The next morning I'm awake by yelling. At first I think it’s Chaeyoung’s family again, but the sound is close ad familiar. It’s mom's voice. I’ve never heard her voice raised that high before.

“How could you do this Sana? How could you let a stranger got in here?” 

I can’t hear to Sana’s response. I open the bedroom door quietly and tiptoe out onto the landing. Sana’s standing at the foot of the stairs with squirrel-shocked-eyes. Sana is smaller than my mom in every way, but you wouldn’t know it from the way Sana’s shrinking away from her.

So it's about her. It's about Chaeyoung. Hell no! I can’t let Sana got blamed for this. I woke up and immediately fly down the stairs. 

“Did something happened? Is she sick?” Sana catches my arm, pats my face, her eyes scanning my body for signs of trouble.

“She went outside Sana. Because of that kid. Because of you!” Mom yelling toward Sana, she's completely in shock. She turns to face me.

“She put her life at risk and she’s been lying to me for weeks Mina!” 

She turns back to Sana. “Sana, it's hard for me to say this but you’re fired.”

“No! please, Mom. It wasn’t her fault.” I plead Mom, hoping for a chance. My heart is hurt seeing Sana's tears. She just want to protect me, makes me feel alive again.

Mom cuts me off with a hand. “Not only her fault, you mean. It was your fault, too.”

“Okay mom, I’m sorry okay but give Sana another chance,” I say with a tremble voice that almost close to tears, but it has no effect on her.

“So am I. But there's no second chance Sana, pack your things and go. I don't wanna see you .”

I’m desperate now. I can’t imagine my life without Sana in it. She helped me a lot.

“Please, Mom, please. It won’t happen again. I promise you Mom!”

“Of course it won’t ever happened again.” She says it with absolute certainty. 

Sana starts up the stairs without a word. She wipes her tears with both of her hands. This is so heartbreaking for me because Sana is the only friend I ever have.

Mom and I spend the next half hour watching Sana packing. She has her reading glasses and pens and clipboards in almost every room in our house.

I don’t even bother to wipe my tears away because they're just keep falling down. Mom holds herself more rigid than I’ve ever seen her which is really upsetting me. When we finally get to my room I give Sana my copy of Flowers for Algernon. She looks at me and smiles bitterly.

“Isn’t this book going to make me cry Mina-ya?” she asks.

“Probably yes Sana. I-i don't know. I don't wanna lose you.”

She pulls the book close to her bosom and holds it there and doesn’t take her eyes off me.

“You should be brave now, Mina-ya.” She look at me, with our tears falling apart, I run into her arms. She drops her medical bag and the book and holds me even tighter. Sana-ya, don't leave me!

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper to her right ear, sharing the warmth for the last time.

She squeezes me even tighter. “It’s not your fault Mina-ya. It was my fault too for betraying your Mom. But remember honey, life is a gift. Don’t forget to live for it.” Her voice is fierce, hoping that I would do the best for myself.

“Aha, that’s enough now,” my mom snaps from the doorway. Her patience has run out.

“I know this is very sad for the both of you. Believe it or not, it’s sad for me as well. But it’s time for you to go. Now.” She point her index finger to the door.

Sana letting me go. She's caressing my cheeks for the last time, wiping my tears with her thumbs and look into my eyes.

“Be brave. Remember Mina-ya, life is a gift.” She picks up her medical case.

I'm still holding her hand and we all walk downstairs together. Mom hands her a final check, and she’s dissapeared.

And just like that, I lost my life again.

MIRROR IMAGE

I pull the curtains aside as soon as I’m going back into my room. Now that I've realized Chaeyoung is standing at her window, her forehead pressed into her fist, her fist pressed into the glass.

How long she had been waiting? It takes her a second to realize that I’m here, but it’s enough time for me to see her fear. Evidently my function in life is to strike fear into the hearts of those that love me.

It's not that Chaeyoung loves me though.

Her eyes roam over my body, my face from afar. She makes a typing gesture with her hands, humming something like "you don't have your phone now?" and I shake my head. She frowns, makes the gesture again, but I shake my head again. She disappeared from the window and returns with a marker and a white sketchbook.

She writes, Mina, are you okay?

I nod. Are you? I gestured my mouth. She made an 'okay' signs.

Are you