Hitomi ran out of her room as fast as she could. The common rooms were quiet; no cereal, milk, or Yena and Yuri bickering. It was dark, and it made Hitomi feel more disoriented.

She looked to Yena and Yuri's room and saw that there was light coming out from under the door. She dashed to the room, not caring if she's going to slip because of her socks, and knocked as hard as she could. It was an emergency.

I need to know.

She heard rustling from inside the room, followed by the sound of loud footsteps headed towards the door. It was clear that whoever was walking was pissed off by the knocking that they were slamming the floor with their feet. The downstairs neighbors would have been mad, but Hitomi doesn't care one bit. She needs answers, and she needs it right now.

Finally the door opens and Yuri stood there, half-awake and pissed. Her face was partly hidden by her hair, but her half-opened eyes looked like she was glaring at the Japanese girl but also couldn't keep her eyes open.

"Yuri-ah! Is today really the 22nd?" said Hitomi.

Yuri's face suddenly brightened up and nodded, "Yeah, why? I'm accepting---"

"How's Chaewon? Is she alive? Has she messaged you? Please, I need to know!" Hitomi screamed while she was holding her tears back because she didn't know if there was a reason for them to flow. Yes, it wasn't October 21 anymore but did Chaewon survive?

Yuri slowly turned around and walked to her bed, dragging her feet across the floor. After a few seconds of searching underneath the covers, she found her phone and opened her messages. She selected one of the conversations and showed it to Hitomi.

"유리야, 생일축하해." (Yuri-ya, happy birthday.)

"She sent it to me just before you knocked on my door like a maniac. There wasn't even any emoji included psh," Yuri tried to put her phone back in her pocket when Hitomi grabbed the phone out of her hands. Her hands trembled when she held the phone and stared at the conversation. She looked back and forth at the contact picture and the timestamp. She couldn't believe it.

Chaewon's alive. 

It was at this moment that Hitomi finally broke down. She crouched down to a position where she almost hit the floor, but low enough to hide her face on her knees. Hitomi felt so many emotions going through her body and she felt overwhelmed by it.

Hitomi blurted out, "She's alive. I can't believe it, she's alive!"

Yuri looked confused all of a sudden, "Who, me? Of course I'm alive. It's my birthday! It's weird this year since Chaewon actually greeted me on my birthday instead of the 21st---"

Yuri's eyes widened when she remembered what Hitomi told them yesterday and she managed to connect what was happening in front of her.

"Oh. My. God." Yuri was wide awake now and suddenly lost for words. She covered with her hands and crouched down next to Hitomi. She should be happy that she was right about the whole thing, but at what cost? Her best friend was breaking down in front of her and she couldn't do anything to fix it. Yuri decided to just stay with her best friend and hold her tight so she knows that she's there for her. 

Hitomi couldn't do anything except cry in Yuri's arms. She should be happy that Chaewon was still alive, but somehow her tears wouldn't stop flowing.

She's alive. I saved her. I should be happy, right? But why can't I be happy?

It all just feels so... Empty.

I wanted to escape that day so bad that I gave up the most important person in my life. I've woken up to a new day, but it's a day without purpose, without happiness, without Chaewon. 

I don't know if I'm ready for that. 

Yuri leaned against the wall so she could support Hitomi as she cried in her arms. When the Japanese girl finally stopped crying, Yuri tried to push her away but Hitomi resisted.

"Please, let me stay like this. Just 5 minutes more. Please?" Hitomi said with a weak voice before pulling Yuri closer to her.

Yuri just responded with a loving tap on her head to say that