Feeling empty.

Something that she’s trying to get used to since god knows when. Sipping her own cup of tea with a laptop screen as the only source of light inside the pitched dark bedroom, she sighs as her eyes look at the scenery of bustling city light by the window.

Deciding to end her work early, she shut down the gadget before putting them away on her nightstand along with an emptied tea cup. Immediately tucked under the soft blanket on her bed as she stared into the ceiling before deciding to close her eyes and perhaps try to get her deserved sleep.

Only to have her own muffled wail echoed around the four walls throughout the night. Breaking the deafening silence inside the used to a lively apartment and silencing the noises in her head for the nth time today.

---

“Good afternoon, Ms. Son! The usual?” A waitress came up to her table with a small notepad in her hand.

“Yes and please make it fast.” She flashed a small smile at the waitress before she turned her gaze to her phone.

As her eyes looked at her phone, her fingers tapped against the polished wooden table with each second passing by.

5..4..3..

“Yah! Son Seungwan! Stop flirting with my staff!” 

Her lips curved into a playful grin as a brunette walked towards her table with a visible pout on her face.

“You’re 2 seconds faster this time, Joohyun unnie.”

“You’re not with Seulgi?” Joohyun asked with one of her eyebrows lifted in curiosity.

Cute.

“I just arrived here and you asked about Seulgi instead? Ouch, It hurts.” Seungwan faked a pained expression with her hands against her own chest.

“Dork. Well, you both worked at the same hospital so why can’t I ask about it?”

“She’s on a night shift today.” 

“Ah, right. Enjoy your meal then?” Joohyun shifted on her seat because of the solemn tone of Seungwan with her answer as Seungwan’s order was served on the table.

Noticing the older of the two shifted uncomfortably, her lips break out into another smile with her hand holding the brunette’s.

“Stay as I eat, please?” Joohyun can only nod as she looks at the cute squirrel-like human munching on her food beside her.

It didn't take long for Seungwan to finish her food with an obvious tension engulfing the two. Stealing glances and blatant staring at each other or just being in their own bubble with their cheeks covered in blush throughout Seungwan’s visit at Joohyun’s restaurant is such a regular sight for Joohyun’s staff. Until Seungwan’s phone vibrates with ‘Sooyoung’ flashed on the screen. The owner slightly looked at the oldest before picking up the call. 

Along with words of ‘I’ll be there soon’ and a couple of gasps coming out from the short-haired blonde, Joohyun knows how busy Seungwan’s life is in the medical field, since Seulgi does have a packed schedule too.

“You know what that call means right, unnie?” 

“Duty calls, Dr. Son.” Joohyun teased the latter as she accompanied the shorter blonde outside of her restaurant.

“Oh my god. I might fall for my patient if they’re this beautiful.” 

“Stop being such a greasy weirdo and off you go, Son Seungwan!” Joohyun pouted and playfully pushed the blonde out.

Seungwan drove her white SUV back to the hospital as she let out a small chuckle when her eyes caught the brunette keep waving her hand until her car was out of sight.

Why should I fall for my patient when I already fall for you, unnie.

---

“Unnie, how’s Joohyun unnie today?” 

“Doing pretty well and pretty as usual, Yerim-ah.” 

“God. I wonder how Seulgi unnie stands talking to a greasy squirrel like you, unnie.”

Yerim is Seulgi’s sister who currently hangs out at the park with Seungwan along with her girlfriend slash Seungwan’s intern at the hospital, Park Sooyoung. It’s a busy day at the hospital and rather spending the night alone at her apartment she prefers spoiling her juniors instead. All five of them attended the same school back in the day. 

Seungwan zoned out as if she’s walking alone at the park, reminiscing the memories that she swears she won’t forget. Meeting Joohyun for the first time at the student council party at their school backyard, surrounded by trees and just mesmerized by her senior’s beauty under the tree. Introducing Joohyun to her own best friend, Seulgi. Separated because Joohyun graduates first and the duo become a senior, there goes meeting Sooyoung and Yerim as their juniors.

They’ve been together as five for so long until work separates them eventually except for Seungwan, Seulgi and Sooyoung. Joohyun is pretty much busy handling her own restaurant and the youngest of them all is a model.

“Reminiscing about the good old times, grandma?” Sooyoung senior.

“Wan unnie stop smiling like that. It creeps me out. Your lips twitched like crazy too.” The youngest blurted out and the tall intern snorted at the claim.

“Shut up you lovebirds. Go bother someone else.”

“Tsk. A tiny tsundere.” Sooyoung laughed and hugged her favorite unnie by her shoulder. Only to have her brows lifted as soon as Seungwan brushed her off. 

Seungwan makes it up by ruffling the tall intern’s hair, messing it up, hoping it will distract the younger one from her sudden behaviour.

“Become a specialist first before you can talk about my height, Sooyoung.”

That was close.

---

The sky grumbled as the clouds poured out the rain, loud thunders coming along in a span of minutes after the rain started. Hooded figure ran through the corridors to reach a certain door. Immediately unlocked the door open with the numbers that she knew by heart.

021094

She locked the door again before going inside the bedroom. Finding the love of her life curled up on the bed with her hands covering her ears, eyes shutted with her whole body shaking like a leaf. Reaching for the terrified figure slowly and it didn’t take long for the woman to open her eyes and tackle the hooded figure into a tight hug.

“Seulgi.. The thunder is so loud. I’m scared.”

“Unnie.. It’s okay. I’m here.” Joohyun pulled the figure to her bed and latched onto her like a koala.

“You’re always here with me no matter how busy you are, Seul.” 

“I’m always here for you, unnie. I made a promise that I’d take care of you no matter what happened.” 

The comfortable hug made the sound of loud thunders less scary than when she’s alone. Joohyun finally fell asleep right after mumbling her days running the restaurant and talked about Seungwan being so greasy again meanwhile the other woman seemed lost in her own thoughts, recalling the moment when she made the promise to her best friend.

>>> Flashback <<<

“So… You’re telling me that... You like Joohyun unnie before I came into the picture? She’s the crush that you kept telling me about when we’re in high school?” A slightly taller figure almost yelled at the other girl.

“Yeah. I’m sorry.”

“I can’t believe this. I.. feel like.. a jerk of a best friend.” The slightly smaller figure shakes her head as soon as she holds the taller one by her shoulder.

“No. You’re not. It’s okay. Joohyun unnie at the end of the day will always choose you.”

“But-”

“No buts. Just promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Take care of Joohyun unnie, please? Always be there when she needs you.”

“I will.”

“Good. Then I can move on peacefully.”

>>> Flashback ends <<<

Move on peacefully, huh. Easier said than done isn’t it, Seungwan?

---

Yerim and Sooyoung decided to have their date on Joohyun’s restaurant in this rainy day. Beside her own older sister and Seungwan, Yerim also has her other favorite unnie, Joohyun. Sooyoung perhaps is too busy admiring her girlfriend’s face and got startled by the loud sound of a plate against the table. 

“OH MY GOD WHO T-”

“Curse inside my restaurant and I’ll kick you out, Park Sooyoung.” Joohyun said with her hands on her hips.

A small giggle escaped Yerim’s lips as she pinched her pouty girlfriend. Joohyun can only shake her head at the sight and take a seat in front of the couple.

“How are you doing these days, unnie?” The youngest of the three, Yerim asked.

“Pretty great and totally in a good mood today.”

“Oh? Why is that?” 

“I got to spend a night with Seulgi last night. Leaving me a set of breakfast with a small note before she left.” Joohyun chirped happily meanwhile the couple slightly widened their eyes in surprise.

“A.. Ah.. Really?” Yerim awkwardly tapped her fingers against the table as she stole glances at her girlfriend.

“Why are you so awkward about it? She's still your sister, Yerim-ah.”

“But unnie haven’t we talked about this alr--” Yerim’s words cutted off by a small squeeze of her hand by Sooyoung.

“You know how Yerim is still so awkward about the relationship between you and Seul unnie..” Sooyoung smiled at the brunette sitting across from them.

“Ah you’re right.” Joohyun laughed it off and the conversation diverted to Yerim’s modeling job this week.

At the same time..

Things scattered around the living room of a medium sized apartment, traces of water dripping down from soaked hoodie trailed from the main room to the center of the living room. All scattered except for one photo frame, three young girls with a school uniform smiling bright at the camera. The hooded figure reached out for the frame, gripping on it tight as her thumb traced on the fading scribble of bunny, squirrel and bear on the picture. Her hands held the frame tight as she lifted it up high, intended to just slam it down against the floor. 

Few moments ago she just ran for her life to another familiar apartment unit as soon as the rain started pouring along with the thunder striking here and there. Finding out the apartment is empty, she ran to the restaurant where she spent most of her lunch there and smiled at the sight of her three favorite girls inside the restaurant. It feels empty again. Perhaps drenched in the rain would make her feel something other than the emptiness she felt. Only to have her head flashing through the memories she just wanted to delete inside her brain.

Accompanied by loud ambulance sirens, Seungwan passed through the emergency ward to attend the patient along with her seniors. Series of commands and assessment by the interns filled the emergency ward as soon as patients wheeled inside.

One male, minor injuries and under the influence. Two young females, one passed out from the shock with minor injuries and another one in a critical condition. Being the outstanding resident in the department, she’s given the task to follow her senior taking care of the critical patient who just got wheeled in.

For the first time, the outstanding resident was frustrated at her own skill. Refusing to give up as the monitor showed how the heartbeat slowed down, eyes focused on the smiling monolid girl under her care.

“Wan… It’s.. enough.”

“No. Better shut that mouth and keep the energy to survive, idiot.” The struggling resident helped her senior around the bed still trying to lift the vital signs of the injured.

“Wan… please..” 

“Seulgi. I swear to god don’t you dare die on me. Don’t you dare.” Both Seulgi and Seungwan have tears down their cheeks.

“Promise me… You’d take care of Joohyun unnie, Wan-ah..”

“She will see another day with you. You will see another day with us. So stop saying that nonsense!” 

“And…..give Joohyun unnie your love too, Wan-ah..”

“Seulgi what the hell are you saying!”

“I might be dumb at my pharmacology class. But I’m not dumb when you see Joohyun unnie with heart eyes everytime we hang out.” 

“Seul-”

“Please…” The monitor beeped louder, perhaps deafening for Seungwan each passing seconds.

“I will.. I will take care of her.. No matter what happened. I promise.” Seungwan holds her dear friend’s hand, looking at each other with a smile on their lips yet tears in their eyes. Seungwan won’t let her best friend's last moment in this world without a smile.

“Thank you, Seungwan-ah.” 

Soon, a long continuous beep from the ECG machine struck her ears before Seungwan stood up straight with tear-stained cheeks.

“Kang Seulgi. Time of death, 01:08 AM, March 29th, 2020.” 

Another pained scream echoed throughout the room as the figure slumped down the floor with the picture held safely in her arms. Mayhaps that’s the only thing in this room that can make her stand on her feet, clutching the said picture in a hope to take her back when they’re in high school. When Joohyun unnie is still her senior in student council and Seulgi is still with them, as her best friend and her roommate in this apartment.

It should’ve been me on that death bed instead of being your shadow like this, Seulgi-ah.

--- continued on the next chapt. ---

How is it so far, readers? Did you figured out who's the one hugging Joohyun inside her apartment? Or perhaps did you all notice something strange that perhaps Sooyoung is about to find out about Seungwan?

I hope you like it.

Until next time!