Sana then puts the flowers in the cup, making sure they don't fall out, and makes her way back up the stairs to room 208, quietly walking in the silent room. Sana smiles at the flowers she's brought before, multiple vases scattering on the tables, all full of beautiful, lively flowers. This time, she brought 5- a pink carnation, a rosemary, a daisy, a dark, crimson rose, and a salvia. To Sana, flowers meant everything. They symbolize so many beautiful, meaningful messages, and to her, that’s what life was about. It’s about spreading those messages, and living to make people’s days brighter, even when hers were the darkest.  

Her thoughts were interrupted by a low cough, and Sana frowned and went to her grandma’s side, showing her the flowers. “Hey, nana, look what I got for you this time,” she pulled a light smile. “They’re flowers I picked for you, only the best for you, nana,” Sana giggled, sitting next to her. 

Her grandma could only barely open her eyes, weakly smiling at the flowers, then at her granddaughter. “They’re beautiful, like you, dear,” her voice came out hoarse, but soft at the same time, her eyes had stars in them, but at the same time, they were dull with age. 

Sana couldn’t help but get teary-eyed, as she stared at her grandma, then back at some of the flowers in the room that had been left there for months. Wilting. She thought. Then she looked at her grandma- wilting, just like the flowers. A tear ran down her cheek, as her grandmother closed her eyes, falling back into a calm sleep. 
 
 Sana moved closer and held her hand, saying, “It’ll be okay, you just need some water and sun, and you’ll be all good! Just hang in there, nana, you’ll be okay, you have to be okay,” her voice cracked at the end, and she looked away. Her grandmother had been in the hospital for months now, after she had a heart attack, and she’s in serious condition. Sana had been there since day one, always making sure to bring her new, fresh, beautiful flowers every week. Sana made sure to always be bright for her grandmother- whether that was to give her grandma hope, or Sana herself hope, she doesn’t know.  

Sana sighs and slumps into the chair, closing her eyes and enjoying the bitter, yet sweet scent of the flowers surrounding her. Sweet, but bitter. Bitter, because she knows that one day, they’ll be gone. Sweet, because they’re still here, at this moment, providing comfort and serenity to the sad girl and the sick grandma. She just hopes that her end will be sweet, and not bitter, but she knows deep down that’s a lot to ask for. 

--- * ---

Kim Dahyun is back in room 203, enjoying gummy snacks with her best friend, Chaeyoung, watching some Adventure Time, of course. Dahyun broke the silence between them, asking, “So... where am I supposed to go when I’m tired, and wanna sleep?” 

“Oh, right, I think they allow people to sleep in one of the waiting rooms, but they don’t have beds, sadly. You’ll have to sleep in a chair, your boneless neck will be sore, poor you,” Chaeyoung laughed. 

Dahyun just glared at her, but then laughed afterwards when her face turned terrified. She relaxed and said, “Kidding, kidding... but anyway, you can borrow one of my pillows if you want,” Chaeyoung sheepishly grinned, handing Dahyun a small, stiff pillow.  

“Thanks... means a lot...” Dahyun grumbled, grabbing the pillow and harshly biting into her gummy bear. 

Time passes by fast, and eventually Dahyun looked over to her right and noticed Chaeyoung fast asleep, the window showing how dark it was outside, the stars shining, and the moon beautifully popping out from the few clouds. Dahyun looks back at Chaeyoung, and notices how heavy her own eyelids are. She decides it’d be best if she’d go to that waiting room Chae mentioned, so she, as silently as she could, got up and tiptoed out of the room, walking silently down the hall until she found the said room. 

Dahyun walked into the room, expecting it to be empty seeing as it’s really late and dark, however she notices there’s one person, silently gazing outside the big glass windows at the starry night. Dahyun sat beside her, looking at her eyes, which suddenly looked like they held the whole universe, which to be fair, they kind of did.  

The girl suddenly spoke, startling Dahyun as she quietly gasped, but she didn’t look at Dahyun. She just said, “The moon is beautiful tonight, isn’t it, Dahyun-ssi?” 

After a few seconds of silence, Dahyun finally recovered, hand on her beating heart, and said, “Yeah, it is, gosh you scared me,” she nervously chuckled. 

Sana  smiled a small smile, looking at Dahyun, and said “Sorry, It’s just, really beautiful tonight. It gives me hope.” 

“Hope for what?” Dahyun couldn’t help but wonder, asking outloud her thoughts. 

“Hope that things will be okay. Maybe, just maybe, there’s a star out there that can grant all my wishes. If I just stare long enough, maybe I'll find the answers to my problems. Maybe the stars will stare at me back, and answer me,” Sana said, looking back at the stars, brown-hazel eyes glistening with child-like wonder. Dahyun could just stare at Sana in awe at what she said. So poetic; beautiful. 

Dahyun then looked at the stars, and there was a comfortable silence that was in the dark, calm room. Dahyun broke the silence. “I like to stargaze sometimes. I’m sure the stars stare back at so many people and listen to so many problems. It makes me feel special, the fact that they take the time to stare back at me. They calm me down, and let me know that sometimes, my problems maybe aren’t so bad, and maybe I can overcome them.” 

Sana looked at her, and stared, with a soft smile on her lips. “We’re the same, aren’t we?” She eventually said softly.  

“No, we’re entirely different, with our own different problems, but I think we’re the same in wanting to have them fixed. It’s funny, how I’m spilling my guts to you, a stranger, Sana-ssi, really strange,” Dahyun laughed lightly. Sana smiled. 

“Call me Sana unnie, we don’t have to be strangers, I want to help you fix your problems, Dahyun-ah, if you let me,” Sana smiled brightly, eyes turning into crescents.  

Dahyun couldn’t help but smile, “Okay, unnie. Help me then, and I’ll help you,” Dahyun then tilted her head back onto her pillow and closed her eyes for a few minutes but couldn’t help but glance at the girl next to her.  

Sana was trying to sleep, too, but didn’t have a pillow. She was awkwardly tilting her head to the left, and right, so Dahyun did the unthinkable, at least to her. 

She let Sana, the friend she just made, sleep on her shoulder.