12 Letting You Go

Bin leaning his back on the floor while Go Soo is kneeling on top of him. They're hardly punching each other's face like no end.

After they heard a bang on the floor, they immediately stopped and motioned to where the sound comes from.

There! They saw Yejin.

She's lying on the floor in a weak state. Her eyes are closed with full of tears on her cheeks.

Both of them instantly stood up and readily ran towards her, but someone pushed them with all her might.

It was Hyojin, panicking...

"Stay away from her!!!" She shouted and instantly sits on the floor where her best friend is lying. She lifts Yejin's back and shoulders then slowly rested her head on top of her legs...

"Please somebody call 119!!! Faster!!!" She shouted out loud in a most worried tone.

Go Soo immediately took his phone in his pocket and called the emergency hotline number, while Bin is still trying to get up from lying on the floor. With a shocked face, his eyes are stuck on Yejin and hold each side of his head while slowly stepping a little backward.

Some people from the party went to the parking lot whispering and gossiping as they witnessed the horrible commotion.

Bin was stunned when someone holds his left arm.

It's his wife, Sora. She is standing beside him while catching her breath from running out of the party room.

"My God! Love! What happened to you?" Sora worriedly asked while caressing his swollen face and some blood under his nose as well as on his lower side lip.

"Fuck you, Bin!!! If something bad happens to Yejin, I'm going to kill you!!!" Hyojin shouted angrily to him.

"Love, what she's talking about? ...Love!?" Sora worded shaking his left arm while looking alternatively at Hyojin and Bin.

Bin slowly pulled away Sora's hand and kneeled in front of Yejin and Hyojin. His two bulky arms find their way under Yejin's knees and nape trying to lift her up without minding Hyojin who's hardly pushing his chest to step away... And not minding his wife standing behind him.

However, before he could securely lift Yejin's body, Go Soo hit him again making him turn a lose of his holds from her.

When Bin's body defeated on the floor, Go Soo immediately carries Yejin and ran outside the parking area along with Hyojin.

Sora covers her mouth out of shock, but when she realized her husband is still lying on the floor and not even getting up, she instantly ran towards him.

—————

Go Soo is walking back and forth outside the emergency room while Hyojin is still holding her phone trying to call someone. They're both worried since they still haven't heard anything about Yejin's condition inside the emergency room of Seoul National University Hospital.

"Eommoni... Pick up the phone... Jaebalyo (please)..." Hyojin grumbled on the phone while shaking her legs and biting her left thumb.

Go Soo walks towards Hyojin trying to calm her... "Hyoj... Relax... Yejin will be okay..."

Hyojin didn't answer him as she is still focused on contacting Yejin's family through her phone.

"Fuck! Why they're not answering?" She sighed and continued... "She got sick a few days ago and now she collapsed! My God! I don't know what to do with her anymore."

"Why??? What's been happening to Yejin lately? I saw her talking to that man and woman earlier. I went to her right away when I noticed that she was being cornered from their conversation." Go Soo expressed.

Hyojin looks at him with a curious face... "What did you talk about earlier? Why did you have to fight with that bastard?"

"Uhhm... I actually didn't know why he punched me when we went to the parking area. He's furious at me after I said that I am Yejin's boyfriend."

He then continued... "Was that her ex or something? He looked so madly jealous."

"Yes! Her recent ex fucking boyfriend who's suddenly got married without her knowing! She just found out through a picture on the internet." Hyojin asserted.

"Miss Son Yejin's guardian?"

They stopped and motioned after they heard the voice of the nurse who is peeking from the door of the emergency room.

Go Soo and Hyojin immediately ran towards the door and went inside. They followed the nurse proceeding to where Yejin is lying.

When they arrived at her bed and saw her, Hyojin instantly ran towards her side...

"Yeeeej!!! Thank God, you're awake!!! How are you feeling? Are you okay?" Hyojin asked fondling her temple while Go Soo is standing on her left side.

Yes, thank god that Yejin is now conscious. Though her face is still pale, she can now manage to respond to Hyojin.

After a moment, a doctor came to explain Yejin's condition... Hyojin stands up.

"Hello... I'm doctor Kim." He raised his right hand for a handshake to Go Soo and Hyojin.

He then continued... "The patient collapsed due to hyperventilation, and we performed sternal rub on her earlier. Good thing that we got a response from the patient right away... Don't worry too much! She can go home after an hour or two. But please, let her avoid stress so this won't happen again."

Hyojin and Go Soo bowed down to gave respect and gratitude to Dr Kim. He then excused himself and went back to his post.

"Yej, are you okay?" Go Soo finally spoke up after his silence beside them.

Yejin glanced up to Go Soo for a moment, then back to Hyojin. It's evident in her gaze that she's still not comfortable with him.

Well, Go Soo and Yejin's relationship before was beautiful. He was her first love, and she was his first love.

They were together for almost five years.

Go Soo was once got closer to her family as well as she is to his family. Growing up together wasn't that hard for them since they always got each other's back. Spent their high school and teenage years together. They're not like the other typical young couples on their campus. They both strive hard to achieve their goals-- just like they both ranked as Top 1 students when they graduated from high school. Relationship goals as what their other classmates and teachers say.

Yejin's parents trusted him so much as this boy promised them to achieve his dreams in life with Yejin. They were even called the perfect couple way back then. But life is not a fairy tale, darling. Nothing is perfect in this world. Only months after they graduated, her world crashed. Her dreams crashed. Her heart crashed.

Yejin's first heartbreak came at the most unexpected time. It was during her eighteenth birthday party when she accidentally caught him kissing a girl inside his car. She wasn't the one who broke up with him. It was he who broke up with her. Yes, they had a closure... But never in Yejin's vocabulary to remain friends with her exes. Though they always attend annual high school reunions, they're just casually greeting each other. Never had a chance to catch up with him until now...

Yejin touched Hyojin's hand and signalled her to come closer. She then started whispering to Hyojin's left ear...

"Hyoj... Where... is Bin?" Yejin huskily asked.

Hyojin's eyebrow raised since she got irritated the moment she heard her best friend saying his name again with a CONCERNED tone... "My God, Yej! He's the reason why you're here in this hospital bed right now... Haven't you heard the doctor earlier? He said you need to avoid stress!"

Go Soo bowed down his head while putting both of his hands at each side of his semi-fit black trousers' pockets...

"Uhhmm... Yej, I'm sorry about earlier. It looks like you were stunned when I went to you, and it only made the situation worst." Go Soo softly apologized.

Still, Yejin didn't look back at him, and she said she wants to take a nap before they go home.

—————

The next two hours, Yejin finally woke up from her sleep. The moment she opened her eyes, she can only see Go Soo sitting beside her bed with his arms and legs crossed and head down on the floor. He looks like he fell asleep.

He looks tired as well, and she can see slight bruises on his cheeks.

She actually didn't have hard feelings towards Go Soo anymore since their break-up happened two decades ago. It's just that, she felt a little awkward having him around because of their past and the thought of what happened earlier was kinda traumatic to her.

Before she lost consciousness in the parking area, she can still clearly remembers that Bin was the one who got more punches than Go Soo. It was one of the reasons why she panicked, had hard breathing and the pain she felt for the past two weeks came back in her whole system.

Why can't you contain seeing the one you love getting hurt even that person hurts you the most?

She shifted her gaze to the other side when she felt her eyes are starting to produce little tears.

After seconds, Hyojin arrived, and she noticed Yejin brought her hand to her eyes and started rubbing them. She sighed then went closer to her.

"Yej... That's enough. Okay? You're only torturing yourself." Hyojin sadly stated as she can see Yejin's lips starting to quiver.

Go Soo opened his eyes and stretched his back when he heard Hyojin's voice.

Yejin tried getting up from the bed.

"Let's go home?" Hyojin asked, and Yejin nodded.

Go Soo helped Yejin by holding her hands. Since Yejin is still not on her full strength, she let Go Soo helped her, and they went out of the emergency room.

His right arm around Yejin's shoulders, and his other hand holding her left arm. Hyojin also walking along with them on her right side.

When they're walking towards the exit doorway, they saw behind the glass door that it's snowing outside. Go Soo immediately took off his blazer suit and put it around Yejin's shoulder.

Hyojin went first near the door to open it for Go Soo who's assisting Yejin, but she stopped when the moment she holds the door holder...

She then instantly turns around to face Yejin and Go Soo who was kinda confused why Hyojin stopped and gave them a shocking face.

"Y-- ej..." Hyojin stammered.

Yejin is still confused as to why Hyojin is acting that way, but when Hyojin steps beside the door, she saw a familiar man standing weakly outside. Freezing under the big tree.

The second she clearly recognizes the man outside, she lost her stand, and Go Soo tightens his holds on her. She tried to straighten up her legs, and slowly pulled Go Soo's hands away.

Hyojin holds Yejin's wrist trying to stop her best friend, but Yejin looks at her and says something...

"Hyoj... Please, let me... We need to talk." Her voice was cracking.

Yes, it's Bin.

He's alone. Still wearing the suit he wears at the party earlier.

After Hyojin let go of her wrist and nodded, Yejin's feet are slowly walking towards the door and went outside the building.

When the door opened, Bin walks straightaway towards her. Both of their eyes are already stuck to each other and fogs are coming out of their breaths due to the coldness of the weather.

They're now standing in front of each other. Face to face.

Bin slowly walking closer to her and started raising his left hand to caress her face. However, Yejin shifted her gaze to the right side. She then looked up at his face.

Her heart is beginning to sink as she sees his face is full of dark bruises and dried drops of blood behind the multiple wounds on his skin.

"Ye-- yej..." His voice was weakly cracking while looking at her with wistful eyes.

"Did you leave your wife just to come here!?" Yejin harshly stated with a big lump on her throat making her eyes getting watery. She's holding her tears. Her heart is beating so fast like it's going to burst.

"Baby... I'm sorry..." Bin said. His eyes and face are weary.

"I'm not your baby anymore, Bin... Remember... the reason you left me?" She hoarsely stated and continued...

"Did you forget that you're married now?"

Bin forced to caress her face. This time, she lets him.

The moment his hand touches her skin, she wasn't able to hold her tears anymore and her lips are heavily vibrating.

He breathed loudly before uttering words...

"I love you, Yej... I... I can't afford to lose you... Please..."

Yejin's lips parted as she doesn't know what exactly to feel about his statement.

"THEN WHY? WHY DID YOU MARRY SOMEONE ELSE? WHERE DID WE GO WRONG? AM I NOT ENOUGH? DID YOU JUST USE ME? IF YOU LOVE ME, WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?" She shouted while catching her breaths. She's crying so hard...

She then continued...

"Let's just move on, Bin... I love you, but I am letting you go now..."

"...I... I'm setting you free..."

After seconds, Go Soo arrived beside Yejin and pulled her right wrist ready to walk away from Bin.

...until Bin also pulled her left hand and kneeled in front of her.

"Yej, please... Can't you still love me even if I'm already married?"