You were so drunk. You just got out of a bar alone so you booked an Uber for your ride home. As you are waiting for them to arrive you look above. The buildings and city lights are covering the beauty of the night sky, that's what you think. You took a deep breath and feel the cold breeze kissing your cheeks. "It's a good life," you said.
Your phone chimes. It's a notification that says your uber is there, it says a black car. You're too drunk to read the license plate. You look around and saw a black car parked in front of you. You instantly went there and open the door.
"Finally, going home. don't mind me I like riding shotgun"
"Miss..."
"Shhh!" You said putting your index finger in his lips.
"Let's go. I want to go home."
"What?! you think this is..." He paused "Miss this is not an U..."
"Shhhhh!"
He stares at you for a while, he looks uneasy but he still obliges and started to drive the car. You look at the driver and he's pale and has a mark on his face.
"Wow! That's beautiful"
"What?"
"That mark in your face."
"You're drunk."
"I know, but my eyes won't lie to me."
He became quiet for a while and you look at the window.
"You look too elegant to be an uber driver." You said breaking the ice.
"Really?" He said and took a quick glance at you before returning his head to the road.
"Yeah!" You paused for a while. "Actually... can you drive around a little? I'll pay extra. I remember that I live alone. I might cry when I go home."
"Okay." He said looking at you confused.
"Thank you, Mister?"
"Inui, Seishu Inui."
"y/n. Nice to meet you." You said smiling.
"Mr. Seishu can you roll down the window please?"
He looks at you before he presses the button.
"Ah! Wind! that's nice." You said as you close your eyes. You slowly peek through the window.
"Hey! That's dangerous."
"It's okay. People die anyway." You answered.
You close your eyes and feel the wind in your face. Late-night drives are relaxing. The smell of burnt cigarettes, the wind kissing your cheeks, and the music playing on the radio.
After a couple of minutes, you went back and sit properly.
"Mister Seishu?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you sometimes feel tired about everything?"
"Yeah. Sometimes"
"Me too." You said smiling. There's silence for a moment before you speak again "I'm dying." You added.
He snaps his head at you and you chuckled. "What? I don't look like dying to you?"
"Ah, no. I'm just surprised."
"My doctors said I only got three weeks if I'm lucky."
He didn't speak for a while.
"Colon cancer stage four if you're curious to know. Late diagnosis so cancer cells are already spreading. Treatment won't work. I have a 14% chance of survival." You chuckled. A bitter chuckle.
"And you're drinking."
"Hell yeah! I would like to die in style! This body will rot might as well enjoy the last days on earth."
You stop talking for a couple of minutes and suddenly burst out crying. "I'm afraid Mr. Seishu. I'm really afraid." You don't know why you told that to a stranger. You put on a brave face in front of your friends but tonight you took that mask off.
He stops the car on the side of the road and looks at you. He then suddenly hugs you. The hug that you wanted to receive. He didn't say any words. He only pats your head and that's enough, that's enough for you to calm down. After a couple of minutes of crying you stop and wipe your tears. You let go of his arms and return to your seat.
"Thank you, Mr. Seishu."
"You can call me Inui."
"Inui." You smiled at him "I'm y/n" You extend your hand.
"You told me your name earlier." He said and you chuckled.
"Oh... I forgot."
"Nice to meet you y/n"
After that one mistaken night, you became friends with a stranger. Inui comes to your house every night to drive you around. You both sometimes go to eat something you haven't tried or sometimes just drive to where destiny will leads you.
"Hey, y/n!" Inui called you as you chomp your triple patty burger. You never had those in your life because you're monitoring your figure.
"Yeah?" You said looking at him, He laughs at your messy face. He then takes a tissue and wipes it making you stunned for a couple of seconds.
"You're a messy eater," he said laughing. You blushed. you know to yourself that you blush and he saw that so he looked away.
"Uhm... About what I have to say.." He said clearing his throat and changing the topic. You immediately wipe your face with a tissue to make sure that you look okay.
"Ah... yeah! What is it?"
"You can have a bucket list! where you can write the things you want to do."
"Before I die?" You finished his sentence.
"What? No!" He said in a panic, you laugh at him.
"That's the truth Inui. One day I am going to die, maybe now or maybe tomorrow," you said laughing. "But Yeah! I would love to write my short bucket list!" You shake your hands to remove the crumbs. "Hand me that tissue and let me borrow a pen."
The sunflower blonde male oblige and gave you the tissue and a pen in his pocket. You're silent for a while writing things down.
"There!" you said as you presented the list to him. He took it and read it in front of you.
"Try to smoke?" you nod.
"Shoplift?" you nod.
"Sing I always wanna die sometimes to the top of your lungs in public?"
"While cross-dressing!" You added.
"What?" He said eyes wide. you just smirk at him that made him shake his head in disbelief. He looks back on the list and his jaw dropped.
"you know that this is drugs right?" he said pointing at your list. you just nod.
"Woah! y/n when I said bucket list I was referring to see the sunsets or something like that," Inui said scratching his head.
"I'm a good girl my whole life, I want to experience these things," you said and go back in eating your burger.
"Oh... Okay. but why number eight is blank."
"Oh! That's my secret." You wink at him. you stop eating and look at him excitedly. "Let's start the list now!" You said.
"Now?"
"Yeah!"
"It's bad that I provoke you." He let out a nervous chuckle.
After you eat he gave you a stick of cigarette.
"does it taste bad?" You asked.
"uhhhh... kinda," he said hesitantly. You put the cigarette in between your lips and he lights it. You try to puff a smoke but ended coughing. He chuckled. "Check the list." He said and took the cigarette from you.
"Hey! I'm not done yet."
"That's enough we have seven more to do!" he said as he steps on the cigarette on the floor.
"Fine!"
"What do you want to do next?"
You hold your chin and look at him with a grin on your face.
**********
"Do we really need to do this?"
You both exchange clothes. He's peeking from the door of the public restroom. He's now wearing your shorts and a tank top. You're wearing his suit.
"Yeah! Let's go!" You hold his hand and pull him outside. you're at the park and there are few people there because It's almost midnight.
"I'll start!" You said confidently.
I bet you thought your life would change
But you're sat on a train again
Your memories are sceneries
For things, you said but never really meant
You build it to a high to say goodbye
Because you're not the same as them
But your death, it won't happen to you
It happens to your family and your friends
I pretend
Then you sang the chorus at the top of your lungs.
And I always wanna die
Sometimes
You look at him and encouraging him to sing too. "Come on!" you said.
I always wanna die
Sometimes~ Inui sings with you looking around, some people are staring at you others are taking pictures. You look at him and gave him a warm smile.
After the chorus, you started to cough. Inui runs to you. "Hey! are you okay?"
You removed your hands from your mouth and look at it, there's blood. "Oh! That's probably cancer cells in my lungs. They spread quickly" You said nonchalantly.
"I'll take you to the hospital!" He said.
"no! They'll just admit me and give me bitter pills that won't even help. I accepted the truth Inui. I am going to die." You said staring at him. He let out a big sigh.
"Then let's change, I'll drive you home. It's late." He said in a worried tone. You just nod at him.
**************
The next day he went over to your house same time at night. you don't feel well but you hide it because it's fun to be with him. for the past months after knowing your diagnosis you never felt this happy.
The sound of his car makes you feel excited. You run towards him and greet him with a smile.
"So what do you want to do?" Inui asked looking at you. You just smirked at him then you went on and do the last things on your list except for the drugs because Inui refused. You didn't argue with him because you're saving your strength. Now you're both sitting at the hood of his car waiting for sunrise near the beach.
"Late-night drives are the best!" You said stretching your painful arms.
"Yeah, I never enjoyed nights like this." He said as he chuckled.
"Yeah!" You paused for a second. "I know you paid for the gum I shoplift earlier."
"Yeah..." He said and let out a faint laugh.
"You're a good guy Inui." You said looking at the sky. He didn't respond.
"Hey. I know this is insensitive but what the hell I'm dying." You chuckled and paused for a while. "Can I touch you burn mark?" You said.
"My burn mark?" Inui look at you confused.
"Yeah! It's beautiful." You said looking at him.
"No, it's not." He looked away. You cupped his cheeks and turned his head to meet your gaze and stared into his eyes. "It may look ugly to you but for me it's beautiful."
He didn't move. He just smiles at you like he's giving you the permission. You slowly raise your hand even if your muscles are aching and touch his mark.
"I'll remember this face forever." You said tracing his mark with your fingers. "Thank you for coming to my life even if it's just for a short time, Inui."
Inui knew and you knew. Tears are now building up in the corners of his eyes. You slowly took a piece of paper from your pocket and give it to him.
"This is number eight on my list." You said almost in a whisper. He took it and open it in front of you.
8. Kiss Inui goodbye. was written in the paper. a couple of seconds passed and the paper became wet from his tears. He nods aggressively and looks at you. You gave him the warmest smile you can give. The sun is slowly rising, He cups your cheeks and tucks your hair behind your ears.
He slowly moves closer to you and you close your eyes. You felt your lips touch that's when your tears started to fall.
Thank you, Inui. I had the greatest three weeks of my life.
You rested your head on his shoulders as you close your eyes. You didn't move you feel like you're fading and before you took your last breath, a smile painted on your lips.
End