___________

(joanna_MAgic: I think listening to 2AM would be more you know... LOL)

The doctor noted down all of this on a piece of paper. She was silent for a few moments before finally speaking again. "It appears that Jung Yunhee-ssi has contracted Leukemia."

 ====

Later that night, Woosang was on his way to his girlfriend’s house. He had wanted to surprise Yunhee since it’s been some time since their last date. He sped along the highway and smiled as he patted the bouquet of flowers he had placed next to him on the passenger’s seat.

 ====

Yunhee huddled against the wall in her room. She had locked the door and turned off the lights. She left her hair in a disarranged mess. What good would combing her hair do? She was gonna die soon anyway. Once she begins her chemotherapy, there probably won’t be a single strand of hair left to comb.

Suddenly, she heard her cellphone ringing. She d for it and checked to see who it was. She was shocked to see Woosang’s name appear on the screen. Her mind was suddenly in a state of confusion. No one outside their family except Hyeri knew about her sickness. And she still didn’t have the courage to tell Woosang that his girlfriend was dying of leukemia.

She steadied herself and made sure to not show any sign that she had been crying before answering the phone.

“Yeoboseyo?”

“Ah, Yunhee-ssi.  Are you doing anything tonight?”

“Well no. Why do you ask?”

“Oh nothing, I just thought I’d bring my girlfriend along for a ride then eat someplace later. Get dressed okay? I’ll be there in 20 minutes!”

“But why so sudden? You could have called earlier!”

“Is it because you have no time to prepare? My Yunhee, always conscious of her appearance,” he chuckled. “You’ll look beautiful in anything you wear.”  

“B-but-”

“Please Yunhee? I haven’t seen you for a while and we haven’t been in touch for some time..”

Yunhee smiled in spite of herself. “Okay.”

Woosang smiled at the other end of the line. “Okay, Yunhee. I’ll be there at 8. Love you!”

“Love you too.” And they hang up.

===

Time seemed to fly so fast after that conversation. Soon she was struggling to find something suitable to wear for their date. For a few moments, she forgot that she was sick and all that she could think of was Woosang and their looming meet-up.

She must have caused quite a commotion in her room because her mother soon came knocking at her door. “Yunhee, are you okay? Is something wrong?”

“Everything’s fine umma!”

“You should be resting! What’s going on in there?”

Yunhee emerged from her room in a slim rose colored dress with a shawl. Her hair was done and she was wearing full make up. “I won’t be long umma,” she said, kissing her umma on the cheek before proceeding downstairs. She rushed to the door and opened it. Waiting outside was Woosang, holding a bouquet of flowers. The two hugged and Woosang proceeded to open the door for her. Yunhee waved to her mother before getting in the car. Soon they were off.

Woosang and Yunhee held hands the whole way to the restaurant. They haven’t seen each other for a while and feeling the warmth emanating from their hands was very comforting. The whole time they were there, they did nothing but tell each other of what went on the past week. Well, mostly it was Woosang. Yunnhee was content to listen to his stories about his work and his life with the other AA members. Besides, it wasn’t like she can just tell him everything. She still needs time.

After that satisfying dinner, they proceeded to the park. It was where most of their dates occurred and it held a lot of memories for the two of them. The park was brightly lit. The trees were green from the spring and the cool night air made them want to cuddle up more. They immediately went to their favorite spot: near the fountain underneath the biggest tree in the park. From this vantage point they could easily observe the world go before them as they pondered about various things about the world and the universe. Tonight though, there was just the two of them.

As they sat on the mahogany bench, they looked up to see the stars.

“The stars are beautiful, don’t you think?” Yunhee said.

“Nah, you’re still more beautiful.”

“Hey, I’m serious here!” she said as she playfully slapped his arm.

“There are billions of those out there right?” she said, laying her head on his shoulder. “We just can’t see the others because of the light pollution from the cities..”

Woosang was silent. She turned to face him. He was just staring at her.

“What?”

“I always knew you were too smart for me.”

“You’re doing it again!” She smiled but this time she let it go.

“You know what,” Woosang said. “When we get married, we’re gonna live somewhere where we can see the stars and no light pollution to disrupt our view ever again.”

“Hmm, really?”

“Yeah.”

Yunhee huddled to his chest as Woosang put his arms around her shoulders. Yunhee thought of what their future could be. She thought of what their life could be if she wasn’t so sick. Then she thought of Woosang. She thought of how loyal and loving he has been in their relationship. I need to tell him the truth.

“Ne, Woosang-ssi.”

“What is it?”

“There’s something I need to tell you..” She braced herself to tell him everything when the thought of hurting him came to her mind. He’ll be devastated, or worse, he might leave her. It was something to hard to bear and she couldn’t make herself take the risk of losing Woosang.

“I.. I missed you,” she said with tears in her eyes.

“Don’t cry Yunhee,” Woosang told her as he hugged her even tighter. “I missed you too, more than anything,” and he kissed her forehead with all the sincerity in his heart.

===

Pretty soon they were heading home. They stopped in front of Yunhee’s house. “Thanks for the date,” said Yunhee.

“It was worth it,” Woosang beamed.

“G’night,” Yunhee said, kissing Woosang on the cheek before getting out of the car and running to the door. Woosang left after Yunhee had gotten home safely.

+++

It took Woosang a while to notice that Yunhee had forgotten her scarf at the car. Thinking that she might miss it once she finds out, he immediately turned around and went back to Yunhee’s house.

He reached it in no time and was about to let his presence be known when he heard an on-going conversation inside. It sounded like arguing. He didn’t normally eavesdrop on anyone but something told him that it was important.

“How could you just leave like that? Something could have happened!” It sounded like Yunhee’s appa’s voice.

“But appa, I was with Woosang! He won’t let anything hurt me!” Yunhee and her dad seemed to be in an argument.

“That not the point Yunhee,” her dad continued. “What if you got into a seizure? You’re supposed to be resting, not go out whenever you feel like it.”

“Appa, just because I’m sick doesn’t mean I have to stop living. I won’t let anything get in the way of my life. Not even leukemia.”

Leukemia? Woosang thought. When was she gonna tell me this? The shock made him stagger back. Before he was aware of himself, he had toppled a flower pot from its place. The sound of broken pottery soon caught the family’s attention.

In no time, all of them had come running to the porch and were at him from the door. Yunhee was the last to come out, her face in fear and shock. “No,” a single word escaping from her lips.

“Yunhee-yah,” Woosang cried. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Yunhee ran to him and clutched his shoulders. “I-I’m sorry” she sobbed. “I couldn’t bring myself to tell the truth. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Well, you just did.” Woosang’s eyes were cast to the ground. Slowly, he raised his hands to Yunhee’s. With difficulty and remorse, he removed her hands from their grip on his shoulders. He refused to look her in the eyes in case she fed him more lies.

Yunhee watched Woosang slip away from her hands like sand would from clenched fists. This time, leukemia had nothing to do with it. She knew it was her fault.

Woosang turned to leave. Fat warm tears rolled down her pale cheeks. She felt like she should start chasing him anytime soon; but nevertheless, she stayed rooted to her spot feeling helpless. In spite of what was happening, she felt exceptionally calm. Even as she watched him get in his car and drive away without looking back, she had done nothing but stare at Woosang like her gaze can make him change his mind.

But as soon as she lost sight of him, all the composure she had in her evaporated instantly. She broke down on her knees, her face contorted in emotional pain. Her cries echoed through the night; and try as they might, her family could do nothing to console her.

+++

The months rolled by. Woosang didn’t contact Yunhee even once throughout the period, and Yunhee couldn’t get a single phone call to him. Woosang evaded her as if she were a plague.

Yunhee had grown weaker after the incident. Though she had begun to take her medication on a regular basis, she just seemed to get worse. Her once beautiful thick black hair had lost its luster long ago and her skin was a sickly pale. Each day, her thin frame would shudder at each laboring breath and she now had hardly enough strength to lift up a finger. Nevertheless, her family and friends continued to be undaunted in the face of their trials.

“Yunhee-yah,” her mother told her. “You can’t just give up on yourself!”

“Neh Yunhee,” said Hyeri, her best friend from since 4^th grade. “The Great Yunhee can’t fall like this. Remember, you still owe me a Bigbang concert ticket, so don’t you die on me!” she quipped.

The other AA members also visited her from time to time. Yunhee’s issues with Woosang failed to dampen their friendship.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with him,” Aoora said on one of their visits. “Is he too proud to just let it go and forget it ever happened? Aish, that guy!”

“He should be smarter than this…” Juwon commented, apparently also disappointed in their leader.

“Don’t worry noona!” Kimchi told her. “We’ll make sure hyung realizes his mistake and comes back to you, okay?”

“Yeah, and then you two will end up, no matter what!” Hoik told in conviction.

Yunhee felt happy is spite of herself. These people were taking it to great lengths just to make her feel better.

 “It’s okay guys, you don’t have to do that,” she smiled. You should know that this small action already required her some effort. “It was my fault, really. Besides, with all of you right here, I already feel loved.”

“Aish, this girl,” her sister Hyunji intervened. “Stop spouting that nonsense! That wasn’t your fault, how many times do I have to say it? That guy is taking it too far. He’s beyond reason.”

“But eonnie…”

“I’ll have none of your excuses for that mister. You just concentrate on getting well while we fix your love life.”

+++

Woosang had been practicing all afternoon. The others had gone somewhere and had left him behind… again, just as they had been doing for some time now. He had a sneaking suspicion that they were visiting Yunhee. But he didn’t care, or at least that’s what he told himself.

Woosang sat on the floor, his back resting against the mirror of the dance room. He stared at the bare surface of opposite wall like it had something of interest on it. In fact, however, the man was deep in thought. Waist deep in it, as one song would say.

Yunhee lied to him. She never did that to him before, not even as a joke. What was she thinking? Didn’t she trust him enough to tell him everything?

Back on that fateful day, a part of him wanted to cover Yunhee in a tight embrace and disregard whatever has happened to her, but he just couldn’t let it go. Something held him back that day. Something that reminded him of a great pain from the past. An overwhelming urge to lock himself somewhere far away and forget all the lies that he had ever known.

Just then, his vision began to get blurry. His hands went up to his eyes and he was surprised to find them wet with tears.

 “Ah, Woosang-hyung.”

Woosang immediately wiped any trace of tears and faced the other AA members.

“Oh, Kimchi-yah. I didn’t see you guys come in.”

“We brought you some food,” Juwon told him and tossed him something wrapped in a brown paper bag. He opened it and found himself holding something that looked like a sandwich. Or possibly an unrolled shawarma.

“Sorry about that. I had to wrestle it away from those two to keep them from eating it.”

“Thanks anyways,” he said, biting into the supposed sandwich. Tuna. Not bad.

“We dropped by Yunhee today,” Aoora said.

“Really?” he said, trying to feign interest.

“She misses you a lot you know.” He didn’t answer.

“The least you could do is visit her.”

“Maybe some other time, hyung.”

“Yunhee doesn’t have a lot of time to wait, does she?”

Woosang paused.

“Maybe she should have told me everything first before this happened.”

Aoora was silent for a time.

“You don’t know what you’re doing Woosang. Wake up and swallow that pride of yours. It’s not doing you any good.”

Woosang stood up and turned away from them, facing himself in the mirror. “Look hyung, I don’t wanna talk about it right now. The concert’s looming in and… I just need to think.”

“This is not something that you have to think about. You know what’s right, you just have to do it.”

“Well maybe this is what I think is right,” Woosang fumed. “And maybe you’re all just trying to get too involved in my life!”

“Leader-hyung...” said a small voice.

Woosang turned to Hoik. His eyes seemed to speak to him. “You’ve changed,” he said. “Ever since you knew about Yunhee noona, it’s like we don’t know you anymore.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh, you very well know what he’s talking about,” said Aoora. “Listen to what we’re trying to tell you, before it’s too late. Stop running away, you can’t just pretend Yunhee doesn’t exist.”

+++

It was the night of AA’s performance. Everyone was in a rush. The backstage was littered with staffs going this way and that. They had anticipated this for a long time, but for some reason, it didn’t give the amount of excitement Woosang had expected it to give.

They were halfway through the concert when AA’s manager received a call.

Just after finishing a song, Manager-hyung rushed towards him. He seemed to be a bit nervous. “Woosang-ah!” he called.

“Manager-hyung? Is something wrong?”

“Yes, yes. A call just came in. It’s about Yunhee, she’s having a seizure right now.”

 Woosang felt the ground give away beneath his feet. For a moment, he was not able to feel anything but a surge of panic.

“Woosang-ah,” a voice called behind him. It was Aoora with the other members. “Go see her.”

“But--”

“We’ll take care of this. Go.”

With that, Woosang flashed through the hallway, pausing only to grab his phone and car keys. Within 5 minutes, he was already on the road. 10 minutes later, he was at the hospital. In another 5 minutes, he was pacing in front of the emergency room. Amazing what it took him to finally forgive her.

Yunhee’s family was already there, their faces tense.

Hyeri was the first to greet him. “So, you got the message?”

“Yeah, and in the nick of time too,” he said, wiping the cold sweat on his brow.

“I’m so relieved! I thought you were gonna go on with the concert and ignore her.”

“Nah, Aoora-hyung and the other guys finally knocked some sense into me. Besides,” he paused. “Yunhee’s more important than any concert.”

Hyeri’s face turned into what could have been called a smile had she not been so nervous. “Got that right, big guy.”

+++

The next hour was a blur. Woosang found it hard to calm down and always found himself pacing the room again just after deciding to rest for a while. Yunhee’s mom was also getting aggravated so she came with some coffee and finally, he was able to find a bit of peace.

After the long wait, the doctor finally came. Woosang immediately ran to him and started to ask questions.

“Doctor, is Yunhee okay? How is she? Is she awake? When can we see her?”

“Relax, boy!” the doctor exclaimed, replacing her spectacles. “She is fine for the moment. She’s unconscious. You can go and see her but make sure not to do anything to disturb her. The patient needs to rest.” With that, the doctor left, possibly to another medical matter.

Woosang collapsed on a nearby chair and sighed in relief.

“Hey,” Hyunji told him. “She’ll be fine. Yunhee won’t give up that easily, especially now that you’re here.”

“Come on,” Mr. Choi said, urging him to get up. “Let’s go see her.”

+++

Woosang nervously followed Yunhee’s family to the hospital room. It’s been two months since he last saw Yunhee, and she had looked fine then. He didn’t know what to expect now and how to prepare himself for what he was about to see.

Gently, Woosang twisted the door knob. He entered the room and tears immediately rolled down to his cheeks. He saw his beloved angel that was once a cheerful little bubble, but now nothing but a frail body. She was very pale and thin. Woosang felt like his heart had been stabbed directly by a spear. Yunhee...

Yunhee's family looked at Woosang. Yunhee's sister, Hyunji, began to sob. The Jung family left the room, leaving the two lovers. Woosang wiped his tears and tried to wear his best smile for his girl.

"Hey," greeted Woosang.

Yunhee's head turned to his direction. She immediately smiled even though she's weak. Woosang felt like tearing up again because of her smile. It always made him smile back then but now, it hurt him.

"Woosang," Yunhee managed to mumble.

Woosang walked towards her and sat by her bed. His eyes never left hers. He took in the dense blackness of them, how his soul seemed to succumb into their rich colour. 

"Yunhee-yah," said Woosang, grabbing his girlfriend's hands. He interlaced it with his.

"Neh?" she smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry for what I did."

Yunhee looked at Woosang who was hiding his face by her hands. She suddenly felt something wet on her hands. "Oppa..."

"I'm so s-sorry... I'm sorry f-for not understanding you," he sobbed.

Woosang cried and wet Yunhee's hands. He sobbed uncontrollably. Even though he tried to swallow his cries, he couldn't.

His grip on her hands tightened. "I was just scared. I'm scared of losing someone important to me again."

Yunhee stared at him. Her heart cringed at the sight of him crying. Woosang never showed her this side of him before. It was her first time seeing him in a miserable state like that.

"What do you mean by again?" she asked.

"My mom.. S-she's like you.. She didn't told me before that she was sick. I was just young back then and I always strive hard for school but she didn't told me she was sick. I only knew it w-when it was too late... When she was about to die..." Woosang said the last sentence as if air had been punched out of his stomach.

Yunhee stared at her bed as tears rolled down her face. She couldn't bear this pain she's feeling in her heart. She didn't know about Woosang's mother's death because Woosang wouldn't even dare to open it to her which she respects.

"So I tried to forget you because I thought that it would lessen the pain. But I was wrong. I'm so sorry," said Woosang.

Yunhee removed her hands from Woosang. Woosang faced her with his tear-stained face.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. It's my fault for not telling you earlier. I guess... I ,myself, am afraid of... dying," Yunhee choked on the last word as more tears flowed out from her once bright brown orbs.

Woosang immediately looked at her and shook his head. "No you won't die!"

Yunhee cried more. "I'm so sorry."

"No. I will take care of you. You won't die," said Woosang.

Yunhee just nodded and continued to sob on Woosang's chest.

______

Within that week, Woosang had asked permission from his manager to be in hiatus in order for him to take care of his beloved girlfriend. The projects were already starting to pile up by that time so he wasn't sure he can go. Nevertheless, his manager agreed since it's Yunhee they're talking about. That sweet little ball of energy.

Woosang had been taking care of Yunhee for about two months already. He would guard her 24/7. He also entertained her whenever she's bored. Good thing that Yunhee was getting better than before. She was gaining her old frame again and energy.

One Saturday morning, Woosang woke up early. He looked around him. "Oh... I must have slept in her hospital room again."

He looked at Yunhee and smiled. He kissed her forehead, waking her. "Goodmorning my angel," he greeted.

Yunhee smiled at him. "Good Morning!"

"Yunhee~ I'll just go outside. I'll buy something for you in the market. I want to cook for you. I know that the hospital food here taste horrible," said Woosang.

Yunhee chuckled and slapped his arm playfully. "Aigoo... you're so mean."

"So I'll be back. Just wait for oppa~"

"Yeah yeah sure! Just come back early."

"I love you, Yunhee!"

Yunhee shook her head because of her boy's playfulness. "I love you too."

Woosang smiled triumphantly as he walked out of the hospital. He went to the nearby market and chose his ingredients for Yunhee's food. "Beef bulgogi or ramyun? Or jjampong?" he wondered as he walked.

He his imaginary beard. "Ramyun! Yunhee loves ramyun."

He began to pick out the ingredients for ramyun. He looked around and saw the last ingredient he needed. "Waah~ Squid~!"

He picked out some squids. When he was about to pay, his phone rang. "Oh ahjumma... wait," he told the seller.

He grabbed his phone and saw that it was Hyunji, Yunhee's sister, that was calling.

"Oh yoboseyo noona?"

"Woosang! Yunhee! She got another seizure!!"

After that very line, Woosang found himself running, his groceries abandoned at the squid ahjumma's stall.

He began to sweat and his vision darkened. Yunhee, you can't die on me!

After 10 minutes, he arrived infront of the hospital. It took him 5 long minutes to go her room.

Fortunately, when he arrived, Yunhee was fine again. He rushed to her bed, tears falling down from his eyes. "Yunhee are you alright?"

Yunhee looked at him and nodded her head weakly. "Neh oppa. Gwenchana," she said.

All of a sudden, the emergency team came to her room. They carried Yunhee to another hospital bed. Woosang looked at them with wide eyes.

"Where are you bringing her?"

"To the emergency room, sir. She might get another seizure and her life would be at risk. She's still weak from the previous seizure," explained the medical team.

They went out of Yunhee's room and they lead her to the emergency room. Before Yunhee entered the room, she asked the team to stop first. "Woosang..."

Woosang immediately ran to her side. "Yunhee?" he cried.

Yunhee smiled and touched Woosang with her frail hands. "Oppa take care of yourself. I'm not sure if I could even make it out alive."

Woosang was about to speak when Yunhee's lips blocked his. They shared a kiss. But it wasn't like any other sweet kiss they shared before. It was rather a kiss full of pain. Their pained hearts were connected. Woosang began crying while kissing her. Yunhee finally let go and entered the emergency room.

Woosang sat on a chair and cried. After some minutes, AA arrived.

"It's alright, Woosang. She's a strong girl," said Aoora.

Woosang nodded but tears continued to flow out. "I hope she could make it. She was fine. I don't know what happened."

The AA boys continued to support their leader.

After two hours, the doctor went out of the room. He went to the Jung family. Woosang just stared at him. After the doctor finished talking, Yunhee's mom burst out crying.

Hyunji hugged her but she struggled. "Umma jebal. Stop this," Hyunji sobbed.

But their mom didn't listen. "HOW COULD I?! My daughter is gone! She's dead!"

Woosang's eyes widened because of Yunhee's mom's words. He quickly ran to the emergency room.

As soon as he entered the room, a figure covered with blanket greeted him. He walked towards it slowly. Please don't be Yunhee...

He slowly removed the blanket from the body. Immediately, tears uncontrollably rolled down his eyes. He hugged the figure as he cried. "Yunhee!!!"

The AA members entered the room and comforted Woosang. "Yunhee-ah... Yunhee...." he cried.

He hugged Yunhee's lifeless body. The doctor came in and sat by Woosang's side.

"I'm so sorry that she didn't make it. Her body is too weak. She couldn't last since she feels too much pain," explained the doctor.

Woosang just hugged the body. "Yunhee..."

___________

"Woosang hyung... It's her day," said Kimchi, wearing his all black outfit. Woosang solemnly nodded and proceeded to the car. He drove with the AA members.

After half an hour, they arrived at the cemetery were the funeral was.

"Woosang-ssi," greeted Hyunji who had her eyes swollen probably because of crying.

Woosang bowed to Hyunji and her parents. "Omonim, abeoji..." he greeted.

The two elders nodded their heads. Mrs. Jung put on her sunglasses and tears fell down her eyes.

They threw flowers to Yunhee's grave. Woosang couldn't help but sob. The face of his girl flashed in his mind. He remembered everything they use to do. It was as if their first meeting was just yesterday. Then he remebered their sweet first kiss and painful farewell kiss. He cried as he thought that he won't be receiving love from her anymore.

The funeral service ended. Woosang was about to go when Hyunji called him. "Hey Woosang-ah, don't cry anymore!" said Hyunji.

Woosang just smiled weakly at her. "Neh I won't anymore. I like my baby girl smiling up there in her paradise."

Hyunji smiled and looked up. "She sure must be happy up there."

Woosang nodded and Hyunji smiled. The AA members smiled with them.

"Yunhee-ah... Wherever you are. Just keep on smiling neh?" smiled Woosang as he walked to their car.

_______________________

joanna_MAgic: Halu~! >_____________< It's meh... Anyways, guys guys guys! Uhmm... you see the hardwork here is most of ms. sampaguita13. Actually made the gently part (in the hospital) up to the end. Sorry for not updating too! I'm busy in my 8th grade life while my co-author is busy with her college life. Still, hope you enjoy this~!

sampaguita13: After months of starting this one-shot, we finally finished it! I'm so so sorry for making you all wait, especially to the one who requested it (ForeverFive). I hope you'll still like it and forgive me for making you wait so long. *bows 90 degrees* Please comment :)))