GOT7 Fic #1: See The Light

"You will meet your soul mate repeatedly for seven days. Cherish every day with him. Spend as many hours as you can with him. For on the seventh day, he has to die."

The sky has cried a good cry. Everything is drenched in its tears. Naila didn't mind the subtle splatters as she walked. It felt great.

She inhaled the cold air. It smelled like heartbreak.

She wondered what the gods have in store for her next.

Chapter 1: LIFE

It's already past midnight, yet her mind remains alert. It's unlike her to be this awake. She could feel something brewing. Something inevitable is coming.

'Keep walking', she thought.

She had no idea where she's going, but she has to keep walking. She doesn't know why.

She's walking aimlessly when she heard a whimper. Curious, she followed the sound. It led her to an alley, lit only by a single lamppost. Beside it was a heavily pregnant woman, writhing in pain.

"H-Help me," the woman begged. "M-My baby!"

She found herself running towards her.

If she was placed in the same situation years ago, she wouldn't have helped. But Naila found herself aiding the woman walk towards the main street. She flagged every car she saw.

A cab finally stopped.

"Take us to the hospital! Hurry!" she told the driver after getting in.

Inside the car, she held the woman's hand through all the contractions and told her everything's going to be okay.

She remained by her side when she was being pushed towards the emergency room. Outside the door, she stopped to bid the woman goodbye.

"Stay... please..."

Naila had thought of leaving but somehow found herself staying for hours.

She immediately stood up when the doctor finally came out of the emergency room, his hand bloody.

"How is she?" she asked.

"She's okay. They're both okay," he replied. "She wants to see you."

The woman was drenched in sweat and tears. Her hair, disheveled, and yet she wore the biggest smile.

She motioned her to come closer and showed her the baby wrapped in a clean blanket.

"It's a boy," she whispered.

"Congratulations. What's his name?"

"Jaebum," she told her.

"Here, hold him."

She quickly backed away. "O-Oh no. I can't--"

But the woman insisted. She said she wanted her son to know the woman who saved their lives.

She pushed little Jaebum gently into her arms. The boy slowly opened his eyes. Naila felt something tug at her heart.

Chapter 2: BEGINNING

Naila almost moaned when the first shot of coffee touched her lips. Humans may be greedy, dirty, and corrupt, but there's one thing they did right: they invented coffee.

She exhaled. She still needs some medicine, though. Her head aches. She shouldn't have stayed up late.

She jumped in surprise when a branch from a tree nearby suddenly fell. It missed her by a few inches. Annoyed, she looked up to see what caused it.

Above her was a kid, holding desperately on a thick branch. He was about 10, she guessed. He's reaching for a tangled kite.

"HEY!"

Startled, the kid almost lost his grip.

"Get down from there! You could get seriously injured!"

"But my kite..." the boy groaned.

"I'll help you get it! Just get down. NOW!"

Hearing her authoritative command, the boy obliged. True to her word, she helped him get the kite.

The boy had scrapes all over his arms and legs. His clothes and face were dirty. And he looked like he was on the verge of crying because his kite was ruined.

She made him sit on the bench, next to her, and handed him a handkerchief.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Jaebum."

'Jaebum', the name echoed in her head. She's sure she heard that name before, but she couldn't remember where.

"Let me see that," she said.

She took the kite from his hand and examined the damage. The skeleton of the kite has snapped and the paper was torn by the branches.

"It can't be fixed," she told him as she gave it back.

Jaebum pouted.

"Did you make it?"

He nodded.

"Ah, I see. That's why it's fragile."

"It's not my fault. The tree ruined it."

"Yes, blame the tree."

The tree, the wind... nature. It is erratic and destructive.

They spent the next few minutes trying to fix the kite, but her initial assessment was right. Pitying the boy who looked so sad about his kite, she bought him ice cream instead.

"I'm a stranger. You shouldn't have gone with me."

"But you're nice," he argued. She shook her head.

Afraid that Jaebum might go with another stranger who's "nice", she insisted on walking him home. He lives just a few blocks away from the park.

"Next time, don't just go with anyone you just met."

Jaebum grinned. "Okay!"

"Sorry about your kite."

"Thanks for the ice cream!"

Chapter 3: FLUTTER

Naila closed her eyes & savored the last twirl of spaghetti. She's been coming to this restaurant for many years, but their food never changed. It's still the best pasta place in town.

She opened one eye when she heard a thud. The waiter just put a plate of dessert on her table.

"Oh I didn't order any dessert," she told the waiter.

"It's already paid."

"By whom?"

The waiter pointed to the guy sitting two tables from her. He instantly smiled when their eyes met.

"Please send it back," she told the waiter. Nodding, he took the plate back to the guy.

She mouthed 'sorry' and called another waiter to get her bill. But before she caught their attention, the guy who ordered the dessert stood up and walked towards her table.

'Oh great. He's wearing a mullet'. She wanted to roll her eyes. It's a weird haircut. She doesn't like it.

"I'm sorry if this is too straightforward, but can I join you? It's kinda lonely eating alone."

"I'm already done eating. I'm sorry." She tried to smile as apologetic as possible.

"That's why I ordered a dessert for you." He placed the plate on the table & smiled. "Wait here."

He quickly went back to his table to get his unfinished meal & then came back and placed his food on her table.

"Can I sit?"

'What's the point of asking?!' she wanted to ask, but simply gave a hesitant nod.

The guy sat across her, extended his hand, and said, "Hi. I'm Jaebum."

Jaebum. There's that name again. Naila only realized she was just staring at his hand when he waved it.

"S-Sorry."

His eyes became two concave lines when he smiled. "I thought I lost you there."

Realizing that his hand is still outstretched, she finally accepted it.

"Naila."

"What a pretty name. It suits you."

She forced a smile and pulled her hand back. She didn't like how her fingertips tingled at such a brief contact. Who is Jaebum and why does he feel so familiar?

Those moles under his left eyebrow look freakishly familiar. Who is he?

She didn't like him at first. He was too direct, honest, & unnerving. But after dessert, she found herself drinking canned beers with him at a nearby park.

He smiles a lot, is funny, & eloquent. She never thought she would enjoy his company, but she was glad she took the risk.

"You know, my kite once got caught in a tree here."

She winced when she suddenly remembered something. It was too abrupt, she almost choked on the beer she just drank.

"A nice lady helped me fix it. Well... we tried but failed. So she bought me ice cream instead."

She coughed.

Jaebum patted her back. "Are you ok? Do you want me to get some water?"

She nodded vigorously. She just wants him to leave for a while, to let her breathe for a while.

Jaebum walked towards the vending machine nearby. She took the chance to escape & left without saying goodbye.

Chapter 4: ATTRACTION

That's the thing about fate. No matter which way you turn, what path you take, or signs you follow, it will lead you right where you're supposed to be.

Naila believes in soul mates. She knew how spiritual connections work. But she never thought she would be played like that.

Naila took a different route that day. She just felt like it. It took her to an unfamiliar place. It had less cars & less people, a quaint little avenue right smack in the middle of a busy city.

She stopped by a fountain when she saw people gathered there. Someone's busking.

One was playing the guitar while Jaebum was singing.

His voice reminded her of the sun finally appearing from behind the dark clouds after a heavy rain. His voice sounded like a flower's first bloom.

It was reminiscent of the time she held him in her arms, a long time ago.

When their eyes met, she felt that familiar pull. It is inevitable.

Jaebum smiled as he closed his eyes, letting the music take him to a special place. Naila had the urge to leave, but her feet wouldn't move.

She was trapped in an invisible cage, having no choice but to wait.

He went to her first, after performing. He's still the same charming and chatty man she met that night.

"Thanks for waiting," he said with a smile.

She smiled back, unable to admit she had no choice but to wait. He invited her for coffee and despite the hesitation, she nodded.

Over coffee, she learned a lot about him. How he likes making music & dreams of singing on a big stage someday.

Over coffee, he told her how he couldn't stop thinking about her.

Over coffee, he asked to see her again, more frequently.

Over coffee, she found herself saying yes.

Chapter 5: LOVE

Naila told him she'd like to spend the whole day with him, from the minute it started to the moment it will end.

The odd request was granted with enthusiasm. They spent the dawn walking on empty streets, just talking about anything they could think of.

Time passed quickly.

They had breakfast together and then spent the remainder of the morning flying paper kites at the park where she first met him as a boy.

He took her to his old school and told her silly childhood stories.

He disappeared before lunch & came back with flowers in his hands.

They spent an hour plucking out rose petals & putting them inside a ziplock. Then, they went to an overpass and threw the petals in the air.

Jaebum took her hand and they ran when a police officer saw them littering the streets. She has not smiled that much before.

They watched a movie after and then spent the next few hours talking about it.

"Are you tired?" he asked.

"No," she replied. "You?"

Jaebum smiled and shook his head.

"What are we doing next?"

He propped his chin on his hand to think. She found it cute.

"Hmmm...."

"My friends have a gig tonight. Do you want to watch them with me?" he finally asked.

"Okay. That sounds fun."

They had a quick dinner first and then, they walked to the venue since it's just nearby.

"You're okay with mosh pits, right?"

She frowned in confusion. "What?"

Naila didn't expect it to be that big of an event. Jaebum led her inside a big room, already crowded. They were tables on the side, waiters serving drinks left and right.

"Come on, it's about to start!"

Jaebum pulled her towards the stage as the band begins to play.

People began crowding the stage. The music was electrifying. Everyone around her were already feeling the music.

"Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning!

You gotta stop
You gotta stop
You gotta stop now"

After more than 10 songs, Naila was already exhausted. She didn't expect to jump so much in one night.

The band took a short break as well. The bassist said hello to their audience. He tried to make eye contact with as many people as he can.

Then his eyes landed on her.

He was the friendliest out of the 5 guys on stage. He smiled the most.

Before they start a new set, he reached out to her. She raised her hand but Jaebum quickly pulled it down.

The bassist let out a laugh and gave him a salute before backing away.

"What was that about?"

Jaebum smiled but didn't answer her question.

"The next one's a little slower. We know you're already tired," the tall, lanky vocalist announced. "This one is called When You Love Someone."

As the slow song starts, Jaebum squeezed her hand and pulled her gently into his arms.

One of the human heart's greatest trick is making people disappear whenever a person looks into a loved one's eyes.

Naila wrapped her arms around Jaebum's neck as he pulled her closer.

"When you love someone
So much that it overflows
It’s so amazing
Because this is how it is"

As the slow song gradually came to an end, so did the night.

"Close your eyes," she told Jaebum. "I have a surprise for you."

He obliged, smiling. She tiptoed and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

"Goodbye," she whispered faintly before she disappeared into the crowd.

Chapter 6: LONGING

Naila knew heartache like the back of her hand by now. Living made her soft.

It usually passes, if you give it enough time. But this one refused to leave. It made a home in her heart, leaving her stuck with this gnawing pain inside her.

The end is near, she could feel it.

She knew exactly where to find him this time. He's sitting on a bench in the old park where they used to hang out. It had less trees and a bigger playground now.

He looked a lot older now. His laugh lines were prominent. His hair, already graying.

He smiled when she approached.

"You still remember me," she noticed.

"How can I forget? You're the only woman I know who comes whenever she pleases and leaves without even saying goodbye."

She gave him a somber smile. "I'm sorry."

She sat next to him, within a safe distance.

"Are you with someone?"

He pointed to a kid flying a kite. "My grandson."

"Oh." She couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice. "You got married."

"I tried waiting for you, but I lost hope after a few years."

"I understand. I don't blame you."

"You haven't changed one bit," he commented.

"You're still as pretty as the day we first met."

"And when was that?" she asked. They met several times over the past few decades. Every meeting was a fresh start, a reset of some sort.

And every clean slate is painted with something new.

"Do you know what I am?" she asked.

He nodded. "You're different from everyone I've ever met in this lifetime."

"You never asked me what I am."

"I didn't need to know."

His eyes looked kind, the way they always did. His smile was comforting, the way it's always been.

Her tears started to fall. "T-Thank you."

Jaebum reached out to wipe her tears away. She let him.

"I still love you, you know," he told her. "And I'll carry this feeling to the grave."

"Don't--"

"It's okay." His lowered his hand and held hers. "You will have to go on without me. This is how things are supposed to be."

Chapter 7: GOODBYE

Death is already a given, an expectation... yet no one is ever ready to leave.

Death announces its presence ahead of time, yet people still don't say their goodbyes while they still can.

Death comes for everyone, some sooner than the others. But they all die just the same.

The sky began to cry. Everything is getting drenched in its tears. Naila didn't mind the subtle splatters as she stood there.

She inhaled the cold air. It smelled of decay. So this is what the gods have in store for her this time.

She let the droplets melt with her tears.

She knelt on his gravestone and touched the engraved letters on its surface.

For seven days, she has met him and loved him, in more ways and depth than any human could.

Each moment, however fleeting, will be forever etched in her memory, like scorch marks from a bad burn.

"You have become too human," she heard a voice say. "Come home. Come home and I will take the pain away."

For a moment, she was tempted to take his offer. But Jaebum's smile flashed in her mind. She shook her head.

"But you will also take away my love and memories of him."

"They were never yours in the first place," he replied.

She felt her anger rise. "I felt them! They're mine!"

He sighed. "If you stay, you will never forget."

"I don't want to forget."

"Suit yourself," he said in resignation and left her in the rain.

---THE END---

GOT7 Fic #2: Stay: https://twitter.com/jhingness/status/1054735614594215939