⊂★⊃ 𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃

𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀

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𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪 -- -͙- The rhythmic beeping of the machines faded into the background as Yeonjun's eyes grew heavy. His body, exhausted from the weight of his grief, began to surrender to the pull of sleep. He lay his head down on the edge of the bed, still clutching Percy's cold hand in his, and whispered to her as his consciousness slipped away.

"I love you, Percy," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "Please come back to me..."

The last thing he felt was the softness of her skin against his cheek, the last tether to the world he knew before everything went dark.

When Yeonjun opened his eyes again, the world around him was different. Gone were the harsh, sterile lights of the hospital, the steady hum of machines, the cold, unyielding walls. Instead, he found himself standing in an endless gray field, the sky above a blanket of muted silver, the ground beneath his feet soft and yielding. The air was still, unnervingly quiet, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

Confused, Yeonjun turned in a slow circle, searching for something familiar, something that might anchor him in this strange, surreal place. That's when he saw her.

She stood a short distance away, her white dress billowing gently in a breeze that he couldn't feel. The fabric clung to her figure, flowing like water, and her hair, once a rich, warm brown, seemed to shimmer with a light of its own. She looked like an angel, ethereal and beautiful, and for a moment, Yeonjun wondered if he was dreaming.

"Percy!" he called, his voice cracking as he broke into a run, his heart pounding in his chest. The distance between them seemed to stretch on forever, but finally, he reached her, collapsing into her arms as tears spilled down his cheeks. "Percy, how...? Are you okay? We need to get out of here!"

He clung to her as if she might disappear at any moment, his mind a whirl of panic and disbelief. She was here, she was real—he could feel her warmth, her breath against his hair as she held him. But how? They had been in the hospital, hadn't they? She had been lying there, so still, so fragile...

"Junnie," Percy whispered, her voice soft and soothing as she stroked his back. "Shh, it's okay. I'm here."

He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, his hands gripping her shoulders. "But where are we? What's happening? How is this even possible?"

Percy's expression was calm, almost serene, as she gently wiped the tears from his face. "We're in a place between life and death," she explained, her words careful, deliberate. "It's... like a plain, where time doesn't exist the way we know it. It's neither here nor there. Just... in between."

Yeonjun shook his head, the explanation only adding to his confusion. "I don't understand, Percy. We were in the hospital. You were... you were so sick..."

"I know," she said softly, her hand cupping his cheek. "I know, Yeonjun. But this is where I am now, where we are. And I don't know how much time we have, but I wanted to see you, to be with you."

He couldn't wrap his mind around it—this place, this liminal space where they existed outside of reality. But she was here, standing before him, alive and whole, and that was all that mattered to him.

"But what do we do now?" Yeonjun asked, his voice trembling. "How do we get out of here? How do I get you back?"

Percy smiled, a sad, knowing smile that broke his heart all over again. "I don't know if I can go back, Junnie. But before anything else, I want to show you something. Come with me."

She took his hand, her fingers warm and familiar in his grasp, and led him through the gray field. As they walked, the scenery around them began to change, the endless gray giving way to soft colors and shapes. The field melted into the familiar sight of a quaint café, its warm lights spilling onto the cobblestone street outside.

Yeonjun blinked in surprise, his breath catching in his throat as he recognized the place. It was the café where they had first met, where he had spent countless afternoons watching her behind the counter, enchanted by her every movement.

Percy led him inside, the bell above the door chiming softly as they entered. The interior was just as he remembered—small, cozy, with mismatched chairs and tables, and the smell of golden honey and fresh milk lingering in the air. It was as if time had stood still in this little corner of the world, untouched by everything that had happened.

"I used to catch you staring at me, you know," Percy teased, her eyes twinkling as she glanced over her shoulder at him. "You thought you were being subtle, but you weren't."

Yeonjun chuckled, the sound coming out shaky and thick with emotion. "I couldn't help it," he admitted, looking around the café with a sense of nostalgia that tugged at his heart. "I was obsessed with you from the moment I saw you."

Percy laughed softly, the sound like music to his ears, and she led him to the corner table where he had always sat, day after day, just to be near her. They sat down, facing each other, and for a moment, it felt like nothing had changed—as if they were just two young people, falling in love over cups of coffee and stolen glances.

"Do you remember the first thing you said to me?" she asked, leaning forward with a playful smile.

Yeonjun groaned, his cheeks flushing as the memory resurfaced. "Please don't remind me," he muttered. "I was so nervous, I probably said something ridiculous."

"You asked me if I believed in love at first sight," Percy said, her smile widening. "And when I laughed, you looked so embarrassed, like you wanted the ground to swallow you up."

"I was embarrassed!" Yeonjun said, covering his face with his hands. "I thought I'd blown it completely."

"But you didn't," Percy said softly, reaching across the table to take his hand. "You were sweet, and sincere, and you made me smile. That was the moment I knew... that there was something special about you."

Yeonjun looked up at her, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Percy, I love you," he whispered, his voice trembling with the weight of all the emotions he had been holding back. "I love you so much, and I don't want to lose you."

Percy squeezed his hand, her gaze soft and full of love. "I love you too, Jun. I always have, and I always will."

For a moment, they sat in silence, the warmth of their shared memories wrapping around them like a comforting blanket. But then, the reality of their situation began to creep back in, the gray edges of the café starting to blur and fade.

"Percy... what's happening?" Yeonjun asked, panic rising in his chest as he felt the world around them start to dissolve.

Percy's grip on his hand tightened, her expression tinged with sadness. "I think... our time is running out. I wish we could stay here forever, but this place... it's not real, Junnie. It's just a memory, a moment we're holding onto."

Yeonjun felt his heart clench with fear and desperation. "No, please! Percy, I can't lose you again!"

"You're not losing me," she whispered, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to his forehead. "I'm always with you, Jun. No matter what happens, I'm always with you."

The café around them continued to fade, the colors bleeding into the gray that had first surrounded them. Yeonjun's vision blurred with tears as he clung to her, unwilling to let go.

And then, just like that, she was gone.

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