The emotions ran by her as she placed her heavy finger on the photograph. There, she stood so proudly, holding onto the 1st place gold medal. A smile broke out as the memories played in her head. Letting out a deep sigh, Saehee allowed herself to sulk in her bed, closing her eyes as she reminisced back to the good old days. Track and field was her life. Running solved her world's problems, whether she was enjoying the butterflies flying about in her stomach or drenched in the sorrows over her midterm exam grade. It kept her alive.

Flipping through the pictures, Saehee found the one picture that gave her butterflies. The album picture of Kris. She looked at it carefully, observing the details of the photograph. A tear unknowingly escaped her left eye and flowed down her cheek. Blinking once, Saehee exerted enough force to pull her hand to reach out. But with her movements limited and her coordination off, she wiped the portion of her face without the tears. Another breath reached the tip of her lips before it was exhaled out. Again, she reached up but almost ended up scraping under her bottom eyelid. Frustration raged in her when she gave up trying and let the tears dry up on her cheeks, leaving faint tear stains trailing down her face. 

As she turned her attention back to the photos, a scene played in her mind. On her left, the picture of Kris in his black shades and leather jacket, smiling brightly with an OK sign, laid on the bedside table. As she shuffled to her right, it was a picture of her and Yuri, bickering over who actually got to keep the medal at the end. 

Saehee let out a chuckle at the recollections. They were close; the two sisters. As much as she annoyed her older sister with her fanaticism towards EXO, Yuri took it all in, annoyed or not. The days they used to get ice cream together, the days she'd tell her older sister all the inside stories about EXO, the days she'd fantasize her dreams of being with Kris forever and ever and ever, and the day she ranked her own older sister against Kris all appeared and played back. The medal was a huge deal as there was a funny story that followed the golden medal. As a former runner, she'd sprint in the 100m, 200m, and 400m races. Occasionally, here and there, she'd place first or second in district, regionals, and state competitions. However, Saehee had never placed a spot in the nationals until her last race. That last race, that fateful day, she won 1st place in the 400m, 2nd place in 200m, and an honorary 4th place in the 100m. Nationals, the place where all of East Asia--Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, and Hong King--joined together at one summit to foresee all of the potential runners representing their countries. Saehee usually gave her medals, ribbons, etc., that she had won to Yuri. However, that time, when she had placed 1st and 2nd in her races, she simply gave Yuri her second place ribbon.

The photograph of them bickering over the medal was due to this reason. It was the first medal she had won in Nationals, gold at that. And yet, Kris was just so much important to her. What she said to her sister back then was still so clear as it rung in her ears, "It's for Kris...The thought of one day meeting him and giving him a medal that I worked so hard to get for him...that was what pushed me to win..."

Another tear escaped her eyes as she parted her lips to say the following words out loud, "T-t-this one i-is f-f-for him..."

"I still hold a grudge over that day," The familiar voice interrupted Saehee's reminiscence. 

Yuri sat by the bedside, grabbing a tissue to wipe the tears that ran down her little sister's face. A smile formed as her lips curled upwards. Saehee flashed a sheepish grin as she retreated to the farthest side of the bed. Picking up the bickering photo, Yuri let out a small laugh before wrapping an arm around her little sister. Saehee, who attempted to struggle out of it, finally remained still in her sister's arms, letting the warmth radiate between them. 

Crimson leaves rustled underneath the wheels of her chair as Saehee was brought out for a breeze. The evening zephyr whistled past Saehee's ears as she absorbed the beautiful metamorphosis of seasonal transformation. The blooming flowers of spring, the bright green leaves that survive and flourish in the summer, all now slowly wither. Yellow, red, brown hint at the green leaves as these colors take over rapidly, giving the tree no choice but to let go of its leaves. 

Yuri quietly let out a cough or two, before turning her attention to Saehee who sat there in her wheelchair, taking in her surroudings. Saehee's condition worried her as now, it was just unpredictable. There was really nothing more the doctors could do with the medicine and technology provided. The only thing they could do was to slow the process down, but even that was only a matter of time. 

Remembering Saehee's determination, Yuri brought out the gold medal and placed it in her little sister's stiff hands. Saehee clasped onto the medal as she scrutinized its content. It was suppose to be for Kris. She was supposed to go to an upcoming EXO concert to personally give it to him. She was suppose to meet him, let him know that she existed and acknowledged all of his and EXO's hard work...

"Let's give it to him soon, Saehee." Yuri pleaded as she got down on one knee to be at the same level as Saehee.

Saehee looked down at the medal, grasping it hard between her cold fingers. Yuri tucked the pieces of clothing that were loose on her little sister to make her feel just a little bit warmer under the wind that grew stronger. 

"It was the one thing you really wanted to do...right?" The question played her lips as Yuri looked into her sister's eyes.

On the other hand, Saehee broke the connection as she looked away, tears welling up in her eyes.

"You could still give it to him, Saehee-yah. Hmm?" Yuri laid a hand on Saehee's shoulder, gently squeezing it to show affection.

A tear escaped. Followed by another one. Soon, chokes of sobs broke out of Saehee as her breathing became uneven. Panic-stricken, Yuri jumped up and reached out to her sister, holding her by the two shoulders, prepared to initiate the drill.

"Saehee. Breathe. Saehee, I'm sorry. It's okay. It'll be okay. Come on, in," Yuri's voice shook as she instructed and inhaled a gulp of breath herself, "Out." As she exhaled, she looked up at her little sister who still could not maintain steady breathing. Yuri's eyes reflected fear as she stared into her sister's pleading eyes. 

"Saehee! Please, don't do this to me. Saehee, breathe. You're doing great, but a bit slower," she tried to encourage but to no avail.

The nurses rushed over as they tended to Yuri's helpless outbreak. Placing the ill patient on a stretcher, they all dashed back into the building. Yuri ran inside, holding onto her sister's freezing hand. Their only link to one another was snatched broken as one of the nurses urgently limited Yuri from entering the Emergency Room. 

Seconds felt like minutes. Minutes felt like hours. But soon enough, time was ticking away. Three sighs were exhaled, almost.

The first was one of worry, as there were no news after a good two hours of being separated from her sister. The long breath that escaped her was unbearable. She had to tell herself to breathe in, and out. She herself had to instruct and remind herself that breathing was essential to live, since she held in her breath so much for so long, awaiting just some kind of hope.

A sigh of exhaustion played her lips as she felt her eyes closing. Blinking once, then twice, Yuri straightened her posture as she tried to stay alert and awake. The night sky luminated by the moon shone through the hospital windows, indicating the time length that Saehee had been in there. And as the feeling of helplessness overwhelmed Yuri and her fragile figure, she continued to stare at the clock, still awaiting for that hope.

The third and final sigh...was not exactly a sigh. A sob broke out, releasing large amounts of air as they filled the room.

The doctor had finally stepped out of the Emergency Room after the long and excruciating wait. Yuri hoped, just really hoped, that it wasn't any more threatening than it already was, but she had spoken too soon. These tremors took a huge toll on her. These night terrors, short-of-breath moments had pressed her little sister to her limits. 

Placing the blame upon herself, Yuri sat against the wall, on the floor with her knees near her chest. If only she didn't mention it. If only she was able to keep shut. If only she didn't help bring back those useless memories, Saehee may have still been fine. It was only after she suggested the latter that triggered such condition onto Saehee. 

Holding onto the medal that laid in her hand, Yuri stared at it before drops of tears stained the golden reward. A draft crept in through the tiny opening of the window, making Yuri shudder at the sudden breeze. As Yuri stood by the window, the awful temptation slipped her mind as she held the medal outside the window. She raised her arm, in an attempt to throw it out the window, but as the image of Saehee flashed in front of her. Her unstable legs gave out and she laid by the window, the medal still weakly dangling in her grip, with tears that continued to drop endlessly. 

Saehee remained still in her bed as she stared up at the ceiling. The moon provided a faint source of light in the dark room, allowing her to look around to see her sister sprawled on the table with her head down, fast aleep. Tear stains marked her face as Yuri whispered in her sleep.

Breathe...just breathe...please

A soft smile formed on Saehee's pale face. It was really only a matter of time now. 

She came to accept it.

What more was the use of fighting the inevitable? Everyone died sometime in their life. Sure, people want to live a good, long, happy life before they died. They want to be rich. They want to be smart. They want to be amazing. Start a family. Have kids. Live. Breathe. But in the end, as time ticks to mark the end, as it comes down to the last breath, it's really all a lot of sweet nothings. We can't take everything with us. Everything we work so hard for, everything we get, all the money we earn, all the fame we fight for, all that power we struggle for...it all really doesn't matter at the end. What matters are how we learn to accept life. The people around us, the emotions we share, the feelings that run past us, the things we normally overlook. These are what matter. 

For Saehee, Yuri had done more than enough for her. The kindness, care, and presence she represented made all the difference in little Saehee's life. As much as they fought, as much as they disagreed on so many things, in the end, she was the one that really stayed until the end, through thick and thin. Only Yuri tolerated all the sweet and sour nothings.  And only Yuri stuck through this heartbreaking journey with her, even though the end was nearing...

Watching her older sister sleep, Saehee let out a breath to assure that her still living self was well at ease. However, she felt herself getting weaker by the moment...

Yuri unnie...thank--

A soft knock was heard at the door. Yuri's head perked up at the sound as she stared at me, a bit perplexed, before answering the door. Quiet hush-hushes and whispers were hard to decipher, but Saehee had managed to hear, "Yuri-sshi...a person by the name of Kevin Li is on the line. He wishes to speak to you as he apologized for the late call...should I put him through?

The name echoed through Saehee's mind before she merely shook it off. The random thought was immediately dismissed as Saehee released the tension that resided in her body, relaxing her body as she took in another breath.

Kevin Li...was Kris' name...Kevin Li was Kris' name...it was Kris' name...

Okay, I will update the last chapter later today, before the deadline x.x I need sleep right now, but it will be up before the end of today. Hope you guys all had a wonderful Christmas! Okie, wish me luck guys and please subscribe and comment :) Thank you!