It's 4pm in the afternoon when you get back to your two rooms apartment that you share with Karina. Walking in after you mindlessly taking your shoes off and let them scattered around, the very bad habit you have that will always earn you a scold from your roommate but now you couldn't careless as you walk to the living room. Sitting on the floor while resting your back on your favorite ottoman that you used everyday resting your feet while watching TV with Karina. This room was full of laughter and happy memories yet now you silently sat there with blanking mind until a reddish orange hue from the setting sun seeping in through your slightly open curtain. Usually this scenery will put a smile on your face when it's light illuminated the room beautifully, instead tears wetting your cheeks and you starts to choke on your emotion that you can no longer contain. Hurriedly wipe your tears away when you abruptly heard the sound coming from your front door as a sign someone just barges in to your house. "Hey.." the intruder affectionately greets you as soon as she saw your back. Then she turns on the lights and now she can see the glisten in your eyes. She hasten her step to reach you. "A-are you okay?" She carefully asks you. You don't want to make her worried about you so you answer with a smile "Of course, Ning. Why do you even ask?" However, your voice betrayed the tough exterior you desperately wanted to display. And when you unconsciously looking at her in the eyes, the emotion you arduously tried to suppress failed you like a broken dam. You can no longer hold your tears anymore. She pull you closer and hug you, put her hand behind your back and soothes you while repeatedly saying a comfort words like "You're okay" "It'll be fine" "You'll be fine" "I'll be here for you" chanting the words like some kind of mantras, sadly none of it give you any consolation despite the earnest. Choking on your tears, you keep crying and crying. But then she started to panic when your breathes quickening. "Slow down, Winter. You're hyperventilating. Take a deep breath. Come one" She run to grab a paper bag from the kitchen table. She put it in front of your face for you to breath in. And you did but your breathing didn't calm down. "Aghh.. it hurts, Ning" you said as you clutch your left ribs with your head hanging down in pain. "It really hurts" you said again as you clench her hand for emotional support but you might accidentally dig your nails on her, you look up to apologies when you notice the mortified looks on your childhood friend as she saw you getting paler and blueish by the seconds. You watch her hurriedly pick up her phone and dial an emergency services. "Please come faster. I think my friend about to have a heart atta--" That's the last thing you heard as your consciousness slipping away and you completely drop down on the floor.

 

"Goddammit Winter! You can't die on me!!!" NingNing shout in frustration as she perform a CPR on her childhood friend with tears streaming down from her eyes. Even with blurry eyes she doesn't stop until the paramedics came in and take over. She thanks the God for Winter's laziness to change the door batteries and left it on manual for almost a week. So when she came in, the door doesn't close automatically and thankfully the paramedic can easily came in without having to break the door.

 

You woke up and saw an unfamiliar ceiling. Looking at your surroundings you realized you're in one of the hospital rooms. And oxygen mask on your face, an IV line on your right arm, a pulse oximetry on your index finger and a beeping monitor besides your bed. You pull down the mask and tried to sit up from your bed when the door suddenly open and a cold voice greets you "What are you doing?" Ning run towards you and a finger flick landed on your forehead "Aww.. that's hurt" you yelp in pain, rubbing it.

 

"Don't you dare do anything else beside resting on your bed for the next 10 days or more" She stare down at you like she wants to eat you alive. It made you cower down. She press the button on your headboard and a nurse came in, she change the oxygen mask to oxygen tube for your convenience and also because you're fully conscious and the oxygen rate is adequate. The nurse informed you. And then she said that doctor will visit you in a next hour as she's still in the operating room right now. You nodded your head and thank her.

 

As soon as the nurse out of the room, you heard Ning asks you "How could you did that to me?" she put both her palm to cover her face and starts crying, it made you feel the sense of guilt. You bit the bottoms of your lips trying hard not to cry because you don't get to cry in this situation where it's entirely your fault. "You know how scared I was? You almost di-" she couldn't finish her sentence but you know what she was going to say. "I almost lost you there" you can taste an iron on your mouth as the inside of your lips split open. She take a deep breath and lift her head "You had a bypass surgery, did you know that?" She asks. If it were the usual you, you certainly would answer her with your sassy remark. Like how could you know that when you just woke up God knows for how long you've been sleeping yet you keep mum to her rethorical questions. You let her pour out her anger towards you because you deserved that. "Thank God I'm a functioning adult who knew how to perform CPR. What if I am not?" she looks down at her hand and you notice how her fingers shaking the entire time.

 

"I apologize.. that you have to go through that ordeal" you look down on your fingers and fiddling on it didn't know what to say. "I wish you weren't ther-- ouch" you feel a pain on the back of your head. NingNing had slap you hard. "W-what was that for?"

 

"What do you mean I shouldn't be there? So who's going to help you? Are you going to CPR yourself? Can you do that, huh?" She continuously slapping your head like a volleyball.

 

"Heyyy.. I'm still a patient" you try to get away from her reaching hands.

 

"Shut up! It's your heart that hurting not your head. So this doesn't count" she keep hitting you and you try your best to shield her attack with your arms with a big smile on your face since you owe her your life.

 

It's been three days since you were admitted. NingNing has been constantly in the hospital, she even sleep in the hospital and then the next morning she goes to the campus for her classes and she will comes back again. She looks terrible from the lack of sleep and tiredness juggling between college, hospital and her apartment. "Just go home and sleep Ning. You look like a zombie. I don't need you too here as a patient. Go. I'm fine by myself" she looks hesitant at first but you convince her so she reluctantly went back home. Because she is indeed need the good sleep. "I'll be back tomorrow. Don't get hurt while I'm not here" she warns you. You wave her goodbye after you promised her.

 

You pick up the novel that Ning bring from your room and read where you left it before. You are fixated on the best part of it when the sliding door sounds startled you. You're about to lash out on Ning for ruining your reading session. "Huh?" You're trying to remember who is this familiar face you see. When she call you with your pet name "Min Min? It's really you. Oh my.." she rushed in and gives you a hug. This too familiar scents of her invading your olfactory nerves brings back your memories of your high school crush. Huh Yunjin. "I really missed you" she said.

 

"I was visiting a friend when I saw your name on the door" she explained your confusion. "Then I had to confirm even if it was rude" she continues. "Sorry. If I startled you. I couldn't contain my excitement from meeting you and I'm glad I didn't walk away" she hugs you again tighter this time.

 

"Uh.. When did you come back?" You ask after you peeled away her arms that tightly wrap around your head like you're a teddy bear.

 

"Last week. And I'm back for good" she smiles. Maybe it's the Switzerland's air that makes her look more beautiful now.

 

"That's great" you genuinely response to the news.

 

"Anyway.. how are you?" She asks as she sits down on one of the chairs, indicates that she will stay for a while and your books will have to wait. Again.

 

You didn't expect Yunjin to stay this long because she even had dinner together while catching up and telling stories about each others. She looks quite shocked when you told her the reason for you admittance and feels sympathetic about your condition and she keeps holding your hand, sometimes squeezing them to give you an assurance that she will be there for you and you will be fine. When the doctors comes later, she asked them about the do's and don't's like she's your immediate family that will be there for you 24/7 to reminds you to take your medicine and stop you from doing anything the doctors told you not to. She even diligently writes it down on her phone.

 

Imagine your surprise when she told you she will sleepover. "You don't really need to, Yunjin-ah. Ning will come tomorrow morning. I'll be fine. The nurse came every two hours to check on me and giving me injection" you tried to convince her but to no avail as she's still the same stubborn woman and you lost this argument.

 

She lay down on the visitors makeshift bed. "Isn't it uncomfortable?"

 

"Uhmm. Yeah. Kinda" she makes a duck face that made you both laughed.

 

"You should've gone home when I told you" you rolled your eyes.

 

"Or. You could share the bed" she smirks with a rise eyebrows.

 

"It's small. How can we sleep in this together" you reason out. Ignoring the skipping beat of your heart you just felt.

 

"It's not" she said as she slipped in right beside you and surprisingly you both fits in it together. And it wasn't uncomfortable. "See. We're perfect together" she said facing you. You could feel her hot breath hitting your face as she speaks. You simply giggles away her words knowing that she doesn't mean it in a weird way.

 

"Calm down, Min. I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to" she said to you in a whisper hush voice.

 

"Huh.. what do you mean?" You aske dumbfounded.

 

She point at the monitor. "It's about to going over the limit and it'll notified the nurse. We don't won't her coming over here for nothing right?" She chuckle as she said that. "Shut up" You grab your pillow and slammed it on her face as you try to hide your reddened ears from embarrassment. You hate this monitor.

 

A loud cough disturbing your sleep. With a knitted eyebrows you slowly open your eyes to search for the culprit. When you open your eyes, the person in front of you was Yunjin who's still sleeping with her eyes closed still facing you like she didn't change her position the entire night. When you heard another cough coming from behind Yunjin, you slightly lift your head and look over Yunjin's shoulder. And there standing in her glory, NingNing while mouthing 'what the ' with playful face. You will never hear the end of it. Yunjin doesn't look like a simple sleeping over when you have your body entangled and arms wrapping around each other. Urggh.

 

"Yunjin.." you shake her body trying to wake her up. "Hey.. wake up. My friend is here. You can go back home now" she stirred up in her sleep. You slowly detaching your body from her when she didn't let you and instead pulling you closer and snuggling her head under your chin. "Hmm.." she rub her nose on your collarbone and immediate response coming in a form of a whistle from NingNing. "Yunjin!!" You shout as you slap her shoulder. She flinch in pain. "What was that for?" She complained with her eyes half open.

 

"Get down. NingNing is here" you told her.

 

She stretch her body first before getting down and greets NingNing. "Hello.. Good morning to you. I'm Huh Yunjin. Her high school friend"

 

"Hi.. Ning Yizhuo. Please to meet you" NingNing shake Yunjin outstretched hand. "Did you sleep well?" Ning glance at Winter as she asks.

 

"Yes. The best sleep I've ever had" she said with content looks on her face.

 

"Wow.. I never met someone looks so happy sleeping in a hospital" Ning playfully remark.

 

"It's not about the place, it's the person who you sleep with" she winks at Ning.

 

"Oooooo~~~" was Ning's reaction before a pillow landed on both of their face. And just in time when the nurse came in to dress your wound and they get kick out of the room.

 

They were talking animatedly outside her room that earn a couple shush from the other nurse. They whisper for a while before back to talking excitedly and laughing like a maniac. And honestly you weren't curious about it. They must be trash-talking about you.

 

They walk back in. "Right. I have class at 10 so I'll leave now" Ning said to you.

 

"Thanks for dropping by, Ning" you wave her goodbye.

 

"Of course Win. Oh yeah.. here's your phone. But it's out of power and I forgot to charge it" she handed a bag with your phone and charger. You thank her again.

 

"Please take care of her while I'm gone" she said to Yunjin.

 

"Don't worry. You can entrusted her to me. She will be very well taken care of" Yunjin said as she put her hand on her chest like a loyal servant.

 

"No. Please. Do it moderately. I don't want her to get cozy in this hospital" Ning refused to went through this traumatic experience again.

 

"Remember. It's not about the-" Ning interrupted Yunjin as she finishes Yunjin's next sentences "place.. it's about the person. Okay I got it Shakespeare" Ning says it mockingly like they're a long time friend when they just met a few hours ago. Yunjin just laugh it off.

 

After NingNing left, Yunjin taking care of you splendidly that you feel like a toddler in a high paid day care. She even spoon-fed your meal even when you refused, she help you walk when you said you want to go to the bathroom, talking with you, exchanging banters that make you laugh but sometimes annoyed with her teasing nonetheless she really makes you feel like the happiest person in a hospital.

 

"Did you ever know in highschool that I really like you?" She swiftly said between our conversation. "In a romantic way" she clarify, afraid that you would pass it off again like the subtle flirting words she has been throwing your way.

 

"I bet you didn't expect that, huh?" She said when she saw your widen eyes and the rapid blinking that you unconsciously made. "Hah. I was a coward back in the day. I didn't know why it was so hard to tell you that" she looks more relief now like she just take off a heavy boulder off her shoulder. You want to know how it feels so you said the next thing that made her speechless for the first time. "You're my first girl crush" because just like her, you keep it close away from others.

 

After that whole revelation, you noticed that she starts taking care of you differently. You don't feel like a toddler anymore but now you feel like a girlfriend. She keeps touching your skin every chance like she has some kind of a magnet on her hand and you're made of steel. She made a florist delivered a tulip, your favorite flower right after she get the answers from you. She holds your hands, she gives you a massage starting from your head to your leg. Cuddling with you when you take a nap. It was kind of awkward at first but she treats you with love(?) that makes you feel comfortable under her skin. Way too comfortable. Not gonna lie it was developing too fast, we haven't talk about anything or even make it official yet with this whole situationship. You just let it flow with the mood and all.

 

Even when NingNing drop by at the night, she doesn't question your physical intimacy with your crush. Well she already witness you sleeping with her so what's a mere holding hands and a she made on your hair every now and then. She only smiles the whole time she's here even when there's nothing funny in the conversation. When she said her goodbye at 11pm, she also said "I'm happy for you" with eyes glisten. She's proud of you. You move on pretty fast. She knew that you're happy with Yunjin by your side, she knew you didn't think about your roommate even once, she knew you didn't cry another tears, she knew you're healthy and happy. And her thought of you were always right just like now. She's always knew what's in your head. It wasn't wrong when she declare that you're her soulmate. That's why she was there to save your life. "Thank you, Ning. And say hi to Aeri" you gave her a hug.

 

Tonight, Yunjin doesn't even ask to share the bed. She climbed your bed like the left side of it belongs to her. She put her arm under your neck and another hand on your stomach, lying by her side, facing you. "Goodnight" she says.

 

The next morning, a sound of clearing throat wake you up. You're certain that it's not NingNing as she said she will come in the afternoon with Aeri. You were so embarrassed when you saw a squad of doctor, residents and nurses standing there looking at the both of you. You slap Yunjin to wake her up.

 

"Ehem. I already told you that physical strenuous activity is strictly prohibit. I need to check if my stitches were open" you can feel your face turn reddened like a tomato after she said that. That also made the others people present there giggling. And it doesn't help when Yunjin added the fuel by saying "Oh don't worry doctor Kim. We keep it vanilla" and now you want to strangle her to death. We didn't do anything last night, we were just sleeping. Not that you were expecting more. Definitely not. Ehem.

 

"Oh. That's great. I applaud your self-restraint" doctor Kim commented after she was done checking your wound. WTF. You want to complained about this inappropriate ongoing jokes they're making when the doctor slap the back of Yunjin's head. What shocked you more is everyone just giggling like it was an everyday occurrence for an attending doctor violently slapped a patient's guardian.

 

"What an utter joke you were saying. You can't even talk straight to her for three pathetic years. Now you're telling me you did something big. Don't make me laugh loser" doctor Kim promptly said with Yunjin whining like a little child.

 

"I'll introduce myself again. I'm dr. Kim Taeyeon. This loser maternal aunt" she pointed at Yunjin. "Please to finally meet you even though our first meeting was on my operating table" she chucke a little. "I'm sorry if it was inappropriate of me to called her after I recognized who you were. I just want my niece to be happy and I'm glad I made the right decision" it was mind-blowing when you heard about the whole story of the coincidence that made you met your first crush again after all this years"

 

"I was about to tell her that! Why are you exposing me now?" Yunjin protests. And dr. Kim only glare at her and scoffed "It will takes forever if I let you on your own" with Yunjin grumping to no ends.

 

"I hope we can meet as a family in the near future. I'll prepare a banquet when the time comes" dr. Kim affectionately said to you like a mother love. You didn't know how to respond to her bold invitation. Suddenly becoming a family when you haven't even discuss your situationship further is wild. Nonetheless it was a warm and wholesome feelings despite all the odds and it gives you butterfly.

 

"Please. Don't freak her out more" Yunjin beg her aunt. "I need to talk to her first before you drop the bomb" Yunjin grab her own hair in frustration. "How could you do this to me!" She continues.

 

"Okay. Loser. Please talk nicely because you're bad at it" dr. Kim walk to the door about to leave when she turn around with smile on her face "See you later" she said to you. "Are you talking about yourself?" Yunjin shout after the door closed behind her.

 

"So you were lying?" You said startling the poor girl. She wasn't ready to get interrogates.

 

Sighing she say "Yes. I'm sorry. I didn't know what to say to you at the time. So I came up with a reasonable situation. To tell you the truth, I was still in Switzerland when the phone call came. I take the earliest flight to came here"

 

"How did she knows about me" You asks.

 

"She pick me up from school one day when she saw we were talking, she starts to forms a theory in her head, she's unnecessary quick witted so then she made me vomited all of my secret crush on you. She must remember your face from our graduation photos that I kept in my bedroom. She might have stolen our picture because I had to develop another copies for my house in Switzerland. I want to strangle her at the time when she didn't admitted for the crime but now I'm glad she stole it" she said because her aunt made her dreams come true.

 

"I really mean it when I said I was about to tell you this. She's just ahead of me. That's all. And I really want you to attend the banquet" she shamelessly added her last sentence. She takes a deep breath "I really.. really like you. So, p-please be my girlfriend" she cutely stutter with a blush on her cheek. She looks innocent and pure. It makes you wonder why you weren't a couple if you two like each other.

 

"Can you give me time before I answer you?" You don't want to jump into this whole situation and made a reckless decision. You need to make sure that you really want this relationship. It's not just because she was there for you at your lowest. It wouldn't be fair for her if it was just some companionship not because you really love her and serious about this. You know she only asked you to become her girlfriend not her wife but with how serious her aunt to make her a family that's on another whole level of supports. So you need to think about this with the same passion.

 

"Sure. Take your time, Min" she pat your head and assure you that she could patiently wait for your answer.

 

She still attentively care about you. It was a bit too much in your opinion but it doesn't put you off. You want to take a pee when she walk you to the bathroom. She wait in front of the bathroom. When you said you were done, she open the door. Hold the IV pole with her left hand and hugging your waist with her right hand to help you walk. It's not like you have surgery on your leg that need this kind of support. It's your chest that cut open but it still was kind of strenuous to simply walk. So you just let her help you. Walking back to the bed when the door opened. "Oh Ning.. you're here early" you said as the nurse just came in fifteen minutes ago so it must be her friend. But Ning didn't answer, she just keep silent. So you look over your shoulder "Ning.. Ohh" you said after you saw it wasn't Ning but your roommate standing there. You reach the bed and take a sitting position. "Why are you here? Wasn't you supposed to be back tomorrow?"

 

"I couldn't reach you" she said

 

"Oh. Right. My phone" you were looking around forgot where you put your phone. It was still in the bag that Ning gave you that time. You didn't even touch it.

 

"I'll meet my aunt for a while" Yunjin said giving you some space to talk. She must notice how stiff your body when you saw your roommate standing behind your back. Before she leaves she give you a kiss on your cheek. Probably to remind you that she's there and you'll be okay. But you noticed how she was so nervous about kissing you it made you chuckle. This is the first time she plant a kiss on your skin. And she decide this was the right time to kiss you which is in front of another woman that you loved. You want to praise her for her superb decision making because this is a very outstanding form of affection. So you decide to reward her for it. You pull her arms when she's about to pull away and kiss her on the corner of her lips. It surely put a grin and a shy blush on her cheek. "Okay.. see you later" you said.

 

"Who is she?" Karina said with hostility on her tone.

 

"My friend" you shortly answer.

 

"Since when you kiss your friend?" With grimace on her face she throw you another question.

 

"Oh.. I'm sorry. If me kissing a woman made you feel uncomfortable" You said matching her hostility.

 

"That was not what I meant." she said it more softly. You knew exactly what she means but you don't feel like explaining your relationship so you decide to be a for once. "I never seen her before. And you never tell me you have a girl friend" she hesitate on the last word.

 

"I don't understand why you feel so offensive about not knowing her or about my relationship. I don't remember me interrogating you when you suddenly told everyone that you were dating that man Lee Jae Wook that I've never seen my whole life. When I share every moment of my life with you" you saw her gulping in a sense of guilt. You wasn't fond of guilt tripping her but she made you pissed off acting like she has every right in your life now when she pulled that stunts and made you almost died.

 

If only she wasn't touchy flirty with you this three whole years and leading you on but you also admit it was your fault for catching feelings with her. She never said she's into girl's but you foolishly falling in love with her. She shouldn't called yourself a married couple in front of everyone like that but she did. She shouldn't make you feel like you're the only one for her when you obviously not. If only she made a sign or told you that she is seeing a man in a romantic way before dropping the bomb that she's dating this very man you never seen and plan a vacation trip with him to Milan. You will not feel that devastated. You might won't be in this very hospital. But looking back that this was how you met Yunjin made you be in peace with your own demon to hate your roommate. She who foolishly made this stunts was the reason you met the very dorky person who looks at you like you hold her whole world.

 

"Why are you here? I don't want to be a person that take your happiness away. You're supposed to be on that trip with your boyfriend" the last word was like a thorn on your throat. It still hurts a little.

 

"Noo.. you're not. I was worried about you. So I asked Ning. At first she wasn't saying anything to me. So I came back and force her to tell me where you were"

 

"I was fine. There's nothing to worry about. She's been taking care of me" you said smiling at the very figure who came in. "Sorry.. to interrupt your conversation. I left my phone" Yunjin said picking up her phone from the bedside table. "You can continue" she said while subtly patting your back to calm you down.

 

"No. You can stay. We are done with our conversation" you hold her hands. "You can go back to your boyfriend, Karina. My girlfriend will take care of me" as soon as you said that, Yunjin face brighten a whole lot contrast to Karina's face that feel like her whole world crush down on your feet but you don't understand why she reacts like that. Maybe because there's no affection left when you called her name like you used to. Whatever it is. You already left that behind you. We're our own person now. We chose our own path. We will take our own responsibility to the choice we made.

 

Goodbye Karina. I wish you the best in your life.