BGM: Mogwai - Take Me Somewhere Nice

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The uneasy heart of mine kept me awake. Fear. I could not sleep well. It was 9.15 a.m. in the morning when I got off from bed. I rose from bed and dragged myself to the bathroom, only to be greeted by the the mirror which reflects this broken soul of mine. For a moment I was standing still looking at the mirror, wandering about life. I regretted how I've been wasting a lot of times in my life. I wish I could make more memories in the past because I might die soon, who knows.

Fifty minutes before her death. I went back to the bedroom and tried to switch my phone on but it didn't work. I plugged the charger in and the phone was ready after 30 seconds. Four messages were then arriving at the same time.

[ Sehun-ah, where are you? I'm waiting for you now ]

[ We're going to school together, right? ]

[ I'm riding the train now ]

[ Why don't you reply me? I'm gonna wait for you in Daegu Station ]

The last message arrived at 9.20 a.m., along with a notification of three missed calls from that same person. There was also me who was not fully woken up getting blown by the reality. I grabbed my jacket, pulled off my merely-charged phone, and walked downstairs ready to leave the house before suddenly my phone was vibrating noticing an incoming message.

[ Sehun-ah! Let's meet me in Jungangno Station instead. ]

It was getting closer. Please, if there is a way for us to be together again without being parted by death, I would take it. I would do anything.

I stopped my way in front of my front door to put on my shoes while making a phone call. I pressed the call button over her number. No answer on the first call. Still no answer on the second call. Third. Fourth.

"Mm, Sehun-ah..."

"Why didn't you answer my call?!!!!!!!"

"Hmm? I didn't notice it."

"Where are you now?!!!!!!!!!" I asked in a loud voice

"Do you really have to scream like that tho?"

"Where are you now!!!!! Where are you???!!"

"...I'm still on my way. You know what, I hear your voice well, no need to scream like that!" She raised her voice. "And you shouldn't be angry to me, you didn't answer my calls too earlier, not even replying my messages, so don't be so upset!"

The call was cut off by a notification popped up on my phone screen reminding me to charge the battery but I ignored it. I left the house wearing a knit sweater and a pair of dark blue sneakers, ignoring the fact that I'm actually supposed to dress myself in a school uniform. I fastened my pace like a mad guy.

There I was rushing myself to get into Myeongdeok Station, tapping my card on the ticketing machine, and getting myself inside the train where I suggested it was also rode by the girl. Panting myself hard, I put my hands on my knees and straightened my sweater right after to catch breath. I gasped the air and looked at the people around me only to find out Yeoju was standing five feet ahead me. She did not notice me. She lived two stations before my place and it was just by accident, no it was a miracle, that I hopped in the same train same compartment as her while both of us were heading to Jungangno.

"Kim Yeoju!!" I screamed close to her left ear while tapping her shoulder.

"Ah you surprised me!" She said as she slapped my arms. "Why are you here? And what's with that sweater?" She added as screened me from head to toe. "Not going to school?"

I didn't answer but pulled her into my embrace. I hugged her tightly.

"What's the hell is wrong with him again. Mood swings? He was mad at me earlier then he hug me like this as if he's feeling sorry."

And she put her hands on my back. She patted my back trying to comfort me from whatever situation she might think of and I could not help myself to secretly smile. For a moment, butterflies were flying on my stomach and the worriness had all gone in just a second. Lots of eyes were on our direction but who cares, it was my last.

"You're not going to school too today?"

"..Yeoju-ah"

"Hm, why?"

'The next station is Jungangno, we are heading to Jungangno Station.' I took a long sigh as soon as I heard the announcement. I pulled Yeoju closer to me, hugging her tighter. There is no way to go back off. No one can avoid the end. There really seems to be an end in life.

"Fire!!"

My heart could stop beating in any moment. The fire was coming from a compartment on the end side of the train. Screams were heard all over the train for the first one minute. People were then struggling to save theirselves, they were shouting for helps...in silence. It was hard to fight the heavy smoke and the fire flames.

"Yeoju yah, are you okay? Breathe!"

I coughed non-stop since I've found it difficult to grasp the air. Yeoju then patted my back couple times trying to stop my coughs. "Sehun-ah, are you okay?" I could sense worriness in her tone. I felt happy that at least she worried about me in that very dangerous situation we had. "But how do I save her?"

'This is an announcement for all passengers. We're currently checking on a issue happened on this train, please do not get panicked and stay seated in your place until everything is settled.'

Lie. That was all lie. The staffs were about to escape saving only their own lives. They were about to bring the master key of the train with them so the passengers would not be able to leave. It was a murder, I knew it already. Yeoju was trapped and died there last time because she was suffocating the air. My heart was broken to see Yeoju was getting weaker. I dragged myself closer and hugged her. No way. No. Please stay alive, Kim Yeoju.

"Stay awake, Kim Yeoju! Stay awake!!!!!!"

She didn't answer. Inside that dark compartment were all dying passengers. The compartment was so dark and smokey to the point that we would hurt our eyes just by opening it a little bit. We were all panting hard unable to catch the breathe. Way too difficult to inhale the oxygen and exhale the carbon dioxyde out. It was way more difficult than doing hardest thing I've had in life.

'My younger sister is died because of you. If it was not because of you then she would not have died. Go die, you jerk.' Her brother's voice were re-playing in my head. I opened my eyes a little bit for less than a second and found out the other passengers were beaten up by the heavy smoke as their bodies were falling down the floor one by one. Thinking hard to find a solution, the idea of making my body inhaling some other smelly things acrossed my mind. I kneeled closer to the dead bodies around me. I took the used water tissue on one dead body's hand grip and pass it to Yeoju as soon as possible. Tears were pouring down her cheeks. The stimulus pain was mixed by sorrow and sadness.

None could prevent the flames from getting higher. I dragged my whole body even closer to the girl. The intention to bring her away from death was bigger than ever. I wanted to save her.

"Sehun..."

Ten o'clock. We've been struggling for ten minutes sharp now. "Sehun-ah..." He's getting unconscious. He doesn't open his eyes. "Sehun-ah, don't close your eyes. Sehun-ah, stay awake!"

I heard her calling my names but I had no strength to open my eyes or even to just nod my head. "Sehun-ah! No, this can't be happening. Oh Sehun look at me!!" I heard her.

"Sehun-ah.."

My body was getting weaker and weaker by any second. I began to loose my hug.

"Yeoju-ah..." I said as I collected my last strength to speak up. I looked at her for a second and was glad to see she was conscious and she was gaining more strength to stay alive. I was glad that the struggles I experienced was not useless.

"..."

I told her I would protect her. Done. I haven't had the chance to tell her the word I'm waiting to tell her. Done.

"I like you," I whispered.

Really really like you. Since long time ago.

"Don't get sick," I warned her.

I was thankful to God who gave me time to change the fate. I was thankful to God who gave me a chance to see you once again. If there was last wish I want it to be granted, it's for her not fall sick and be happy for her life. Because I had always been happy to be her best friend.

Although it was blurry, I could tell she was alright only by looking at her face. She held my hands tight as I was finally falling down the floor. I was glad that she held me to the end of time. It was so relieving that she was alive.

Thank you.

If people ask me what I've been thankful for, my answer would be everything.

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Yeoju's POV

'This is today's news. The Daegu subway fire occured on February 18th 2003 was accused as a murder. The staffs were running away leaving the passengers in the isolated train. Further information about the accident will be announced as soon as possible.'

The sound from the television woke me up. I tried to wake up when I realized my aching body was lying on a couch.

"Kim Yeoju, are you awake?" said someone who walked towards my direction.

My eyes were blurry and my head was aching so bad as I tried to figure things out. Soon I recognized the colorless and lifeless atmosphere of the room I was in. I was in the hospital. I desperately screamed my lungs out, crying over something and I fainted.

Someone softly pushed me off as I stood up and offered me a glass of water which I refused to drink. I convinced him that I was strong enough to stand up and walk by myself. But I failed to convince my heart. I was not okay.

My heart sunk to the bottom as my eyes laid on a guy who was lying peacefully on the bed across me. He looked cold. He was pale. The pack of liquid medicine was pulled away from him. His left hand was no longer injected by the cold needle that brought him pain. He didn’t need it anymore. He’s gone.

I covered my mouth and wiped my tears couple times. "I like you, too." I whispered as I was walking closer to his body. I held his cold hands tight. "You haven't heard my answer, have you, Sehun-ah?" My body was not able to hold it, I fell down to the floor next to his bed. "Please be conscious..." I said in between my tears. "Oh Sehun wake up! Do you hear me?" I weakly stood up and reached his hands, trying to feel his pulse. I roughly shook his body but he was not waking up. "Sehun-ah..."

Someone came over and dragged me from behind. The guy was strong enough to drag me back to the couch across the bed, but I was mad. I rebelled. "Oh Sehun am I not your best friend? Can't you fulfill your best friend's request?" I screamed. "Wake up, Oh Sehun!" I kept on screaming until my body was finally getting tired. The guy let go off me and I slipped my body down, kneeling the floor with my hands over my chest, still crying the hell out of him.

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A week later - Yeoju's POV

"What a handsome guy we have here." I said as I look through his picture. It was on his student ID card, the one he accidentally dropped it on the subway. "Sehun-ah, I saved your ID card. You know what, a student must feel proud to show his student ID card, but you never did." I chuckled a bit.

"I miss you. I want to meet you, Oh Sehun. Are you doing well? I have nothing to do here. I can't do anything...not without you around."

[ Do you remember the Daegu subway fire? It's already a week since the accident occured but the pain is still lingering on us. ] said the reporter as heard from the television.

"Now that I lost my one and only best friend, what should I do? Is there even anything left for me to do?"

I miss him. I want to meet him. I want to tell him the answer he had been crazily waiting for. I want to answer that question I haven't had the chance to..that I like him, too. That I love him, too. This drives me nuts. I desperately need to give him an answer.

I walked into the bathroom of the hospital where I've been hospitalized and put the 'wet floor' sign in front of the door so nobody could get in. That sign itself looked more like a goodbye letter from me. I'm now preparing myself to give Sehun the answer he had been waiting for. I'm about to deliver the unsent reply to him. I'm going to meet him again today.

 

 

FIN.

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How was it? I was going to finish it two days ago but I had a grad ceremony to attend and I also had to deal with moving house so I could not make it on time T^T anyway I think I'm going to just translate more Korean fanfictions in the future, because my own writing skill haha!

Lately I've been addicted to a Korean fanfiction entitled My Baby and I starring Kim Junmyeon as a single dad who takes care of his three baby sons; Kim Baekhyun, Kim Jongdae, and Kim Chanyeol. The story tells about their daily life. My friend actually wants to try translating as she wants to learn the language, but it might take her long to even start because she's missing in action now lol so maybe I'll take over haha. Do anticipate ;)

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