Red roses that grow inside our black lungs || Jaepil

Chapter 3; Stage 3

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Stage 3.
Dead, black rose

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            "Wonpil coughed up a whole flower! He's entering stage 3!"

            With the phone still in his hand, Dowoon rushed to Wonpil's bedroom, where he was sitting on the cold, hard ground. He had cupped up the black flowers. Tears were rolling down his cheeks, soaking his shirt. Jaehyung had an arm wrapped around him. Junhyeok was trying to get Dowoon's attention, but the youngest was in absolute shock as he looked at the broken boy in front of him. Wonpil had changed so much during the time it was all happening, and Dowoon felt heartbroken by it.

            "Wonpil, just do the damn surgery," Younghyun cried out. His eyes were glossy as he looked at him. Wonpil shook his head vigorously, he held Jae's hand tightly. The only thing he could do was shaking his head since speaking would hurt him too much. He coughed another time, petals flying around the room. "You're killing yourself! Sungjin-ah, make him do it! Just please, make him do anything I just don't want anything to happen!"

            "It's his body Younghyun-ah. We cannot do anything about it." Jae buried his face down in Wonpil's neck. His nose was ice-cold. Sungjin felt his heart torn between being a good friend and a good leader. It would hurt them all so much if Wonpil died, but could he really make Wonpil do this? Could -he- accept that all the memories with Wonpil would be forgotten like they were nothing. Maybe he himself was the selfish one.

            Wonpil got put into the hospital who said they never saw someone's health lessening as quickly as Wonpil's health was. Jae had laughed, telling them how strong Wonpil's love must be. The rest of the band nodded in an agreeing way with Jaehyung. They also agreed that Jae would be the one to stay most often with Wonpil, which Jae didn't mind. He thought it was nicer like this, better. He had to spend -every- moment of him before it was over.

            And so Jae did. Jae spent every moment he could with Wonpil, trying to make him laugh and feel maybe a little bit better. And so, he and Wonpil were sitting on the hospital bed. Wonpil was sitting cross-legged and facing Jae when Jae grabbed the peel of the orange they were eating.  He put it in between his lips and teeth and showed Wonpil an orange-wedge-smile. Wonpil giggled and slapped Jae playfully on his shoulder.

            "That's gross," he said through his giggles. Jae spat it out in the bin before laughing with Wonpil. It was something to simple and so childish, but it was exactly what Wonpil needed on such gloomy days like these.

            One night was a bit of a different night. Jae was standing close to the open window. Cigarette in one hand, and a bottle in the other. He didn't even know what he was drinking. He just stole it out of the fridge. Today, it was Sungjin's day to be with Wonpil, and Jae couldn't help but feel jealous. Jae sighed deeply, taking another hit and blowing out the smoke. He never liked doing drugs, but his mind was already so foggy that he didn't care anymore. He didn't care about his health, not when the person he loved was dying too. When a click of the door was heard, Jae let his cigarette fall out of the window onto the wet concrete. Jae turned around, expecting Sungjin in the door opening, but it was Wonpil. It was Wonpil who was standing in the door opening, hair slightly damp from the drizzling rain outside.