Heartstrings

Chapter Twenty-Five: You Only Need Me When I'm Gone

"Here."

A white file came drawing at the mahogany table with her name on the top. A slight frown appeared on Seohyun's face as she stared at it before looking up at her doctor slash cousin.

"What's this?"

"Open it," said Jihyo, the doctor, settling down on her swirling chair.

"Is...is there something wrong?" The designer asked nervously. "Is something wrong with me?" Seohyun waited for the doctor to react, but she remained impassive. And that caused her heart to pound madly against her chest. Her knuckles were whitened already and her face paled. She knew she shouldn't have come here. Nothing good comes out when you visit a doctor. Ther's always something bad, something deadly underneath. Moreover, she hated the stuffy corridors and the bleached air with a passion. But when she almost fainted in her cabin, Yuri and Yoona dragged her to the hospital ignoring her protests.

"Just open it and you'll know."

She was hesitant at first, afraid of what was inside. What if she was suffering from a terminal illness? What if her constant nausea and fatigue were the symptoms of an incurable disease? What if.......she is dying? If that was the case, then she wasn't going to open the file. Ever. She doesn't want to know what was wrong with her or how many days were left in her life. But when Jihyo insisted, Seohyun flicked the file open only for her eyes to freeze. Every muscle felt tight, sprung for action and she couldn't even breathe. Jihyo was saying something, she could hear her faint voice but her brain was too busy processing what laid before her- the test results written in bold and italics.

POSITIVE.

It was one of the coldest night in Seoul.

Other than the thick blanket of the dark clouds hiding the moon underneath all seemed to exist was the chilly wind whose harsh bite could be felt through the layers of the warm clothes. It was numbing, painful even as it spread throughout the bodies. The city, even though knew what a minus degree temperature felt like, tonight was something they've never encountered. And amidst the crowd who was trying to reach their homes as soon as possible and get inside their warm duvets until the sun shows up next morning, there was a group of four enjoying the night like there was no tomorrow. With their coats thrown around and the table filled with half-eaten snacks and emptied bottles of soju, the group sang to Girls' Generation's 'Gee' like retards. Not only that but they also danced as if they'd forgotten how to stand still. They looked so weird and wild doing so that the employee in charge couldn't help but cringe. After a few more rounds, they were so exhausted that they all slumped down on the carpeted floor, sweat dripping down their faces.

"This was the best party I've ever attended!" Irene exclaimed after catching her breath. Kyungsoo and Jongin high-fived while Baekhyun grinned widely. It was the psychologist's last night in South Korea before she leaves for London early in the morning and the trio wanted to make it special for her. They were still sad with the sudden news of her departure, especially Baekhyun but she deserved all the love for what she has done for him in the past few weeks. And knowing the elder's outgoing personality, they decided the karaoke bar to be the best place to organize her farewell party.

"Thank you everyone! I...I will really miss you guys!" The elder's voice cracked in the end.

"I..I just... I.." Jongin, who was sitting right next to her side-hugged the teary lady and smiled.