DOWNPOUR → KMG

eight

"Sohye, how are you doing?" Nayoung asked as she walked up to her with a bouquet of white flowers.

"I could be worse," Sohye tried her best to smile.

Mingyu had ultimately passed away about a month after she and his manager had that scare. Mingyu's last words to Sohye were, "I love you. Don't ever forget that." Sohye didn't even cry when she saw him lifeless the next morning. She knew it was going to happen.

Nayoung kept the girl company as she stayed at the funeral. Mingyu's family had to travel overnight to come to his funeral, so Sohye had to host the funeral. She greeted the people that Mingyu worked with, Mingyu's friends, Mingyu's family, and Mingyu's company. A lot of people showed up, and if Nayoung weren't there to support the girl, Sohye probably would've gotten overwhelmed with the whole thing. After everyone left, Sohye crashed at Nayoung's place. She couldn't bear to go back to the apartment that she once shared with Mingyu.

The next day, Sohye went back to her place and started cleaning everything. The place was a mess since she was basically lived at the hospital near the end of Mingyu's life. She put all of his belongings in a box and started going through his clothes. She dumped all of his clothes from the closet into the box- she told herself that she would fold them later- and then she opened the drawer. She cleaned out his shirts and found a box sitting in the corner of the drawer. She picked up the box. It was small and was covered with grey felt.

Sohye opened the box and saw a ring. She stared at the ring. She didn't know what to think of it. It was gorgeous, but why was it in Mingyu's drawer? She peered into the drawer again and found an envelope. She picked it up and pulled a pink card out of it.

"Dear Sohye," Mingyu wrote. "This ring is for you. I wanted to propose to you, but the day I wanted to propose was the day that I found out I had lung cancer, so I decided to break up with you instead. I hope you know that I did this because I love you, not because I wanted to leave you. The thought of me breaking your heart hurts me, and I couldn't bear to do that to you. I'm guessing I passed away if you find this ring. I love you so much. I will always love you, and even if I'm not physically there with you, I will be there through this ring. I love you, my dear Sohye. Take care."

Tears flowed down Sohye's cheeks as she folded the card back up and stuck it in the envelope. Her hands shook as she slipped the ring onto her finger. The ring was beautiful, and the second it slipped into place, Sohye felt the band get warmer around her finger. Sohye crumpled to the ground and cried. It was the first time she cried since Mingyu passed away, and now the tears wouldn't stop. She missed him. She loved him.