So In Love
EP. 94. I'll Always Love You

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One year has passed. Little, there was something that seemed to be pausing from the pink wall-painted room.

A very feminine fragrance greeted Shien's sense of smell as he opened the door to Shanna's room. Still stinging as usual, typical fragrance of Shanna.

Clear netra like almond seeds roaming every corner of the room, trying to find a figure who was lazing in bed while being uproarious or sometimes crying unclear because of the Korean drama he was watching.

But Shien did not find it. Shien found only a few posters of K-Pop boy groups attached to the walls of Shanna's room as well as hundreds of polaroid photos of the boy group members.

This was still like a dream for Shien. The worst nightmare of the worst he's ever had. Never once did Shien think that he would lose the limp-voiced figure that sometimes made his ears hurt, a figure that often nudged him to the point of upsetting Shien, a figure that always made his neat room fall apart, and. . ., Shien had never seen Shanna's room as neat as this. A room that Shien used to call the sheepfold now. . . .

“I miss you. . .” Whisper Shien weakly while sitting himself on the edge of Shanna's bed. He then grabbed a picture frame lying neatly on the nightstand, a photo of his togetherness with Shanna and Nathan during a picnic in the hospital park at that time. Shanna's position was in the middle, and she was the one who smiled the brightest. That smile always brought happiness to everyone around her, and it belonged only to Shanna.

Her sister was a spring flower that always carried cheerfulness. Even in his last moments.

Shien's tears had already fallen. He could not hold his cry anymore. It turns out that one year in America didn't really make it to terms with reality. It only made him avoid his sadness temporarily.

“Shi. . .” The call from someone's soft voice made Shien hurriedly wipe away the tears that were soaking his cheeks.

Shien found Mama moving towards him, then sat down next to him and rubbed his shoulders gently. A warm smile was on his face. The woman always looked much more resolute than Shien. But, not knowing how in his heart. Maybe she was just pretending to be strong.

“Come, Shi. Nathan is waiting under.” Mama said, still in her soft voice.

Shien nodded slowly, then moved from his seat. Shien stared at the entire room once more, imagining all of his beautiful memories he had spent with Shanna, then closed the door of the room.

Shien would not forget anything. Shien will continue to carry his memories with Shanna.

And Shanna will always be a part of Shien, forever.

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Today is exactly one year of Shanna's departure in less than two days. Shien had just returned from the United States this afternoon, and he had promised to come on a pilgrimage with Nathan who had also just returned from Pakistan.

“Hai, Sha. We are back. . .” Greet Nathan with a smile on his face. In a bit, something changed from Shanna's navel. The red earth mound, now overgrown with green grass that is deliberately treated. Nathan put a sprig of red tulips there.

“Gara your sister dandan long until make me late come.” Nathan glanced at Shien at a glance, thus making the girl throw a whipped snort at him.

“Enak. Brother Nathan nih who catapulted catapult, so we kesorean deh, Kak.” Refuting to Shien as if he was complaining to Shanna, he then crouched down next to Nathan and placed a stalk of tullip flowers, right next to Nathan's flowers.

“Ihh, nudu. You're the one who made us late. If not dandan over time, we will not be stuck stuck. Continues if not stuck stuck, I can not drive catapult.” Nathan mumbled in disbelief.

From Shanna, they learned a lot. Especially regarding keihklasan, until finally they can accept the departure of Shanna. They also realize that in life it is always accompanied by encounters and separations.

Shien even asks Nathan to return to his newfound love. Nathan was angry. Not angry, anyway. More precisely reprimanding Shien for thinking the girl asked him to forget about Shanna.

But that's not what Shien meant.

Shien doesn't ask Nathan to forget Shanna. Shien even threatened to hit Nathan using his strap heels if Nathan dared to do that.

But because Nathan's alive.

Nathan still has to get on with his life and his future is still long.

“Bone yuk, Brother.” Shien stood up, followed by Nathan.

The two turned towards Shanna's tomb for her umpteenth, letting all the good memories with Shanna return to their heads. Including their wonderful childhood memories.

“I’ll always love you.”

“I’ll always love you.”

Whisper them together, then turn back and move out of the burial area.

“Shien, let's run all the way to the parking lot. The loser treat eat as much.” Take Nathan to challenge.

“Call.” Sahut Shien dare.

Shien is already healthier now, though still has to take immunosuppressant drugs for his long-term recovery. Thanks to Shanna, Shien could do all the things that previously could not. Four months back even Shien had toured the world with Mama and Papa. In other words, Shanna had already realized almost all of Shien's dreams.

“Ready, yes?” Nathan gave aba-aba. Shien nodded.

“One. . , run.”

“Ihh, curaaang.” Shien cried out in annoyance as Nathan ran ahead of him. In fact, the count of the man has not reached the number three.

Shien stomped his feet in annoyance. But soon after, the girl came running after Nathan who was a few steps further away from him.

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To be continued. . . .