sleeping sickness

chapter 3//youngjae pov

(psa: the stuff in italics is a flashback/dream/memory)

I heard a knock at the door and quickly wiped my eyes before answering. Jinyoung stood there. When he saw that I had been crying, he pulled me into a tight hug.

"Are you okay? I'm really sorry, Youngjae. I didn't mean anything by it, I—"

"It's okay, Jinyoung. I know. I just have to deal with it. And no, I don't hate you." I said, pulling away. He gave a little smile.

"Thanks, Jae," he paused. "What are you doing right now?" I walked back into my room, with him behind me.

"Drawing. or, trying to. I have no idea what to draw." I twirled my pencil around in my fingers.

"Draw Jaebum." he suggested.

"I've drawn him so many times, he might as well have his own sketchbook."

"Hmm... I don't know, man. What about a dog?" I nodded.

"Okay. I'll try that." I picked up my sketchbook and started to draw a dog. Jinyoung started to leave.

"Dinner should be ready soon." he said.

"Thanks," I replied. He left, and I continued drawing the dog. I smiled as it finally began to take shape. It was fluffy, and tiny. I didn't know what colour it would be yet, maybe white. It just looked like it would be a white dog. When I finished it, I tried thinking of a name for it. I picked the first one that came to mind. Coco. I wrote its name on its little tag, but then stopped, dropping my pencil. Memories came flooding back into my mind.

///

Coco ran around the park, chasing and barking after a butterfly. I laughed at my dog's silly antics. Mom smiled and ruffled my hair.

"Mommy, isn't Coco so silly? She's chasing a butterfly!" I laughed.

"Yes she is, Jae. She's a very silly dog." She whistled for Coco to come back, and the tiny white dog came running to our bench. She leapt into my lap, panting and wagging her tail. I ruffled her fur and handed her a dog treat. She ate it happily.

"Mommy, can we do this everyday?" I asked.

"Sure, honey. Let's do this everyday." She pulled me into a one-armed hug.

That was the last time I saw Coco.

///

"Youngjae! Youngjae, wake up!" someone was yelling and shaking me. My eyes snapped open to see a worried Jinyoung. I hadn't even realised I had fallen asleep.

"How long was I out?" I asked, sitting up.

"Not long. We heard you screaming a couple seconds ago... What was it this time?" he asked. I pointed to my sketchbook, which was lying open on the floor, my sketch of Coco staring up at me.

"Youngjae... When was the last time you saw Dr. Kim?" he asked.

"Last week," I said. "I go back tomorrow."

"Good. Because she needs to know about this." 

~unedited