"Jinmi ah, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, I'll only burden him if I stay."

She had been so certain, but sitting in front of the man she loved, she felt her resolve weakening. Can I really do this?

He looked at her expectantly. "Why did you call me out, Jinmi? Did something happen?" I can't do this to him, but I can't burden him either.. At the thought of burdening him, she made her mind up.

"Kris.. I think we should break up." That sentence that she'd practiced saying so many times came out so casually and yet it was the worst thing she had ever said. The moment the words were out of , she wanted to take them back so badly. Anything to erase the expression on his face. Please forgive me for doing this to you..

***

A month after they broke up, neither party was doing well. He didn't understand why she suddenly wanted the break up, he cried every day, wondering what he had done wrong. Her health was getting worse day by day, the cancer racing to kill her. She too cried every day, whenever she thought of how badly she had hurt him, because she didn't want him to worry about her. This is better than if he stays by my side and see me die slowly, right? Why does it hurt so much then?

Another two weeks passed, and she had made arrangements for her funeral, everything was just waiting to be set in motion after her death, and that day was drawing close. The friends who knew about her cancer and went to visit her in the hospital were shocked. How could a swimming champion and basketball player end up lying so weak and vulnerable on a hospital bed? More than one friend had advised her to tell him the truth, "He deserves to know why you broke up with him Jinmi," but she couldn't bring herself to hurt him again. So she suffered alone quietly, both of them missing each other.

The more he thought about it, the more it didn't make sense. Why would she suddenly break up with him? Things were going so well. He decided to go and look for her, to finally clear the air. However, he was too late. After asking around, he found out that she was in the hospital. Thoughts began to form, some clearer than others, but the clearest one was "Is she okay?" He went to the hospital, asking everyone he saw if they knew of a Park Jinmi. "Long brown hair, pretty smile and.. she's my girlfriend."

A nurse saw how lost he looked and brought him to her ward, he hesitated outside her room, should I? He was still debating over the pros and cons of going in when the doctors shoved past him to get into her room. When he finally realised what had happened, fear gripped him. He rushed into the room, running over to her side. The doctors were discussing her condtion in hushed tones as he picked one of her small hands up and clasped it in his huge ones.His heart was hurting as he asked her quietly, "Why didn't you tell me, Jinmi-ah? We could have gotten through this together. I'm so sorry you had to face this alone."

He wasn't expecting a reply, but she used her last bit of energy to open her eyes and tell him, in a voice no louder than a whisper, "Mianhae Kris. I love you." Then he heard the flatline as she closed her eyes. Nado saranghae.