Immortal Heart |Hyunin

Me and my life

The soft glow of his phone illuminated I.N.'s face as he lay on his bed, the blanket pulled up around his shoulders. His eyes were still puffy from crying, but his hands moved almost on instinct, tapping the familiar FaceTime icon. A moment later, the screen lit up with Felix's and Han's faces, both of them wearing wide smiles that faltered the second they saw him.

"Hey, man," Felix said, his tone immediately shifting, concern etched into his voice. "You good? You look... I dunno, tired?"

Han stayed quiet, his dark eyes scanning I.N.'s face as if looking for the answer Felix couldn't find.

I.N. took a deep breath, the weight of the news he had to share pressing down on him. His throat tightened, making it hard to speak, but he knew he had to. They were his best friends, and they deserved to know.

"Guys, I have something to tell you," he began, his voice softer than usual, almost hesitant. He saw the way Felix sat up straighter, his smile fading completely. Han leaned closer to the camera, eyebrows furrowed with worry.

"What is it?" Felix asked, his voice barely above a whisper now.

I.N. exhaled slowly, his hands trembling slightly as he held the phone. "I...I have cancer," he finally said, his voice cracking on the last word. The silence that followed felt like a punch to the chest. For a few seconds, none of them spoke, the weight of I.N.'s words hanging heavy in the air.

Felix's face twisted in shock, his mouth opening and closing as if he couldn't quite process what he'd just heard. "What...what do you mean? Like, what kind of cancer?" His voice was strained, desperate for some kind of explanation that would make this all go away.

"Brain cancer," I.N. said, swallowing hard. "Stage 3. It's...bad."

Han's eyes widened, and he looked down for a moment, his face a mask of quiet disbelief. Felix, on the other hand, looked as if someone had knocked the wind out of him. His lip quivered, and he ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head in denial.

"No, no, no... this can't be happening," Felix muttered, his voice breaking. "There has to be something they can do, right?"

"They're taking me to Seoul tomorrow," I.N. explained, his voice flat and distant, as if he were talking about someone else's life. "There's a specialist there who might be able to help. But...I don't know how long the treatment's going to be. I'll probably have to pause school for a while."

Felix stared at him, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "You're really leaving? For how long?" His voice cracked, and for the first time, I.N. saw Felix cry, something he'd never imagined seeing before.

Han finally spoke, his voice calm but strained. "We'll come visit you, okay? Whenever we can. We'll be there."

I.N. managed a small smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I appreciate it, guys. Really. But you don't have to do that. You both have your own lives, school, and stuff. I'll keep you updated."

Felix wiped his face roughly with the back of his hand, sniffling as he fought to control his emotions. "Screw school, I'll go with you to Seoul. I can—"

"No, Felix," I.N. interrupted gently but firmly. "You need to stay here, study, graduate. I can't ask you to drop everything. I'll be fine."

Felix's face crumpled in frustration, but he nodded, knowing deep down that I.N. was right. "But what if—"

"I'll be okay," I.N. lied, the words heavy in his throat. "I just need you guys to keep things normal, you know? Don't treat me like I'm some kind of... I don't know. Just keep being yourselves."

Han nodded solemnly, though his expression was tight with the same helplessness Felix felt. "We're with you. No matter what."

There was nothing more to say. They all knew it, the truth sitting between them like a wall they couldn't break through. Felix gave one last shaky smile before saying goodbye, and Han offered a quiet nod of solidarity before the call ended. The screen went black, leaving I.N. alone once again in the quiet, cold room.

A soft knock sounded at his door.

His parents stepped in, looking more exhausted than he had ever seen them. His mother's eyes were red-rimmed, and his father's shoulders sagged under the weight of their new reality.

"We've made the arrangements," his father said quietly, holding out the business card from earlier. "We have a meeting with Dr. Kang in Seoul tomorrow. We're staying at a hotel near the hospital. We'll leave early in the morning."

I.N. nodded, feeling the emptiness inside him expand. "Okay," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

His mother moved toward him, sitting on the edge of his bed. She reached out to touch his face, her fingers brushing his cheek gently. "We'll get through this," she said, her voice trembling with hope she was trying so hard to hold onto. "You're going to be okay."

I.N. nodded again, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words back to her. He didn't know if he believed them.

After his parents left, the silence returned, but this time it was filled with an undercurrent of dread. The kind that sat in his chest, heavy and unmovable. He lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying not to think about tomorrow. Trying not to think about what was coming.

The next morning, the house was unusually quiet. His mother had made breakfast—toast, eggs, and some rice—but I.N. could barely bring himself to eat. His appetite had disappeared, replaced by a gnawing anxiety that twisted in his stomach. His parents ate in silence, glancing at him every few minutes, but no one said much. The weight of what lay ahead hung over them all.

Halfway through his meal, a sudden wave of nausea hit him, sharp and overwhelming. His hands trembled as he put down his chopsticks, his breath quickening. The room seemed to tilt slightly, and a strange pressure throbbed at the back of his head.

"I.N.?" his father asked, noticing the sudden change in him. "Are you okay?"

He tried to respond, but his words caught in his throat as a searing pain flashed through his skull. The world seemed to blur for a moment, the edges of his vision darkening.

His mother was by his side in an instant, panic flashing in her eyes. "I.N., honey, what's wrong?"

"I...I don't know," he managed to say, his voice weak. "It just...it hurts."

His parents exchanged a frantic look, and within minutes, his father was rummaging through the pills the doctor had given them to manage his symptoms. I.N. took one, his hands shaking as he swallowed it, trying to focus on his breathing. The pain subsided slowly, but the heaviness remained.

With no time to waste, his parents carefully helped him to the car, their hands gentle but urgent. I.N. tried to focus on the drive, the steady hum of the engine beneath him, the blur of the streets as they sped toward Seoul. His head rested against the window, and though the pain had dulled, the cold reality of his situation gripped him tighter than ever.

The road ahead stretched out in front of them, but all I.N. could feel was the looming uncertainty of what was waiting for him at the end of it.