The car ride back was quiet, punctuated only by the faint hum of tires against the pavement. Yuki leaned against the window, blanket wrapped loosely around her shoulders. Momo, Jennie, and Minjae carried the small bag of medications and groceries, their expressions soft but vigilant.
As soon as the door opened, the familiar scent of home welcomed her. The househelp, who had been anxiously waiting, rushed forward, wrapping Yuki in a careful hug.
Househelp (sternly, almost scolding): "Yuki! Don't you dare push yourself like that again. No more running yourself into the ground — understand?"
Yuki, wrapped in the warmth, nodded quietly, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Yuki: "I'll try... really."
After settling in, she allowed herself a long, warm shower, the water washing away not just dirt but a fraction of the tension that had been clinging to her body. Afterward, she ate a simple meal, guided gently by Jennie and Minjae.
After some hours, sunlight spilled into the room. Yuki was alert, though her movements still carried a subtle stiffness. She turned to Momo, eyes bright and determined.
Yuki: "Momo... I want to prepare for the exam beforehand. Can you guide me?"
Jennie and Minjae exchanged worried glances.
Jennie: "Yuki, you don't have to. You just need rest —"
Yuki (cutting in, smiling faintly): "No, I don't want to pressure anyone. I just... for the make-up exam, there's a lot of application, forms, approvals. I just want to attend it normally. I'll take my anxiety pills, study carefully before you all — if I start obsessing, you can stop me. But I want to see it through."
Momo's expression softened, understanding the delicate balance between Yuki's determination and her hidden struggles.
Momo: "Alright... we'll do it your way. We'll help, but only gently."
They sat together at the small study table. Momo softly guided her through the material, asking questions, clarifying points. Yuki, having attended classes diligently before falling ill, already knew much of it.
Yuki (quietly, confident but careful): "I remember this from class... see? I can do it, but it's better if you guide me."
Momo nodded, letting her teach herself while offering corrections and encouragement. The room filled with a gentle rhythm — pens scratching, soft conversation, and the quiet pulse of determination.
Even in her frailty, Yuki's focus was sharp, and her friends' careful guidance created a safe cocoon — a balance between support and independence.
Momo (softly, encouraging): "You're doing really well, Yuki. Just breathe. Remember — we're here."
Yuki smiled, the faint light of confidence flickering in her eyes. For now, her body was fragile, but her will remained intact, and the next exam awaited — a small battlefield she was determined to face, carefully, with her friends at her side.
The next morning, Jennie went for her last exam in this semester.
Yuki was lying side of her books, notes spread across the bed, trying to focus. The quiet was broken by the sudden vibration of her phone.
Mother (yelling through the phone): "Yuki! I heard from your cousin that you didn't write two of your exams! Still wandering around like nothing happened? How are you going to pass this semester? Why?!"
The words hit her like a hammer, sharp and cold. Yuki's pen trembled in her hand.
Yuki (voice rising, lashing out): "Why are you always so worried and anxious about everything I do?! Did you even ask why I missed the exams? No! You didn't! All you know is yell and blame me!"
Her chest heaved with suppressed frustration, anger, and exhaustion.
Yuki (continuing, almost whispering now): "Perhaps... if you guys were in a better situation, I wouldn't have missed them! But nobody thinks... nobody understands!"
With a sharp motion, she cut the call, the phone was thrown across the desk. She stared at it for a long moment, her hands trembling.
Yuki (muttering to herself): "Nobody understands... it's better I just... be selfish for once."
She opened her drawer, pulling out the money she had carefully saved, then grabbed the doctor's prescriptions. Her resolve was clear, sharp, like a blade.
Yuki: "I just thought... finish this exam well. Then I'll take care of myself. Nobody else can... they won't."
She packed her bag efficiently, changed quickly, and left the house with a quiet determination. The streets blurred past her as her mind focused only on one goal: reach the hospital, take the tests, and get through this step.
By the time she arrived, she moved almost mechanically, yet purposefully. The receptionist guided her in, and she handed over the prescriptions and forms.
Yuki sat in the consultation room, fidgeting slightly with the edge of her sleeve. Her test results were laid out neatly on the table. The doctor adjusted his glasses, looking at her with calm authority.
Doctor: "Yuki, the tests confirm you have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, or PCOS."
Yuki blinked.
Yuki: "PCOS... I thought I exercised regularly. I even got my black belt in Taekwondo it's been 7 months even though at present I am unable to practice but I am always running cause of part time job, and I mostly eat home-cooked meals. How is this possible?"
The doctor nodded.
Doctor: "Let me explain. PCOS is a hormonal disorder affecting women of reproductive age. In simple terms, it involves an imbalance of reproductive hormones, which affects your ovaries' ability to develop and release eggs regularly. This leads to irregular menstruation, and in some cases, fertility issues, acne, weight gain, or excessive hair growth."
Yuki listened carefully, her brow furrowed.
Yuki: "But I moved a lot... doesn't exercise prevent this?"
Doctor: "Exercise helps, but it's more nuanced. Physical activity that promotes blood flow throughout the body, particularly in the pelvic region, is important. Martial arts or cardio help, but other modern factors often counteract their benefits. Late-night work, skipped meals, chronic stress — all disrupt your hormonal and metabolic balance. Even home-cooked food can be problematic if it contains refined ingredients like white flour, sugar, or excessive salt, which are low in fiber and nutrients."
He paused, letting her absorb the complexity.
Doctor: "PCOS is multifactorial. Genetic predisposition can play a role, but environmental and lifestyle factors — diet, stress, sleep patterns, and activity levels — are equally influential. Hormones like insulin, androgens, and estrogen interact in ways that affect ovulation and metabolic function. If disrupted repeatedly, the body can develop the characteristic cysts in the ovaries and hormonal irregularities we see on your tests."
Yuki's fingers tightened on her sleeve.
Yuki: "So... it's not just about exercise or food. Timing, quality, stress, everything matters?"
Doctor: "Exactly. Think of your body as a complex ecosystem. Every imbalance — sleep deprivation, skipped meals, high stress, low nutrient intake — can ripple through the system, altering hormonal balance and metabolic function. This is why PCOS often appears even in women who are otherwise 'healthy' by traditional measures."
Yuki: "Then what should I do?"
The doctor leaned forward, his voice steady and clear:
Doctor: "For now, continue the medications I prescribed — they regulate hormones, support insulin sensitivity, and improve menstrual regularity. Alongside this, focus on diet and lifestyle adjustments: high-fiber, low-refined foods, consistent sleep, moderate blood-flow-promoting exercise, and stress management. We will monitor you closely and adjust treatment as needed. PCOS is manageable, but it requires an integrated approach."
Yuki exhaled slowly, processing the intellectual weight of the explanation. Her masked depression, stress, and determination all seemed to converge here. Finally, she could understand the why behind her symptoms.
Yuki (quietly): "I thought taking care of myself was enough... but it's more complex than I imagined."
Doctor: "Yes. Your body communicates constantly. Listening carefully, following guidance, and balancing lifestyle and medication is the way forward. You are capable — this is manageable if approached methodically."
Yuki nodded, a flicker of determination in her eyes. Her path forward was clear — but not easy.
Yuki thanked the doctor politely, bowed once, then quietly stepped out of the consultation room.She bought her medicines just as instructed — hormone tablets, supplements, a small bag of regulated pills — and headed home with slow but steady steps.
Her mind was calm.Heavy, but calm.
The apartment door unlocked with a soft click.
As soon as she stepped inside, she noticed it —shoes scattered everywhere near the entrance.Minjae's black sneakers, Momo's white sandals, Jennie's bag half-open on the floor.
They're all here?But the house was quiet. Too quiet.
Then she heard it.
A faint, shaky sound coming from her room —Jennie's voice, crying.
Yuki's brows lifted slightly. Not fear — confusion.
She walked down the hallway, pushed the door open.
Inside, Jennie, Momo, and Minjae were sitting around her bed.Jennie's eyes were red and swollen, shoulders trembling.The moment the door opened, all three of them looked up — surprise first, then relief flooding into their expressions in one wave.
Jennie stood up immediately.
Jennie (voice breaking, half-yell):"Yuki! Why did you leave without telling us?!"
Yuki blinked, clueless, like a child caught after sneaking cookies — but having no idea why she was in trouble.
Yuki (walking towards them, innocent tone):"I went to the hospital. To do the tests. The doctor said everything clearly."
She tilted her head, genuinely puzzled.
Yuki:"Why are you guys horrified? Did something bad happen?And— who made you cry, Jennie? Tell me. I'll go beat them."
For a moment — dead silence.
Then the corners of Minjae's mouth twitched.Momo let out a breath she had been holding for hours.Their tense shoulders finally loosened the moment they realized — Yuki really was fine.
Jennie's composure crumbled.
She rushed forward and wrapped Yuki in a tight hug.
Jennie (voice shaking, muffled against Yuki's shoulder):"It was careless Yuki who made me cry."
Yuki froze for half a second, then slowly raised her hands to hug back.
Jennie continued, words breaking between breaths:
"After my exam your mom called — she couldn't reach you.I came home and you were gone. Your phone was broken.I searched everywhere — the university, your old work places, the café you like, the Taekwondo hall— everywhere."
Her grip tightened, fear still lingering in her voice.
Jennie:"We thought you collapsed. Or worse."
Minjae stepped closer, rubbing the back of his neck, voice low but honest.
Minjae:"Our hearts came up to our throats. We even tried the police but… they don't act before 24 hours."A helpless exhale."Yuki… do you have any idea how much pain that was?"
Momo spoke last, softest but deepest.
Momo:"We thought maybe you went somewhere… and fainted again."
The room went quiet.Only Yuki's soft breathing could be heard.Three faces staring at her, exhausted, relieved, angry and worried — all at once.
Yuki looked at them slowly —realizing she had walked into a storm she never knew she caused.
Her heart tightened, something unfamiliar and warm spreading through her chest.
She didn't expect anyone to look for her.Not like this.Not desperately.
Yuki stood surrounded — Jennie hugging her like she had been lost for days, Minjae exhaling relief, Momo quietly steadying herself.
That was when Yuki noticed —she wasn't just facing three people.
Sana was sitting near the window, knees pulled to her chest, eyes pink from crying.Junho leaned against the wall, arms crossed, trying to look composed — but failing.Jihyo held a half-finished cup of tea in her hands, her fingers trembling just a little.
They had all been waiting.Worrying.Searching.
Sana sniffled, voice small but scolding:
Sana:"You disappeared like air, Yuki… at least leave a note next time…"Her tone tried to sound angry, but it came out soft — more like pleading.
Junho let out a slow breath, finally speaking.
Junho:"We walked around campus like idiots for an hour.If you collapsed somewhere, none of us could forgive ourselves."
Jihyo lowered her tea, eyes gentle and watery.
Jihyo:"At first we thought you went for fresh air.But then… your phone was broken. And you weren't answering.It felt wrong. Too wrong."
The room fell into another silence — but this one was warm, not sharp.
So many people.So many footsteps retracing her possible path.So many hearts racing for someone who never expected it.
Yuki stood there, blinking slowly, taking all of it in.
She had left thinking no one would care if she vanished for a few hours.
But here — six people sat in her room, breathless with relief, as though she had returned from the edge of something final.
Yuki's voice came out small, almost fragile:
Yuki:"…You all looked for me?"
Junho gave her a flat look — the kind only someone who cares too much can give.
Junho:"Of course. You think we study, laugh, eat together just to let you disappear?"
Sana nodded quickly, voice still shaky.
Sana:"You scared us. Don't do that again. Even a text is enough."
Minjae sighed, tired but smiling now.
Minjae:"Just don't leave us like that, Yuki. Our blood pressure can't handle it."
Jennie was still hugging her — face buried in Yuki's shoulder like she had finally stopped drowning.Momo reached out and rubbed Yuki's back gently.
Minjae:"Just don't leave us like that, Yuki. Our blood pressure can't handle it."
Yuki blinked once, then her lips curved — tired yet mischievous.
Yuki (playfully):"Then your nurse girlfriend is gonna kill me first."
Minjae choked on his own breath.
Junho snorted.Sana covered her mouth, trying not to burst out laughing.Even Jennie, still hugging Yuki tightly, let out a wet little laugh.
They finally settled around the bed, sitting close enough that shoulders brushed.Yuki reached out, wiping the tear streaks gently from Jennie's cheeks, then from Sana's.
Yuki (softly):"I won't do that again. I was angry, not thinking straight.Next time I'll inform, or at least leave a note… I promise."
Jennie sniffed, trying to maintain her glare but failing.
Jennie:"You better. My heart is weak, you know."
Sana:"Mine too. You scared us like crazy."
Yuki nodded with a small, apologetic smile.
Yuki:"I know. I'm sorry. Truly."
The room exhaled — finally breathing properly again.
Junho leaned forward, elbows on knees.
Junho:"So… you did all the tests today?"
Yuki:"Yes."
Minjae:"When's the next check-up?"
Yuki glanced at the small pharmacy bag beside her.
Yuki:"I already saw the doctor."
The room stilled.
Momo's eyes sharpened.Jihyo leaned closer.Even Jennie sat up straighter, grip tightening unconsciously around Yuki's sleeve.
Junho:"And? What did he say?"
Yuki lowered her gaze for a moment — breath slow, tone steady.
Yuki:"He told me I've developed a… complex problem."
Everyone froze, eyes fixed on her.
Waiting.Listening.Silence thick enough to hear their pulse.
Sana (barely a whisper):"…what problem, Yuki?"
The room was silent, the air thick with tension, and Yuki's heart sank as she realized that surviving her make-up exam while managing this problem would demand more than she could imagine.