Just two days left until the summer break began. Two days left before Heeseung would leave and Yujin would be alone. It's not like Yujin could not hang out with Hana but somehow after Heeseung had confessed about having a crush on Hana, Yujin felt like she should distance herself from her. Nevertheless, she had agreed to visit Heeseung at his grandparent's mid-vacation with Hana.
Yujin had an appointment with the doctor after school. But she couldn't tell Heeseung about that while Hana already knew about it.
Heeseung had vocal practice and so he was late and while the time clicked, Yujin and Hana stood near the gate of the school. Since most had gone home, there were only a few students left in the campus and Heeseung was still nowhere in sight. Yujin tapped her foot on the sidewalk, getting impatient. Hana sat on a rock outside and she looked up at Yujin.
"Hey, if you're getting late, why don't you go ?" She suggested.
"But you know Heeseung will become suspicious if I leave early." Yujin replied.
You're already too obvious, he already, it's just that he's too stupid to realise it, Hana thought she'd say but instead she said, "I'll manage him, say your dad came to pick you up"
"No sherlock, heeseung knows that my dad never comes to pick me up"
"Oh shut up, he wouldn't give it so much of a thought." Hana said with an irritated stare.
"okay then, I'll go, do manage him" Yujin said with a smile and ran ahead and waved at her. She crossed the road and was soon out of sight.
Heeseung arrived around 15 minutes after Yujin had left but to Hana's surprise, he didn't ask about Yujin.
"hey, wanna have ice-cream ?" He asked. Hana chuckled and nodded happily.
―
"Yujin Kim, you're next" the nurse informed and Yujin stood up and bowed before knocking on the door. A voice from inside said, 'come in' and she entered and took a seat.
"Ms. Kim, you had hanahaki if I'm not wrong" the doctor said while checking a few reports.
"uh yes" Yujin said with an air of embarrassment, scratching the back of her ear.
"judging from how you called me late at night a few days ago, i suppose your health is not fine."
"I'm having a bit of difficulty breathing sometimes. It hurts even if I hold my chest. It hurts to run fast. And nowadays, i throw up flowers even if I'm not close to him." Yujin explained.
The doctor suggested a ct scan and after it was done, he augue at Yujin. He showed her the screen which showed flowers stuck up in her lungs. Yujin was taken aback.
She stared at the screen without a blink as if she had zoned out.
"We still have time, I suppose you should think of a surgery."
"I'm scared. You know, what if I don't make it out ?" She said.
"That.. I can't say anything about it. But most there are chances of you surviving. Take a few weeks to think about it, I hope you don't come in too late" the doctor said.
―
Yujin sighed as she got out of the clinic. She turned to look at the sign board.
This place is basically my regular visiting spot now, she thought to herself.
It was almost the evening and the sun was hardly visible beyond the clouds. The streets were packed up with people and her eyes strolled along the vehicles, finding a crossing to cross the rode when her eyes met with his. The same eyes that bring her happiness.
But Heeseung's stare somewhat did not look happy. He stared at her with emotionless eyes. Yujin broke the eye contact and moved to the crossing waiting for the signal to turn red so that she could cross and for a moment she thought it was her hallucination but when she looked up, she saw Heeseung's eyes follow her every move.
It was awkward to walk up to him but Yujin tried to act all normal.
"Hey Hee, had anything to do here ?" She said.
"Nope, let's go" he said plainly and handed her a chocolate bar.
"What's this for ?"
"Hana and I went to the icecream parlour, so I got this for you" he said.
"Uh, Hee, is there anything wrong ?" Yujin said feeling awkward that no one was talking. Obviously it was Heeseung, the man who'd always have something to talk about. Him being this quiet was somewhat unusual.
"Yujin, do you really expect me to answer that ?" Heeseung said. Yujin looked dumbfounded.
"If I ask you the reason why you went to visit the doctor, will you be able to give me a reply ?"
"Uh, my health isn't well" Yujin replied hesitantly.
"Oh really ? Well I'll have to disagree because everytime you're sick, you have always informed me,it's never happened that you haven't informed me. And usually you take a leave on days you have an appointment cause you don't want to face the crowd of the evening. " Heeseung said as he walked past her, quickening his pace.
Yujin ran up to catch up with him, "heeseung―
"I thought we were close enough for you to tell me you were secretly suffering."
"What are you talking about, Hee ?"
Play the dumb was probably the worst idea Yujin could come up with and it only worsened Heeseung's mood.
"Yujin, although I know I shouldn't have asked, but I still want to know, why did you throw up flowers that day ?"
Yujin did not have an answer. Telling him the reason would mean telling him about hanahaki which Yujin didn't want to disclose. Either way, she did not have an answer and Heeseung did not like silence as the answer.
"You don't have an answer." Heeseung bitterly chuckled and paused and looked around to look at the girl who had abruptly stopped as well. "Why didn't you tell me you had hanahaki ?"
That was it. Yujin was absolutely horrified. Her eyeballs expanded as her left palm automatically found itself covering her mouth to soften the gasp. Heeseung let out a 'tsk' and turned around with a slight roll in his eyes and walked ahead.
Yujin was too stunned to say another word. She stood still.
"Wait"
Heeseung turned around.
"How did you know about it ?" She questioned.
"Yujin, I'm a human too, I have my own curiosities. There's something called the internet." He replied.
"Why did you pretend not to know then ?"
"Because you did that first" he said, "jinie, I'm not upset that you have a crush, I'm happy for you and I suggest you should confess to them. But I don't really want to lose you"
"Wow Heeseung, you're really clueless about everything" Yujin scoffed.
"Yes jinie, I am, BECAUSE YOU DID NOT TELL ME ANYTHING" he raised his voice a bit, getting all his emotions out. "I had to figure it all myself and even though I thought i was close to you and I told you my secrets,you kept quiet."
"Yes I did heeseung because it took time for me to adjust to everything ! You won't understand heeseung because you don't have the disease" Yujin raised her voice which eventually cracked as the corner of her eyes became moist. "Because…." She stumbled, "because I LIKE YOU, no, no, I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU, LEE HEESEUNG"
―
Author's note : wow,that was a roller coaster ride...