𝟙𝟝 𝕃𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕐𝕠𝕦 || Kang Taehyun || TXT

Epilogue

"Hey, Taehyun," she appeared on the screen, perched on the edge of a bed, waving enthusiastically. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Euna smiles brightly, something that did not match well with her pale skin. "If you're watching this video, you must know that..." she suddenly clamps her mouth with her hand. "God, I feel so awkward talking to a camera."

She clears her throat, retaining a serious look on her face. "The reason why I'm filming a video is that I wanted to clear things up with you. I wanted no secrets between us after this."

"If you've read my letters beforehand, you might've known that I have a disease. Yes, I have a disease but neither my parents nor I knew about it until about 4 months ago. The truth is, I have a hereditary disease known as cystic fibrosis. Go on, search it up. I know you're curious about it." she paused briefly, smiling knowingly before continuing.

"It's pretty rare to get cystic fibrosis in South Korea, so hardly any doctors knew about it. I missed many classes attending appointments with specialized doctors who had knowledge about my case. But no light on how to cure or treat it was shed upon my condition."

"If I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis a bit earlier, then I would've been mostly fine. However, that was not the case. The disease had been growing in me for years." 

"I had a bit of luck on my side. One of the specialized doctors prescribed a treatment for me to improve my condition. Good news, right? The downside was that since my case was very severe, once I got just a bit better, I would have to move to the U.S. for better treatment. And no matter how sick I was, I didn't want to pick up my roots and immigrate to America. South Korea was my home. Fate did not choose this route, though. Despite being monitored by the best doctors, there was no doubt: I was getting worse day by day. I couldn't have moved to the U.S. at this stage, without treatment, chances were that I would not make it in time to receive better treatment."

"So I stayed. Sometimes, it was painful. I couldn't breathe at times. I had no one to share this horrible secret until I had decided to tell Huening Kai and Aria."

She coughed. "Remember the last time we had direct contact?" she asked. "I was going to tell you about my condition, but I guess fear and cowardice got the best of me. I was afraid that you would look at me differently or maybe even worse, with pity. So, I wrote letters instead."

"Some might think of me as a delusional human being for trying to be cheerful, even though I was dying. I'm not delusional, I'm embracing my fate. There's a clear difference between them. What use is trying to evade death? It's practically impossible. I want to be my happiest self before I'm gone. Some people might mourn over the things they never got to do at death's door, but I want to think of the things life has given me. Friends. A home. Parents. Love. I don't regret any of these things."

"What I'm going to say next is going to sound crazy, but it's true." she hesitated, before confessing. "I like you."

"Don't worry, you don't have to like me back, Taehyun. I just felt like I should confess before I go." Euna fidgeted with her fingers. "I've liked you for a while," she admitted. "How? Well for a lot of reasons and our times together just helped it blossom. You may not think of yourself this way, but you're the smartest, kindest, and considerate friend I ever had. And while you may sometimes be a worrywart and think you're not good enough, remember, love yourself. Tapestries are beautiful, but even the best weavers make mistakes."

"I doubt you like me back though and among many things, I don't regret liking you. You've been my best friend for over a decade by now and I'll always be grateful for you being there when I'm at my lowest. I'll always love you unconditionally, even when I'm not in this world anymore."

She coughed again before smiling. Euna forms a heart with her fingers. "I'm sorry that I can't be with you at graduation with our family and friends. I'm sorry for keeping these secrets from you, but I'll never regret this life . Promise me that you'll move on in life and smile. Don't dwell on the past, you look better smiling. On the USB drive, our memories, photos, and videos are stored on it. Think of me once in a while, okay? That's enough for me."

"Saranghae, Taehyunnie. This is the end of our story and my 15 letters to you. May we meet again one day... I love you."

The computer flickered off, signaling the end of the video. Taehyun stared at the screen for the longest time. She was gone and he hadn't even gotten the chance to say goodbye... Worse yet, he hadn't confessed that he liked her back. It was too late. He couldn't extinguish the unmistakable throbbing of his heart as he scrolled through the memory lane.

Years of their friendship were gone. Just like that. Days at the park and nights under the stars, gone. All that was left were the memories. Memories which were scattered in the wind.

He stared at the papers and envelopes scattered on his desk. His breaths turned ragged as it all sank in. She was dead and he hadn't even seen her in weeks. What kind of friend was he? 

He was such a idiot.

 Taehyun's eyesight blurred as he sank into his chair. He kept silent as guilty thoughts pierced his mind with reality.

It was just a dream, he told himself. Just a dream.

Oh, how he wished it was true.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A year later... 
A beautiful grave was in front of him. He crouched down and delicately placed a bouquet of poppies and white lilies.

His fingers brushed against the stone, wiping the dust that had covered the engraving.

Here lies Han Euna,
a fighter of cystic fibrosis,
who shows us
that we should treasure time
before it's too late.
May her soul find comfort in the heavens.

"I'm sorry, my love. Maybe in another world we could be happy. But not this life."