A/N: I guess I failed to mention that the first three chapters were going to be sort of an introduction to everything. So uh.. yeah. This is the "official" start of the story, presesnt day, Shinwoo's point of view. Hahah, sorry..

Never in my younger years did I think I'd be where I am at this very moment: lighting a bit too bright for my liking, the incessant beeping of machines surrounding me, all in an enclosed room filled with a seemingly universally disliked scent, with a porcelain floor whose coldness feels as if it's jumping up at you. But I can't compain; a beautiful woman is sitting by my side. I feel a mixture of joy, sorrow, and guilt as I stare at her sleeping figure, wondering how she has managed to stay with me all this time. Just taking one glance at her, it's clear that our relationship has done more bad than good for her—eyelids slightly distended from the previous night's affairs, the circles under her eyes getting darker each time we meet, the lines that decorate her forehead which have become more prominent since the first time I met her. Although it may seem like I'm simply bringing criticism upon her, I'm not. With these so called "flaws", in my eyes (and the eyes of most), she's perfection. As much as I'm ashamed to say this, it gives me some strange reassurance to see that I can make such effects on her.

She reveals her soft chocolate eyes, letting out a cute yawn, giving me an eyesmile. "Sleep well?" I ask her. In response, she nods and moves in closer to me while I take her warm, petite hands in mine, kissing the back of one. My long time friend carelessly barges in, bringing along with him another who had become close to me just this year. The two of them are carrying bags of food as they did on a regular basis, and for that, I'm very thankful. I don't think I can bear eating the food of this place more than once a day. 

"Oh oops, are we interrrupting something, Shinwoo, Ji Sun?" one of them remarks sarcastically, continuing to walk in. 

"Very funny, Jinyoung," Ji Sun says back monotonously. He's Ji Sun's first cousin, a piece of information I would have liked to know a long time ago. In the past I had a brief hatred for him as I went into assumption thinking he was something else to her, but that's a completely different story for another time. It's something we laugh about now.

"Hey guys," the other one says, already rummaging through the food.

"You really couldn't wait two seconds for us to sit and eat with you?" I ask. He puts on an innocent smile, gives a half-hearted apology, and continues on with his meal. Lee Sandeul. He's quite famous for his eating habits. Although a well known singer, he refuses to pose as someone he isn't, displaying his love for food on variety and reality programs for the world to see. The rest of us take our seats with him at the table and the three scarf down the food as if they haven't eaten in days, while I sit dully, lacking an appetite.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" he asks me.

"I will, I will. I'm just so excited that I'm finally getting out of here," I say, looking out the window. 

Just a few hours later, I was on the other side of that window, after what seemed like an eternity of running tests, taking pills, and laying down. I say my silent goodbyes to the horrible place that, ironically, I have to like because it saved my life.

"So where are we headed?" Ji Sun inquires.

Feeling good to be walking on the asphalt under the warmth of the sun, I put my arm around her and plant a kiss on the side of her face. "It's a surprise," I wink, snatching the car keys from her hand and taking my place in vehicle, forcing her to sit in the passenger's side.

After a short drive I pull into the parking lot of a restaurant, but not just any restaurant. A smile dominates her face as she looks up to see where I parked. It's the place I brought her to after she had sneakily, but cutely, given me her phone number in the beginning of the year. I reminisce on that day and I assume she is too.

We share a dessert and clink glasses of water we wish were champagne, in celebration of my discharge from the hospital. We fall into each other's gaze, and I say to her that there is absolutely no place I'd rather be. I hesitate and then say "I'm sorry." Her laughter fades and now she's frowning, which was not my intention. Her discomfort was evident. She knows what I'm leading to, and like always, she's going to try and change the subject, but this time I'm not going to let her. Before she can say anything, I interpose. "Just listen to me." She breaks eye contact and runs her fingers through her hair, then gives me look of surrender, telling me she's ready to listen. "I know you don't like talking about it," I start, "but I just feel like I have to say it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being such a burden on you."

"Dongwoo don't say that," she says, eyes starting to sparkle. Shinwoo was the name I was given when I was training to become a singer, and somehow along the way there had been a tacit agreement that from there on, that was what I would be called by everyone. Dongwoo was usually reserved for my parents and hometown friends to call me, or like now, serious situations between me and Ji Sun.

"I just want you to know that you don't have to do this. You deserve better than a man who's dying," I say, looking her right in the eyes. What had just come out of my mouth felt like a stab in the heart, but it was nothing but truth. Like I said, she's perfect and I just want her to be happy, even if it means her being with someone else.

"I refuse to listen to this nonsense of yours," she says, obviously holding back her tears. "Come on, let's go home."

I follow closely behind her as she walks to the car. I can hear her crying so I gently grasp her arm and pull her into an embrace. After her sobs calmed down, she broke free from my embrace. "It's because I love you," she says and gets in the car.

I struggle to figure out why she's mad as we drive home in silence. I turn on the radio to relax my thoughts and continue on until we reach the parking structure of our apartment building. Our living situations are fairly complex. We don't exactly live together, but in a sense, we sort of do. Since we live in the same building, some nights are spent at her place, and some at mine. Although this night seems like one we'll be spending in our own separate bedrooms, alone. I walked her to her place which she coldly entered without a word and closed the door behind her. I didn't dare knock and just let her be. Now I'm sitting at a park bench for some fresh air. It's the same bench we sat at after our first meal together with the busy Sandeul who took off, leading us to spending the rest of that day together. I close my eyes and clear mind of everthing for half a second until I feel someone sitting next to me. I open my eyes and there she is, eyes closed, just like that day. 

She apologizes. "I'm with you because I want to be, so don't ever think that I'm with you because I feel bad for you. Don't feel like a burden. Don't be sorry. I know you're not getting better but we have to be positive. I don't want to talk about it because we both know it already, and I'd rather just spend our time together happily."

I wrap my arms around her and thank her.

A/N: Yes, poor Shinwoo is sick. If you're confused, it's okay. It'll all make sense later. *wink*