Page 64 of Wish Upon a K-Star

I let out a strangled scream as I hurry to Minseok, shielding him with my body. But it’s not necessary. Jeongho is staring at the bloody shears in his hand.

“Bl-blood,” he stutters out. “I didn’t mean it. I didn’t do it!” He drops the scissors with a clatter. The moment they hit the ground I kick them out of reach.

Jeongho crumples into a ball, gripping his hair with his bloody hands, wailing that he did nothing wrong.

I turn to Minseok.

He’s holding his injured shoulder. Blood soaks through his jacket, dripping off the end of his sleeve.

I press my hands to the wound, and he grunts in pain.

“What do we do?” Ana asks with a whimper.

“Get help,” I say. “Find someone and call one-one-nine.”

She nods before racing out of the room.

“Should we tie him up or something?” Minseok nods his head at Jeongho, who’s still curled up in a ball, crying.

“No, he’s in too much shock right now to do anything.” I grab someone’s jacket and press it against Minseok’s shoulder as hard as I can, hoping it’ll stop the bleeding.

“Hey, maybe be a little gentler? I’ve kind of been stabbed,” he grits out.

I ignore him, pressing harder. “I have to put pressure on the wound. Just take deep breaths and try not to pass out or anything.”

“Sure,” he says weakly with a pained smile. “Anyone ever tell you you’re really pretty when you’re bossy?”

I’m surprised that he can still annoy me and make me laugh in a moment like this. But he does both. “Stop making jokes, it’ll just tire you out.”

“Impossible,” he quips. “I’m never too tired for a good joke.”

The jacket is now soaked through, and Minseok looks too pale, his eyes half-lidded like he can barely keep them open.

“Don’t go to sleep, okay?”

“I’ll try, but no promises.”

I press the wound harder. His weight is now leaning almost completely onto me. I wrap my arm around his shoulder to hold him steady. Or maybe it’s to hold me steady. I let my cheek rest gently on the top of his head. Where is Ana? Why isn’t anyone coming to help?

“How did you know?” I ask.

“You were gone too long. Shin Hyeri would never shirk her responsibilities.”

I laugh. “So, my good manners alerted you?”

“Maybe I’m a little bit psychic too.”

I laugh again, but it turns into a bit of a sob. “Sure, let’s go with that.”

“Hyeri?” Minseok asks, his voice slurred. “Earlier, you were right, I never should have made that decision for you. I never should have done a lot of things to you.…”

“Oppa, I didn’t—”

The door bursts open with a flood of people and shouting voices.

Medics enter, carefully taking Minseok from me and lifting him onto a gurney. They carry him away before I can protest.

I fall to the floor, staring at the crumpled jacket in my hands, covered in his blood.

“Hyeri!” Hongjoo hurries into the room, and her eyes widen as she sees me. She practically slides across the floor, her arms coming around me.

“Eonni!” The word comes out as a sob and finally, the tears I held back start to fall.