endless • kth

t w e l v e

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Hyojin's words kept hammering on the back of Ara's head. Just please never leave him...

She never knew when she started to really care about him. A month ago, she wouldn't have agreed to this, but now everything was different. Maybe she was put into Taehyung's way for something, for this. Maybe she was meant to help him, or the other way around. She cared about him now, and this whole situation stressed her.

Ara was relieved to know that she was done with university and that her family lived away in Jeju, this way, she had time for Taehyung. The only thing was her friend Eunrae, she's been suspecting Ara was seeing someone because she had less time for her friend.

"Yah! You promised we'll hang out this weekend." Eunrae said over the phone

"I know, i am sorry... I am not feeling too well."

"Alright... Maybe next weekend! Remember we need to pick up our final grades next week, we should go together."

"I'll love to. Just text me the day."

"Okay. I hope you get well soon, bye."

She hated lying to her friend but she wasn't ready to talk about Taehyung, not yet.

She gathered all the stuff she's been working on and put them on a bag. She checked herself once more in the mirror and smiled. Ara had chosen a red long sleeved sweater and a black skirt. She remembered Taehyung once mentioned that red was his favorite color, so she wanted to look pretty for him today.

Rushing her way to the hospital, she stopped first on a bakery to buy a cake. "Strawberry please." She asked the lady. The woman nodded and packed a small sized cake into a box. Ara was finally ready to go to Taehyung's room.

She knocked the door and opened it. Taehyung was sitting on the hospital bed, next to him his mom was talking to him. They both turned around and Taehyung's eyes lightened up when he noticed Ara coming inside the room, holding a cake box. While growing up, his mother never had money enough to buy cakes on his birthdays, she would buy him something less expensive, that's why he was so happy when Ara brought him a cake.

"Happy birthday!" She exclaimed as she pulled the eating table towards Taehyung, placing the small pink cake box in front of him. Hyojin stood from the chair and smiled at Ara.

"Noona..." Taehyung mumbled as he opened the box. Even if he was on a diet due to his heart condition, both the doctor and Hyojin had given Ara permission to bring a cake for him today since it was his birthday.

Ara leaned and turned on the candle. Taehyung eyed her moves carefully. She turned and looked at him with smiley eyes. "Make a wish." He looked at the candle and closed his eyes.

There were so many things he wanted to wish for. He wanted to be with his mom forever. He wanted his mom and Ara to be healthy. He wanted to find a donor soon, he also wanted to survive the surgery. To graduate from school, to go to college, to form a band. He wished to have a pet in the future. But among all, he wished that his love for this girl was eternal, he wanted to love her forever and be loved in return.

He blew the candle and Ara and Hyojin hugged him. "Let's eat the cake." Ara said pulling plastic plates and forks. Taehyung nodded eagerly. He was 17 now and he couldn't believe it. He was one year older, one year closer to her.

Taehyung grinned when Ara served a big piece of cake and put it in front of him. "Eat it all." She winked as she served Hyojin a piece too. The boy looked at the cake and felt his heart warming up. It was a strawberry cake. He thought Ara remembered after all, he had mentioned once that strawberries were his favorite.