Jinri excused herself for awhile and weakly went out of the classroom. “Comfort room,” she had informed the teacher but the real reason was she needed to get to the clinic and fast.

   Having a hand clutched on her chest, she gathered all her remaining strength to walk but her vision was getting blurry and her knees weaker in each step. She hadn’t even reached the staircase yet and it would be embarrassing if everyone saw her passed out on the hallways.

   Sehun went out of the comfort room, hands inside his pockets, and went on his way back in the classroom but when he rounded the corner, he saw a girl sitting on the floor, a hand supporting her weight and the other clutching on her uniform. She looked like she was in pain; tears were evident on her cheeks and she was gasping for air.

   The boy, without any second thoughts, ran towards her and knelt down. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He asked as he tucked some of her hair behind her ear to get a better look of who she is. “Jinri-ssi..? Hey..”

   It was Choi Jinri, a classmate of his. They never really talked and that day was their very first encounter.

   “D-Don’t.. Don’t tell anyone..” Jinri gasped, the hand supporting her weight finding its way on Sehun’s uniform, gripping on it tight. “Please..”

   Sehun nodded and helped her up. “Let’s get you to the hospital.” He scooped her up on his arms and ran down the stairs.

▢ ▢ ▢

Jinri opened her eyes wide, gasping for air. She breathed heavily as her mind registered where she was: white ceiling, white walls, the familiar smell, the pictures on the desk and on the walls..

   She’s back in her room at the hospital.

   No.. No, no, no, no.. Please.. Tears started to pool on the rim of her eyes and when she felt someone holding her hand, she turned to look at that person and a blond hair and angelic features greeted her sight. A tear slid down on the side of her face as she whispered, “Sehun-ah..”

   Sehun was fast asleep, his arms supporting his head on the bed and a hand tightly gripping on hers. She looked at the clock and it read a quarter to four in the afternoon.

   Jinri smiled a bit and slowly sat up, careful not to wake the boy. She then lifted her free hand to caress Sehun’s hair.

   A dream.. So everything was just a dream, huh? Jinri thought as she tried to blink back more tears. Everything about meeting Jongin and all the things that happened after that.. They were just a dream, weren’t they? Why did she have to wake up? Why can’t she just stay asleep and dream sweet dreams? Why can’t she just die instead?

   Sehun stirred a bit and slowly opened his eyes.

   “Afternoon, sleepyhead..” Jinri lightly chuckled despite her tears.

   Sehun jolted up with wide eyes, “Jinri..”

   Her eyesmile caused the tears to slide down her cheeks and the boy hugged her tight. Jinri hugged back, clutching on the fabric on Sehun’s back and let herself sob on his chest. “Sehun-ah..”

   “Sssh, it’s fine. You’re alright.” Sehun comforted, running his fingers through her hair. “Don’t cry, Jinri-ya. It’s bad for your health.”

   A knock broke their moment and the two pulled away.

   Sehun helped Jinri to wipe her tears away and when she finally smiled, the boy answered the door.

   “Please tell me she’s awake..”

   Jinri peeked on the door and when the person who knocked went inside, she widened her eyes. “Ch-Chanyeol..”

   Chanyeol smiled brightly and shoved the paper bag he was carrying towards Sehun. He ran towards the girl sitting on the bed and gave her a bone-crushing hug. “You got me so worried! Why didn’t you tell me anything?!”

   “Park Chanyeol,” Sehun warned dangerously. “Can’t you see she’s trying to recover? Give her a breather.” He placed the paper bag on the table and took out the items inside: there were drinks and snacks for them.

   Jinri blinked in confusion as Chanyeol bombarded her with questions after letting go and occupying Sehun’s seat beside the bed. Nobody in school knew about her condition except her circle of friends and Sehun. Why was Chanyeol there? She looked at the blonde, “You told him?”

   “Told him what?” Sehun asked as he arranged the snacks on the table.

   “That I’m—”

   “You don’t remember?” Chanyeol’s eyebrows furrowed at Jinri. “All the things we’ve been through? The memories?”

   Sehun rolled his eyes, “Shut up. Stop being dramatic,”

   “Jinri, how could you?” Chanyeol whined. “The last time I checked, you didn’t hit your head on the pavement!”

   “He was the last one you were with before you got sent back here, Jinri-ya.” said Sehun, trying to refresh her memory.

   Jinri widened her eyes. “So I wasn’t dreaming..?”

   “What are you talking about?” Chanyeol pouted, “Of course you weren’t dreaming. We’re all real here!”

   “T-Then Jongin..” Jinri’s heart pounded and they could hear and see it from the cardiograph.

   “Hey,” Sehun walked on the other side of her bed. “Hey, calm down, Jinri-ya. You have to keep your heartbeats at a normal pace.”

   “B-But Jongin-ssi.. How—How long have I been here?” Jinri blinked rapidly to stop her tears from falling.

   Chanyeol rubbed Jinri’s back as he furrowed his eyebrows at Sehun.

   “Today would be the fifth day.” Sehun answered.

   “And Jongin? Does he know?”

   Sehun shook his head no. “As promised.” He said, “Chanyeol promised too.”

   Jinri looked up at the tallest and he grinned, raising a palm up.

   “What.. What happened?” Jinri asked in a whisper. “How is he?”

   “Before you passed out last Saturday, I heard you calling for Sehun-ah so he was the first and only person I called before anything else. Man, I panicked so bad because I didn’t know what to do.” Chanyeol explained, “When we met, he told me..”

“I knew about Jinri ever since last year,” Sehun sighed as he looked at Jinri who was sleeping on the hospital bed. “I was the only one aside from her friends who knew about her condition so she made me promise not to tell anyone about it.”

   Chanyeol furrowed his eyebrows. “No wonder you were acting all defensive on Jongin before.”

   “Yeah..” Sehun bit his lower lip. “I just didn’t want her to get hurt, that’s all. I just worried that Jongin might trigger an attack..”

   Chanyeol looked at Jinri, frowning. “But we were just walking that time..”

   “It isn’t your fault.” Sehun smiled a bit, “She was sick the day before you two went out. That might have been the cause,”

   “We could have just postponed it.” Chanyeol sighed. “If I knew then I could have just told her to go home.”

   “I’ve done that.” said Sehun, “That’s what I’ve actually been telling her when you saw us outside the studio but she was being stubborn and said she couldn’t back out now. She promised.”

   “Yeah but there’s still next time..”

“And Jongin?”

   “When you were absent again last Monday, he asked me what happened; why you’re absent. I just told him I don’t know because.. Well, I promised not to tell.” Chanyeol answered. “And even if nothing happened and you were absent, I would have answered the same thing.”

“You have to promise not to tell anyone,” said Sehun. “Especially Jongin. I’m sure that’s what Jinri’s going to tell you.”

   Chanyeol frowned.

   “You have to act as if you don’t know anything, hyung.” Sehun furrowed his eyebrows. “Be the happy virus you’ve always been. Keep smiling.. for Jinri.”

“But I can tell he’s really worried, Jinri-ya.” Chanyeol bit his inner cheek. “He kept complaining about how he can’t reach you and all. He couldn’t even get straight answers from your friends. He worried that you might have completely shut him off your life..” He shrugged, “Whatever that means.”

   “Did you two fight..?” Sehun asked.

   Jinri chewed on her lower lip and shook her head, “Aniyo. It was just me,” she said. “I have to tell him I’m fine.. That he doesn’t have to worry. That I’m just.. taking a short vacation or something.”

   “We can tell him on your behalf, I guess..?” Chanyeol suggested.

   “No!” Jinri exclaimed, “He’ll know. He’ll get suspicious. He’ll ask you how you knew. I need my phone.” She looked around for it.

   “Minho-hyung took your phone.” Sehun informed, sighing.

   A knock was heard on the door again and it opened.

   Speaking of the devil..