Chapter 13: Relationship

“Emma, you alright?” asks Onew during their breakfast.

            “Yeah, I am.  You?” she asks back.

            “I’m great,” Onew says, trying to cheer up the morning mood, which he believes will help to make their days.

            “Where are you going later?  Work?” Emma asks again.

            “Yeah.  I’ve been on holiday for a few days already.  It is better for me to get back to work,” Onew says while feeding himself a toast.  Emma nods.

            “Yeah, sure,” she says with a smile, showing that she is okay that he is going to work.  Onew tries to capture her eyes, to make sure she is okay with it.  They show the same thing as she says.

            “Good.  What about you?  How is your work?” Onew asks her sister.  She has been working as an archaeologist for two years already, and being a really good archaeologist.  She stops for a while after the accident, but then she get back to work when she stops her frequent meeting with Minho.

            “It’s great, get back to work.  Well, at least I can see my friends again.  And I love it when I found something valuable to the history,” says Emma.  Onew knows that his sister has this sort of passion to history.  But, too deep into history can cause calamity especially when she always reminisces her dark past into her memory.

            “Well...that’s great.  But, you have to know that sort of work...going to cave, climbing hills and mountains just to find artefacts, historical buildings or fossils...that works are belong to guys.  I mean they suit guys better,” Onew says.  He never really agreed when Emma said two years back then that she wants to be an archaeologist, but seeing her passion, he had to.  And Emma warned him not to raise the matter again.  But he just did.

            “Onew, we promised not to br-”

            “Yeah, yeah, sorry.  Yeah...you can enjoy your work.  I know you like it.  I just...well... Expressing my thought.  So, my words just now...just forget it, will you?” Onew tries to calm his sister when he receives a death glare from her.  He knows her sister is sensitive when it comes to her work, but he just want to tell his opinion, that’s all.

            “It’s okay.  You don’t have to worry too much.  Currently, we just stay in the lab and study the artefacts found.  You know...carbon-dating classification.  That sort of thing,” says Emma.

            “Owh...when are you going today?  You want me to send you work?” asks Onew.

“Well...I’m on a leave today,” says Emma while eating her cereal.

            “Really?  Then, what are you planning to do?” asks Onew.

            “Perhaps...going out with Minho,” Emma says excitedly.

            “You guys okay?” Onew asks.

            “Yeah...we already talked to each other a few days ago.  Through phone though, since both of us are busy,” Emma says.

            “Oh really?  So you are dating this evening?” Onew asks, hoping that this time, there won’t be anything happen.

            “Onew...I think you are already late for work,” Emma tries to change the topic as her cheeks are flushing red due to Onew’s question.  Onew chuckles seeing her act.

            “Emma...I’m the boss.  So, it is up to me when I’m going to be at the office.  Moreover, I don’t have meeting this morning, or anything important,” Onew says while laughing a small laugh.  Emma rolls her eyes.

            “Whatever, Onew,” she says.



                                                       

            “You know?  He survived the surgery.  But, his life after that was different.  Brain tumor isn’t good.  There’re many things he can’t do.  But, he continued to live on, to move on.  And he succeeded in his life,” says Jonghyun while holding Minho’s hand.  He receives a squeeze from the patient and that makes him smile.

            As usual, everyday, Jonghyun would check on his patient, and he is the special one.  Jonghyun will always spend his time to speak to him, and tells him story about survivors out there, giving Minho an everlasting inspiration.  He wants to see the younger stay alive and wakes up one day.  He isn’t expecting for a thanks though, he just wants his patient survive the hard life.

            “You’ll wake up, won’t you?” he asks.  Minho squeezes back.  Jonghyun feels relieve, because of the boy’s spirit, even though he isn’t yet fully gain his consciousness.  Anyhow, he doesn’t want to put in too much hope.  Not that he doesn’t trust the boy, he just prepares.  Anything can happen, even at the very last minute.

            “I want to see you wake up one day.  Because you’re the only one that can correct the things here.  It has been a bit chaos these days,” Jonghyun says while chuckling.  He knows Minho cannot see him, but he hopes the sound will be able to make him know what he is doing.  And when Minho squeezes his hand, he knows he is right.

            “It is time for me to go.  See you tomorrow, okay?” he says and he puts back Minho’s hand on the bed.  He gives the chance for his eyes to look at Minho for another time before his legs make a move.

            He walks towards the door.  He opens the door and steps outside.  Then, he closes the door with a sigh of relief.  He never has been feeling this relieve for a while.  But, now he believes and keeps up the faith in seeing Minho comes back to life.  While he is thinking about that, suddenly he hears sobs.  Someone is weeping.  He looks at his left and finds Jessica is crying.

            Jonghyun could tell that Jessica is tired, due to her work, but he believes that is not the thing that makes her legs very feeble.  She is weeping while she walks, and it looks like she is going to fall on the floor very soon.  With much concern, Jonghyun runs towards her and holds her in his arm.  He gently drags her to the nearest waiting seat.  He seats together with her.

            “Jessica...” he calls her while she continues crying on his shoulder.  No answer.  Not a single word comes from the female doctor.  She weeps.  Jonghyun is getting confused.  He never sees her in this condition.  Jessica never cries.

            “Jessica, why?” he asks.  He wonders why a strong girl like her cries in a sudden, and looks very weak.

            But, there’s no word from her.  She continues with her sob.  Jonghyun let her cries.  Her face is still on his shoulder, and Jonghyun could feel his white coat get wet.  He just let her be in that way, cries until she feels strong enough to speak.  He strokes her head, trying to calm her down.

            After a while, Jessica stops weeping.  Jonghyun stops stroking her hair.  She lifts her face and wipes the tears with her hands.  Jessica knows that she looks messy, but she doesn’t know, in Jonghyun’s eyes she looks adorable.  He smiles while looking at her face.  Without Jonghyun asks for it, Jessica starts to tell the story.

            “The kid that I am supposed to save, he died, after a few days unconscious,” she says with a cracking voice.  Jonghyun knows Jessica can cry again anytime, but he knows that he will be there for her.  Jonghyun stays in silent, as a sign that he will hear anything that she wants to tell.

            “I know...we have to be professional, but seeing the boy died at such a young age, I’m getting emotional.  You know...he is my patient and seeing him dying is heartbreaking for me.  I...I just can’t bear with it,” says Jessica.  She starts to cry again, but not as bad as before.

            “Jessica...yes, as doctor we have to be professional.  But, we are just human.  We have the right to feel sad.  You can cry if you want, cry until you feel all the grief gone,” Jonghyun says gently while looking at his mate.

            Jessica has been working in ER unit for years.  She faces with a lot of death of her patients.  Working is Emergency Room is a disaster; because your patient can even die while operating.  But, all this while the sweet girl is so professional, especially in handling her own grief.  Jonghyun can see the sadness all this while, although she forcefully carved a smile on her face.  She hides her sorrow, always been like that.

            But today, Jonghyun see a different side of her.  She is crying unhide.  She is so weak that Jonghyun could see her legs are trembling.  She will not make it even to stand up.  Her knees are too feeble.  The boy must mean a lot to her.

            “Who is that boy to you?” he asks Jessica while gently wrapping his arm around her shoulders.  Jessica looks at him.

            “A brother, who supposed to be finishing his elementary school soon,” she says while tears are fighting to stroll down her fair, smooth cheeks.  Jonghyun nods.  It is hard, he knows.

            He has been thinking the same thing when he got Minho as his patient.  A brother who still have a lot to explore in his life; the thought makes Jonghyun really want to see him wakes up want day, and continues his journey of life.  Thus, he tries very hard to keep him alive, although his case is very rare; one in a million.  Minho should have died, he knows, but he saved the boy because he really thinks Minho is his brother, that is still young and has to experience life.

            “It’s hard I know...and it is not a crime to feel sad,” Jonghyun says and goes on, “But, if a doctor continues to weep like this, how would the other survive?  Jessica, you have other patients to look after.  You have to move on.  Their lives are depending on you.  You wouldn’t want another patient to die, would you?” Jonghyun asks, in attempt to soothe her down.  The only thing wrong is he is soothing her in a very ‘doctor-ish’ way.  Jessica managed a small laugh.

            “Jonghyun...you never really know how to persuade a woman, aren’t you?” Jessica says, now managed to give a sad, yet genuine smile.  Jonghyun looks at her, confused.  Then, he chuckles while scratching his head.

            “I...just doing my job as a friend,” Jonghyun says.  Jessica smiles, while her heart shouting to be more than Jonghyun’s friend.

            “Yeah...thanks a lot for your concern.  How about your patient, huh?  How is Minho right now?” she asks.

            “He’s alright.  Hey!  You know what?  He started responding to stimuli yesterday,” Jonghyun says.  Jessica’s face turns bright.

            “Seriously?” Jessica asks animatedly.

            “Yeah.  And he responds too.  Hold his hand and speak to him, he will squeeze your hand,” Jonghyun tells her.

            “Really?  I’m going inside,” Jessica says while standing up.  She quickly walks towards Minho’s room, but suddenly her wrist is grabbed by somebody.  He turns to see Jonghyun.

            “Thanks...err...thanks...you helped me a lot...from operating Minho till taking care of him.  Thanks a lot,” Jonghyun says.  He tries to make it professional, but he doesn’t know what makes him really shy to thank the girl.  He feels something different with this girl.  Jessica smiles a very sweet smile.

            “Thanks for making me happy too.  Jonghyun...” Jessica says while walking nearer towards him, “I love you, Kim Jonghyun,” she kisses him on his cheek and runs to Minho’s room, leaving Jonghyun in shock.

            He holds his cheek and can feel the warmness, as he let Jessica’s last words processed by his brain.  He looks at her as she enters the room, with a smile carved on his face.





            “Emma!” Minho calls her.  Emma turns to him and he quickly snaps a photo of her.  He then smirks naughtily.

            “You are photogenic.  Your photo comes out very nice even though you’re not yet ready,” Minho says, praising Emma.

            “I know, right?” says Emma, jokingly.  She smiles at him.  Emma is going back to her old self, little by little.  She slowly becomes the sweet Emma after she gets back to work.

            “How is your work, dear?” asks Minho while stroking Emma’s long hair.  Emma is still smiling.

            “Great...I feel happy to be with friends again.  And I don’t feel really depressed anymore,” says Emma.

            “I’m glad to hear that you’re happy.  That makes me happy too,” Minho says.  Emma chuckles.

            “Minho...I’m sorry for our last meeting.  I’m really sorry.  I was emotional,” Emma is seeking for forgiveness.  She has gone far extreme.  Just because of soccer, she left him behind.  When she thinks back about it, she feels embarrassed.  She was acting crazy last time, which is far from herself.

            “It’s okay Emma, it’s okay.  I don’t mind.  You have the right to feel that way,” Minho says while looking at her.

            “No, no, Minho.  I’m serious.  I’m really sorry...” Emma says very tenderly.

            “If you really want to hear that I forgive you, then yes...I forgive you.  But, there’s nothing to be sorry okay?  I understand,” Minho says soothingly.

            They walk together and find a place to sit.  Then, they sit together on a bench, under a shady tree in a park.

            “Days have been great for you?” asks Minho while snapping a few photos of birds on the tree’s branch.

            “Yeah...I enjoy my life,” Emma says.

            “How is Onew then?”

            “He’s great too.  He got back to work this morning,” Emma tells him.  Minho nods and then looks at his camera.

            “See?  These birds.  They are couple,” Minho shows a picture of two birds together on a branch.  Emma smiles widely to the photo.

            “This is nice,” Emma says while taking the camera from Minho’s hand.  Minho gives it to Emma.  While Emma is admiring his photo, he takes out his laptop.  He still has a few photos to be edited.  And the photo of the birds will be his masterpiece too.

            He scrolls down the album to see the photo he has edited.  Just to make it as sample.  He loves seeing it, not because of the perfect photo; with perfect angle, focus and light, but because of the person in the photo.  He never captures picture of other girls, it is only Emma.  Other than that, no picture of human.  The others are picture of scenery, plants and animals.

            He opens one by one photo, browsing the file.  He smiles alone when he sees the photos.  He loves the girl in the photos.  He doesn’t know since when he loves her, but he is sure about his feeling.  He knows exactly that the smile makes up his day, the eyes drive away his grief and the lovely face opens up a bright day for him.  He smiles to himself, forgetting that the girl is right beside him, watching him looking at her own pictures.

            Emma is touched.  She can see that all those pictures are her pictures.  She loves the fact that Minho captures only her photos, but seeing him admiring the photos makes Emma’s heart flutters.  She feels glad and that brings out the tears of happiness.

            “Minho... Are you really in love with those photos of mine?” asks Emma.  Minho is shocked when he knows Emma is watching him and that makes him feels the heat fills up his face.  He looks at her calmly though, hiding the tingling of his own heart, showered with love.

            “I’m not in love with the photos,” he says calmly and he could see Emma’s cheeks flush red, maybe because she thinks she is wrong, but Minho continues, “But, I’m in love with the person, Emma,” he says.  The words consciously hit her in her head, and send the chill down through her spine.  She feels her cheeks are already hot.

            “Prove it,” Emma says, while Minho is getting closer to her.

            “I will.  I’ve gain my strength.  Let me play soccer again and this time, I promise to win for you, only you,” Minho says while getting closer and closer.

            Emma closes her eyes and before she could say a word, she feels his lips touch hers.  She feels grateful and thanks God for another good day she had.