Body tremulous, steps unsteady, inhales heavy, i walked towards him in silence.
“Taehyung…”
My pace increased in a split second. 
“Taehyung!” I threw myself next to his numb body, trying to wake him up as I shook him gently.
“Taehyung, wake up, please. Taehyung, please.” Insignificantly how much I pleaded, he didn’t regain consciousness. 
I swallowed heavily, water starting to gather in my eyes.
I hastily took his wrist to sense its veins; bruises covered his arms’ skin. The veins’ pumping was faint, but still meant that blood circulated through his pallid body, to which I relaxed only slightly.
“Hey you! Are you the one who kept scream-“ the woman cut her words off with a shout of her own. “W-what is th-“
“Please, take us to the hospital!” she got a phone out of her pocket, hands clearly quivering.
“I-I’m sorry, I don’t own a car, b-but I will call for an ambulance.” A few peals after, the person on the other line responded, and thus did the woman make her request.
All the while, I kept inspecting the brunet’s body; I tried to straighten his limbs a bit, faint cracking noises were heard, but I had to do so; either that, or his legs and arms would stay twisted as they were. It seemed like he fractured himself a number of minutes before I came since the blood was still yet to clot, to which I was greatly thankful, but still blamed myself; if I hadn’t hesitated for so long, he could have avoided doing such a thing. 
The guilt mixed with the fear and faithfulness had an unbearable sensation. 
The woman squatted down to my level, and cringed at the scenery before us.
“Is he a-alive?” I nodded in certainty “I knew, I knew that he was no happy person, but I didn’t think that he would actually commit suicide…I-I should have stopped him from going up here, Mr Kim is going to kill me.” 
…
“There is a person fatally injured in front of you, pushed by melancholy and obligations, and yet the only thing you care about is your work.” She frowned at that.
“What your mouth, lady! I only come here to work, and-“ the ambulance’s siren confirmed that it had reached the quarter. 
I didn’t pay the woman any more attention as I straightened Taehyung a bit and took his hand in mine.
“I will stay with you, just as I responded to you that day.” I held back a sob “Even if you tell me to go, I would never.”
“A-anyways, accompany him to the hospital, I’ll inform Mr Kim.” The vehicle was in front of us by then.
A few surgeons came out, then put Taehyung cautiously on a stretcher bed.
“Get in the ambulance and explain the situation.” I nodded and did as told. I took one of the seats and was squeezed by several people I didn’t know, which didn’t help my mental state. “Okay, tell us what you know.” 
“I guess that it didn’t occur long ago.” I tried to gulp harshly the anxiety away “Apparently, he threw himself from the roof, meaning three stories away from the ground.” The man shook his head in disbelief “His limbs were twisted, so I tried my best to bring them to their initial state along with faint massages.” He nodded.
“I see. Thankfully, he fell on some grass, which lessened the force of the impact on him, but still is in a grave state.” 
“He still can carry on living after medical care, right?” 
“Most likely.” I nodded, the tension in my jaws lessening slightly.

After a few minutes, we arrived at the destination.
They got Taehyung to an operation room after assigning him a room to reside at, in which I stayed in the meanwhile.
An hour had passed by then.
The door got opened ajar, and I immediately stood and smiled in glee as I saw Taehyung’s face again. Although still asleep, I felt greatly relieved. 
As he came fully in sight, I couldn’t help but flinch; his arms and calves were bluish, swollen, probably the other covered parts were the same. Even his face looked puffy, but worryingly fair.
The doctor from before came in along with him.
The other nurses put him on the normal bed, attached the serum bags to his wrist, then left the room.
“Are you an acquaintance of his?” I nodded.
“A friend.”
“I see.” Silence enveloped the white room, only the sounds of the heart monitor’s beeping could be heard. The man cleared his voice before resuming talking “What’s his name?” I looked at him in bemusement.
“Didn’t his uncle tell you?” he scratched the back of his head.
“He only called us, and said that he will come tomorrow to sign the papers as his caretaker since he’s busy. He didn’t even let me tell him the important part.” The gap between my brows diminished.
“What..do you mean?”
“You see,” he looked away from me “when he fell, the spine-“ abruptly and spontaneously, I stood up instantly.
“Is the spine injured??” 
“No!” that was indeed reassuring. “God no. He nearly hit it though, and in the process, his kidneys got injured.” ..
“Both of them?”
“Unfortunately.”
“I..” I was at a loss for words “I see.” We sighed.
“The problem is that people nowadays are ungenerous. So I fear that he will stay here for quite a long period, until we find one.” I nodded, then sat back down.
“Have you already removed them?” he nodded, and so did I, eyes intently looking at Taehyung the whole while “Did you clean his blood?” 
“Yes. We will do the same tomorrow morning.”
“Oh.” I did know how draining the process is, and did not wish for Taehyung to go through it further, so I prayed silently for someone to donate his kidney for him.
I could offer one of mine, but I didn’t. I couldn’t specify as to why, but the egotistic characteristic in me was still within me. Especially health-wise. 
The guilt built up.
“Either way, you can come back at 10 tomorrow, if you’d like.”
“Can I stay for the night?” surprisingly, I didn’t think twice before asking.
“Sure. But you will not be getting food from us, so you will have to buy some from the cafeteria.” Thankfully, my 
“Alright, thank you very much.” He smiled before leaving. 
  
He didn’t wake up for the whole day, neither on the next.
Of course I kept looking after him for the whole period as sleep overtook me.
That morning, surgeons had to purify his blood. They had to make him go under an operation by early morning for the sake of creating a vascular access for the needles to be inserted in. After, they decided to treat him with Hemodialysis for the time being until finding a donator or waiting for him to wake up and let him decide for himself. They did it in the same room and didn’t find my presence a hindrance, thus I stayed.
Yet it was such an unbearable experience; I saw his blood running through the pipes and going back to his body for four consecutive hours. He became pallid over time, even translucent to the veins and the dead sells of his bruised limbs. The sight of his swollen legs didn’t help me feel any less hurt and sympathy for him. But still, he looked even more pained; even when asleep, his face would frown from time to time; surely he would. The procedure is too draining, and it is a fact.
I couldn’t endure looking at him, so I excused myself out of the room.
I went to the cafeteria to buy a sandwich to have. I still had to look after my own health. 
I went to the counter to acquire one, yet couldn’t talk for a couple of seconds; of course, the cursed personality wouldn’t go away so easily.
If only Taehyung were by my side, he would have talked to the worker instead and given it to me. He would have encouraged me to eat, even tempt me to, since I did not feel any hunger. But my body needed to eat, so I ordered anyways.
“Um, excuse me.” The woman stood up from her chair.
“What would you like?”
“Uh, water and a sandwich.”
“Which one?”
“Whatever..” she sighed.
“Having a hard time, aren’t you?” I was taken-aback at that.
“Just..” there was no point in lying “yes.” She nodded, her afro hair bouncing a bit in the process.
“See, this place is full of people like you. Especially upstairs.” Taehyung sure did. “But you see, other ones have found guidance in their own beliefs. If you believe in him, her, or them, they will definitely recover and become better.” Could it happen? “Do you believe that they are strong enough?” her displaying her pearly teeth prompted me even more to approve.
“Of course.” How could he not be when he so easily changed me into a better person, into a living person. “He is strong, of course.”
“Good. Now, just choose one of these sandwiches and go on. They wouldn’t be happy if they knew you neglected your own self. Just look at your pale face! Come on.” I hoped that there existed  more people like her.
“Thank you.” Said I with a faint smile.
“Nah, it was nothing. Although, I recommend the vegan wrap, it’s pretty darn delicious and healthy! Two birds with one stone.” I couldn’t hold back a chuckle; her delightfulness and love for good food reminded me of Taehyung.
“Vegan wrap it is then.” She came back with the order, previous to me placing the required money on the counter.
I went to the back of the hospital after that for fresh air, which I needed desperately, then looked at my phone’s screen for time; only half an hour was left for the blood treating.
I spent it eating, and assuring myself that Taehyung is indeed strong, just as the black kind woman at the counter said to do.

At night, the doctor, called Mr Lee, informed me that Taehyung hit the back of his skull with too much force, making a short-lasting coma an inevitable consequence.
I knew as much, but I still held my hopes high and kept faith in fate and the world.
I didn’t go home on that night, but then I received of message from mother.
Mother:”Why didn’t you go to college today?” I radically forgot about university.
And before answering, Mr Lee entered the room again.
“By the way, don’t you have studies?” it was too convenient of a consequence, but I accepted it.
“Yes. I don’t really have a parent to go with me though. Mother lives too far away.” He shook his hands.
“No sweat; I’ll give you a cold certificate, so you can go there again and give it to them, alright?” I nodded with a thin-lined smile. 
“Thank you much.” 
He exited the room after that, and came back with the signed paper, which I took a picture of and sent to mother.
Mother:”Did you go to a doctor that you don’t know?”
Sivilla:”I am sorry, the pharmacist wouldn’t give me the medicine without the certificate.”
Mother:”You could have stayed home and waited for recovery.” 
Sivilla:”I need to attend classes as much as possible.”
Mother:”Do not repeat your blunder.” Although I didn’t know what blunder that would have been, I apologized.
Sivilla:”I am sorry. It will not happen again.”

That night, Mr Lee insisted that I go back home for the night and ascertained me that Taehyung was in safe hands.
I hoped so.

For the whole week, I visited Taehyung on evenings, and stayed with him for the rest of Saturday.
It hurt me. I couldn’t stand watching the only person I have ever loved go through such quantity of direness and pain, while sitting across him and do nothing but believe in him; believing was not going to make physical pain vanish.
It was still night when Taehyung was going through Hemodialysis. The doctor was in the room as well.
I carefully neared him.
“Mr Lee.” He diverted his eyes towards me “Can you do the checkup necessary for me to donate my kidney to Taehyung?” his eyes grew wider at my words.
“..Are you aware of the consequences?”
“Yes.” He gained an immediate approval from me.
“What about your studies?”
“I will manage.”
“You don’t have anyone to take care of you either.”
“I will manage.” He sighed after a long silence.
“I can not refuse.” Hope thrive more through me “Bring me your medical documents, then we will start a checkup, and it will be all done.”
“I will go now.” 
“We will be waiting.”

I went to the foyer and came back just as quick, then headed to the brunet’s room again.
Mr Lee was still there.
“You came already.” I nodded before giving him the files, still panting a tad heavily. He took a thorough look into them before looking at me again. “Everything is matching to the patient’s. There is one thing that bothers me though.” I nodded “Nothing is mentioned about your kidneys, neither liver, to that.”
“They are healthy, probably. Why would they cite anything at all?”
“Well, generally, they have to mention whether your organs are healthy or not, but they did neither.”
“It is most likely as I mentioned. Now please, let us commence.” The man clenched his jaws, then nodded bitterly.
“Be ready within an hour. The earlier the better.” I smiled at him ever so brightly, a feeling of liberation overwhelmed me. It was probably the guilt of not donating my kidney to Taehyung since the very start.
As the doctor exited the room, I went back to Taehyung and clutched his hand securely.
“I will do as promised Taehyung; I will help you as much as there is in my might. So please, wake up soon,” my eyes started tearing up by then “and healthy,” my hand squeezed his soft one even more “and smiling.”

The hour passed. The doctor put another bed in the same room as Taehyung’s, then from there, before laying on the surgery bed.
They carried me to the surgery room, then inserted a needle in my wrist.
The last I heard before falling into slumber was Mr Lee’s calm voice as he said “May you succeed in helping him.”

Consciousness came back to me. The ceiling was blurry, my head was dizzy. I tried to sit properly, but I was stopped by someone’s hands.
“Don’t move.” I moved my head towards the right where I saw a nurse, and the dark sky through the window’s glass.
‘A day had passed already?’ 
I squeezed my eyes, vision becoming clearer, and the next thing I saw was the clock on the nightstand; 23:17-1801XX-SAT.
I looked at it intently in bass bemusement; Saturday? How could it still be a Saturday? The surgery couldn’t have possibly taken less than 3 hours..
“Sivilla? Do you hear me?” I nodded leisurely at Mr Lee. “I fear to tell you that you are deceased with kidney dysplasia, meaning that the removal of the healthy kidney was impossible.” I sat up hastily.
“Be careful-“
“W-what?! What do you mean?!” after so much courage and vacillation, how could it not work out?
“Calm yourself first.”
“Doctor please, take my kidney and transplant it to him instead.” Silence.
“We don’t guarantee that we will find another kidney soon.”
“No matter.”
“What about you?”
“Let me suffer on his behalf.”  I have never been so headstrong in my life.
“I will not take the risk.”
“Bu-“
“Listen,” he shook my shoulders slightly “you are still under the effect of the drug. So don’t start blabbering nonsense and have rest instead.”
“But-“ he left the room without adding another word. And I couldn’t hold myself awake any longer as I stared at Taehyung and felt sleepiness yet again. “I am sorry, Taehyu….”

Bright light entering the room from the window forced my eyes open.
I tried to sit on the bed’s edge carefully, my hand massaging my forehead slightly, previous to shaking my head to get rid of the unsteadiness I had. And as I turned my head to the left, I saw Taehyung, still laying on the other bed.
I wanted to go sit by his side instead, yet the needles inside of my hand and that were attached to nutrients’ bags held me back. And as I attempted to stand up, I immediately felt severe pain in the area under my belly button and lower back, so I sat back on the mattress and decided to stay put.
But, why was I attached to those bags? And why was I attached to a heart monitor? Why did I have a bed of my own, and a surgery dress on? Why was I feeling such pain in my body? 
…Oh right.
I was at the verge of donating my kidney..but what happened later?
“Good morning.” Said the doctor who came in without me noticing.
“Good morning, Mr Lee.”
“How are you today?” I looked at the tile under my legs in loss.
“A little pained…D-did you transplant the kidney to Taehyung?” he sighed before sitting next to me.
“Try to remember what happened.” I tried to focus intently, searching for the piece of memory I needed to recall.
…
“You told me that you didn’t take my kidney.” He nodded.
“Correct. And why is that?”
“Because I have kidney dysplasia.”
“And you know what it is?” I nodded slowly, trying to process the events in the mean time. I heaved a sigh before talking again.
“Did you find a donator?” 
“Well unfortunately..” I knew that the organ was hard to give for free. Everyone had the right to prior their own wellbeing- “a patient died this dawn, and his family said that he wanted to donate his functioning organs, other than his ill lungs of course.” My eyes grew wider “His kidneys are compatible to Taehyung’s tissue, thus we transplanted it to him as you were sleeping.” 
I smiled. I couldn’t get sad at the news of the dead person, I only cared about Taehyung and his suffering that was thankfully fated to not last any longer. So I smiled. Because I knew that if Taehyung was in my position, he would have definitely gotten just as ecstatic as I was.
“I see. Thank you.” The man showed a thin-lined smile. 
“Either way, we will assign you painkilling tablets that you will have to take for three weeks from now. Your organs are intact, we only cut through your skin which would leave a scar. Also, make sure to not push heavy objects, neither lift weights. Stretches are an okay, though, and try to eat as healthy as possible. You will be dismissed by night.” 
“Alright, thank you much.” The doctor cupped his chin.
“Although, how the heck was this decease not mentioned in the files? The birth checkup consists of one for the kidneys as well.”
“I don’t know.” They were probably in a rush to go back home since father had the car accident on the same night I was born on.
 A nurse knocked on the door before entering.
“Mr Lee, the patient Jung Hoseok is not feeling too well. Please go check on him, I will take care of them.”
“Alright then, goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”

I went to college the next day, even though I still felt pain.
I didn’t want mother to suspect a thing, since I promised Taehyung to let mother ignorant of our friendship.
I went to visit him that evening as usual.
It was a glacial night, the sun perished away from sight earlier than usual, the sky pitch black, moonless. Only lightning and bolt could be seen, along with the droplets of rain pouring quite heavily from upwards.
He was still yet to wake up.
I sat next to him, and even though I knew he couldn’t comprehend my words in such a state, I talked to him.
“Hello, Taehyung.” He didn’t answer “I am Sivilla, in case you couldn’t tell. I don’t have much to say to you. I just want you to know that I am sorry for not helping you when you needed it the most. It turns out that I really was not of aid, since you tried to end your life.” The pain at the back of my throat worsened “But I tried to help you health-wise, at least. Even though I couldn’t, I want you to know that I tried to.” I really wanted a piece of me to stay with Taehyung forever. “Yet, no matter how much I would help you, the bascule’s hands will still hold unequal weights. And I don’t want that to be the cause of our separation. Even if this is but a selfish request, I want you to wake up and keep me company again. I want you to wake up and help me get through life in a normal way. I want you to keep sharing more of your knowledge with me. I merely want you to stay by my side. 
I want you to make me feel like I am breathing, feel like I am..human.”

Right then, his left eye twitched. And so did the right follow. He scrunched his nose, and lifted his hand a tad.
“T-Taehyung?” bliss didn’t come near to describe what I felt.
 The doctor walked in right then.
“Is he waking up?!” I nodded. 
“Please, get out of the room and wait outside.” 
“I want to stay!” protested I to the nurse, who forcefully dragged me outside.
“Please, do not resist, this is for his own good.”
“You can come after a quick checkup.” I looked at the woman before liberating myself from within her hands and getting out of the room grudgingly.
I kept walking up and down the hallway few minutes, waiting for the doctor’s call before him calling me in.
I did as told.
“He will be talking with you now.”
Did he call for me?
“….But who is she?” 

“Wait, what do you mean, Mr Kim?” 
“I meant what I said.”
The doctor gave me an unsure look as he stared in my terrified eyes.
“What is your name?”
“Kim Taehyung.” 
“What is your age?”
“Seventeen.”…why would he lie?
“Where do you live?”
“State 10.”…but we were in the 6th state.
“Taehyung…” I uncontrollably neared him.
“How do you know my name?” a deep frown was on his face “And-“ he lifted his hand “What are these needles? Why am I covered in bruises? Do you have any relation to it?”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Right back at you.” …
Did he…
lose his memory?
“Sivilla, this might be but temporary, please excuse us for now-“
“This can’t be, he is joking.” I smiled, the water in my eyes getting pressed in my eyes “I know him, he just likes pranks-“
“This is no prank, miss.” The consecutive thuds of lightning made his words even more dire to understand “ Now, tell me, why the hell did all of this happen to me?” 
“I told you that you fell from the roof-“
“Yeah, but how?”
“Look, this is quite dir…” the voices faded as I went walked leisurely out of the room, steps small, until I reached a vacant bench and sat on it.
“Why would he make such a bad joke in such a time?” voiced I my thought “It’s quite funny, but it lasted long enough..” the pants I wore became dotted by tears “What the..” I quickly turned my head to the opened door, then ran back to the room. “Did he stop joking around?” he puffed air out.
“I am not jokin-“
“No you ar-“
“Sivilla, excuse us, please.” I couldn’t refuse, so I turned away before closing the door and going back to the lonely bench.

A few minutes had passed by then. The doctor came out, and I could see him nearing me from the side of my eye.
“I am terribly sorry, but I guess that he is diagnosed with retrograde amnesia.”
“…first the fight, then the kidney, and now memory loss?” the doctor only sat in silence.
“You won’t be able to talk to him today. Maybe tomorrow, you can visit.”
I nodded, then stood up and headed towards the station.
As I walked, I wondered; he was still Taehyung, right? 
The same person with the same personality?
Even if it changed a bit through the few years erased from his memory, it shouldn’t be a hindrance. So I set my mind; I will make him my friend for once more. Just as I did once before. 

The next evening, I went to the hospital. It became a habit by then.
I walked to the brunet’s room, hand clutching a paper bag that contained raspberry crumble in it, wiggling it back and forth to relieve the stress and tension building up in me; I was not only going to talk to a stranger, but also make him find good company with me.
As I prayed internally, and walked near the partition of the hallway, I heard two familiar voices conversing.
“…just had to do it at the exact month we were supposed to move out on!”
“…You don’t need him to help you move out furniture, now do you?”
“We are moving to another country, you see.”
“I see.” 

It was fated for me not to be friends with him longer, was it not?
I covered my mouth, in attempt to block the weep, eyes shut forcefully, pants unsteady. 
I walked back to the station, feeling incapable of meeting Taehyung again, knowing very well that our time together is limited to a very few meetings.
But then I thought; ‘what was I doing?’
Instead of taking the opportunity, I was discarding it, and cowering away from the truth, again, and such have I always done. Indeed, I realized how foolish my decision was.
So I turned again, and my legs walked steadily towards the clinic once again.
If I wasn’t going to see him ever again after a short period, it was best for me to spend it with him, to tell him about the memories he forgot, to possibly make him jealous of his own self, and to tell him how much I cherished him, and still do.
So I walked, and walked, until I reached the door.
Mr Lee was there as well.
“Oh, hello.
“Hello, doctor.”
“Um, visiting hours are always open for you, so go inside. No one is there.” I nodded, then did just as told.
As I knocked and opened the wooden plank, Taehyung diverted his look to me.
“Oh, it’s you.” I smiled.
“Good evening.” He lifted his chin as a response, which was painfully familiar.
“So..the doctor told me things.”
“Such as what?” asked I as I sat on the chair near him.
“That I am supposed to be twenty one, and that I have moved out to the 6th state…and that you are my friend.” I could feel pride at the position I had; ‘Taehyung’s friend’, that is.
“Indeed.” He looked away.
“You must be a good person, because I don’t like having friends.” So he was like that even when younger?
“I see, but I am not your only friend.” He frowned.
“Really?”
“There’s a girl at a flower shop; a kid, rather. Also, a chef at a ramen restaurant, and a maid at your previous house at the 10th state.” Silence.
“Do you know the truth? About uncle?” I nodded. “O-oh..How long have we known each other?” 
“A number of months.” He shook his head again “Also, I brought you something.”I put the container on his lap along with a fork that was inside the bag. He gave me a befuddled look.
“What’s inside?”
“Open it.” As he did, I could see dim pain in his eyes’ orbs, yet his lips were curved up. Albeit it being a weird reaction, I continued talking “Isn’t it your most preferred?”
“How did you know?” I chuckled, trying as much as I could to hold back my feelings.
“I know everything about you, and so do you.” He didn’t answer, but only had a bite of the dessert.
“Sorry because I forgot you, you really seem great.” I fought back the tears.
“It is alright.” He nodded “You are actually older than me, but now, you are younger, I guess.”
“Yeah. It feels weirder when you say it.” We chuckled. “But I don’t want to see you anymore.”
Huh?
“..Why is that?” he bit the inside of his cheek.
“You see, we are moving away, and I would like if you would try to get familiar with this situation.”
“Listen to me.” For a reason, he looked a tad taken-aback “I promised not to leave you. And I will never, so you are the one who should get familiar with th-“
“P-please, I don’t know you, just let me go then.”
“How can you say that when you are the one who-“ a tear escaped my eye. I bit my lower lip harshly to control my temper; for I was obviously frightening the male before me “I apologize. I just- I merely feel great loss.” 
He dropped the fork on the plate, then stretched his hand slowly towards my face, but stopped when the door got opened.
“The rehabilitation session is supposed to start now. Could you please leave?” I turned my head towards the nurse, then nodded before standing up and heading towards the door.
Before leaving, I beamed at Taehyung, and waved at him.
“Do your best. See you soon.”

The next evening, I went to the hospital yet again to spend time with Taehyung, only I was stopped by Mr Lee in front of the door.
“Good evening.”
“Good evening, Sivilla.” For a reason, his eyes didn’t look at mine. “I’m sorry, but you can’t go inside.”
“Oh, has the rehabilitation session already started?”  he sighed.
“No.” his voice’s octave worried me.
“What is the matter, then?”
“Please, don’t come here anymore. You are troubling his mental recovery.” Why is everything and everyone against me, I wandered.
“Mr Lee, you are aware of him exiting the country soon, don’t you?” only then did I realize something; a very crucial matter; Taehyung wouldn’t have wanted to stay away from me.
But he still prioritizes me, including my feelings.
And he started avoiding me in the same month that he was supposed to move out on.
And his uncle warned him on New year’s Eve about what he is capable of doing.
…Knowing his strong sense of dignity, he wouldn’t have wanted his uncle to feel satisfaction, so he decided to depart life, after making sure that I wouldn’t love him any longer, nor miss him. 
His uncle was indeed a vile foe.
“I know, but his recovery comes first.” The doctor’s words cut off my line of thoughts.
“..I see. Can I at least talk to him for ten minutes each visit?” my jaws were clenched, cold sweat run down my spine and forehead.
“Ten minutes and no more. Go in.” I smiled faintly as an expression of gratitude, then entered the room.
“Good evening.” He looked startled for a split second, then quickly put a familiar looking notebook aside after closing it hastily.
“H-hello, how are you?”
“I am fine. What about you?”
“Same.”
“How is the rehabilitation going?”
“Quite draining.” He scratched his head “I never knew that walking could become this hard, but with legs like mine, it’s undoubted about.” I looked at his bare calves; they were still swollen, even more than they were the first day the ruckus started on.
“I see.”
“Why do you still keep coming?” I looked blankly at him.
“I want to.” He nodded, hands playing with the hem of his white shirt.
“To be frank, I relish your companionship.” I bashfully chuckled at that.
“I am glad.”
“I always thought that adults are boring, even though I am nearly one-“ he paused “well, am one. But you aren’t.”
“Neither are you.”
“You say?” I nodded.
“We went to the karaoke quite often with the little girl, and went to a park, and a restaurant, and the arcades, and more.” He heaved a sigh.
“I don’t like any of them, except the arcade of course.”
“Well the twenty-one years old you finds them amusing.”
A loud bang was heard on the door, informing me that the visiting time was already finished.
“Are you going?” dim disappointment could be detected in his eyes at the sight of me standing up.
“Yes, but I will come tomorrow.” He nodded.
“Alright then, goodbye.” 

Every time I would come to visit, I would share with Taehyung a small chat, then stay outside the room, and glance at him from behind the open curtain of it. The doctor was kind enough to leave it open for me to my heart’s contentment.
Seeing him forcing himself to walk, and breathing so heavily, and sweating too much, brows knit, legs bloated with blood and water; it hurt me much. Especially the fact that he could not possibly skip the sessions of inferno he went through for his own good. I wanted to be the one in his place, the one suffering, the one struggling, the one bearing all of what he pushed himself through to survive, right after giving up on life in general, and his uncle especially.
Supposedly, the rehabilitation was estimated to last for three weeks, until he would be able to walk properly and his health would become stable.

February the 9th.
Time flew by rapidly. The day came.
The day on which he was dismissed.
The day on which his suffering ended.
Only for mine to start.
For it was the day he was going to move out on.
..For it was our final meeting.
Mr Lee told me about flight’s time, so I went to the airport three hours earlier, in hopes of catching up with Taehyung.
To see him one last time.
To hear him one last time.
To be in his company, one last, yet sorrowful time.

It was still dawn when I left the house, then took the train to the airport.
I had been to it once, so its location was still fresh in my mind.
I entered, then waited for me to see the familiar brunet near the passengers’ entrance  .
I waited, and waited, sight getting blurrier, probably because of the sleep lack.

And finally, they came.
Taehyung and his uncle were walking towards the door that would definitively seal the vow of friendship in betwixt.  
His head was hang low, until he neared me.
He lifted his head ever so gently, expression unchanging at my sight. 
For a reason, he looked at his uncle.
The degraded man smirked at us.
“Whatever, follow me after you finish.” Thankfully, he entered, and left us alone.
…
If not for his horrible self, this day would have never existed. To hell with his uncle. To hell with mother. To hell.

“Did you come to say goodbye?” I swallowed.
“Something of the sort. It will be quick.” He nodded.
“Go on.” 
“This farewell is for the Taehyung I knew, unfortunately.” His eyes grew larger at my words. “I have never thought that I would make a choice of my own, let alone a friend that she didn’t choose for me. But then, maybe she was right.” I shook my head “No, she is right. Attachment is bad; very bad. If we didn’t get attached to each other, you would have stayed healthy, and I would have stayed the bore of a girl I was, but still satisfied with my life, since I deemed it best for me.” 
**'Without my guidance, failure is yo-’**
“But I do regret nothing.  I do not regret any single second I spent with you up until this very moment. And I will never.” My voice was steady, my face was blank, but a hurricane was ripping my insides to void. “Instead, I want to thank you for everything. I merely want you to know-“ the woeful droplets fell down again “that I love you, Taehyung.”
I wanted to embrace him tightly.
I wanted to sense his note yearningly.
I wanted to kiss him goodbye passionately.
Even though, I could not.
For the Taehyung I was talking to was not the same as the one fronting me.
He nodded, his eyes probably seeing me merely as yet another ilk of the numerous strangers crowding the airport.

He tended his arm towards me, a piece of paper in his hand.
“Read it.”
Struck with befuddlement, I hastily read the words written on it. 
‘In fear of what was beyond its barrier, every living fretted far away for safety, and it nearly drove it to insanity. Few stayed close by in curiosity. Until one little star gathered the bravery to approach it. The star gave the black hole a bit of his mind back. Although they contrasted each other. The star bright and warm. The hole dark and cold. It ate away the life essence of the star, consumed the blazes of it. Only then did he become conscious of verity. Only then did he become knowing of the one and only trait that it had amidst all and that made others flee in awe; for he was a killer. To consume, but not to deign. The direness of the truth devastated the few sentiments left in its tepid core. And then, he was no more, and a nuisance perished away. Only physically did it exist after that day. 
Yet the whole tale was never known by it. The other events happening on the other side, far away from its own limited universe. The star ascended to a new dimension, a radically other one in which its blazes became more alive, its core became more heated, its gratefulness to the black whole grew vaster, as its anticipation. Yet the black whole has become dull. It wouldn’t return the gentle smile, it wouldn’t respond to the sweet words, it wouldn’t mind the flow of melancholy.’

..
….
I am lifting my head at Taehyung.
He is looking at me, right in the eyes, as his own are scintillating.
“Badbye, Sivilla.”
He is turning towards the door, but I can do nothing.
I can do nothing but stare.
Maybe I misread?
Maybe I misheard?

Yet those would be the best mistakes to ever happen. 
That is, of course, after falling for him.
 

                                                                Fin.