Nevertheless fanfic (할고있지만)

Nevertheless, Coincidence and Choices

Nabi never believed in accidents or coincidence. Maybe the first time could be termed as such but subsequently, it became a choice. A choice to love. A choice to not. A choice to live. A choice to not.

There was a choice to fight the inevitable even when the mind and body were separated in what doctors call a coma. Struggle to reclaim control of one's life. It was this experience that made her doubt the existence of a greater divine.

How could someone like that exist while watching the world fall apart daily? How could humans assemble at least once a week to worship and honour an unseen, all-knowing God? Why? The majority of them were born into the faith and never tried to question it or find a place for themselves inside it. For a variety of reasons, they simply allowed themselves to become lost in the sea.

That's why, whenever Nabi had the chance to ask a question, she did it without ceasing. When she didn't get a sensible response, she concluded she was in charge of her own life. Despite being forced to attend Sunday services with her mother on occasion, she only did so because she didn't want to forfeit her monthly stipend. See? Choices.

And she decided to not die in a taxi, deprived of sleep and affection.

"Yu Nabi? Are you awake? Nabi!" The voice called whilst shaking her hand.

"Mn?" She replied, eyes still shut but slowly regaining consciousness.

"Call a doctor! Tell them she's awake. She's awake!" Suddenly, those hands held hers again and squeezed it. "God came through for you. You are alive."

The distinct voice of her mother spoke to her. Jeong-ra fussed over her daughter for the next couple of days.

Due to the severity of her injuries, Nabi had been in a coma for two days. She did not, however, regain consciousness soon following her surgery. As a result, she had to stay in the hospital for five days. Her mother appeared to believe she had been saved by God, and Nabi lacked the energy or even the correct answers to refute her claim.

Do-Hyeok stopped over and remained a little longer on occasion to make her feel less lonely. Nabi was unfazed by her mother's side glances. She could see the woman's contented smile, but she didn't dare to shatter the illusion yet. Do-Hyeok was merely a friend. She ached...she yearned for someone else.

Her options up to this point have been to keep quiet for fear of being discovered or something similar. All she wanted to do all day was breathe and create new ideas on a canvas but she has had to do so secretly.

Her current field, accounting, was without a doubt a lucrative one. She'd be able to make a fine living out of it, but what is life without a sense of achievement? A career as an accountant would guarantee that she would spend the rest of her life without enjoying the colours of the world.

Something that shouldn't be linked to her identity.

Nabi made the conscious decision to live rather than just survive. She would prioritize her art while striving to be the best accountant she could be. She planned to spend more time with friends like Bitna, who had been contacting her nonstop, and others she met at the last exhibition. Nabi had declined Sol and Jiwan's invitation to hang out, which they had sent through Bitna.

As for Park Jae-eon, she hadn't received a text or call from him. In retrospect, she never told him about her birthday.

Nabi held the lipstick pack above her head to get a different look.

"Wow. Do-Hyeok, I like this colour. Thank you."

"Happy Birthday Nabi." He smiled at her, eyes filled with an emotion Nabi couldn't decipher. So, she decided not to stress over it.

Just then, her mother walked in with a small gift bag in her hand. "The doctor said you will be discharged today. At least, you'd get to spend your birthday at home. I have already invited Do-Hyeok's mother and a few others to come to have dinner with us. Your life is a cause for celebration, especially at this point. Your Aunt isn't sure she can make it but she will try."

Everything whizzed through her ears. She was relieved that her aunt could be there to make her feel less weird than the other guests her mother had invited.

"What's that in your hand?" Nabi asked after studying it for too long.

"Oh, this? I found it hanging on the door handle. It's for you." Her mother handed it to her.

Nabi adjusted herself to access the white bag by placing the lipstick on the bedside table. There were two boxes inside. One package had the Tiffany and Co. emblem on it, indicating that it was a piece of jewellery. She took out the pink box and, as she had suspected, discovered a pair of gold earrings and a pendant on a chain necklace. It was the design, however, that made her gasp.

An infinity symbol.

The question of who sent it was lost as she knew only he could send her anything related to infinity. Jae-eon knew how much the word; infinity meant to her.

She had previously told him, "Infinity is the symbol for the past, present, and future. It's a claim by one person to be everything to the other without the need for perfection. It was simply a matter of cherishing and safeguarding. Call me insane for delving too deeply into a single word, but I believe it to be a silent declaration".

He had remembered.

Nabi spent a few minutes tracing the infinity symbol on the earrings before closing the box. She made her way over to the pink box. There was no hint of what it was or what it could be. She grinned as she opened it. Another pleasant surprise awaited her.

A silver charm bracelet was in the package. Several different species of butterflies hung from it when she pulled it up.

A charm of butterflies, she thought.

She put on the bracelet without hesitation and shook her hand a little to hear the chime. She was still in her bubble when her mother spoke,

"Who is it from? What kind of people are you hanging out with that sends my daughter expensive gifts?"

"Please Mother, don't start." She checked the bag for any kind of note and she found one. She was initially concerned about what the text might say. Jae-eon knew he had to be cryptic, or else he'd have to start thinking about where he wanted his ashes to be poured once he was killed.

The white card surprisingly had three words, "Happy Birthday Nabi".

No name.

She showed it to her mother before putting it in the bag with the infinity set. Nabi didn't want to dwell on what this meant, but she couldn't deny that she was giddy on the inside. Her tummy was doing somersaults at the moment.

The gifts were no mere coincidence. Jae-eon had been there. He had checked up on her. He had gotten her gifts for her birthday. He had shown her respect by not revealing his face or identity in the card and by being considerate enough to know what would make her happy.

Maybe there was still hope for them after all, but she'd have to decide that when she got back to school.

                          ××××

Hello!

First off, 1k reads? Thank you so much! It means a lot to see the votes and comments especially from some people who have been loyal since chapter One.

I see you. I love you. 💖💖

Heads up, the end is not so far anymore. I am excited and hope that I would be able to create more interesting stories like this one.

For my readers of Of Rogues and Sunshines, I am still working on a new chapter. Bear with me. 💜🦋

Which character can you relate to the most?