Zach sighed as he picked up his drunk friend from the bar for the fifth time that week. He saluted the bartender, who he had become accustomed to seeing, and left the bar with his drunk friend. They arrived back at the apartment and Zach helped Josh get ready for bed. Of course, this meant that Zach had to hear his best friend mumble and speak gibberish.
"I was there for her in her darkest times, but I wonder, where she is now? now that I'm at my worst, down on my knees and she said she had my back, So I wonder, where she is now?", Josh whispered as tears came out of his eyes. Zach froze for a moment and listened to his best friend's rant with pity.
Josh looked at Zach with pain in his eye. "I love her you know, she will forever be first and last love". Zach stared at him confused as he tried to figure out who Josh was talking about. However, Josh fell asleep before Zach could ask him.
After making sure that Josh wouldn't do something harmful, Zach went to his own room, trying to make sense in his head. He remembered when Josh used to talk about his first love back in Chicago, but the Korean never told him the name of the girl. Not to mention that Josh broke off his own engagement because he couldn't stop thinking of this girl, and was the reason they had gone to Korea while using the excuse of wanting to meet David. Although, they actually wanted to meet David, not the point though.
Zach stared at the wall for a few minutes before realizing something, "the girl is Kangmi". It all made sense, the description that Josh always gave him was literally Kangmi. He would always talk about her with love in his eyes and would always smile at the mention of her name. However, now that she was getting married her best friend was broken-hearted. Although, why..? why would Josh reject her if he loved her? something was off in this love story and he would figure it out even if meant forcing it on Josh in one of his drunk episodes.
Kangmi sat on the floor with her back against her bed. She stared at the bracelet in her hand and smiled to herself. It was a black leather bracelet with the cancer constellation in the middle and a moon charm dangling from it, the one Josh had gifted her on her fifteenth birthday. She smiled as he remembered the memory.
flashback
18-year-old Josh sneaked up behind 15-year-old Kangmi and covered her eyes. "who am I?"
"hmm, I don't know, Tom Hiddleston?"
Josh laughed. "nope it's Josh", he said and uncovered her eyes. It took her a minute to come back to her sense but smiled at him when she did. "what are you doing outside? Are you not enjoying your party?"
"I am but I needed some fresh air, what about you? not enjoying your party?"
"touche my friend, but I actually came to give you your gift", he said and pulled out a black squared box. He gave it to Kangmi, who after some arguing accepted it.
Kangmi opened it and found a beautiful bracelet inside. She gasped at how beautiful it was and looked at Josh with a big smile, "it's beautiful"
"and look I have the same one", Josh said and showed her his right hand which indeed had the same bracelet. Kangmi smiled excitedly and with the help of Josh put it on her left hand.
"thank you", she said as she hugged him and buried her head in his chest.
end of the flashback.
There birthdays, they wouldn't be able to celebrate their birthdays together anymore. More like she wouldn't be able to celebrate her own birthday anymore because it would only remind her of him. And that's on having the same birthday. Crazy, isn't it? baby kangmi was born not knowing that three years prior a beautiful woman gave birth to baby Josh.
Kangmi laughed bitterly and squeezed her eyes shut to try to stop the tears from coming out. She gripped the bracelet tightly and slowly without realizing it fell asleep on the floor. Dinxiang, who was doing his nightly check-in on her, sighed when she saw her on the floor. He knew that he would wake her up if he placed her on the bed, and it seemed like for once she would actually sleep, so he just placed a blanket on top of her and let her sleep.
The next morning, Kangmi woke up thanks to her alarm that was telling her that it was time for work. Disoriented and with a pain in her neck, she looked around the room only to realize that it was the guest room from Dingxiangs temporary apartment, which she had actually been staying at since they came back from the beach house.
Kangmi quickly prepared herself and headed to the front door with her car keys in hand. However, before she could even step out Dingxiang stopped her like every other morning, "leaving without having breakfast?", he asked and Kangmi turned to him with a fake but believable smile.
"I'm not that hungry"
"you didn't eat dinner last night, or had breakfast yesterday", he pointed out with concern. It was true though, she had not been eating properly the past few days and it was starting to worry him.
"because I wasn't hungry", she stated with an obvious tone.
"you at least have to eat something before you leave, or you're going to get sick", Dinxiang said almost pleadingly. Kangmi looked at him for a second and noticed how worried he looked.
"fine", she said and he smiled.
"cool, because I think I made pretty good pancakes", he stated with a smile and placed a plate with two pancakes covered in strawberries in front of her. "by the way, don't forget that we have cake tasting today"
"right", she said as she took a bite of the fluffy pancakes, "anything else?"
"I'm driving you and picking you up today, and I will make sure that you go to this cake tasting because I will not be left alone again with a bunch of women gawking over me", he said and shivered as he remembered going alone to a flower shop to choose the flowers for the wedding. All because Kangmi had forgotten to go.
Kangmi snorted and patted his back, "you can't tell me you didn't enjoy it? I mean a bunch of ladies all over you sounds like fun"
"I in fact did not", Dinxiang replied while glaring at her but then remembered that he wanted to ask her something, "by the way, do you need anything from your apartment?"
Kangmi raised an eyebrow and looked at him suspiciously, "no". Then she realized something and teasing smiled at him. "but if you really want to see Zach, he will be going to my office today to drop off some stuff"
Dinxiang slightly blushed and looked away, "then maybe you should hurry up, so you're not late"
Zach stared at his best friend, who was driving him to SM, and tried to decipher something about him but didn't know what. Maybe his mood? Or the fact that his best friend didn't hold the same spark in his eyes anymore. Once they arrived at SM, Zach went straight to Kangmi's office while Josh stayed in the car. However, after a while of getting tired from sitting in the car, Josh decided to walk around SM.
...
On the ride to the office, Kangmi sat staring at the window while enjoying the music Dingxiang was playing. "you know I was thinking", Kangmi said and Dingxiang hummed in response with a keep talking tone, "what if we get a rainbow cake? like the fondant and decoration can be white and black but the inside of the cake should be rainbow colors"
Dinxiang looked at her for a moment before turning back to the road. "only if you want our parents to have a heart attack", he said before turning into the SM parking lot. "we're here", he stated and parked in an empty parking spot.
Once Dingxiang parked, they both got out of the car and went inside the building to Kangmi's office. To her delight, Xiaojun and Hendery were already there since Ryeowook had dropped them off.
"Zach is in your office" Hendery informed her and she nodded in acknowledgment. Kangmi entered her office while Dingxiang excused himself to use the bathroom.
To her not so much surprise she found Zach sitting in her chair and using her computer. "Zachery, what are you doing?"
Zach was startled for a moment before he realized that Kangmi was there. He quickly exited the files he was doing through and pressed the tab which had cool math. "playing cool math, I got bored you know"
"okay", she said suspiciously and Zach stood up from the chair to let her sit.
"I brought the stuff you wanted, but I have some questions that I would love for you to answer", He said with a very suspicious smile.
"continue"
"What happened between you and josh?"
That certainly caught Kangmi off-guard. "huh", she said but soon regained her composure as she sat in her chair and looked at her schedule for the day, "nothing and if it did, it is not your business"
Zach frowned and sat in front of her, "but it just doesn't make sense"
"what doesn't make sense?", she asked as she continued to work, already used to multi-tasking.
"the love story", he said and covered his mouth when he realized what he said.
That made her stop what she was doing and look at him. "what..?"
Zach shook his head and asked another question to change the topic. "by the way, what's your father's name?"
Kangmi stared at him for a few seconds trying to figure out what Zach was trying to do, or more like what he was planning. "Zach whatever that small brain of yours is planning, don't do it", she said with a serious face and Zach couldn't respond because she stood up and kept talking.
"now if you excuse I must do something else", she said and walked out of her office before Zach could question her, which left the boy with so many questions. However, Dingxiang happened to walk in just as she left and his face couldn't help but smile. "hey Dingxiang, can I ask you some questions?"
Kangmi walked around SM, trying to clear her mind from every thought that passed through it. She passed by one of the rooms but backtracked when she saw a piano and seeing as how nobody was using it, she sat on the chair and let her fingers trail through the keys. She played the first note and then the second one, and now she was playing her favorite song while singing to it. With her eyes closed and fully immersed in the song.
Josh stopped walking around the moment he heard the song and leaned by the closed door, listening to her beautiful voice. He didn't even have to open the door to know who it was, because it was the song which he had taught her when she was keen on learning to play the piano.
"'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter
And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"
But you were everything to me
I was beggin' you, "Please don't go", and I said"
"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"
"Romeo, save me, they're tryna tell me how to feel
This love is difficult, but it's real
Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess
It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"
"I got tired of waiting
Wonderin' if you were ever comin' around
My faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town, and I said", her voice cracked for a moment but she continued singing even if she felt her eyes starting to tear up.
"Romeo, save me, I've been feeling so alone
I keep waiting for you, but you never come
Is this in my head? I don't know what to think
He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said", Josh leaned his head on the door and whispered a "sorry" before walking away and deciding to wait for Zach in the car.
"Marry me, Juliet
You'll never have to be alone
I love you and that's all I really know
I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress"
It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes". Oh how much she wished that happened but it didn't and now she was crying while playing the piano.
Suddenly she heard claps from behind and flinched in surprise. "sorry", Dingxiang apologized as he walked closer to her, "I don't understand"
"what?", she asked as she cleaned her tears.
"why do you hide your voice from everyone, I mean most of NCT told me that you were really bad at singing and dancing, but you can sing"
Kangmi shrugged and stood up from the chair, "I don't know"
Dinxiang frowned but didn't push it any further. "well it's time we go for the cake tasting", he said excitedly because he loves cake. Kangmi chuckled and followed him to his car. Not before grabbing her stuff from her office and giving clear instructions to Hendery and Xiaojun.
Outside, she found Zach scolding Josh about something but she couldn't see why until she saw the cigarette on the floor. She frowned and for a moment made eye contact with Josh, but it was soon interrupted as she received a phone call.
Zach had walked outside and found Josh leaning by his car smoking a cigarette. He sighed in disappointment and took it away from his best friend, throwing it to the floor and stepping on it. "really?", Zach asked Josh with disappointment, "I thought you had left it for good"
"I did but...", Josh said but stopped as he suddenly made eye contact with Kangmi and saw her frown and look at him in disappointment. He wasn't gonna lie, that hurt his heart a lot more than it should have. "but the reason I did it for is no longer with me", he continued as he kept his eyes on Kangmi, who was in a phone call.
Kangmi's phone
call from Joshua...
Kangmi: hello, Joshua is everything alright?
Joshua: noona, mo-m she collapsed *Joshua said with a shaky voice and it was pretty clear that the boy was crying and panicking*
Kangmi: where are you? *Kangmi said calmly even though she felt her world stop for a moment since Joshua's mom was one of her best friends"
Joshua: at Seoul hospital, she's in surgery right now
Kangmi: I'll be there in a little bit, okay? be strong for me and wait for me in the waiting area
Joshua: ok-ay
Kangmi hanged up the phone and looked at Dinxiang apologetically. "Jia is in the hospital", she explained to him quickly and stopped a taxi. "ask Zach to go to the cake tasting with you, I'll see you later", she said hurriedly and got in the taxi not giving Dingxiang a second to think.
Kangmi told the taxi driver where to go and called Xiaoyu to tell her that Jia was in the hospital. She also called Hendery and Xiaojun telling them that she would not return for the day and that they were in charge.
Once at the hospital, she paid for the taxi and ran inside where she found Joshua at the lounging area. Upon seeing her, he ran to hug her, a hug which she gladly accepted. He buried his head on her chest and cried, while she comforted him. A few minutes later, Xiaoyu arrived looking very startled and worried.
"What happened?", Xiaoyu asked Kangmi.
"I don't know, I haven't been able to talk to the doctors", Kangmi replied as she caressed the crying boy's back. Xiaoyu understood and left to talk to a doctor while Kangmi took care of Joshua. "Joshua, can you explain to me what happened?", Kangmi asked the boy when was calmer.
"I was with Yeongdo and when I went home I found her on the floor so I called the ambulance and-", he murmured and stop when tears started to come out again.
"shh, shh, It's okay"
Joshua shook his head in denial, "it's my fault, I should have been home"
"it's not your fault, you didn't known this was gonna happen", Kangmi said as she directed him to the chairs. She sat next to him and he placed his head on her shoulder. Xiaoyu came back looking pale and Kangmi knew that the news wouldn't be good. It was the look that told Kangmi everything, yet something in her didn't want to believe it. Some time passed and Joshua fell asleep on Kangmi's shoulder. She placed her jacket on him and looked at Xiaoyu.
"What did the doctors tell you", she whispered worriedly to Xiaoyu.
Xiaoyu sat next to her best friend and place her head on Kangmi's other shoulder. "it developed to stage four and apparently she refused to do treatment, Kangmi if she survives the surgery the doctor said that she would only live for about a week"
"oh god", Kangmi said with tears forming in her eyes as she gripped Xiaoyu's hand. "why didn't she tell us?"
"I don't know", Xiaoyu responded softly and squeezed her friend's hand. "I don't know"
Hours passed and Jia was out of surgery and in a hospital room. Kangmi, Xiaoyu, and Joshua sat by her bed watching as the young woman peacefully laid in the bed with her eyes closed. All they could hear was the beeping of the machine and the calm breathing of the three. Jia fluttered her heavy eyelids open and looked at her son with a weak smile. Joshua immediately called for a doctor, already used to the procedure.
After Jia was checked by the doctors, she looked at all of them with a smile. "Hey Joshua, can you go to the lunchroom and get me some water?"
Joshua nodded and left the room, knowing that his mom just wanted to have an adult conversation with the other two. He already knew what she was going to tell them, and felt his eyes water.
"Why didn't you tell us?", Kangmi asked after Joshua left.
"what? that I was dying", Jia responded with a playful smile but Kangmi was not smiling,
"We could have figured it out, I could have paid for better t-"
Jia sighed and cut her off. "Kangmi, I appreciate everything but nothing would have saved me. The cancer spread everywhere and I'm guessing your well aware that-"
"that you have a week left? yeah we are", Kangmi said a little more rude than she intended, "sorry"
"But what about Joshua?", Xiaoyu asked.
"I have everything covered", Jia said and wiggled her eyebrows, "first time I actually do something"
The other two girls chuckled and couldn't believe that she still had the audacity to joke around.
"what do you mean?", Kangmi asked with a small smile as she let the air become less tense.
"I found someone who is willing to take him in", Jia replied.
"who?", Kangmi questioned.
"wait, why not us?", Xiaoyu asked offended by not being the first choice.
"no offense but I would never leave my child to you two. You two are a disaster", Jia said and the two girls glared at her, "but it's Kun"
Kangmi choked on air. "wait what?", she asked. Kun knew about this and the man didn't even tell her, what kind of cousin does she have?
"Yup"
"I did not expect that", Xiaoyu added but then corrected herself, "Nah I did"
"Xiaoyu, WayV will fully be left in your care once i die. Treat them well."
"I know"
Kangmi looked at Jia with a knowing look, "well I hope you know that we're going to spend every last minute with you"
"oh I know", Jia said, "and I would appreciate it if you brought a stripper to give me a show"
Xiaoyu ignored that and asked another question, "does Joshua know?"
"Yeah, he's actually the one who suggested Kun."
Kangmi gasped and placed a hand on her chest, "oh that traitor"
Joshua came back and gave his mother the water. "I am not a traitor I just like Kun hyung more", he said with a teasing tone and Kangmi glared at him playfully.
"plus Kun would a really good mom figure and Joshua is already close with Jian", Jia added.
It went like that for hours, them talking and just enjoying the time until it was night. Kangmi kept her word and spent almost every minute with her. If she wasn't at work she would be in the hospital. Every night she spent the night at the hospital along with Joshua, while Xiaoyu went for a while before leaving because her girlfriend was still ill. Kangmi did go to Dingxiang's apartment to get some clothes and explain everything to him. She also went to work but after work, she went directly to the hospital. The days passed and Kangmi did her best to be there for her best friend.
But on May 9, 2020, Saturday morning Jia was pronounced dead after not waking up from the previous night.
................................................................................................................................................................
I feel like a clown thanks to NCT Dream
but anyways, this chapter really tested me so I hope you liked it :)
song lyrics used in this chapter: "maps" by Maroon five and "Love story" (Sarah Cothran cover)
~Rose🌹<3