127 hours

Sunlight drifts unto my face I stared on the clouds over the large tree giving shade to us.

Today, Jinri asked me to have some fun here at the park.

She wants to continue writing her novel, carve on the trees and pick pebbles and leaves. Like the usual.

Staring at her serious and innocent pale face, my heart beats fast and my mind flew away of the thought about her feelings. Yesterday, she seemed so shy of me holding her hands.

Is she conscious of my feelings?

“Oppa?”

I was astonished by the weak voice that called me. As I look at Jinri’s confused face and eyes asking, my eyes blinked of shame. I felt anxious that she caught me staring at her.

 “What… are… you…you.. s-staring… at-“

“Ah! Look at the clouds!”

Staring at the sky, I tapped with my fingers. I could still feel her staring at me. Later, she smiled and continued writing.

“Changing…topics….”

The wind blows together with our silence. Jinri kept writing and I feel so bothered that I could barely stay still. I glanced at Jinri again and finally talked to her with an embarrassed and soft voice.

“W-what are you writing?”

“Ah?... T-this?... It’s… a… novel.”

Grinning, I patted her head and pinched her pale cheeks lightly.

“Yeah, yeah I know that silly. But what’s that about?”

“Love…”

Smiling with excitement, I blurt out words that made her taken aback and seem to look afraid.

“Can I take a look at it?”

“Ah…no!”

With her soft shout, I was startled and became confused.

“Errr. Why?”

“I…I will…let you…see…it…after.”

She hugged the paper she’s writing at. Heaving a sigh, I stretched my arms around her shoulders and softly placed her head on my shoulders.

“O…oppa?”

“Yes?”

“Why…why are..you…”

“Shhh. I know you don’t feel well. Just rest on my shoulders.”

My heart flutters as I stare at the leaves of the trees being swayed by the wind. I can feel her smiling with her cheeks getting fluffed over my shoulders.

“You’re…the…best…oppa…”

“Yeah.”

We both remained silent for a while. After a minute, she blurted words which made my heart skip a beat for a second. And I hoped that she meant more than what we are today.

“I…I love…love you…op…pa”

Still staring at the clouds, I murmured softly.

“I love you too.”

122 hours

It was 4:00 in the afternoon.  Jinri got tired of writing so we decided to carve on trees now and pick shiny pebbles.I carved a person dancing as I want to dance right now. As I finished carving, I took a look at Jinri’s work and eventually laughed softly.

“Jinri-ah! Who’s that?”

Focusing very well on her work with an irritation in her face, she spoke softly.

“You…”

“Really?”

I went near her and assisted her carving. She was actually unable to carve anything except lines. I know she could hardly draw with her weak body.

“Here you go.”

Heaving a sigh, she turned to me and mumbled with a weak voice.

“Pebbles…”

“Yeah we’re going to pick some later. Or do you want to do it now?”

Her eyes blinked as she murmured weakly.

“Ah…no…”

With her eyes closing, her body falls on the ground. She lost her consciousness and collapsed. Fortunately, I caught her.

But I felt anxious and my mind went blank of ideas about what I should do.

“Jinri! Jinri!? Are you okay? Jinri! Wake up!”

I tried shaking her and shouting her name but she wouldn’t open her eyes. Hurriedly, I carried her and her wheelchair and called a cab.

My heart becomes more anxious with every distance being covered as we travel to the hospital. Staring at her pale face, I cupped her cheeks and pressed my thumb along her dry lips. Tears built up on the lids of my eyes and started falling one by one unto her unconscious body. I believe she’ll be able to recover.

However, I don’t know why I felt so anxious and cried like there will be no more tomorrow for her.

120 hours

2 hours had passed since she collapsed until now. She is still unconscious but she is more stable than before.

Having checked-up by the doctors, I started blaming myself. I feel so sorry that I let her be tired of carving. And the presence of Chanyeol stirs up my mood.

“What now? Did you make her so tired?”

With irritation, I blurted out loud words.

“I did not!”

“Hey hey, chill. I’m not trying to blame you. It’s just that you know her condition right? You should have not let her be tired or whatever…”

Scratching my head, I stood up from the bench were sitting at and shouted at him.

“If you got nothing to tell me but my mistake, just shut up-“

“I just care for her! Why are you so mad?!”

“Because you’re telling me that I’m a bad best friend or, brother! Right?! Don’t you know if makes me feel agitated and fuming?! I know you like her but you don’t have to-“

“Listen first okay?!”

With his shout, I felt that I am becoming too loud. I felt a bit ashamed, though still furious of him. I sat down again. Trying to calm myself.

“I don’t like her anymore okay? I’m already in love with someone else now. I just care for her because she’s a special friend for me. Remember the time when we ate with the two of you at her favorite restaurant? I just tried to sound like I still like her so you’ll get provoked and confess to her later since I know you like her for years already but the two of you did not get any progress. But jeez, it did not work. You’re so stupid.”

Shocked, I blurted out with the excitement of knowing that he don’t like her anymore and I got no rival for her love.

“Really?!”

“Yeah. So if I were you, I will confess immediately and waste no time. Remember, she got borrowed time for her life.”

Sighing heavily, I palmed my face and stared at him with worried and nervous eyes.

“But what should I do to confess to her? How? And when?”

He fixed his cap and started thinking and later came up with a suggestion.

“I think you should confess as early as possible. You don’t know when her life will fade. Hey, I’m just trying to be honest here. I’m not trying to snatch away your hope or put you down. Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and I will help you with fixing the set-up of the place and everything for your special day. You don’t have to worry about anything.”

“When will it be? Tomorrow? You think?”

“By the time she gets better and asks you something. I’m pretty sure your confession will spice up her happiness of getting her wish fulfilled.”

Still feeling nervous, I asked softly.

“Do you think... she likes me too?”

Grinning, Chanyeol sighed and spoke.

“We’ll see. I don’t really know. If not, at least you tried.”

“What if our friendship ends with my confession!?”

“Sheez. Jinri isn’t that kind of person. You know her better than me right? She could easily understand. Don’t worry bro. It's better than keeping your feelings in your self. I gotta leave. Hey, don’t forget to take my suggestion. Just text me if you need me. You got my number right?”

Chanyeol stood up and walked away. I was out of words that I could only stare at him vanishing from my sight. I don’t know if I should really confess or not.

But he’s right. I could try.

(...)