Jihoon hasn't slept well in years.
Not since he survived the accident that killed the woman he loved.
Yingyue never leaves her house.
Not since her parents died in a car crash two years ago.
Both crippled by their own fears, the two of them should...
She was sure she sent out an announcement that classes were canceled, though. Was it possible some did not see it in time? She should have posted in the morning when her stomach ache started, but she thought it would eventually be banished by the pain reliever she took. Apparently not.
"I'm coming!"
Yingyue hastened her steps, but a stabbing pain halted her progress and caused her to double over. Clutching the right side of her body where the intensity was at its worst, she waited for the crippling wave to recede in its intensity.
Was it something she ate?
Even as she asked the question, she knew the probability of that being the issue was extremely low. She cooked all her meals from scratch using ingredients delivered by an online organic grocery store she'd been using for years. If not food poisoning, though, then what could it possibly be?
It couldn't be anything serious. Otherwise, she'd have to go to the hospital. Her heart raced at the possibility until she struggled to breathe. She hadn't stepped out of her house since...
She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut.
No, nothing was wrong. She was fine.
She had to be.
Pulling herself up, Yingyue hurled her body forward, knees shaking at the effort. When she neared her destination, a biting blast of wind slapped against her face. She gritted her teeth, clutching her hood tight against her neck. That was when she realized she was burning, her body uncomfortably warm despite the frigid weather.
Medicine. She needed more medicine.
Ding Dong.
But first, she needed to get rid of whoever was outside. Drawing on her last reserves, she trudged along, every step a knife pierced deep against her side. Yet, she was determined to make it.
You have to go on. Her mother's voice suddenly floated in her head. Promise me, you won't give up.
"I promise," Yingyue mumbled, tears pooling in her eyes.
After a marathon, she landed against the door, her shoulder bearing the brunt of her weight. Yingyue gasped.
"Miss Hu, is that you?"
A muffled voice filtered through the barrier. She opened her mouth to reply, but instead, a loud cry escaped her lips.
Another wave, stronger than the last, had taken her by surprise. Yingyue sunk to the ground, submerging under an ocean of physical agony. Lower and lower she went until her palms touched ice.
"Miss Hu? What's wrong? Are you okay?" The man, who was now banging against the door, might as well be pounding her head.
"Stop it!" she hissed.
"Miss Hu, are you sure you're okay?"
Judging by how her insides were being scraped by nails and roasted in hellfire, she was definitely not okay.
"Open the door, please?"
Right, she needed to open the door, but her limbs were limp. No matter how hard she tried, they refused to move. Besides, it was getting more and more difficult to open her eyes. Yingyue decided to sleep. Just for a while. Just until she felt all right again.
The sound of rustling leaves filtered through her consciousness. Then, a loud thud shook the ground.
"Miss Hu!"
Did she manage to open the door after all? Because whoever was outside seemed to have found his way in. She split her eyes open a crack to see who it was and a masculine face swam above her.
It was him. The man who wouldn't stay out of her dreams.
Was she dreaming then?
Something cool pressed against her forehead then made its way down her cheek and neck. When it moved away, she clung to it.
"Hot, so hot..." She squirmed, trying to strip her coat off.
"You have a fever. I need to...."
The next thing she knew, she was floating, her body weightless as it drifted in the air. The invigorating scent of coffee tickled her nose. She sought the source and having found it, snuggled against its comforting aroma. All that movement only aggravated the pain.
Yingyue clenched her fist against his coat.
"Hang in there," he whispered.
"I can't," she sobbed. "I hurt too much."
She'd been hanging in here for too long. There was no way she could endure more.
"You can," he insisted. "I'm here now. You'll be okay soon."
"Promise?"
Yingyue once again pried her eyes open, desperately wanting to believe. Yet shadows now engulfed him. Instead, all she saw was the moon still shimmering above, a luminescent pearl dropped in an indigo lake.
Like the moon, she was sinking.
And because Yingyue could no longer hold on, she let go.
☽ ☾ ☽ ☾ ☽ ☾ ☽ ☾ ☽ ☾ ☽ ☾
Author's note:
Merry Christmas! This is my little present for you all. It took me forever to write this chapter because I had so much self-doubt, but today, I decided to just go for it. That way, I have no more excuse to procrastinate and I can motivate myself to write. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter and if you spot any mistakes, please help me by pointing them out.
Also, thank you to ReeReverie for making the banner below! She captured exactly what I wanted and even made it better!
If you guys want to volunteer to make banners, then please feel free to send a message. I'll be happy to dedicate a chapter to you and give you a shout in exchange for the banner. Thank you!
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