Before You Go. |Lee Know

(Fourteen)

"Mom handed over the papers and the date is set."

"Which is?"

"I only have till tomorrow night."

"Wh- No. That's.. No! How could they? No." She stuttered.

"Shh, it's okay."

Rona pushed him away that the boy almost stumbled. "No, it's not fucking okay!" She yelled. "You always say that but it's not! You'll be gone and I'm the one who will be stuck here alone for God knows how long! Is that how you are getting revenge on me for not noticing you for the past two years? Is that how you are planning to hurt me? You can't be leaving! Not that soon. Not when I finally feel like I have someone, like I have something different, like I-"

Rona was cut by another hug from Minho. That hug was different. More innocent and more soothing but also more painful. The contact didn't last for long and Minho pulled back, resting his forehead on hers. The boy's heart was going crazy, extremely crazy that you could hear it banging inside his chest.

"C-can I have my last wish tonight?" He asked. Rona nodded still crying. "Let's go home. I want to cuddle with you till we fall asleep for the last time. That's my wish."

***

The couple headed home. Minho's face was as straight as ever while Rona didn't stop crying silently. Soon they were home, in Rona's warm bed, cuddling.

Minho was using his left arm as a pillow for Rona while his right was caressing her arm up and down. Rona was laying on her side, facing Minho, burying her face into his shoulder, and placing her arm on his waist. She was still sniffling from crying much.

"Would you promise me to take care of yourself when I'm gone?" Minho asked Rona who shook her head. "Han Rona! I didn't work hard to wake up your stupid brain cells for nothing. You have to promise me." He scolded her.

"Alright." She finally answered. "But you too have to promise me."

"Promise what?"

"That we would meet again in our next lives. No matter what or where you are, make sure we meet. On the right time."

"But we already met at the perfect time." He smiled.

"No, next time we have to meet like two people, not some freaking ghosts! And I promise you that I'll try my best to notice you early enough."

"That's stupid." He uttered.

"Just promise already!" She whined.

"Okay, I promise."

"One more thing." She added.

"What?"

"Promise that you would consider modeling. Wait.." She lifted her head up to look at him. "Take that back! Not the modeling. That means girls will be all around you. Forget about dancing too. You may end up with female partners so, no." She dropped her head again.

"Someone is jealous?" He teased.

"Umm, no? But you have a weak heart that won't be able to handle all the girls." He giggled and they both went silent for a few seconds. "Just promise me one thing." She said and he hummed. "That wherever you are, you'll be happy, healthy, and much alive."

"I don't know if I can promise that but I will do my best, if there is a next time." Minho said closing his eyes, pulling her the closest ever to him. "Now go to sleep. Goodnight, Han Rona." He whispered.

"Goodnight, Lee Minho."

Rona's head was already getting heavy. Minho started caressing her hair and as if she was under a magical spell, she drifted to sleep.

She felt a warm hand tucking one hair strand behind her ear.

That felt familiar.

The touch was familiar.

The warmness was familiar.

Rona's tears started rolling down her cheeks again while still having her eyes closed. She was heavy to open her eyes, yet awake enough to get the pieces together. "It was you! All that time it was you." She said while crying, finally realizing what the familiar warmness was. "I thought that it was mom but, no. It was you. You were the one putting me to sleep every night." Rona whispered.

She opened her eyes slowly to find that Minho was already gone. She pushed herself up and looked around her. She was panicking. He wasn't supposed to disappear by then. Not yet. They still had a day together, a day before they had to say goodbye.

She started sobbing and screaming at the top of her lungs while looking around. She was stuttering with unrecognizable words. "Please, don't go." She pleaded. "Please, don't leave me alone. Please wake up, Minho." She then started yelling. "For God's sake, he's young! He can't be going now! Please. One more chance, please give him one more chance."

Rona's head started throbbing but she ignored the pain and carried on crying and pleading, not noticing that the sky has gone crazy outside.

The rain that poured suddenly, mixed with thunder didn't scare the girl anymore. Not having Minho by her side was scarier.

The loud sounds of the storm were fading away in her ears, replaced by the irritating beep sound. The beep was going louder and louder, almost damaging her eardrums and making her head explode. Rona shut off her eyes, placing her hands to her ears covering them, trying her best to block the sounds. The pain was unbearable that she started squirming in her bed. It was useless. She screamed and screamed till the sounds stopped.

Everything was black. Her body went numb. She was in great pain. Her ears could catch someone's voice that she couldn't recognize. She opened her very heavy eyelids slowly. Her vision was extra blurry. After some time, she could hazily see the white ceiling of the dimly lighted room.

"Han Rona? Can you hear me?" Someone called.

"Miss Rona." Another voice talked. "Oh my God! She opened her eyes. She regained her consciousness. Call doctor Kim immediately."

That was the last thing for Rona to hear before everything goes black again.