Faded // Bang Chan

Alternative Ending

5 weeks. It had been 5 weeks of nothing but beeping machines and Na Ri holding Chan's cold hands or playing with his curly hair but he never flinched. She would visit everyday after school, always telling him about her day and how much she missed his smiling face but his eyes remained closed and his body still, no sign of life in the boy she adored.

No matter how often she begged with him to just open his eyes or show some sign of recovery he always remained in his laying position in the hospital bed. The sight made her sad but she was glad just to see the face that made everything feel okay, even if only for a little while.

"It's getting late. You should probably head home before it's dark out." Mr. Bang advised from Chan's hospital bedside. Na Ri lowered her head, she always hated when it came to leaving him in fear that something would change. What if he wasn't there when she came back? What would she do without him? "I promise you, we'll call you if anything happens." He reassured her, a forced smile spreading across his face. She could tell he was trying his hardest to stay strong, to hide his worry and his despair for not only her sake but his own sanity.

"Thank you." She said before standing up and letting go of Chan's hand. "I'll see you tomorrow, Channie." She gave him a sad smile before waving goodbye to his father and mother who was sitting quietly by the window sill like she did every day.

Na Ri spent her night the same way she had ever since Chan had been admitted to hospital, laying on her bed with a thousand thoughts running through her mind. Her head was always crowded with thoughts of him or memories of their shared times together.

But this night was different. Na Ri's eyes began to close, her many sleepless nights catching up with her causing her to feel sleepy. She was beginning to lose faith in his recovery, her hope in hearing his laughter once more faded away as she drifted into a light sleep. The truth was, she was scared to sleep. She didn't want Chan to be happy in only her dreams, she didn't want her dreams to be the only place she could feel his presence or hear his voice. She hated the constant state of panic she was in, questioning if every minute was his last. She hated the never ending string of nosy classmates asking how he was doing, it's not like they even cared when he was fine.

Her eyes welled with tears as she thought back to her and Chan's last conversation. She regretted that day more than anything else. She regretted everything about it. She shouldn't have left his house in a bad mood that day. She should've stayed and talked things over with him. Why did she have to leave him like that?

The room around her became blurry before it was totally black. She saw nothing but darkness as her eyes fluttered closed, her mind instantly replaying the night Chan was assaulted.

"Na Ri. Na Ri."

She was awoken by her name being called as her body was shaken lightly from side to side. Her eyes shot open in surprise, her body jerked upwards to sit upright. She was panting as though she'd ran a marathon.

"Na Ri!" Her dad called again, earning her attention. She took in his appearance, his dishevelled hair and wide eyes along with his wide spread grin leaving her in a state of confusion. She glanced at the clock reading 2:43 AM before back to her dad who stood with the phone clenched tightly in his hand.

"It's Chan's mother! She wants you at the hospital now. Chan's awake!" He ran his hand through his hair, relieved for his daughter's sake that he was okay. Na Ri's mouth formed a large grin, she sat silently in her bed for a moment before flinging back the covers and rushing downstairs in her pyjamas. Her father chuckled, thankful to see her so happy for what felt like the first time in years.