Chapter 12

“I love you,” those sincere words slipped out of the pale boy’s chapped lips. “I love you,” he repeated.

She kept silent. A forced, bland smile lingered on her thin lips. She pulled up the blanket to his shoulder and slightly patted the white cloth. “Goodnight.”

He reached for her thin wrist with his weak one, “I said, I—”

She leaned in and kissed his forehead. It was just a soft peck, but it was more than enough to say the million words of appreciation and love she had for him. “Goodnight, Luhan.”

With a heavy heart, he watched as she walked out of his personal ward. “Goodnight, Sunkyu.”

And neither of them knew; that those were his last words.

-

I noticed b tears threatened to fall from her eyes as they were fixated on a white daisy in her palm. I hesitantly placed a hand on her thigh, “I don’t know how to explain myself, but he loved—no, he loves you dearly, Sunkyu.”

She turned to me with confused eyes, but I knew that she knew I was serious. I didn’t need to mention his name – she could tell who it was we’re talking about. She broke down in tears and sobbed uncontrollably.

“Please hold her for me,” Luhan managed to say softly. It must be hurting him to see her in such a state. So I did as per requested. I wrapped my arms around her trembling figure, slightly patting her back as she spilled her heart’s contents.

How she had fallen for Luhan since her first day as an intern. How she tried so hard to make him open up to her. How she treasured those few moments they shared together. How it made her day just by seeing him smile. How it hurt her just as much seeing him dying day by day. “I was a coward – I was afraid to tell him how much he meant to me because I knew we couldn’t be together.”

She let out a long sigh then. She cleared , straightened her posture, and smiled. Her eyes were swollen and red, but her smile was genuine as usual. She looked at the white daisy in her hands once again before facing me, “Thank you, Jihae.”

-

“I mean, come on; think about it – if I were her, I would punch you in the face.”

I turned to Yifan with an annoyed expression, “Now why would you do that?”

“Well, if someone were to suddenly bring up the topic of my dead crush from 5 years ago, I wouldn’t be too happy.”

“Oh for ’s sake, Yifan, nothing would make you happy. Not even a kitten riding a unicorn over a rainbow.”

“A kitten riding a unicorn over a rainbow would give me cancer.”

We were sitting at the rooftop, looking down from the 11th floor. The evening sky was a mix of red and orange. Everything seem small from this level. People look like micro-ants. It’s a far way down. “Let’s play a game, Wu Yifan.”

“No thanks.”

“Let’s play a game called ‘I Wonder’,” I replied regarding what he said.

“What the hell is that? I’ve never heard of it.”

“That’s because I just made it up.”

“Okay, I’ll start,” he pursed his