“Yes Yesung-ssi. I hope you’re okay with needles.”

“Needles?” Yesung pensively whispered. Though he was used to getting shots periodically, the thought of getting more than he was used to isn’t really charming and exciting at this point. Would Siwon put him in a freaky experiment since he got suspended? ‘I only knew Siwon for a couple of days and now I’m gonna live with him. HOW DID I NOT THINK HE’S PSYCHOTIC AND HE JUST WANT TO KILL ME IN THE END?! KIM JONGHOON YOU STUPID BLIND MAN!’ his hand felt clammy all of a sudden. This isn’t a big plot by his mother right? ‘Can mother be this sly?’

While Yesung was having a mental breakdown, the man beside him was silently reading thru articles about Acupunctures and Herbal Medicine and the Ebook Heechul gave him about Oriental Medicine. He never expected Heechul hyung to approach him about Yesung’s condition nor did he expect to hear Hankyung hyung’s name from him again. ‘So are they friends again?’ Siwon shook his head from the pointless afterthoughts; he shouldn’t be distracted now. What he needs to do is to find the cure for Yesung-ssi.

Too caught up in his thoughts, Siwon failed to notice the strange physiological reactions the older was having. It’s completely ridiculous at this point in time to doubt the coroner beside him but Yesung’s mind is all over the place. He doesn’t know if he was scared for his life or for the thought of not knowing what will happen to him once they reach their destination. He wasn’t even sure if Siwon was really directing them to his place or somewhere else. The doubt is clouding his mind and making it hard for him to breathe. Being outside the hospital after so long, much more with someone he just met; reality came crashing down on him.

Siwon was still busy reading thru many articles but the silence was not as comfortable as he thought. The last word the older uttered had a tone he recognized…like the feeling of dread. Is Yesung scared if the needles that much? He placed his phone down and glanced to his seatmate. Yesung’s face is as pale as a corpse and he kept rubbing his hands together. “Yesung-ssi? Are you okay?” even if unseeing, Yesung is quick to respond thru his other senses so seeing the older not responding to his voice and his chest heaving; these are the signs of hyperventilation.

“!” Siwon quickly unbuckled the seatbelt, rolled down the car window and held the older’s face with both his hand. Yesung felt the heavy pressure on his head and the big hands that drowned the noise. He only heard a muffled rumble from Siwon, he strained to focus on what he was saying. “Yesung-ssi, focus on me. Breathe slowly from your nose please. That’s it..inhale 1,2,3 exhale okay that’s good. Two more Yesung-ssi…Good.” Yesung followed the coroner’s instruction and realized that the younger was inside his personal space. He can clearly smell the scent of the younger’s detergent, musk and that telltale smell of Formalin that the coroner would never be without. Siwon all the while, lightly covered Yesung mouth with his hand to help him breathe properly.

Now that the older has gotten his bearing back, Siwon was gently rubbing his back for comfort. “Hey, feeling better now?” He was really curious as to why Yesung suddenly hyperventilated. The most probable cause was anxiety but from what?

Their taxi driver was also close to having a mental breakdown from what had happened to his passengers. They were his first ride and something like this already happening isn’t a great sign for his business today. He might have wanted to cry from the fear of driving back to the hospital because of an emergency but finally calmed down when the smaller man finally seemed okay. He couldn’t bear to say anything and just parked the car at an emergency bay which was conveniently only a couple of blocks away from their destination. “Sir, is it okay to drive forward now?”

Siwon contemplated on whether to drive ahead or walk there. He knows a park near the area so maybe taking Yesung on a small stroll around the neighborhood would calm him.  “Yesung-ssi, are you okay to walk? I’ll take you somewhere nice and it’s only around the corner.” The older was feeling embarrassed from his small episode and agreed easily. Now he really feels bad for hyperventilating because of his wild imagination. “Yeah…let’s go.” He croaked out.

Siwon lips slightly titled upwards and said to their driver: “No sir, we’re getting off here. Here you go, please keep the change. Thank you.”

Now that Yesung was walking with his small hand holding on to the coroner’s arm, he felt calmer with the cool breeze brushing his face. Both of them were testing the waters on who would talk first, or was it only Yesung feeling that since Siwon decided to breach the subject. “We can sit here on the bench Yesung-ssi. Do you need anything? There’s a vending machine across us.”

“Iced coffee if they have it please?” Yesung replied; it’s been ages since he had anything from a vending machine. He felt as if he’s living on another world even if he knew that that was just him being sentimental. Where did Siwon bring him though? He can smell a bit of the leftover morning dew from the grass and the sweet scent of some flower he isn’t familiar with; an open field? He kept hearing a quiet rustle from the trees that might have been shading him from the sun.

Yesung felt infinitely better now and the anxiety got flushed out as soon he went out of the taxi. He stretched his legs and breathed more of the scent of the world outside instead of the world of antiseptics that he was confined in. The World was alive, thriving and pulsing…and so was he. He really felt alive right now at this moment in time. He wasn’t just one of the many sad stories inside the hospital; the broken child of the family. Yesung promised to never cry out of sadness again but it’s okay to cry out of happiness right? This is okay right? He hung his head low as he felt the tears well up and slowly b his eyes but was halted.

Siwon already got their drinks and was just watching Yesung from afar. He decided to let the older receive some space to take everything in at his own pace. Hyukjae told him to go slow or they would beat him up which he feels is highly unfair. Hyperventilation in an enclosed space…’Hyuk never mentioned about claustrophobia though…’ Siwon was going through his head on where the windows were placed in his apartment. His place wasn’t really that big though.

The coroner found himself walking with long strides and placed the canned coffee purposely on the older’s head. “Here’s your coffee Yesung-ssi. Please straighten yourself as to not have a repeat just now.” Plain, robotic and straight to the point, Siwon couldn’t help go back to what he really is essentially; a man of precision and rationale. Yesung straightened up but Siwon can see the huge frown and pout the older was sporting. “.” Siwon realized he’d rather get an annoyed Yesung anytime than a sad one.

“Should I make house rules for the use of profanities Yesung-ssi?” the coroner plopped down beside his still irked companion. “Yah! Are you bipolar or what?! One minute you’re being a nice creepy guy and then the next an annoying insensitive ugly !” Instead of feeling offended with the insults, Siwon just calmly drank his own coffee and thought that Yesung-ssi is now relatively in a better mental disposition than what he was used to see in the hospital. He, of course, is not bothered by the gloominess of his workplace but…it wouldn’t hurt to admit an exemption.

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