After Ping and Keng's father finished talking, they returned to the room together.
The moment Keng saw Ping, he pulled him close to his side, his arm wrapping around him protectively, his expression suddenly serious—as if afraid someone might take Ping away again.
"You don't have to be so protective," Keng's father said with a laugh.
"Ping, how can you love someone like this? He's far too aggressive about the things he cares about."
"What's going on?" Keng asked, confused, glancing between them.
"Well," Keng's mother said with a gentle smile,
"your father has decided to let you both be."
"I can't lose my only son," Keng's father added, trying—and failing—to sound stern.
Then, without warning, he pulled Ping fully into his arms and hugged him tightly. Too tightly.
"Hia—I can't breathe," Ping wheezed dramatically.
"Good," Keng muttered against his hair.
"Now you know how I felt when I thought I'd lose you."
Ping froze slightly at those words. His chest tightened instantly.
Keng's father rubbed his forehead tiredly.
"Do you have no shame at all?" his father said, shaking his head.
"You're acting like we're not even here."
Everyone burst into laughter.
"I don't think we're needed here anymore," Keng's mother said warmly.
"We should leave." she added, turning to Ping,
"we're leaving him in your hands now."
Keng didn't even notice them go—he was far too wrapped up in Ping, his world reduced to the person in his arms.
Only Ping, still half-trapped in Keng's tight embrace, managed a soft goodbye as they left the room.
After a while, Keng's friends barged in dramatically.
Tao entered first like he owned the hospital. Bank followed behind him looking embarrassed already, while Jinn walked in calmly beside Rain.
The moment Tao saw Keng awake and sitting up properly, he gasped loudly.
"THANK GOODNESS MY FRIEND IS ALIVE!" he shouted.
Before anyone could stop him, Tao launched himself directly onto Keng.
"OI—GET OFF!" Keng yelled immediately.
"I'm still injured, you psycho!"
"You almost died!" Tao argued dramatically while squeezing him harder.
"Do you know how stressful that was for us?!"
"I'm going to die for real if you keep hugging me like this!"
Bank sighed.
"You're too loud for a hospital."
"You have no emotions," Tao shot back instantly.
"I have emotions," Bank replied calmly.
"I'm just not performing them like a theater kid."
Ping laughed softly for the first time in days.
Jinn stepped closer to the bed after Tao finally released Keng.
"You really scared us," he said honestly.
Keng nodded quietly.
"…Sorry."
Bank crossed his arms.
"You should apologize to Ping especially," he said.
"This guy practically turned into your full-time caretaker."
"Seriously," Tao added dramatically again.
"If you stayed unconscious any longer, Ping would've officially moved into the hospital."
Rain suddenly sniffed loudly.
Everyone turned toward him.
"Senior handsome," Rain said emotionally while leaning his head against Ping's shoulder,
"you made my friend suffer so much."
Ping immediately pushed Rain's face away.
"Get off me."
Rain gasped loudly in betrayal.
"Oh, wow. So now that your boyfriend is awake, you're abandoning me?"
"You're being dramatic," Ping muttered.
"I was there for you during your emotional breakdowns!" Rain protested.
"I listened to you cry! I bought you food! I—"
"Okay, okay," Ping interrupted quickly, embarrassed.
Rain crossed his arms.
"Ungrateful."
Jinn suddenly reached over and calmly took Rain's hand.
"Don't worry," he said softly.
"I'm here for you."
The entire room went silent.
Rain froze instantly.
Then his face exploded red.
"W-What are you doing?!" he sputtered, trying—and failing—to pull his hand away immediately.
Tao's eyes widened dramatically.
"Ooooooiiiiii!"
Bank pointed immediately.
"Newest couple detected."
Keng blinked in confusion.
"Wait," he said slowly.
"You two are together already?"
"No!" Rain shouted instantly.
Way too quickly.
Jinn looked down at him with amusement.
"Are we not?" he asked calmly.
Rain nearly choked.
Ping burst into laughter beside Keng.
"Someone's shy," he teased.
"Ping!" Rain complained immediately.
"Not you too!"
Ping grinned mischievously.
"You teased me first when I got together with Hia."
"I did not!"
Ping:"Yes, you did!"
Rain:"You're lying!"
Ping:"You called me lovesick!"
Rain:"Because you were!"
The argument escalated within seconds.
Before anyone could stop them, Rain grabbed one of the spare pillows and threw it at Ping.
Ping gasped dramatically.
"You dare attack a hospital visitor?"
Rain grabbed another pillow immediately.
"You started it!"
Ping snatched a pillow too.
"Oh, it's war now."
The next thing everyone knew, the two of them were running around the room, laughing loudly while throwing pillows at each other like children.
"Rain!" Ping shouted between laughs.
"Come fight me properly!"
"You fight like an old man!" Rain shot back.
Keng leaned back against the bed carefully, watching Ping laugh freely with soft eyes.
Bank shook his head.
"What childish boyfriends you people have."
"You're just jealous because you don't have a partner ," Jinn replied calmly.
"I heard that,"
Tao announced proudly.
"You were supposed to."
The room was loud.
Chaotic.
Full of teasing and laughter.
But after everything that had happened… it felt warm.
Alive.
Peaceful.
Keng looked at Ping again as he laughed breathlessly while trying to dodge Rain's attacks.
And in that moment, surrounded by the people he loved most— Keng was glad he didn't give in to his parents