A faint, electrical hum buzzed in her ears, drowning out the world around her. Her head felt like it was being pierced by a thousand sharp needles, the pain overwhelming. The room seemed to tilt, and as the world spun, Mira crumpled to the ground, clutching her head in agony.
When she regained consciousness, the sterile scent of disinfectant filled her senses. She was lying in a hospital bed.
"You’re awake," a doctor’s voice whispered, soft with concern. "Do you understand? You have a tumor in your brain. If you don’t have surgery soon, the fainting episodes will worsen."
Silence lingered in the room as she processed the gravity of the doctor's words.
Mira nodded numbly.
As the doctor left, her phone buzzed with a new call—Elias' name flashing on the screen.
"Mira, I’m sorry," Elias' voice sounded guilty, full of regret. "I left you alone today. I’ll make it up to you, I promise, twice as much next year."
Next year?
Mira’s lips curved into a bitter smile. Do they even have a next year?
"The situation was urgent. I understand," she replied, her voice distant.
Elias let out a relieved breath. "Vera’s fine now. I’ll be home soon, I’m picking up dinner."
"It’s fine." Mira’s words were cold, distant.
After hanging up, Mira took off her hospital gown and prepared to pay the bill. As she made her way toward the exit, a familiar female voice echoed from around the corner of the hallway.
"Elias, we haven't done the rehearsal kiss for today yet."
It was Vera’s voice, light and playful.
Elias' figure was cast in shadow on the floor tiles, his hand reaching out to gently touch Vera’s head. "Alright, stop fooling around," he said, his tone firm but affectionate.
"Did you kiss Mira when you got married?" Vera's voice had a teasing edge.
"...I did."
"Then, of course, our wedding should be like this," Vera said, standing on tiptoe, her voice soft but insistent.
The shadows, tall and short, moved closer together.
"Elias, can you kiss me? How can a girl kiss someone on her own initiative?" Vera’s voice was sweet and delicate, laden with unspoken longing.
Elias didn’t move. The atmosphere thickened, heavy with silence.
After a long pause, Vera whispered, her voice barely audible, “If you don’t want to, forget it. I can find someone else...”
The rest of her words faded into nothing.
The sound of lips meeting, of breath mingling, echoed through the quiet corridor.
Two minutes passed, thick with tension.