𓍯34𓂃

Dae's

Professor Lee returned, her face unreadable, but the weight of the news she carried was evident. She took a deep breath before speaking. "Dove's parents booked the earliest and quickest flight to Korea. They'll be here by tomorrow."

Relief flickered in Megan's and Hyejin's eyes, but it did nothing to ease the tightness in my chest. Tomorrow. That felt so far away. Would she wake up before then? Would she be okay?

Professor Lee lingered for a moment, watching Dove with the same concern we all felt before finally straightening. "Stay with her," she said simply before turning and leaving the room.

Silence stretched between the three of us, broken only by the steady rhythm of the heart monitor. I sat back in my chair, rubbing my hands over my face, trying to push away the anger building inside me.

Why? Why did this happen?

One second, she was happy-laughing, completely fine. And then, just like that, she wasn't. The image of her pale, unmoving body haunted me, the thought of what could have happened-what still might happen-twisting my insides.

This wasn't some accident. Someone did this to her. Someone made sure she drank that.

My fists clenched, my nails digging into my palms.

Whoever they were, they were going to regret it. I'd find them. I'd make sure they never got the chance to hurt her again.

The hospital room was eerily quiet except for the soft beeping of the monitors. Megan and Hyejin had left to grab some food, leaving me alone with Dove. I sat by her bedside, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest, my mind still racing with everything that had happened.

Then, the door opened.

I looked up, expecting Megan or Hyejin, but instead, Minho stood there, his expression uncharacteristically tense. His usual arrogance was nowhere to be seen-just worry, plain and raw, in the way his brows were furrowed and how he hesitated before stepping inside.

For a long moment, neither of us said anything. Normally, I would've ignored him, and he would've done the same. But tonight, none of that mattered.

"...Is she okay?" Minho finally asked, his voice quieter than usual.

I exhaled, leaning back in my chair. "She hasn't woken up yet," I admitted. "But the doctors said she'll be fine."

Minho nodded, his gaze shifting to Dove. His jaw tightened, and I could tell he was holding something back. Maybe guilt. Maybe frustration. I didn't know, and for once, I didn't care.

Because right now, it didn't matter that we didn't get along. The only thing that mattered was Dove.

Minho was quiet for a moment, staring at Dove like he was trying to want her to wake up. Then, he sighed and turned back to me, his expression unreadable.

"I owe you an apology," he said, his voice low but steady.

I frowned. "For what?"

"For everything," he admitted. "For the stunt with Kitty. For being a jerk. For being insensitive toward you." He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "I know I've made things harder than they needed to be, and I'm not expecting us to suddenly be friends, but... I'm sorry."

I didn't know what to say to that. Minho and I weren't exactly the kind of people who apologized to each other.

"Right now, all that matters is Dove," he continued. "Someone did this to Dove. Someone wanted to hurt her." He looked me in the eye, his voice firm. "And I know you want to find out who it was just as much as I do."

I clenched my jaw. Of course, I did.

Minho took a step closer and held out his hand between us.

"Can we put the past behind us and work together?" he asked. Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "If not always... just for now?"

I looked at his outstretched hand, then at Dove. She didn't deserve any of this. And no matter how I felt about Minho, the truth was, he was right.

So, after a beat, I reached out and shook his hand.

"Just for now."Minho was quiet for a moment, staring at Dove like he was trying to will her to wake up. Then, he sighed and turned back to me, his expression unreadable.

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A while later, Megan and Hyejin came back, and after a talk, they decided to formulate a plan.

Minho leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his expression sharper now-focused. "Here's the plan," he said. "Tomorrow, Megan, Hyejin, and I will go to the competition. We'll watch, ask around, and see if anyone noticed anything strange before Dove collapsed."

Megan nodded. "We might be able to figure out who was near her drink before she got sick."

Hyejin added, "And if the culprit thinks they got away with it, they might slip up."

Minho glanced at me. "You stay here with Dove. If someone tried to hurt her once, they might try again. We can't take that risk."

That part I didn't need convincing on. There was no way I was leaving Dove's side.

Minho continued, "Our number one suspect is Stella."

Megan scoffed. "Obviously. She's been after Dove for weeks. If anyone had a reason to mess with her drink, it's her."

"But we can't jump to conclusions," Hyejin reminded. "We need proof."

Minho nodded. "Right. So, first thing tomorrow, we question Stella. If she's behind it, we'll know. If not, we move on and find more leads."

I looked at them, their determination mirroring my own. We weren't just going to let this slide.

"Fine," I said. "Let's catch whoever did this."

I sat in the chair beside Dove's bed, my arms crossed, eyes heavy with exhaustion-but my mind wouldn't stop racing.

I had been trying to stay awake, determined to watch over her, but the fatigue was starting to weigh on me. My head dipped forward for a second before I forced myself to sit up again.

I couldn't sleep. Not yet. Not when whoever did this was still out there.

My jaw tightened as I glanced at Dove's still form.

Someone had tried to hurt her. And I needed to know who.

My gut told me it was Stella. She had the motive. She had the jealousy. But was that enough?

I rubbed my hands over my face, frustration building in my chest. I hated this feeling-this helplessness. But tomorrow, things would change.

Tomorrow, we'd find out the truth.

My eyes fluttered shut for a second too long, and before I could fight it, the exhaustion won.

For the first time that night, I finally drifted off.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

I'm like really worried, but come on, it's obvious it's Stella.

Or could it be someone else?