Mina stood outside the entrance of her new college, her heart beating rapidly, but not from excitement. She had moved to this small town alone, leaving her family and friends behind in her hometown. No one knew why she had suddenly decided to attend college here, but she knew it was her last chance to make the most of her remaining time.

Mina had been diagnosed with a heart illness that left her with mere months to live. She hadn't told anyone, not even her family and closest friends, afraid of the worry and sadness it would cause them. As she walked through the college gates, she felt the weight of her secret bear down on her even more.

The campus was bustling with students, and Mina felt like an outsider, a stranger in a sea of unfamiliar faces. She kept to herself, not wanting to make friends or connections. She knew she had nothing to gain, nothing to look forward to. Her days were numbered, and that was all she could think about.

As she walked towards her first class, she noticed a group of guys loitering near the entrance. She had heard about them before, known as the college bullies, but she tried to ignore them and walk by. One of the guys stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

"Hey there, new girl," he sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You look lost. Need some help finding your class?"

Mina tried to push past him, but he grabbed her arm, pulling her back. She could feel her heart racing, fear and anger building inside her.

"Let me go," she hissed, struggling to free herself from his grip.

The other guys in the group started laughing, taunting her and egging on their friend. Mina felt a surge of adrenaline, and she lashed out, hitting the guy in the face with her book.

But her triumph was short-lived. The other guys joined in, surrounding her and pummeling her with punches and kicks. Mina tried to fight back, but she was outnumbered and overpowered. She felt a searing pain in her side as one of the guys kicked her in the ribs, and then everything went black.

When Mina came to herself, she was lying on the ground, bruised and battered. She dragged herself to her feet, dazed and disoriented. She knew she couldn't go to class like this, with bruises and cuts covering her face and body. She stumbled back to her student room, clutching her side with one arm.

A look into the mirror told her she got away with a split lip and a swollen cheek. Most of the damage done was covered by her uniform which consisted in a white blouse – now stained with droplets of her own blood – with a black tie and matching pants. She disinfected her throbbing lip and put ice on her ribs.

The rest of the day was a blur. She couldn't concentrate on anything, couldn't focus on her studies. All she could think about was what had happened to her, and the bullies who had done it. She wanted to fight back, to stand up for herself, but she knew it wouldn’t change anything. Within the next hour Mina cleaned her uniform, got ready and walked to her bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

 

The day after Mina woke up early on the second day of college still feeling the after-effects of the beating she had received from the bullies the day before. She spent extra time in the bathroom, carefully applying makeup to hide the bruises and swelling. She was determined not to let the bullies win, not to let them see that they had broken her.

When she arrived in class, the teacher introduced her to the class, "Class, please welcome Mina. She wasn't able to attend yesterday's class but is here with us now."

Mina felt the eyes of her classmates on her, and she could sense a few boys staring at her intently. She recognized them as the bullies from yesterday, and their smirks made her feel even more uneasy. She did her best to ignore them, hoping that they wouldn't cause any trouble.

As she took her seat, Chaeyoung, a friendly and outgoing girl, tried to strike up a conversation with her. She leaned over and said, "Hey there, I'm Chaeyoung. Nice to meet you. How was your first day?" But as soon as Mina turned towards her, Chaeyoung noticed her purple bruise and torn lip. She could tell that something was wrong, but didn't want to pry.

Mina didn't respond, keeping her eyes focused on her notebook. Chaeyoung tried again, "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, I just thought I could help you if you need any."

Mina finally looked up, giving her a cold stare before turning her attention back to her notebook. Chaeyoung was taken aback by her cold behavior, but refused to give up on trying to make a connection with her.

Mina kept her gaze down, avoiding eye contact with anyone in the room. She knew that she was being cold and distant, but she couldn't bring herself to trust anyone. She didn't want to risk letting anyone in, not when she had so little time left.

During the class, Mina struggled to focus. Her mind kept drifting to the bullies, to the pain in her body, to the uncertainty of her future. When the class was finally over, Mina packed up her things and made a beeline for the door, ignoring the curious glances of her classmates.

Throughout the class, Chaeyoung tried to make conversation with Mina, but all she got in return was silence. After the class was over, Mina packed her things quickly, and left the room without a word.

Chaeyoung watched her go, feeling a mix of frustration and sympathy. She knew that Mina was going through something difficult, but she couldn't help feeling irritated by her cold behavior. She made a mental note to keep trying to reach out to her, to show her that there were people who cared.

As Mina walked out of the classroom, she knew that the road ahead would be a difficult one. But she was determined to make the most of the time she had left, to live every day to the fullest, and to not let the bullies or her illness define her.

 

Days turned into weeks, and Mina's routine remained the same. Attend classes, study alone, eat alone, and then return to her small apartment. Her only companion was her heart medication, which she took religiously.

As the weeks went on, Chaeyoung began to notice that there was something different about Mina. She seemed sad and lost, as if she was carrying a great burden on her shoulders. Chaeyoung didn't know what it was, but she could sense that something was wrong. Hence, she tried to reach out to Mina several more times, but each time, she was met with silence. Mina became known as the cold, distant girl in class, and Chaeyoung couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her.

Mina knew that she was being unfair to Chaeyoung and the rest of her classmates, but she couldn't bring herself to let them in. She didn't want them to know about her condition, to pity her or treat her differently. She wanted to be seen as a normal college student, not as the girl with a death sentence hanging over her head.

As the semester went on, Mina found herself struggling more and more, both physically and emotionally. She tried to keep up with her studies, but her heart condition made it difficult to focus. She was more alone than ever before, and she wondered if she had made a mistake by coming to college in the first place.

Mina was walking back to her dorm after class, her head down and her mind lost in thought, when she felt a sudden impact on her back. She stumbled forward, her heart racing in her chest as she recognized the ringleader from the group of boys who had attacked her the day before.

"You thought you could get away, huh?" he sneered, shoving her to the ground.

Mina tried to get up, but the boys closed in on her, kicking away her bag and the bottle of pills that she had been carrying. She scrambled to reach them, desperate to take her medication before it was too late, but the boys were too quick. They kicked the bottle out of her hand and laughed as she crumpled to the ground.

That's when Chaeyoung appeared. She had been walking by and had seen the commotion. Without hesitation, she ran towards Mina and helped her up, shielding her from the bullies.

"Mina, are you okay?" Chaeyoung asked, her voice filled with concern.

Mina tried to push her away, not wanting to involve anyone else in her problems. But Chaeyoung was persistent, picking up the bottle of pills and trying to read what it said.

"What is this?" Chaeyoung asked, holding up the bottle.

Mina snatched it from her, her face flushed with embarrassment. She knew that she couldn't keep hiding her illness from everyone, but she didn't want to reveal it to someone she barely knew.

"It's nothing," Mina muttered, trying to walk away. "Just forget it."

But Chaeyoung refused to let her go. She saw the pain in Mina's eyes and knew that she needed someone to talk to, someone to confide in. She took Mina's arm, leading her away from the bullies and towards the safety of her dorm.

"You don't have to go through this alone," Chaeyoung said, her voice gentle. "Let me help you."

Mina hesitated for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew that she couldn't do it alone, that she needed someone to support her through the tough days ahead. But she also knew that she couldn’t allow herself to grow attached to anyone. It would only end in suffering for both parties involved.

“Thank you for helping me just now, but you shouldn’t get in trouble because of me, so stay away.” Without waiting for a response Mina took off to her apartment. Little did she know that Chaeyoung silently followed her all the way there.

Mina was sitting alone in her dorm room, her thoughts still consumed with the events of the past few days. She had never felt so alone and vulnerable, and the last thing she wanted was to put someone else in danger.

When Chaeyoung knocked on her door, Mina's first instinct was to ignore her. But as the knocks grew louder and more insistent, Mina finally relented and opened the door.

"What do you want?" Mina asked, her voice flat and uninviting, trying to hide her surprise.

"I just wanted to check on you," Chaeyoung said, her voice filled with genuine concern.

Mina looked away, not wanting to meet Chaeyoung's gaze. "You shouldn't be here," she said. "You shouldn't be associating with me."

"Why not?" Chaeyoung asked, stepping closer. "What's going on?"

Mina took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to say. "I don't want you to get in trouble because of me," she said. "After what happened with the bullies, I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

Chaeyoung's face softened with understanding. "Mina, I'm not afraid of getting in trouble," she said. "I want to help you, no matter what it takes."

Mina stood in the middle of her dorm room, her arms wrapped tightly around her chest. Chaeyoung had just admitted that she wanted to help Mina no matter what it takes, and Mina didn't know how to respond.

"Chaeyoung, you don't have to do this," Mina said, trying to play it off. "I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine on my own."

Chaeyoung shook her head, her eyes filled with determination. "I'm not going to let you go through this alone, Mina," she said. "I know you're scared, but you don't have to be. I'm here for you now and I’ll be here for you in the future." With a huge smile she added, “You can count on me.”

Mina felt a lump form in as she looked at Chaeyoung, her heart overflowing with gratitude. She had never expected anyone to care about her like this, especially not someone she had just met. And right now, she was making it really hard for Mina to not break down right then and there. Instead, she allowed her a small smile, one that was barely noticeable and yet Chaeyoung found her heart pound in her chest.

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind from now on.” Mina replied assuring to get Chaeyoung to leave her room. Chaeyoung was quick to notice this and bid her goodbyes. After the door closed shut, Mina dropped against the door, hugging her knees and letting the tears get the better of her. She didn’t move for a very long time, letting the tears fall unhindered until there were no tears left.

 

A few days later their professor announced a partner project that would make up most of their grade. Mina and Chaeyoung were both surprised when they learned that they would be paired up for the project in their class. They exchanged a look, and Mina could feel her heart beating faster.

As they left the classroom, Chaeyoung turned to Mina with a smile. "Looks like we're going to be spending a lot of time together," she said.

Mina felt a flutter in her chest at the thought. She had been so isolated since her diagnosis, and the idea of spending time with someone who cared about her was both comforting and daunting.

 

Over the next few days, Mina and Chaeyoung worked on their project together, meeting up in the library and bouncing ideas off each other. As they worked, they began to open up to each other, sharing more about their lives and their hopes and fears.

Mina found that she enjoyed spending time with Chaeyoung, and she was surprised at how easy it was to talk to her. Chaeyoung was kind and patient, and she never judged Mina for her fears or her struggles.

As they spent more time together, Mina began to feel more like her old self again. She found herself smiling more often and feeling more hopeful about the future. And she knew that it was all thanks to Chaeyoung, who had brought light back into her life.

By the time their project was due, Mina and Chaeyoung had become good friends. They had laughed together and supported each other, and Mina felt like she had found a true ally in Chaeyoung.

As they handed in their project, Mina turned to Chaeyoung with a smile. "Thank you," she said. "For everything."

Chaeyoung grinned back at her. "Anytime," she said. "We make a pretty good team, don't we?"

It was the first time since her receiving her diagnosis that she had a genuine smile plastered on her face.

 

Chaeyoung had planned a surprise for Mina, something fun and exciting to take her mind off of whatever was bothering her. She had spent all morning setting it up, and as she led Mina outside, she felt a flutter of nervous excitement in her chest.

Mina looked up at her with as much scepsis as curiosity, wondering what Chaeyoung had in store. As they walked down the street, Chaeyoung chattered away, keeping the details of their destination a secret.

When they arrived, Mina was surprised to see a hot air balloon waiting for them. She had always wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride, but she had never had the chance before.

As they climbed into the basket, Chaeyoung looked over at Mina with a grin. "Are you ready for this?" she asked.

Mina felt a sense of excitement and fear mingling together in her chest. She was thrille