you two doing this to me? Nuna warned me even today not to tell you. And you are saying you will kill me if I don't tell you. Honestly, I am scared of Nuna and Hyung equally. What am I supposed to do?"

I decided to try a softer approach. I left his collar. "TaeHo ya... You know I care about YuBin a lot right? She is like family to me. So if there is something with her, I need to know. What is it? Please...I am saying this as a request, please tell me."

Tae Ho turned to me. He seemed to have melted a bit.

"Actually, I am very much concerned about Nuna as well. And logically, she should not be hiding this. I know this is not something we should be advertising to the whole world. But someone needs to know this. Someone like family. So I definitely think and Hyung and her family should know about this." I was getting really worried. What was it? Is she really unwell? Is it some big illness?

"Eh..." TaeHo hesitated to look at me. "Actually...Nuna had a miscarriage yesterday."

I thought I didn't hear right.

"She had a what?"

"A miscarriage. She lost her baby. That was in her stomach..." He explained.

Things seem to go silent for a moment. And it was like there was a long 'beeeeeep' sound. I could not hear much after that.

"But how though?" TaeHo said. "Who could be the motherfucker father of the baby be? Because I have never seen Nuna with a guy. She does not have a boyfriend now, right? Hyung do you know who the father of the baby might be? Have you met him?"

I looked at TaeHo, feeling lost. I felt as if the world just ended.

"No, right?" TaeHo said. "She is stuck with us like all day. So when did she get time to meet a guy and make a baby? I have never even seen her taking time off. So how... And who?" He looked confused. "Is it someone from the company?" He was talking more to himself now.

My mouth was going dry and my palm was sweating.

"Anyway, Nuna was really all about 'don't tell anyone', and I can understand that. It's not good for her reputation if someone comes to know about the whole pregnant before marriage thing. So she was like 'don't tell anyone', 'don't tell my family', 'don't tell Hyun'. She warned me especially from telling you, but now I have. And I can't imagine what she will do to me."

"She told you especially not to tell me?" I asked, finding my voice.

"Yes. Stressed on that. Even a couple of times after the surgery." He looked back at Yu Bin. "She needs to take some rest. She had the surgery like only yesterday. And people say it's as difficult and painful as giving birth. So...she should really be taking rest."

I was looking at her as well. Feeling shattered. I was hurt to an extreme extend. I had never ever been this hurt in my life.

"Hyung, are you crying?" TaeHo asked, startled.

I wiped my tears.

"Are you really crying?" TaeHo asked appalled. "Hyung, I am sorry..." He didn't know what he was supposed to say. "But...why are you?"

I wiped the tears that again filled up in my eyes.

Kang Yu Bin – you witch,you devil, you total asshole... Why are you doing this???

(How will Hyun react? Why do you think YuBin lied? And did she do the right thing by lying? Please do share your views in the comments section. Thank you for reading :)

PS: I am not giving a preview this time. It is a nice cliffhanger, right? 

More parts coming soon...