『ROSES』 s.mg.

eight.

that afternoon, juna picked up her younger siblings from school, so they could finally see their mother with their own eyes once again.

their time was mostly spent catching up on the little things, as juna leaned back in the seat against the wall and glanced at her family. they were her home, her world, her lifeline.
they were the only reason she was holding on.
although, with each passing moment, she felt her hope slip away, as she noticed her mother only grew weaker and weaker. it was now only sinking in how she would never return home.

silently stepping outside the room, she fished her phone out of her back pocket and texted her three closest friends.

JUNA
guys, i don't know how
long she's gonna make it
anymore.

YUNHO
san is still at the
shop, he has to close
i just finished, so
i'll be there soon

YEOSANG
give me 10 minutes

JUNA
thank you. i don't know
what i'd do without you
two

juna slipped her phone back down her pocket, impatiently tapping her finger on her knee as she took a seat in the waiting area. waiting for her friends to arrive.

over time, raena, her mother, had grown close to yeosang, yunho, and san, due to how close they were to her daughter. they were her support system in the hardest of times. whenever raena felt worse, or things were going downhill, those three boys were at juna's side within minutes. raena felt relieved her daughter had finally found that kind of support, especially after she found out her end was nearing.

"juna?" yeosang's soft voice called out to her from the entrance, snapping her out of her bubble filled with memories of her and her mother. juna stood up once she noticed him standing there, and rushed over to him, throwing her arms around him and trying to hold back her emotions. "thank you, thank you so much for showing up." she whispered, her face buried in her best friend's neck, who had his arms wrapped around her tightly and his chin on top of her head.

"anything for you. plus, you know how amazing your mom has been to me and the boys. if this is truly the end, i want to see her one last time, as well." pulling away from the hug and looking up at him, juna noticed tears glistening in his eyes too, which only made her love him more. "i'm sorry. it's just- your mom is such an incredible woman, and i can't believe this is actually happening. she's literally my second mom and i can't be grateful enough for everything she's done for me. from letting me stay over for those three whole weeks, or staying up with me all night when i was feeling homesick."

tears slipped down yeosang's cheeks as he kept talking about raena's wonderful personality and actions. juna wrapped one arm around his waist and used her other free hand to wipe away the tears rolling down his cheek. "we'll be alright. as long as we have each other, we're going to be alright."

no matter how many times she'd say that, not once did she actually believe it.

;;

later during the evening, after talking with raena for a while, juna and yeosang went outside the building for a moment to breathe. they walked in silence, reminiscing about the old times. yeosang's phone chimed from his backpack and he took it out, a surprised look on his face. "shit. i completely forgot i had a friend coming over tonight."

"go. i'll let you know if anything changes. you'll be the first to know, alright? now go."

"are you sure? i can just tell him i have something more important." yeosang had a slightly worried look on his face. he was worried for juna, he knew the way she'd usually think and it scared him, not being by her side and being able to keep an eye on her. "no, go. yunho might still be coming over." she shook her head, not wanting him to sacrifice his entire night for her. "i think mom's exhausted anyway. could you do me one favor, though?"

"anything"

"could you take daewon and nayeon home? i want to stay here a little longer, but they have school tomorrow morning." yeosang nodded, giving his best friend one last tight hug, one hand resting on her back and the other on her hair. "of course. i'll see you wednesday?" to which juna just nodded, before getting the siblings together in yeosang's car and watching them drive off.

taking one last deep breath of the cool night air, she stepped back inside and headed straight for her mom's room, to find her peacefully asleep.

a soft knock on the door brought her out of her trance, making her realize she was staring at her mom, who was still sound asleep. juna turned her head to the door, only to find her tall friend standing there, flowers in hand. "you really didn't have to bring those." she put a small smile on her lips and stood up from the uncomfortable chair, as yunho placed the flowers on the small bedside table, before pulling her into a tight hug. "i'm so sorry you're going through all this. i can't believe how strong you are." he muttered quietly, not wanting to let go just yet. juna felt safe with yunho, maybe due to his height, as he was always towering high above her, or due to his protectiveness over her.

either way, him hugging her, brought her one of the safest feelings she'd had in a long time.

the two talked quietly until they both began to feel the sleep deprivation take effect on their bodies. "do you want me to stay? i will if you want me to." yunho asked, adjusting himself in the chair, leaning back now. "just a little bit longer" juna whispered tiredly, resting her head on his shoulder. yunho slumped a little in his seat, getting more comfortable, as he glanced at juna, who had her eyes closed for the first time in multiple nights, her exhaustion finally taking its toll on her.