Jay's POV
When I opened my eyes, everything felt… quiet.
Not the cold, echoing quiet of the hospital—but a softer one. Familiar. The faint scent of the room, the warmth of the sheets, the golden-orange light spilling through the window. I didn't move. I just stared outside, watching the sun slowly sink, like the world was ending gently instead of all at once.
For a few seconds, I wondered if everything had been a dream.
The café. The truth. The hospital. The word that still felt unreal sitting somewhere inside my chest—cancer. But then my body ached, heavy and real, and I knew… none of it had been imagined.
I didn't cry.
I didn't feel like I could.
The sound of the door clicking open was soft, almost careful—like whoever stood on the other side was afraid to break something fragile. I didn't turn immediately. I didn't need to. I already knew.
"Hey… baby sistah."
Percy.
His voice wrapped around me before his arms did. He set the tray down somewhere beside the bed before pulling me into a hug, one hand coming up to cradle the back of my head like he always did. I leaned into him without thinking, my fingers gripping his shirt slightly—not tight, just enough to feel something solid.
He smelled like home.
And I didn't even realize how much I needed that until now.
His hand moved slowly through my hair, gentle, steady, like he was grounding me without saying a word. For a moment, neither of us spoke. We just stayed there—holding onto something neither of us wanted to lose again.
I pulled back first.
Just enough to look at him.
My throat felt dry when I spoke. "The cancer thing…" My voice came out quieter than I expected. "That's true, right?"
For a second—just a second—I saw something flicker in his eyes.
Pain.
But he didn't look away.
"Yeah," he said softly.
No hesitation. No lie.
And somehow—that hurt less than if he had tried to hide it.
I swallowed.
"Am I going to die?"
The question felt too big for the room. Too heavy for something so quietly asked.
His expression shifted instantly, his hands tightening slightly on my shoulders as he leaned closer. "Hey—no," he said firmly. "Don't even think like that."
His voice wasn't loud.
But it was certain.
"The doctor said it's very early stage," he continued, his gaze locked onto mine like he needed me to believe every word. "With treatment—with chemo—you're going to be okay."
I stared at him.
Searching.
For doubt. For hesitation. For anything that would tell me he was just trying to comfort me.
But there was nothing.
Just him.
Just certainty.
"Promise?" I whispered.
His expression softened, but his voice didn't waver. "Hundred percent, baby sistah."
And something inside me—something tight and suffocating—loosened just a little.
Not completely.
But enough to breathe.
My eyes stung as I looked down for a second, my fingers fidgeting slightly with the blanket. "Thank you…" I murmured quietly.
He tilted his head. "For what?"
"For… everything," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "For being there. For not leaving."
There was a pause.
Then he huffed softly, like I had just said something ridiculous. "If I won't take care of you," he muttered, brushing a strand of hair away from my face, "then who will?"
A small, broken smile slipped through.
And for the first time since I woke up—
It didn't feel forced.
He leaned back slightly then, like he was remembering something. "Oh—and before I forget," he added casually, though his eyes stayed on me carefully. "We're going to Seoul. For a while."
I blinked. "Seoul?"
He nodded. "Yeah. It's better for your treatment. They've got one of the best setups there. You'll be fine in no time."
I watched him closely.
Too closely.
Because something about it felt… planned.
Careful.
"Is that the only reason?" I asked quietly.
For a second, his expression didn't change.
Not even a flicker.
"Yeah," he said simply. "That's it."
I held his gaze for a moment longer.
Trying to read something deeper.
But there was nothing.
Just calm.
Just Percy.
And maybe… I was too tired to question it further.
He exhaled lightly, like shifting the mood. "Also," he added, a small smirk forming, "you're officially on a break."
My brows furrowed slightly. "What?"
"I already got your early graduation clearance from HVIS," he said, almost proud. "So congratulations—you're free."
For a second—I just stared at him.And then—A laugh slipped out.Soft.Unexpected.
"You're kidding."
"Nope."
Something in my chest cracked—not painfully this time, but softly.Relief.Freedom.Too many emotions tangled together.And before I could stop myself, I leaned forward and hugged him again, tighter this time.
He didn't hesitate.
He hugged me back just as tight.
"I'm going to be okay, right?" I whispered into his shoulder.
He didn't even pause.
"You're going to be more than okay," he said.
I pulled back, wiping my eyes quickly as he suddenly grinned. "But first," he added, gesturing toward the tray, "you're eating. Doctor's orders. And mine."
I glanced at it.My favorite food.Of course thank God this man atleast has some self awareness about me and favourite....
"You're so bossy," I muttered.
"Only because you're stubborn," he shot back instantly.
"I am not—"
"You literally fainted twice in one day."
"That was not my fault!"
"That's debatable."
I glared at him.
He grinned wider.
And just like that—
For a few seconds—It felt normal.
A soft knock broke through the moment, and before either of us could respond, the door opened.
Dad.
Receeye.
Grandpa.
They stepped in together, their eyes immediately finding me—relief flooding their expressions so openly it made my chest tighten again.
Dad spoke first, his voice gentler than I had ever heard it. "Everything's ready," he said. "We'll be leaving in two days."
Receeye moved closer, her hand resting lightly on my arm, warm and reassuring. Grandpa stood just behind them, his presence steady, protective.
I looked at all of them.
At the way they stood there—not distant, not unsure—but there.
For me.
And for the first time since everything fell apart—
I didn't feel like I was standing alone in it.
I had them.
And maybe…Just maybe—
That was enough to start again.
--------------
Two days passed faster than I could understand them.
Everything moved around me like a perfectly planned storm—staff packing, calls being made, hushed conversations behind closed doors, footsteps echoing through hallways that somehow already felt less like a place to stay and more like something we were leaving behind.
I didn't ask questions.Not because I didn't have them.But because for the first time… I trusted that I didn't need to.
By the time the morning came—there was nothing left.
The estate stood the same.But empty in a way that felt… final.
Like a chapter closing without asking permission.The car ride to the airport was quiet.
Not uncomfortable.Just… heavy.
I sat beside Percy, my hands resting in my lap as I stared out the window, watching the city blur past. New York—the place that had given me something I never thought I'd have.
A family.And then, just as quickly—Took everything and forced it to change again.Percy didn't say much.But his hand rested over mine the entire ride.Steady.Grounding.
When the car finally stopped, I didn't move immediately.
Because outside—The jet was already waiting.The same one that had brought me here.The same one that was now taking me somewhere else.
Somewhere new.
"Ready?" Percy asked softly.
I looked at him.
Then back at the window.And for a second—I hesitated.
Not because I wanted to stay.But because I realized…I wasn't just leaving a place.I was leaving everything I used to be behind with it.
Then slowly—
I nodded.
"Yeah."
We stepped out together.
Dad walked ahead, already speaking to someone on the phone, his voice calm but controlled. Receeye stayed close to me, her hand lightly brushing my arm every few seconds like she needed to make sure I was still there.
Grandpa walked beside us, silent as always—but his presence felt stronger now. Protective. Watchful.
The crew greeted us quickly.Everything moved fast.Too fast.
And before I could think too much—We were already boarding.The inside of the jet felt exactly the same.
Soft lighting.Quiet luxury.Comfort that didn't ask questions.
But this time—It felt different.
Because I wasn't stepping into it as someone lost.I was stepping into it with people who wouldn't let me be.
I took a seat by the window, my fingers brushing lightly against the cool glass as I looked outside one last time.
The runway stretched endlessly ahead.The city sat far in the distance.
And for a brief moment—Everything felt still.
Then Percy dropped into the seat beside me, stretching slightly before glancing at me sideways.
"No dramatic crying, okay?" he muttered.
I let out a small breath—almost a laugh.
"I won't even if you dared me.."
He smirked.
"liar but fair...."
The engines started.A low hum that slowly grew louder.
I watched as the ground began to shift.As the plane moved forward.As everything outside started to blur.
And then—We lifted.
The city fell away beneath us.The buildings.The streets.
The life that I had just begun to understand.
All of it—
Getting smaller.Further.Distant.I didn't cry.
I didn't break.I just… watched.
Because for the first time—
Leaving didn't feel like losing.It felt like surviving.Like choosing something else.
Something better.Something that hadn't hurt me yet.
Percy leaned back beside me, his voice quieter now. "You okay?"
I didn't answer immediately.
My eyes stayed on the sky as the clouds slowly surrounded us, soft and endless.
Then I nodded.
"Yeah,Maybe I will be now..." I said softly.
And this time—
I meant it.
Because somewhere ahead of us—There was a new place.
A new start.
A version of me that hadn't been broken yet and as the plane cut through the sky, leaving everything behind—
I realized something quietly.
This wasn't an escape.
This was a beginning...And I was finally ready to step into it....