Chapter Seven

You genuinely believe I'd forgive you if...

Dahyun is wide awake on her bed, staring at the ceiling with her hands clasped under her head like she always did. She'd lost track of how many repetitive days had passed. Slowly, the hope she had worked so hard to create began to crumble as well. There's nothing else to this life for her anymore.

Even now, when she heard two knocks on her room's already open door, she didn't respond or even look to see who it was. She remained quiet, seemingly uninterested.

That's when Taehyung decides to intervene, heaving a sigh as he walks forward. "What are you thinking about this time?" he questioned as he drew the armchair closer to Dahyun.

"Nothing," she replied.

"That's new," Taehyung said, his face saddened.

He is aware of his younger sister's creativity. She had been that way since they were children, even though they hadn't resided together for that long. And now, seeing Dahyun in this state hurts him so badly. "I had no idea your mind ever stopped thinking the most outlandish things."

For a short moment, the other looked at him, a small smile on her face. "I know. It's weirder when I don't have anything weird to think about," she admitted. "This time, it's completely blank; when it's supposed to be a movie screen or whatever. The ceiling is just a ceiling."

Taehyung leaned back silently, unsure what to say to her at this time. "I hope you are not giving up just yet, Dahyun," he murmured, struggling to contain his tears. I can't tell you how much Taehyung's heart ached when the girl just smiled weakly at him. "I'm sure you won't," he added, gazing down. He simply refused to cry.

Dahyun needed to find another topic to discuss, so she inquired, "What did you do today?"

"I met Sana's mother," he replied, raising the other's brow in wonder. "It's terrible, but she's..."

"Dr. Minatozaki," Dahyun interrupted. "I know."

"How did you find out?"

"I saw her once," Dahyun said as she sat up straight and pushed herself back against the headboard. "She didn't see me, but if she had, I'd be in big trouble."

"From mom and dad?"

"No, it's Sana," Dahyun replied. "She isn't aware of it yet, and I don't intend to inform her."

Taehyung didn't have to say anything about it. Even if he hasn't been in that situation, he realizes how difficult it is to inform people about a personal matter such as that. "I was taken aback when I found out her mother was Dr. Minatozaki. I didn't know what to do," Dahyun stated. "When I came home, mom figured things out, and I honestly resent the universe for putting me in those sorts of situations in a single night. It was frustrating."

"I'm sure it was, Dahyun."

"And all of that prompted me to make the decision to ignore Sana. I purposefully left her messages on read, dismissed her calls, and all of that nonsense; I wanted her to despise me."

Taehyung exhaled and shook his head, somehow aggrieved, but still, those actions made sense if you look at Dahyun's perspective. He simply thought there might be a better way than what the other had considered.

"But then I knew it was all my fault," Dahyun remarked quietly. She grabbed a cushion and placed it on her lap to lay her chin on. "It's my fault that I introduced myself to her as the person I used to be, not this weak and sick, and horrible me," she chuckled as if nothing unacceptable got spoken.

"Dahyun," Taehyung cautioned, as he dislikes hearing it.

"She shouldn't have met me," murmured the pale girl. "I wish I hadn't met her either because it's tougher than anyone could've imagined. Telling her isn't the hardest part; it's dying and having to leave soon."

"Stop. You're not going to die."

Dahyun is purposefully avoiding anything Taehyung says. She needed to express everything, and no one, not even her brother, could stop her. "I'm thinking if Sana will ever come to the point where she confessed to me if I told her from the start that I was sick," she pondered aloud. "I'm guessing not. She'd be disgusted."

"You don't get to say such a thing. She doesn't appear to be the type to do something like that."

"Come to your senses, brother," Dahyun said as she looked through Taehyung's eyes. "Would you ever love someone who is certain to leave? Is anyone ever that stupid to take a chance on a love that isn't intended to last? If given the choice between a love that lasts and a love that would never work, the latter would never be considered."

"I don't know Dahyun; you know her better than I do," Taehyung replied as he rose to his feet. "All I can argue is that if you say it's love and don't act stupid in it, you should start questioning yourself," he smiled, reaching out to pat the top of his younger sister's head. "The day you decide to tell her the truth, and she chooses to stay, you'll have living proof. Living proof that there are people who are stupid enough to take a chance on a love that isn't intended to last, but wise enough to recognize what is worth risking for."

Dahyun opened her eyes, irritated. She'd been trying to sleep for hours, but she couldn't. She'd tried them all: blanket on and off, covering only the lower half, or one foot out. Everything does not appear to be working. 

She tried her best to ignore what his brother had told her, but it always came back to her mind minutes after she had dismissed it. And so, Dahyun, groaning in frustration, was forced to sit up and search the room for her phone. She threw it after being defeated in a game, and she hasn't used it since. 

There were numerous message notifications from friends, aunts and uncles, and unknown numbers, but she was too lazy to read any of them.

"Why is it that everyone has so much to say?" " She said to herself, despite the fact that she knows everyone is just worried. "What's the point of looking for it again?" She had forgotten what she needed to do the moment she held the device. 

Dahyun later found herself lying flat on her front while on the bed, scrolling down to a social media app. "Sana..." she mumbled after seeing the girl's account in the page's ‘suggested friends’ section. "Right," she said before returning to her messages inbox to look for Sana's phone number. "Ah, I see. I ignored her far too long for her to break down like that."

Unaware of it, Dahyun typed out a message that said, "I am sorry," but realizing it made her sigh. "There's no turning back if I do this." That's the bitter truth. "I'll have to go wherever this leads us and leave you to deal with the consequences all alone when I'm gone," she said, her heart pounding harder than usual. "Am I really going to let you go through that?" 

And the answer is an unequivocal no. Of course, Dahyun knows herself better than anyone else, and she is not selfish. Suffering alone is a more tolerable option for her than having other people suffer as a result of her alleged pain. 

"I hope you understand how much I want to send you this message, Sana," she said quietly before erasing it. 

But before she could completely clear everything, the phone slipped from her grip, leading her to send Sana nothing but the word "I," which made her nervous. She gulped, gobsmacked, and not even thinking of an explanation she might give if Sana decided to respond.

"," she whispered in silence.

Dahyun: I

Sana: I…

Sana: What?

Sana: Am sorry?

Sana: Miss you?

Sana: Love you?

Sana: I'm usually good at filling in the blanks, but this one is somewhat more difficult. I'm not sure what that means.

Sana: If I had known you were going to send me anything like this, I would not have studied architecture.

Sana: Although, I'm not sure if a psychic education is available elsewhere other than a witchcraft academy. Which I have no idea where it will be.

Dahyun couldn't help but laugh as she read all of Sana's pettiness. She couldn't discern if the girl was irritated by the mistakenly delivered message. "Well, it appears that the world wants me to do something about you," she sighed, having no option but to dial Sana's phone number and speak to the girl properly.

It just took roughly two rings for the phone to be picked up. And there's no reason for Dahyun to forget what to say, but the instant she heard Sana's breath from the other side, her tongue went twisted.

"Hi?" Sana spoke first, prompting the pale girl to return to reality.

"Hello," she said. But hearing nothing from Sana after that prompted her to greet once again. "Hello? Are you there?"

I wish she had known how the other is genuinely pressing her lips together only to refrain from smiling when she hears Dahyun's voice. Eventually, after calming down, Sana said, "So, what is the correct answer?"

"To what?"

"I? I, what? I am sorry, I miss you, I love you... none of those are correct?" Sana wondered out loud.

Dahyun smiled dearly, fully cognizant Sana wouldn't let go of it till she responded. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely, her voice softening as her head bowed. "And I miss you," she says almost quietly.

But when she heard Sana's chuckle, she raised her head and smiled. Dahyun sure knows how to make the other smile. "No... love you?" Sana jokingly asked.

"We'll get there."

"Ah, Kim Dahyun," Sana grumbled from the other end of the telephone. "You genuinely believe I'd forgive you if you cheered me up like this?"

Dahyun wasn't looking forward to Sana acknowledging her apology, but the thought of it was truly heartwarming. "In what way would you forgive me then?"

"I'm not sure, Dahyun. You tell me."

The pale girl hummed as she considered what she could do to make amends with Sana. Perhaps it is true that love causes you to do stupid things. "Can I come over to your house?" she asked.

"In the morning? Sure," Sana said, not completely comprehending what Dahyun had meant.

"Tonight."

"W-what?"

"Tonight, like right now."

"Dahyun, you do realize it's three in the morning, right?"

Dahyun smiled and bobbed her head as if the other could see what she was doing. "And you do realize that not even the time can keep me from meeting you when I want to, right?" she added, intending to make Sana blush. "I'll see you shortly."

Dahyun exited her room after putting on a sweater, checkered trousers, and socks. She wanted to leave properly this time rather than slipping out through the window. It simply doesn't matter to her who sees her anymore.

Then down the stairs, she discovered that Taehyung and her mother are still awake, talking about something that Dahyun had no knowledge about. She's uninterested in the first place.

"Why are you still awake?" her mother inquired while Taehyung just glanced at her younger sister with concern. He expected the girl to ask them to do anything for her, but she simply strolled by without saying anything. "Dahyun, where are you going?" the older woman questioned, spotting her daughter walking towards the door.

"I'm going outside. I'll be back when the sun is up."

"What? Are you insane?" her mother said, following Dahyun, who was searching for her white sneakers. "Who told you that you could leave?" she asked.

"Why can't I?" Dahyun asked back, turning to face the woman once she had successfully put on the shoes. "I don't understand why you should restrict me from doing what I want."

"You're not feeling well, Dahyun."

When Taehyung heard that, he rose up and found himself in the same place as the two. "Just let her do it, mom," he intervened, folding his arms.

"And that is why your sister never listens to me; you keep taking her side even though you know it is wrong and maybe detrimental to her health."

"I'm perfectly fine."

"You are not," her mother said firmly. "I'm not doing this because I don't want you to do whatever; I'm doing this because I care about you and I can't let anything happen to you. Please try to understand."

Dahyun tensed her jaw and shook her head in utter disbelief. "You care for me? This isn't how you care for someone! Mom, this is merely trying to control a life that isn't yours," she exclaimed, causing the lady to lose focus. "Why can't you let this life belong to me when I only have a few months to live?"

It broke not only her mother's heart but also Taehyung's, who remained silent in the corner. That's never easy for him to accept, but that is the reality he can certainly not change.

∙ ∙ ∙

Dahyun: Meet me at the corner of the street?

Sana: I’m on my way.

"Hi," Sana said timidly as she headed down the street towards Dahyun. She was wearing the hood over her head and had her hands within the pockets of her jacket.

"Hi, Sana," Dahyun said as she moved closer, till they met midway. She was sure to take Sana's arm, but the girl backed away. "Why?" she asked.

"Am I now allowed to touch you?"

Dahyun rolled her eyes as she realized the girl was making fun of her. "You know I didn't mean to say it," she murmured, her lips pursed.

"But it seriously pained me when you said so," Sana whined, making Dahyun feel terrible. "I wanted to cry!" she said, brushing up against the pale one's shoulder.

Dahyun couldn't argue with her any longer, so she continued to pull Sana closer by grabbing the girl's wrist over her shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said quietly before wrapping her arms around Sana's waist. "I'm not going to do it again," she said, gently resting her chin on the other's shoulder.

"You promise?" Sana urged, only to be met with a hum. "I want you to tell me you're going to keep your word."

"I promise, Sana," Dahyun responded assuredly, strengthening her hold. "You have the right to resent me for the rest of your life if I do that again."

"You should realize how difficult it is to hate you."

"That's not my fault," the younger stated smugly, and Sana knew it even if she couldn't see the look on Dahyun's face. And just right then, they pulled out of the embrace.

"Why are you still outside, Sana?"

Sana, Dahyun, and Dr. Minatozaki, who had just returned from the convenience store, came to a standstill when they saw each other. Dahyun's expression was filled with dismay as she gazed down. Everything just keeps falling apart, and she's at a loss for what to do.

"Dahyun?" Dr. Minatozaki questioned; her face concerned. She is unable to fully comprehend this idea. "How... Why are you..." Her words simply kept faltering.

Sana's brow furrowed; she received the impression that something more was going on based on her mother's demeanor. "Why are you so surprised, mom?" she asked, prompting Dahyun to stare at her apologetically, which she had no idea why.

Dr. Minatozaki was ready to respond when her gaze was drawn to Dahyun's sudden reach for Sana's hand. The elder woman could tell the girl was afraid from the way her grip tightened onto Sana. "Of course, I'd be surprised; it's after three o'clock and you ladies are still out here," she reasoned.

When Dahyun's expression softened, her heart almost melted. The girl's eyes seemed to express her gratitude that the secret was kept.

"Besides, she hardly ever leaves their house; I'm genuinely surprised she's here," she smiled pleasantly at Dahyun, hoping to reassure her that there was nothing to worry about. "You two should go inside instead; staying out this late isn't good for you."

Dahyun played with Ahri for a few minutes before he fell asleep. He was moving so quickly as he was so eager to see the girl again. 

While combing through the puppy's hair with their fingers, their hands unintentionally brushed against each other. At the same time, they adjusted their gazes, their eyes meeting.

"This feels exactly like a movie," Sana chuckled, making the other laugh as well. Then she realized they needed to break eye contact before it became awkward. That's what Sana assumed.

Because the minute she averted her attention, she felt Dahyun's cold touch above her hand.

It took her a moment to react, and when she moved her head to look at the other, she was greeted by another hand on one side of her face. "What—" Sana was cut off when Dahyun drew her closer and leaned in for a kiss.

It was only a peck, but the Dahyun didn't shy away, keeping their distance from one other's faces as short as possible. Sana was certainly caught off guard, but she didn't dare complain.

"I'll do it again," Dahyun informed her, making Sana giggle. She raised both hands to hold the sides of the other's face. She initiated a more passionate kiss right then and there.

It was around four o'clock when the two decided to snuggle and try to sleep. Dahyun rested her head on Sana's chest, holding the latter from the side while the girl played with her hair. Sana kissed the top of the Dahyun's head from time to time, eager to let the other know of her affection.

Dahyun was so at ease in her position that she eventually felt sleepy. But before that, she was able to say, "This must be how it feels to be in love," which elicited a sincere smile from Sana.

"Good night, Dahyun."