“How was practice?”

 

Sam smiled gently, his hand squeezing her small, pale one. Even through his fake smile, she could sense his sadness and grief.

 

“It was perfect, as usual. We’ll be ready to debut soon, you know. You promised you would be there when we did,” Sam answered, his calloused fingers gently tracing over the dips of her knuckles. Hyerin smiled faintly, her dull ebony locks seemed to fan around her in a deathly halo.

 

“And I plan on keeping to that promise; You of all people should know I’ve never broken a single promise,” She didn’t look at him, because they both knew the real answer. His group’s debut wasn’t for another few months and her health was rapidly deteriorating. 

 

“But if you don’t show up? All of my hard work will be without reason,” Sam whispered, laying his forehead against her hand. The skin felt cool and clammy in his grip; he knew she didn’t have long.

 

“Sam, listen to me. You did all of this for yourself. I was the only person who persuaded you to go after your dream. This is what you were meant to do in life.” Hyerin murmured, her fingers twitching in his grasp.

 

“Besides, I still have three more chemo treatments. Things can still change, Sam.” She turned her glittering grey eyes on him, her best friend. He looked at her, his hazel eyes filled with grief and sorrow in the rich tones of green and browns.

 

“I’ll keep my fingers crossed.”

 

~~~~~

 

Two months passed in the same manner. Everyday after practice, he would come visit her, sometimes bringing her favorite food or even bringing his bandmates, who’d come to see her as their younger sister. Yun would sing her sweet lullabies to soothe her into a sleep after her painful shots and chemo treatments. Teo would bring her games and even invent new ones and they would play for hours on end, laughing and giggling the entire time. 

 

Life seemed to seep into her with each of their visits; her eyes sparkled when she saw them and a smile stretched across her pale lips. Her outlook became even brighter when Sam asked the doctor how she was doing.

 

“It looks like she’s going to be a survivor, sir. She’s a tough one to take from this world,” The doctor responded kindly, glancing through her paperwork that was clipped to his clipboard. Sam remembered his heart soared at the news; she was going to live!

 

And once she was discharged from the hospital, he would confess his feelings for her.

 

However, he had turned around and had not been able to see the sad smile that graced the doctor’s face. The doctor hated lying to those that were close to his patients, especially when it was obvious that the young man loved the girl who was just about to be taken from him by the dark clutches of death.

 

However, it was to the patient’s discretion that he should withhold such information.

 

She had less than two months, and he had fulfilled one of her two remaining wishes.

 

~~~

 

As the day drew near to Lunafly’s debut, Sam’s schedule became hectic and it was a godsend if he could go visit her once a week. Hyerin looked like a blossoming flower in spring, her strength returning with each of his visits. Each visit, he would leave her with a quick peck to the forehead, failing to see the life drain out of her when he left. Her eyes lost their light and her smile would fade. She would stay silent as her wet nurse came to clean off the makeup that allowed her skin to look vibrant, the pallor of her flesh could only indicate her declining health. The throbbing pain in her chest had never ceased and only intensified with each passing day, a reminder that she only had a little time to complete her dying wish.

 

And the week came when he was just too busy to come see her.

 

Sam strolled through the hospital doors, a smile across his handsome features. In his hands was a delicately wrapped box; the diamond necklace inside was one she’d pointed out in a catalog a few weeks prior. Compared to the cost of her treatments, the $800 he’d spent on the necklace was like comparing a drop of water to a lake. 

 

A friendly nurse stopped him in the hallway to Hyerin’s room. Over the months, Sam had come to befriend her. Kyunhye hadn’t been working at the hospital for very long, but she knew the back story behind the particular patient he was going to see.

 

“Mr. Carter, Hyerin was discharged 3 days ago. She said it was urgent that she go to her family estate and work on something,” Kyunhye said, smiling at Sam before continuing on with her errands.

 

“Why didn’t she say anything to me?” Sam mused quietly, heading back to his car to drive to the Choi family’s huge estate. The house had three separate wings, and he knew for a fact that if she was here, she would be in the woodshop, going to work on the projects she so longed to finish while in the hospital. 

 

He parked his Hyundai Genesis and stepped out, grabbing the necklace and walking towards the garage that housed the woodshop. Oddly and eerily enough, he heard no noise. Unless she was taking a break, Hyerin would have been cursing up a storm, the sound of a belt sander or a table saw ripping through the brick masonry. 

 

Stepping into the garage, the scene before him made his heart stop.

 

Hyerin was slumped over her work table, a project cradled in her pale, thin arms. Her eyes had slid shut and her limp hair had all but shrouded her face from view.

 

The necklace fell to the floor, clattering loudly in the silent room.

 

“Hyerin? Rin?” Sam rushed to her, his arms circling her thin frame. Her head lolled onto his shoulder, her eyes refusing to open. Her skin was cold to the touch. “Wake up, please. Don’t play jokes on me,” He begged, his calloused fingers running through her hair. A choked sob erupted from his throat when a large lock of her hair came loose from his movements, falling to the floor silently.

 

“No, no, no. The doctor said you would survive,” Sam cried, tears streaming down his face, rocking back and forth with her body cradled like an infant in his arms. “You were supposed to survive for me. For us. Don’t do this to me!” 

 

He stayed like that for a while. Sam didn’t know how much time had passed as he held her body, his warm tears falling to splatter against her pallid cheek. It was an interminable amount of time before he managed to calm his actions of grief; it may have been minutes or maybe hours, Sam could no longer tell.

 

When he did look up to glance at the time, he caught sight of her project.

 

Laying on the worktable was a magnificent creation. A guitar made of mahogany and red oak. The board was lined with tiger maple and the strings gleamed in the dim light, recently shined with a finishing oil.

 

Stuck between the strings was a single index card.

 

Gently placing her body on the cool ground, Sam stood up and carefully picked up the letter, his fingers running over the smooth, finished wood of the guitar.

 

Unfolding the letter, he read the simple note, his eyes closing in pain.

 

My dear, sweet Sam,

 

I’m so sorry I lied to you. I just couldn’t have you forsaking your career for my sake. I asked the doctor to cover up my rapidly declining health to shield you from further pain.

Here is my last gift for you. My soul went into making this guitar, so please, use it on the day you debut; I will be with you then. Forever and Always.

And I’m sorry I didn’t have the courage to say this to you when I was alive. My life is slipping away now, but I feel like you should know this.

It’s been years since we first met, and on the day you went to pursue your dream for yourself was the day I fell in love with you, Sam Carter.

There, I said it. I love you. And I always will, even with my parents by my side and God standing behind me.

I wish you the best of luck, my love. And don’t forget, I will always be with you, no matter what.

 

Your Guardian Angel, Rin

 

~~~

 

End!

 

I was in a really sad mood when I wrote this, so I’m sorry if this induced tears, though I feel like it wasn’t that sad. Anyways, enjoy!