“See?” Lila asked as she stared at Jinyoung. “See? You should just stop dealing with me.”

            “Who said that I’m going to do that?” Jinyoung asked as he looked into Lila’s eyes. “Who says that I’m going to leave your side?”

            “You don’t have to stay because you feel bad,” Lila began before she was cut off by Jinyoung gently placing his lips onto hers.

            “Don’t you see?” he gently whispered as he moved away, but his face still lingered close to hers. “I liked you before any of this started, so why would I have pity on you? Why would I be staying because I feel bad for you?”

            “Now that you know, I’m giving you a chance to leave,” Lila whispered as she attempted to hold back her tears. “No one wants a sick girlfriend.”

            Hearing those words, Jinyoung immediately took Lila into his arms and tightly hugged her. He couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of ; he didn’t want her to be thinking those things. It was true that no one ever wanted someone that they cared for to be sick, but not everyone could get what they wanted. Sometimes people had to give and take, it was the way that the world worked.

            “Don’t ever say that I don’t want you,” Jinyoung sternly told her. “Don’t ever say things that aren’t true.”

            “But you’ll soon get tired of me, I might have to go into the hospital, you know. I might have to spend countless days there,” Lila said as she thought about what might happen with her illness.

            “And so I’ll spend every day at the hospital with you.”

            “You shouldn’t…you’re still an idol,” Lila said as she slowly pushed herself away from Jinyoung’s grasp.

            “Is that why?” Jinyoung asked as he started to get a feeling for why Lila was pushing him away. “Is it because I’m an idol? Is it because I’m an idol that you’re pushing me away?”

            Lila and Jinyoung stared at each other without saying anything. It wasn’t because Jinyoung was an idol that Lila was pushing him away. It wasn’t because of any of that. More than anything, she would be happy to have Jinyoung stay by her side, but she knew that he had other things to do with his life, other things than to care for a sick girlfriend. So she thought that maybe being an idol had something to do with it.

            “Yes,” Lila said as she turned her head away from Jinyoung. It pained her to say it, but she knew that if either of them were going to get on with their lives, it was something that needed to be said. “It’s because you’re an idol that I’m pushing you away. You have other things to do than stay by and watch me. I don’t want to watch your career go down the drain because you’re taking care of me.”

            “I’m doing it willingly,” Jinyoung said stressing the word and making sure that he stressed it. “I want to stay by your side, I want to help you and I’m pretty sure the other guys would too.”

            “No,” Lila immediately said as soon as she heard that he would bring in the other guys. “If…if you’re going to help me, you can’t bring the other guys in.”

            “Really? You’re really going to let me stay?” Jinyoung asked as he had a goofy grin on his face that made Lila laugh at him.

            “You really thought I wouldn’t?” Lila asked with a smirk.

            “Yes,” Jinyoung sheepishly said as he hung his head down low. “But I’m glad that you’re letting me help you. During tough times it’s better to lean on someone, isn’t it?” he asked as he took Lila into his arms again.

            The next morning, Lila woke up and saw that Jinyoung had not left during the night. Inside, it made her smile at the thought, but still, she was afraid of what the future would hold. The doctor told her that she would need to withdraw from university immediately to receive treatment since the leukemia could get worse quickly, something she already knew.

            “Hmm, you’re up?” Jinyoung asked as he looked down at Lila who was staring up at him.

            “Yeah,” Lila whispered as she snuggled next to Jinyoung even more. It wasn’t like she was deeply in love with Jinyoung, but she liked having him near. She wanted someone to be there for her while she battled the disease since her parents were still overseas.

            “Do you have to go to the hospital today?” he wondered. Slowly, Lila nodded her head. Jinyoung had Lila tell him what she could about her illness, including getting admitted to the hospital. He learned that the specific leukemia was called Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, or otherwise shortened as AML and from what he understood, it spreads pretty quickly. He also learned that Lila knew for a couple of days but that the shock only just settled in. “Then let’s get you packed, shall we?” he asked as he attempted to lighten the mood a bit.

            Jinyoung got off of the bed first and Lila followed after. She pulled out a suitcase from the closet and began going through her clothes and things, thinking about what she would need for the hospital. “Do you have to go?” she asked as she looked at Jinyoung who was checking his phone.

            “No,” he said with a smile as he put his phone away. “I’m going to be there for you for your first day, alright?”

            Lila sighed as she continued going through her things. She previously set aside the things that she knew she was going to have to bring and easily packed them. From the corner of her eye, Lila saw that whenever Jinyoung thought she was busy, he would check his phone or be typing. That was something that Lila was afraid of, she was concerned as to whether Jinyoung would give up his duties as leader of an idol group and as a university student for simply watching over her.

            “Last thing’s in,” Lila said as she began zipping up the bag.

            “If you forgot anything I can just come back,” Jinyoung said with a smile. “Now, let’s go take you.”

“Where’s Jinyoung-hyung?” Gongchan asked as the remaining four boys ate lunch together. “Where’s Eunji? Where’s Lila?”

            “I don’t know,” Shinwoo said as he looked around.

            “Sandeullie,” Baro said as he poked Sandeul on the cheek, “where’s your girlfriend?”

            “She’s not my girlfriend anymore,” Sandeul told them all. “The CEO broke us off.”

            “Right…I forgot,” Baro admitted with a shy smile. “Anyway, where is everyone? Why does it seem so empty?”

            “You don’t think that anything happened to anyone, right?” Gongchan worriedly asked.

            “I’m pretty sure nothing happened,” Shinwoo said as he attempted to reassure him, but he wasn’t entirely sure himself. He realized that Jinyoung hadn’t come back to the dorm last night. The last one to talk to him was Gongchan who told him to go fix things with Lila. “Jinyoung is probably with Lila.”

            “You don’t think they…did something, do you?” Baro asked with wide eyes causing Sandeul to immediately turn his head and look at him. Baro noticed the stare and began to awkwardly laugh. “Ah…sorry,” he apologized.

            “Why are you apologizing?” Sandeul asked as he began to eat some more of his food. “It’s not like Lila and I are the ones dating.”

            “Right…” Baro said as he also began eating.

            Silence fell between the four as they began eating their meal until Gongchan’s phone began to ring. “Huh?” Gongchan asked as he pulled it out, “it’s hyung. Hello?” Gongchan asked as he picked up the phone.

            “Hey,” Jinyoung said on the other line. He sounded drained and tired, like he had just gone through an all-nighter. “Hey Gongchannie.”

            “Hey hyung,” Gongchan greeted again, “is there something wrong? How did things go with Lila last night?”

            “Good, good,” Jinyoung said. He wanted to tell the guys where he was, he wanted to tell them what was happening to Lila, but to keep his promise, he knew that he wasn’t allowed to. He knew that he wasn’t supposed to say anything about it and he had to keep the promise. “Listen, I just wanted to tell you guys that I probably won’t be able to make it back today.”

            “Why?” Gongchan curiously asked. He wondered what would prevent Jinyoung from making it back, was there some sort of emergency that they should be concerned with?

            “It’s…difficult,” Jinyoung sighed. “It’s nothing you guys should be worried about, but I promised I’d help someone with something and I can’t really tell you guys. I’m just calling so you guys won’t be concerned with me, even if the company wonders where I am. I’ll return tomorrow, alright?”

            “Okay,” Gongchan hesitantly said as he looked at the other guys with slightly worried looks. He wasn’t entirely sure what they were going to say when they heard the news and he wasn’t entirely sure what they were going to think either. “I guess we’ll see you then, alright?”

            “Thanks for understanding, Channie, see you later,” Jinyoung said as he hung up.

            “What did he say?” Baro immediately asked as Gongchan put away his phone.

            “He said that he won’t see us until tomorrow and to not be concerned because it’s nothing that we need to be concerned about,” Gongchan said relaying what Jinyoung had told him.

            “What is that guy doing?” Sandeul whispered to himself as he stared at his food.

“Who was that?” Lila asked as Jinyoung came back into the room.

            “Just telling the company that I wasn’t available today,” Jinyoung said with a smile as he sat down in the seat next to the bed.

            “I don’t know why I have to wear this stuff,” Lila sighed as she pulled on her hospital gown.

            “To show that you’re a patient,” Jinyoung said as he lightly laughed at how Lila was acting. They both knew that she didn’t want to be there and that they were only doing things in an attempt to lighten the mood instead of dampen the atmosphere.

            “Excuse me,” the doctor said knocking on the door.

            “Ah, Dr. Kim, hello,” Lila happily greeted seeing the doctor.

            “I’m glad that we were able to get settled in,” she said with a smile as she entered the room.

            “Hello,” Jinyoung said immediately standing up at the presence of the doctor. “I’m Jung Jinyoung, Lila’s boyfriend.”

            “Hello, nice to meet you,” Dr. Kim said. “I’m here to just go over what we’re going to be experiencing for the next period of time as we begin the treatment, alright?” Jinyoung and Lila both nodded their heads. “So, we’re going to do a procedure entitled chemotherapy, you’ve probably heard it before, but I’m going to tell you what it’s going to entail.”

            As Dr. Kim was about to start talking about the chemotherapy process, Jinyoung’s phone began ringing. “Sorry, I’ll take this. You may proceed,” he said as he exited the room. “Hello?” he asked once he was in the hallway.

            “Jinyoung,” Eunji’s voice sounded over his phone. “Let’s meet, shall we?”

            “Meet? What in the world are you talking about?” Jinyoung asked. He didn’t know why Eunji had wanted to meet. What reason did they need to meet?

            “I want to talk, so meet me tonight at my apartment.”

            “Tonight? I can’t.”

            “Why? Doing something with Lila?” she wondered.

            Jinyoung sighed as he wondered what time visiting hours ended and if he would be able to stick around after them, but then he wondered if Lila would even allow for him to stay that late when he had classes and a schedule to complete tomorrow. “We’ll see,” Jinyoung sighed. “I’ll just tell you when I’m done.”

            “Good,” Eunji said on the other line with a smirk.

            Meanwhile, inside of the room, Dr. Kim began going over the procedure that Lila was going to endure. “Lila, you know that since this is a relapse that things are going to be quite heavier than they were before,” Dr. Kim worriedly said as she looked at her.

            “I know,” Lila whispered.

            “Your boyfriend, does he know about this being a relapse?”

            “No.”

            “Well…maybe you should tell him, you don’t have to, but I’m just wondering if maybe it’s better if he knows like that.”

            “I don’t want him to give up more of his life for me. No one knows that this is a relapse, no one knows that I had it before,” Lila explained.

            “But at least this time it’s not as bad as it was a couple of years ago. I remember the devastation on your parents’ face and your face when they found out that we might not be able to help you here because of how fast it was spreading. I remember you not wanting to go to America for treatment, but I think it was the best.”

            “I think it was,” Lila said as she thought back to that time.

            “I remember how you would cry saying that you had a boyfriend here that you liked a lot,” Dr. Kim said chuckling at the memory that Lila was slightly embarrassed about.

            “I can’t believe I did that…” Lila muttered with a little laugh.

            “Speaking of, it’s not the same boyfriend, right?” Dr. Kim asked as she looked out the window.

            “No, it’s a different one. That other boy and I have…parted ways. He didn’t know the true reason why I went to America either. I mean, I did go for school, I just left out that part.”

            “I understand,” Dr. Kim said with a supportive smile. “Your parents have already been contacted, just so you know. And I guess that I won’t have to be explaining much to you. You already know that the treatment is divided into two phases, the remission induction and the consolidation process. We’ll try to get rid of it for good this time, but remember, there are no guarantees.”

            “I know,” Lila said with a nod of her head. “But please don’t tell Jinyoung-oppa about it being a relapse, I don’t want him to worry more than he already is.”

            “I promise I won’t,” Dr. Kim said showing a supportive smile. “We’ve known each other for how long already?”

            “Right,” Lila said with a nod of her head as the door to the room opened.

            “So, what did I miss?” Jinyoung asked walking into the room.

            “Oh nothing,” Dr. Kim said as she turned around and smiled. “Lila can explain everything to you I assume.”

            “Yes,” Lila said. After meeting Dr. Kim, somehow, she felt more relieved about what was going to happen and with Jinyoung by her side; she didn’t see a reason for why she should be afraid, things were going to go fine.

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Will Jinyoung find out about the cancer being a relapse? Will Sandeul ever discover the "real" reason Lila went to America? Why did Lila never tell Sandeul the real reason she left? What will happen with Lila's illness? Will everyone else find out about it? Why does Eunji want to meet with Jinyoung?

Here's Chapter 20. Hope you enjoyed :D