1. The stoplight blinked red, signaling for all cars to stop. She looked up from her phone and decided to cross the street. The pavement was wet with rainwater and each drop shone like falling stars. The streets were filled with strangers. As usual, they were all hurrying home. The moon shone brightly from above. She thought for a moment about how lonely it must be for the moon to shine up there with no stars to call its own. After all, with the city's polluted air it is close to impossible to see a star-filled sky.

She walked a step from the sidewalk, thinking about how blind people are to the real beauty that can be seen from their planet. Another step away from the sidewalk, she looked at her phone again. Time check 7:30pm. As she continued to walk, a blinding light flashed from her side. She had no time to react as the screeching tires deafened her ears. She turned around, unable to move from her spot. Her pupils shrunk as it tried to take in as little light as possible. Her phone dropped from her hands and the last thing she heard was a distraught voice calling her name.

The last thing she saw was the starless night sky.

2. The stoplight blinked red, signaling for all cars to stop. He looked down at his worn out jeans, wet from the rain. He waited in that special corner, knowing that she will make a turn there on her way home. The pavement was slippery and he was clumsy enough to not be able to count the number of times he has fallen down. He didn't mind the looks of the strangers as if he was some kind of peasant. After all, they were too busy hurrying home from work or school to notice a young man like him who cannot be moved from that specific corner.

He looked up and finally saw her crossing the street. Oh, finally. He can finally see her again. He looked at his watch. Time check 7:30pm. He can finally hug her and say sorry for everything. He looked down at the single red rose he held in his right hand. He was not a rich guy; this was all he can afford. He can finally protect her. He can finally fulfill his promise of protection. As his heart continued to pound with anticipation, a blinding light flashed from his side. He had no time to react as he watched the driver lose control of the car due to the wet street. His eyes widened and he was unable to move from his spot. The rose dropped from his hand and the last thing he heard was a distressed scream. He called out her name, scared to death.

The last thing he was able to scream was her name.

3. "You said you'd protect her."

The voice of a white-haired girl hissed at him. He said nothing. He just sat there, shivering. "I told you to go there and keep your promise. Why didn't you do anything when you saw that car?" The squeaky voice of the annoying white-haired girl asked again. He was emotionless and he didn't know what to feel. She was there. She was right there in front of him and he had the chance to hug her again. To hold her. To apologize. But he didn't know the worst that could happen. The white-haired girl sighed in dismay. "You were there. You knew she was coming." She scowled at him. He lost his temper and stood up, facing her eye-to-eye. "Lia, if you were waiting for the person you love with the best of hopes that everything will be okay again, would you expect something like that to happen?" He asked back. The girl was taken aback, but she just stared into his eyes. He couldn't look at her, knowing that she's just concerned about her friend. He fell to his knees and started sobbing.

There was an eerie silence. The only thing that can be heard is his ugly sobbing. So much pain. So much agony. So much longing. "I am not blaming you." The girl called Lia finally spoke up. "I'm sorry. But… you were there. You had the chance to pull her away… so why didn't you?" She bit her lip and looked down at him as he cried. "I didn't look up in time to see it. W-When I… When I saw that car, it was too late." He confessed. An insulting chuckle escaped Lia's lips. "So why didn't you look up earlier than that? You saw her crossing the streets before it happened. Why'd you look away?" She asked again with a tone of disappointment. He looked up at her, tears staining his red cheeks. "I was… afraid."

4. Afraid. Scared. Frightened. Terrified. Not even those words could express how he felt when he saw her. He looked away from her the moment he saw her because he got scared. What if she sees him and goes the other way? What if what he saw was just an illusion of her, ready to disappear in any time? What if she didn't give him that chance? He was scared. Scared of getting his hopes down. Scared of the sound of his breaking heart. He wasn't usually like this. He was emotionless and blunt and wouldn't hesitate to say what he thinks. Right now, this is not him. What he sees in the mirror as he washed his face in the restrooms… that's not him. That's a weak, terrified young man staring back at him. Swollen eyes and red cheeks. Despair written all over his face.

"It's not you." He talked to that man in the mirror. "The real you would think that everything's going to be okay. That you should just stay calm and do everything you can to make her smile. That you should fulfill your promise. The man I see right now is not you." He bit his lip, enough to make it bleed. "The real you is calm and collected. Not… scared of the world." He said hesitantly. He suddenly smiled. "Who am I kidding? You've always been scared. This is why you left her, right? Because you were scared of not being able to protect her so you went away. What kind of idiot are you to think that everything will be okay again when you give her a single red rose because you couldn't afford a bouquet? Silly you." He had no idea why he was talking to himself. It has become a habit.

He was really scared of everything.

5. He went out the bathroom, looking tired and depressed. He sighed as he walked along the hospital halls. He looked at his watch. Time check 1:00am. Are the doctors done yet? He was getting impatient by the minute. Lia fell asleep on the waiting area's chairs. He stood by the window and looked up. "… A star." He mumbled. He rubbed his eyes and looked up again. This time, there were so many stars up the sky. It was strange since there were absolutely no stars earlier. He smiled. "Wish you could see this now." He suddenly thought about the girl who he loved the most. "You were always protecting me. I wanted to return the favor, but I was scared."

Maybe it was time to face his fears.

6. One eye opened before the other. Everything was a blur as she adjusted to the light. She breathed in and shifted her head to the side. It was a struggle for her since she realized her neck was wrapped in bandages. She noticed that her bed was beside a window. She looked up at the clock. Time check 1:00am. Who brought her to the hospital? She got impatient as she sat upright despite the pain her body was in. She looked out the window and was astounded at what she saw. "Wow! So many stars." She managed to say delightfully despite her hoarse voice. "… I wonder if you're seeing this now?" She suddenly thought about the guy she's been waiting for. "You promised to protect me so… when can I see you again?"

She hoped as she stared at the beautiful night sky.

7. He felt his toes curl. He was still scared and nervous. He clutched the red rose tightly. The sound of his heartbeat rung in his ears. "… Hey, what are you waiting for? Just get in there and say hi to her." Lia urged him and gave him a little push. His palms were sweaty as he tried to turn the doorknob. "… Or if you want you can just go later. You look pale and scared."

"No, I'm good." He bit his lip again and turned the doorknob. "Funny how one day can be divided into, well, let's see… seven." Lia said before turning away. What exactly did she mean by that? It didn't matter, what matters the most right now is that this is what he was waiting for. This is his number one plan. One plan can be divided into seven steps. Seven sides of the story… was that what Lia was trying to say? Who knows.

Gathering his courage, he turned the knob. There she was, smiling at him with open arms. It's as if she was saying 'Welcome back'.