+ thirty six

Narda was about to head out to visit Nari at the hospital when there was a knock on her door. The EXO members were doing individual activities and Chanyeol told her he wouldn't be able to accompany her to the hospital. Narda was ready to make the almost hour long journey there by herself. It was the coming back to the apartment that she dreaded because it would be night time and she would be taking public transportation back home. But Chanyeol said he would be picking her up after his schedules, which filled her with comfort.

She was glad that even after their break up, they had been able to remain friends. Chanyeol was hurt over their separation, but he didn't hold it against her. If even as a friend, he wanted to be close to her.

There was surprise on her face when she opened the door to the apartment and saw Byun Baekhyun standing out in the hallway. She looked both ways, into the empty hallway, and grabbed him by the hand, pulling him inside. "What are you doing here? Are you insane?" She asked him in a whisper as she closed the door behind him. The news about them had died down significantly thanks to the incident with Nari and then the news about Park Sarang disappearing. Narda didn't want to be in the public eye again for having Baekhyun spotted visiting her apartment.

"Its okay." He assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "No one saw me, I swear. I was practically invisible."

That was when she realized what he was wearing--her white Mexico jacket, dark skinny jeans, and sunglasses covering his eyes. It was right then that she knew what he meant. No one saw him because he had made sure to follow her invisibility advice. If he were to dress like people knew Byun Baekhyun dressed, he would be spotted instantly. On the other hand, if he wore something no one would ever fathom he would wear, then he wouldn't be spotted making his way out the back exit of the SM dorms and across the street to the luxury apartments where Narda lived.

She heaved a sigh of relief before she remembered that either way he was there, and they didn't talk anymore. They couldn't because he put a restraining order against her. Yet, he was always there. Always watching her and following her around. It was like the roles had reversed and Baekhuyn was now Narda's sasaeng.

"I heard you and Chan broke up." He told her, his words sounding almost a bit too happy of the fact.

Narda sighed and gave a nod of her head in confirmation. "Yeah. I just came to the conclusion that it was wrong of me to string him along like that for as long as I did. I love him so much, but I just didn't feel for him the kind of love that he wanted. Please don't say anything to him about it, and don't pick fights with him either. He's very sensitive right now and I wish him to be unburdened as long as possible." Her words came out as more than a request, but rather a plead. She at least cared about him enough to take care of him and his feelings, despite the fact that they were now broken up. 

By now, Baekhyun and the other members probably knew as well. They just didn't make a big deal out of it in front of them because it would make things awkward. The boys were friends with Chanyeol, but they had also grown to really like Guti and were friends of hers as well.

"Is there..." He started slowly, trying to think of the right way to word things. "Is there still a chance...for us?"

She was taken aback by his question. But if she was being perfectly honest, she had actually given it some thought. Would things work out if she dated Baekhyun again, this time in public? The fans didn't seem to like her and Chanyeol together and they didn't like her when she was a known Baekhyun sasaeng fan. They would never approve of the two of them dating. She wasn't too worried about herself because she was used to all the hate already, but she was worried about what it would do to his career.

The fans were already demanding for Chanyeol to be suspended from the group because it had been found out that he was married to her. 

"There are too many things holding us apart, Byun. This is what you wanted." She said to him, and those words seemed to give him some hope. Sure, it wasn't a definitive yes, but she wasn't denying the fact that they could possibly get back together in the future. There were things holding them apart--his relationship with Taeyeon, Narda's accidental marriage to Chanyeol, and the fact that the fans just didn't like her. Narda didn't know if she was ready to face all of that yet.

The two of them stood in the living room in silence for a moment before Baekhyun spoke up once more. He saw her changed out of her teaching uniform, with a jacket to shield her from the chill of night, and her purse slung over her shoulder. 

"Were you headed out?" He wondered. Though just by looking at her, it was obvious.

She nodded her head slowly. "I'm going to visit Nari."

"You and Soo visit her every day, don't you?" He commented. Narda and Kyungsoo were the ones most faithful to visiting her, even though each day was exactly the same. Narda went to work every day and returned home to change before heading off to the hospital. She'd return around nine and create her lesson plan for the next morning before going to bed. Kyungsoo went to his daily schedules and rushed to the hospital as soon as he was finished. A few times he wouldn't make it in time and had to sneak into the hospital through the emergency room.

Narda nodded her head. "I will visit her every day for as long as it takes. I will never leave her alone."

"I'll go with you." He offered, pulling his keys out of his pocket.

Narda was reluctant to accept, but she finally gave in. 

-

Kyungsoo didn't spend a lot of time in jail. SM Entertainment's lawyers had fought hard to prove his innocence. The very day he was taken in, they got to work and paid a fine to allow him to return to the dorms. The trial against him had been rather short, since the lawyers quickly figured out how to prove him innocent. They tapped into security cameras of different apartment buildings and compiled footage of them from every angle.

It had been shown that the two had apparently argued. She hurried out of the building and he followed behind her. She didn't see where she was going and blindly walked out onto the street, instantly being hit by a car who obviously didn't see her coming. He hadn't even touched her, had no time to react.

Her parents claimed that he was at least indirectly at fault, since they argued and he let her walk away on her own. But the lawyers hired by SM showed that he had indeed tried to stop her and begged her to calm down. The charges were instantly dropped against Kyungsoo and he was released from a house arrest from which he was only allowed to leave in order to attend schedules or to visit Nari. SM Entertainment wasted no time and counter sued the Yeo family for defamation of character against one of their idols.

A judge granted them a victory and her politician parents were hit with a big fine which they had to pay to SM Entertainment and Do Kyungsoo. SM ended up keeping most of the money, since they invested a lot in defending their idol in court. But that didn't amtter to Kyungsoo. The only thing that mattered to him was that the judge had ruled that he was allowed by law to visit Nari in the hospital, and that her parents were not allowed to transfer her to a private location. Her parents had been furious about it, but did as they were told.

Weeks eventually turned into months and Narda was supposed to be finishing off her extension of her time abroad. Her work visa was about to expire and she talked to Greenland Academy's principal. She had been with them for one semester when she was already going to leave them. She had to return to her country to finish up her final semester of university in order to graduate. Her boss informed her that she would be granted a leave of absence of up to a year and that she was welcome to come back after graduation if she wanted to.

Narda was very thankful for the opportunity. 

EXO was already working on their holiday comeback album, which Narda knew was going to be a hit. They were very talented and were rising to the peak of their popularity in Korea. Nari still had yet to wake up and both Kyungsoo and Narda visited her every day without fail.

Narda was a bit saddened by the fact that she would be unable to visit her friend for a whole six months while she would be back in her country. But she knew Nari would understand that it was something she needed to do. She wasn't leaving because she wanted to, but because she had to.

On one of her final days in Korea, Nari's birthday came around and the doctors allowed the nine remaining EXO members and Narda the chance to celebrate her birthday in the hospital room with her. They warned that it was a potential fire hazard, having so many people in a room together with a birthday cake, and presents, and only one door to exit out of in case of an emergency. But the EXO members promised they would behave and not cause any trouble. In any case, Junmyeon joked that they would all be in good hands because they were in a hospital after all.

It was a bittersweet moment for all of them, celebrating Nari's birthday with her at the hospital. For one, she was still caught in the clutches of sleep and had no idea what was going on. By now, she was about three months into her pregnancy and the slightest hint of a baby bump was visible beneath her hospital gown. But Narda assured them that even if she wasn't seeing them, she could feel their presence and was thankful they were visiting her. Kyungsoo sat by her side on her hospital bed and placed the birthday cake on her lap carefully, helping balancing it so that it wouldn't fall and make a mess.

They sang to her happy birthday in Korean first for the other boys, then in English and Spanish for Guti mostly. A tear rolled down Kyungsoo's cheek as he said quietly, barely audible to anyone. "I wish you were back with us, jagi. I miss you so much." Then he blew out the candles for her. The other boys clapped and smiled sad smiles, watching Kyungsoo never leaving his Nari's side. 

The group had some cake together and then one by one they piled out of the room since the doctors had only allowed for all of them to be in there for about an hour. The only ones who finally stayed behind were Kyungsoo, Narda, Chanyeol, and Baekhyun. The latter two had been dragged away by their leader after a moment because he said he couldn't trust the two of them in a room together while Guti was there too. He thought they would no doubt start fighting over her.

In the end only Kyungsoo and Narda remained in the room with Nari.

Kyungsoo looked to Narda and asked her a question. "Have you told the others yet that you have to return to your country by the end of the year?"

She gave a shake of her head. "Not yet."

"When will you tell them?" He asked another question. He thought that the other boys had a right to know, but he wouldn't be the one to tell them anything. It was Narda's information to tell and not his. He just hoped she would actually tell them and not just leave without saying goodbye.

Narda heaved a sigh, but ignored the question. Instead she told him something else. "I'll video call every day while I'm back home and I want you to put Nari on. I just want her to hear my voice and know that even though we're an ocean apart, I'm still thinking about my best friend. Promise, Soo?"

He nodded in agreement. "I promise, Guti."

She pulled him in for a hug which he welcomed warmly. The two had spent so much time at the hospital with Nari that they were able to find comfort in each other and became close friends. They both loved the same person so much.

She then assured him she would be back in the summer time and she would help him take care of the baby. But for now, she was to return to her apartment and pack her things. Her time to return back to the Unites States was approaching.

-

i felt very sad writing this chapter because so much is happening. its nari's birthday and they celebrated with her even if she's in a coma and doesn't know that they're there with her. also the fact that guti is almost having to return to her country and hasn't told anyone but kyungsoo about it.

the other boys will surely feel very sad about it. this is also opening way into chanyeol's story, which takes place almost two months after this moment. so please stay tuned for that story as well. 

i don't think i will update it for a while though.

thank you all loads for reading. if there is time, i will try to write one more chapter for tonight.

-clary