Secretly Secretly - KARA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKyWzm6WMXs)       ------------------------ Narrator’s P.O.V:     A week soon passed since Naeun returned back to Earth. Throughout that dreadful week, Naeun’s thoughts were only on Baekhyun and the others.   All she did was stay cooped up in her house day after day, but she always made sure to keep her end of the promise she had made with imaginary Baekhyun.   After all, she knew that inside, her conscience was telling her that that’s what the real Baekhyun would want. He would want for her to live on without him.   Naeun ate all her meals, went to bed on time, and forced herself to smile at least once a day. Before bed, however, she allowed herself to shed a few tears before closing her eyes and falling asleep.   But when Naeun opened her eyes this morning, she was completely different. She had vowed to return back to the original Naeun when the week was over. Today, of course, was the start of the new week, and Naeun knew that she had to persevere for everyone she loved.   Plus, school was only a week away, and she had to be strong if she had to deal with that idiot of a bully, Han Kangsoo.   After eating a hearty breakfast, Naeun decided that she would go to the hospital to have a checkup. She wanted to make sure that her leukemia was gone and she was perfectly healthy.   After she finished up her last piece of egg roll, she put the dishes in the sink and left the house.   -------------------------   Naeun rested her head against the cool glass of the bus’ windows. She softly smiled when she saw couples happily smiling hand in hand and small kids with their parents zooming by.   *I wonder… if that could’ve happened for us.* Naeun’s expression softened when she saw a small child tug on the hem of his father’s shirt. Happily, the father scooped his child up and laughed while his wife doted on the both of them.   A soft smile escaped her lips. *Family… huh?* Naeun was only half-conscious of the fact that her fingers were—once again—clasped around the white necklace that hung around her neck.   She immediately snapped out of her daydream when the familiar, large building of the hospital showed up just a block away.   Naeun straightened up and clicked the stop button, making the bus slow down and eventually halt. When she got off the bus, another smile filled her face.   The sweet smell of nearby bakeries lingered in the air, the aroma of various different flowers from nearby flower shops, the animated sound of people talking and walking by with different expressions on their face…   Everything she glanced at reminded her of her home back on EXO.   Naeun continued travelling as she saw the looks of happy people walking past her in the opposite direction. Her smile soon died out. *How many of these people are really happy, and how many are just smiling for show, like I am?* A serious expression crossed her face. *I want to be happy, but it feels like I don’t have any reason to, anymore.*   Suddenly, Naeun felt something bumping into her leg. Her gaze automatically dropped downwards as she noticed a small little girl, maybe about six years old, sitting on the floor. She looked like she had been knocked back from bumping into Naeun.   Naeun’s eyes widened and she immediately squatted down to meet her level. Not many people were in this part of the area. Naeun worriedly helped her up, “Are you alright?”   The girl blinked and stood up, nodding immediately. She politely bowed, “Sorry for bumping into you.” She straightened up and her eyes twinkled after seeing Naeun’s face, “Waa~ It’s a pretty unnie!”   Naeun blushed after hearing the child’s words, “A-Ah, um…”   “Unnie, you look down.” The girl frowned, not noticing the elder girl’s sheepishness. Naeun gawked at her. *How did she know?*   “Since you helped me up, I’ll give you a present!” The girl announced proudly and carefully opened her small satchel up, pulling a cherry lollipop out. Naeun just stared at her, unsure of what to do.   The child innocently beamed as she grabbed Naeun’s hand and placed the candy in it. “There. Now, you can cheer up!”   Naeun was about to say something when a voice called behind her.   “Shiyoung!”   “Oh!” The small girl looked up, her pigtails bobbing up with her head, “It’s my mommy and daddy!” Her eyes twinkled as she bowed hastily again towards Naeun, “Bye bye, unnie!” The girl grinned and ran off to her parents.   Naeun slowly waved back, a small smile on her face. “Bye…bye.” When the girl was out of sight, Naeun turned her attention back to the lollipop in her hand.   A thoughtful smile spread across her face as she carefully tucked the candy into her purse. *Komawo, little girl.*   -----------------------   “Song Naeun-sshi?”   Naeun was in the middle of dozing off in the waiting room at the hospital. Her head uncomfortably bobbed as was a little agape.   “Is Song Naeun-sshi not here? Song Naeun-sshi!”   Naeun’s eyes instantly opened. Quickly, she wiped the drool from her lips with her sleeve and stood up, “H-Here!”   The nurse blinked, but then broke out into a smile soon afterwards. “The doctor will meet with you now.”   “Ah, yes!” Naeun blinked and followed her. She had previously done some tests before, and now, she was waiting for the results. Naeun anxiously followed the nurse until she was led to a room with a closed door. The nurse knocked on it, “Ms. Song Naeun will see you now, doctor.”   “Come in!” A muffled voice came from behind the door. The nurse opened the door for her, bowed once, and left. Naeun in a breath and entered, closing the door behind her. *Here goes nothing.*   A kind looking, middle-aged man looked up at Naeun from stacks of paperwork. He was dressed in a white coat, with a stethoscope loosely around his neck, and pens in his chest pocket—a typical image of a doctor.   Naeun bowed 45 degrees, “Hello.”   “You must be… Song Naeun-sshi.” The doctor smiled. Naeun nodded wordlessly. “Please come in and sit down.” He urged in a friendly, light voice.   Naeun bit her lip but followed his instructions anyways. After asking her a few questions about her health and checking her files, the doctor happily smiled.   “Well, Naeun-sshi, you seem to be in a perfectly fine condition. It’s surprising to see such a clean record.” He glanced back down at his files, “It says here that when you were younger, you battled against leukemia?”   Naeun’s eyes softened, “Yes, but I was cured.” *By someone extraordinary.*   The doctor leaned back in his chair in amazement. “That’s incredible, and very good to hear. From what I see, nothing has spread or came back. You’re 100% healthy.” He concluded.   Naeun let out the breath she was holding. *For some reason, I expected that.* Her eyes were sad, however.   Naeun stared at the desk in front of her with her head lowered, and froze when her gaze darted to the doctor’s nametag. Her eyes were wide as she read it aloud in her head.   유하성   Dr. Yoo Hasung.   *Hasung…* Her eyes were wide. *Surely not him—* Her thoughts were cut off when something on th