The story of your third chance on life streams out of your lips as your eyes pay close attention to Lay’s expression.  He was surprised, incredulous, disbelieving, frowning, saddened, and confused, all at the same time.

“So, the reason you asked for another chance is..?”

“To talk to you about something I’ve been keeping, for a long time,” You answer him, straining your voice.  “I understand if you choose to be angry, but it’s my dying wish to ask for your forgiveness, Lay,” His eyes search yours and you look back at him, determined to tell the truth.  “And to keep good care over your friendship,”

“With who?”

“With Kai,”

“Why Kai, all of a sudden?”

“Because my first kiss was with him, not you,” You blink, masking your expression, preparing yourself for the worst to come.

But Lay said nothing.

“Lay?” You frown.  “Lay, did you hear what I just-“

“I thought you were sleeping with him,” He heaves a huge breath of relief and you pink at the thought, denying it harshly although you couldn’t express it well.

Kai jumps in, shocked.  “Hyung, what-“

You cut him off, raising your voice in panic.  “Holy mother of Go- of course not! Did you really think I would-“

“I know about the first kiss, Ji,” Lay says, switching his focus from you to Kai and then back to you again.  “I’ve known since a long time,”

“Y-You do?” Kai asks.  “Why didn’t you-“

“Because I didn’t want to ruin our friendship,” He slumps forward.  “I mean, sure, it bothered me like hell and everything, but I know how it feels to be madly in love and so vague about self-control.  And then you guys acted like you were forgetting already, I thought I should as well play along.  It made things easier and Jihye, I don’t think you even remembered that kiss with Kai when I thought that I gave you your first kiss?”

“Frankly, I didn’t, that day, but the next, I did, and I felt horrible, so I acted, like, you know,” You shudder at the memory, back when you had pushed both Kai and Lay away rudely just because you were confused at yourself. 

“It may still be a big deal to me,” Lay adds in and then shakes his head.  “But it’s not major enough to ruin the years of our friendship and love,”

Your fingers twitch and realizing the gesture, Lay slips his hand inside yours and you weakly squeeze his, throwing him a grateful smile.  “God, Lay, I don’t think I’d be able to come to not love you, even when I’m dea-“

“Don’t say it,” He snaps at you and clenches his jaw.  “Just, what you told me might be something I can handle, but you, gone? Don’t, please,”

You’re just about to answer him when the door slides open and your siblings decide to walk into the room, completely oblivious about the whole situation.

“Hey, hyu-“ Kyungwoo blinks at him and at you, who is apparently awake.

“U-unnie?” Yumi steps backwards in slight fear and her heel comes in contact with Aeri’s side, causing her to yelp in surprise at Aeri’s unconscious state.  “What in the world?”

Panicked at the sudden confrontation, your eyes grow wide and flit back and forth, breath uneven and restless.  “K-Kai,” You whisper, the pain stabbing from your head to your toe growing unbearable as thoughts come rushing into your head.  “Necklace, h-hurry,”

He nods vigorously and puts Luhan’s necklace back over Aeri’s head, and after a while, your consciousness drifts over to Aeri’s body and your eyes flutter open, your mind registering the missing pain and telling yourself to let out a shaky breath of relief.

“Holy sh-“ Kyungwoo clamps a hand over his mouth and pulls Yumi backwards with him, away from Aeri’s rising body. 

“No, it’s okay,” You, in Aeri’s body now, raise your head to look at the two and throw them a smile.  “It’s okay, please, there’s nothing to be afraid of,”

“You’re the person from unnie’s workplace,” Yumi points at you.  “The one who gave us her bank accounts and everything else,”

You shake your head and lean onto Lay’s arm for support as he helps you up.  “No, I’m Jihye.  It’s unnie, kids, can’t you recognize me?” You grip onto Lay’s arm as you slightly slip the necklace over your head without completely taking it off, letting your true appearance flicker before Kyungwoo and Yumi’s eyes. 

The two stares wide-eyed at you and again, your story finds it way to their listening ears.

“As much as it sounds real, it doesn’t,” Kyungwoo shakes his head, stubborn.

“Kyungwoo,” Lay calls him sternly.  “Stop denying things,”

Yumi draws back a little, hurt by Lay’s straightforwardness.  “Oppa, do you know how hard it is for us?”

“Do you know how hard it is for me?” He asks back defensively, but immediately regrets his actions.  “Just hear her out,”

“Kyungwoo, Yumi,” You say their names and they perk up.  “Thank you for taking care of your oldest sister,” Your lips part to let out a chuckle.  “Thank you for being there, all this time, when I wake up and when I go to sleep, when I’m working or when I’m crying, thank you.  I’m sorry that I haven’t been properly taking care of you, I’m sorry that I haven’t carried out the responsibilities our parents had left for me, and I’m sorry for having to leave so soon.  I hope that whatever it is I gave you will be enough for you to live on, at least until you find a proper job, Kyungwoo and Yumi, a husband that loves you more than you could ever love him,” Your eyes flitted towards Lay and you catch him looking back at you, pain etched in the creases on his forehead.  “Won’t you come here to give your sister a hug? Even though I’m in someone else’s body,”

Without hesitation, they walk towards you and pull you into their arms, squeezing you like there’s no tomorrow.

Right, there is no tomorrow for you.

“Hey, hey,” You carress their heads as you hug them back, calming down their sobs.  “Hey, it’s okay, I’ll live on in here, okay?” You pat your heart and smile as you let them not.  As expected, your words about never resisting to let go of things had finally registered in their minds and has finally found its purpose.  “My spirit and love for you will live on and love on,” Your eyes sting at the tears threatening to pour, but you hold back and be strong, for them, for everybody in the room. You're glad at how they're taking it so well.  How Lay is, too.  They are, undoubtedly, feeling immense pain in their hearts but you know that they know that everybody dies.  That sooner or later, they have to eventually learn to let go, because nothing is eternal.

“Luhan, can I spend the last two hours of my life in my own body?” You ask, looking towards the windows and surely, there he was, watching the scene with melancholy in his eyes.

He simply gives you a nod and you stand by Jihye’s bed, throwing a smile over your shoulder before touching her fingertips and pushing back down the scream clawing up your throat at the pain.  As its intensity subsides, it is replaced by a constant stab in your head, an uncomfortable churn among your insides, a painful numbness that doesn’t make sense, and you realize that Aeri’s body is gone, just like that, and that you have Luhan’s necklace clutched in your hand.

You look at the item in your hand and immediately close your hand, unable to erase the image from the back of your eyelids.

There was only a little piece of the circle hanging at the end of the necklace, and it was shortening by the second.

At least the people you love are around you.

At least they’re here.

And for once, you want to be selfish and wish that they’d be here forever, even when you’re not.