***

7 pm

It’s day 29 of the first FCR cycle, which means the end of the young novelist's resting period. And right now, a million things are going through Seungwan's head right now.

Tomorrow, she will be administered with Rituximab, marking the end of her first FCR cycle.

But that is not the reason she’s feeling restless tonight.

***

A couple of days ago,

Seungwan is in the middle of writing her novel when Irene and Seulgi enter the room together.

She got a bad feeling when the bear quickly stood at her side, took her hand, and held it tightly. This very exact moment is like a recreation of her first diagnosis.

"Hi, Wendy" The young professor greets her.

"Hi, unnie." She greets her back before looking at her best friend.

"Sseul, what is happening?"

Seulgi just stayed quiet and kept holding her hand.

"Wendy-ah, based on your current condition, we need to adjust your Chemotherapy plan," Irene began explaining gently.

Seungwan's heart sank, and she instinctively knew this wasn't good news.

"At first, the original plan was for you to go through five cycles of FCR Therapy," Irene continued.

"However, considering your body's reaction and overall condition, we've decided to modify the Chemotherapy plan to three cycles. After that, you'll undergo a Bone Marrow transplant, or BMT Procedure."

The weight of the words hung heavily in the air, and Seungwan felt a sense of dread settle in her stomach.

"Your body has developed no resistance to one of the drugs, which means the higher dose administered during this cycle is actively killing your healthy cells faster than your body can replenish them."

Seungwan listened attentively, trying to process the information as Irene explained the complexities of the treatment.

"While we can adjust the dose for the next cycle, FCR Therapy is very sensitive to its timing. We can't delay the next cycle or prolong the resting period to allow your body to replenish the lost cells, as it could render the rest of the therapy ineffective."

"Right now, your Stem cell count is just below the normal count. But if we were to continue the original plan, your body will not survive the fifth cycle. So after a thorough and extensive discussion, we decided to reduce your FCR cycle, and as soon as the third cycle is finished, you will need to undergo the BMT procedure.

"Now this will be the hardest part for you. The BMT procedure, just like its name implies, is a transplant procedure, which means you’ll need a donor, and a sibling donor has the highest chance of compatibility with your body."

Seungwan gasps

"So, you mean I need Seunghee-unnie stem cells?" She asks

"We don’t know it yet, as we need to perform a test on your sister to determine if her Stem Cell is compatible with you."

"No! absolutely not! I’m not going to let Unnie be my donor!" Seungwan objected vehemently.

"Wan!" Seulgi tried to reason with her.

"No, Sseul, I don't want them to know, let alone ask Seunghee Unnie to be my donor. I have been a burden to them as it is," Seungwan insisted, feeling the weight of her emotions pressing down on her.

Seulgi looked at the young professor before saying, "I’m sorry, doc, but can you give us some time? I need to talk this through with Seungwan."

Seungwan shook her head violently and said, "There is nothing we need to talk about; the answer is no; I will not let my unnie be my donor."

The young professor nodded understandingly and said, "I’ll leave you to discuss it with Wendy. Please tell me the result as soon as possible because we cannot proceed with the procedure without the patient's approval."

"Got it, doc. Thank you," Seulgi replied, and Irene left the room to give them the space they needed to have this difficult conversation.

"I’m not going to do it, Sseul."

"Wan-ah, I think it’s time for you to tell them," Seulgi gently urged.

Seungwan gazed out of the window, her emotions swirling within. "No, they've suffered enough because of me. You don’t know how much they have sacrificed for me."

"I do, Wan. I do understand," Seulgi responded softly.

"No, you don’t," Seungwan countered.

"Did you know? After Dad died and I lost my memory of that time, Mom had to work every single day. She would come home late at night and go to work early in the morning."

"And unnie? She gave me all she had. She missed school to take care of me, and she wouldn’t sleep when I had bad dreams. She would hug me throughout the night. Do you know that, Sseul?" Seungwan asked her best friend.

Seulgi just stayed silent, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"A year after that, Mom was offered a job at one of the big companies, and finally, our family started to get better. When it was Seunghee Unnie's turn to go to college, do you know what she said? She said, ‘I’ll work; let’s make sure that Seungwannie can go to school wherever she wants.’"

Seulgi's heart ached at Seungwan's words.

"And now you expect me to ask them for more? I just can't bear to ask for more Sseul. It's too much. I won't allow it," Seungwan declared firmly.

Seulgi tightened her hold on Seungwan's hand. She really understood her friend's feelings. She really does. But she also knew that Seungwan's life was worth fighting for.

"Wan-ah, you have to think about your own life too. You're not a burden to them. They love you, and they want the best for you. Think about how much pain they’ll have to face if you leave them like this." Seulgi said softly.

Seungwan glanced at Seulgi; her eyes were filled with emotion. "And what should I tell them? I have cancer, and I will die soon. They’ll set aside their own lives again, Sseul, right when their lives start to get better. I can't bear to put them through more pain."

"Just Wan, please. Think about this; you don't have to carry this burden alone." Seulgi said gently.

Seungwan took a deep breath, "I.. I need time".

***

It’s been a couple of days, but Seungwan still couldn’t give her decision. It’s simply too much for her.

While Seungwan is deep into her thoughts, A knock can be heard from the door. A familiar knock: the young professor is here.

"Wendy-ah, can I come in?" Irene asks with a soft voice.

"Come in, unnie".

Irene entered the room with a tender smile, proceeding to conduct her routine check-up.

Wendy starts to fidget with her finger. She doesn’t know why, but she wanted to ask the young professor's opinion. Not Professor Irene's opinion, but Irene's as an Unnie opinion.

"Unnie," Wendy finally spoke up.

"Hmm? Anything you need, Wendy-ah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Irene put her clipboard on the bedside table and sat on the small stool beside Seungwan’s bed. "Of course, ask me anything," the young professor said.

"But I want you to answer me as an Unnie, not as my doctor."

Irene tilted her head, smiling warmly, "Of course".

Seungwan took a deep breath, trying to articulate her feelings. "Imagine you have a sister, and you've given her everything you have. You've prioritized her over yourself and sacrificed your own future for her. And now, just when you're starting to focus on yourself, she tells you that she's sick and needs you again. It means setting aside your life once more for her. What would you do in that situation?"

Seungwan can see that Irene's eyes reflected understanding as she listened carefully to Seungwan's heartfelt question.

"As an unnie, I'd say it's completely normal to feel torn and conflicted in that situation," Irene replied gently.

"But then, I would think like this: ‘I sacrificed for her once, so why does it matter if she needs me for another round? I did it for her happiness, and how could I call myself a good unnie if I ignore her right now?’" The young professor continues.

"But wouldn't you feel burdened by your sister?"

Irene took a deep breath. "Wendy-ah, let me tell you my story, okay?"

Seungwan nodded.

"You know, my family is kind of a mess," Irene began, opening up about her past.

"I came from a small town in Daegu, and my family owned a little restaurant there. When I was 14, my father brought Yerim to our house. She's not my real sister; she's my cousin. My father told me that her family was killed in a car accident, and she was the only survivor. He asked me to take care of her as her unnie."

"After that night, my parents started fighting frequently. My mother blamed my father for bringing Yerim to the house when we were struggling to survive every day. Because of that, I started to hate Yerim."

"I blamed her for my parents' fights. I ignored her, talked to her rudely, and even got angry at her, accusing her of causing all of this mess. But the kid never cried." Irene smiled bitterly.

"We shared a room, and she would sit there in the corner, hugging her knees, but she never shed a tear."

"One day, my mother didn't come back home, and my father was working at night for extra money. It was just me and Yerim in the house, and I was sick. I didn’t tell her anything, just laid in bed. But then suddenly, Yerim came with an ice pack and silently put it on my forehead."

"She didn’t say anything for a while until she finally opened and said, ‘I’m sorry, unnie,’ and then she cried. That moment made me realize how wrong I was and how strong she is. She didn't have to do anything for me; she should've hated me. But she didn’t, she still called me ‘Unnie.’"

"After that, I swore to myself that I would take care of her to the best of my ability, even if it meant sacrificing my life. I took her with me when I got a scholarship to England and even worked there so she could get into high school there. I took her with me when I started my life in Seoul, an