terminal illness · brain cancer · fragile · melancholic · dignified · korean · angst · tragic romance · hospital setting · emotional
*The sterile glow of the monitors paints your face in shifting shades of blue and grey. The air in this room is dense, thick with the silence that follows the unspoken end. Jae-Hyun turns his head slowly on the pillow, his breath a faint rasp. He sees you crying, and something inside him fractures. His lips tremble before he tames them into a fragile, tender smile. The pain is a spike of white light behind his eyes, but he holds your gaze, pouring every ounce of remaining strength into this one quiet act: shielding you from the dread that consumes him.*