Chapter 34: Take A Deep Breath


    In the midst of a gentle rain, we hurried back to the big mansion. The raindrops fell softly from the


    gray sky, making a quiet sound on the leaves and the ground. The air felt cool and fresh, and we


    could smell the wet earth around us.


    "It''s raining, so—" Kiro started saying, but my phone suddenly rang in my pocket. I wondered who


    could be calling me at this time. Mama usually doesn''t call me during work hours on regr days.


    I shrugged and answered the call. It turned out to be my younger brother, Dodong. He sounded…


    not well.


    "Sis! O-our Mother, M-mother..." he stuttered, and I could sense his confusion and worry. Something


    must be wrong; his tone gave it away. What happened?


    As the rain gently fell outside, I could feel my heart racing in my chest. Dodong''s voice was barely


    audible over the phone, but his tone conveyed an undeniable nervousness that mirrored my own. I


    fidgeted with the hem of my shirt, trying to ease the growing tension within me.


    Then, amidst the rain''s rhythm, I heard it—the sound that made my anxiety soar. Dodong''s voice


    crackled through the phone, and his words seemed to tremble with emotion. He kept repeating the


    word ''mother'' over and over again. Each time he said it, my nerves jolted with concern.


    "What happened to mother? What happened to her?" I asked urgently.


    "S-sis..." was all I heard from him, along with his cries. I became even more anxious and nervous.


    As I paced, my thoughts raced as fast as my footsteps. What could be wrong? I couldn''t help but


    imagine the worst scenarios, my mind spiraling into a storm of anxious thoughts.  The silence on the


    other end only added fuel to my panic. I tried to take deep breaths, to calm myself down, but it felt


    like an impossible task. The weight of uncertainty pressed heavily on my chest.


    "Tell me, Dodong! You''re making me damn worried! What really happened to mom?! Stop crying, I


    can''t understand anything!" I was getting angry at his unusual behavior, but at the same time,


    extreme nervousness gripped my chest.


    I felt Kiro approach me with questioning eyes, but he remained silent.


    "Sis... M-mama vomited blood... Lots of b-blood..."


    My heart pounded loudly in my chest, matching the dizzying swirl of emotions that surged through


    me. Blood? The mere thought of my mother vomiting blood filled me with a nauseating sense of fear


    and helplessness. The world around me seemed to blur as questions raced through my mind, each


    one more frantic than thest.


    "What happened? W-What on earth happened?!" I stammered, my voice trembling with a mixture of


    shock and desperation. The image of my mother, normally so vibrant and full of life, suffering in


    such a way was too much to bear.


    The surrounding felt suffocating, the air thick with worry and anxiety. I reached out, gripping the


    edge of a nearby table to steady myself, my knuckles turning white from the force of my grip. My


    mind raced with possibilities, each one more terrifying than thest.


    Did she fall? Was it an ident? Or was there something more sinister at y? The uncertainty


    gnawed at my insides, twisting my gut into knots. I wanted answers, but the fear of what those


    answers might be held me back from seeking them.


    Dodong''s voice trembled as he spoke, and I could hear the fear and desperation in every word. "We


    are on a jeep, rushing Mother to the hospital, s-sis... I-I am so nervous... Only a few neighbors are


    with me..." he sobbed, and my heart sank with empathy for my little brother. The weight of the


    situation must have been overwhelming for him, and I wished I could be there to hold his hand, to


    reassure him that everything would be alright.


    As the rain poured heavily outside, the sound of it intensified the sense of urgency in Dodong''s


    voice. I imagined him trying to navigate the rain-soaked streets, his young heart racing with worry


    for our mother''s well-being.


    In my mind''s eye, I could see him, small and vulnerable, doing his best to be strong in the face of


    this crisis. The thought of him facing such a daunting responsibility at his age made my heart ache


    withpassion and concern.


    As I listened to him sobbing on the phone, my heart ached with love and concern for him.


    "Rush Mother to the hospital, Dodong. I''lle to you, I''ll follow," I told him firmly before ending the


    call.


    My heart raced as I hurried towards Miss Linda and Madam, my eyes welling up with tears and my


    nerves on edge. I was so anxious, wondering what had happened to Mother. The heaviness in my


    chest was painful, making it hard to breathe.


    "Oh God, what could have happened to Mother?" I asked, my voice trembling with fear. Miss Linda


    looked concerned, reaching out tofort me with her hands. Madam''s face also showed worry,


    and their care meant a lot to me.


    I managed to inform them that I was going home. I couldn''t bear it, and I cried in front of them while


    saying goodbye. I felt a great sense of nervousness. I quickly packed a few clothes, unsure of how


    many days I''d be away.


    Miss Linda''s concern for me was evident as she mentioned the ongoing heavy rain and the


    approaching storm, ording to the news. If it were any other day, her caring words would have


    made me smile, but my mind was preupied with worry for my family.


    "D-Dodong is the only one at the hospital, Miss. I''m nervous; I''ll go crazy if I just stay here while my


    Mother is in the hospital," I exined, my voice still shaking from crying. My heart ached at the


    thought of my little brother shouldering the responsibility alone, and I knew I had to be there for him


    and my mother.


    Without wasting any more time, I hurriedly left the maid''s quarters. The journey home was going to


    be a challenging one, but the urgency to be with my family outweighed any difort I might face.


    I even ran into Joday, who was shocked to see me crying while carrying my bags.


    "Hey Lyka, are you sure you''re going home right now? The rain is heavy, and there''s a storm. You


    can go tomorrow, not now..." Madam said, concerned.


    "I''ll be fine, Madam. Mother needs me there," I reassured her.


    "It''s raining hard, you might not be able to get a ride home... I''m just worried—" Madam was


    interrupted by Kiro''s voice.


    "Don''t worry, Ma. I''ll apany her," Kiro dered.


    I stared at Kiro, my eyes wide with shock and disbelief. The weight of the situation seemed to hang


    heavily in the air, and his unexpected offer to apany me home amidst the pouring rain left


    everyone in awe. It was evident from the expressions on their faces that they were as surprised as I


    was.


    Miss Linda looked at Kiro with a mixture of admiration and concern, her hands slightly trembling.


    Madam''s eyes held a glimmer of gratitude, touched by Kiro''s willingness to stand by my side in this


    difficult time. Even Joday, who had just witnessed our conversation, had a look of surprise on her


    face, not expecting such a gesture from him.


    Madam coughed. "In that case, be careful, son... and of course you too, Lyka," Madam said, and we


    both nodded. I couldn''t feel anything but worry.


    As the heavy rain poured outside, Kiro and I hurried through the mansion''s hallways, my heart


    racing with gratitude for hispany. We rushed towards the parking lot, where their car was


    waiting.


    Kiro started the car right away, and we were ready to set off. I felt restless and nervous. What could


    have happened to Mama? The rain kept pouring, making everything outside blurry. I clutched my


    bag tightly, the few clothes inside a smallfort amidst the uncertainty.


    As we drove away from the mansion, my focus was solely on getting home to Mama. Everything


    else felt distant and unimportant.


    Kiro''s presence beside me was reassuring. He understood how serious the situation was, and I felt


    grateful for him. I really hoped and prayed Mother would be okay.


    The rain continued to fall heavily, as if the sky was crying along with me. My heart felt heavy with


    concern.


    "What happened to your mom, Lyka?" Kiro asked while keeping his eyes on the road. Tears welled


    up in my eyes again, and my heartbeat raced.


    "She was rushed to the hospital, Kiro... Dodong said she vomited blood..." I exined, tears flowing


    down my cheeks.


    "C-can we hurry? I-I can''t wait any longer, only Dodong is there... Datdat and Papa are also sick..." I


    pleaded with him.


    "Take a deep breath, Lyka... I''ll try to speed up, but we need to be careful. The road is slippery


    because of the rain," he said, ncing at me from time to time. I swallowed, realizing how foolish


    my question was. We might get into an ident if we''re not careful.


    I continued to sob softly. Whenever I think of my mother, I can''t help but cry, especially since she


    was rushed to the hospital today. I really want to get to the hospital. Thank goodness Kiro decidedN?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    to apany me, as it would have been very difficult and time-consuming to take three buses to


    get back home.


    "Just rx, Lyka... Nothing bad will happen to your mother, okay?" Kiro assured me, trying to


    comfort me.


    To calm down, I decided to call Dodong again, but I couldn''t reach him.


    "K-Kiro... I can''t contact Dodong. W-what could have happened to Mother?" I worriedly asked,


    pressing the buttons on my phone frantically.


    "Just take a rest, Lyka. There''s nothing good about worrying right now. Go to sleep first, and when


    you wake up, I promise we''ll be at the hospital," he reassured me.


    I gave him the address of the hospital that Dodong had texted me earlier.


    As he suggested, I tried to put my anxiety to rest and fell asleep, hoping that when I wake up, we''ll


    already be at the hospital.