you're excused. -ksj

leaf

the bus crashed into a truck. chaewon instinctively wrapped her arms around jin.

jin tried desperately to hold her instead, but it was no use.

she held on too tightly. a piece of glass slashed her arm, and a bus pole

went

through

her

stomach.

she coughed up blood.

she looked at jin. "kiss me," she mouthed. "i don't care if you're acting. just kiss me."

jin obeyed. she tasted like death and blood, and he cursed himself as tears dropped onto her bleeding back.

i told her i would always be there for her.
i promised.

"i love you," said jin. "for real —, i never loved milo. every time i kissed her i was thinking of you. i was afraid of losing my friends. i was immature and dumb. i'm sorry."

chaewon smiled a weak smile. "well, if you really loved me you wouldn't have been afraid of losing your friends. because all i really needed was you. and so all you needed would be me."

jin screamed inside. she couldn't die. not after all she'd been through. this wasn't right. "you're not going to die." he said. the more he said it, the more it seemed like real.

"oh, but i want to," said chaewon. she took the pole out, which increased her blood loss.

"don't be afraid, even if i leave. i know you'll do fine without me. i love you."
with that, her eyes rolled back into her head, and she was dead.