Seven Days Before the End

Ronnie stood anxiously outside the operation room, his heart pounding with each passing second. The red light above the door flickered off after what seemed like an eternity.

The door opened slowly, and the doctor, accompanied by a nurse, stepped out. Ronnie rushed forward.

"Doctor, how is he?" Ronnie asked, his voice barely a whisper, but filled with hope.

The doctor sighed, his face a mix of relief and concern. "He's stable now. He's fine… for now.

Ronnie frowned. "But?"

The doctor paused before replying, his gaze dropping to the floor. "He hasn't opened his eyes yet. It's too early to tell if he'll wake up soon."

Ronnie's hands clenched into fists, his anxiety growing. "Can I visit him now?"

The doctor shook his head. "Not yet. He needs rest."

Ronnie's heart sank. The doctor began walking away, but then stopped, turning back toward him.

"Ronnie, come to my office," the doctor said, his tone now more serious.

"Why, doctor?" Ronnie asked, confused.

"I need to talk to you," the doctor replied, his voice quiet but urgent.

Arya slowly opens his eyes as the bright fluorescent light makes it hard for him to see. He blinks a few times, his mind heavy with confusion. Struggling to focus, he notices a blurry figure standing in front of him. His vision is unclear, and he can't tell if it's the same girl he met before.

Before he can react, the figure turns and leaves. Arya tries to stop them, but his body feels too weak to move. His eyes slowly close again, and he drifts back to sleep.

An hour later, he finally wakes up. This time, his vision is clear, and he sees Ronnie sitting next to him.

Ronnie notices Arya waking up and leans forward. "Bro, you're awake! You scared me when you collapsed at the club. I was really worried."

Arya looks around. "Where am I?"

"In the hospital," Ronnie replies. "I wanted to come earlier, but the doctor called me to his office."

Arya's mind flashes back to the mysterious figure. Who was that? A girl? Could it be…? He shakes his head. No, that doesn't make sense. Why would she be here?

Ronnie waves his hand in front of Arya's face. "Hey, are you even listening?"

Arya snaps out of his thoughts. "You said the doctor called you. Did he say anything important?"

Ronnie shrugs. "I dunno, the old man was saying something, but I didn't really understand. Doesn't matter."

Arya wonders if the doctor told Ronnie about his condition. No, he wouldn't. It was probably just about avoiding crowded places.

Ronnie grins. "By the way, before I came in, you mentioned someone. Who was it?"

Arya hesitates. "I… I don't know."

Ronnie smirks. "Let me guess, a beautiful girl? While I'm here worrying about you, you're out here dreaming about mystery girls?"

Arya sighs. "You're thinking too much."

Just then, a nurse enters the room. "Ronnie, I told you not to disturb Arya. He needs rest."

Ronnie laughs. "I know, but someone else was here before me!"

The nurse frowns. "I didn't see anyone."

Ronnie's smile fades. "Huh? But I swear—"

The nurse shakes her head. "Maybe you were just dreaming."

Ronnie looks at Arya. "See? Even she says you're imagining things."

Arya remains silent, but his mind lingers on the thought—Was it really just a dream?

The nurse sighed. "Are you both done talking now?" She turned to Ronnie. "It's time for you to leave. And Arya, don't move around too much—you need rest."

She placed the medicine on the table beside Arya. "Take this and get some sleep." Then, looking at Ronnie, she added, "And you, you're still here? Let's go."

"Alright, alright. See you later, bro," Ronnie said with a grin before stepping out. The nurse followed, closing the door behind them.

Arya picked up the medicine, swallowed it with a sip of water, and lay down. Was that just a dream? Or was someone really there?

It's been a week since I last saw Hina… His heart pounded at the thought of her. I want to tell her how I feel… but I can't. If I do, it'll only hurt her more than it hurts me. If I leave, she'll be alone… I can't do that to her.

But what if she rejects me?

He let out a deep sigh. Why am I thinking so negatively? I've changed. Before, I never questioned what I was doing. But now… I finally understand my life.

With those thoughts circling his mind, he closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.

Ronnie left Arya's room, his mind still clouded with questions. As he walked towards the elevator, he couldn't shake off the feeling that someone had been there before him. When he entered the room earlier, the chair beside Arya's bed had already been moved.

Then, as he stepped into the elevator, he remembered something—the conversation he had with the nurse just moments ago.

"Was there another nurse here before me?" Ronnie had asked.

"No," the nurse replied. "This is my shift, and I've been taking care of Arya. No one else entered."

"Could it have been the doctor?"

"No, it can't be. The doctor is busy with other patients," she said firmly.

The elevator doors slid shut as Ronnie leaned against the wall, deep in thought. So if it wasn't the nurse or the doctor, then… who was it?

His thoughts wandered. Could Arya have just been dreaming? Or am I overthinking this? Maybe I should check the CCTV cameras…

The elevator chimed as it reached the fourth floor. The doors slid open, and as Ronnie stepped out, a girl walked in.

For a split second, his breath hitched. She… she looks familiar.

Before he could react, the doors closed, and the elevator descended. He turned, staring at the sealed doors. Was that…? No, it can't be.

His heart pounded. Could she be the one Arya saw? But that doesn't make sense… Arya and that girl don't even know each other.

He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. Maybe I really do need some rest.