what lies ahead

Celestine’s body was transferred back to her hometown for more stable examinations, and for her family to take care of her, too. She was still confined inside the hospital, and the doctors would check her statistics every now and then, constantly trying to find ways to cure her from her sickness. Park Chorong didn’t do much, though. When there was no one there beside Celestine’s body sitting and staring at her, or sleeping on the cheap-looking couch, she would read a book Celestine’s mother always left on the table. She would sing too, dance even, because why not, right? There was no one to witness her actions, anyways.

But sometimes, she would just sit on a chair and listen to Sean’s voice.

Like right now.

“Celestine… I wish you could look at our pictures here.” He flipped the old, faded pink photo album open and stared into the first photo that caught his eyes. Sean smiled sweetly, seeming to look back at the time from the past. “I’m not sure if you remember this but this was the time when we found caterpillars lying around in our backyard.” He pointed the picture with his index finger, it was an image of the two of them in their just-turned-a-teenager years, both with mischievous grins.

“Oh, and this was the part when we moved in to the neighborhood and we finally met. Do you even remember when I tripped right in front of you?” Sean's brunette wavy hair bounced along as he bobbed his head up and down while he recalled some of the funniest memories of him and Celestine. He laughed for a mere second, adding, “That was so embarrassing. And we were teens back then, huh?”

Park Chorong looked at him for a very long time while he was telling all sorts of stories about him and Celestine, the unconscious girl lying in front of them on the hospital bed. It looked as if he was actually giving information about them to Chorong, but of course, that was only in her perspective. The singer listened well, nodding every now and then, laughing along with him, and gasping whenever he said something out of the ordinary. But her expression became serious once Sean stopped abruptly which almost looked like he interrupted himself, and he gave out a sigh. His face softened, and he used that expression again just like when the doctor announced that Celestine has a sickness, unknown to everyone if she’s curable.

“When will you wake up? It’s already been a month, you know?”

Park Chorong switched her gaze to Celestine, and she wondered why the hell this was going on between them. She never heard the Wanderer since their last ‘conversation’, and she will always and forever remember her words – ‘you are going to die, but in a different body.’

She’s afraid. She fears death, like everyone else.

Chorong ignored the chants in her mind and focused her eyes on the closest people she’s ever been to since the start of this.

The Apink leader stood up from the visible seat and walked slowly towards Celestine, and she shook her body. Maybe her soul will come out of it. Nothing happened though… but a thought suddenly came to her mind, like a lightning st