If You

The door opened and Emily’s head snapped up instantly. Seunghyun looked in and she waved at him. “Emily!” he said loudly. Emily shushed him, pointing at Jiyong. He immediately hushed and tiptoed over to them. “When did you get here?” he whispered, pulling up a chair.

“A few hours ago,” she replied. “I'm sorry I worried you.”

“I figured you just needed some time alone,” he said, brushing it off. “I can't believe you got him to sleep.”

“I have my ways,” Emily said, smiling slightly. “Where's Youngbae?”

“Coming later. He stayed with Jiyong for a while after Daesung and I left, so he's resting now.” Seunghyun frowned. “Come to think of it, I didn't see Daesung this morning.”

“He's at my apartment,” Emily replied. “He was waiting for me when I got back. He wanted to make sure I was okay.”

“And are you?” Seunghyun asked. The door opened again and they perked up, but it was only Sagowa. “I come bearing gifts,” he said, balancing coffees and a paper bag in both hands. “I brought a tea for Jiyong,” he said, setting everything on a nearby table.

“Let him sleep,” Emily whispered, shaking her head. “Don't disturb him until we have to.”

They ate quietly, Jiyong remaining fast asleep on Emily's lap. The sun rose and cast pale bars of light on the bare floor, reminding them that time hadn't stopped. Seunghyun and Mr. Sagowa watched the morning news while Emily stared into space, thinking. I wonder what happens now, she thought, chewing her lip. So many things could change after today.

She looked down at Jiyong. Oddly enough, she felt closer to him than ever. If she had had any doubts about the two of them, they had been erased by the relief in his eyes when he saw her. We almost lost each other, she realized. Never again.

The door opened and an exhausted-looking doctor came in. Emily shook Jiyong gently. “Wake up,” she murmured. “The doctor's here.”

Jiyong sat up, looking around blearily. Seunghyun and Mr. Sagowa got up immediately. “How is he?” Sagowa asked.

“Still unconscious,” the doctor replied. “His aorta was nicked, which is why there was so much blood loss. We were able to close the wound and perform a blood transfusion, but the next few days will be critical. He's a lucky man.”

“When will he wake up?” Jiyong asked, standing up.

“We'll bring him out of anesthesia gradually, give his body a chance to wake naturally. He should be awake by this afternoon.” He looked down at Emily. “Are you the girl?” he asked.

“Yes,” Emily replied, getting up quickly. The doctor sized her up. “You probably know this, but if Mr. Lee hadn't pushed you out of the way, the knife would've gone directly into your heart. You would've died almost immediately.”

“I know,” Emily said quietly. “I owe him everything.”

The doctor nodded. “A nurse will fetch you when he's settled in his room.” He left and they all let out a sigh of relief. “Seungri pulled through,” Seunghyun breathed.

“Why did the doctor say that?” Jiyong wondered. “That was a little rude.”

“He spent the night saving Seungri's life,” Emily replied. “He just wanted to make sure I appreciated Seungri's actions. There's nothing rude in that.”

Jiyong rubbed his eyes and his eyeliner smudged onto his cheeks. He looked at his streaked hand and frowned. “Perfect,” he muttered.

“Why don't you go home and shower?” Emily suggested. “Seungri won't be awake for a while anyway, and you'll feel much better.”

Jiyong sighed. “Fine, but you're coming back with me,” he said decidedly. “I don't want you out of my sight for a moment.”

They left the hospital and caught a taxi back to the penthouse. Youngbae was up and making breakfast when they arrived. “Have you seen the doctor?” he asked anxiously. Jiyong nodded. “He said the next few days will be critical, but he'll live. He'll be awake this afternoon.”

Youngbae sagged against the counter, relieved. “Thank God,” he whispered.

“I'm going to shower,” Jiyong said, squeezing Emily's hand before disappearing down the hall.

“I'm glad you're okay,” Youngbae said, elbowing her as he poured milk into his cereal. Emily sighed. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-”

“It's not a big deal, but you did run off right after someone tried to kill you,” he interrupted. “Where did you go? We looked in all the usual places.”

“Nowhere,” she replied, sitting at the bar. “I just walked for a while.” She rested her head on her arms, watching him eat. “Do you think I should go back to the States?” she asked quietly. Youngbae paused mid-bite. “Do you want to?” he asked around a mouthful of food.

“That's not what I asked.”

Youngbae chewed slowly, staring into his cereal bowl.

“There's going to be a huge story in the media,” Emily continued, “plus the ones I've already caused. I wouldn't blame YG if they fired me.”

“No one's-”

“Maybe,” Emily said, forestalling him, “but YG can only assume so much scandal before I’m more trouble than I'm worth. It has to be considered.”

“Do you really wanna think about this now?” he asked, setting his bowl down. “We've all been through a lot over the last several hours. Surely it can wait a little while.”

“I can't keep avoiding this,” Emily insisted. “Every time I do, things get worse. Maybe if I'd taken action sooner Seungri wouldn't be unconscious in a hospital right now.”

“And what about Jiyong?” Youngbae countered. “Are you just going to leave him, after everything that's happened?”

“Of course not, but-”

A door opened and Youngbae held up a hand. “Later,” he whispered, shoving in another bite. Jiyong emerged from his room, tousling his wet hair rapidly. “Better?” Emily asked.

“Much,” he replied, grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl. He peeled it and took a large bite, glancing between them. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I was just leaving,” Youngbae said, downing the rest of his milk before putting the bowl in the sink. “See you later,” he called, grabbing his keys off the counter. They heard the door close and the penthouse suddenly felt eerily quiet. “We should go too,” Emily said, getting up. Jiyong tossed his banana peel into the trash. “Not yet,” he replied. “Come on.”

He took her hand and led her into the living room, then sat down on the couch. “Come here,” he said, laying back and patting the cushion.

“What are you doing?” Emily asked.

“Just returning a favor,” he said innocently. Emily relented and laid down beside him, nestling her head against his chest. She could hear him breathing, feel his heart beating steadily. He put his arm around her snugly. “I think we've earned a little quiet,” he said, propping his feet up comfortably. Emily wrapped her arm around his stomach and pulled herself in closer, breathing in his scent.

And what about Jiyong? Are you just going to leave him, after everything that's happened?

Emily squeezed her eyes shut desperately, and she must have sighed because Jiyong perked up. “What is it?” he asked.

Emily wasn’t sure how to answer. “What are we going to do?” she asked finally. The question hung in the air for several seconds before Jiyong responded. “I don't know,” he murmured, “but I promise you this: you won't be alone.”


******


Emily held Jiyong's hand tightly as they entered Seungri's hospital room. The others were already there, including Sagowa. Emily let Jiyong approach the bed first, suddenly gripped with hesitancy. What if he's permanently hurt? she wondered. What if he can't perform anymore? The thought was paralyzing, rooting her to the spot as she watched Jiyong lean over the bed. “He's waking up!” he called, bending over him slightly. Everyone except Emily crowded around the bed eagerly. Seungri groaned. “Where am I?” he asked groggily.

“You're in the hospital,” Jiyong explained.

“You scared us to death!” Daesung interjected.

“But you're gonna be okay,” Seunghyun added, elbowing Daesung.

“Where's Emily? Is she okay?” Seungri asked, alarm coloring his voice. Emily stepped forward. “I'm fine,” she said soothingly, taking his hand. “I'm perfectly fine.”

Seungri sank back against his pillows. “Thank goodness. I don't remember much after…” he didn't finish. “Anyway, I'm glad you're okay.”

Emily glanced back at the others. “Could we have a minute?” she asked. The room emptied and she turned back to Seungri. “You saved my life,” she said without preamble. “I can't begin to repay you.”

“You would've done the same for me,” he replied. “Besides, it was the selfish thing to do.”

Emily cocked her head. “I don't understand.”

Seungri shrugged. “Losing you would've hurt more.”

This broke her and she bowed her head, tears streaming down her face. Seungri sat up slightly. “I didn't mean to make you cry,” he said, concerned.

“That's not it,” she sniffed. “I'm crying because you're the most accident-prone person I've ever met.”

Seungri burst out laughing and Emily smiled, wiping her tears away. The door opened and Jiyong peeked in. “Is everything okay?” he asked. Emily nodded. “Everything's fine,” she said, looking back at Seungri. “I'll leave you to rest,” she said, planting a kiss on his forehead before following Jiyong out of the room.

“What were you laughing about?” he asked. Emily shook her head. “Nothing,” she said, still smiling. “Nothing at all.”

Notes