sunrise | bae joohyun & son seungwan

07

the next day, she didn't come to school.
it was a wednesday, so i don't know why she couldn't come in the middle of the week.

which kind of scared me.

i'll go see her once the bell rings, i'm sure she's had something important but i'm afraid as to what that was..

an ear piercing sound errupts, meaning school is over for the day.
i'm one of the top in my class, so i don't really need to take tutoring, unless it's for english, but that's on mondays and thursdays.
i head outside and start walking, as her house is only a couple blocks away.
i arrive there, and knock. i know where the extra keys are hidden, but i wouldn't just barge in like that.

weirdly enough, no answer.
i knock again, just in case she didn't hear.
still no answer.

so i take the extra keys and i unlock the door. i step in, to see the house empty. i walk up to wendy's room, but there's no one to find there either.
that's... odd, to say the least.

so i text her, because this is getting quite weird, and i'm getting even more worried than before.

she answers with an address.

the hospital.

***

– what the hell are you doing there?! i say through the phone.
– i just... please come here, irene.

and then she winces, groans tiny complaints of pain, which is enough to make me freak out. enough to make me bolt all the way to the hospital.
in no time, i make it and exclaim at the front desk:
– son seungwan, wendy son, where is she?
– room 518, miss.

i thank the lady and go to the elevator.

it's taking too long, she's in pain.

so i go to the stairs.
to the 5th floor.
to the 18th room on the left.
a private room.
for palliative care.

palliative care.

so i barge in to see her smiling sorrowfully at me.

and the only thing that doesn't get stuck in my throat at that instant is the only thing i didn't want to hear.

– you're dying?