Jihyo lies on the rough gravel, staring at the bluish-green veins that run beneath her pale skin, along her inner forearm. 

She waits. 

Is this what death feels like? A little windy, with the low whirr of car engines and the faint chirping of birds in the distance. 

She vaguely remembers her excellent mood this morning. She is scheduled to see her first patient today and excitement had bubbled at the pit of her tummy like a happy cauldron of coffee. Today, she wanted to be early for work, to prepare herself for a new story, to do something to help someone in need.

Now, all she can feel is coldness spreading across her body.

Her chest tightens in anticipation of the impact. She cannot feel her fingers.

When she saw him crossing the road, unaware of the red man nor the car coming straight for him, panic had seized her. She had watched in wide-eyed horror as he continued walking, oblivious of the impending danger to his life. 

No, no. Jongkook. Please, no. 

What propelled her forwards was the image of his twinkly eyes, squeezed shut in pain. The thought of him, ceasing to exist. The world around her became a blur of colours when she ran towards him, all she could see was that mop of wavy brown hair.

And before she knew it, she was falling. 

She hears the honking of the car coming towards her.

Yes, she knows, she's meant to move out of the way, but her limbs feel like they're filled with lead.

Terror washes over her in waves as the car approaches. She tries to seek comfort in chanting his name. 

He's safe now. Jongkook's safe.

She tries in vain to swallow the fist-sized lump in . 

He's safe now. Jongkook's safe.

The loud screeching of tires deafens her, warning her.

He's safe now. Jongkook's safe.

Closing her eyes, she bites her lip hard and waits for the collision. 

She feels a hard knock against her shoulder as the smell of burnt rubber cuts through the fresh morning air.

She falls heavily on her back, knocking the wind out of her.

An insistent throbbing stretches across her right shoulder and crawls down her arm, which she landed on when pushing him away. 

She gasps for air. 

The searing ache spreads rapidly over her back and bile rises up .

Someone calls her name, and she struggles to lift her eyelids against the haze of pain. 

She sees his face looming above hers, his eyes stricken with worry, his lips moving as he shakes her gently. 

What is he saying? 

His wavy hair, golden under the sunlight, is a beautiful contrast against the pale blue sky, streaked with white clouds. 

She scans his face, his body.

He's safe now, Jongkook's safe. 

Her vision becomes spotty.

She feels a pair of strong, warm arms wrap around her.

And she slips into darkness. 

When Jongkook saw Jihyo lying on the road, he had stumbled towards her, his legs wobbly and weak.

He heard the car honking at her, even as it pulls to a desperate stop, the screech of car tires rubbing hard against the uneven road.

He felt his heart lurch when the car halted milimetres away from her and the bumper met her shoulder, knocking her backwards.

And when finally reached her, he fell to his knees.

He will never be able to live with himself if anything happened to her. 

He hears the driver shouting angrily at both of them as he leans over her, cradling her face in his palms. 

"Jihyo-ya, are you okay?" His throat feels raw as he speaks, but she doesn't seem to hear him.

"Jihyo-ya." Her eyes are wide open, staring but unseeing. Her lips quiver and she mumbles, but he cannot make out the words. 

"Song Jihyo, can you hear me?" She doesn't respond. 

He checks her for injuries. He swears under his breath when he sees her right elbow and upper arm, rubbed raw, blood s