.

Chapter 14 – Bloody Christmas

.

"so... you will get married with Kouren. Congratulation for the wedding, I guess?", Hak sighs, looking up to the greyish sky that he hated most as his breath turns white due to the coldness of the weather "but I hope it's a marriage due to love interest and not because of mere for business benefit. Kouren is fine woman and she's a good friend with princess, she will hope Kouren's happiness. Yona would be upset if she knew you married with Kouren just for company's benefits".

Soo Won smiles sadly "I'm flattered, that devastated my image on your mind already?".

Hak growls "could you blame me after what happened last time we met? Should I remind you what you did to princess?".

"forgive me", Soo Won lowers his head in shame "I know I don't deserve for it, but I really mean it. I'm so sorry".

"what for? What for you did this? Apologize just like that, like nothing happened after you betrayed us?", Hak growls and pulls Soo Won by his collar, pushing Soo Won hardly "and if there's someone who should receive your apologize, it's not me, but Yona. Even if you could give back all of assets you have taken from her, to her... do you really think it will able to fix what have been shattered with your betrayal?".

Soo Won's eyes widen and his breath catches on his throat before he lowering his head further, ashamed. Hak releases Soo Won's collar when he realizes Kouren who looks worried, has come to approach them and both Tao and Shina have gone back with a bouquet on Tao's hand across where they stand. After Tao calls them, Soo Won doesn't look his surroundings, too distracted by what Hak has said to him, so when Soo Won turns around with his back against Hak and is about to cross the zebra crossing to come approaching Tao, Soo Won doesn't look nor realize the upcoming car bends sharply to the left with full speed, but Hak does see it from the corner of his eyes.

Hak moves forward and grabs Soo Won's bicep, pulling him behind but it's too late.

Kouren who witnesses it, using her power, psychokinesis, to move the car but because she never using her power to move the things as big as this car, she only can make the car's track shifted a bit, where the car which supposed to hit Hak and Soo Won at first, instead it only grazes Soo Won but still dragging Hak for few meters. Soo Won collapses backward with some abrasions on his face and elbow but Hak is lying on the ground, unmoving.

"oh, no...", lowering her hand, Kouren drops to her knees, kneeling on the ground before she rises on her feet, running though she's a bit stumbling when she stands up to approach them "Soo Won!? Hak?!".

"BROTHER?!", Shina is panicked, running forward before he drops to his knees, checking on Hak's vitals before giving first aid to stop the bleeding. In his mind, he remembers of Ao's, his father's death "no, no, no, Hak, you'll be alright. Just hold on... you have to hold on...".

"Shi...na...", Hak coughs before choked by blood on his throat, staring to nothing with distant look "I...".

"don't talk?!", Shina shouts, tying his muffler neatly on Hak's wound to stop the bleeding "Tao, call the ambulance, quick?!".

"already on it?!", Tao, pale-faced, turns to Shina with her teared eyes after closing her phone "and they said they will arrive here 15 minutes later?!".

"Shina...", Hak exhales heavily, weakly squeezing Shina's wrist "give it... to Yona... in my pocket...".

Using his eyes, Shina sees a couple ring inside the little red box within Hak's pocket. Wordlessly, Shina takes it before tucking it into his own pocket, nodding his head and squeezing Hak's hand to confirm that he'll do his favor.

"why, Hak?", Soo Won shakes his head, holding his shoulder, looks like he has his shoulder dislocated "why? You shouldn't have to protect me, so why?".

"...I don't know...", Hak blinks his eyes sleepily "maybe... because deep down in my heart... I still think of you as my friend...".

Of course, Soo Won can hear what Hak has voiced in his mind before Hak starts losing consciousness. Shina hugs him, begging him to not close his eyes but damn, he's too sleepy. In his mind, Hak feels like he sees that strange vision again, some pieces of his long-distance-forgotten memories. Just like this time, the snow has fallen too and he sees Yona crying while cradling his head on her lap, begging him to not leave her alone, that she wouldn't forgive him if he died.

Hak closes his eyes slowly "...Yona...princess...".

Yona feels her heart like lurching out of her chest, palpitating unevenly "what? This feeling...".

Suddenly, Jae Ha gets the call from Kija and Yona gets the call from Yun, both asking them to turn on the TV.

Jae Ha frowns deeply "breaking news... traffic accident on our city?".

"and on the same place where Hak's parent...", Yona flies her hands to cover her mouth and gasps when she recognizes familiar leather jacket of the victim "oh, my God".

Undoubtedly, it's Hak?! The sight of Kija, Yun and Shina go into the ambulance only strengthen what they expect as not reality or fact.

"that ambulance usually bring the patient to our family's hospital. Let's go", Ayura throws the key car to Joo Doh "please drive the car and drop us to my family's hospital, Joo Doh".

Kaya and Zeno can't come with them because they have to take care of Tae Yeon who have a fever, so Yona and Jae Ha come with Ayura and Joo Doh to the hospital. On their way to the hospital, Ayura and Jae Ha also get the message from Tetora about Hak who indeed has been brought to their family's hospital where Tetora and Ayura working.

Tetora says to Jae Ha "amongst your brothers, Shina seems really shocked the most. Tao tried her best to comfort and soothe him along with Kija and Yun. We are waiting in front of the operation room with them. Also, please tell Joo Doh that Soo Won is with Kouren".

After Jae Ha tells Joo Doh about Tetora's message and Joo Doh asks about Soo Won's state, Jae Ha answers "she said he just got scratches, not that bad, but he looks shocked".

"no wonder", Joo Doh grumbles before drive the car into parking area "where are they?".

Ayura checks on her phone before tucking her phone to her pocket "Tetora said they have done operate him but they bring him to the ICCU because his condition is still unstable. Quick".

When they arrive in front of the ICCU, Shina gives Yona the little red box that Hak has asked him to give it to Yona. When Yona opens the box, she finds a couple of ring with a card, written on the white card, that sacred words she has always been wanting to hear from Hak.

"would you marry me?".

Looking to the ICCU, they hear noises from crowd people within that room and Yona rushes in.

One of nurses tries to push Yona to outside when they want to treat Hak on ICCU due to his heart failure "Miss, you can't be here, please wait outside?!".

"I am his fiancée!?", Yona cries harder as nurse pulling her out when she sees Hak's dying, his heart has stopped beating and doctor tries to bring him back "HAK?!".

Yona reaches out her hand when Kija holding her back, asking her to wait outside and let the doctor to take care of Hak but she's slumping on Kija's hands as she sees on the monitor, Hak's heart is beating again and she cries on relief, hoping, praying that Hak will survive and come back to them.

"Yona", Soo Won comes with Kouren, the doctor just finished treating his wounds "I'm so sorry... it was my fault...".

After Soo Won explains everything about what happened, Soo Won lowers his head further, lamenting "Hak would not get hit by that car if not because of me...".

"yes, that's right", Yona cries out as Jae Ha and Kija holding her, the memory of her father's death on that winter haunting her mind, let alone her father's death and Hak's state right now, is because of the very same person "if something happened to Hak, it would be your fault?! Murderer?! It's your fault!? Your... fault...!?".

From her shock and this exertion, Yona collapses.

"Yona!?", Jae Ha carries unconscious Yona on his arms, looks like it's too much for her "Tetora, where we could lay her down?".

Tetora leads the way to the nearest vacant room "follow me".

After Tao, Shina, Kija and Yun follow Jae Ha and Tetora to bring Yona while Ayura and Joo Doh go to manage the administration on nurse station, Kouren is surprised when she sees Soo Won clenching his knuckles tightly until his knuckles are whitened, his nails digging on his skin "Soo Won, your hand's bleeding?! Stop it!?".

Soo Won looks up in desperation to her before turning his head in shame. Kouren sighs before pulling him into her embrace, leaning his head on her chest to calm her down. Soo Won wraps his arms around Kouren's torso and feels calmness soothing him as he hears her heartbeat. In her embrace, Soo Won apologizes to her and cries out.

Later on, after the doctor has moved Hak to ICU and Yona watches over him.

Yona feels someone touches her shoulder, looking up "Kouren?".

Kouren smiles gently and sits beside her "how is he?".

"the doctor said to see whether he'll wake up or not after the effect of the drugs have disappeared and wait for 3 days. If... he doesn't wake up even after 3 days have passed, then the doctor said to prepare ourselves because there's a chance he'll be in coma", Yona squeezes Hak's hand, looking down to his heavily-bandaged body. Bruises peeking from under the bandages wraps itself around his head and his rather swollen right cheek where half of his face also gets bandaged due to scratches and the impact of being dragged to the ground "...I'm so sorry, for what I said to your fiancé if you come here because you're angry to me".

"instead I come here to apologize to you. I'm sorry", Kouren explains that she was there, on the accident that causing her mother's death after explaining about her power. Wiping her tears, she bows her head to Yona "not only that I failed to save my mother, although I was there... I also failed to save your fiancé and for that alone, I'm so sorry".

"no, you shouldn't apologize for that. It's not your fault, Kouren", Yona shakes her head, hugging her "I should be the one who apologize, for crossing the border just now...".

"now, would you explain to me about what do you mean with calling Soo Won as murderer?", Kouren takes both her hands "we have time".

Yona hesitantly nods her head, looking up to outside where the snow has fallen. It's only 4 years before the Christmas day.

That night, the bells are ringing from the Three Ghosts.