︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

You are always my special
When you're feeling frustrated and can't do anything
You always cry for me
Because you are that kind of person
I want to protect you with these hands
That's all that makes me strong
Every time I meet you, I'm even more attracted to you

-Kitto Zutto-TXT-

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

As evening descended, the hospital room was changed from soft, amber glow from the setting sun to the lights in the room.

Jeongin and Seungmin have gone out again, this time to collect medical supplies for Hana.

The door to her room opened softly, and Minho stepped in, his presence immediately bringing a glow on her face. He was dressed in casual clothes, having changed from his earlier attire. His eyes met Hana's with a mix of concern and relief as he approached her bedside.

"Minho, you're here."
She said enthusiastically.

"Hey," Minho said, his voice gentle but carrying the weight of a long day.
"How are you feeling?"

Hana offered a small smile, one that didn't quite reach her eyes but was nonetheless genuine. "I'm okay. How about you?"

Minho took a seat in the chair beside her bed, his gaze never leaving her face. "Busy. But I'm glad to be here. Did Dr. Shin come to visit you?"

"Right she did. I told her I'm ready for therapy."

Minho's eyes softened with relief.
"That's good to hear. What else?"

"Nothing, that's all."
She said blankly.

Minho sensed that Hana's response was just as guarded as usual. He knew she was making an effort to seem okay, but the forced cheerfulness in her tone was hard to miss.
He leaned forward slightly, trying to read her expression.

"Just that?"

Hana shook her head no and looked away, her gaze shifting to the window as if searching for something outside to focus on.

"Okay. Is something bothering you?"

"Yes."
She answered in one word.

"Well, I could hear you out, if you want."

Hana took a deep breath, her fingers twisting anxiously in her lap. Minho's offer hung in the air, his gaze steady and expectant.

"It's just... I'm not sure why but," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. She avoided looking at him, her eyes fixed on a point just beyond the window.
"I'm still messed up, you know? Leaving the hospital isn't going to make things better."

"Hana, if this is about what I said-"

"No Minho, you weren't wrong. And I also told you I know I'm a mess."

"It's not a mess you can't fix."

"What makes you think I can do it?"
She asked as a tear fell on her cheek.

"Because, like I said before, you're the strongest person I've seen. You survived whatever you pulled yesterday, you're here right now, you're opening up a little, you're laughing, you're crying. I don't know what else is improvement otherwise."
His voice trembled a little.

"I hate living altogether, I'm scared I'll put everyone down again."
Hana's voice cracked as she spoke, her emotions laid bare.

"I know you're scared and I get why you feel things won't be better, but trust me it's different this time. Please Hana, you have to try."

She wiped at her tears, her voice barely a whisper.
"It's not that I don't want to try, I just... don't know how to start, or if I even can."

"That's why you're getting help. You'll be better, stronger than ever and it'll be alright. I, the other two, we'll all be there for you. Is there anyway I can help you?"

"I have Mid-terms at the end of the month and I'm super underprepared. I have Internship but I don't think my body would keep up with it, and I'm too weak to stay up late at night. These things can't be fixed by therapy or you. I have to do these things on my own, that goes unsaid. And fuck, I never even worked on my dissertation because it got sent back since I did a terrible job at it. So yes, look me in the eye again and tell me it'll all be alright."

"It'll be alright."
He said gazing intently into her eyes, holding her hands.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

The nurse came in along with Dr.Shin and asked in cringe-inducingly enthusiastic voice,
"Are you happy to be going home now?"

"Sure, you can say that,"
Hana mumbled as the nurse unhooked her from all the machines, IV's.

"Hana," Dr.Shin said,
"You're familiar with Dr.Nam, right? She's going to be your therapist. But I need to know when are you ready to start?"

Hana blinked, looking between Dr. Shin and Minho. The question hung heavy in the room. Her heart pounded in her chest, the weight of her uncertainty threatening to overwhelm her. Dr.Shin's expectation and Minho's supportive gaze made her feel like she was on the precipice of a new beginning or another setback.

She gave Minho a look that silently asked, What do I say?

Minho met her gaze with a reassuring smile and a small, encouraging nod. He squeezed her hand gently, "Whenever you're ready."

Hana took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. She turned back to Dr. Shin, her voice trembling but determined. "I... I'd like to start as soon as next week."

Dr. Shin's expression softened, a look of approval crossing her face. "That's a positive step. We'll arrange for Dr. Nam to contact you soon and schedule your first session."

As Dr. Shin and the nurse left the room, Minho turned his full attention back to Hana.
His gaze was warm and supportive.

"You did really well," he said softly.
"It's a big step, but you're moving forward, and that's something to be proud of."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"Oh Doongie, I missed you."
She said as soon as she entered the foyer.

Doongie, with his sleek fur and expressive eyes, stretched languidly before leaping gracefully down to greet her. His purrs began almost immediately as he rubbed against her legs, his soft, warm body a comforting presence.

Hana bent down and scooped Doongie into her arms, his purring growing louder as she gently cradled him. 

"Careful, your hand-"

"Hey there, little guy," she murmured, her voice tender. "I missed you so much."

Doongie responded by nuzzling her face with his head, a gesture of his affection and understanding. Minho, observing from the doorway, smiled at the heartwarming scene.
"I guess you're okay. But I'd really appreciate if you settled down in bed so I can redo you dressing and hopefully go to bed later."

"Oh I forgot you have training."
She said sheepishly.

"You're not hungry, right?"

"No, no, I'm full. Right, Seungmin left a Choco pie for you, have it later okay?"
She said reaching into one of the bags Minho was holding, pulling out a packet of Choco Pie.

"I'm on a diet, remember?"

Hana's eyes softened as she looked at the Choco Pie, and she pouted.
"That's a shame. They're really good."

Minho chuckled and placed all the bag in .
"Yeah, I know. I might just have to make an exception for this one."

"Your trainer will kill you if you do anything wrong."

Minho raised an eyebrow and smirked. "True, my trainer would have a fit. But I think a single Choco Pie won't derail all my hard work. I've earned a little treat, don't you think?"

Hana laughed softly, her gaze still lingering on the Choco Pie.
"I suppose one won't hurt. But if you get caught, don't say I didn't warn you."

Minho's eyes twinkled with mischief.
"I'll just have to make sure I run extra miles to balance it out."

"Or you could bribe your trainer with one of these,"
 Hana teased, holding up the packet.

"Now there's an idea," Minho said with a grin.
"Maybe I'll offer them as a peace offering if I'm caught."

"Have you eaten?"
Hana asked before she left for her room.

"Yup, had dinner with the coach before I left."

"I'll wash up now, you should too."

"Yeah, go ahead I'll be there in a while."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"Don't look, or it'll hurt."
Minho said as he took my hand in his before unraveled the gauze.

"That makes no sense, you know that right?"
Hana, now sitting beside him, tilted her head with a skeptical smile. 

"It's still fresh you know, barely started to heal."
He said once he unraveled the gauze.

"Doesn't look so bad."
She downplayed, as always.

"Sure it doesn't"
He said before he dabbed the injuries with alcohols swab that caused her bite her lips in pain.

Minho carefully tended to Hana's injuries, his expression serious as he worked. He applied antiseptic to a particularly nasty cut on her arm, and Hana flinched, biting her lip to stifle a cry.

"Sorry, I know it stings,"
 Minho said softly, his eyes filled with sympathy.

"It's okay," Hana managed through gritted teeth. "Just... don't go too fast."

"I'm almost done," Minho reassured her, his movements steady and deliberate.

 He placed a fresh gauze over the wound and secured it with tape.
 "There, that's over."

Hana looked at the bandage and then at Minho, trying to mask her discomfort.
"Thanks for doing this. I know it's probably not the easiest task given it looks so bad."

"Oh so you do realize it's 'so bad'? And besides, I've seen worser injuries, this is nothing.
It's just that...."
He stops to softly graze his finger over the wrapped hand before continuing,
"... I can't get the image of you out of my head, that it wasn't an accident, rather... you know what." 

"Does it bother you? The fact that I did it?"
Hana looked down, her eyes reflecting a mixture of guilt and sadness.

"Are you kidding? Of course it does. I thought, for a second I even believed that I lost you. What if I got there a minute late?"

"But you didn't. It wasn't your fault, either way."
Hana's voice was soft, almost resigned.

"Don't say that. Don't say that when you don't understand how much it hurts to think I could have lost you."

"I'm sorry but I had to try."
Hana's gaze was distant, her mind grappling with his words. 

"You're still saying you don't regret any of this?"
Minho's frustration and sorrow were palpable.

Hana hesitated, struggling to find the right words.
"Not exactly. It's... something along those lines."

Minho sighed, the weight of her admission settling heavily between them.
"I wish you'd see how much you mean to all of us. It's not just about the injuries or the mistakes. It's about you and how much you matter."

"I do see it," Hana said quietly.
"But it's hard to reconcile that with how I feel inside."

Minho's frustration flared, but his concern was evident in his tone.
 "Then tell me what's inside. Tell anyone. But no, you won't."

Hana's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she grappled with her thoughts.
 "It's not that simple. I tried. Even when I try, it feels like it's too big, too messy to explain. It never ends; there's always something there, something new. So imagine telling someone everything, dumping your issues on them daily—they're going to go crazy."

Minho's expression softened, though his concern remained evident. "I get that it's overwhelming, but it's not about dumping everything at once. It's about sharing what you can, when you're ready. And the people who care about you—like me—they want to help, not because they have to, but because they want to."

Hana shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper.
"The worst part is, the person listening is innocent. They didn't do anything, so why should they have to go through things for me? That's not fair to them."

"I don't know about it being fair, But I do know I'm willing to do it, regardless of what happens."

Hana looked down, her voice cracking slightly.
"But what if I'm just too much? 

Minho's eyes held a firm resolve.
"You're not too much. You're something I know I can handle."

"You're stubborn, you know that right?"

"Only for the right reasons."

It's the right reason because it's you,
 he thought, his gaze steady as he held her eyes.

"Let's get you in bed, okay?"
He held the blanket in his hands, waiting for Hana to lie down in bed.

"Will you leave early tomorrow?"
Hana asked once I tucked the blanket around her.

"Yes, but I'll be back for a while after my run."

"Wake me up when you're here then."

"Why?"

"No reason, it's not like I have anything else to do."

"Ah yes, about that. You have stay home, at least until the stitches are out."

"I'm gonna miss so much work."

"You'll catch up, just like you did when you were sick."

"Will you leave me home alone?"

"I'll be home to feed you breakfast and to redo your dressing, if that's what you're asking."

"Not that, what about the rest of the day?"

"Yeah, you'll be alone, except if you'd like, I could make a exception for a few days and bring you to training with me."
He chuckled as he realized she didn't want to be alone at all.

"I think I would love that."
She closed her eyes as she said that.

"Goodnight Hana."
He moved the hair from her face, tucking it somewhere behind her ear.

Hana's response was a small, tired smile, her eyes fluttering closed as she began to drift off.
He places the chair he was sitting on back at Hana's table, and walks over to the door and cutting the light. Just as he gently closes the door on his way out, he places a hand over his chest leaning his back against the door for a second thinking,

"What in the world are you doing to me?"

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

a/n: WASSUPPPPP GANG?

thank you for reading hehehhehe <333