Song : Avril Lavigne - Keep Holding On

Chanyeol’s heart pounded faster when he heard about Aeri. How stupid she is, Chanyeol thought. How dare she left him for such a stupid reason. She thought that he would leave her if he knew about her condition?! Chanyeol didn’t stop curse at the girl after Minseok told him the truth. He was angry with her but he also felt sad.

The tall guy rushed into the room that Minseok have told him before and he found her there. Lying on the bed with a pale face and she looked thiner than the last time he saw her. She was sleeping when Chanyeol finally reached the edge of her bed. He nodded to her parents who looked tired with teary eyes. Chanyeol had no idea what happened to his girlfriend. Minseok only said that she was sick and she had been hospitalized for weeks. The chubby guy also said that he was only her cousin who she asked to pretend to be her boyfriend.

“What happen to you, baby?” Chanyeol said in whisper. He reached out her hands and brushed his thumb on the back of her hand.

“Eomonim… is she… okay?” Chanyeol asked but his eyes never left Aeri’s face.

“Didn’t Aeri told you before, Chanyeol?” Mrs. Shim asked him with low voice.

Chanyeol shook his head while his hand caressed her cheek gently.

“She’s been suffered cause a disease…” Mrs. Shim stopped her sentence and tried to hold her tears. Mr. Shim squeezed his wife’s shoulder and continued her sentence.

“Brain cancer. It’s been two years since we found out that she got that and it is also become the cause of my brother, her uncle, died four years ago.” Mr. Shim ended up his sentences with a heavy sighed but on the other side the information that he gave only made Chanyeol’s brain blank.

His girl had brain cancer. She’s been suffered this long time but he didn’t know. He even accused her if she betrayed him. He was sure that he was the worse boyfriend who ever exists in this world. Chanyeol never stopped accused himself. He could not blame her. She did this to make sure he was okay and did not get hurting by the reality. Yet for him, it only made everything worse. If he knew first about her condition, he would treat her better. He would not let them fight for a little thing. He would not argue with her about what they should do and just let her do everything she wanted. But, he could not set back the time. Now the only thing that he could do is making sure she is okay and doing every single thing that she wants him to do. Never leave her side and take care of her as good as he can do. He promised to himself.

^o^

Aeri woke up only to find a familiar face slept beside her bed. His head rested on his arms on the right side, made her could see his sleep appearance that looked so adorable. She frowned when she found out that he wore the same clothes as her. Was he also a patient in this hospital? But why he is hospitalized? Is he sick? Only those thought already made Aeri felt sad. He could not be sick. He must not! Chanyeol was the strong guy. He loved to do sport, how come he get sick?

She brushed his hair with her finger carefully, afraid that she would wake him up. But the guy suddenly move in his sleep when Aeri’s hand still on his head. “Channie..” her favorite nickname of the guy.

Chanyeol woke up form his sleep after hearing her soft voice. He missed her voice so damn much! He sighed in relieve when he saw his girl right in front him.

“Aeri-ya… a-are you okay? Are you feeling hurt? Where? Should I call the doctor? What do you..”

“Sssshh.. I’m okay, Channie. I’m okay.” Aeri cut him off before he finished his sentence.

“No!! You’re not!! You were lying to me!! You’re not okay, you’re sick and I don’t know what I should do to make everything better... please… don’t leave me again. Just don’t. I won’t leave you no matter what, so please, Aeri-ya… stay with me. We can through this together!! I’ll take care of you, I’ll protect you, I’ll..”

“Oppa… stop!” tears already rolled down her thin cheeks and it only made Chanyeol’s feeling worse. He made his girl crying!!

“Aeri-ya… I’m sorry, I’m sorry, baby… please don’t cry.” Chanyeol wiped her tears with his thumb then caressed her cheeks gently. “Everything will be alright, okay? I’m here, I’m with you. You can through this.” Chanyeol pulled her into his embrace.

“I’m afraid, Oppa..”

^o^

Chanyeol brought Aeri to the park nearby the hospital. He walked around while shoved Aeri’s wheelchair. It was spring. So they could see some flowers were blossom. Chanyeol knew how much his girl loves flowers, that was why he aksed her parents to bring her out to see the beautiful scenery.

“Isn’t it beautiful, Oppa?” she asked and Chanyeol only nodded.

“You like it?”

“I love it. So much. Thank you for bringing me here.”

He could see sparkling in her eyes and he wanted to keep it like that. He wanted to see his girlfriend with lot of happiness. Minute later, he bended down and hug Aeri from the back.

He could feel Aeri’s heavy sighed. “Why?” he asked.

“You know that I can’t make it.” her voice cracked for holding her tears.

“Ssshhh… don’t think about that, okay? You ruin the moment, aish!” Chanyeol grumbled and it made Aeri chuckled.

“You are such a kid, Oppa.”

Chanyeol stood up and went forward to the flowers, picked some flowers and walked back to his girl who watched him with a confuse look.

“Ehem..” he cleared his throat.

“Oppa…”

“Ssshh..”

He bended on his knee in front of Aeri made the girl let out a small gasp. She could feel some people stared at them with an ‘aww’ look.

“Shim Aeri… I, Park Chanyeol, am asking you to become my companion for the rest of my life, to be the first one I see when I wake up and the last one I share kiss before I sleep. I’ll let you choose what tie I should put on and what shoes should I wear, in sickness and in health, until death parts us. Will you be my one and only?”

“Oppa…” Aeri’s soft voice caught his attention.

“Hmm?”

“You know that you can’t pick the flowers, right?”

“Ya!”