Tokyo, Japan

Hyomin’s POV

Today is our third day of holiday, Jiyeon and I still enjoy visiting places, we would take cab, subway and either walk, which I wouldn’t complain as long as I’m here with Jiyeon, I’m cherishing every moments spending with her.  

“Do you wanna try this?” Jiyeon asked me , pointing at some kind of food that I didn’t know, but I nodded.

“Two please” Jiyeon said to a sale woman and paid for it

“Thank you” I took one from Jiyeon.

Jiyeon was holding food in one hand and other was holding my hand, walking along a street fair.

“It’s really good” Jiyeon said as she was chewing the last bite.

“You can have mine” I offered my food to Jiyeon

“No, you eat it, you are so skinny, Hyomin” Jiyeon said .

“I’m not so hungry” I took a bite before putting it in front of Jiyeon’s mouth, Jiyeon looked at me then took a bite.

“ Wow, yours are even more delicious” Jiyeon said, widened her eyes .

“ Jiyeon, it’s same food from a same cook” I rolled my eyes

“But you feed me, so it’s more delicious” Jiyeon said with a mischief smile.

We enjoyed our day going places, watching traditional show, tasting new food and stopped by at random café for coffee and my favorite hot chocolate.

 When evening came we decided to walk back to our hotel, as we almost reached our hotel, I felt a sharp chest pain, I naturally let go of Jiyeon’s hand and clutched my chest.

Jiyeon’s POV

“ Hyomin, are you ok? I asked her as soon as Hyomin let go of my hand, she was clutching her chest, she looked so painful.

“I’m ok” Hyomin said difficultly, obviously she was in pain. It got me worried to the point that my hands were shaking.

“Can you walk?” I asked her, she nodded .

I held her waist and helped her walk to hotel, and for few minute we arrived in our room, I laid her on sofa.

“ Jiyeon, can you please bring me water” Hyomin asked, but as soon as I turned my back on her, she took medicine from her bag and gulfed them down, my tear threatened to fall but I held them back, and quickly walked back to her with a glass of water. I bent down and kneeled in front of her.

“How are you feeling?” I asked her, Hyomin smiled, why I hated this smile so much, when I knew behind that smile was hiding an unbearable pain.

“ Hyomin” I called her

“ I’m ok now, just tired” Hyomin lied to me

“ Hyomin” I pleaded her

“ Jiyeon, can I sleep for a little while?” Hyomin said tiredly. I helped to support her walk to bed and lay her down.

I sat on the bed holding her hand until she fell asleep, I removed strain of hair from her face, she looked so pale, then tear I was holding, made its way down my cheeks. I wish I could take away all her pain and suffered for her.

*************

The next day Jiyeon and Hyomin planned to go to a Photo Exhibition, Jiyeon wanted to cancel it because she didn’t want Hyomin to tire herself.

“I don’t want to go anymore” Jiyeon said while they were having breakfast

“But it’s on our to-do-things list” Hyomin opposed, as she knew Jiyeon was interested in this exhibition.

“Never mind, just cancel it, we will stay in hotel today” Jiyeon said

“ Then I’ll go by myself” Hyomin said, holding a better card.

“ Fine, we’ll go there but we will return hotel early today” Jiyeon said , Hyomin smiled

They spent their two hours at the exhibition and returned to hotel to watch movies in hotel room. They decided to order food to eat in the room.  Only one more day left that they had to return to Busan, Jiyeon wanted to make the best out of the time left, she hugged Hyomin in her sleep, savoring the moment.

Jiyeon was woken up at 2 a.m in the morning by a dried coughing sound from the bathroom, She didn’t see Hyomin on bed so she walked to bathroom.

“ Hyomin, are you arlight?” Jiyeon asked alerted from outside, but no response.

“ Hyomin” Jiyeon knocked the door

“ I’m ok, Jiyeon, just go back to sleep ” Hyomin answered but Jiyeon didn’t believe it, Hyomin didn’t sound right. Jiyeon tried turning the doorknob, she was relieved that it didn’t locked but her relief turned to great worry when she saw Hyomin rested her back on bathtub clutching her chest, tear running down her face, Jiyeon felt like her heart was stabbed with sharp point thing to see Hyomin suffering like this.

“We need to go to hospital now” Jiyeon crouched down to carry Hyomin but the latter refused

 “No Jiyeon, I will be ok” Hyomin said breathlessly

“You are not ok, Hyomin, stop lying to me!” Jiyeon shouted, her tear falling down.

“Let me help lessen your pain” Jiyeon pleaded, wiping away her tear and embraced her loosely

“It hurts Jiyeon, it really hurts” Hyomin cried, finally confessed.

 Jiyeon carried Hyomin to bed then she went to search for medicine from Hyomin’s bag and helped to feed her medicine along with water. A few minutes after taking medicines, Hyomin got better.

“How long did you know this Jiyeon?” Hyomin asked tiredly.

“Since I found your medicine” Jiyeon said, Hyomin sighed and closed her eyes.

“ Just let me in Hyomin ah, don’t shut me out and suffer alone”  Jiyeon was holding her hand,  Hyomin opened her eyes again.

“Let we go through this together “ Jiyeon rested her forehead on Hyomin’s , letting their nose touched for a long moment.

“Jiyeon ah, I’m scared” Hyomin emotionally said, Jiyeon hugged her and caressed her hair.

“Everything will be alright” Jiyeon tried to be positive though deep inside she was scaring too, this was a life threatening of her love.

************

Busan, Korea

Eunjung returned home in Busan after a business trip in Seoul, the discussion was successful and Hyori was generous enough to let her have a couple of days off at home. Today Hyomin and Jiyeon were scheduled to fly back, and Eunjung couldn’t wait to see Hyomin and spent her days off with her.

She tried to kill her waiting time by doing the cleaning, and the chores instead of Hyomin so the younger woman would be fussy around. She smiled upon the thought of how Hyomin would be nagging her about the hygiene and cleanness of the house, she sounded like a old ahjumma sometimes but it was one of the things that she loved about Hyomin.

Eunjung checked the time , she still had 5 hours to wait so she decided to take shower and took a nap

***********

Narita Airport, Tokyo, Japan

Jiyeon and Hyomin were waiting to board at the airport, their trip has come to an end. Jiyeon wanted to extend it but considered about Hyomin’s health, she thought it was better to go back now.

“How are you feeling?” Jiyeon asked as she tightened her hold on Hyomin’s hand

“ I’m fine, Jiyeon” Hyomin reassured , Hyomin hated to make people around her worried, she would rather choose to deal with it herself than to see those worried look.

“ Can you wait here by yourself for a little while, I’ll be back before you know it” Jiyeon checked the time and talked to Hyomin.

Jiyeon disappeared for 30 minutes and returned, she saw Hyomin kept looking.

“ I’m back” Jiyeon said.

“Where have you been? , they call for boarding now” Hyomin said

“Let’s go” Jiyeon held Hyomin’s hand and proceeded to the gate connected to the plane.

“ Hyomin ah” Jiyeon called for Hyomin’s attention because she kept looking out of window for one hour since the plane took off, she seemed so lost in her thought.

“ Hm” Hyomin answered making sound from

Jiyeon  took something from her handbag, Hyomin looked at Jiyeon bewildered.

“  I don’t care if your ring finger is occupied, but I know how you feel Hyomin ah” Jiyeon said and opened a small jewelry box to reveal two small rings which looked like  couple ring.

“Please be my love” Jiyeon asked, waiting for Hyomin’s response. Hyomin stayed quiet.

“I wouldn’t ask you to be mine or own you but just let me love you Hyomin ah”, Jiyeon pleaded,  then Hyomin smiled with her tearful eyes , and nodded.

Jiyeon took Hyomin’s left hand and slowly put a ring on her little finger before kissing it.  Jiyeon smiled the widest and happiest smile, she was going to wear another ring on her left little finger when Hyomin stopped her, Jiyeon was surprised, but her surprised turned to great bliss when Hyomin took a ring from her and put it on Jiyeon’s finger. They wrapped their little fingers around each other.

“ If only you know Jiyeon ah, you’ve owned my heart long ago” Hyomin thought and put her head on Jiyeon’s shouder.

**************

Jiyeon and Hyomin arrived in Busan, they collected their luggage and left the airport

“Are you sure you don’t want me to accompany you?” Jiyeon asked as she stopped her car in front of Eunjung’s apartment

“It’s fine Jiyeon ah, I got message from Eunjung unnie this morning before we left hotel that she was already home, she might be waiting now, nothing to worry” Hyomin said

 “Call me anytime, ok?” Jiyeon said as she rubbed Hyomin’ hands.

“You said it yourself that everything will be alright, right?, don’t worry yourself Jiyeon ah” Hyomin said

 “Ok” Jiyeon said , had to give in

“ Just text me the message when you arrive home, ok?” Hyomin said then bided goodbye to Jiyeon.

When Hyomin got inside the apartment, she saw Eunjung was back facing her, sitting quietly in the couch.

“ Eunjung unnie, I’m home” Hyomin cheerfully called her but no response, so she walked to her

“ Unnie, what’s wrong” Hyomin asked , her smiled faded when she saw Eunjung’s face darkened. Eunjung stood up from the couch facing Hyomin  and then she did what Hyomin never expected , “ Slap”. Eunjung slapped her on her face.

“ Unnie” Hyomin was tearing up, stunned by Eunjung’s action,

“ How dare you Hyomin !” Eunjung shouted insanely . Hyomin held her painful face with her palm.

“ How can you do this to me?” Eunjung said starting crying.  Hyomin had no idea what Eunjung was talking about

“ Unnie, what are you talking about?” Hyomin decided to ask.

“ What am I to you Hyomin, tell me ?” Eunjung asked her

“ Eunjung  unnie” Hyomin was even more confused.

“ How long do you plan to keep this from me?” Eunjung kept asking , Hyomin kept quiet

“ How can you smile at me like that every day when you know you’re dying, Hyomin ah” Eunjung said it finally

“ You know” Hyomin inaudibly said.

Flashback

Eunjung was taking her nap in living room when suddenly her phone rang and woke her up

“ Hello ?”  Eunjung answered an unknown number

“ May I talk to Ms. Ham Eunjung  please ”? a man said

“Yes, I’m speaking” Eunjung replied.

“ Oh, Miss.Ham, I’m Kwon Daniel, a doctor who taking care of Hyomin ssi’s case, I couldn’t get through her so I called a contact person number that  has given in patient profile ” Dr.Kwon

“ Oh yes, I’m her girlfriend, wow may I help you?” Eunjung asked

“ I suppose you know about her heart disease right?” Dr. Kwon asked.

“ Yes” Eunjung knew about the younger woman’s health condition but Hyomin kept taking medicine and vitamin and she was getting better now.

“ She came for a check-up last time, and she has already known that she had 3 months to live if she didn’t get a heart transplantation, she should have come back for another check-up last week ” Dr.Kwon said

Eunjung stopped breathing when she heard what doctor explained, her whole body was trembling with fear, she felt like her soul was taken out, the world around her stopped.

“Are you there Ms.Ham?” Dr.Kwon said.

 “ Yes” Eunjung said

“If you see her, please ask her to come for a check-up, it’s a risky time for her now”.

End of Flashback

“ I’m sorry, unnie” Hyomin lowered her head,

“ You are bad person Hyomin” Eunjung said before hugging the younger woman tightly as if she would disappear.

TO BE CONTINUED