Chapter 369

“Don’t get up,” Yuna pressed my head back onto Hayden’s shoulder, a playful smile on her face. “Keira, just stay like this with Hayden. I love seeing you two so lovey-dovey.”

This girl…

“Hayden, Keira,” Yuna’s bright eyes turned serious. “I was going to wait a few more days to say this, but since we’re already here, I’ll say it now.”

“Don’t start saying crazy stuff,” I interrupted, already sensing where this was headed.

But Hayden, ever calm, simply said, “Let her talk.”

Yuna flashed him a grin. “You really are my brother. You always understand me.”

Then she looked back at me. “Keira, just hear me out, okay?”

She giggled lightly, as if about to spill a silly secret, but then she coughed, squeezing both our hands tighter.

“I’m starting now,” she announced, and the room suddenly felt heavier.

Neither of us spoke, but I could feel the tension in our breathing as we waited.

“Hayden, Keira… I want to be an organ donor.” Her words hit like a shockwave.

“What are you saying?” Hayden’s voice was sharp, filled with concern.

“I want to be an organ donor,” Yuna repeated, calm and steady. “Only if my surgery fails, or if something happens later.”

My heart clenched. “Why are you even thinking like this?”

“Because I’m about to receive a heart transplant. If I don’t make it someday, even if my heart can’t be used, my liver, kidneys, and corneas can still help others. I want to give someone else a chance at life,” Yuna explained, her face sincere, her eyes pure and unflinching.

Her words felt too immense, too weighty for someone so carefree. It hit me like a wave, knocking the air from my lungs.

Hayden remained silent. I turned to him, trying to read his thoughts. He was staring at Yuna, his eyes betraying his distress. His little sister, the girl he’d protected for so long, was saying something no brother should ever hear.

“Hayden, why aren’t you saying anything?” Yuna asked, her voice tinged with anxiety. She knew he ultimately had the final say.

“Whether you agree or not, I’ve made up my mind. I’m an adult. I get to make my own choices,” Yuna stated, her tone firmer.

I remained silent, my eyes flitting between them. This was too much to process, let alone respond to.

After a long, tense pause, Hayden finally spoke, his voice soft but strained. “You’ve already decided?”

“Yes, I’ve thought about this for a long time,” Yuna said, nodding.

“Then why didn’t you tell me before?” Hayden asked.

Yuna glanced at me briefly, then looked down. “I was scared you’d say no.”

“Hayden,” Yuna said, her voice growing serious again. “If something happens to me—if I end up like Narelle, or in a vegetative state—don’t leave me like that. Don’t wait for a miracle. Just do what I’m asking. Donate whatever can be used, and then… take my ashes to our garden. Bury me under the peach tree.”

Her words squeezed my heart, making it hard to breathe.

But Yuna, ever herself, smiled, her eyes twinkling. “That way, I’ll be the prettiest blossom every spring.”

“Hayden, please promise me. Say yes,” Yuna pleaded, her voice soft but firm.

Then she looked at me. “Keira, help me convince him.”

How could I convince him? Yuna made it sound so simple, but for Hayden, this was devastating. How could he ever agree to let his sister be…dismembered like that?

Before I could even formulate a response, Hayden shocked me.

“Alright,” he said.

I looked at him, completely stunned.

“I promise,” Hayden repeated, his voice barely steady.