“So, where are we going again?” Jessica asked as she made herself comfortable next to Donghae, all the way at the back of the bus.

“I told you, I’m going to show you something in Incheon,” he replied. Jessica nodded her head as the bus started on its way to Incheon from the Seoul bus station.

“But what exactly is it that you want to show me?” Jessica turned her face to him, filled with curiosity.

“You’re always asking questions,” he pointed out. “Just wait and see, arasso?” he commanded, wagging his finger at her.

“You and your surprises,” she angrily muttered.

“So you said Siwon goes to Inha University too right?” Donghae started a conversation. “What is he majoring in?”

“Well he lives in Incheon now. He used to live in Busan with his family but moved for his education’s sake. He’s majoring in medicine.”

“Aish, super-smart guy I presume?” Jessica smiled as she stared down at her feet and nodded her head happily.

“Yup! He wants to be a doctor – a children’s physician. He loves little kids,” she explained.

“Me too, but medicine just isn’t my thing. My parents wanted me to be like…a surgeon. But I knew it wasn’t for me,” he confessed.

“So what do you want to be? What’s your major?” Jessica asked, her voice tinged with a bit of concern. Donghae let out an awkward giggle and shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m honestly…not sure yet. It’s a question that has been haunting me ever since I was in grade school.”

“That’s a shame, I’m sure there’s a lot you excel in. What’s your major, currently?”

“Well I’m majoring in humanities for a start.”

“Oh, jeongmal?” Jessica was a bit surprised bobbing her head. “I didn’t expect something so cultural with a very liberal personality like yours.”

He laughed a little in response and nodded his head in agreement. “Isanghae? It’s a bit strange, yes? I understand. But I really enjoy English literature.”

“Really?” Jessica’s face was full of surprise, her eyes lit up with astonishment. “Isanghae!” Jessica said covering .

“I’ve considered being an English professor. I’ve been taking courses for learning to speak English since I was a kid – eomeoni thought it would be a good idea, she was right,” he admitted.

“I’m from America remember? I speak English fluently,” she reminded him.

“ ‘Hello Jessica, my name is Donghae, how are you?’” he said in plain English. He still had a bit of an accent but Jessica was amazed by how natural is sounded. Donghae and Jessica couldn’t help but laugh at each other. “Was that good?” he asked.

Jessica gave him two thumbs up, “Oh jinjja! That was great!”

The two continued to giggle with one another, saying random fragments of English conversation to one another until they both noticed some ajumma giving Jessica weird stares. Jessica tapped Donghae on the shoulder and when he finally stopped laughing, Jessica tried to gesture her head to the ajumma who was glaring at her. Donghae bit down on his lips to resist from continuing to laugh.

“She can’t see you remember?” Jessica reminded him and he nodded his head. “Do you have an English name?” Jessica asked in a whisper, trying to make herself not look so suspicious.

“Anniyo, I haven’t picked one. I normally just introduce myself as Donghae. Come up with one for me,” he suggested. The two sat in silence while Jessica tried hard to think of a good English name for Donghae. Suddenly they could feel the bus beginning to slow down beneath their bodies.

“We’re here,” Donghae pointed out and Jessica looked around a little bit. “Let’s go,” Donghae insisted and the two got off the bus.

“Okay, where do we go from here?” she asked.

“Follow me, I’m going to show you something,” he informed her. Jessica carefully followed behind him, making sure not to lose track of him. Incheon’s inner city was very similar to Seoul. It was filled with busy business people with their briefcases and cellphones in hand. There were also kids running around since school was let out. The buildings were tall and the traffic was boisterous. When they finally stopped walking, Donghae stood still facing one direction while Jessica was a bit confused.

“So, are we there yet? What’s the big surprise?” Jessica said she looked at Donghae.

Without answering he took his hand and pointed to the large building right across the street. Jessica looked in that direction and she finally realized where they were going.

“Incheon hospital?” Jessica asked confused. “Waeyo?” she asked. Donghae turned his face to her and one side of his lips went up toward his cheek, forming a bit of an awkward, crooked smile.

When she finally piecd it together, turned into the shape of an “Ah,” sound.

Ah, I understand now. We’re going to visit him…we’re going to visit Donghae, she told herself.

Donghae himself, knew that Jessica finally understood.

“Visiting hours is still happening, just go to the front desk once you get there, sign in and head up to room 418. If the receptionist asks who you’re visiting give them my name,” he explained. Jessica nodded her head and watched him vanish.

She nonchalantly walked into the hospital and headed right on over to the front desk.

“Annyeonghaseyo,” Jessica bowed her head, “I’m here to visit a friend.”

“Ah, neh,” the young receptionist nodded her head, “Please sign in this guestbook and I will give you a visitor’s pass.”

Jessica did as she was told and signed her name, today’s date and what time it was.

“Who are you visiting today?” The receptionist asked.

“Lee Donghae. I already know the room,” she said.

“Okay, well here is your visitor’s pass, Miss…” she checked the guestbook to see her name, “Jung Sooyeon,” she said, writing her name on the slip of paper.

“Kamsahamnida,” Jessica said as she bowed and the receptionist stood up from her seat to bow as well. Jessica headed over to the elevator and felt her heart rate start to increase a little. Her hands tightened on the visitor’s pass she was holding and felt the piece of paper crumpling. When she was right outside the room, she hesitated before entering. She stood outside the door with her back against the wall. She held the visitor’s pass to her heart and began taking a deep breath.

Donghae walked out of the room and peeked over at Jessica. Jessica turned her face to him with a nervous expression and he tried to offer a comforting smile.

“Anxious?” he asked. Jessica nodded her head.

“A little bit.”

“Don’t be,” he advised. He gestured his head toward the room and mouthed “come in,” to her.

Jessica shut her eyes and with the all the confidence she could build up, took one more breath and walked into the room. She could hear the faint sounds of beeps getting a little louder with each step she took. Finally, in full view, she saw Donghae’s lifeless body lying in the hospital bed. She paused in her position, her heart almost stopping as she observed the various wires and tubes linking his body to various IVs and a machine – life support. She could hear the almost silent hum of the machine and recognized the steady beeping to be some machine monitoring Donghae’s heart beat. Slowly, Jessica approached a chair next to Donghae’s bed and sat down, not taking her eyes off him. She observed the mask on his face, supplying him with oxygen in his vegetable like state.

Suddenly, the spirit form of Donghae, the Donghae Jessica had been acquainted with for a while now, appeared next to his body on the opposite side of the bed.

“Is it scary?” he asked, his voice almost hushed to a whisper.

“It’s like I’m seeing a whole other side of you,” Jessica tried to explain while at a loss for words. “It’s almost…heart-breaking. You’ve been like this? For a few weeks now right?”

Donghae’s head slowly bobbed up and down as he pulled in his lips.

“So many wires,” she commented without realizing.

“I know,” he replied.

Weak echoes of footsteps entering the room were audible.

“It’s noona and Shinhye,” Donghae said, turning his head toward the door.

“What?” Jessica questioned looked up, but Donghae was gone. From the entrance of the room, an older woman – not old enough to be middle aged, but not young enough to be a teenager – approached, holding the hand of a little girl in her left hand, with a vase of flowers in her right arm. She gasped a bit as she realized that Donghae had another visitor. Jessica remembers the lovely woman as the customer she had awkwardly encountered at the café not too long ago. Jessica immediately stood up and bowed.

“A-annyeonghaseyo,” she said a bit anxious.

“Oh, annyoenghaseyo,” the lady replied with a slight bow of her head. “I didn’t realize Donghae would have another visitor today,” she said as she placed the vase down on a small table on the opposite side of Donghae’s bed.

“Chwehsonghamnida (I’m sorry),” Jessica apologized, gesturing to her seat with her hands, “Please, have a seat.”

“Andwaeyo, kwenchanha,” she said. “I just wanted to stop by for a little,” she explained.

“I’m Lee YoonJi, Donghae’s older sister by the way,” she introduced herself, walking to the end of Donghae’s bed. Jessica met her there and they gave each other polite handshakes.

“Annyeonghaseyo, I’m Jung Jessica….just…a close friend,” she lied, her heart a bit nervous.

“This is Shinhye, Donghae’s baby sister,” she introduced the little girl, bringing her in front of her. “Shinhye, say hello,” she told her with her hands on her shoulder.

“Annyeonghaseyo,” she cutely bowed and Jessica smiled at her youthful face. Her eyes reminded her of Donghae.

“Annyeong Shinhye,” Jessica waved to her a little and Shinhye gave a tiny smile. “She’s so cute,” Jessica complimented which made her smile wider.  Jessica went back to her seat and focused her attention on Donghae again.

“So how do you know Donghae?” Yoonji suddenly asked. Jessica looked up but her eyes sort of tossed around a bit as she tried to come up with a convincing story.

“Oh well um, m-my boyfriend also goes to Inha University, so we met through him,” she tried to make it sound true even though it wasn’t.

“Ah, I see,” Yoonji nodded. “I remember you from the café,” she said. Jessica blushed a little, wishing to forget that first meeting.

“Ah…n-neh,” Jessica stammered.

“Well, I should probably go. I have to get to work and Shinhye needs to get to a ballet lesson,” she explained.

She then walked back to Donghae’s side and carefully placed her hand on top of his.

“Donghae,” she started her voice in an audible murmur. “Bogoshipda,” her voice loving and warm. She began whispering to herself and Jessica tried not to listen, to avoid being rude, but could not help but overhear.

“Donghae, can you hear me? I feel like when I talk to you like this, you can still hear me. Can you feel my hand holding yours? Is it warm?” Jessica tried not to observe, but could see a tiny yet noticeable tear fall from the corner of Yoonji’s eye which she quickly wiped away. “Shinhye, come say goodbye to oppa,” she said, pulling the child up to the side of the bed.

“Oppa, annyeong,” she said simply, patting his hand.

“It was nice meeting you, Jessica,” Yoonji said as she bowed to her.

“Neh, you as well,” Jessica said standing up. Her eyes followed the two ladies as they left the room.

--

When Jessica exited the building, she took in another deep breath of air, as if flushing out the hospital-like essence she had been breathing in. Donghae appeared next to her without a smile. He did not seem happy yet he did not seem upset. He appeared expressionless.

“D-Donghae,” Jessica started.

“Every time noona visits, she holds my hand…it’s strange.”

Jessica turned to him, confused.

“It’s like…” he broke off, trying to find the right words to explain himself, “it’s like I can feel her too,” he said, staring at his hand.

Jessica was breathless.

---

[A/N]

Thought I'd get another chapter in before school starts! (Tomorrow's my last day of summer ahh~)
Hope this chapter is a little interesting for you, even I had a weird feeling as I was writing it!
 

a lot of your comments are very encouraging, thanks guys!! i'm really glad you're enjoying my story
and i'm glad a lot of you are very determined for me to finish as I am for myself (: I'll be to sure to update ASAP !!

UPDATED 090510