Bring It On! - Chapter 88

Chapter 88.

The muffled sobs sounded pitiful.

Even as Cha Yoon felt his chest tighten at the sound of quiet weeping spreading through the room, he couldn’t fully sympathize with her grief. 

After all, the surgery had been a success. Despite his young age, Suho had endured a grueling seven-hour operation, and the artificial heart had been transplanted without issue.

Yet Sun Woori’s sobs tugged sharply at his nerves. His temples throbbed with pain, but his eyes refused to leave her figure beyond the glass. Not long ago, the sight of her eyes reddening from his harsh words had given him a strange thrill, but not now.

Now, if there was any way to stop those tears, he felt he would do anything.

At that moment, Sun Woori lifted her head. Cha Yoon drew in a sharp breath and instinctively pulled back to hide, only realizing afterward there was no reason to.

Even if their last quarrel had been his fault, it wasn’t something so grave that he had to avoid her.

If he wanted to see her, shouldn’t he just… go to her?

“……”

But no answer came to that thought.

The memory of that slip, a kiss brushed in half-sleep, flashed in his mind as vividly as if it had happened yesterday. The instant their eyes met, Sun Woori’s soft gaze had frozen in shock, her expression hardening. 

The warmth of her body leaning against his had seemed to chill in an instant. He remembered the flare of rage when her attitude shifted so suddenly.

“You never had a place between us to begin with.”

She had been right. Cha Yoon and Sun Woori weren’t close enough to exchange sentimental words about missing each other. More than that, if not for that bastard Jay, they would never have spoken a single word in their lifetimes.

She had told him to end it, but Cha Yoon couldn’t. He no longer knew if this obsessive yearning for her was his own or Jay’s.

Lost in thought for a while, Cha Yoon finally dragged a weary hand down his face. His head was a mess, but one thing was clear: before she saw him again, he needed a shave.

***

Cha Yoon used his insomnia as an excuse to haunt the hospital. Just as Sun Woori once lingered near his ward, he now kept watch from a distance over the room where Suho lay. 

He treated his own medical checkups with indifference, going through the motions halfheartedly, his attention always elsewhere.

Despite repeated tests, his sleeplessness showed no sign of improving. Eventually, the professor recommended hospitalization, but Cha Yoon refused. 

No drug could cure him. Unless he found a way to sort out his feelings for Sun Woori, he knew he would never be free from this torment.

“Not going home again tonight?”

“Yeah.”

Park Jonghoo checked Cha Yoon’s face in the rearview mirror. Leaning against the seat with his head tilted back, Cha Yoon’s closed eyes radiated only fatigue and anguish.

Every day, Jonghoo was startled by how unfamiliar Cha Yoon had become. This was the man who had once lived under constant gossip like it was a given, who never flinched even when reporters swarmed his house day and night. Now he could barely hold himself upright, and collapsed into ruin.

Back when Cha Yoon lived recklessly. Arrogant, self-centered, heedless of others. Jonghoo often had headaches dealing with the messes he left behind. But even then, problems could be solved, whether by fighting it out or paying it off. 

The man before him now was different. As if gripped by severe depression, he barely ate or slept, destroying himself. There was nothing Jonghu could do.

As he drove off smoothly, Jonghoo hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.

“You still haven’t given back Woo-ri’s luggage, right?”

“……”

The moment her name was spoken, Cha Yoon’s eyes snapped open.

“What’s the point of holding onto it? Return it.”

Jonghoo knew well that Sun Woori was the reason Cha Yoon had fallen apart like this. It was as if the fever of a first love, something that should have burned out in adolescence, had come too late. Now, it was devouring him whole.

He wanted Cha Yoon to recover, to return to his old self as soon as possible. The bag felt like a symbol of his lingering attachment. 

Whether thrown away or given back, it needed to be removed from sight if there was any hope of easing his insomnia.

“Take me to the officetel.”

Cha Yoon understood what Jonghoo meant. He himself had tried to forget her, avoiding both his house and hotels he frequented, moving from place to place each night. But the luggage, he couldn’t return it. That would only leave her with Jay’s memories.

“Once this trial’s over, how about spending some time abroad? Rest somewhere scenic. You might finally get some sleep. The professor said what you need most is a stress-free environment—”

“I’m tired.”

Cha Yoon closed his eyes as if he didn’t want to hear it. Park Jonghoo sighed inwardly, seeing a look that seemed utterly unyielding.

For some reason, the sky today was so overcast. Soon, raindrops began to fall, one by one. Inside the car, the only sounds were the tapping of rain against the window and the wipers swishing back and forth.

Park Jonghoo’s worried eyes darted between the rearview mirror and the road ahead.

“Yoon, maybe you should reconsider hospital treatment again…”

Bang!

A horn blared violently from behind. Startled, Park Jonghoo forgot his words and glanced around. A black sedan was speeding straight toward them without slowing.

Jonghoo swerved sharply to avoid it.

Crash!

The car jolted, colliding with the rear bumper of another car beside them. Jonghoo stomped on the brake.

“Ha… what a crazy bastard.”

Once the car came to a complete stop, Jonghoo exhaled sharply, trying to calm his racing heart.

“Yoon, are you okay?”

Cha Yoon furrowed his brows, watching the scene outside. He was just as annoyed at the reckless vehicle as Jonghoo. Cars caught up in the sudden chaos had stopped along the roadside. 

Jonghoo got out and knocked on the black sedan’s window; a young man finally emerged, bowing repeatedly as if apologizing profusely for his inexperience. Cha Yoon watched briefly, rubbing his tired eyes.

The light drizzle had gradually grown heavier, turning into a downpour. Jonghoo, who had been waiting for the insurance company’s staff, hurried back into the car.

“I’ve called another car for you. Take it later. Rest first, and if anything hurts, call me right away.”

“……”

“Yoon, are you listening to me?”

Cha Yoon’s gaze remained fixed on the window, his pupils slightly widening in surprise.

“Cha Yoon!” 

“An umbrella.”

His voice was low but carried a hint of urgency.

“There’s one in the trunk…”

Without waiting for more, Cha Yoon opened the door. Jonghoo called after him, but Cha Yoon ignored it, taking a large black umbrella from the trunk. He didn’t even open it. He ran straight off, seemingly without even thinking about using it.

Cha Yoon stopped in front of a small, private café. By chance, he spotted Sun Woori standing under the roof, sheltering from the rain.

“……”

Thump. Thump. The sound of rain pounding against the pavement was drowned out by the rapid beating of his own heart. Standing before her, Sun Woori’s large eyes widened in surprise at Cha Yoon, blinking once before he extended his hand with the umbrella. But she didn’t take it.

Only a few seconds passed, but to Cha Yoon it felt like an eternity. Countless thoughts raced through his mind.

How do I look right now? My hair, my clothes… a mess. Will she be disappointed to see me like this? No, maybe there’s nothing left to be disappointed about. At least I shaved…

As his trembling hand hovered, Sun Woori grabbed his sleeve and pulled him toward her. Cha Yoon’s frozen legs moved weakly. 

A shadow fell over his head. Raindrops slid off his chin, dripping down his throat.

When her hand finally let go of his sleeve, he almost grabbed it impulsively. Feeling the arm flinch as she reached for him, Cha Yoon spoke.

“Take it.”

“Why are you standing here getting soaked? Where’s Director Park?”

Her voice made his ears feel like they were melting. He heard every word, yet teasingly said, “I can’t hear you,” and edged closer. Sun Woori lifted her head, repeating the same words louder.

“Why are you here?”

“……”

“What were you doing?”

After she had asked twice, his answer was completely different. Naturally, she frowned.

“I went out to buy Suho’s socks and underwear, and then suddenly it started raining… ha, why am I even explaining this to you?”

“I’ll take you back.”

“No need.”

“There’s a car right here. Just a minute.”

“I said it’s fine.”

“Then at least use this.”

“I don’t need your help.”

Her cold refusal, drawing a line over even something as simple as an umbrella, made Cha Yoon’s hand clench. The veins on the back of his hand bulged, but Sun Woori didn’t notice.