“ yeah, it's me. and you . . . ” he sounded equally 'thrilled' to see Naeun standing nearby Lee's hospital bed. ( which was to say: NOT THRILLED AT ALL. ) Tai didn't care if Jinwoo liked this girl; he didn't. his dark eyes regard her similarly to a fly on the wall: a pest that may be harmless compared to a stingered hornet, but was no less annoying. this was a hospital, though, not the Black Fang garage: she was pretty safe from his position of power in this neutral, peaceeful place. there wasn't much he could do other than verbally antagonize her, but that he did: “ what are you even doing here? ” Tai drops the items he had been carrying in his hand, onto an endtable near Lee’s bed, where it looked as though his friend was sound asleep . . . the contents were a phone charger and an iPhone: a much older model than the one he used, though. it was an extra phone that Tai had found lying around, and filled to the brim with playlists of music that Lee loved. he was going to leave it for him here, to let it play on a low volume all day and night long, so Lee had something to listen to . . . they used to love listening to music together. they’d play all the new releases, and suss out who was making a good or bad album this year . . .
Tai doesn’t like that Naeun is here, interrupting what he intended to be a private moment, between him and his old friend. he looks at her disparagingly. “ . . . what– did he tell you he thinks you’re pretty? ' he wants to take you on a ride on his motorcycle?” ( is flirtation what kept her coming back? Lee did have a way with girls... ) “ – ‘cause if he did, don’t let it get to your head. he tells that to every girl he thinks he has a chance with, and that’s a lot of girls. ”
he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, looking at her with moody but patient obstinance in his eyes. he was waiting for her to take the hint, and leave. but the consistent beeping of Lee’s heart monitoring machine started to make him restless, and anxious. it reminded him of how his friend relied on machines and doctors to stay alive. ( it reminded him that Lee couldn’t rely on HIM… if he could, he wouldn’t be here, and neither would Naeun. ) Tai looked around the room, to distract himself. in the sunlit window sat a beautiful bouquet of flowers left by Lee's mother, and a collection of notes and cards with messages for Lee, and a childlike crayon drawing left by one of his younger cousins . . . heartfelt little gifts, meant to cheer Lee up when he was conscious to see them, but every one of them made Tai’s heart ache. did Lee know they were here? could he see them? did he know how much everyone cared?
he forgets about his grudge, temporarily, and calls to Naeun, even though he had just tried to kick her out. “ hey . . . if you can really talk to him . . . he knows we miss him, right . . . ? you’ve told him ? ” a drop of water quietly fell from one of the leaves in Pureun's bouquet, and landed on the windowsill. Lee's mother must have been by recently, to water it. his throat tightened, and he felt a wave of sadness so thick it made him a little nauseous. his voice grew quieter: lacking the aggression that had lined every word before his final ones; “ he knows I'm sorry ... right ? ”
