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“When you stopped wishing things wouldn’t fall apart, you’d stop suffering when they did” – Looking for Alaska, John Green.

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WOOYOUNG

I sat next to Junho for I don’t know how much time. Nothing major happened till then. A nurse came once and checked his heartbeat, pulse rate and stuff. 

And then I saw Minjun coming with Chansung in the hallway through the window and withdrew my hand from Junho’s. Minjun stared at Junho for a good two minutes as he entered the room. I couldn’t make out his expressions though. And then he looked at me. He was in shock. I could see his trembling fingers as he sat on the opposite side chair. Chansung stood at the edge of the bed near Junho’s feet and crossed his arms.

How did their conversation go?

Minjun was studying Junho. He finally had that expression I wanted him to have when he’d see Junho. It wasn’t Minjun I was worried about anymore. I could see a determination sort of thing in his eyes. Which meant he’d go to any extent to save Junho. Not from death, but from his past.

I was worried if I’d be able to handle them together anymore. Seriously what was wrong with me? I was always that sort of a person to whom love would be the last priority and problem. I never cared enough to look at anyone to try to like them. But it was Junho who brought out those feelings in me without knowing. And I was in the worst situation I could ever imagine myself in.

I snapped out of my thoughts and realized they both were staring at me.

“What?” I asked

“Did anything happen when I was away?” Chansung asked.

“Yeah. I mean – no. Nothing happened” I slapped myself mentally.

I momentarily glanced at Chansung and left the room with an excuse of washroom.

The cold wind helped me breath as I reached the terrace of the hospital. “Come to your senses Wooyoung-ah” I muttered under my breath to myself, slapping my nape. I remembered I had to call Nichkhun and tell him I’d come to pick him up.

I took out my phone to call him but I realized he’d probably be in the plane. So I left him a voice message. His flight landed at 5:30. It was 1:30 now.

I leaned on the railing and looked down at the streets. A few cars moved around and they looked like toys. The air brushed the hair off my forehead. I closed my eyes and inhaled the cold air.

Nichkhun’s offer came at the right time. I could concentrate more on work and not think about Junho. And since Minjun knew everything now, he’d take care of Junho. I’d drift a little away from them to control my .

“What are you doing here?” Someone shouted over the wind. I turned around to see Chansung.

“Nothing. Just clearing my head” I said.

“It’s nice here” he said as he came closer to the railing and put his hands in his pockets.

“Yeah…” I said and continued to look down.

“Aren’t you tired?” I asked as I remembered he too had just landed.

“Seeing Junho like that, I guess all the tiredness vanished”

“How long have you known him?”

“5 to 6 years”

“You must know him really well then” It must be a privilege to know him so well. I wished I knew him from before. As a close friend he could lean on.

STOP THE FEELINGS, WOOYOUNG.

“You like him” he said. I almost fell. I looked at him with surprise, trying to say no. But could I lie?

“How did you know?” I asked.

“Well, I actually guessed. I wasn’t sure. I was just making sure my assumption”

Great. I just blindly fell into his trap and agreed. Couldn’t I just utter a no?

“Don’t tell anyone” I said

“Don’t worry. I have a strong policy of keeping secrets”

“Are you sure he’ll wake up?”

“Yeah” he said crossing his arms again.

“I have some work early in the morning. It’s okay if I go right?” I asked.

“Yeah. Where are you going?” he asked.

“I have to pick my boss from the airport”

“I thought Minjun was your boss”

“I have another boss”

“Can you drop me to my hotel on the way?”

“Yeah sure. But if Junho wakes up?”

“He won’t wake up so soon, I don’t think there’ll be a problem”

“You think there’ll be a problem later?”

“I think he’ll try to push Minjun away. Do you think Minjun will be able to handle it?”

“I feel more than anyone else, Minjun will handle it best”

I gave him a reassuring smile. We stood in silence for a few minutes.

“Tell me about Minjun” he said.

“What do you want to know about him?”

“What type of a person is he?”

“Well, he’s become really strong since I met him. He’s very loving if he cares about you”

“How did you meet him?”

“He tried to commit suicide. A while after Junho left him. I saw him on the bridge outside their town. He was on the verge of jumping from the railing”

“You stopped him?”

“Obviously”

“And then?”

“Well, we kinda became friends. He was 17 or 18 so he started working with me. Restaurants, Libraries, Construction sites…He worked really hard to come till this position”

“Hmm”

“He’s a really inspiring person. I mean…he’s been through bad things too. Not as bad as Junho though”

“I understand”

Again a few moments of silence. They weren’t awkward though.

When we returned to the room, Minjun still sat next to Junho with their finger