✓ IF YOU STAY | HEESEUNG

19 - Timeless Farewell

Their forever was only a few days and nights before their whole world would crumble down. The thought made Rose so tired as if the world had drained her from everything she had. She looked out of the window and at the sun that was rising, oblivious to Heeseung who woke up a few minutes ago. He didn't call for her, he simply gazed at how peaceful and beautiful she looked in the soft morning light.

But not until she looked around, and their eyes locked. She would have loved to say that his eyes made her weak in the knees but to be quite upfront and completely truthful, they made her body forget it has knees at all. 

She slowly pushed her wheelchair towards him, smiling sadly before she softly squeezed his hand. "Hi." 

All he did was stare at her with glistening eyes, her touch warming his aching heart. "I'm sorry." He had said it for so long, but each time he meant more than what the word held. 

Rose shook her head, letting him know that it wasn't his fault. This was their fate, and she had to live knowing that one day her other half would leave her. If only things were to be slightly different, they could have been happy. She knew it, and it was perhaps the hardest thing to know.

He looked away, his voice barely above a whisper. "Aren't you afraid?"

"I am." She sighed, resting her head on her hands. She never wanted to love and live with a fear that one day she'd lose her soulmate for good. But she did, and it was unfair how the world could be so cruel. It was unfair how their love, so pure and deep, had to face such a heartbreaking fate. "But even if you're not here to stay, I'm happy the universe allowed your soul to stop by me."

He looked back at her, his hand still in hers. When two souls fall in love, there is nothing else but the yearning to be close to the other. The presence that is felt through a hand held, a voice heard, or a smile seen... It was in those moments that Rose felt her heart whole. 

"Are you happy?" His question took her off guard. Was she happy? Happiness, in the midst of their circumstances, seemed like an elusive concept. But as she looked into his eyes, filled with love and vulnerability, she realized that happiness wasn't defined by the length of their time together or the absence of pain. 

"Yes." She smiled, tears falling down her cheeks. Months had passed, and Rose had the best time of her life with him. They both fell harder in love and she was grateful for the moments she got to be with him. A thousand moments that she hadn't taken for granted - because she always remembered that there wouldn't be a thousand more.

"I'm glad." He closed his eyes and leaned on his pillow. "I promised myself that if I let myself fall in love with you, at the end of it, you'll be happy." 

Rose's heart swelled with love as she listened to his words. Heeseung had always been selfless, thinking of her happiness even in the face of his own impending departure. With trembling hands, she gently brushed her fingers against his cheek, savoring the warmth of his presence. "You've given me more happiness than I could have ever imagined, Heeseung. I can never thank you enough for it."

He gently kissed the palm of her hand before reaching to wipe her tears. "Don't cry, Rose. I'll be watching over you from wherever I end up. So, no funny business, alright? I expect you to keep up with that radiant smile of yours and continue spreading happiness wherever you go."

A soft chuckle escaped Rose's lips, the sound making him smile even more. "I'll always carry you in my heart, hm? I'll honor your love by embracing life with open arms and spreading happiness wherever I go. So don't be sad." 

He nodded, kissing her hand once again. "I won't be sad. But I will be sad if you don't sneak me to the garden. I want to see the sunrise." That's all I need, Rose. Just one last sunrise with you.

She leaned in, pressing her forehead against his hand. "Of course. We'll make it the most beautiful sunrise the world has ever seen." Heeseung smiled, and before he knew it, n the early hours of the morning when the world was still asleep, they carefully wheeled out to the garden. They watched the sky as it unveiled its vibrant colors. 

The cool morning air brushed against their faces and through their hair. They held hands as he leaned against her shoulder, soaking in the beauty of the world awakening before them. As the first rays of sunlight kissed the horizon, painting it in shades of fiery orange and golden yellow, Heeseung muttered softly, "Isn't it beautiful?" His eyes never left Rose's radiant smile, etching the image into his memory with every passing second. He marveled at how her presence alone could illuminate even the darkest corners of his soul.

"It is." She replied, her voice filled with awe and melancholy. She intertwined her fingers with his, cherishing the warmth that flowed between them. "I love you, Heeseung." 

"I love you too, Rose. Maybe I loved you in another life and I promised to find you, somewhere on the other side. Because I love you more than one life should allow."

"Find me again... in our next lifetime." Rose gazed at the sky, her heart filled with bittersweet longing. "Until we stay together."

"I will. I promise." He snuggled closer and your hand reached to caress his hair. "Let's stay like this... for a while." The only thing she could hear was the sound of the wind as it danced with the trees. 

"Are you asleep?" Minutes had passed and she asked, to which he hummed and she smiled. Silence filled the place as she stared at the beautiful blue sky. "Are you asleep?" She asked once again, but Heeseung didn't reply. He didn't have to, because the colors that started fading away were enough to let Rose know that he was indeed asleep.

Tears streamed down her face as she held his lifeless body in her arms. Her cries echoed through the stillness, heartwrenching. She screamed for help, her voice breaking with every desperate plea, but the world remained silent as if mourning alongside her.

Until nurses and doctors ran to them, taking him away while her gaze was glued on him. The world around her seemed to blur, and the once vibrant colors of life turned dull and monochrome. Her heart shattered into a million pieces, the weight of her loss crushed her spirit and Rose couldn't keep her promise. She couldn't embrace life without him, and she could certainly not be happy without him. 

Her anguished cries faded into the air, and a haunting emptiness settled within her, consuming her every breath.