Author's Note: 

This is it. 

My final chapter; please support me. 

Thank you for giving this fic your time and effort. 

I love you, my readers. 

 

 

Chapter 26: The Last Gift

 

 

He can only hear his heartbeat, pumping through his ears; ignoring the loud honks of the cars, probably irritated with the squiggly skid marks he left on the sunset-tinged streets of Seoul. Taemin, who was currently seated on the backseat with the wide-eyed Minho and shaking Key, was unconsciously and repeatedly making signs of the cross, hoping they won’t crash into street rails or jump over a bridge with the 250 km/h speed of Jonghyun’s driving. Their leader on the front seat, gripping the car handle so hard that the material was about to rip, was in deep regret for thoughtlessly nodding when the main vocal told him in an authoritative voice ‘I don’t care if you come, but I’ll drive’.

 

 

Jonghyun was a ball of emotions, if anyone touches him, he sure would explode. And no, he didn’t stop cying; he was about to break his own personal record of 12 hours straight. If it was through sky-high hopes or pure adrenaline, they’d never know; what’s important was that they arrived in the said address in 7 minutes.

 

 

Bang! Bang! Bang! Jonghyun loudly knocked the door of the apartment, making a middle-aged stocky woman in curlers emerge from her own unit, hands on her waist, giving off the aura of an angry dog ready to pounce at him any minute.

 

 

“Who are you? Why are you making so much noise?!”

 

 

 

“Is anyone home in this unit?” Stocky ajhumma’s expression turned from anger to remorse.

 

 

 

 

“No one’s home. It’s been long since she was admitted in the hospital, the poor kid.”

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

At last, he was standing at the door of her hospital room.

 

 

 

It’s Chun Hei, right? Just like in the movies, she’ll be alive.

 

 

 

He was sensitive all over, every sound of the rollers of hospital beds behind him, he heard, every chatter, every buzz on the nurses station, he became alert, people passing, either half running or walking quietly, he felt, the smell of coffee and strong sting of antiseptic mixed on his nose. Finally wiping the dried tears on his cheek and straightening the ends of his slightly tattered shirt, he reached for the knob. The door squeaked, probably not that loud, but it was all that he heard.

 

 

He squinted. When his eyes finally adjusted to the dim lighting of the room, he saw a row of empty beds. At the end of the room was a solitary figure, slumped weakly, unmoving. His heart picked up a new rhythm, a new speed, still violent like a child throwing a tantrum but with a little flutter at the end. He feels that he recognizes her, so familiar yet so strange. Every step he took was important.

 

 

Chun Hei. Is that you? Please, tell me it’s you.

 

 

 

Please.

 

 

 

 

The world stopped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the color drained from the background. Everything melted to gray, except her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was only her that he sees, her sleeping outline starting to blur because of tears starting to gather.

 

 

 

 

 

There she was.

 

 

 

 

 

Chun Hei.

 

 

 

With the burst of his chest, he sprinted to her. “Chun Hei!! Chun Hei!! You’re alive! Oh, baby, my Neko, you’re alive!” He gently cradled her in his arms. Finally, he got to touch her, to hug her, to hold her close, feel her warmth. His temples started to throb as he poured out an endless river, wetting her face and her hair, gasping for air in between the almost silent sobs and suddenly heart-wrenching whimpers, his chin wobbling hard.

 

 

 

“My Chun Hei, I can’t b-believe i-it. I really can’t. P-please tell me I’m not dreaming. Baby, please wake up.” He gently cupped her famished, thin, cheeks. It looks so beautiful, pink with blood pumping through. Her wrists look a lot smaller, her collarbones sticking so prominently, and her over-all physique is fragile and small, like brittle glass.

 

 

 

She flinched, opened her eyes, screamed and pushed the man, bringing him to trip and sit on the wooden floor. It was at that time when all the other members rushed in.

 

 

 

 

“Who are you?! What do you think are you doing, hugging me?!”

 

 

 

“Chun Hei, don’t you remember me?” She stopped for a second. Then her face, which was of utter disgust a minute ago, slowly crumpled to an ugly sob, salty tears dripping from her chin.

 

 

 

“How dare you?! HOW DARE YOU?!”

 

 

 

“Chun Hei, plea—“

 

 

 

“I’m not Chun Hei! I’m her twin sister, Chun Jae! It’s been 3 and a half months since---“ She wasn’t even able to finish her sentence and buried her face on the pillow to lower her screams.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

 

Jonghyun did not move; halting, disbelieving. Once again, he looked at her, blankly, his breathing getting heavier. Slowly, he tried to get up, although finding it hard to regain his balance with shaking knees. To him, everything seemed to blur, color in the room mixed in an ugly brown, black and grey. He cannot take note of the individual details, it's a haze. Unknowingly, his feet started to move.

 

 

A distant, familiar voice called out to him. “Jjong, where are you going?!”

 

“Don’t try to follow me. Just don’t.” Was it him who said that? He wasn’t even sure himself, but it sure sounded garbled and harsh. Nothing is sharp and sure, all he knows was he was headed somewhere.

 

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

The next thing he know, he was under the night sky; his shirt drenched from what it seemed a floodgate of lost crying. Besides from the blast of the twinkle above his head was a sea of colorful lights ahead, and everywhere. He lost his head for a while.

 

 

 

“Chun Hei!! Why did you do this to me? Why?” He screamed, all the skyscrapers of Seoul hearing him.

 

 

 

“Answer me! Why?! Answer me!!!!!”

 

 

 

“Idiot! When I told you I’ll follow you, I was serious!”

 

 

 

He saw his target, the edge. He never thought he’d ever do this in his life, but right now, it’s all he could ever think of. Chun Hei and the edge.

 

 

 

He treaded the way to his end. He felt light, he’s a bird about to take off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

He’ll fly.

 

 

 

 

 

He’ll soar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

He’ll disappear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like what his soulmate did; it’s better this way.

 

 

 

 

He looked down and thought, ‘Ah, I once drove that way. Guess I’d never get the chance to pass there again.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

He leaned forward…

 

 

 

 

“I’m sorry.” He whispered to himself.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

And a strong wind whipped against his face, strong enough to make him stumble back to the concrete.

 

 

LIVE. It harshly whispered.

 

 

 

He wailed, not bothering to stand up. “Is it you? Did you just save me again, you pabo girl?!”

 

 

 

Even if I’m not there, I will be watching.

 

 

 

Like a strong wave, from his stomach to his chest, he felt a conflict of emotions that he can’t fathom.

 

 

 

 

….a person like you deserves so much love, remember that.

 

 

 

 

“Noona, umma, appa… Jinki hyung, Kibum, Minho, Taeminnie.”

 

 

 

 

Cherish it. Take care of it. Love it like you love me. Treasure it, for the rest of your life. This is my last favour, Jjong.

 

 

 

“Chun Jae”

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

“How is she, Doctor?” Minho asked the young physician with the face of an angel.

 

 

 

 

“It’s already becoming difficult for us, to be honest. She doesn’t eat which led us to force feed her, she cries every single day and she has severe anemia. Her insurance money is running low, but we’re doing our best to take care of her, considering she has no one left in her family.” Key gasped, unable to hide the terror in his tear-filled eyes.

 

 

 

Onew and Taemin told her everything, leaving her silent and staring at nothing, wild-eyed, life out of her.

 

 

 

 

The door burst open. Jonghyun ran straight to her, his sobs on her ear and enveloping her into his trembling arms.

 

 

 

“C-chun Hei t-told us to live.”

 

 

 

She grumbled something under her breath, too low to be understood. A short silence. Hallowing breath picking up speed. Pained eyes finally closing. A single sob. A little whimper. And eventually, deafening, uninterrupted yelps of pain, grief, longing, helplessness and finally release.

 

 

 

“Yes, unnie. I-I’m an o-obedient sister, right?”

 

 

 

After the unpredictable, happy and heart-breaking roller coaster that was Chun Hei, it was only then that he realized, that Han Chun Jae, is the ghost’s last gift.

 

 

----------------------END---------------------