boy next door ; k. junkyu

23

third person.

ahreum was staring at the computer screen, looking at an article about the upcoming blue moon.

"reumiiiii~ it's time for your check up!" jinhee entered ahreum's room as she gave her a smile.

"hi eonni! okay sure." she said as jinhee went closer and placed her apparatuses on ahreum's study table. ahreum turned around as jinhee pulled a chair close to her to start the check up.

it was a silent one not until jinhee decided to break the ice. "you're turning 18, huh?" jinhee chuckled as ahreum smiled.

"i am."

"did i already tell you that this will be my last day as your nurse?" jinhee asked ahreum.

ahreum looked at jinhee, with a surprised face. "w-what do you mean your last day?"

jinhee smiled. "your dad thinks it was about time i take a rest. don't worry, i'm still going to be here everyday but i won't be doing any check ups anymore."

ahreum sighed in relief. "thank goodness."

"there you're done." jinhee said as she wrote ahreum's check up results.

"thank you, eonni."

"you're welcome, love." jinhee kissed ahreum's forehead before glancing at her computer.

"what were you looking at?" she curiously asked and took a peek on the computer screen.

"blue moon?" she read.

ahreum nodded. "a blue moon is happening on my birthday." ahreum beamed.

"ah. i remembered you said you wanted to see it up close before you leave this world." realizing what she has said, jinhee sighed as she started stroking ahreum's hair.

"i'm going to miss you." jinhee told her as ahreum gave her a sad smile.

"me too, eonni. i'm going to miss you too." she replied and hugged jinhee tightly.

jinhee was a mother figure to her. she had been with her her whole life so it was hard for ahreum to let her go, and so was jinhee. she treated ahreum like her own daughter.

a knock interrupted their moment so jinhee pulled away and wiped her tears which were about to fall.

"hi, princess." ahreum's father said as he and jaehyuk went inside her room.

"hey dad, jaehyuk." ahreum smiled as she waved her hand to them.

her father sat beside her at gave her a kiss on the forehead. "it's almost your birthday. what do you want to do?" he asked.

jinhee was silently putting her stuffs inside her bag so she could leave and give the family a little privacy.

"is there anything you want to do?" he asked ahreum.

"there is something..." ahreum answered, glancing at her computer.

"sure what is it?"

"well, the blue moon is happening on my birthday..." she started.

"and?" her father replied. ahreum looked at jaehyuk before looking at her dad.

"dad..."

"yes, ahreum?"

"i want to go outside."

jinhee dropped the sphygmomanometer she was holding as jaehyuk looked at ahreum, while shaking his head.

"no no no no, ahreum you can't go outside." jaehyuk started tearing up upon hearing her request.

"you have to stay inside ahreum you can't go outside... if you do, you'd die!" her father told her.

"but dad, i'm already dying..."

"you still have a month to live! please ahreum, you can't. you can't leave us yet. please." her father broke into tears and so did jaehyuk. jinhee picked up the sphygmomanometer silently while crying at the same time.

"dad, i know that staying here inside keeps me alive, but this isn't living at all." ahreum told her father before looking at jaehyuk who can't even look at her, on his knees crying.

"ahreum, don't do this to me." jaehyuk said in between his tears.

"jaehyuk, i'm so sorry but please..." ahreum pleaded. "i want to know what it feels to be outside before i die."

ahreum looked at her father who was crying beside her. "dad..." she held his father's hand.

"you have to let me go now."

---
i'm sorry...