Months had passed, and Shin Hye got busier than ever. She had CFs here and there, shows, variety shows, and some dramas. However, for all those busy times, Kyuhyun and Jang Woo never dated her because they were also busy.

*****

One fine afternoon, Yong Hwa was walking home from school when an SUV swerved, overtaking another car. The SUV was about to get to the right lane when it hit Yong Hwa hard.

The young man was thrown to the next lane, and his body rolled, stopping only as his arm hit the pavement. However, the SUV just sped off, and due to the speed, the witnesses were not able to get the plate number.

The driver of the other car stopped, got out immediately, and went to him.

"Gwaenchanha?" the man asked.

Yong Hwa groggily opened his eyes and tried to looked around. But he could not open his eyes properly, for he had wounds on his face, and a bump on his face was near one eye.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"Can you get up?" the man asked.

Yong Hwa tried to, but could not.

"Apa...."

By now, a lot of spectators had gathered around, but the man did not answer him. He only examined Yong Hwa, then asked for help from bystanders.

"Jebal dowa juseyo," the man said.

At first, some men were hesitant, but they helped anyway. Yong Hwa heard the man instructing the men how to help him in carrying the victim to his car. When Yong Hwa was placed inside, the man got in and started to drive.

"Joesonghamnida," the man said to Yong Hwa. "I will take you to my hospital."

Yong Hwa suddenly remembered that he had been hit by a car, and he remembered that he had his cellphone in his pocket.

"I will make sure that you will receive the best treatment," the man promised.

But Yong Hwa could only hear, not see.

"I am Lee Kwang Jin," the man said. "Ireumi mwoyeyo?"

"Jung Yong Hwa-imnida," Yong Hwa replied.

Kwang Jin heaved a sigh because the victim could still say his name without slurs. He dared not ask any more questions as he maneuvered the car to the parking lot of the hospital.

Yong Hwa, meanwhile, had wanted Kwang Jin arrested, but the latter said that he was not the one who hit him. The driver who hit Yong had got away, and not one witness got the plate number. 

"Geuraeyo?" Yong Hwa weakly asked.

Later, Kwang Jin got out of the car and had some orderlies get some stretcher, and they obeyed promptly. They rushed Yong Hwa to the emergency room, where the medical team attended to him.

"Yong Hwa-hyung????" one familiar voice freaked out.

Yong realized it was Min Hyuk, and he realized that Min Hyuk was assigned to the emergency room. He heard a female talking to Min Hyuk telling him to set aside.

"But Ssaem, he is my closest friend," Min Hyuk protested with tears in his eyes.

"That is why," the clinical instructor told Min Hyuk. "You are emotional and we have time against us."

Yong Hwa could feel sad that his friend was not allowed to attend to him because of emotions. As he was being tended to by the medical team, he could hear Min Hyuk crying and being comforted by his instructor. Later, many other tests were done.

*******

And he was escorted to a private room, care of Kwang Jin, the owner of the hospital. He realized that it was too painful to move, and when  he tried to twitch his leg, it hurt a lot. His left leg was the one affected the most.

"Yong Hwa!" a familiar female voice called out.

"Eomma..."

"Yong Hwa..."

"Appa...."

"Min Hyuk had called us, and he told us what happened," his abeoji said.

Eomma was crying but thankful that he was safe. A nurse came in and monitored his neurological status and his vital signs, and even assessed his pain scale every now and then. Later Lee Kwang Jin and an orthopedic surgeon came in and introduced themselves to the parents. The doctor checked his chart and stated his diagnosis.

Yong Hwa shed tears when he heard that he had pelvic fractures. That explained why he couldn't stand up and could feel intense pain when his leg twitched. He was too worried that the abrasions on his face were that bad. 

"When can I walk again?" Yong Hwa asked.

The doctor said that if he would be operated on, he could start walking within two months. If he preferred conservative treatment, he would walk within four to six months.

"Which could mean, it will affect your studies," the doctor said.

Yong Hwa cried when he heard that, because it would mean that he would not graduate with his batchmates. He was in his fourth year in college, and if he quitted now and go to school the next year, it would be Jong Hyun and Min Hyuk who would be his batchmates.

But it made him go crazy still. His parents gave him all the love and support, and they vowed to each other to stick together and be with each other. His parents wanted to have him operated on, but Yong Hwa refused. He was afraid of being subjected under the knife, and he feared the anesthesia. Yet, he could not decide because of the trauma, so his parents opted for the conservative treatment if he refused operation.

His friends came in the room, crying. Jung Shin sobbed hard like he had never done in his life when he saw that Yong Hwa's face was heavily bandaged. Jong Hyun also cried hard. But it was Min Hyuk who cried the most, after being told by his clinical instructor to step aside and after helplessly watching his friend being tended to by the medical team.

"Gwaenchanha," Yong Hwa told them gently. "Lee-sajangnim made sure that he would have the medical team take care of me."

The four friends held their hands and vowed to take care of each other. However, even with the encouragement, Yong Hwa shed tears.

*****

He could not sleep that night because of the trauma, and even in his dreams, his nightmares still came to him. His heart would explode whenever he heard a car screech, or whenever he heard the sound of a car. He would even sweat and fear that in his dream, he might die. If he could cut his ears out, he would not hear such things, but those were all in his mind. 

"Yong Hwa," Eomma said. "Go to sleep."

"I cannot sleep," he wept. "I...I can't... I just..."

And he broke down. His eomma went to him and squeezed his hand.

"I don't know how I can live with this," Yong Hwa said.

"Please don't say that," Eomma wept. "I will be strong for you, so please be strong for me, huh?"

"Eomma...."

He really found it hard to sleep even if his eomma comforted him already. He just couldn't.

***************