^^ JUNGKOOK ^^

"You learned that trick from me," Shanshan pointed at the TV as she commented on the way I effortlessly got through the climbing wall.

I sneered at her before answering. "Stop saying that I learned my skills from you."

"No, I taught you how to climb when we were children!"

"That was like many years ago," I denied.

"How can you be so skillful in every game? Is there an episode of Run BTS where you lost that I can watch?" Shanshan took the remote attempting to change the episode, but I snatched it away.

"Just sit still and watch your best friend win the race," I replied.

She leaned back on the sofa and threw me a frown. "Don't be so full of yourself."

I chuckled at her and focused on the TV, ignoring how bored she was. "Whoa. I did so well in this episode. I wonder how army is going to react on it."

"JK, there's something I need to tell." Shanshan nudged at my side, almost giving me a tickle.

"What." I turned to my side and looked down at her, her head still leaning back on the sofa and looking at me.

When I looked down on her, I paused as the memory of her red lips flashed in my mind, making me gulp. Last night, she was so beautiful... elegant and stunning. She just looked back at me, her pupils dilating as I unconsciously leaned down and laid my hand beside her, caging her while she tried to force her head back on the mattress to avoid me. We just stared at each other while we were in that position, lost in each other's eyes.

"Oh god. Why is my heart beating so fast? Am I the only one?"

I swallowed hard, gazing at her lips. "What's happening to me? I... I want to kiss her."

"What are you trying to do, pervert?"

I blinked at the word she called me, shattering all the dirty thoughts playing in my mind and taking me back to reality. I slowly got back on my seat as she immediately sat straight, clearing her throat.

"Stop calling me a pervert."

"Oh, it's a nickname you earned for yourself!" She said nervously, immediately distancing herself from me and laying her head on the arm of the couch while her cheeks blushed pink.

I sighed with denial but also, deep inside, I was blaming myself. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"B-by the way, what is that something you want to tell me."

"Now you're making it awkward to have a conversation with her."

She yawned, supporting her head on the arm of the couch while focusing on the TV. "Mark came yesterday. He said that my family needs me back."

"Ah, Mark. That fiance of yours... yah!" I let out a yell as she kicked my side.

"Who said he's my fiance?! EX- FIANCE," she corrected.

I laughed at her. I knew that she always cringed at the picture of herself almost married to that wealthy son of a businessman.

"JK. I'm serious. My family sent him to take me back. He's giving me two weeks!"

I was still teasing her. "I thought everything about your cancelled marriage was over?"

She rose up and took the remote, shutting the TV off and standing in front of me with seriousness. "He came to ask me to reconsider our marriage. He said that it's the only way to save my father's company from going down. He is giving me two weeks and if I don't go, everyone around me will be in danger and that includes you!"

My smile faded. I stood up and held her hands. "Did they just use me to threaten you?"

"Y-yes... he said I have two weeks to prepare and take me back to New York." She said, her eyes filled with worry and fear.

"Damn. Who is he to decide what she has to do? And her family... they're just using her for the benefit of their company!"

"You said you're not going with him, right?" I asked, fearing that she was forced to say yes.

She nodded. "Of course I don't want to go nor be married with him. They can't force me to go. But... but what I'm worried about is-"

I pulled her into a hug. "Ah, thank God. As long as you oppose him, there is nothing he can't do." I stroked her hair softly. "If he tries to harm you, I will protect you."

"P-promise?" She looked at me with her teary eyes as she gripped the sides of my clothes.

"Yes."

^^ SHANSHAN ^^

"Have you been using medicines for a long time?"

"No, doctor. I only use medicine to relieve pains. But not often."

"Hmm... this is odd. Are you sure you did not overdose yourself with any kind of substance?"

"I don't remember using medicines frequently."

"Hah... I-I do not understand how you got this disease. You said you don't drink alcohol that much, and you have a good lifestyle. What I can suspect is your way of taking drugs and other substances that trigger cancer."

"..."

"This is... I know this is shocking to you too. You are still too young."

"Doctor. Am I going to die soon?"

"Patients with stage 3 liver cancer mostly survive for 4 to 5 months."

"You mean... you mean-"

"Let's pray that you will survive until next year."

"N-no... I can't die yet." I opened my eyes, awakened by my own words. I realized that I was talking in my sleep.

I sat up as I looked back on my dream. My conversation with the doctor was relived in it. My hands touched my face, wet with hot tears and my head damped with sweat. I've been like this for two months already since I was diagnosed with cancer. I've been dreaming of the same thing, reminding me each time I wake up that I'm going to die soon. If only I had known sooner, I could have abandoned my work and did the things I wanted to do... or maybe travel the world with JK and BTS, but the symptoms showed up late.

I sniffed, drying my tears as I looked around the dark living room with only the TV still playing and its sound muted. I found myself on the couch with a blanket over me. I must have fallen asleep while watching with Jungkook.

"JK?" I said meekly, searching for him. "Are you there?" No one answered. "Did he go back to their dorm already?"

I hugged myself inside the blanket. "How dare he. He left without waking me up... I miss him already." I slowly began to cry. "I miss him."

It was all actually the pressure that had me breaking down. The reality is that I'm dying without everyone knowing, and my fear of leaving everyone and adding the burden that my family is giving to me. I still wanted JK to stay a bit longer with me, but he left without saying a word, leaving me feeling isolated. He's my only source of comfort. But at the same time, he was the most painful pain I felt each time I was reminded that I was leaving him soon.

I wept bitter tears, letting my emotions take over me. I just want JK to be back. I had the urge to tell him about my condition, but I couldn't. "I'm dying." Two words that I'm trying to hold back when I'm with him.

"I don't want to die yet," I cried while warm, big tears rolled over my cheeks. "Please- please let me live! Let me live!"

^^ JUNGKOOK ^^

I opened Shanshan's apartment door and entered with lots of grocery bags in my hands while whistling. A while ago, while she fell asleep, I decided to buy groceries for her. Maybe she did not have time to buy them, which was why she kept ordering delivery food instead. I changed my shoes into slippers, pausing to hear some muffled cries coming from her.

"Shanshan?" I quickened my steps towards inside, spotting her at the couch, who seemed to be crying in pain. I immediately dropped the bags and threw my mask away while dashing towards her.

"What happened? What's wrong?" I asked, cupping her face while she cried. "Are you hurt?" Anxiousness flooded my body as I checked any part of her body that could be hurting. Her chest heaved as she cried, putting her head on my shoulder.

"You," she spoke, her voice broken while crying. "You left me!"

"What?... I'm sorry. I only went to buy groceries," I answered, not really understanding what caused her to cry deeply. I rubbed her back as I put my arms around her. "Calm down... I'm here already. I'm here..."

I waited for her to calm down while wondering what really happened. I don't like her getting sad. Seeing her crying like this breaks my heart.