[FIC] Happy Memories - Chapter 6
Title: Happy Memories (6/?)
Author: Brainistheboss
Pairing: G-Ri
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Fluff
Summary: A twist of fate
Word Count: 3354
Author’s Note: It was initially planned to be broken down to part 1 & 2 but I thought, it’ll be better together which caused the big time gap between this update and the previous one. I hope it was worth the wait.
I’m trying, I really am! I’ve been reading and oh my, there is so much talent out there and I hope these amazingfantasticbaby writers would be recognized outside of the online community. Truly inspiring! I’d love to be one of them.
Thank you for reading, the positive/constructive feedback drives me to be a better writer. Please feel free to give constructive comments, they are appreciated! :) Much love from me <3
1:Promise 2:Forever 3:Blessings 4:Yours 5:Unforgettable
Chapter 6 - Imperfect
Life is designed to be imperfect. It is a mixture of good and bad which coexists with each other, there is a presence of both in each second of life. There is never a time where everything is perfectly good or perfectly bad. This is a fact of life that no one can escape from. Not even Jiyong, who came to learn this fact the hard way on his 30th birthday.
--
Something was buzzing. It was really loud that it pulled Jiyong out of his deep slumber. He tried to ignore it, hoping it would go away. Jiyong loved his sleep and if forced to wake before he felt fully rested, Jiyong would turn cranky. Covering his ears with a pillow and pulling the blanket over his head, it was a pathetic attempt to block out the irritating sound. When the stubborn buzzing did not cease, Jiyong reached out his hand to tap his husband awake. Usually, Seungri would willingly get up and remove anything that was hindering Jiyong’s peaceful sleep and allow his loved one to snooze. But today, the sheets on the other side were cold, Seungri was not there to do that for him.
Annoyed that his beauty sleep was disrupted, he sat up on the bed and tried to find the source of the noise. It was his white I Phone, vibrating against the wooden bed side table. Despite being on ‘silent mode’, it created a ruckus when placed on the table. Jiyong rejected the call, once, twice. The call was definitely urgent, the phone kept vibrating even after 2 rejections.
“Hello,” Jiyong answered in a deep groggy voice, adding a shameless yawn after the greeting to emphasize his sleepy state. Manners and formalities were not in Jiyong’s dictionary when his sleep was interrupted.
A pleasant female voice was on the other line, apologizing for the disturbance. ‘A crazy fan girl probably’ said the small voice in Jiyong’s head as he rolled his eyes. He pulled the phone away from his ear, about to switch off his mobile but the caller ID on the screen caught his attention; it belonged to the hospital. Thoughts of switching off the phone were quickly thrown out of the window and Jiyong quickly held the phone to his ear, it might be important.
The female caller was most probably a nurse who was now flustered that she had lost him over the phone, “Hello? Mr Kwon Jiyong, are you there? Hello? Hello?”
“Yes, I’m here,” Jiyong replied and he heard her gave a sigh of relief.
The nurse wanted to relay an urgent message from the doctor, Jiyong had to come down to the hospital immediately. Reason being that the doctor had to see him as soon as possible. Jiyong, who had been putting off his treatment, was nervous at the prospect of being scolded by his doctor for the delay in treatment. The nurse gave him an appointed time for the meeting which Jiyong had to settle with as the doctor’s schedule was hectic.
“Alright I’ll be there soon,” Jiyong answered as he reluctantly slid out of bed, ended the call and proceeded to wash up without any delays which was of course not what Jiyong intended to do on his birthday.
Jiyong was expecting a nice long rest before his tummy wakes him up with all the grumbling due to hunger. Then, his lover would come in with a meal that they can share in bed and they would get ready for a celebration with the rest of YG Family at a fancy club or restaurant. Jiyong would have a good time with the great company and come home in the wee hours of the morning with plenty of presents to unwrap and a wasted Seungri in his arms. Just like any other birthday for the past ten years, but not this time, not when he’s turning thirty years old.
He felt uneasy, Jiyong is not very comfortable with change in his ‘normal birthday routine’ and Seungri’s absence was aggravating the feeling. Where could he be at the start of Jiyong’s birthday? This was not a pleasant beginning to his special day which he took as a bad omen. Could something bad happen at the hospital later? The thought made Jiyong’s chest felt heavy and burdened.
--
“Saeng-il chukkahamnida~ Saeng-il chukkahamnida~ Saranghaneun Jiyong shi~ Saeng-il chukkahamnida,” Seungri sang whole-heartedly as he picked up the phone call from his lover.
He was pretty enthusiastic about the celebration today, he rose early to get everything ready so that everything would turn out fantastic for his husband.
Picking up Jiyong’s favourite dark chocolate cake that he ordered last week at the high class bakery situated near his academy.
Buying Jiyong’s presents which consisted of - 5 pairs of new limited edition sneakers from famous designer brands, 5 creatively designed tees in his favourite colours, 5 pairs of shades that Jiyong mentioned he would love to get, 5 scarves in assorted patterns so that Jiyong could spice up his outfits with them, finally 5 pairs of earrings and 5 rings to add to his collection of accessories. 30 presents for his 30th birthday.
Placed a reservation at a chic restaurant to celebrate with the YG family.
Even buying groceries to prepare for the meal in bed to feed the birthday boy when he eventually wakes up in the late afternoon.
Jiyong’s call caught Seungri by surprise since during his birthday for the past ten years, Jiyong would just sleep through the day, not even realizing that Seungri was gone to prepare the things needed.
Jiyong pulled the phone a small distance away from his ear as he sang (screamed) the birthday song, cringing at how loud his husband was. Thankfully, the parking lot was empty so it was less embarrassing. When the song was over, he promptly placed the phone against his ear.
He muttered a short ‘thank you’ before he released his ‘wrath’ upon Seungri over the phone.
“Yah, where are you?! Do you know how worried I am? Where is my car? Why are you not here?!” Jiyong shot the questions in a demanding tone, pacing around the empty parking space where his car was supposed to be.
Seungri giggled over the phone, Jiyong’s attempt to sound angry was not working at all, “Oh come on baby, simmer down. It’s bad luck to be angry on your birthday, you don’t want wrinkles to pop out when you’re just 30.”
“I am not going to calm down until you answer me,” Jiyong stated, trying to sound as serious as possible.
“I went to fetch your birthday presents darling and I used the car WITH permission. I woke you up remember? Maybe you don’t, you went back to sleep straight away. Why are you up so early anyway? Miss me?” Seungri replied using his aegyo voice to soften the dragon’s heart.
The voice worked tremendously, “I miss you of course,” Jiyong whined and Seungri could hear him pouting through his voice. This made Seungri giggle even more, Jiyong was too cute to be true.
“And another reason is because the hospital called me, the doctor needs to see me,” Jiyong’s voice changed an octave lower, sounding more serious than the seconds before.
Seungri could pick up the nervousness that made his husband’s voice wavered. “Do you want me to drive you there?” Seungri offered, hoping that his presence would take away any negative feelings dwelling within Jiyong.
“Ah gwaenchana, I’ll just walk there. It’s nearby and I need to be there in 10 minutes. How about you pick me up later?” Jiyong suggested, trying his best not to sound troubled so that Seungri would not worry too much.
Seungri agreed and told him to call if he needed anything. Jiyong needed Seungri, which is why he called in the first place. It was not to scold him but rather, just to hear his voice for it would provide some comfort even though Seungri was not physically there for him. It was not Seungri’s fault for not being there, it was due to time constraint and Seungri’s reassuring voice made up for it.
“Okay. Baby ah, I’ll see you later okay? Be careful while driving. I don’t want any scratches on my car arasso?” Jiyong warned, Seungri can be a little reckless on the road.
Seungri assured Jiyong that the silver Bentley would be taken care of like it was his own child. A good bye kiss over the phone between the two and the phone call was ended.
Jiyong slipped his phone into his side pocket and headed to the hospital on foot. To be honest, he was a little disappointed that Seungri could not be there with him to meet the doctor. He wished he could wait for his husband, but there was no time, his appointment time was approaching.
--
The clean, antiseptic smell of the hospital stung Jiyong’s nose. He mentally noted that he had to become accustom to the smell really soon as he was about to embark on his journey through treatment.
He waited impatiently in the waiting room, shaking his legs, biting his nails, regretting his impulsive decision to delay his treatment by a week. He had to delay it, the treatment was invasive and it would compromise his immunity. He did not want to be weak and vulnerable during the wedding especially when a lot of people were there. Afraid that he would catch other diseases as his immunity would not be able to protect him, he decided that treatment could come later. Moreover, he might appear too sickly for the wedding pictures and the wedding itself and Jiyong did not want to leave Seungri with his sickly image printed on the photographs. The last thing he wanted to do was to remind Seungri that he was ill and dying as he browses through the album.
Now, as he waits for his name to be called, he felt a little stupid. Sure, the delay proved to be a good choice during the wedding but what if the delay would cause him to die sooner?
“Mr Kwon Jiyong,” a nurse called out in a clear voice causing Jiyong to snap out of his self-loathing thoughts. When he stood up to acknowledge his presence, she smiled politely and showed him the way to the consultation room. He followed closely behind her, head bent down as he stared at the tiles, trying to come up with excuses or an apology should the doctor reprimand him for his decision.
The friendly nurse left him immediately after pointing out which room he should be in. His chest felt heavy, butterflies were in his stomach and his heart was pounding wildly. Jiyong, the usually calm and collected leader of Big Bang, now scared out of his wits. He inhaled deeply and exhaled to calm himself before he gave two knocks on the wide white door. Upon hearing a faint ‘Come in’ from inside, Jiyong placed his hand on the door knob, turned it clockwise and entered the consultation room.
The walls, just like the walls of the hospital, were painted stark white and this made the tiny room seemed much bigger. The room was poorly decorated with just a potted plant by the large window that was covered with grey blinds. The room did not reek of antiseptic thanks to the lavender scented candle that was burning on the office table right in the middle of the room. Sitting behind a table made of dark wood was Dr. Kim, the doctor that was in charge of Jiyong’s case. After exchanging greetings and a formal handshake, Dr. Kim urged Jiyong to sit on the leather chair that was on the opposite side of the wooden table.
“Mr Kwon, I know that you had skipped the first week of treatment that we had initially planned out,” the senior doctor said as he brought his hands together.
Jiyong rehearsed his apology speech mentally as he nodded and admitted his mistake.
“Well, I’m really glad you did,” the doctor continued even before Jiyong could explain himself.
Jiyong raised his eyebrow in utter confusion, unable to understand the reply from Dr. Kim. “I-I-I don’t understand doctor, isn’t it supposed to be b-b-bad to delay it especially in my case?” Jiyong stuttered, surprise that he was not scolded for doing such a silly thing which might cause him his life.
The doctor sighed and pushed his black thick-rimmed glasses up since they were slipping down his nose bridge. “Two days ago, one of our patients died of lung cancer despite having a healthy medical record during a medical checkup last week. We rechecked the medical records and it seemed that there was a mix up between yours and the deceased. The patient had the same surname as you did which led to this mishap. Here is the original copy of your medical record,” the doctor slipped a pink coloured folder across the table as he explained himself.
Jiyong looked through the record, not understand a single thing written on it as he had no medical background. The doctor continued his explanation as Jiyong’s eyes scanned the document, “What I’m trying to say is, Mr Kwon, you’re not suffering from cancer. Your lab test results are fine, your chest X-Ray is normal too.”
That statement captured Jiyong’s attention. “I don’t have cancer?” Jiyong asked, to confirm that what he heard was really true
“Yes, you don’t have cancer. On behalf of the hospital, I would like to sincerely apologize for the careless errors made. It would have been detrimental if you had started the treatment last week. The hospital is willing to provide you with compensation for any damages that we might have caused due to our carelessness,” the doctor replied, appearing somewhat grim, afraid that Jiyong might flare up over the mix up and report the matter to higher authorities.
This was the best birthday present Jiyong had ever received throughout the three decades that he had lived. Jiyong was overwhelmed with relief and joy, knowing that he was healthy which meant that there was a higher possibility of having more time on Earth to spend with his love. His chest felt lighter now and the butterflies that were previously in his stomach was gone.
He was a little misty-eyed, as the mixture of emotions bubbling inside him was too much for him. He silently prayed in his heart, thanking God for His divine intervention which caused an end to his worries and fears (Seungri’s too).
Dr. Kim looked on in silence as Jiyong gathered his thoughts and feelings.
“Dr. Kim, tell the hospital I don’t need anything. Being healthy is enough for me, thank you so much. I hope you can send my condolences to the family of the deceased.”
--
Standing by the road side outside of the hospital, with shaky hands, Jiyong quickly pressed ‘1’ on his speed dial which was the number designated to his husband.
“Oh, pick up, pick up,” Jiyong was impatient, he had to tell Seungri the good news as soon as possible. He was sure that Seungri would be delighted if he knew about it.
“Baby, what’s wrong? Is everything okay?” Seungri asked as he picked up the call, he sounded very concerned.
Jiyong laughed at the seriousness in Seungri’s voice, “Jagi, everything is fine!”
“Wow, someone sounds really happy. What did the doctor say mm?” Seungri inquired, a little puzzled that Jiyong sounded very cheerful. He was not expecting Jiyong to sound jubilant after meeting with the doctor, especially when Jiyong appeared to be apprehensive in the previous phone call.
“I will tell you later, quickly come,” Jiyong demanded in an eager voice, unable to keep calm due to the awesome news he had in store for Seungri.
“Patience dear, I’m at the road junction in front of the hospital, can you see me? I can see you from here, your hot pink beanie really stands out,” Seungri replied as he waved his hands from inside of the car trying to catch Jiyong’s attention. However, deep inside, Seungri was keen in knowing what the doctor had to say which made Jiyong really ecstatic.
Jiyong waved back, smiling widely as he did so, “There you are love, okay see you.” Jiyong ended the call and returned the phone to his side pocket. He watched the silver Bentley as it halt at the red traffic light, wishing that the light would hurry and change to green. Fortunately, Jiyong did not have to wait long for the light turned green almost instantaneously.
The silver car, which had seem to lost its shine since Jiyong had not washed it for quite some time, moved forward in line with those in front of it. As the car approached, a black van on the road diagonal to the one Seungri was on seemed to be travelling at a fast speed despite the red light. Jiyong took notice of the van that was driven at an odd speed, possibly more than the speed limit set on the road, the driver should be slowing down to a stop. At the same time, Seungri was about to cross the middle of the road junction, not aware of the fast moving vehicle that was rapidly approaching the centre of the junction too.
Jiyong had a gut feeling of what is going to happen next but he hoped that Seungri would hasten his speed in order to avoid colliding with the black van. With his hands, Jiyong signaled to Seungri to hurry, he even yelled ‘Hurry hurry’. Seungri just smirked, thinking how impatient his husband was, still oblivious that he was bound to crash with a van on the opposite road.
A loud crash crushed Jiyong’s hope, just like how his expensive silver Bentley is now crushed at one side due to the impact of the collision. Jiyong felt his heart stop for a moment before it came back to life, doubling its palpitations. Cold sweat was forming on his forehead and his palm, and his face was drained of colour.
“NOOOO, SEUNGRI!” Jiyong screamed as he lifted his legs to run like the wind to the site of accident. People were starting to swarm the area and Jiyong pushed through to get to his lover. Jiyong’s heart sank upon seeing Seungri unconscious, his white beautiful face tainted with red as blood continued to pour down his face. Right away, Jiyong pulled his husband out of the rubble and carried him to the A&E (Accident & Emergency) department of the hospital in his arms. Blood was draining from Seungri’s body and it was staining Jiyong’s attire as well as the road while Jiyong scurried to the hospital.
The hospital staff was quick to receive Seungri, placing him on a gurney instantly when Jiyong hollered for help. As they wheeled him to the OT (Operating Theatre), Jiyong held his hand, “Hang on baby, you’re going to be alright,” until the nurse stopped him from entering the theatre.
Jiyong was alone in the waiting area, his eyes were stinging due to the tears that were threatening to spill out. Jiyong’s heart ached, regretting the time he told Seungri that he might go earlier in a car accident or something to prove his point that death could come at anytime. Jiyong did not mean to curse him, did not expect this to happen. “I’m so sorry, Ri,” Jiyong cried out, as the tears fell.
With his back against the bare white walls of the hospital, he slid down and sat on the floor, soiling the wall and the floor with his lover’s blood. Jiyong stared at his red hands, unable to accept what had transpired. He clasped his blood-stained hands together and started to pray, praying for Seungri’s life to be prolonged.
To Jiyong, it was not fair. How cruel life was for Jiyong, he just got his life back and now his lover had to fight for his own.
That is why life is imperfect. Both good and bad are ever-present at all times.
--
To be continued~ (OMG WHAT DID I DO!! RI BABYYYY T^T)