Awake

Chapter 9

"Hah. She fell for it." Their boss chuckled.

"Well, she's involved now. There's no way she can save herself."

—————

"Ah... Yoo Jeongyeon." He picked his gun up. "I don't know what you're planning to do. But..." He punched her, making her fall. "I'm sure you don't know how to fight."

"JEONGYEON!" Nayeon helped her up.

"I'm fine, Nayeon. Just run away. I'll be okay, I promise." She smiled.

"No! I'm staying here with you!"

"You're going to die. Just stay out of this, okay?" Jeongyeon hugged her. "I'll make it out alive, don't worry. Go." Nayeon looked down, the tears continuing to flow down her face.

"I hate you sometimes." She mumbled while running away.

"Guess it's between you and I." Jeongyeon got into a fighting position, like the ones she sees on TV.

The man put his gun away.

"I could've just killed you right now but..." He smirked. "I wanna have some fun first." He swung his fist towards her but she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards her.

"Wow, did I just do that?" She tried to punch him but he dodged it. He grabbed her arm and flipped her over. She landed on her back.

"Ow-!" Jeongyeon got up as quick as she could and avoided his kick.

"I should've just gotten this over with earlier." He pulled the gun out and aimed it towards her. She gulped.

"Why are you taking so long to shoot? I'm right in front of you."

"You think I'm aiming for you?" He smirked.

"What-?"

BANG!

For a moment, everything went in slow motion. Jeongyeon watched the bullet as it came closer and closer to her.

"Sorry, Nayeon. Maybe I won't make it out alive after all." The bullet went slightly above her shoulder and right next to her neck. "What the-!" Her eyes diverted to the bullet.

"NO!" She started to run towards Nayeon, who was frozen from fright. "NAYEON!"

The bullet hit her right in the middle of her chest. She fell backwards, clutching where the bullet was.

"Nayeon!" Jeongyeon kneeled down and lifted her upper body up. The picture fell out of her pocket, revealing that Nayeon was quickly fading. "I told you to run."

"I'm sorry... I just... couldn't leave you." Nayeon smiled sadly.

"Idiot!" Jeongyeon started to cry.

"Just leave me here... run..."

"I'm not going to leave you here."

"Jeongyeon-"

"I'M NOT GOING TO LEAVE YOU HERE!" She yelled.

"It's okay... I'll be... okay..." Her breaths were getting shorter. "Live life well... don't let anyone die, like you wished..."

"I couldn't even save you, Nayeon... How do you expect me to save everyone else?"

"Because..." She grinned weakly. "I believe in you." Jeongyeon's eyes widened.

"Why?"

"Jeong..."

"Yeah?" She closed her eyes right before a tear fell out of her left eye.

"Don't... don't follow me, hm? Stay alive for a long time... join me when you're ready... okay?" Jeongyeon nodded.

"Yeah."

"Promise me?" She weakly put her pinky up and Jeongyeon linked her pinky with her's.

"I promise."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry..."

"I love you." Jeongyeon looked down and cried even harder.

"I-I love you too..."

"Take... care..." Her voice trailed off and her head fell.

"Nayeon?" Jeongyeon lifted her up a little but she didn't wake up. "Nayeon, this isn't the time to prank me! Nayeon, Nayeon!" She realized that she was really gone. That smile, gone. The face she made whenever she was excited, gone. The stupid pranks she would pull just to piss Jeongyeon off, gone. Even just her face... gone. Just Nayeon herself... gone.

"How sad and disappointing, Yoo Jeongyeon. Tsk Tsk." Jeongyeon slowly turned around, still holding Nayeon in her arms. "It's unfortunate, isn't it?" He chuckled.

"I'm going to make sure you pay for this." She said angrily.

"Ha, you won't get the chance to." He pulled a knife out and stabbed her back. He pulled the knife down a bit and twisted it before he pulled it out and threw it into the lake.

"Ah." Jeongyeon fell forward, right next to Nayeon. "Sorry... seems like I wont be able to keep my promise after all." She put her hand on Nayeon's face before taking her final breath.

—————

"Where am I? Heaven? What in the world is this place?" Jeongyeon looked around.

"Oh, good. We were looking all over the place for you." She turned around to see Nayeon.

"N-Nayeon! I'm sorry... I wasn't able to keep my promise-"

"Yeah, yeah. It's fine." She gave her a hug. Jeongyeon felt warm for a moment but at the same time, she felt sad.

"How about the other members?" She asked.

"We're all here." Jeongyeon gaped once she saw Chaeyoung.

"Chaeyoung! I missed you so much..." She hugged Chaeyoung who didn't have a reaction, Jeongyeon's eyes widened once she saw Jihyo, Momo, Dahyun, and Tzuyu.

"But... you guys aren't dead."

"Not in your universe."

"My universe?"

"Ever wonder why you were chosen to save everyone from dying?"

"Why?"

"Well... in all of our universes, you're the only one that won't die. If you save us in your universe, you'll bring us back in the rest of the universes."

"Then why me? Why THIS Jeongyeon?"

"Because... you're the only one with a decent personality and a warm heart. So we believed that you'd be able to save us all."

"Oh... sorry. I wasn't able to." Jeongyeon looked down. "Just looking at you right now hurts, Nayeon. I want to see you as an alive, healthy person."

"Don't worry. You'll have the chance to. Right now... it's like you're in a really deep sleep."

"Huh?" Nayeon slapped Jeongyeon on her forehead. "Deep sleep- aH!" She started falling quickly. She didn't know how long she'll be falling or where she'll land but it felt really real.

"Now, Yoo Jeongyeon... awake!" Jeongyeon's eyes suddenly opened.

"I'm not at home..." She got out of bed and walked out.

"Morning, Jeong."

"Morning, Tzu-" Nayeon was making everyone breakfast. "Nayeon?"

"Bacon and eggs?" Nayeon asked. Jeongyeon completely ignored her question, ran, and gave her a tight hug while crying.

"I'm glad that you're an alive, healthy person." Jeongyeon grinned.