Yongguk regained consciousness first. His vision was hazy and all he could make out was and the smell of smoke and kerosene. He took a deep breath, and tried to move, but he was ledged in between the steering wheel and the seat. A sharp pain pierced his abdomen. He groaned, and tried to peer out of the broken glass of his window. A truck had swerved and crashed into traffic light, crashing into them first, flipping their vehicle.

Himchan moaned Yongguk’s name. As he regained consciousness and took in their current predicament, he immediately kicked open his car door. Fortunately, Himchan managed to crawl out of the car without any difficulty. He started limping as fast as he could to Yongguk’s door and tried to pry it open. Using all his strength, he tugged at the wrecked door but to no avail. His cheeks were stinging. His tears had come into contact with the cuts on his face. He could feel blood trickling down his head to his ears; there was a ringing sound resonating in his head but all he could see was Yongguk.He re-entered the car, and tried to shift Yongguk out of his position.  He mustered all the strength he had left and desperately whimpered:

“D-don't worry... I'm definitely... getting you out."

Yongguk winced, looked at Himchan dead in the eye. He whispered:

“Himchan, I need you to listen to me,” he coughed. “There are- there are two things I need you to do-“ He grimaced. He could see Himchan’s devastated face. He didn’t want Himchan to look like that anymore. He shut his eyes, and started breathing heavily.

“Get help,” he continued, as he heard the faint sounds of the sirens blaring. “We’re going to make it out alive, you and me, bro,” Yongguk said firmly. “And if anything happens to me, I- I need you to take care of Ryung Bi,” his face and tone softened at the mention of her name.

Himchan’s heart stopped for a second. “Don’t talk like that, Bang, we’re both getting out, you’re going to be okay-“ He could hear the sirens blaring.

“You’re right, but I- I just need you to promise me, okay? Now go, quick,” Yongguk bent over slightly, his face twisting into a convulsion of anguish and pain.

Before Himchan turned to clamor out of the car, he looked at Yongguk, and nodded. For all that it was worth. Yongguk flashed his signature smile. “I’m okay, really… please… tell her… I love her…

The sirens blared louder. The ringing in his ears intensified. Himchan couldnt make out what Yongguk mouthed next.

With tears streaming down his face, Himchan staggered towards the sound of the sirens. His vision blurred; the smell of smoke was choking him, but it didn’t matter. It couldn’t match the hurt in his heart that was more than that of his flesh wounds. It will not end like this. I will not let it end like this, he thought to himself.

The ringing in his ears grew louder and louder.

Then it all stopped when he heard it.

He turned around and saw the car being engulfed in flames. His eyes widened. As he processed the image in his head; his legs gave way and his knees hit the floor.

“Ya, don’t be like this,” Himchan muttered to himself as he stared at the blazing car. “You said we were going to make it, Bang,” Himchan laughed bitterly. “Bang, you’re a ing liar!” The tears wouldn’t stop streaming down his face while he howled with bitter laughter. The howls turned into hysterical sobbing of the same sentence, over and over. He balled his fists and hit the ground.

When he lifted his head, he could see the paramedics rushing in, trying to get him into the ambulance. He could see the police coming in to seal up the area. He could see the bystanders and onlookers whispering, pointing, taking photographs. He could see the firemen trying to put out the fire. He could see the swirling black smoke from the fire rise towards the sky. But he couldn’t see Yongguk’s face anymore. He couldn’t recall his smile, his voice, or the times they spent together.

He couldn’t remember anything.  He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t hear himself anymore. He couldn’t hear anyone else. Numbness was enveloping him as a whole. Never in his entire life had he felt so useless when he realized it.

He couldn’t do anything about the fact that Yongguk was gone.