Donghyuck's POV

I rubbed my eyes to clear them out of the tears, and finally, confirmed that it is indeed Jeno.

"Jeno-yaaaaah!" And because it is Jeno, I gave him a punch in the stomach that wiped away his puppy eyesmile in front of me, then engulfed him in a tight hug. Oh how I missed this pabo.

"You're still brutal as ever." He coughed as he returned my hug.

“The correct word is handsome, my friend, not brutal. Stop focusing on science and learn vocabulary, for Pete’s sake.” He was tapping, my back when I felt my tears are coming back again. I wonder why on earth is he roaming around the hospital halls at this time of the day, and appear out of nowhere in the wrong place, but at the right time and moment because I really need a hug and a person to breakdown to right now.

"So did you found him?" He asked, leading me to sit on a bench nearby. Jeno knew how much I wanted to see Mark again. Eomma is busy, therefore I got no one to talk to about my thoughts, and Jeno was the only one who had that big amount of patience to listen to me. He's a quiet and awkward, nerdy, attentive, and kind boy. He doesn't care what other people say as long he knows he's doing the right thing and he even let me eat his food. He reminded me of Mark Hyung back then, the old Mark Hyung, maybe that's why it was easy for me to open up to him. He is showing that eyesmile of his again as he waited for me to answer his question.

"Yes, but-" I paused to wipe a tear that escaped my eye for a while. Damn! Why am I such a crybaby? Jeno's eyebrows scrunched together when he saw it.

"I knew it! See? What did I tell you? Don't tell me he just forgot about you all along. You've been through a lot, Hyuck and now I'll just see you here crying alone? Where's that Mark Lee because I'm giving him a piece of me." I smacked him in the head when he started ranting which didn't really suit him. He's like a potato trying to look angry. "Let me explain, first okay? May I? Can I? No need to get too hyped around here, you know and you'll fight me first before you lay a hand on him."

He calmed down, smiling sheepishly and I finally told him what had happened starting from the moment Mark Hyung opened the door for me into his home up to the things that I found out from the doctor a while ago. I have a good and stable memory unlike that one person who is unconscious right now, so I was able to recall and relay to Jeno what the doctor actually said, and I know Jeno can understand it. What do you expect? He loves Science as much as I hate it.

"How can the universe be so cruel to me, Jeno-yah?" I shook him by the shoulders, and he was just quiet there, thinking deep.

"Do you really have to be with him?" He said, in a serious tone. Here he goes again. Yes, he listens well to me, but there are really times that I doubt if he really understands me, or he's just a good listener, that's all.

"Well, of course! A promise is a promise, after all."

"A decade old promise that he already forgot. Now, is that even still valid?"

"Fate and the universe is just being cruel, Jeno-yah and besides, the doctor said that he's already recovering, so I guess I still have time to clear this out. Wait! I thought we already talked about this. Don't start on me, Lee Jeno. I'm warning you" I pointed my index finger at him, giving him a glare. He's showing this side of him again that really annoys me. His face just gave me his expression of “Aigoo-Lee-Donghyuck-What-Am-I-going-to-do-with-you?”

"Arasseo. Arasseo, but in case you're feeling heavy again inside, always remember that I'm here for you, okay? You don't have to carry all that weight alone." Okay, Lee Jeno is back. I nodded with my two thumbs up at him, to assure him that I'll be fine. I was just crying earlier because I just can’t believe that it was really me that was wiped off, like why is everything so dramatic?

"Why are you here in the hospital, by the way? And Yah! Where were you for the past 3 months?! I've began having thoughts that you died already so suddenly nobody was able to inform me, but thanks to that I was able to focus on the entrance exams and reached one of my life goals." I wiggled my eyebrows at him, and he just laughed at me. I'm not even trying to be funny. He opened his backpack and pulled out a bar pin which resembled the ones that we are going to wear on our school uniform for identification, but because it is still the first week of classes, we are still allowed to come to school even if we are just wearing casual clothes. We just need to present to the guard our Student ID to let us in.

"MALDO ANDWAE?! We're going in the same school?! Daebak! Why? How? When?"

"You've been talking about that school since forever, so it's like an advertisement to me in the past few years, and I had also searched that they got cool laboratories there. Unfortunately, we're not classmates, so it took me 3 days to find you. I found out that there would be try-outs for the soccer team, and I already knew that soccer is your life, so I asked the coach about you. I was worried that time when he said that you're in the hospital, so I rushed here, and you bumped into me. My storytelling has improved, right?" That must be the longest thing that Jeno had said in the entire time I had known him. I gave him a slow clap and a pat on his head. "You've been through a lot, my friend. I commend you. Congratulations." I said, wiping imaginary tears in my eyes.

Jeno and I just talked and talked there until it was time for him to go because he has to help his aunt in her store as a sign of gratitude for letting him stay in one of her apartments here in Seoul for free. I didn’t tell him about me looking for a place to stay because Mark Hyung is kicking me out in 12 days’ time. I know he’ll be furious and we’ll just argue about that again, but before that I have to clear these things out first. At least, I can now understand a little why Mark hyung’s parents and my eomma cut off the communication between the two of us back then. Maybe they knew I was the one he lost. Maybe they don’t want to see me hurt and they don’t want to put Mark hyung in a difficult place because of his therapy. It was me who was sacrificed. Yes, I’m feeling very betrayed right now, but there’s no point looking back at things that already happened. Instead of mourning over the past, I know I should do something for the present. I still have to try, you know. I still have 12 days anyway.

Jeno would always ask me why am I sticking so hard on that promise? I don’t really have an exact answer to that as of now, I just feel it inside me that I have to be with Hyung. He’s like home to me. Being by his side feels like home to me. Well, maybe because I’m an only child and he’s my very first friend and only friend that time. He’s my Mark Hyung. Does that really need a more detailed explanation?

I opened the door towards Mark Hyung’s room and the first thing that welcomed me is a sleeping Jaemin all sprawled out on the couch, his mouth open as he snores softly. Mark hyung’s parents had arrived and his mother automatically hugged me as soon as she saw me enter the room.

“Hyuckie, you’ve grown so much.” She smiled a motherly smile. She had gotten older, too. Her hair is now short and she’s already wearing glasses. Just like Eomma, she’s still pretty. A pretty old lady. Mark’s dad is talking to someone over the phone, and he is keeping his voice down to maintain the peacefulness inside the room. He nodded at me when our eyes met, and I just smiled back and bowed awkwardly. I just kept my silence and walked towards the side of Mark Hyung, looking at him as he sleeps. I don’t know what to say to his parents. I’m not mad at them neither to Eomma, I just don’t know what to say to them. I felt his mother’s gaze at me. I bet she already knew that I knew already.

“I’m sorry, Hyuckie. We tried back then, we did, but Mark's state at that time was just too complicated.” I heard her say which made me extra sad, looking at Mark Hyung right now.

“No, Eommonim. You and Eomma just did what you have to do. Thank you for finally letting me stay by his side, even if he doesn’t remember me that much anymore, and just knows me as a neighbor from long ago/a mere playmate in