Two and a half years have passed and now the girl is 10. She had been happy for those years with her mother and new best friend, with happy memories, happy times. The three cherished their times together. It had been at first two. Then one came along and joined them. It became a three. The girl had never been happier in her whole life. The two and a half years were the best years she had ever experienced. And as the days went by she suddenly felt something special between her and Onew she had never thought she'd have. They became closer and closer each day.

And yet the devil had again decided to hurt her. Once and for all.

~~~

'I don't want you to die,' she whispered.

'I will, Dae Eun,' her mother replied. She coughed, and it startled the girl, but the mother kept on holding her hand. 'You'll be good, won't you?'

'I'll be good,' the girl said, but it came out muffled.

'That's great ...' the mother smiled. 'J-Just remember. I'll always be with you, no matter if I'm dead or alive. And you're not alone, Dae, you have your best friend with you. He'll help you along the way. Don't give up hope. One day you'll be rich and famous and I'll be so proud of you.'

'C-Can't I ever s-s-see you a-again?' The girl choked back her tears.

'You will. One day, I promise, you will.'

'Where?'

'In heaven. We'll be together again. And I'll be so ... so proud of you.' The mother smiled weakly as she her daughter's cheek.

'B-But what if I'm not successful? Y-You'll hate m-me.'

'No,' the mother said. 'I wouldn't. I'll still love you and I'll be proud of you.' She coughed hard again, but this time the girl stayed on the spot. Her eyes flashed with concern, but she knew she could do nothing.

'P-Pinky s-s-swear?' the girl said. Her tears were flowing down, and her shirt was drenched with tears. The boy behind her--Onew, who she had met and now her best friend-- wanted to comfort her, but he too was in no state to help her; they both could not stop sobbing. 'D-Do you pinky s-swear?'

The mother smiled at her daughter. 'I pinky swear,' she whispered. She closed her eyes and opened them again slowly.

The girl did not know what to do other than sing. She sang softly so only three people could hear, the mother, the friend, and herself. The song she sang was the very same lullaby her mother had made up ever since she was born. It was her favorite song, and it will be forever more. It was the very first gift her mother had given her, and the very last thing her mother would hear from her.

I will always be beside you [no matter where you go]

The girl's mother took her girl's hand and held it as tightly as she could.

I will always look out for you [you don’t need to hide you know]

The girl just kept singing, equally holding her mother's hand tightly.

I will always make sure that we’re together [I just can’t stand, being alone]

'I'll always be with you,' the mother whispered. 'You'll always be my little girl.'

You don't need to be afraid ...

The mother looked at her girl for the last time.

I'll make sure you won't ever fade ...

She smiled at the girl for the last time.

Because ... you are ... home

And she closed her eyes for the last time.

As the clock strikes twelve on the clock beside the white hospital bed, the girl stayed beside her mother, drenched in tears. Now the boy had the courage to stay beside the girl and comfort her, as they both looked at the girl's mother's face, which still had a smile on her face. They both watched her silently, quietly, with no noise or chatting, as the girl's mother slept peacefully for eternity.

I'll find you, Umma, the girl thought. She hugged Onew tightly as she could. I'll find you. Just wait for me and smile when I come, okay? Just smile for me.

~~~

It was going to become strike midnight soon. It had been about one day ever since the girl's mother had died. And the twelve-year-old boy and ten-year-old girl were still waiting at the train station for two hours straight. They were waiting for the train, for the whistle to blow in the distance, for the conductor to shout out 'All aboard!' It was something they both dreaded.

They were silent for most of the time. They didn’t know what to say, other than to hug each other in the cold evening. Some people walked past with pitiful looks on their faces. Others just ignored. But the girl was used to being ignored. She had been ignored by almost everyone for her whole life. And now she will always be ignored, now that both of her loved ones were going to vanish. It had been a three. Now it was going to be just one. One, and that would only be herself.

The night had never been so colder. The wind was blowing harshly, so harshly some of the branches of the trees around them were swaying in the wind. The girl was grateful she had worn her thickest coat, and that she had Onew beside her. It was raining, too, which made the weather even worse. Raining … the girl remembered the first time she met Onew. It had been raining. Now she had to relive the memory.

She didn’t want to now. While she was going to disappear from Onew’s life forever. Maybe sometime later, when she has had a hard time and needs to think a little … she started crying again.

‘Don’t cry,’ Onew said, the girl’s hair gently. ‘I told you … we’ll be together again someday. Remember? We pinky swore this.'

‘B-But what if i-it doesn’t w-w-work out?’ she said between sobs. ‘I really w-want to see you again s-s-someday. I … I …’

The girl could tell Onew was getting a little tired of listening to her and kept quiet. They were really close, so close it was almost as if they could read each other’s minds. And so she kept quiet and watched the people walk by, holding umbrellas or raincoats or anything that could help them from not getting wet. It startled her to find that she was living the life of a homeless person. Is this what their lives are like? She felt sorry for them. She looked at Onew, who had also gotten quiet and watchful, and wondered if they had the same friendship love she had right now. Possibly not. She pinky swore to herself that one day she’ll help the homeless.

But she will be homeless. What good would it make? She thought to herself. She’d have a place to stay … an orphanage at least … and food and water … she would get to go to a school … she started counting all the advantages of being in an orphanage. 

They weren't so good.

'Onew ...?' the girl asked.

'Yes?' said Onew a bit tiredly, though he tried not to show it. 'What is it?'

'I just wanted to say ...' Tears were in her eyes again, but she forced them back. 'I want to thank you for everything you did for me. You gave me such good memories, for me to remember forever, even in the toughest times. If it weren't for you, I would've been in some other place right now, cold and helpless. I-I never told you this but ... I love you, Onew. I loved you ever since you talked to me,' the girl said. 'You were ... so nice to me. No one wanted to be my friend and ... and you did.'

There was silence. A minute passed. Then two.

'O-Onew?' The girl kept her head low, the tears kept on flowing.

'Dae Eun ...' The girl looked up at her friend's face, and saw that he was looking back at her too. His dark brown eyes looked right into hers, and that the expression in his eyes was nothing like hatred, sadness or shock ... instead, his eyes were filled with warmth and love. 'I love you too. I loved you ever since I set my eyes on you.'

And it was true.

They stared at each other, their eyes never leaving each other's faces. They were unaware they were moving closer and closer, until their lips met and they kissed each other under the moonlight. They were oblivious to the world around them and the stares people were giving them, and only thought of each other being together ... forever. The thought made the girl want to cry. Not with sadness and grief, but with joy. She was going to be with Onew. And one day she'll be with her mother again. One day the three of them would finally be together, and they can spend time with each other again.

Even when they broke the kiss, they were still looking at each other. The crickets started chirping in the night, but the noisy rushing people had gotten quieter the more the girl and the boy looked at each other. The girl had never felt so happy before, even with her mother. She loved him, and the best of all, he loved her. It was almost like a dream come true for her.

Until she remembered why she was at the train station in the first place.

The catchy 'ring-ding-dong' that had been playing suddenly went out of tune in her mind. Her smile faded, and she looked away from Onew, choking back tears. Why? she thought. Why do I have to go now?

'What's wrong?' Onew asked, pushing the hair out of her face. 'Why are you crying? Smile for me.'

'I-I can't,' the girl sobbed. 'I-I'm going to l-l-leave you f-forever. We might n-not see each o-other again ...'

The boy stayed silent as the girl cried some more. She kept on going, she didn't care if Onew liked it or not. They were being separated after realizing they loved each other. The rain's pitter patter was now louder than they had thought. Now the girl couldn't cry much longer. Instead, she sniffled, then kept quiet, hoping the train that would separate them would be gone forever.

'Dae Eun,' Onew said softly.

The girl looked up at him. 'Y-Yes?'

'I--I just want you to know,' he continued, still looking at the surroundings and not at the girl, 'that I'll still love you no matter what happens. I'll never forget you, okay? Got it? I'll never ever ever forget you and the stuff we did. And--I just hoped you would never forget me too.'

'I'll never do that,' the girl whispered. 'I'll always remember you, Onew. It's just ...' She looked at the floor, and this time Onew looked at her. '... W-W-What if you ch-change? You b-become a d-d-different person, and you s-s-stop loving m-me? I'll be gone for a l-long time, Onew ... you n-never know  what ...' She stopped. She couldn't continue any further.

Onew kissed her on the cheek softly, and still the girl felt a spark between them. 'Dae Eun-ah,' he said quietly, 'didn't you hear what I just said? I'll never forget you and stop loving you ... don't be like this, okay? Smile, be happy. You know I don't like sad faces ...' The girl looked at Onew and then hugged him tighter. They stayed in that position for some time while listening to the wind blow and watching the stars pop out into the night sky.

'How would I know?' the girl asked softly.

Onew looked at her, his eyes looking calm and a little sad. Suddenly, he took the girl's hand gently and raised her pinky. He raised his own too. 'I pinky swear,' he said. 'I pinky swear that'll I'll love you again. That we'll love each other again. Okay? Now it will happen, because I promised you.'

The girl couldn't think of anything to do but kiss him again.

Suddenly a whistle blew just around the corner. Her heart sank right down to the bottom of her rib cage. It was time to go. They let go of each other and started to stand up. How time practically flew past so quickly, she thought. I am going to miss Onew … I'll miss him so much ...

'I—I have t-t-to go, Onew,’ she said sadly. ‘If n-not I’ll b-b-be l-late. I’m sorry …'

'Remember ...' he said, his eyes glassy now. 'Remember me. I'll remember you. I still love you. Remember your mother's lullaby, okay? Please don't forget everything we've done t-together. I promise I'll find you one day ...'

'I'll be here, then,' the girl said. 'Here on this platform, coming out from this train. I'll come back, I'll make sure I will, because I will do what my mom had told me to do. I'll be good, maybe not rich and famous, but good. And I'll always ... I will always love you. I pinky swear that.'

They both laughed. Suddenly, the things around them didn't seem so awkward. They had each other, and they were fine with that. They needed nothing else right there and then.

And that was what the girl felt as she went into her train compartment. She sat down quietly and waited. Since she had nothing to bring with her, she didn't need to put anything into the compartments, and just sat there. The girl looked out of the window. Onew was there, waiting for her until she disappeared forever. Not forever, she kept on reminding herself. Just for a long, long time. But one day she'll see him. The girl had promised herself that.

The girl remembered what he'd said. I pinky swear that we'll love each other again. Will he really remember her, much less love her? The girl shook the thoughts out of her head. What are you talking about? He will love you. He pinky promised.

She waved goodbye to Onew at the window, who waved back at her. They smiled at each other, and the girl felt a shiver run through her whole body, but it was a good sign, not a bad one. She raised her pinky. 'I promise,' she mouthed.

Onew raised his too just as the train started moving. The girl had already caught what he'd said and bit back her tears. She was really going to miss him. But she promised herself that she was going to have a good time, even in bad conditions. That's what Onew would do, she told herself.

The girl replayed what she'd said to him. I promise. I promise. Of course she would. She would never forget him. Never ever.

And then what he'd said. You promise.

I pinky swear.

He pinky swore he would never forget her. Never ever, he had said. The girl smiled dreamily in the compartment seat as she thought of Onew. One day, she told herself, I'll meet you. Just smile and wait. Wait for me and just smile. Please.

I'll never forget you too.

~~~

Hello hello~

This is NOT the end. I just need to finish the ending. I won't tell you a word of it ... *zips out mouth and throws away the key* :D

Please keep on reading and commenting!!!

-MVP4Life