AUTHOR'S NOTE: 

Okay, I wrote this chapter before the release of Eyes Wide Open album, and I was amused that Nayeon's written song, "Depend On You", could somehow relate to the story. Don't you think so? Take your time to listen to it and feel the lyrics. After this chapter, listen to the official audio. Here you go for the ending! 🤭💌

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nayeon's POV

 

"Hello, mom?", I held my phone in my left hand while I'm trying to drive. "What brings you up?"

"N-Nayeon?"

"What's the matter? Your voice is shaking. Is it because of the signal?"

"A-ahh. The signal?", there was a slight pause, but her soft voice turned into a stronger one. "Yah! Where are you headed to this time?! I hope you aren't going back to that cliff again!"

"R-relax, mom. I'm not that stupid enough.", I stuttered as I am off to the mansion. "Mind telling me why are you calling me this time?"

"Oh, that.", there she goes again. "I don't really know what exactly happened inside your room, but the kid next door broke something, and now it's shattered to pieces that I couldn't recognize what it is."

 

There goes my foot stepping on the breaks in a forceful way that my head had to move forward in reaction. Forget the mansion and just go back home. Of all the things that I could think, why do I feel bothered? I am coming home to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Nayeon! I did not expect you to immediately come here! Were you keeping something important that the shattered pieces will lead you to come home?", I ignored my mom and just headed to open my door as it banged on the wall.

 

"Now, where is it?", I wanted my mom to answer me as fast.

"I swept the floor and it's already outside."

 

Leaving my mom alone and not talking to her just like a normal daughter would do, that hurt me, but it hurts more when you have this instinct inside about what had happened. About losing a part inside. I opened the paper that was used to wrap the shreds.

 

"Was it an award or a gift?"

 

Mentioning the word gift could only make me cry softly. I am very familiar with what this thing is. Although a lot of her parts were powdered, I know her very well. All I could do is lift her while the powder is flowing out from spaces in between my fingers. How could she be tortured her whole life even if it's not her own body?

 

"Ahjumma, mianhe.", there was a voice that entered our premises.

"It's okay-"

 

The magic dust that no one ever knew was still lingering in my hands, but I used this magic to grab the kid and let him out making him cry. There'll be no mercy this time when he didn't even have mercy to my thing.

 

"Nayeon! What are you doing to the kid?!"

"From now on, never ever come back inside this house again. You are not welcome.", the tears in my eyes dropped and washed the powder on my hands. "I love her. May you never find your love in the future."

 

A kid's cry that got me annoyed, and I know that I am not happy that I was the reason a kid could cry, but can you blame me? I never spoke to my mother again as I left to go somewhere where I could see her once again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were hurried footsteps when I arrived, and I was expecting that, knowing what truly happened. I was reckless. Who am I to stop by in this place and look at the innocent face that was sleeping without any wonders in this world?

 

"Had you already contacted the guardian?", the doctor's transudation was evident as he commanded the orders. "Tell her it will not be too long, and the situation of her niece is unstable. We will never know what's about to happen any moment from now."

"She isn't replying."

 

Everyone is going crazy. They all have watched her grow, even when she grew up staying on that bed. The only time she was moved was maybe when the nurses turned her around to prevent her from having bed sores. It was normal for them to get worried. Who wouldn't when you were always by that person's side?

 

 

"Aren't you the one who came here last time?", the doctor had the time to approach me. "You were very curious about her. If you knew her guardian, could you please relay the message to her?"

 

He motioned me to go somewhere first as he needed to talk to me. I followed him, and we are now on the rooftop of this building.

 

"I can quite remember who you are.", his voice couldn't be heard well as the strong wind passed by his mouth. "You are Im. You were curious about her since you discovered you were involved with the accident."

"Right."

"Conscience is eating you up?", I laid low, not answering his question. "You've grown mature, that's why you thought about that. Believe me or not, I have experienced a lot in my life. Dealing with people, their anger issues, sadness, etc. You are not at fault, Nayeon. You were just a kid at that time."

"Her aunt told me so."

"Gotcha. You were interacting with her aunt, so kindly tell her that the situation of Y/N is getting more critical.", although it pained him somehow, he swallowed his pride as a doctor for he is also a human. "I've grown attached to the patient, although I didn't even have the chance to make a dialogue with her. Almost everyone in this hospital felt the same for she lingered here for a long time."

 

They were trained not to cry, so he did not cry. Instead, I was the one who cried. Knowing how much I've done from the very beginning until now that her fragile self was broken because I didn't take good care of her well, it's eating me. What's worse? I cannot talk to anyone about the real thing. It's eating me quicker than I thought.

 

"I beg you. We might've been taking care of her, and maybe she appreciates it as she looks at us, but we don't want her to die with no one by her side. Without the person, she could've known, to stay by her side."

 

Die? She's in the midst of death? I could remember the sounds of the machine that was connecting to her. It made me wanna throw up. Is she ready to face her own death? Am I ready to face my love one's death?

 

"Once again, please. She doesn't have a lengthy time. We don't know much about our borrowed time. I don't know when's mine, that's why I'm doing my part."

 

The doctor bowed and wasn't satisfied with a bow, so he went down on his knees. With my weak knees and nauseous feeling, I ran outside. I'm ready to let go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I know you were expecting me to come."

"How could you not take care of her?"

 

I know I couldn't step inside this magic house once again cause I did something wrong twice. Just say those words and then leave.

 

"My sorry might not be enough, but the most important thing right now is for you to come and be by her side."

"And you think that's easy?"

"I made up my mind.", it's very intoxicating, but this should be ingested. "I'm letting go of her."

 

I was expecting the door to be shut in front of my face. I was expecting an apathetic slap from her hands. I was expecting that I will never wake up again with just a curse from her. There was laughter, an unlikely one. She ceased laughing and gazed into my eyes, asking if I was serious.

 

"You are right. You are not a family. You are not a relative.", she was patting her stick in a fast tempo. "You have no right to feel sympathy for her."

"That's not- please, just head to the hospital if you wanna see her."

"She is not gonna die!"

"But you said you couldn't control and interfere with the life of someone! It's beyond your control!"

"It's final! I'm not letting go of her!"

 

Another person's knees dropped in front of me. When is this gonna stop? She held my feet together, and tears were drenching my clothed shoes. It was just like the rain. I remember Y/N being sad whenever she looks at the rain. The raindrops were the tears cried by heaven cause a person cannot cry by him/ herself.

 

"Why didn't you take care of her? I thought you love her?"

 

I applied my leftover energy to bring her up. I didn't bother to look straight in her eyes. We couldn't be selfish this time.

 

"I love her.", I tried to smile. "But love means letting go. Love means being hurt. Love means being hurt by letting go so that the person you love won't suffer anymore. Love? What is love? That is love."

 

Her tears were like holy water to my chest, and I am burning, for I am the monster that let everything of this happened to Y/N. Her aunt loved her so much, and I loved her enough. Different definitions of love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Ma'am.", the doctor bowed at her as soon as we arrived, and he glanced at me, smiling gently. "I did what I could-"

"Stop right there.", the palm of her hands were suspended in the air. "I just needed time with her."

"That'll do.", he bowed as he went inside with her.

 

"Nayeon, come inside."

 

I was indecisive because I can't tolerate watching her in that state. They were all waiting for me, so it's a motion for me to proceed. She was frail. My tears fell down instantly, seeing her closer now. She is still fragile, and I cannot afford to touch that fragile human. I cannot bear not to cry, so I wiped my tears. Cause if I cry harder, her personal view can't be viewed distinctly.

 

 

"Hello there, Y/N.", her aunt held her hand. "I am here now. Your potent lover was the one who brought me here cause she was thinking that I'm the only one who could give you peace, who could set you free. Please, forgive me for not setting you free earlier than I should've. Was making you alive from another perspective gave you hope? I know you learned to love. Sorry for using this time when I know where you want to rest. I am giving you to her now."

 

 

The hand that was free from needles and was caressed by her aunt earlier was passed on to mine and I didn't have the smallest idea on what to do with this fragile hand. The hand that I could've kissed in the near future if only the time was not selfish enough for us.

 

"I'm sorry. I didn't take good care of the fragile you. I love you, and I'm finally letting you go."

 

Beep~

 

A sudden seizure. The sound of atrial fibrillation then finally led to asystole after the medical workers handled her. I am looking at how she lost her breath from outside. How at that moment it even took my breath away. I haven't even hugged you yet. How could you die in my arms? How could you die with the words "I love you"? How could you respond to those 3 words with your lost heartbeat? Her hearing heart was heard no more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Nayeon?"

 

That wind wasn't the same. This wind didn't prevent my tears from falling. It prompts me to cry more.

 

"I know why you're here.", she walked towards me and patted my shoulder. "The wind is strong that it blows on that fresh wound, making you remorse the pain. Am I right?"

"Just for the last time."

"It's been a month, Nayeon."

"Even if it's a month, a year, a decade, or even a century, I'd always feel the pain."

"The pain of yesterday would be a scar by tomorrow.", she shook her head. "Stop scratching the scar, or else it would keep on bleeding, Im Nayeon."

 

The horizon that my eyes couldn't fathom. It was not just an average place. The place where I would find satisfaction cause she'll turn into a human. The place that I could feel pain every time I would recollect that, this was where we last saw each other. That winter. That chilly winter. That rain. That crying rain.

 

"If you are done here, you could come to my place. I'll set a cup of coffee for you."

 

 

I could hear the footsteps getting far away from me. That aunt was surprisingly taking good care of me right now. She learned to forgive, but I didn't. I can't forgive myself. There was a jar on the side of my right foot. She left it on purpose. She is still entrusting her to me. Opening the lid, the dust of her as a doll mixed with the ashes of her actual body was spread out by my hands. No more magic dust when you're letting that person go.

 

 

"Yah. Y/N-ya!", I called out while the dust particles are still mixing with the air. "Wherever you are! Whenever the time! I want to tell you that I love you!"

 

 

How many times should I say those words? The waves of echoes were coming back to me, and only you aren't coming back to me.

 

 

"Y/N-ya. For the last time, I want to ask you this. Even if we can't have this right now, just reserve your answer so that when we meet again, you'll finally be confident with your answer.", I kneeled and cried harder. "In the future, will you marry me?"

 

 

The magic that we thought we would lose, but it did not as long as we live even in different worlds. The end that no one would be satisfied with, but that's just how the story goes. I wish that this wouldn't be the end. It's the end of the magic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE END

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

OKAY! ARE YOU GUYS OKAY?! DON'T HATE ME BECAUSE OF THE ENDING PLEASE! 😂🤭 ANYWAY, THE SEQUEL IS WRITTEN BUT I WANT TO TEST THE READERS OF THIS FANFIC IF THEY REALLY LIKED THIS STORY SO MUCH THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO WAIT FOR IT! THE RELEASE DATE IS SURPRISE! IN THE FUTURE, MARRY AUTHOR-NIM? BYE GUYS! TILL WE MEET AGAIN! (THE ENDING WAS INTENSE THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE I WROTE EVERYTHING IN CAPS!) 😂😂😂💌💌💌 ┏(＾0＾)┛