Reasons. My whole life is swathed with questions for everything—for their reasons—human existence, everyday occurrences, human race’s awfully unbridled intelligence—even for the pettiest things as to why most animals have tails and humans don’t, why and how races differ in language and physical features, why we only have a pair of hands, feet, eyes, ears—why not three? Four? Eight? Or why women have to suffer for their monthly period and for giving birth while men don’t. Everything. I ask reasons for anything one’s mind can conceive.

But…

The one and only thing I didn’t ask a reason for…was meeting you, Mina.

I’m just glad we did.

People are ought to socialize, not just to add color to their dull life, but perhaps, to change something. Every person that cross our lives, changes something in us, may it be great or little. Everything affects everything. And meeting Mina, changed something in me… no, I mean, everything in me. And a person who used to be just nothing to me, became something to me…

…and now she’s becoming everything to me. It’s driving me like hell.

I awoke from what seemed to be an interminable sleep with clouded thoughts, caressing my hand along the thin sheets as I stare blankly at the white empty ceiling.

“It’s another day…” I muttered lifelessly.

Waking up everyday seemed like a nightmare—because as each fleeting days pass, my pessimistic self can’t get rid of the thought that Mina takes a step closer to her end as those days roll by. I sleep at night with the fear of waking up to the possibility Mina already took her last breath with me completely incognizant. I sometimes hope time would stop when we’re together, worrying and fearing about nothing.

Time. We don’t have much of that. And days passing by so quickly eat so much of that time.

Sometimes I blatantly want to ask her till when I can be with her, or how worse her condition is, or can she still be cured, but I can’t afford to hear the answer from her. I would prefer not knowing anything, and just lie to myself that everything will get better…She’s gonna get better.

I motioned to reach for my phone buried underneath my pillow. I got three text messages from Mina.

MMN: Good Morning Chaengchaeng! Come down here already :( 8:23AM

MMN: Why aren’t you coming yet? U still asleep? 9:06AM

MMN: It’s 10AM for God’s sake! WHERE ARE YOU? I’m inviting someone else over.10:03AM

Those rather cute clingy text messages from Mina filled a quarter of joy into my mood. I reread those messages over and over only God knows how many times, biting my lower lip and giggling to myself.

I rolled out of bed and got freshened up. I didn’t hasten and took my time as if no one’s waiting. It’s part of the teasing. Heh.

I sauntered off to Mina’s unit, leisurely glancing at every door as I walk. Upon reaching her doorstep, I habitually headed inside, not bothering to knock anymore. I immediately went to her room and knocked twice before turning the knob. Two heads jerked around to look at me as I swung the door open. I saw Mina seated on her bed, and another one seated across her. The girl is dressed in a lousy white sweatshirt and skinny pale blue jeans, her silky long hair tied loosely to a pony, her stunning bright eyes gazing intently at me, and her full cherry-like lips gaping in awe, showing her two noticeable front teeth, making her look undeniably adorable.

Something’s chewing away at the back of my mind that I’ve seen her before, though I can’t recall—somewhere…often—but I probably never gave a damn remembering her.

“What are you doing here?” Mina asked in a deadpan manner. I instantly shifted my gaze at her upon hearing the question; the girl still throwing an unflinching gaze, and still openmouthed.

“Oh come on. I just woke up late,” I whined.

The girl flashed a wicked smile, then chuckled. Mina and I both tilted our heads and gazed at her, puzzled.

“I can’t believe it…It-it’s Chaeyoung,” she spoke loudly while chuckling. My brows rose and my lips parted only half an inch upon hearing the sound of my name. “She’s even whining. Jesus Christ,” she added, still in hysterics.

“How did you know her?” Mina finally asked.

The girl sighed to relieve herself from laughter.

“She’s the one I’ve always talked about in school which you never paid attention to,” the girl explained. Mina furrowed her brows in confusion. I acted unsurprised, but inwardly freaking out. “Chaeyoung. The one I always eye on during break time—that girl I find irresistibly cute even with her cold and aloof aura,” she further explained.

Eye on me? Why would she?

“Oh…” Mina exclaimed, seeming to finally take a grip of what the girl was talking about.

“And now I just heard that same girl whine…unbelievable,” she finished off with a chuckle.

“Oh, so it’s her…” Mina murmured, staring blankly at nowhere. She then flinched. “Ahh…Chaeyoung, this is Nayeon, a classmate of mine.”

I walked toward the girl, offered a hand and shook hands with her. She was smiling too wickedly I could only raise a corner of my lips for a smile.

Nayeon. That was probably why she seemed familiar…Eyeing on me…I didn’t know someone’s aware of my existence at that school.

“Have a sit,” Mina offered, pointing to the desk chair.

I reached for the chair and positioned it facing them and settled myself into it, the two both gazing oddly at me. It was too uncomfortable that I fumbled for words.

“Umm…So, what’s up?” I fumblingly asked.

“How come I don’t see you in school anymore?” Nayeon asked in an instant. I stopped breathing momentarily.

“I...uh...” I stuttered, hesitating to answer the question, panicking, a