~~~

"I want to go to the carnival today!" Sungmin said, Seo Ri looked up from the photo album she'd picked up off his book shelf and smiled a bit. She'd eaten more chocolate to numb the pain.

"What's a carnival?" Seo Ri asked, Sungmin shrugged, a mischevious smile spreading across his lips.

"You'll see, come on, I want it to be a surprise!" He said grabbing Seo Ri's hand and running out the door. Seo Ri followed after, looking at his hand and feeling her face heat up, and a floaty feeling rise in her stomach. She couldn't figure out if it was because she was dying, or feeling the most alive.

~~~

"Woah!!" Seo Ri yelled, grinning from ear to ear, staring at the glimmering lights. Sungmin looked at her and smiled, before chasing her when she ran off. She ran to a little cart, staring at the girl there make cotton candy. Seo Ri's eyes sparkled, "Can I have that?" She asked, Sungmin nodded, giving the woman a few coins before handing him a cone.

Seo Ri poked a bit as they slowly started walking through the different games. Sungmin giggled, "You eat is Seo Ri." He said, Seo Ri looked up at him.

"You normally aren't suppose to eat clouds..." She said softly.

"I wouldn't know, but, this is like.... Candy, go on, try it~" He encouraged, Seo Ri poked it again before taking a peice off and putting it in .

She gasped, trying to look at her tongue, "It's gone!" She mumbled, Sungmin laughed,

"It's suppose to do that. You want to play a game?" He asked, Seo Ri nodded. Sungmin looked around for an easy one, Seo Ri tugged at his sleave and pointed at the ring throwing game. He looked at her then back at the game. "Are you sure?" He asked, Seo Ri smirked and ran towards the stand, picking up a stack of rings and throwing them at the bottles. 1.... 2..... 3..... 4.... 5.

"You got... All of them!" The teenage boy behind the stand exclaimed, Seo Ri laughed and jumped up and down. "Which prize do you want?" He asked, Seo Ri leaned over the counter, pointing at the big pink fluffy rabbit. The boy grabbed it off the rack and gave it to her, Seo Ri hugged it triumphantly.

Sungmin stared in awe as Seo Ri walked over to him. She smiled and gave him the rabbit, "Here." She said, Sungmin shook his head.

"Nooo, you won it- I want you to keep it!" He said, pushing it towards her.

"And I want you to have it! Come on, I can win another one." Seo Ri tried to convince him. He chewed on the inside of his cheek a bit before accepting it.

"Well, do you want any specific prize?" He asked, looking at the stands and hoping she'd pick something easy. She pointed at a heart pillow at one of the easiest games in the carnival. Sungmin ceased the opportunity before she could change her mind and ran towards the stand.

"What are you suppose to do here?" Seo Ri asked looked at all the colorful balloons on the wall. Sungmin picked up the darts,

"Pop the balloons with these." He said showing her the darts, Sungmin bit his lip and focused on the balloons before throwing the darts.

"Missed.... Missed.... Missed..." Sungmin said before hanging his head in shame, Seo Ri giggled and called the woman over for a few more darts. Seo Ri just threw all of them at once and popped the balloons. Sungmin stared at Seo Ri, "Wow, you're really amazing." He said without thinking, Seo Ri smiled to herself before hugging the heart pillow to her chest. She held it out to him.

"Take it." She said, Sungmin frowned as she pushed it towards him.

"No, I already took this one from you!" He said pushing it back.

"Fine, then take it and give it back!" She yelled, pushing it back to him once more.

"Fine then!" He yelled back before taking it. "Seo Ri, I got something for you~" He said holding the pillow behind his back.

"Ohh~?" She asked, playing along with it. He nodded,

"But first, you have to do something for me." He said, Seo Ri crossed her arms and pouted. "Don't worry, it's simple!" He assured, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the ferris wheel. Seo Ri looked up at the giant turning wheel decorated in flashing lights.

"Omo..." She said softly, looking down and feeling a burning in her chest, she clenched the fabric of her dress before shrugging it off and getting on the seat.

The higher they got, the more the pain started to return. Sungmin eyed Seo Ri as she fidgeted a bit in her seat, he put his arm around her, Seo Ri let out a shakey breath as she looked up at him. "I haven't had this much fun in a long time." He said, looking out at the various building and scattering car lights.

"Really?" She asked, he nodded, facing her a bit.

"Mhm.... Seo Ri... If Eun Hee doesn't work out... Maybe..." He began, hesitating to continue. Seo Ri looked up at him, waiting patiently, until she felt like there was a twisting knife in her chest, she coughed a bit, covering and feeling something wet land on her hand.

She was shaking and looked at her hand, her bottom lip trembled, before she bit down hard. Blood. She was wearing white, she couldn't wipe her hand on anything, and there was blood on her lips. Afraid she'd scare Sungmin she looked away,

"Maybe-" He began once more, before noticing she was looking elsewhere, "Seo Ri? Is something wrong?" He asked worriedly, Seo Ri shook her head before swallowing the blood that was in and her lips, she glanced back at him, she was falling apart.

"I... I have to go, I'm sorry." She said before disappearing; Leaving Sungmin dumbfounded.

~~~

"Look at w hat you're doing to yourself, please don't go back." Heechul begged, Seo Ri shook her head stubbornly.

"My job isn't even done yet." She replied. Heechul shook his head,

"If you start loosing your feathers I'm going to tell Hwayoung and Bom." He said, Seo Ri gasped before she felt tears run down her cheeks, from both pain and sadness.

"No! Please don't!" She pleaded, clenching helplessly at Heechul's shirt.

"I'm not going to let you die! If you loose your feathers you won't even be able to come back here on your own." He said, Seo Ri looked down, he was right. In every way, though she didn't want to admit it. "Can you please just.... Finish it? It only takes a moment, don't prolong your suffering for him."

"I know... And, I will. Just.... A little longer, okay?" She said, Heechul nodded, before breathing a semi-relieved sigh.

~~~