Hao Yi looked in the mirror as she smoothed out her dress and fixed her hair. She heard a knock at the door and turned just as Yixing opened the door, stepping in with a big smile on his face and a bouquet of roses in his hand.

“Yixing, I’m just leaving the hospital, you didn’t have to get flowers,” she laughed as she took the bouquet into her hands, giving them a quick sniff and smiling up at him, her eyes twinkling.

Yixing gave her a quick peck before he picked up the bag with all of her clothes. The two smiled at each other as they exited the hospital, bidding goodbye to her doctor and nurses. Yixing stopped her once they were outside in the parking lot, and pulled a car key out of her pocket.

“When did you get a car?” Hao Yi cried incredulously.

Yixing laughed and steered her towards the car. “I rented it for a few days. You just got out of the hospital, can’t have you walking all over Seoul quite yet.”

The two slid into the rental and started off. The drive took longer than Hao Yi thought it would have, and she looked out the window.

“Where are we going? This isn’t the way home,” she said softly.

Yixing smiled at her, a playful twinkle in his eyes. “You’ll see.”

After about 15 more minutes of driving, the two stopped. Yixing turned the car off and twisted his body so he was looking fully at Hao Yi.

“When you met me, I was in a bad place. I had lost my best friend, and I was struggling every day to get out of bed. I was a drunk, and I was a mess. I still am a mess, but no so much the drunk part anymore, thankfully,” he chuckled, and turned serious again. “And it’s all because of you. I haven’t been able to bring myself to come here by myself and say goodbye. But I think I can now.”

He gave her a proud smile, and she reached over to set a hand on his thigh. “I’ll be right here with you the entire time.”

They both stepped through the gate and walked down the pathway together, hand in hand. They stopped in front of a fresh plot of dirt, looking down at the gravestone together.

LuHan

April 1990-October 2017

Hao Yi gave Yixing’s hand a quick squeeze before he let go, bending down to get eye level with the grave marker.

“Hi Luhan, it’s been a while. I’m sorry I haven’t been here, yet. I just couldn’t bring myself to face this.”

He looked up at Hao Yi, who gave him an encouraging nod, and he continued.

“I met the most amazing girl. She’s smart, and beautiful, and stronger than I could ever be, and she’s helped me through so much, helped me to finally get here now. Luhan, I’m happy now, so you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

Yixing stood up and took Hao Yi’s hand in his own, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

“Do you think he’s listening from wherever he is right now?”

Hao Yi took a deep breath and looked up to the sky, feeling the breeze as it blew past her, and she closed her eyes, smiling. She looked up at him and gave him a kiss and a reassuring hug.

“He’s listening.”