The oxygen tank clanged noisily as Eun-Ae toted it over the small gap between the metal grating of the train car door and the hard concrete of the train station platform, and the little plastic tubes shoved into her nostrils swung wildly. As she walked away from the humming electric train, she was amazed at the sheer amount of people present in the station despite the fact that it was now early evening; the crowd filled the platform from the wall to the tracks, streaming along in a confusing river of businessmen and businesswomen, young students, and families all chattering loudly. Behind her, even more individuals were pouring into the crowd, melting seamlessly into the chaotic order of the flow. As she stood there awkwardly, waiting for the boys to exit the train car, most of them only gave her a passing glance; perhaps a cancer-ridden little girl wandering the streets to sightsee was not as much of an oddity as it was in her sleepy beach-side hometown hundreds of miles away.

“Man. I am not gonna miss these crowds. Can we go home?” Jonghyun complained as he shoved his way past a pair of businessmen angrily arguing with each other. The idol gave them an irritated look, and they ceased their squabbling to scurry off lest they invoke his ire. Taemin peered around the larger boy's frame; in order to avoid being swept away by the incessant flow of the crowd, he had clung onto the back of his tee-shirt.

“Yeah, I know. Eun-Ae already got lost in it once! I forgot how crowded this place was.”

“Well, we still have several hours until our flight,” Onew reported as he came up behind them, holding his phone in the air as he checked the time. “We're stuck here until then.”

“I say we get some dinner,” Minho suggested, and a ripple of agreement passed through the group. When an arm slid languidly around her shoulders, Eun-Ae did not even flinch; she was quite used to it by now.

“I think that's a wonderful idea. So, Eun-Ae? Where would you like to go?” Key asked her, smiling down at her. God… No matter how many times he smiles at me, I’ll never get over how handsome she looks, she thought dreamily for a moment, then realized that he had posed a question to her. She cocked her head to the side thoughtfully, considering what sort of Japanese delicacy she should consume before returning to the hum-drum of her normal meals. Oh! I know!

“Why don't we go out for sushi? Not everyone can say they’ve had genuine sushi from Japan!” she decided. Of course, the boys were gung-ho to honor her request, and so they dove into the crowd to fight their way to the exit of the station. When they finally made it outside, Eun-Ae could not refrain from stopping right in the middle of the entrance, parted in shock.

Night had fallen over the bustling city of Tokyo, but you wouldn't know it; it was nearly as bright as the day. Lights flashed everywhere, like the stars had descended to earth in all their brilliance. The towering skyscrapers were mosaics of black-and-white squares, constantly shifting as lights flickered on and off. The gigantic advertisement screens spilled light into the area, begging attention from the eyes of the passersby in an effort to lure them into purchasing luxury perfumes, brand-name clothing, elegant jewelry, and sleek sports cars. The headlights of the many vehicles coasting along the four-lane road floated like little orbs over the black tar, embedded in the colorful metals. Like the inside of the train station, the crowd had not thinned since earlier in the day; if anything, it was more massive as workers performed their commute home and high school and college students flooded the town for welcome relief from their studies. Their stylish clothes and happy smiled glowed under the flooding lights, and to Eun-Ae it almost seemed like a bright, fresh fantasy world.

“You know, you really are easily amazed.” She looked up as Key snickered at her. All the boys had paused to watch her shamelessly gawk.

“Well… I guess after years of only seeing hospital rooms and your bedroom, you get a better appreciation of the world around you.” Now that Eun-Ae thought about it, she probably did spend a lot more time thinking about random things like that, the different types of people and her surroundings. In the time before her cancer, she probably didn't give that much thought to it at all. It was like she had cast off dark sunglasses to find a world bursting with color and wonder that she simply could not help but appreciate. Like Key said… In the grand scheme of things, you really are small. There really is so much I haven't seen and done. Though she had opportunities that most teenagers didn't have, it occurred to her then that despite her two-week bucket list extravaganza, there were a nearly infinite number of things she still would never get to see or do. Surprisingly, it didn't make her that sad; instead, it made her awestruck. The world really is a big, beautiful, magical place, even with all the misfortune. Her moment of introspection over, she grabbed the handle of her oxygen tank to proceed down the sidewalk. “Onward to sushi!”

After a bit of poking around the many businesses that Tokyo boasted, the group of young adults was able to locate a promising sushi bar and grill not far from the airport. It was as bustling as the city outside, apparently very popular with both locals and tourists alike; though there was a small wait time, almost every table within the establishment was occupied with all manner of people- businessmen conversing about the day's work over a well-earned meal, groups of teens enjoying a fun night out with their friends, young families partaking in a lovely outing, old men playing cards as they worked through a bottle of sake, airmen from the local American Air Force base, even a lonely single man poking at his food as he jealously eyed a nearby smooching couple. Eun-Ae wrestled her oxygen tank through the tightly crammed people and tables, her face pink as she mumbled “Excuse me's" and “I’m sorry’s” before plopping down into a cushioned chair with an exhausted huff. Perhaps from being on her feet the entire day, her legs were beginning to feel the strain, aching terribly. She rubbed them under the table, praying that she would not suffer another excruciatingly painful episode like the previous day. She didn't have her nurse here, or her medications, and though she had international insurance and details of her illness, how could she relate that to people who spoke a different language?

“Are you all right?” Key breathed in her ear as he sat down beside her. Eun-Ae didn't want to end the overseas trip early, so she placed a smile on her face despite her small level of pain.

“Yes, I’m fine. It's nothing I can’t handle,” she insisted. Instead of taking it at face value, he stared intently at her, contemplating whether to call her out on the bold-faced lie or not. The boys had already gathered at the table and were avidly perusing the sushi menu, referencing Google Translate to aid them in their effort to decide on dishes, and weren't listening in the slightest. “I’m all right. Really,” she whispered and reached under the table to grasp his hand. She felt his thumb begin to rhythmically rub little circles on the top of hers, and he nodded wordlessly to her before reaching forward for grab a menu with his free hand. It was the only one left, so she leaned over his shoulder to inspect the food. Using the various pictures and the online translator, they decided to share a large salmon roll accented with a spicy sauce. It wasn't long before their food and drinks arrived, but the waiter mistakenly only brought them one pair of chopsticks. As Eun-Ae turned to flag down the worker, she was alarmed to find a piece of the sushi abruptly placed against her lips.

“It's okay. I’ll just feed you,” Key grinned stupidly. He was obviously very pleased at the opportunity. Her face immediately flushed red with mortification, but with the sushi pressed against , she could not refute his offer. “Come on, Eun-Ae,” he insisted. It's that smirk again, she thought as he sneered at her while gently prodding her lips with the fish and rice concoction. That maddeningly y smirk that made her heart race and her body heat up. Unable to resist his alluring charms, she slowly opened , allowing him to push the sushi into . The entire time, he stared her smugly right in the eyes. “You like it?” She nodded as she chewed the sushi, enjoying the savory sauce and fresh taste of the raw salmon. She thought Key would turn his attention to the dish to try it himself, but he was not done; he leaned forward with that damn smirk still on his mouth and caught her beneath her chin, swiping his thumb over her lips. “You had a little bit of sauce there.” The entire ordeal was incredibly seductive, and when he pulled his hand back he took her breath with it; she just sat there, her body burning hot and trembling slightly as she breathed shakily. In contrast, Key was as cool as the ice clinking in his glass as he raised it to his mouth, but she could see exhilaration hidden in that smugness in his eyes, still locked on her. He knows what he does to me.

Eun-Ae tore her gaze free of him, hoping to find relief in the other boys. Instead, she was even more unsettled. They were watching the entire exchange intently.

“Aww! I thought they were gonna kiss!” Taemin wailed in dismay and grumpily shoved a piece of his sushi in his mouth, the seaweed wrap crunching as he angrily chomped down on it.

“Man, I wish I had a girlfriend,” Onew sighed forlornly, jabbing at one of the sushi pieces miserably. He then cocked an eyebrow and plucked up one of then in his chopsticks, turning to Jonghyun expectantly.

“Not a snowball's chance in hell.” Disappointed by his gruff rebuke, Onew slunk down in his chair and looked miserably at the piece of sushi. When he decided that he was not going to eat it, Minho leaned completely over the table to snatch it up, giving the other boy a head nod before returning to his seat. Onew wasn't sure whether he should be delighted or angry.

“You guys!” she whined and buried her face in her hands, her face a blazing fire. How embarrassing! She peered through her fingers to find that Key was completely unperturbed, smirking as he ate one of the little rolls. How can he be so unbothered by getting caught doing something so… so… ?

“What's all the fuss about?” he asked her as she squirmed in the small chair, practically short-circuiting with mortification. “We're a couple. I wanna do couple things."

“Does it have to be in public, though?” She pouted. He grabbed one of her hands to pry it from her face, bringing his own close.

“Especially in public.” Eun-Ae turned a shade of red she never thought the human body could turn, while Key snickered to himself and resumed eating. “Here, Eun-Ae, have another piece.”

“You tease me too much,” she huffed, but obediently ate the piece of sushi offered to her, mostly because she was too hungry to refuse it- and perhaps, some teeny-tiny part of her shamelessly enjoyed it.

By the time they finished dinner, they had a little over an hour before their flight, and Eun-Ae was thoroughly exhausted from the stress of dealing with the endless flirtatiousness of her boyfriend; additionally, though she would not admit it aloud, her legs were aching more prominently now, and she was also finding herself short of breath. She kept these facts to herself as they trekked to the airport and maneuvered through the loading process, but when they boarded the plane she practically collapsed into her seat. There goes my second wind, she thought wryly as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, attempting to fend off the burning in her arms and legs. She felt Key settle into the seat beside her, but kept her eyes shut while she willed the pain away. The pain is coming more frequently… Eun-Ae was on her tenth day, exactly halfway through her predicted window of life; undoubtedly, it was a sign that the disease was progressing rapidly despite her medication regimen. It's almost too fast. She dug her fingers into the plush armrests as the pain continued to grip her frail body. What if I don't make it?

“Eun-Ae.” She opened her eyes to look at him, panting slightly. As he gazed at her softly, he cupped her cheek in his hand, his eyes filled with sadness. “You’re hurting, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” There was no point lying to it; it was glaringly obvious. He was gently her cheekbone, so softly that it left a tingling sensation across her skin. After a moment, he lifted the arm rest between them and wrapped his arms around her to pull her close, her head resting against his chest as he soothingly rubbed her back. She could hear his heartbeat, a low, steady drum, and she closed her eyes once more to focus in on the sound. It was the sound of the man she loved, of the heart that had been offered to her. Oddly, she felt as if the pain lessened as she listened to that soothing, wordless song.

“Get some sleep,” he murmured and dropped a kiss in her hair. His fingers were now running through the fine strands, from the crown of her head all the way down to the ends, another anesthetic to the painful fire burning inside of her. Drowsy from the long, eventful day and the comforting presence of her beloved, Eun-Ae snuggled into him, allowing herself to drift into the murky fog of sleep.

I have to make it… For him.