Taeyong remembers sitting at the table outside the dining hall during midday with Yuta and Hansol when he notices a group of medical persons rushing towards a cabin. He doesn't pay attention to them and continues to listen to the music in his ears. But when Yuta taps his shoulder, he turns to him with a frown. "What is it?"

Yuta shows him a photo on his phone. "Is that her?"

He stares at the photo and quickly recognizes Jaehyun, who is carrying someone in his arms. He doesn't have to think twice on who she is. He just knows that it's Traze.

He quickly gets up from his seat and searches for her cabin. He has no idea where it is. He just keeps on walking until he sees a small group of people crowding outside a cabin. This must be it.

When he sees her sister walking out of the door, he doesn't hesitate to go up to her. "Is Traze alright?"

Chelsie looks at him with a glum face. "She's just resting."

He takes a breath, letting that sink in. "What happened? Are they gonna take her to the hospital then?"

"The medical staff are taking care of her. They said she'll wake up when the medications kick in," she says, heaving a sigh.

He nods. "Can I stay outside your cabin?"

Chelsie responds with a nod. "Sure."

When she left, he proceeds to their porch and takes a seat there. He earns a few stares from the people crowding the cabin, but he ignores them. All he can think about right now is her. He's been controlling himself from going inside. He doesn't want to cause a scene, knowing that Jaehyun is probably still there.

He plays with his phone while waiting for anyone to come out. The crowd outside the cabin has slowly disappeared. It has been an hour and still, the medical staff are inside. He sees them going in and out of the room, which makes him more anxious.

Few minutes later, the door opens again, but this time, Jaehyun steps out of it. He's on his phone calling someone so he doesn't notice him sitting there at the balcony. When he finally hangs up, the prince turns to him in surprise. Neither of them speaks, until the medical staff steps out one by one.

He sees Traze's bestfriend coming out of the door as well thanking the prince and the staff. When they're gone, he finally stands up, catching her friend's attention. "Hey, it's you! The mingebag!" She recognizes him, even calling him the way Traze calls him.

He sighs. "How is she?"

"They said she'll be alright." She shakes her head, pressing her temples with her hand. "If not for the prince, I don't know what could've happened to her."

He doesn't answer her.

"Are you gonna stay here?"

He nods. "If you don't mind."

She shrugs. "I don't. But Traze would. Anyway, I'm leaving her inside just so she can rest well. Don't even think about going in."

He clucks his tongue. "I won't. I'll just guard here."

She lifts her chin at him. "You better."

****

He must have fallen asleep because the moment he raises his head up, he sees her with a stunned look on her face. "Hey," he finally says. "How are you feeling?"

She just looks at him. When she doesn't respond back, he speaks again, "What were you thinking going up hiking?"

"What?"

He doesn't want to be furious at her but he can't help it especially after seeing the bag of liquid that's hanging on the pole beside her. "Is it that too difficult for you to stay still?"

She scoffs at him. "Why would I do that? What are you even doing here? If you hate me so much, why do you care? Just bugger off, will you?"

This time, his heart explodes that he doesn't know how to express it the right way. "Damn it, Traze! Did you really think I would be here if-" he gets cuts off when someone appears at the steps.

"Sorry, am I interrupting you?"

Of course, the prince is back.

He sees her look at him, smiling. "No, Your Highness." Then, her eyes go back to his and gives him an eye-roll. "He was just about to leave."

He clenches his jaw, scoffing. He can't believe what he's hearing. She's making him leave just like that. He hasn't even talked to her and tell her what he wants to say. But he chooses not to say anything anymore and gives her one last look, hoping she'll look back but she doesn't. His heart shatters into pieces in that exact moment.

****

He hasn't slept at all last night. No matter what he does, he just sees her in his mind and this time, she's with the prince and it only hurts him again. He doesn't even know how she can do that to him. She affects him this much and he's helpless.

He rolls on his bed and notices that his friends already probably outside. He checks his phone to look at the time. 10:50 am. It is still too early for lunch. He doesn't even have an appetite. But he gets up and washes his face. He figures it might be helpful if he goes out instead of being cooped up inside the room.

As soon as he steps out of the room, he sees her standing at the corner of their balcony. He bats an eye, confirming if he's really seeing her.

She looks at him and gulps down. "Hey."

He clears a throat, acting as if he's not intrigued on why she's there. "Aren't you supposed to be with the prince?"

She squints her eyes at him. "What? Why are you bringing him up?" She lets out a sigh. "I don't want to argue with you, mingebag. I came here because..." she pauses in hesitation. "Izzy told me you've been waiting for me yesterday outside our cabin."

He doesn't cut her stare from her. "And?"

"Thank you," she says in a low voice.

"I didn't do much," he answers, gauging her reaction. "Unlike the prince, no?"

She scoffs. "Why do you keep on involving him? I'm thanking you here now, aren't I? Are you jealous of him or something?"

"Maybe I am," he confesses.

She snaps her head at him. "What?"

"What the hell, Traze! Don't you get it?" He clenches his fists, calming himself. "I'm trying so hard to get rid of this feeling, but I can't! Everytime I zone out, I think of you. I wonder what you ate, if you slept well, if you're in pain..."

"What?" she mumbles, shaking her head. "No. That's crazy. You can't..."

"Exactly! I can't get rid of it. You just f*cking consume me, Traze!"

"You can't have..." She closes her eyes for a bit, before looking back at him. "...feelings for me, Taeyong. That's just... You don't understand..."

He cuts her off. "Why? Because you're ill? That's bollocks!"

She blinks. "What? How did you-"

He lets out an exhale. "I didn't mean to. I just heard when you were at the hospital."

She shakes her head. "And you still want to like me?"

He moves a step closer to her. "You're not dying, Traze."

She presses her lips, swallowing hard. "You don't know that."

He's only a few steps away from her now. "I'll make sure you won't."

She looks at him, faking a laugh. "So, you're God now?"

When he's finally infront of her, he reaches for her hand and notices the thing that's stuck in her vein. He stares at it, carefully stroking the sides of her hand and making sure he won't touch the thing. "Tell me you don't feel the same way and I'll leave. Pretend that this never happened."

"I..." She looks down, but doesn't move her hand away from him. "...don't."

He lets out a sarcastic chuckle. "You're a pretty good liar."

She finally looks up to face him. "I said I don't!"

He holds her stare before finally letting her words sink in. "I heard it the first time. You don't have to say it again," he says, finally letting go of her hand.

She quickly grabs his hands again, startling him. "I don't... want you to leave, Taeyong!"

He doesn't say a thing at once. He doesn't even know if he heard that right. But feeling her hands on his arms, he finally realizes that she meant her words. She doesn't want me to leave.

When he completely recovers from that, he pulls her in slowly and about to close the gap between them, but someone suddenly calls out to her. "Hey, Traze! Are you done?"

She quickly pushes him away, confusing him. "Bugger off, mingebag!"

His mouth opens, frowning at her and mouthing, "What the hell?"

She tries to signal him with her eyes, but fails to do so. Before her bestfriend can even come closer to them, she tells him, "Don't you dare come near me again!"

He just stands there and watches her leave with her bestfriend. When they completely disappear from his sight, his phone suddenly beeps. He almost drops it when he sees a message from her. "Don't tell anyone!" And he's suddenly confused again, but his heartbeat doesn't slow down.