I got hungry. I know it's late—it's already midnight, and my tummy just can't stop rumbling. I'm so sick of the food in my room, the heated soup and the rice that seems like it was cooked a few days ago really takes off my appetite. So, I decided to go out and purchase a snack from one of the vending machines by the lobby.

It's very quiet, the scary type of quiet. The hallway lights are dim and you barely ran into people. I really hate going out during midnight because it scares the crap out of me, but I can't take this hunger anymore.

I pulled my oxygen tank along as I walk through the empty hallways to find my way to one of the vending machines. When I got there, the lights from the vending machine illuminated my face. I got a bill from my pocket, inserted it onto the slot and pressed a button from the machine. I chose the garlic bread since all that I could ever eat aside from the re-heated hospital food and fruits that my friends and family usually bring whenever they visit.

I bent over to take the bread from the vending machine, and was surprised when I noticed that someone was standing beside me. "Sh—" I almost cursed. Again, I hate going out during this hour because the environment of the dark hospital scares the hell out of me; and the sudden presence beside me gave me a mini heart attack as if I might die on the spot because of that instead of my real condition.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" the girl said. I decided to finally look at her this time, and the thing that I instantly noticed are the oxygen tubes attached to her nose and the tank right behind her, we're just the same. "What's the best food here? I can't force myself to eat hospital food anymore" she added and frowned as she scans the vending machine with her fingers touching her chin.

"I don't know" I answered coldly. To be honest, I never really talked to anyone from here aside from the doctors and of course, my family and friends. Socializing felt weird for me since I haven't been in contact with anyone for quite a while now.

The girl looked at the packet of bread that I was holding and her eyes suddenly lit up. "I'll get that too!" she said rather excitedly before inserting her own money on the slot and pressed the number corresponding to the snack that I have on my hand. It may sound weird, but I watched her bend down to pick up the bread that she purchased from the machine. I noticed that she's wearing this sincere smile on her face. She's that happy with a piece of bread?

I was about to walk away with my oxygen tank when I suddenly heard her speak once again.

"Um..." she said from behind, so I looked back. "You're already going back to your room?" she asked the obvious. I nodded, showing no signs of interest on staying on this scary lobby any longer. "Can you...accompany me for a while?" she added rather shyly while holding the bread with both of her hands and her eyes begging for me to stay. 

I don't know what's up with me and what made me decide to do something that I didn't have in mind, but I nodded, and her smile grew wider and her eyes seemed to have sparkle in delight when I agreed on staying with her.

"It's a little scary here, but I know a better place" she said before walking ahead of me. My feet felt heavy for I can't move a single step. She probably noticed the absence of my presence since she turned around to where I was standing. "What are you glued on the floor for? Come on!" she said enthusiastically. I really don't know what is up with this stranger and the fact that I keep on doing whatever she tells me to do.

~

She dragged me into the stairways somewhere inside the hospital. I never reached this area before—heck, I don't roam around this stupid hospital like her. Also, pulling the heavy oxygen tank behind was very tiring, but she shows no signs of exhaustion. Is she really sick?

We are facing a locked door that leads to who knows where. This place is much scarier than the lobby, to be honest. It's like a setting from a horror movie. I can't even stop looking behind us because I was afraid that we're being followed by a serial killer. 

"What are we doing here? That door's locked" I said while eyeing the door. The girl looked at me with a smug smirk before lifting up her hand that is holding a single key. My eyes widened in surprise. How can someone unauthorized have a spare key in this hospital?

She turned back to face the door and inserted the key "I am friends with almost all of the employees here, stop thinking too much" she said while she turned the key to the side, opening the door. Did she just read my thoughts?

The door has finally opened wide, and it occurred to me that the door leads to the rooftop of the hospital.

I followed the girl from behind as she walked through the door. I looked around and the rooftop looks unexpectedly peaceful. You wouldn't even think that you're above a hospital building when you're here. There are a few plants around, making the place a little less plain in the eye.

The girl walks toward the edge of the rooftop, probably the front face of the hospital. She sat there with her legs hanging as if it was nothing, she wasn't scared after all.

She turned around from where she was sitting. "Are you gonna stand there the whole time?" she asked while patting the space beside her, asking me to join along. I blinked a few times before finally walking towards her direction, but not sitting beside her yet. "Oh, are you afraid of heights? I'm sorry, let's sit somewhere el—" her words were cut when I positioned my oxygen tank a few inches beside hers and proceeded on sitting beside her, but not close.

"I thought you were scared" she said with a giggle while tearing the plastic packaging of the vending machine bread. I did the same. 

We took a bite of our own bread at the same time, but I noticed that she was suddenly staring at her own bread. "This is so dry. You love this?" she asked and looked at me.

I almost choked to the bread that I was chewing—it was very dry indeed. It even took me a while to swallow it, and it made her laugh. "It seems like it's your first time eating this too, huh" she said. I nodded in response.

"I'm Nayeon" she suddenly said with the sincere smile that's the same from earlier.

"Jeongyeon" I answered shortly before taking another bite of the dry bread. The walk going here made me more hungrier.

"No much of a talker, aren't you?" she asked while watching me chew. Very uncomfortable. "What's your condition?" she asked, I got silent for a few seconds. The atmosphere suddenly felt awkward. "If it's okay to ask" she added with a guilty smile, cutting the quick awkward silence. Does this girl even stop talking?

"Cancer" I answered shortly again.

The girl's eyes widened, as if she just got good news. "Me too!" she said rather excitedly. "Mine's heart cancer. Yours?" she asked enthusiastically again. I really don't understand where this energy and optimism is coming from.

I continued on eating the dry bread instead of answering, then I saw her smile disappear. 

"Sorry, you don't have to answer that if it's uncomfortable" she said, respecting my silence.

The atmosphere grew quiet again, and we let it stay like that. We let the cold midnight wind blow our hairs and get in contact with our pale skins. The sounds of crickets from afar can be heard as well, and it was very relaxing. I closed my eyes and imagined myself sitting alone on a rooftop like this somewhere else, not the hospital rooftop. I imagine myself sitting alone peacefully without anything connected to my nose to help me on breathing. I discarded the existence of the stupid and heavy oxygen tank that I always carry around everywhere. It was very soothing—and surprisingly, quite healing.

I can't even remember the feeling of existing without this plastic tube hanging from my nose and tailing behind me. I want to experience it again. I want to inhale the cold midnight wind with my bare nose. I want to remember the smell of fresh grass and flowers brought by the wind. But that seems a little impossible now, especially with my condition. The doctors said that the survival rate of my type of cancer is really low, so I am not really optimistic about it.

Suddenly, a beeping sound interrupted the silence between us. I opened my eyes and saw Nayeon looking at her phone. She looked at me with an apologetic smile before putting her phone back into her pocket.

"Sorry, I set an alarm to remind me that I should take my meds" she said before pushing herself up. "Let's go? It's getting kinda late." she added. I looked at my black wrist watch and noticed that it was indeed getting late. I should be asleep at this time, but here I am.

~

We decided to return to our respective rooms after Nayeon's alarm went off. We passed by Nayeon's room on our way back, so she was the first one to say her good bye.

"Thanks for tonight" she said with her usual sincere smile. I nodded as an answer before gripping the handle of my oxygen tank, ready to go back to my room.

As I was walking away, she called out my name.

"Jeongyeon-ah!" she shouted softly, enough for the two of us to hear. I looked back with a confused expression and I saw her smile softly. "You're interesting, let's meet again tomorrow!" she said before finally entering her room, disappearing from my sight—not even letting me answer. 

This girl...she's weird.