Dahyun was worried. Beyond worried, actually. A few days have passed, but Sana hasn’t responded to her messages or calls. This wasn’t like her. Normally, Sana would reply within a minute or two, or at least respond later while non-stop apologizing for being busy. Dahyun knew something was up. 

So, she decided to take action. Better safe than sorry, she convinced herself, and she made her way to the Sana’s apartment. The air was still cold, and snowflakes were storming around her face, painfully nipping at her skin, but she didn’t care. She had a bad feeling. 

When she saw the tall brick building in the distance, she didn’t hesitate to start speed walking. Speed walking turned into jogging. Jogging turned into hasty running. The sharp flakes of snow didn’t stop her, and the ice on the steps towards her room didn’t stop her. Dahyun never knew she could run this fast; she was surprised at herself, but she could admire her adrenaline later. 

She finally got up to her room number, and didn’t hesitate to start knocking on her door, hard. Her knuckles throbbed in pain, turning redder by the second, but she didn’t mind that. When she heard no response from Sana, she knocked even harder, and harder. Still no response. She turned the door knob, and to her surprise, it was unlocked, so she let herself in, slowly. 
 

The first thing Dahyun noticed was how her room looked vacant. The couch was neat; a blanket rested on the back of it, and the house was overall clean and orderly. However, it felt empty, like something- or someone was missing. Like nobody had been in here for days, and there was an abandoned cup of noodles on the table, along with a sheet of paper. Dahyun reluctantly sat on the couch, and reached for the lightly crumped piece of paper. She read it. 

Dear Sana-chan, 

This isn’t sudden, and I’m so sorry you had to hear this from us first. The doctors reached out to us first, and told us the news. Sakura-chan is gone. I’m so, so sorry, Sana-chan. We know how much she meant to you, and you must know how much you meant to her. This hurts all of us deeply, and we’ll always keep her in our minds, and in our hearts. I wanted you to know first, but I didn’t have time to come see you personally and come with you to see her off to the funeral home. We’ll be there soon. 

With love, Mom and Dad. 

Dahyun eyes were wide upon reading this. Sakura is gone? So suddenly, when she was having a conversation with her just a few days ago. Then she processed everything. Sana. Dahyun quickly gathered herself, and set off to the hospital, where she knows Sana must be. Dahyun just hopes- prays that they haven’t left yet, and she could catch Sana and be there to comfort her. 

Dahyun could only squint her eyes, them painfully stinging from the harsh wind, as she ran down to the hospital. She doesn’t think she’s ever ran this hard in her entire life- but she thanks her lungs anyway. 

She finally sees the hospital in the near distance, and somehow, if possible, speeds up as much as she can. She just knew that she had to be there for Sana. Getting closer, and closer. 

She bursts through the doors, running past the lady at the desk, who stared at her as she ran passed, shocked, but then smiled when she realized who she was. She was glad she was finally here; it took her long enough.  

Dahyun dashed up the stairs, and it was only when she got up the stairs, near room 208, where her legs and lungs finally gave in, and she collapsed, breathing heavily. When she caught her breath a little, she looked up, and was instantly met with soft, yet horribly sad, light hazel-brown eyes. Sana. 

--- * --- 

Sana whistled happily, as she walked into her apartment after Dahyun dropped her off. She’s been feeling lighter lately with Dahyun around. It was almost like Dahyun lifted a ton of weight off of her, and it let her feel more... free. Something she hasn’t felt in years, ever since she had to get a job to pay for her schooling and apartment. Ever since she started college, in hopes to achieve her dreams of becoming a singer. Ever since she’s been left on her own to support herself. Recently, she’s still been working her off to do all of this, but somehow it hasn’t felt as hard as before. She wasn’t breathing as heavily as before after work. Even if the struggles of her job and school haven’t been lifted, it feels as though her emotional weights were lessened, because now she has someone to hear her problems, and she has a shoulder to lean on, literally, and it felt really nice. She hasn’t had that in her life in a long, long time, since she’s always been dead set on school, and dead set on making things okay in her life, and dead set on faking her smiles to make others feel better. But she could never make herself feel better. 

She walked around her lively apartment, a smile on her face, and let herself fall back onto her bed. She couldn’t help herself but think about Dahyun. Dahyun this, Dahyun that, it was all she could think about, and she didn’t know how to stop it. Sana’s finally feeling good, and it was thanks to the black-haired girl. She wasn’t worrying as much, and she felt fine. Finally, she felt fine. 

Sana decided to chill out for the first time in a while, and scrolled on her phone, reading some updates of her favorite stories and watching dumb YouTube videos, distracting herself for a few hours. Suddenly, though, she felt her stomach rumble angrily, impatient from the lack of food since Sana hadn’t eaten yet since that afternoon.  

Sana jumped out of bed energetically, a small grin on her face, as she padded down to the kitchen to make herself some cup noodles, since she couldn’t afford much else, but even this thought couldn’t bring down her mood. She was happy that she had someone in her life, and she was happy that they were going to stick with her.  

Her mind wandered back to Dahyun, for the probably hundredth time that afternoon. She thought back to earlier that night when they were at the hospital with Sana’s grandmother. Sana wondered what they talked about, since Dahyun looked shaken up, and Sakura was just grinning. They did take a while to talk, so it must’ve been something important. Sana thought of messaging Dahyun about it, but chose not to since it was really late. Her thoughts were interrupted by the ding of the microwave, signaling her that the noodles were done, so she just shook her mind and decided to enjoy her very late dinner. 

As she was eating, though, she heard a quiet knock at her door. Who would be here this late? She thought, confusedly putting down her cup without a thought and walking to the door. Before she could turn the knob, though, a letter slid in between her feet carefully. Weird. She looked out the peep hole of her door, but nobody was there, they must’ve been fast, huh. Sana shook her head, and opted to instead pick up the letter instead of worrying about the mystery messenger's speed. 

She walked back to her couch, turning off the tv, before opening the letter carefully. One thing Sana takes pride in, is her collection of perfectly opened letters. She didn’t like wasting them. 

When she opened the letter though, her mood quickly turned sour as she recognized her father’s handwriting. What is it this time, father, she thought with a scowl replacing the smile she had stuck to her face not long ago. 

She read the letter in silence. 

Dear Sana-chan, 

This isn’t sudden, and I’m so sorry you had to hear this from us first. The doctors reached out to us first, and told us the news. Sakura-chan is gone. I’m so, so sorry, Sana-chan. We know how much she meant to you, and you must know how much she meant to you. This hurts all of us deeply, and we’ll always keep her in our minds, and in our hearts. I wanted you to know first, but I didn’t have time to come see you person- 

She couldn’t read anymore because her vision was blurry. Tears spilled all over her table, and the silent sobs echoed in her mind, along with the loud buzzing of silence. She couldn’t see well, but she got up, stumbling over anything and everything, head clear of thoughts, but one goal in mind. She roughly grabbed her jacket, throwing it over herself, not bothering to change out of her shorts. She ran out of the door, hearing it click behind her, but in her haste, she forgot to lock it. She realized this, in the back of her mind, but the thought didn’t last long enough to process with her body. She just kept moving forward, though the snow was hitting her face painfully, and her legs were freezing, she just kept trudging forward. Though her socks were wet by the snow, and her cheeks were dusted with a violent dark red, she kept trudging forward. 

To the hospital. She ran into the building, not bothered by the lady at the desk, who was looking at her, concerned; she noticed Sana’s distraught look, and faraway eyes. But she didn’t stop Sana because she knew what must’ve happened. She’s been working in here long enough to know that look. 

Sana ran up the stairs, not bothered at all by the looks of the doctors who were in their respective rooms, working overtime or just being there with their other doctor friends. She ran past them, socks slapping on the cold, tile floor. She didn’t mind that, either. She didn’t mind that her pink hair was a mess, stuck to her forehead with sweat. She didn’t mind that her clothes were haggard in her rush to leave her apartment, and she didn’t mind that she was in her shorts, when she wasn’t known to show much skin. She was just focused on making it to room 208 as fast as she could. 

When she eventually found herself in front of the door, she finally took the deep breath she needed, and attempted to calm herself, and prepare herself for what could be behind that door.  

She slowly opened the door, and rushed over to her nana, who was laying on the bed, arms crossed over her chest, dead silent. Sana sat down next to her, and pulled her hand off of her chest and into her own hands. She stared at her grandmother, and spoke, even though she knew she wasn’t listening. “Nana, I... I’m so sorry I w-wasn't here for you. I thought... I thought I could give you enough strength to go on, a-and I’m sorry it wasn’t enough. I failed you. I’m so, so sorry, I promise I’ll never leave you. You won’t leave my mind, and my heart. You’ll always be there, in my memories. I love you. I’ll always love you, and I’ll never stop, for as long as my heart can love. I... I’ll miss you, always.” 

Sana broke down, and started crying. She balled. She let it all out. She wouldn’t leave her nana’s side now, no matter what, and she stayed there for a few days, until it was time for Sakura to finally be taken to the funeral home, where she’d eventually be buried, along with her favorite flowers. Just how she wanted to.  

After a few days passed, and the day came when Sakura was going to be sent away, Sana felt hungry, since she hadn’t eaten in days. She was tired; warn out by the hunger and overwhelming sadness she felt, but she reluctantly got up from her seat and dragged her feat weakly down the hallway, until she froze when she saw the familiar mono-lid eyes, raven hair and pale skin. 

Kim Dahyun.