[CONTENTID1]She felt like she had condemned him.[/CONTENTID1]

 

[CONTENTID2]“What time is it?”

“… 8pm,” responded Hoseok with his head down. Clara was upset that he didn’t come at time. She had to use her smile, and many apologizes on their behalf to get them from a very complicated situation. She saw Jimin still standing next to him and she urged him to go to his appointment before she get mad. Jimin gulped and disappeared in the corridor leaving Hoseok alone.

Clara sighed and tried to speak to him with a calm tone. “Why were you late? I had faith in you... If he had faint or feel unwell, what would you have done?” Hoseok nodded staring at the floor. Clara gently touched his chin and made him look at her eyes. When they made an eye contact, she smiled “I’m not trying to blame you, but don’t forget that he is weak, Hoseok. What seem nothing to you could be important for him. Anyway, go back home and see him tomorrow. I’m sure that he will be happy to see you.” Hoseok happily smiled and Clara said her greetings to him.

She lived twenty minutes from the hospital, in a residential borough. Her routine was getting the food from the fridge and eat it in front of the TV while her boyfriend was already asleep. They were used to eat together but today something was heavy on her chest.

I wonder if we could keep going like this… She put a comedy show on TV and tried to cheer herself up. Finished, she couldn’t go sleeping like this. Tons of documents were waiting for her in her desk room. Papers from the hospital essentially but many were for Jimin. Almost three quarter was for him and the left over was from his parents. She engaged herself to take care of Jimin but, and it was huge task, to fulfill medical form instead of them. Just seeing these papers made her a headache and she sat reluctantly on her seat, putting a whole ball of coffee near her.

The words were the same and some seemed to move on their own. Clara pitched her nose and see the late hour on her smartphone: 3:27am. She should have slept since a long time ago. Somehow, a sentence made her chill on her back “In case of imminent death, should we reanimate him?”. Only two options were offered: “Yes” or “No”. She searched for the paper that his parents gave her and read it.

“Dear Clara,

Despite willing our beloved son Jimin to survive; we don’t want him to have a “use of intensive medication.” Since he came in Seoul, he takes pills and huge treatments that made him tired and sleepy. Sometime, we asked ourselves, if he doesn’t already suffer from our desire for him to live.

So, we chose the answer “No”. He didn’t have a peaceful life on Earth, so we hope that he will have one in the After Earth.”

She ticked the case “No” and watched the paper. She felt like she had condemned him. A wet liquid came stain the paper and she touched her cheek with shaking hands. She wiped her tears and get up.

I’m sincerely sorry, Jimin.

Under the options were a little asterisk. “By ticking “No” you assumed that there is only 10% for him to survive. These 10% are rarely accurate. In fact, almost no one survived from a cardiac crisis with this condition.”

She switched off the light and went to the couch, falling asleep as soon as she put her head on the cushion.

 

“Clara~ Wake up~” She turned around and mumbled “Jimin?” Then she heard a scoffed. “You’re lucky that Jimin is 1) cute and 2) your patient; or I would have think that you’re cheating on me.”

She yawned and her eyes. “Why is there so much Sun, and why are you talking Korean? I told you no Korean until 6am. My brain needs to process.” Her boyfriend took a sip of his coffee and gently put down on the kitchen table. “It’s 8 am, honey.” Suddenly, she jumped from her couch and ran at the bathroom.

At 9:30 am, she arrived at the Hospital. She gave the documents to the doctor and apologized for her late. “Don’t worry, Jaebum called us at 5:00 am telling that you surely worked late to sleep on the couch.” Clara hated the couch, it wasn’t comfortable and made her back hurt; but this time, she seemed to have sleep on cotton. “I’m sorry… It will not happen again.” She left the room and went to Jimin’s room directly.

“Hey!”

 

~~

 

“Oh! Clara!” Jimin was against the windows. It had been the first time since she got engaged that she hadn’t waking him up. Which was strange, was that Jimin woke up by himself at 5:30 am like any other morning and opened the windows. He could hear the chirping and silence of the city. He felt like he was inside a forest instead of being trapped at the Hospital. He took his shower and that’s when he understood that Clara wouldn’t come, in the early morning at least. Around 7 am, he got his breakfast, a nurse asking him if he needed some help. “No thank you,” he proudly replied. Clara made him as independent as possible. When he was taking his breakfast, she was either taking a nap or talking with him. He was the one cutting, taking, and eating his food alone. Finished, Clara would take his plate or, like today, a nurse would come back and take it from him.

Jimin was telling her how he was proud to have eating alone and asked her why she was late. “I needed to fulfill some documents.” It’s been a while that Jimin didn’t ask about her health. Her voice was a little rough; maybe announcing a sickness. “And it was about?” he asked with a risen eyebrow. “Oh, it was about your-” Jimin heard a hug slap and start to worried when she quickly responded “Date. You will have a date with Hoseok.” Jimin felt becoming hot and asked surprised, cheek red from a mix of embarrassment and excitement “Really??? You did that for me? Not that I have asked but… But really? He said yes??”.

“Y- yes! I still need to confirm the date, but he said yes! Obviously, he would say yes…” She excused herself and leaved the room; saying that she had a phone call to make. Jimin didn’t mind; he had won a date with Hoseok.

 

~~

 

“Do you know Seoul Forest?” asked Hoseok curious. Clara called him a morning slightly panicked. “I told Jimin that you will go on date with him... Are you free this week?” seeing that Hoseok took time she pressed him to answer “Don’t crush his heart… Plus, I’m sure that you wanted this too? Am I right?” Sure, Clara was right, but he didn’t know if his heart was ready. A date mean thing that Hoseok didn’t know if he feel it toward Jimin. He was still confused about his sentiment. “…Tell him this Friday at 3 pm,” he answered with a shy voice. Clara thanked him and hung up.

 

Now, he was with Jimin, who was dress slightly different, searching for a place in the shade. He noticed a big tree, further from the noise that made kids playing and lead Jimin to it. Jimin instantly laid down and took off his glasses. Hoseok did the same thing and turned around facing Jimin who looking at the sky. No words were exchanged for several minutes until Jimin spoke “I understand why people called it “Seoul Forest”. I can feel the tree below me and the wind too and if we heard closely there is some squirrels around us. How did you know this place, Hoseok?”

“It’s my dad. He showed me this place when I was nostalgic about my hometown. Since this day, it became my favorite place.” Hoseok were wearing a smile remembering moments with his father. He had found a squirrel and called his son. Hoseok came thinking that he needed help, but his dad pointed at the squirrel who was running in his directions. He screamed and almost jumped at the nearest tree that he saw. “Don’t laugh dad!!! I’m scared!!” His father had tears in his eyes and Hose