A Hundred Years (Michaeng)

Chapter 19

Epilogue

55 years later...

An eighty four year old Chaeyoung lies in a bed in a  Hospital. She is asleep, the door opens and Mina enters the room, still as youthful as the day they met. She has been by Chaeyoung's side for over fifty years now, and Chaeyoung's health is failing. She hears someone talking and finds a nurse standing in the room talking loudly on her cellphone. "No, it ain't even like that, girl." She is livid.

She approaches and smacks the phone from her hand, breaking it on the floor. She glared at her, "Have you lost your fucking mind?" The nurse shrinks under the glare, and Mina grabs her by the arm and physically drags her to the desk. "Where's your supervisor?"

A woman who was standing at the desk looks at her, "Who is...ah, Miss Myoui." She approaches, "Is there a problem?"

"Does she work for you?" The head nurse nods and shrinks back a little at Mina's anger. "Not anymore. I want her gone."

"That's not fair." The nurse whines but the head nurse silences her.

"Miss Myoui has donated millions of dollars to receive the best care for her wife. If she doesn't want you here then I don't. You're fired." The young nurse sulks away, broken pieces of her phone in hand. "I'm sorry about that, I'll be more careful in the future."

Mina's face sinks, "How is she looking?"

"Not well. It's getting harder for her to breathe, she sleeps through most of the day and her heart rate keeps dropping. She might not live to see the dawn."

Mina nods somberly, "Thank you."

She walks back to Chaeyoung's room to find her awake. "Mina?" Her voice is weak and Mina bolts to the side of her bed and takes her hands in her own. "Hey."

Mina gives her a gentle kiss, "Hey, sweetheart, how do you feel?"

"Like my time is running out." She lay on her side and Mina lay beside her, wrapping her in a gentle embrace. "You know, you don't have to do this, Mina"

"I know, but I still mean to go through with it."

Chaeyoung dozes off, then wakes suddenly. "You know, I thought I'd be scared, but I'm not."

Mina holds her tighter. "Don't be, I'll be with you every step of the way."

Chaeyoung's breathing slows and her eyes close. Mina listens until her heartbeat stops, then holds her close and cries tears.

She doesn't know for how long she holds Chaeyoung close, but her alarm goes off and as the dawn approaches. She gets up from the bed to walk to the window and throw open the curtains. She returns to the bed and lays back down. 'I love you, Chaeyoung, and I'll see you soon.'

She watches the sun rise as the sleep overtakes her. The sunlight filters in through the window and lights on Mina's flesh, turning it to ash as it burns up her body until all that remains is her clothes covered in a film of ash. The head nurse would never forget the sight.

An unknown time...

Two women walk past each other on the street. Hazel Brown eyes meet dark brown eyes and, though they've never met before, they know each other as if they were lifelong lovers.

Fin