Y/n's pov
The next week was spent doing more of the health education and psychiatric sessions with the children for you, until Dr. Kang announced that they were booked to fly back to Korea. It was a lie if that didn't bring up your last encounter with Shi Jin before he left, but you never admitted that to anyone. You also didn't even let yourself acknowledge that you regretted the spiteful words you had said the last time you talked to him. Maybe it wasn't really how you felt now, but a 22 year old you speaking through the present.
Indeed, time is an odd thing. It passes, but people don't always move on in time with it. Maybe you never let yourself move on. Some may say 2 years at the beginning of adulthood is nothing, but at the same time, it was the time where you held most dearly even now, despite it hurt you more than giving you happiness. But if you had moved on, it shouldn't really hurt anymore, right?
'Everyone's leaving. Daeyoung left the second I was coming here, and you'll leave soon too.' Myung Joo wines next to you, examining the soldier's arm as you sit next to her, reading the same line from the paper for the fifth time.
'I don't think so. These children still need help. Leaving halfway through psychiatric consultations can be very harmful.' you say, Myung Joo looking over to you.
'So you'll stay?'
'Yes.' You say, watching a grin spreading across her face.
'You probably need time away from... them as well.' She says, 'them' meaning Dr. Kang and Shi Jin after hearing what went down between you.
'Do you think they're going to date each other?' Myung Joo asks, her voice casual but still lined with slight worry that you might be upset from her mentioning them.
'They were literally stuck to each other this whole time he was here. They may as well be already dating.' You say, rolling your eyes as you remember Shi Jin walking straight past you just to find them sitting together on a rock.
'Or he just wants you to be jealous and it is working.' Myung Joo says, the patient perking his ears up at the tea being spilt. You glare at Myung Joo, shoving your hands into your lab coat before she laughs and walk with you to another consultation room.
[past]
Shi Jin's pov
I glance at the door of the gym for the 100th time in the same training session trying to find Y/n walking in without much success. It's nearing the end of the session and she had promised me that she would be here to watch me do all the kicking through the slates things again, but the row that she always sits at is still empty.
'Stop looking for her and concentrate? It's actually getting annoying.' Hyungman says, rolling his eyes as I stare at the door.
'But she promised!' I say, taking the slate and holding it up for him.
'She probably is on her way and you are too overprotective and over-overreacting.' He says half heartedly, preparing himself to focus on the slate in front of him.
'What if something happened? She's never this late. Maybe she's in trouble?' I say, Hyungman punching through the empty air as I lower the slate back to my side, thinking the worst that could have happened to make Y/n this late.
'Ya! She's 21. She can take care of herself.' Hyungman shouts, looking irritated, pointing at the wrongly placed slate by my side.
'I should go find her.' I say, my eyes glued to the door, but just a second after I put the slates down, the door bursts open, a small figure scurrying into the gym from the distance. I see Y/n rushing to the stadium chairs, her arms full of food and drinks, her lilic coloured cardigan flapping against her back.
'What is she doing?' I hear our trainer watch her faffing around trying to organise all the convenience store food and drinks onto the chairs.
'I told you she's fine.' Hyungman says, rolling his eyes as he watches Y/n turn around to face us, shaking the bottle of energy drink.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Why were you so late? I was worried!' I say, wiping my sweat off with a towel as Y/n tries to open the lid of the energy drinks.
'Oh sorry. You know how busy the campus convenience stores are especially during the end of the term.' she says, curling around the bottle, trying to pry open the lid. I watch her knuckles go whiter as she forcefully try to open it before taking it away from her fingers and opening it myself.
'How will you live without me.' I say, popping open another bottle of energy drink for her.
'I'm pretty sure they also have the same drink with no lid.' she says, and I reach over to pet her head.
'Wrong answer. You were supposed to say that you would never leave me.' I say, watching her narrow her eyes while trying to take my hand off her hair.
'Well I still brought you food.' She says, holding up a triangular kimbap, opening the package properly this time before mixing it into the cupped ramen.
'Thank you. It smells good.' I say, feeling the warm cup of ramen and rice.
'Hey, you only bought one?' Daeyoung says as I half shove the noodles into my face, him walking over to stand next to me.
'I didn't buy it, she did. You should ask Myung Joo to get yours.' I say, my mouth full with ramen, Y/n looking up at me happily as she picks up a strawberry cream bread.
'You little demon.' Daeyoung says, walking the other direction.
[present]
'Take it with you. If you need help, come here again and I'll be here.' You say to the boy standing up to leave, him nodding wearily but still taking the medication from the table.
Just as you close your laptop and flip the papers on your chart to the front, you notice your glass of water making small ripples spreading over to its surface. Putting down your laptop back onto the table, you look out through the window, seeing the pebbles also vibrating more vigorously by the second. You stand up to somehow leave the town hall building, but the ground shakes harder beneath you, knocking you off of your feet onto the floor. Hearing the chair that you were sitting on fall with a clash, you try to grab the side of the table to help you up. Just as you manage to hold the edge of the table, the shelves behind you collapse, the glass shattering loudly as you try to move away from the mess, the ceiling breaks, the sand showering down onto the floor through the cracks. You try to crawl towards the door, but something hard hits your ankle that almost make it numb due to pain. Turning your head, you see that the heavy piece of the ceiling had fallen onto your ankle in the midst of dust flowing in the air.
Digging your nails into the floor, you drag yourself across the room trying not to move your broken ankle. You feel your eyes water through the dust, but you keep moving towards the direction you think should have the door leading to the corridor, your hand managing to curl around the handle.
'Anyone there?' You shout to the other side, hearing nothing as you pull the handle trying to open the door without much success. Just as you turn the handle again to the opposite direction, the ceiling on the other side of the room gives out, the concrete blocks and matters all crashing down. You cough from the sand and dust, your eyes watering through the excruciating pain on your ankle.
'Anyone?' You shout again, hitting the door with your palm, hoping someone to show up and open the door, but the only sound that comes back is the sound of the building crashing down.
Shi Jin's pov
I watch the news showing the ruined buildings in Uruk, the current earthquake ruining the land that was not even developed in the first place. Just as they move onto the videos of the locals, I turn to sprint into my car, driving towards the airport.
'Yes sir. I understand.' I say as the commander orders me and the remaining team alpha back to Uruk. Ending the call, despite myself, I see Y/n's name peaking up on the contacts list. I hesitate whether to call her for a moment, remembering that her name was not on the list of people who were already gone from the earthquake. Although the conscious part of myself feel like I should just look for her when on site, I press call.
Y/n's pov
5 hours.
5 hours had passed since you were stuck in the office in the town hall. One hour in, you stopped trying to get out. Two hours, you stopped asking for help. Third hour in, you stopped trying to listen to any sound coming from the outside.
Leaning your head back onto the half ruined wall, you brush away the useless tear rolling down your face, taking your phone.
'Mum, it's me. I didn't think I would die this way but I really think this will be the last time you'll hear my voice. I know you are okay without me giving you money, but I've saved up enough for you to rest a little from work at least for a few years. You need to take care of yourself. So please rest for a bit. And always know that I love you both and Luna. If, for whatever reason, Shi Jin come and ask about me, tell him I'm sorry I was acting so mean. I was actually happy that he didn't forget about me completely. I really didn't think that would be the last time we spoke. Mum, don't be too sad. I always hated it when you and dad were sad.' You end the recording, wiping your tears from your eyes from the corner of the ruined office.
Just as you try to lower your phone, it starts ringing that you lift your face from your knees.
'Ex no.1' Yoo Shi Jin
The screen reads, and you stare at it for a second as if to understand what it means. If in normal circumstance, you would have decided to pick up the call or decline in a heartbeat, but being in this situation made you doubt your senses. Why would he be calling you of all people, especially when things were broken off between you both in the worst way possible?
But now, nothing could hurt you any more. Not when you are going to die in this hellhole alone, you think, picking up the call.
'It's me. Are you okay? I'm coming back. To Uruk, I mean.' You hear him say on the other side, so urgently casual as if all these years spent being nobody to each other were nothing.
'Y/n? Are you crying? Are you okay?' He says, and you close your eyes, lowering your phone down to the dusty floor.
author's note: ;p