heejin arrived at the hospital, ready to begin her shift. she was a volunteer and had been for some time now. in fact, it had been many years. the local hospital in her city had a thing going on, where people could go in and keep the patients company. it was a great success. heejin had been doing it for as long as she could remember now, and wasn't planning to stop any time soon.

she walked inside and got a pass from the main desk before heading up into the room where the volunteers gathered every morning and were assigned a list of patients. most people just took their lists and left, but the person in charge of the schedules, a woman called haseul, one of heejin's friends and a doctor at the hospital, pulled her to the side.

"we got a new patient in last night. she was transferred from another hospital. she has cancer. her name's hyunjin. you two are the same age, so i thought you'd like to meet her and spend time with her?" haseul suggested with a smile.

heejin nodded. "sure, sounds good."

haseul lead heejin out of the room and down one of the corridors to a quiet room. there was a girl sat on the hospital bed in there.

"hi, hyunjin!" haseul said as they entered. "remember when you signed up for that thing where you want someone to come spend time with you? well, i have someone! her name is heejin. she's been doing this since the program started. you two are the same age, so i thought you'd get along great. have fun!" haseul ushered heejin over to hyunjin, before she left.

there was a small silence as heejin watched hyunjin for a moment, trying to feel any kind of emotion for her, and then her eyes found the socks hyunjin was wearing. they had cat patterns on them. she also noticed the girl was wearing a necklace with a little cat on it.

"so, you like cats?" heejin asked, shuffling closer pointing to hyunjin's socks.

hyunjin nodded.

"cats are nice." heejin said.

there was another pause, before hyunjin finally spoke.

"do you want to hear me bark like a dog?"

this was only the beginning of something wonderful.

they spent the rest of the day talking, way up until visitor hours were over and heejin had to go home. they'd learned almost everything about each other. hyunjin was a little shy and awkward at first, but soon she opened up to heejin. she loved cats, bread was her favourite food, her favourite colour was yellow, and she had a talent for barking like a dog, making cat sounds, and making strange but funny faces.

when the monotone visiting hours are over voice sounded through the corridor, hyunjin's face fell.

"when are you coming back?" hyunjin asked, suddenly gripping onto heejin's hand tightly.

"tomorrow." heejin said. "i come every day apart from sundays."

"alright... tomorrow." hyunjin said, nodding as she slowly let go of heejin's hand.

"i'll bring my laptop, we can watch movies." heejin said.

"i'd like that." hyunjin smiled.

"heejin, it's time to go now!" haseul's voice called from the doorway. "yeojin's outside, she wants to say hi!"

"i'll see you tomorrow, hyunjin!" heejin said, giving hyunjin's hand one last squeeze before she slid off the bed and left the hospital room.

she was then crushed in a tight hug as soon as she got outside by haseul's little sister, yeojin. yeojin loved heejin because when yeojin had broken her leg from falling down the stairs, heejin had spent all her time with her at the hospital.

"heejin unnie! i missed you! you're coming over for dinner! haseul unnie's getting pizza! i have so much to tell you! my frog misses you as well!"

and with that, heejin was dragged out of the hospital to have pizza at haseul's house with yeojin.

as the weeks passed, heejin and hyunjin got closer. hyunjin had started her chemotherapy too, which took out a lot of her strength. sometimes they'd just stay in hyunjin's hospital bed and watch movies or funny videos on heejin's laptop. on a good day, they'd go out to the hospital gardens and enjoy the weather. heejin had even started to visit the hospital on sundays just to be with hyunjin after finding out that hyunjin's family didn't live nearby and could only see her once a week. the thought of hyunjin being alone made heejin's heart hurt.

one day, haseul had given them permission to go to a nearby ice cream parlor. hyunjin was in a wheelchair, bundled up in a big coat and blankets. it was spring, but hyunjin got cold very easily without the layers.

it was when heejin looked over at hyunjin to see her smiling back with her vanilla ice cream that she knew something was different about this patient. she'd never been so close to one before. she considered hyunjin her best friend. as hyunjin talked about a movie they'd recently watched together, heejin realised she couldn't imagine life without hyunjin.

however, that would have to change.

it was a saturday morning and haseul had pulled heejin into a quiet room away from hyunjin.

"heejin, there's something i need to tell you." haseul paused for a moment, before slowly continuing. "hyunjin's cancer... it's aggressive. it's only spreading more. the chemo isn't working. she's not going to get better."

heejin just stared at haseul for a moment, before shaking her head in disbelief. "no.. no, that's not hyunjin. she said she was feeling better yesterday! it's not hyunjin, it can't be."

"it is hyunjin... she's in a lot of pain, heejin." haseul sighed. "she hides it from you, because she doesn't want you to see."

heejin still didn't want to believe it. "no. she's fine."

"heejin, remember chaewon and hyejoo?" haseul asked.

heejin instantly felt her heart drop at the mention of those names. they were two best friends, who had both found out they had an aggressive kind of cancer. they'd stayed at the hospital. heejin was young when she'd met them and they bonded well. but chaewon and hyejoo were very sick, and they died.

"yeah... why?" heejin frowned.

"hyunjin's cancer... it's kind of like that. it's a little different, but it's... it's going to end the same eventually." haseul said, trying to find a careful way to explain it.

heejin just nodded, trying to now take it in.

"how long does she have left?"

"a few weeks? a month at best."

heejin rushed out of the room and went straight to hyunjin's room where the other girl was sat on the bed waiting for her. heejin gave her the tightest hug she'd ever given before, and hyunjin knew it was because heejin knew. but she didn't want to talk about it.

"hey... can we watch finding nemo again?" hyunjin asked.

heejin nodded and climbed up next to hyunjin and got her laptop out. they spent that day watching movies quietly, with heejin cuddled up close to hyunjin's side.

haseul literally had to pull them apart that evening.

one day, when they were eating cake that haseul had brought them and listening to music, hyunjin finally spoke up.

"i want you to be there... when it happens... when i go." hyunjin said.

heejin looked up from her cake, seeing hyunjin's sad but hopeful expression.

"of course i'll be there." heejin said.

there was a quiet pause, and hyunjin continued.

"i know i'll be able to go happily and peacefully with you by my side holding my hand."

and suddenly, all the tears heejin had been holding in came pouring out. hyunjin managed to get up from her bed and made her way over to the chair where heejin was. she took the plate from heejin's hands and set it down carefully before pulling her into a hug, holding her close whilst she cried. when a nurse came in to give hyunjin her medication, she managed to take it whilst holding heejin in her arms.

a few days later, they were in hyunjin's bed watching titanic. the two main characters were sharing a passionate kiss, when hyunjin decided to speak up.

"have you ever kissed someone before?" she asked.

heejin shook her head. "how about you?"

hyunjin also shook her head. "no... it's on my bucket list though."

"really? did you find anyone yet?" heejin asked.

hyunjin paused before glancing up at heejin, mumbling. "i was wondering if you'd be the one--"

heejin leant in quickly to press her lips against hyunjin's in a long kiss. when she pulled away, they both laughed.

"is there anything else on your bucket list i can help you with?" heejin asked.

"i want to go on a date." hyunjin said.

heejin reached over to press the button to summon a doctor. haseul came in.

"did you need something?" she asked.

"hyunjin's trying to tick things off on her bucket list. she said she'd like to go on a date. i was wondering if you could take us somewhere nice?" heejin asked, putting on her most best innocent smile.

haseul hesitated slightly for a moment, before nodding. "alright... i think i can help. where do you want to go?"

"i want to get pizza with heejin. is there a pizza place near here?" hyunjin asked.

"there is. my little sister makes me take her there every friday. it's good pizza though! when do you wnt to go?" haseul asked.

"now." hyunjin said, beginning to sit up.

twenty minutes later, haseul and another nurse, a pretty woman called sooyoung, had driven the two to the pizza place. heejin and hyunjin had their own table and were sharing a big pizza between them. they were talking about things hyunjin had already ticked off on her bucket list at her old hospital. she'd been to disneyland, she'd met her favourite singer, she'd eaten a whole cake by herself, she'd had a cat day at the hospital, and those were just a few things.

"so why wait now to go on a date?" heejin asked.

hyunjin shrugged. "all the other people i made friends with at that hospital were either whole adults or sick too. nobody really wanted to go out anywhere." hyunjin said. "but i'm glad i got moved here, because i met you."

they continued talking until it was time for them to go back. when they reached the hospital, hyunjin kissed heejin again to end their date. sooyoung took hyunjin back inside, and haseul drove heejin home.

buzz... buzz...

a few days later, heejin was woken up by her phone. it was 4am. haseul was calling. that was odd. haseul never called at that time. she picked up, anyway.

"haseul...?"

"kahei's outside. get in the car. it's hyunjin."

heejin hung up and managed to put a hoodie on before she raced out of the house, into the car driven by kahei, haseul's girlfriend.

when heejin arrived at the hospital, hyunjin's parents were there. haseul was there too as well as a few other doctors. when she entered the room, hyunjin was still awake. her breathing was heavy and pained.

"heejin... you came..." hyunjin said, managing a small smile.

heejin nodded. "i promised, didn't i?"

hyunjin reached for heejin's hand and pushed something into it. when heejin looked down, it was a necklace. one that hyunjin was always wearing. it had a little cat on it.

"i want... you to have this... so you... don't forget... me..." hyunjin wheezed out.

"i'd never forget anyway." heejin said, trying to hold back her tears. "you'll always be a part of me."

hyunjin smiled. "i know... heejin... i... i have to go..."

heejin began to cry now. "it's okay... i'm here... you can go."

hyunjin looked over at her parents, then looked up at heejin for the final time, like she was trying to remember every feature of her face. she smiled, and squeezed heejin's hand gently, before her eyes closed.

for the next few minutes, everyone watched on as hyunjin's breathing began to slow down, and her heart began to stop. heejin swore she felt hyunjin squeeze her hand one last time, before she slipped away.

haseul eventually came over to hold heejin as the younger girl sobbed, not letting go of hyunjin's hand.

"she waited for you to come, heejin." haseul said quietly. "she should've gone hours ago... but she didn't want to wake you so soon."

"i loved her, haseul... i really loved her.." heejin sobbed into haseul's shirt.

"i know you did... i know." haseul mumbled, giving heejin a gentle squeeze.

eventually the other doctors in the room began to take out the equipment that had been helping hyunjin stay alive. hyunjin's parents said their goodbyes and left to begin to come to terms with what had happened, but heejin stayed, still holding hyunjin's hand that was now cold. but slowly came the time where they needed to move hyunjin, and heejin wouldn't see her again.

"heejin..." haseul called quietly as she entered the room. "they need to take her now."

heejin just nodded, leaning to give hyunjin's forehead one final kiss, then she let go of her hand and haseul lead her out of the room.

a week later, at the funeral, haseul was by heejin's side again as they said their final goodbyes. but heejin's hand was on the tiny cat on the necklace that hyunjin had given to her. she would never forget. hyunjin, the girl who liked cats. hyunjin, her best friend. hyunjin, her soulmate.