“Will she be okay?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Mina…” He reaches out and placed a hand on the girl’s sagging shoulders, patting it gently, “You did all you could.”

 

“She’ll hate me forever.”

 

“She won’t…”

 

“She will, Seungcheol… Just you wait and see.”

 

“The operation is good for her. She knows that. She can’t live in her own fantasy world forever…” He implied as gently as he could, letting out a sigh. “I just hope she will be okay… I’m nervous…”

 

“Me too. It’s a brain operation after all.”

 

“All these years…” He let out another sigh, “And no one saw it coming.”

 

“I didn’t take that long to find out about her condition.” Mina squinted slightly and then relaxed her gaze, leaning back into her seat.

 

They were seated outside the operation theatre in the hospital. Autumn leaves blew past the glassy windows and Mina watches it stick onto the panes. Autumn is nearing… She could remember that day when Sana made her way up unknowingly to the side of the cliffs.

 

She almost had a heart attack watching the girl from below.

 

Sana had thought of the place as a backyard garden. The one she wanted to build with Tzuyu… She knew more of Tzuyu’s existence as they got closer but she got shut out when she found out that Sana had a condition with the mind…

 

“Hi, is this Sana’s family?”

 

“Nope, we are her friends…” Seungcheol stood and made his way over when the doctor came out.

 

The operation lasted almost a full day. Time didn’t matter. As long as Sana is okay, they wouldn’t mind waiting no matter how long. It was an anxious moment of truth when the surgeon stepped out.

 

“The operation was successful. We will keep her in the hospital for a week to make sure no complications occur.”

 

Mina shot Seungcheol a look, “I’ll settle her paperwork.” Bowing to the doctor before leaving, “Thank you…”

 

Seungcheol watches from afar as Mina’s retreating figure disappeared around the corner. He lets out another sigh and rubs at his eyes firmly. At least the worst is over…

 

***

 

“Sana…”

 

It has been a week after the operation, Sana had already woken up and is able to move her limbs. The operation had been a success but…

 

“Sana? What are you thinking of…?”

 

“Hmm?” The girl threw them a light smile.

 

Seungcheol felt his heart skip another beat. The look of her sleepy form splashed with a dash of warm morning sunshine by the windows…

 

Her words, however, brought their smiles down.

 

“I was thinking about Tzuyu actually…” She gave a light chuckle, tucking some loose strand of hairs behind her ears. “It’s so… weird. Letting all of my memories rewind back… Just wondering why or how it all happened…”

 

“Mhm…” Mina hummed softly, reaching out to take Sana’s hand into hers and giving it a light squeeze.

 

“It feels empty, to be honest…”

 

Seungcheol kept his gaze at his shoes, keeping silent.

 

“She was a part of me. She was me. Even though…” Sana blinked, feeling the gathered tears in her eyes roll down her cheeks, “She wasn’t real, she was still there.”

 

“Sana…” Mina started.

 

“I feel like I lost a part of myself I would never get back.” Her face crumpled a little as she allowed herself to cry. “And I miss it. I’m afraid I won’t be strong enough without her.”

 

“You’ll be able to stand on your own in time.” Mina said soothingly. “We’re with you.”

 

Sana nodded slowly. Her gaze averted to the yellow bedside flowers, “Those are flowers right?”

 

“Yeap. Seungcheol got them for you.”

 

Sana wiped at her tear stained cheek with the back of her hand. “Thanks, they are beautiful.”

 

Seungcheol spoke for the first time since he was in the room. “Glad you like them. Only from the best flower shop.”

 

She let out a light laugh and reached for the bouquet gingerly, feeling the texture of the petals on her fingers, “Tzuyu would love these… Because I love them too.”

 

“Hey, I’ll get a whole bunch and plant a whole garden of them for you. Trust me.”

 

“I wouldn’t doubt.” She smiles and breathes in the scent of the flowers.

 

“So…” Seungcheol rests his chin on the bar of the hospital bed, fixing a meaningful look at the squirrel-like girl. “Are we good?”

 

There was a long pause as Sana raised her brows slightly, eyes roaming around with purposeful patience. She could see everything that was within the room, hear the cars driving by down below… She smiled as she alternated her gaze between her two friends.

 

“Yeah. Never better.”