Meteor

Twelve

Her voice became faint, leaving Yu Jin completely numb. She had always been a cheerful and optimistic girl, showing absolutely no sign of being scared by the approaching mortality. She had always been wearing a mask of being happy to show to the world, hiding away the unspoken fear that was wandering in her mind. Not only was she strong, she also inspired Yu Jin to be strong like her, to live a meaningful life, to smile more and to believe in himself more. But perhaps, she might be crying even more often than Yu Jin smiled thanks to her. He would probably want to thank the soju as but for it, Eun Chae might not have revealed herself so openly like she was doing now and he might never be able to discover the weaker, more vulnerable side of her personality.

"Hey, answer me? What would you say?" She nudged his arm. "I am...really...terrified of death, you know?" Her voice began to be shaky again.

"You don't need to be terrified," Yu Jin turned around and stroked her hair, "I'll be here with you. You have a doctor beside you so don't be afraid."

"Mm hmm," she meekly said and nodded her head, "Hey Yu Jin..."

"Yeah?"

"Can you...hug me please?"

Yu Jin was a bit flustered. He had definitely never been this close to a girl, not even his own sister. But he still agreed with her in the end as there was just no reason to say "No" to such a request. If a dying girl just wanted a hug from him, then wouldn't it be too mean of him if he gave her a "No"? He looped his arms around her body and held her tight. Her head was placed on his chest while his chin was touching her hair. They were so close together that he could feel her chest rising and falling, her heartbeat and her every single breath.

"You like hugging, don't you?" He asked.

"Yeah. I like hugging people, and being hugged too. By that I can at least feel someone's warmth. I have never experienced that when I was in the orphanage."

So this was what she was craving for, just the feeling of people's warmth. Yu Jin wondered how harsh her childhood really was that she ended up like this, seeking cosiness from a seemingly reserved and cold boy like him.

The two friends lied close together, hugging each other tight and feeling the warmth of the other. Yu Jin planned to let go of Eun Chae once she had fallen asleep. But he himself entered his slumber even before he could really realise and they remained in that posture for the whole night.

The sun finally rose, waking up Eun Chae. Opening her eyes and realising that she had been sleeping in Yu Jin's arms, she was absolutely confused. She had forgotten most of the things that had happened the previous night and could not decipher why Yu Jin was hugging her.

"What the heck?" She quickly sat up gaped at Yu Jin with her face turning crimson. "Hey Yu Jin, wake up!" She gently shook his body.

"Huh?" Yu Jin sleepily yawned and opened his eyes, "Oh, hi Eun Chae."

"Were you...hugging me for...the whole night?" She peered at him in puzzlement.

"What?" Yu Jin tried to recall what was going on last night. "Oh damn," he muttered and his face began to blush, "I...I'm sorry...I was...just..."

"Never mind, I...have no problem with that so...don't worry," she gave him a coy smile, "By the way, I was drunk last night, right?"