The world is a wonderful place.

The world is so cruel. 

That's what Byulyi thought, the world was wonderful to have brought her best friend, Yongsun, to join her but it was too cruel in making Yongsun be able to countdown the days she has left. Byulyi took the cups of coffee from the vendor with a smile before heading up the now familiar elevator. For an entire week, she has been here, in this sterile white hospital that didn't suit how bright and colourful Yongsun was in her life. The hospital was not the place Yongsun belonged in, she belonged on a beach, holding onto Byulyi's hand as they watched the sunset together. 

Byulyi walks down the aisle that looked the same as any other but it led to somewhere that there was no place better than it. Chugging down her cup of coffee, she hoped that the caffeine could get her mind off things but it could not. How could it? Her best friend had a wishlist with her that they promised to do together before they die of old age but half the things on the wishlist were out of the question and the time they had left just made it impossible for anything to happen. 

Byulyi tossed the now empty cup of coffee into the bin before sipping on the second one. She took a deep breath before opening the door with her free hand. Despite looking pale and fragile, she still had the brightest smile in the world. She was Byulyi's sun... always. 

Five-year-old Byulyi sat alone in the cafeteria, she was tempted to take her lunchbox into the bathroom and eating it alone until someone sat right in front of her. Byulyi looked up and somehow, she was blinded by the smile the other girl had. "Hello!" The girl said in a voice filled with so much enthusiasm that Byulyi did not know it was possible. "I'm Yongsun! What's your name?"

"Byulyi."

"Byul? Like stars?" Byulyi nodded. "Can we be friends, Byulyi?"

She was the first person, the first person who tried to talk to her, the first person who broke the ice, the first person Byulyi felt affection for. 

"Yo Byul!" Yongsun croaked and Byulyi put on her best smile, walking over to her and climbing onto the side of the bed, before sipping on the coffee again. "Is that coffee?" Byulyi nodded. "Ah... I missed the taste of it," Yongsun looked around and nudged Byulyi. "Give me a sip!" 

"The doctor said you can't," Byulyi said and stuck out her tongue playfully before drinking her coffee again. Because the doctor said the coffee could kill her prematurely. Because she wanted to have the full month with her sun. Because she wanted her sun to wake up on the 32nd day and smile to her saying, "Look, I'm not dead, the doctor lied about me having one month left!"

"That ..." Yongsun pouted and leaned back onto the pillows and Byulyi put her cup of coffee aside, she pulled up the blankets slightly but Yongsun's hand stopped her. Her hands... so thin they looked like if Byulyi touched them, they were going to shatter into a million pieces. "I'm not cold, I want to go for a walk."

If only you could still walk, "Another day, I want to stay here today." Byulyi said as she climbed next to Yongsun, almost like an instinct, Yongsun lifts her head and Byulyi put her hand behind her, letting Yongsun lie on her arm. "You know, Yongsun, is this a dream?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like a nightmare... can we wake up from it?" Byulyi looked over at Yongsun, her eyes stinging. "Can it be a dream that you have Leukemia?" 

"Yongsun, open up the door!" Byulyi banged hard on the door, Yongsun was coughing badly inside and Byulyi could hear it. She could hear how hard each cough was for Yongsun. Just then, the coughs stopped and Byulyi's eyes widened and just as she was about to force the door open, Yongsun opened the door and looked at Byulyi with teary eyes. 

"W-What do I do...." Yongsun cried as her knees gave way and Byulyi caught her before she fell. "S-Something's wrong with me, Byul ah..."

"What are you talking about-"

"I coughed blood," Yongsun looked into Byulyi's eyes. "A lot of it."

Byulyi felt her world collapsing from that moment on. It felt as if the sun was slowly dying and the earth was going to die with it. "We need to get you to the hospital, right now." 

Yongsun bit on her lip and shook her head. "I wish it was a nightmare too."

Byulyi quickly forced a smile again and ran her other hand through Yongsun's hair, like she always would. "Hey, let's talk about something else. Remember our wishlist?"

"Of course I do."

"Byul, what kind of wish is that?" Yongsun shouted as Byulyi finished writing 'To be Yongsun's prince' 

"My life's wish!" Byulyi exclaimed which made Yongsun cringe. 

"How are you so greasy?"

"I only save it for you though." Byulyi wiggled her eyebrows and laughed, which Yongsun soon joined. Yongsun then lied down next to Byulyi and took the pen, writing next to it. 'To be Byulyi's princess!' Byulyi squeezed Yongsun's cheeks with both her hands and chuckled. "And you said I was greasy."

"I learnt it from you." Yongsun muttered as the two spent the rest of the day writing a long wishlist that started with 'To be Yongsun's prince.' and 'To be Byulyi's princess.'

"Will you fulfil two of ours now?" Byulyi asked and Yongsun's eyes lit up, she nodded frantically. "Then, would you be my princess, Yongsun ah?"

"Byul..." Yongsun's smile disappeared and the tears started to sting her eyes. 

"What, don't you want to date me?" Byulyi smirked and Yongsun could only laugh. 

"I do."

"Then the deal is done! From today onwards, Yongsun is Byulyi's princess and Byulyi is Yongsun's prince." 

"That sounds so childish though."

"That sounds like us."

Just when Byulyi thought Yongsun wouldn't get worse, she did. Just a week later, Yongsun was permanently stuck with an oxygen concentrator but at least she was still living. Byulyi carried Yongsun onto the wheelchair before hanging the huge machine at the back of it. Byulyi slowly pushed Yongsun down the aisle and to the garden where it felt like paradise compared to the rest of the hospital. Yongsun smiled and took a deep breath, "Today's air seems like it's welcoming us!" 

"That's so cheesy." Byulyi teased and cringed, which earns a smack on the arm from Yongsun. It used to hurt, but not anymore... Yongsun was becoming weaker and the signs were all around them. Byulyi pushed Yongsun around before stopping and picking a white hibiscus and sticking it into Yongsun's short brown hair. Yongsun turned and Byulyi smiled. "You look beautiful, my princess."

"That's even cheesier." Yongsun laughed and Byulyi whipped out her phone and the camera, moving back a few steps. 

"Look here!" Byulyi said and Yongsun turned slightly and Byulyi took the photo, a photo that became her wallpaper for a long time. 

There was only a week left and Yongsun slept more now, she was hardly awake but Byulyi found a new hobby, watching her sleep. The way Yongsun slept made Byulyi think that maybe Yongsun wasn't suffering from a terminal illness that was going to take her life away from her. Byulyi pushed aside Yongsun's hair and planted a soft kiss on her forehead before walking out of the room. She stared into space for a while before she broke down, tears endlessly rolling down her cheeks as Byulyi cried out loud. Her best friend, no, her sun was about to leave her. Whenever Yongsun slept, Byulyi feared she would leave her. Byulyi feared for the day Yongsun would never open her eyes and smile to her saying, "Yo Byul." again, but the day was going to come. 

The world was cruel. Byulyi concluded as after the last week together, Yongsun left the world. Byulyi stood by the sea, staring into the setting sun that Yongsun couldn't see anymore. Her tears were freely falling but she didn't bother to wipe it off. Yongsun had left Byulyi something, a letter. 

Yongsun waited to Byulyi left the room before pulling out the paper that she hid, biting onto the end of the pen like she always did when she was thinking. Finally, the words she couldn't say to Byulyi straight was penned down on the sheet of paper. 

Yo Byul, 

I'm sorry I couldn't finish the entire wishlist with you but I want you to finish it for us. I'll be waiting up in heaven for you to come and tell me how our quest went and I will be extremely angry if you did not finish any part of it. Byul ah,  I love you. I haven't gathered the courage to say those three words in front of you so I'll write it down. 

Like how the sun died every day for the moon to live, I hope that you will live well while I'm gone and let's meet again soon, my best friend. 

Love,
Yongsun. 

"I love you too, Yongsun..." Byulyi muttered and finally smiled. "You know I can't keep promises right? Please scold me a lot when I see you." Byulyi looked up into the sky before jumping off the pier and letting the water into her lungs. "I'll see you soon." Byulyi mouths with a smile and her heart slowly came to a stop...

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I was debating whether to angst the end or fluff it and I decided to angst it.

Hope you guys enjoyed it~

-M73