“Wait for me unnie! Let’s leave together since we are going the same direction!” Struggling to put on her converse high-cut, Haneul yelled out to her older sister who was in a rush to leave house for an event she had been rattling on about for the past few days.

“Hurry up or I’ll be late!” She knew her sister was really excited for this event so she did not want to disappoint her by causing her to be late. However, things did not go her way since this morning. She forgot to set her alarm yesterday night; she had to style her hair multiple times because she was having her bad hair day, and now even her shoes are not cooperating.

Even though Haneul knew her sister was getting late and they will go separate ways anyway, she did not want her to leave first. After successfully slipping her feet into her shoes and the both of them kissed their parents goodbye, she clumsily ran out of the door behind her sister.

She caught her breath when they were both in the lift and that was when she heard her sister mumbling a ‘so slow’.

“Hey! I heard it and I’m sorry! I did not mean it okay!” Haneul pouted at her sister beside her who just chuckled. The older girl jabbed her finger at the side of her sister’s waist which made her jump in surprise as the lift door opens. She walked out of the lift first with a smug smile, “hurry up and let’s go before I’m late silly girl!”

Haneul knew her older sister was not angry with her anymore. Heck, she was not even slightly pissed to begin with because she was only teasing the younger one. Even though they always quarrel, she will always be the one who will give in first and that is what the younger girl likes about her.

“But how are you going to be late when the event only starts at 5? It’s only what, 10am now?”

“I’m meeting my friend first and you know the first-come first-served basis right? Just hurry up young girl!” Haneul chuckled at what her sister said. This older sister of hers was always afraid of being late. Even if she was the early one and will have to wait for the others, she did not mind to do so as long as the person appears.

“Hey! Okay! Wait for me!”

-

As soon as the both of them reached the cross junction, they parted and left in the opposite directions. The 18-year-old girl is going to meet her friends to catch up with each other since they have not met for quite a period of time while the older girl is rushing to Exo’s special fansign event.

“Where is it?” Haneul wanted to ask her friends where to meet but could not find her phone anywhere in her bag. In the end she had no choice but to turn around to head back home.

“Hey! Watch out!” She heard people screaming and the next thing she heard was a loud crash which made her jump in shock. She held a hand over her chest while looking towards the direction of the commotion.

There was a car accident which happened not far away from where she parted with her sister earlier on. Realizing that she was going to be late, Haneul continued walking towards the direction of her house. However, something caught her eye and made her stop where she is.

She ran over to the accident site in panic. The handbag she saw lying on the ground with the contents scattered all over the ground was indeed the one she bought for her sister a few months ago during her birthday.

Squeezing past the crowd of people situated a few metres away from the bag, Haneul’s eyes widened, both in shock and in fear.

Lying in the middle of the road covered with blood was her sister, the sister who was still with her just a few moments ago. Haneul could not believe that it was her. She refused to believe. How can she be here when she is supposed to be at the Exo’s fansign that got her excited for weeks? How is she supposed to be here when she is going to meet her favorite boy band that she was always happily talking about?

“Unnie!” Haneul let out a heart-breaking shriek. Getting back to her senses, she dashed towards her sister. She shook her head to get rid of all the bad thoughts and held her sister in her arms, not caring that the blood stained her clothes.

“Please… Someone call the ambulance… Please! Please! PLEASE!” Haneul turned her head around in frenzy, hoping that some kind souls would dial for the ambulance. She kept screaming until her sister held her hands with her own.

“I… lo-love y-you Ha-neul…” She was in pain and Haneul knew.

“U-unnie…” She shook her head and cried while looking at her pale sister, wanting her to stop talking. She can do so when she is healthy enough, after she gets treated in the hospital. She can talk to her all day long and she will not mind. Not even if they will talk till the next morning. She just wants her to reserve her energy for now so that she can put on a good fight.

-

After waiting for almost 7 hours, the doctor finally came out of the operating theatre. Haneul could not stop shaking since this morning. The sight of her sister covered in a pool of blood scared her. She wished that she could erase the image but it seems to be etched into her memory.

“H-how is she, Doctor?” Haneul’s mother asked in concern with her father beside her. Her voice was hoarse for crying for the past hours.

“Her condition is still unstable and you have to be prepared for the worse.” The doctor informed her family and a few relatives of hers with a voice thick with remorse.

This made Haneul’s mother break down once again. Her father who was usually the strongest in the family had to turn away to hide his tears. He told himself that he had to be strong for his wife. If the strongest breaks down, who can support the remaining weaker ones?

Haneul refused to let her tears fall this time round. She bit her lips and check the time on digital watch she wore on her wrist. She thought back on the timing her sister told her. If she leaves now, she may be able to make it on time right? Nodding to herself, she darted out of the hospital without saying anything.

She just hopes that there would still be people there and that she will be able to come back in time.

-

Reaching the fansign event location, Haneul bent down with her hands on her knees to catch her breath. The young girl heaved a sigh of relieve upon arriving, seeing that the event has not yet ended but there was only a few people left in line.

Just as she was about to get into the venue, the guards stopped her and wanted her to show her pass for this is a private event only for the selected handful of fans. Her sister did not tell her that this was a private event so she did not even get any pass before rushing all the way here.

The girl cannot help but roll her eyes at what the guard said. She was anxious as she had not much time left on her hands. She had to bite back her angry tears while continuously begging for the chance to have their autograph.

Having no choice, because this might probably be her sister’s last wish, Haneul had even resorted to kneeling down to convince them with her reason so that they would maybe let her in. Just maybe.

People were all attracted to the commotion happening outside the venue. Some of the fans who were also standing outside because they were not allowed due to the same reason glared at Haneul for using such a weak ‘excuse’. For what they did not know, it was not an excuse after all. They just did not notice the blood stains on her jeans and shirt since they were dark colored.

Those in the fansign area alike, their attention were also partly on fuss outside, including the 12 boys. Especially one of them, whose concentration was on the girl until the member beside him nudged him for him to continue.

Sehun could see the sorrow in her eyes even from afar. With just one look, he knew that the girl was not lying with whatever reason she had given. He found it weird too but maybe that was just his intuition which he hopes is not wrong because the next thing he did was to turn around and ask one of their managers to let her in to the venue.

“What?” The manager just stared at him as if what he just told him was nonsense, but Sehun did not budge and mouthed a ‘please go, hyung’. The manager just did as told since he has a soft spot for the boys and is also the nicest amongst all their managers. That is also the reason why Sehun asked him instead of the others for this favor.

The manager then got a staff from the organizer’s side to bring her in, causing another round of commotion from those fans who were stuck outside. The security guards have no choice but to close up the door in case the situation gets more chaotic.

Haneul bowed and thanked the staff before she hurriedly went to queue with the remaining fans in line who were already giving her the dirty look. Biting her lips, she shrugged them off and continued praying that it would be her turn soon.

When Haneul finally reached the first member, Suho, he asked for her name for him to write on the poster.

“Just… sign quickly,” her voice cracked a little as she continued to bite on her lips afterwards. Her reply made the fans in front of her turned sharply to hiss at her for being rude to their beloved idol. However, she could not care less and moved on to the next member when Suho was done.

By the time Haneul was standing in front of the second to the last member, she was already biting back her tears and on the edge of breaking down. She was afraid that it would be too late for her to get back.

Furrowing her brows as she reached Sehun who was the last member in line, Haneul plead for him to hurry up before harshly wiping away a tear which finally escaped her eye. The members looked at her confusedly, wondering if anything had happened but no one dared to say a thing.

After Sehun was done with his autograph, Haneul did not even thank him when she turned around, preparing to sprint away. However a hand held her back, making the people in the room turn around to look at the two of them. It was Sehun who was courageous enough at that moment to ask her what was wrong.

Feeling extremely annoyed because the time is ticking away, Haneul gave him a dark look. She had to leave. Any minute later, she may be too late.

“How is it your business?” Snapping at the guy in front of her, she tried to get his hand off her wrist, which was not working since he was definitely stronger than her. The entire floor gasped at her boldness to speak to an idol with such tone, but honestly, she could not care less at this moment. So what if he is an idol?

Realizing what he was doing, Sehun let go of her immediately while holding the back of his neck with his head down. He did not understand why he cared so much for the stranger in front of him but he felt intrigued the first moment he laid his eyes on her.

Haneul shot him a look before attempting to leave the room again but was held back by Sehun for the second time.

“Maybe we can… help?” Sehun looked into her eyes with sincerity but the girl was running out of patience to notice that.

“HOW CAN YOU HELP?! MY SISTER GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT WHEN SHE WAS RUSHING HERE FOR THE FANSIGN!” Haneul finally broke down. The thought of her sister dying really scared her but she can do nothing other than getting autographs from her favorite boy band for her.

“How can you help when she’s dying? Can you even do anything to make sure she’ll stay alive?” She silently choked out in between her cries.

Sehun was stunned by the girl who was breaking down in front of him but he quickly regained his composure. His grip on her hand was firmer but was gentle enough to not hurt her.

“It seems little but the least we can help is to get you back to the hospital as soon as possible. Follow me!” Without waiting for her reply, he pulled her along to the back door after getting the previous manager to prepare the car, earning many curious glances from the staff as well as s.

-

Upon reaching the hospital, Haneul made her way to the ICU as per her father’s instruction since her sister had been transferred to there. Her condition still did not improve, making Haneul more worried than before because the doctor said the next 24 hours will be crucial to determine if she will ever wake up again.

Sehun was standing at the side awkwardly, but after noticing the somber atmosphere, he walked over to Haneul who was in a squatting position with her face down at the end of the hallway. He did not know why but he felt the urge to comfort the devastated girl in front of him.

Sehun crouched down to the same level beside the beautiful stranger while searching for the words to start a conversation. Quiet sniffs were heard from her and he knew from then that she must be really close to her sister.

“Hey, you wanna talk about it?” Turning over to face Haneul, he started softly, trying not to startle her.

Tiredly looking back at Sehun with her bloodshot eyes, she let out a sigh and shifted her attention back to the ground in front of her.

Despite the lack of answer, Sehun continued to stay beside her quietly while waiting for her to start talking, knowing it was hard for her to open up to someone, whom she was not close to. No, scratch that, she did not even know him to begin with.

“Come with me,” Sehun grabbed her arms and pulled her up to her feet. He then led her further away from the room they were all gathered in to wait for any improvements to her sister’s condition. The room was too solemn and she will definitely feel worse staying inside. He wants her to breathe.

-

The gentle cool breeze touched the warmth of Haneul’s cheeks, and made the loose strands of her hair dance a little. Breathing in the fresh air which was accompanied by the fragrance of the beautiful flowers which surrounded them, she felt relaxed and had momentarily forgotten how much had been going on today. Sehun had brought her to the rooftop garden of the hospital to loosen her up a little.

The sun was already setting considering that night time is almost arriving. Streams of purple, pink, orange and yellow lighted up the evening sky, creating a spectacular view as compared to the boring hospital walls.

“Why?” Haneul whispered with her eyes closed, enjoying the evening breeze.  The both of them were standing side by side while overlooking the landscape of Seoul at the highest level of the building.

Confused as to what Haneul was asking about, Sehun just turned around to look at her. He continued studying the girl’s profile, causing the girl to glance back at him.

Now that Sehun got a closer and clearer look at her, he noticed her how her big and bright eyes were hidden underneath her genuine curly long eyelashes; how her cheeks were naturally flushed; how her small button nose scrunches slightly when she sniffs from the after effect of crying earlier; how her lips was parted when she turned away to continue observing the busy Seoul; and how her hair was a little messed up by the now stronger wind which only accentuated her beauty.

Her beauty... His heart did a small flip. He blinked and cleared his throat when he realized he had been staring at her, a little too long indeed.

“Why did you help me?” Haneul doubted him at first. She thought he was just being nice to put on a show for the reporters previously. After seeing that he stayed even when he had done his job of sending her to the hospital and even tried to cheer her up by bringing her to the garden where she can take a breather, Haneul starts to believe that he is a nice person, a nice idol. She did not understand why he was so kind to her, a stranger, whom even raised her voice at him when they had only just met.

Honestly, Sehun had no idea too. He just felt the need to help the girl who was standing outside the fansign venue earlier. When he first laid eyes on her, he was captivated. It was something that he, himself could not explain.  

Sehun shrugged at her, “It wouldn’t hurt to help someone, right?”

Silence encompassed them both for a moment. It was a comfortable silence instead of an awkward one which is surprising for two people who just met.

“Unnie is my role model,” Haneul started, to continue the conversation where she left him hanging earlier on. It sent a chill down her spine when she realized how comfortable she was around him already when it usually takes weeks or even months for her to open up to someone.

“She is our family’s precious first child. She was smart, beautiful and always kind, always so bright and positive,” she let out a small but visible smile at the thought of her sister, which caught Sehun’s attention. It was the first time he saw her smile and he thought it was breathtaking. It managed to make his heart stop, it was a feeling he had never felt for years.

“Although I was always living in her shadow, I did not mind because I was so proud to have a sister like her. People always compared me with her, ‘Haneul-ah, you should learn to be more thoughtful like your sister’, ‘Haneul-ah, you should get good results like your sister’, ‘your sister is more beautiful’ and things like that but of course, as a child, I envied her. I was even jealous at a point that I hid her test paper which she had scored full marks. My parents eventually found out about it and I was reprimanded badly.” She chuckled a little and walked over to a bench near the small fountain and took a sit. Sehun followed as she continued her story.

“She was not angry at all; instead, she even encouraged me to study hard to make sure that I will show my family a test paper with a red-inked ‘100’ with my name beside it. She gave me all the motivation I needed and I wanted to be just like her. I am happy that she is my sister and I totally don’t mind all the attention on her if she will wake up now.”

“She is a really wonderful person and I’m sure she will wake up real soon.” Sehun badly wanted to give her a hug to comfort her, but he deemed it a wrong time to do so as he was afraid that she was not comfortable around him yet.

“She was a person whom I could share my problems with without being judged; she was someone who would encourage me whenever I felt like I was the worst person on Earth; she was a person who would buy me my favorite food and purposely let me win in a game I was really bad at just to see me happy.” Her tears flowed down her rosy cheeks once again when she remembered all of the great things her sister had done for her.

“She was my guardian angel; someone whom always protected me from everything yet I can’t do anything for her now. I feel like everything is my fault. If only I had set my alarm properly yesterday night; if only I had woken up earlier; if only I had prepared everything earlier; if only we had left our house earlier. All these would not have happened! The accident wouldn’t have happened and she wouldn’t have been in the hospital now!” Haneul had broken down into uncontrollable sobs. She had to blame everything on herself because if it were not for her tardiness, her sister would still be at home happily spazzing over the autographs of her favorite boyband now; her family would be laughing at her silliness and everyone would still be happy.

Sehun could not care so much now that she looks so broken. He put his arms around her and buried her head in his chest, wanting to give her the best comfort. Haneul clung onto Sehun as if her life depended on him. He held her strongly in his arms, his own heart breaking into pieces as he heard her continuous heart wrenching cries.

“She loves me; she always told me she loves me because I was her only sister and her actions showed it all too. I love her so much, probably more than how much she loved me but I… I didn’t have the chance to tell her that.”

“Hush, tell it to her the first thing she wakes up. I’m sure you will get the chance to do so. Even if you don’t, I’m sure she knew.” Sehun whispered while smoothing her hair and rubbed her back to calm her down.

-

The familiar ringtone that sounded from Sehun’s phone woke him up in an instant. He immediately answered his phone to avoid waking the sleeping girl up. Haneul had fallen asleep with her head leaning on his shoulder a while ago after she had gotten tired of crying.

He tapped the girl lightly to wake her up. His manager just called him up to remind him of the radio show which will start in an hour’s time. Their van was already waiting for him at the parking lot. Haneul got up as soon as Sehun’s hand touched her arm. She looked over at him confusedly and rubbed her swollen eyes.

“Hey, don’t rub your eyes, it’s bad,” though he had to admit she was adorable while doing so.

“Sorry, it was out of habit,” she gave him a subtle smile which made Sehun’s heart beat faster than never before. That wonderful feeling again…

He returned the gesture with a shy one of his, “Hey is it okay if you are alone? I have to leave for my schedule now.” He wanted to stay by her side to give her support just in case anything happens but he had to leave unless he wants to cause trouble to the other members.

It then got through Haneul’s head that she was with an idol all these while. He was busy but still stayed here for her. She did not even think of him as an idol, but a stranger who became her friend. It was comfortable around him and she likes the feeling of being able to let out her thoughts and share her problems with someone else other than her sister, without being criticized. Upon realizing that she had taken up too much of his precious time, she urged for him to leave after multiple assurances that she will be fine alone.

Sehun turned back once more, feeling his cheeks burning, “I haven’t got your n-name…”

“Kwon Haneul.”

-

Sehun returned to the hospital the moment he ended his schedule event though it was at dawn. He knows that the girl will be there to wait for her sister’s condition to improve and he did not want her to be alone. Especially after he heard her blaming the accident on herself previously at the rooftop.

The Exo members were all curious as to why the youngest were doing all these. Sehun was usually not the warmest of all and his actions surprised them. They have never seen him care so much for a stranger before. Not that he was ignorant nor that he did not care, he was just not used to interacting with strangers and he felt awkward to do so.

Haneul was different because Sehun warmed up to her almost immediately. Maybe she is special to him. They were happy that he was willing to take the initiative to talk to, let alone take care of someone whom he was not close to. They want him to be happy and they just hope that their youngest brother will not get hurt in the process.

Sehun reached the hospital to be greeted by agonizing cries of people, but a familiar voice caught his attention, even if he had only heard them a few times.

“Unnie! You can’t do this to us! There are a lot of things that I have not yet told you! Don’t leave me please!”

He scurried over to see Haneul hovering over a body which was covered. A family friend of hers was holding her back while the nurses wheeled the body away. Apparently, during the observation period, her sister’s condition did not improve but worsened instead. She was sent for another surgery when her heart stopped beating and was pronounce dead after several attempts of resuscitation.

Haneul was crying alongside her parents. The worried Sehun wanted to reach over to comfort her but held himself back. The family of three left were each other’s comfort at that moment. They have to be strong for each other.

Haneul’s parents managed to calm themselves after a while and left her alone at the hallway to manage all the necessary procedures and prepare for the wake. They knew that the sisters were almost inseparable since young and Haneul needs time alone to accept the reality.

The couple was relieved knowing that she will be in good hands when they noticed Sehun standing a distance away. They had seen how he was taking care of her yesterday and they had also noticed the look of affection in his eyes.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Sehun bowed when he met eyes with Haneul’s parents. They sent him a sad smile and whispered a ‘please take care of her’ before patting Sehun on the back and left.

Sehun walked over to Haneul slowly and paused when he saw her blankly staring at the ground.

Haneul could feel Sehun’s presence even though her mind was not there. She could feel his warmth when he silently pulled her into his embrace despite all the negative feelings. She could identify his scent although she could not think properly and it slowly led her back to her senses.

“In the end she didn’t get to see the autographs for herself. In the end she didn’t get the chance to hear me say ‘I love you’. In the end I never got the chance to show her how much I love her…” Haneul sobbed into Sehun’s chest. She felt oddly comfortable around him. This guy even came back here for her when she thought he was just pretending.

Sehun did not mind his shirt getting wet from her crying and he just wanted her to feel better. He was even glad that she acknowledged his presence and did not push him away.

I think I like you Kwon Haneul.

“One day everyone is going to leave. Even you and me. Even the one you love the most; the one you treasure the most. You have to learn to let them go. You have to move on, but don’t forget. Never forget because they were the people who once loved you; the ones who once brought laughter and joy to your life.”

The moment Haneul cried harder in his arms, Sehun made a promise to himself that he will stay by her side and will do anything to see that stunning smile of hers again.

Haneul did not lose a loved one from her sister’s death because she will now protect her from somewhere far away but a place where she will be able to watch over her every moment. In fact, Haneul gained another guardian angel whom her sister had sent to take care of her.

-

I promise to always be the one whom you can share your thoughts freely without caring about the world;

I promise to always be by your side and to support you no matter what decision you make;

I promise to always protect you now that your guardian angel is gone.

I will be your guardian angel from now on.

~Oh Sehun