Jesper

"Oh no!" Jamie shrilled.

I turned towards Jamie and asked.

"What happened?" I urged.

"They are here!" Jamie informed.

Jamie gestured towards the entrance, indicating a man and a woman in their 30s with their backs turned to us. I couldn't quite figure out who they were. Why was Jamie so concerned about their presence here?

"Who?" I asked.

"Yeha's parents!" She almost screamed.

"Holy!" I gasped.

Yeha's parents? I'm quite certain they have no desire to lay eyes on us in this place. They already hold the belief that we are the cause of their daughter's anguish. And truth be told, I am indeed responsible.

"We have to move." I declared.

"예!" Jamie agreed. (Yes.)

"Let's hide behind that wall," I pointed at the wall that stood towards my right.

We quickly dashed towards the rear of the wall. Once we safely made it behind, we cautiously peeked out to catch a glimpse of Yeha's parents.

"Why are they here? Weren't they supposed to come at 9:30 pm?" Jamie asked curiously

I can't help but feel anxious about the situation. Jamie's perspective is valid, but as parents, their concern for their daughter is understandable. However, what about my feelings? As someone who cares deeply for her and is the cause of her pain. I don't deserve this, I don't deserve her.

"I know, but they are here now and I have no clue why they are here at this hour." I explained.

"Okay but, what are we supposed to do now?" Jamie inquired.

"Hide," I suggested.

Let's face it, our faces are not winning any beauty contests. It's probably best to spare Yeha's parents the horror and just stay hidden.

As we were sneaking a glimpse at Yeha's parents, we noticed a nurse walking by. Without wasting a moment, we discreetly beckoned her over and inquired about Yeha's parents.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Yes," The Nurse replied.

I gestured towards Yeha's parents and inquired, "Are you familiar with their identity?"

"Yes!" She answered.

She continued by stating that "Their daughter had been admitted to the hospital yesterday evening. Since then, they have been present at the hospital, but now they may be leaving to have breakfast."

How could they not have been here at the hospital all night? They truly adore Yeha and must be the most amazing parents ever. At least, better than mine. Yeha deserves this.

"Oh!, that's a sign of relief." Jamie whispered.

"True," I replied.

As the nurse left, our attention once more shifted towards Yeha's parents, and fortunately, we observed them transitioning from their seats towards the exit.

"Let's go!" Jamie instructed.

As we leisurely strolled towards Yeha, we caught sight of her resting on the hospital cot, with her eyes wide open.

"Jesper." Yeha whispered but was audible enough for me to hear.

Her voice was my solace, bringing me peace. Seeing her well brought me joy. As she lay on the bed, covered by a blanket, her face remained uncovered. Despite looking weary, her beauty never dimmed. Yeha's kind spirit shone through, even though I failed to stop her from drinking. She still wants to see me, to call me. God, I love her.

"Yes," I replied and took few steps towards her and then knelt down on the floor, next to her.

"How are you feeling now?" I whimpered.

"Ah-I am feeling better." Yeha assured.

"Be honest, Yeha." Jamie added.

"Yesterday, I have to be real with you, my immune system was pretty weak. I had to spend a few hours hooked up to a saline drip, but luckily they let me go afterwards. Check out the mark right here." Yeha authenticated.

"Oh! Yes, the mark is visible on your hands" Jamie declared.

"Jesper?" Yeha called me but I didn't respond because I couldn't help but shed a tear as I realized that if I had prevented Yeha from drinking alcohol, she wouldn't have had to endure all of this.

"I am sorry Yeha!" I sniffed.

"What are you being sorry for?" Yeha asked.

"If I hadn't allowed you to consume so much alcohol back then, you wouldn't be dealing with all of this." I concluded.

"Stop blaming yourself, Jesper! You did try stopping me from drinking alcohol but it was me who didn't listen to you and kept on drinking alcohol, it's all my fault and it's there's nothing to blame you on" Yeha explained.

"Jesper! Stop crying and being sensitive. Stop blaming yourself. Jamie almost fumed.

"Jesper? Please. " Yeha comforted me.

I heard that I was a little sensitive. People often say that men are expected to be tough and not show their emotions. But that doesn't mean men should suppress their feelings.

I stopped sobbing as soon as I recognized a familiar voice asking, "What are you doing here?" All of us turned our heads towards the source of the voice and were astonished by what we saw "엄마? 아빠?" Yeha muttered. (Mom? Dad?)

"Didn't we inform you that you won't be meeting our daughter anymore?" Mr.Moon gave me a death glare.

"무엇?" Yeha wondered. (Why.)

Of course, poor Yeha has no idea about her parents blaming us for her current condition - she was completely unconscious the entire time and had no awareness of the tense situation unfolding around her. When she finally came to, the young woman was understandably disoriented and bewildered, her mind still foggy from the ordeal. She gazed around the room with a lost, puzzled expression, trying to piece together what had happened and why she found herself in this unfamiliar setting. Unfortunately, I simply don't have the time in this moment to sit down and carefully explain the entire series of events to Yeha. Her parents are already on edge and pointing fingers, and the last thing I need right now is to get dragged into their heated blame game. Yeha is my top priority, and I need to focus on ensuring she's stable and comfortable as she slowly regains her bearings. The details of how she ended up here can wait - for now, I just need to be there for my friend as she awakens, confused and disoriented, to a situation that is undoubtedly overwhelming and perplexing to her. My hands are trying to tend to Yeha's immediate needs without also having to navigate the minefield of her parents' accusations and hostility. I'll fill her in when the dust settles, but for now, my attention must remain squarely on supporting Yeha through this challenging transition.

"Yeha, please don't get involved in this, it's for your own good!" Mrs.Moon instructed her.

"Aunty, Uncle-" I tried to communicate with them but Mr.Moon stopped me.

"Don't you dare call us that."

"Alright, Mr. and Mrs. Moon, it is not possible to separate us. We have been friends since childhood, and you cannot tear us apart. Moreover, have you considered whether Yeha is content with your decision?"

"Young boy, I understand what you mean. But, as parents, we care for our child. We can't see her like this. You call yourself her friend? Don't you want her to be safe?"

"Whatever we are doing is only for Yeha's good so, it doesn't matter if she is happy with our decision or not. Please, don't understand this in the wrong way, we are just ensuring our daughters safety. Can't we do that?" Mrs.Moon added.

"If you were childhood friends, it was your responsibility to look after Yeha and ensure she didn't consume alcohol. However, instead of fulfilling that duty, you were the one who provided her with alcohol." Mrs. Moon continued.

"아빠, Jesper did stop me from drinking alcohol but I was the one who didn't listen to him and about offering the alcohol, Jamie got the alcohol and asked me just to take a sip and taste it but, it was me who wanted to drink more and more of it-" Yeha explained but stopped.

"And, your best friend Jamie didn't stop you." Mr. Moon stated.

"That's because she didn't know that I would faint as she never fainted while drinking alcohol". Yeha explained.

"So?" Mrs.Moon asked.

"So, stop blaming my friends for everything." Yeha commanded.

"Yeha! Stop raising your voice on your parents for your friends." Mr.Moon reminded.

"Yeha, I know that you are trying to save your friends. But, we can't support you in the wrong. Look at you? Have you ever shouted at us? We have given you everything, everything you wanted and this is what you give us?" Mrs. Moon asked.

"Now you understand, if she stays one more second with you then she will completely go against us," Mr.Moon looked at me and calmly explained.

"Yeha, we have to go back home now" Mr. Moon reminded.

"아빠?" Yeha almost wailed. (Dad?)

"I said that we have to go now." Mr.Moon stated.

"Yeha, the doctor said that we can discharge you from the hospital. Let's go!"

Yeha's gaze shifted downwards, a clear expression of disappointment etched on her face. I noticed a tear trickling down her cheek, and it was evident that her father's unexpected outburst had caused her distress as her dad never shouted at her.

"Bye, Yeha" I said indicating that she could go as I didn't want any other scene to get created over here".

"B-bye Jesper and bye, Jamie." Yeha said and then she left from there.

My mind was once again flooded with negative thoughts. Everything that happened today was my fault. Mr. Moon was right, I should have taken the responsibility and prevented her from drinking alcohol.