❝Here's the weird thing about a hospital. You become friends with kids you'd never know in a million years. Losers, populars, stoners, nerds... the wall just kinda falls down.❞
•In which an aspiring ballet dancer joins a group of hospital residents...
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Hiding the truth, pretending I'm fine...
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The roof was always a place where Renjun enjoyed sketching the most. When the others weren't around, it was quiet and serene, perfect for him to enjoy his favorite activity. He would rest against the wall, oblivious to his surroundings, allowing his mind to wander freely.
Renjun hated interruptions when he was in the midst of his creative flow. He left Chenle's room almost immediately after Nari did, refusing his friends' proposal to stay and hang out. He ended up on the familiar rooftop, sitting in his usual spot as he opened his sketchbook.
Time loses meaning when he's drawing. It feels eternal, as if he's forever bound to hold the thick paper page, calculating every stroke of graphite left by his pencil. Renjun's rough sketches were the blueprint for his masterpieces, the hidden treasure map to his grandest visions. That was why he dearly cherished his free hours dedicated to sketching.
Just as he was on the verge of finishing the final stroke, a sudden loud thud startled him, causing him to release his grip on the pencil. Renjun let out an irritated scoff, assuming it was Chan coming to bother him again. He angrily stood up, prepared to give him a piece of his mind. But when he raised his head, he found a small trembling figure kneeling on the ground. Renjun remained still, quietly observing his new friend's suffering, unsure how to respond. Despite her poor efforts to muffle her screams, her cries remained loud.
"Nari," he silently called her name.
She looked up at the confused boy, unable to calm her sobs. Nari felt embarrassed revealing herself in such a vulnerable and pathetic state, especially in front of Renjun.
"What happened?" he tried to console her, gently touching her shoulder.
She tried to speak, but the heavy tears and growing panic prevented her from providing an answer. Although they had known each other for less than two days, Renjun had never expected to witness this side of her character. Nari presented an image of composure and sophistication; she was very well-spoken and revealed minimal emotional expression. At least, that was the impression Renjun had gathered from the two days of getting to know her.
"You might want to hold off on speaking until you've calmed down." Renjun was bad at comforting people. He felt he couldn't offer them the right words of solace in their moments of distress. He couldn't lighten the mood with a joke like Chan or show a reassuring smile like Yeri and Taehyun. He was useless, possibly even worsening Nari's already troubled state. Seeing her cry so intensely, Renjun thought there was nothing more he could do except call for a nurse or a doctor.
"I'll go get someone," he attempted to leave, but the frail hand clutching his shirt sleeve held him back.
"No," she spoke through tears, "don't."
She was still looking down, her hair completely covering her face. Renjun contemplated what to do but ultimately chose to stay, given that her hand was still gripping him firmly.
"Okay," he crouched back down, finally facing her after a few seconds of silence. He remained quiet, patiently waiting for her to start talking.
"They found a tumor on my knee," she managed to whimper, the tears still choking her back, "and they want to amputate my leg."
His eyes widened in shock. Just this morning, Nari claimed everything was fine. Renjun couldn't quite process the news and struggled to find the right words to comfort her. It must be a difficult situation if she needs emergency amputation.
"When are you scheduled for surgery?" he managed to ask. Nari hesitated to reveal her choice, still uncertain whether she had made the right decision. Tears continued to flow down her face as she shook her head.
"I have decided that I won't be undergoing surgery," she took a deep breath, attempting to maintain her composure.
"What do you mean you won't be undergoing surgery," Renjun's voice rose, "I thought you said you needed an amputation?"
"I do need it, but I don't want it. You're aware that my life loses its purpose without dancing," she looked up, "and dancing with just one leg is simply impossible."
Renjun couldn't articulate why, but her statement filled him with an overwhelming feeling of rage. He couldn't understand how she would reject medical help that could save her life, especially when millions would give anything for such a chance, all for a seemingly foolish reason.
"You want to give up already?" Renjun got up, sighing at her words.
"You don't understand-" Nari tried to reason, but he was too quick to interrupt her.
"No, I don't understand," Renjun's voice became louder, "You're aware that you don't carry your pain with you once you die, right? You can free yourself from it, but you end up passing it on to others. Your parents, your teachers, your classmates, your friends, did you even think about them? If someone offered me a chance that could save my life, do you really think I'd pass it up? Hell, I'd do anything for that chance!"
"Look at Chenle! We can't predict when he'll wake up or if he ever will. His life is a ticking bomb, and if you continue with this selfish behavior, yours will be too."
"If an opportunity to live presents itself, you take it! You don't pass it around or throw it away; you take it."
Nari stared at him in silence before letting out a small smile. "But, I'm nothing without dance. If I'm not dancing, it feels like nobody around me can truly love me."
"You're kidding," Renjun laughed, squatting down to her level again, "Nari, you've only been here for two days, and I've never seen Taehyun speak so highly of someone before. And Yeri hasn't smiled this much since she got admitted here. They adore you. And they'll continue to do so whether you have one leg, two legs, or even five legs. Dancing isn't what matters to them; it's you that they care about."
Nari blinked away the few remaining tears before finally standing up. She understood everything now; this was her wake-up call, a second chance she couldn't give up, a presented opportunity she had to take.
"Alright, you've persuaded me," Nari smiled, wiping her face, "But if I'm going to go through with this, I need to bid a proper farewell to my first love."
"I'd like to share my interpretation of art through a performance," Renjun watched her in confusion, tilting his head as he heard her request.
"I want to dance for you."
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hii finally a new chap :))
i know this is a short chapter... idk whats up with me these last few chapters have been rly short but it just felt right to end it here so i didnt want to write nonsense just to satisfy my imaginary word count goal 💀
but other than that i really like it they are so so so :')
