Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep...
The ECG machine beeped noisily as it measured the patient's pulse.
Yeo Ri stared at the face of the unconscious man blankly. It looked as if she was thinking deeply, or perhaps she was observing him.
What could she do...
She blinked her eyes, looking strangely resolute before retracting her gaze from him.
"Oppa..."
She sighed.
She propped up his hand and turned his palm upwards, resting her head on his hand without actually putting any weight behind it. Her fingers caressed his cold hand softly.
"Oppa, I'm sorry," Yeo Ri whispered, a single drop of tear falling out from the corner of her eye. "If it wasn't for my sake, you wouldn't have ended up in this condition."
She buried her face into his large hand, sobbing weakly.
"Oppa... Oppa... I'm sorry..."
"Oppa..."
"Oppa..."
Yeo Ri wiped away her tears and placed his arm on his stomach. Then, she sat next to him on the edge of the bed.
She bent down, cupping his cheeks lightly, as if afraid of hurting him. She traced his features with her fingers, lightly brushing over his cheekbone with her thumbs. She caressed his cheek with a pining look.
"Oppa, how can you still be so handsome even when you're hurt? I must be blind," Yeo Ri chuckled, finally cracking a smile.
However, a split second later, she dropped her smile. "I'm sorry, Oppa. Yeo Ri is such a bad girl..."
"I'm sorry... It's my fault... Everything is my fault..."
"If only I was stronger... If only I dealt with it better..."
Yeo Ri's thumb hovered at his lips. The corner was cracked from that man's punches, and its colour was pale.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry I got you involved in my mess..." I'm sorry for dragging you into this...
Yeo Ri closed her eyes tightly, took a deep breath, and exhaled. She tried her best to calm herself down. She had been crying so much lately.
"This is the last time, Lee Yeo Ri. You shouldn't cry anymore," she scolded herself out loud.
Then, she opened her eyes. Yeo Ri stared at Hyuk's face for a long time. She chuckled, in self-derision. She was truly... a nasty b*tch.
Her dirty mouth opened, "I'm such a bad girl, Oppa. Even in this situation, all I can think about is how much I want to touch you."
"I'm sorry, Oppa..." Yeo Ri apologised one more time before executing what she had planned to do. Even after experiencing that nasty incident, she couldn't help herself, she seemed to think.
"If Oppa was awake, you'd probably feel disgusted that a tainted girl like me wanted to do something like this to you," she mused out-loud.
—Just like what that b*stard did to her.
Yeo Ri tilted Hyuk's head upwards, then pressed her lips on his.
She was young and inexperienced, so the kiss was innocent and chaste. It was over in mere seconds, but to Yeo Ri, it felt like forever.
Her cheeks glowed red, and her eyes widened as if she couldn't believe she had just did what she did. She looked slightly guilty, but there seemed to also be a feeling of happiness blooming inside her.
Yeo Ri bit her lips, trying to suppress a smile. "Sorry, Oppa. I'm a bad girl. I took advantage of you even though you're in such a bad state. I'm sorry, Oppa. Yeo Ri is such a selfish and terrible girl. I'm sorry..."
Once Yeo Ri finished saying her piece, she got up, as though she was suddenly feeling hot and stuffy. She needed some fresh air, she decided.
However, something suddenly held her in place.
Yeo Ri looked down to her hand. Hyuk's cold fingers wrapped around her tiny palm. His grip was neither too strong nor too weak. If she wanted to break off the hold, she could. But, she chose not to. Her hands suddenly felt stiff and powerless, as if all the strength had left them.
Yeo Ri stood still, displaying a shocked face as if she had been caught doing something bad. "O-Oppa, you were awake...?"
Hyuk pushed himself up into a sitting position with difficulty. Yeo Ri quickly supported him once she saw his action.
Once he sat up, Yeo Ri looked away, her face reddening. "I'm, um, I'll go wait outs—"
Hyuk softly pulled Yeo Ri down to sit next to him. Yeo Ri did not fight against him and followed his lead.
She bowed her head down with a guilty conscience, not daring to meet his eyes. It wouldn't be weird for him to start hating her or feel disgusted by her after what she did, she thought.
Her heart would apparently break at the thought of him distancing himself from her. She appeared to be berating herself inwardly, thinking, 'how could you destroy the relationship you already have, you greedy girl?'
Hyuk looked at the downtrodden girl with a complicated gaze. So many thoughts jumbled around in his mind. His heart was beating quickly, and the ECG machine he was attached to started picking it up. Annoyed, he pulled off the wires attached to him and tossed them away.
Once he made up his mind, he tucked her hair behind her ears and carefully touched her face, making her look at him. She gazed at him with glassy eyes, tears threatening to fall. Her brows were scrunched up in worry as she continued to bite her lips.
Then, he kissed her.