Year 1679 (six years later)

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Wonwoo wakes up to soft rays of light filtering through the translucent beige curtains hanging in the room he shared with Mingyu, tears rolling down his cheeks. It had been so long, ages even, since he had that dream. Of Myungsoo, Eunji, Bomi, all of them, and of Woohyun. Woohyun, who had given his all to protect both him and Bomi.

Yet, he hadn't been able to keep her there, keep her alive, after all of Woohyun's efforts. Not long after had they gotten to the palace, where Mingyu, the young prince of the Capital lived, Bomi develop a fever due to the heavy rain.

The little girl had insisted she was alright, and that it was just a small bout of flu.

It wasn't.

Wonwoo had promised to look after her and keep her well.

He broke the promise.

It was one week later that he had realised Bomi had been running such a high fever, her skin flushed red. She couldn't walk a few steps without her knees giving way.

Wonwoo had ran to the palace to beg the King and Queen for help, kneeling down before them and pleading for them to save Bomi, that she was in dire need of medical attention. The compassionate rulers did, of course, send the best doctors.

It was too late.

Wiping the tears away messily with the back of his hand, he sits up, or attempts to at least. A hand reaches out from under the covers, yanks at his shirt and forces him back down.

"Mingyu?" Wonwoo lifts the blanket, and sure enough, the boy was curled into a ball under the blanket. 

"Hyung, it's too bright, don't lift the blanket up." the younger whines, pulling the blanket back over his head. "I want to sleep in longer."

"Mingyu," Wonwoo peeks under the blanket. "Why do you keep coming into my bed? You have a bigger one over there, isn't it uncomfortable to be sharing such a small one with me?"

"My bed's too cold, you're warm, and that warms up your bed. It feels-" Mingyu stops short, eyes landing on Wonwoo's face. "Wait, were you crying?" 

"N-no?" Wonwoo curses internally for stuttering, turning away. 

"Their are tear streaks on your face, Hyung," Mingyu says softly, cupping the elder's cheeks, "Did you have a nightmare again?"

"It wasn't..." Wonwoo opens his mouth to deny, but relents reluctantly, "Yeah I did, it was the same as usual, the same dream."

In front of Mingyu, it was useless to put up a front. No matter how Wonwoo tried to hide things from him, Mingyu could somehow tell if he was