Tomorrow is my last day.

Or maybe tomorrow I won’t even get to work because I’ll have to be busy with some other things.

Tomorrow, for sure, she’s going to confess to Jaehyo-hyung.

But I just can’t seem to handle that idea.

So tomorrow, before she could even go to him…I shall make my feelings known.

That’s the least I could do now.

It took me a really long time to muster this kind of courage, and tomorrow shall be its execution. I shall not screw up.

“That’s weird,” I mutter, as I step into the janitor’s closet and not being able to find my friend there. I look around, as if with the thought that she’s just around the corner, but of course, she isn’t. she’s not here. I try to wait for her by distracting myself—preparing my cleaning materials and set to work along the corridors. I do this for a good half an hour, until I forget about her, but when I return to the closet she’s still not there. Then I remember the phenomenon of yesterday.

Oh crap.

Don’t tell me she got into trouble again?

A chill suddenly runs down my spine, and a string of morbid impossibilities start to crowd my head, and my fear swells and swells. Just then I hear the door creak, and when I whip my head to look at the intruder, I see her.

“Yukwon-ssi annyeong,” she says in her usual timid way, with the back of her hand wiping gently the corner of her busted lip, her uniform in rags and tatters.

Oh no. I quickly walk to her and grasp her arms. “What happened?!”

“I…tripped on a rock,” she lies, managing a little pathetic chuckle.

“What are you saying?!” I shake her violently. “You got beaten up, dammit! I told them to stay away from you!”

She collapses in my hold and I’m forced to sit down with her. “Ah, so that was why…” she smiles. “Yukwon-ssi, am I your friend?”

I want you to be more than that. “I…” I gulp. “Of course,”

She closes her eyes gently. “I’m sorry….”

“S-stop apologizing,” panic and fear and pain well up in my chest at the same time. I wish I were a better man. I wish I could protect her. “What are you apologizing for?”

“S-sorry for…” her voice is as good as a whisper. “Tomorrow…”

“Tomorrow…?” I mumble, then shake her a little in my hold. For a split second I fear that she’s already dead, but, ah—she isn’t. “Hey…” I shake her a little, but the lethargy completely engulfs her, that she rests in my hold.

What about tomorrow?

I shake my head. First things first. I take her to the infirmary immediately.

“Miss Park is alright, Yukwon-ssi,” the nurse tells me with an angelic, yet apologetic—almost reassuring smile. “Judging from her state, I think she tried to fight a little but her low stamina and, well, maybe her meek attitude didn’t get her through that little beating. I’ve already treated her wounds and all she needs is some rest. This afternoon you can take her home,”

“Will she be able to go to school tomorrow?” I ask, still worried despite of the comfort.

She nods. “Yes, but that would depend upon her,”

“Okay…” I find myself robbed of my curiosity. I look at her from where I stand and notice that she looks a little more peaceful now. There are three gauzes on her face; one on the corner of her lip, one on her cheek, then another near her eyebrow.   Since she’s been cleaned she looks a lot finer now than a while ago.

“I’ll leave you two now,” the nurse bids, and bows before she leaves.

Worried. I’m still worried. As a feeling of anger slowly bubbles in my chest I clench my fists and remember the faces of the es who hurt my girl. Taking the seat beside her all I do for the rest of the day is to stare at her, and take her hand in mine, whispering words that would possibly cajole her into waking up. But somewhere within me I know—where her mind is right now is currently unreachable, so I’ll just have to wait. I lean my head on the vacant space on her bed, and, before knowing, I fall asleep.

“Yukwon-ssi.” Something pokes my nose softly. “Yukwon-ssi,” it pokes again. I slowly open my eyes, one after another, and there she is, blithely smiling down at me.

“Whoa!” my head immediately shoots up from its lain position on the bed’s surface.

She chuckles. “You snore when you sleep,”

I bite my lip, blushing. “Aish, don’t embarrass me!”

She continues to laugh, with those bell-chimes of a laughter, which greatly pleases my ears. “Maybe we should get moving now. I need to go home,”

“Let me go with you!”

Slowly moving out of her bed she replies, “Aniyo; I can handle myself,”

“I insist!”

“No, it’s fine. My house is just really near from here,”

“But…you might get in trouble again!”

We go on with this debate for maybe three exchanges, until finally, due to how strongly she would argue with me, I acquiesce—

“Alright. But at least let me walk you to the gate,”

“Sure,” she smiles with a subtle nod, and we bid the nurse goodbye before departing the school.

I called her name while we are in the middle of our walk to the gate, which made her look at me. “Why’d they beat you up?”

She just smiles at this. “Maybe they were jealous…”

“Because you finally got noticed by Jaehyo-hyung and you have a chance with him?” I snicker. “Really, they are really jealous es,”

“Mouth, Yukwon-ssi,” she reproaches gently, putting a motherly finger upon my lip. “Mouth,” the corners of are curled up, and this is one of the reasons why I need to confess to her tomorrow.

This apparently makes my face warm, but gladly she doesn’t notice. “Well, I…” I try to search for a proper continuation. “I couldn’t stand seeing you getting hurt,”

Her eyes droop a little. “Thank you for being kind to me, Yukwon-ssi,” and it was sad to realize that the sweetness of that voice was going to be owned by someone else.

You don’t know how much more I want to be. I think, but don’t say. “You’re…you’re welcome,” sadly, we reach the gate, and walk out on exit. She has to go eastward, and me the opposite direction.

“See you tomorrow,” she adieus, accompanied by a little wave. “Please take care on your way home, Yukwon-ssi,”

“You too,” I smile back, and turn on one heel, walking home, not looking back.

Then, just when I’m near my home, I remember about what I had to ask.

Why was she apologizing for tomorrow?

THE  FINAL CHAPTER WILL BE A FEW HOURS FROM NOW. OKAY !