Sohyun and Chanhee sipped on their lemon slush that Sohyun bought them on the rooftop of Seoul National Hospital. A gentle breeze blew as autumn leaves fall from their branches. Winter was approaching but the weather wasn’t too cold yet, providing a cooling yet comforting atmosphere for the both of them. They sat on a rickety swing opposite each other as Chanhee rocked the seats back and forth slightly. Sohyun giggled to herself, this was the first time seeing this side of the cold and stern Lee Chanhee, he looked almost kind.

“I don’t have all day.” Chanhee broke the silence between them, taking another sip out of the bright yellow frozen beverage. He was dead curious to know and was getting impatient since he had patients to get back and attend to.

“Byunghun was 15 when it happened. His father, who is your mentor, was involved in an accident that day. No one was too sure what happened but Byunghun received news that his father had knocked down a young boy while rushing back to accompany him. He felt guilty of course, he felt that he was the one who caused his father to drive when his father was exhausted resulting in him not paying attention on the road and getting into an accident. So he decided to rush to the hospital, alone. At that time, Byunghun was living in the more secluded area of Seoul, he needed at least an hour to get to the hospital and so he decided to take a shortcut through an abandoned alley. And in that alley…….” Sohyun took a deep breathe as she looked upwards to the sky as if trying to control her tears from falling. This was afterall quite a sensitive topic to touch on, Byunghun had suffered too much.

“And in that alley, a few drunk men were hanging out. They were lusting for some pleasure and Byunghun just walked straight into the lion’s den. They beat him up. He couldn’t resist nor fight back. Byunghun has always been small and rather weak since he was little. When Byunghun was too weak to escape, they… they ually assaulted him.” Sohyun silently chokes a coming sob back, cupping with her right palm. She could remember how lost and Byunghun looked when they finally found him and huddled in a corner that night, how much pain his eyes reflected. Sohyun and Byunghun grew up together, they were as close knit as siblings. It tore a hole in her heart to see her best friend in such a vulnerable state.

“The doctors said he was penetrated so many times that he suffered from burns. He was bedridden for more than a week and wouldn’t even speak a word. It took us such a long and painful period to nurse him back but I know deep inside, he never really got over it. He was ever really healed mentally, he just didn’t want us to worry and suffer with him anymore. This is why he has a phobia of darkness today. The alley was dark.” Sohyun concluded, she finally couldn’t hold her tears in anymore as they spilled over, staining her rosy pink cheeks.

Chanhee wordlessly handed Sohyun a tissue. His expression still stonic. However his heart ached for the boy, he didn’t know why. Wasn’t he supposed to be happy knowing that the person he wanted to see suffer has already suffered so much? Chanhee sighed deeply inside as he sunk deeper in his seat on the swing.

“I’ll get back to work.” He muttered to Sohyun before trashing his almost empty cup of slush into the trash bin before disappearing down the stairs back to the hospital.

===

Chanhee swung his stethoscope around his neck before stuffing his hands into his coat pocket. He was done with his shift but instead of packing up and returning home to his brother and his lover, he found himself walking to Byunghun’s ward. Standing quietly outside, he observed the pediatrician crying in his father’s embrace from the glass window.

“Appa it hurts. Make it stop! Please stop, please don’t hurt me anymore….” Byunghun thrashed around in his slumber, jolting awake before spotting his father’s worried gaze. He threw himself in Andy’s embrace and cried his heart out. Seven years may have past but the incident was a nightmare that still haunted Byunghun.