Seven days... It’s been approximately 140 long and excruciatingly painful hours but Lee Sungjong has yet to show any signs of waking up.

For the first 12 hours, Sungyeol silently watched the maknae through the glass window that separated the two of them. He laid his head in the cold glass hoping that the maknae could feel his warmth despite the thick and cold glass, telling that he was not alone… that his hyung is with him and fighting together with him. Ocassionally, he would put his hands in the glass, acting like he was reaching out for the younger.

That was until the evening when the younger’s condition began to go haywire, to the point that his heart had to be restarted twice. And the hospital staffs have to pushed him out of the way. It was agonizing and scary to Sungyeol as he watched the doctor revived their maknae. It was painful to watch the one you love slowly slipped through the gap of your fingers, but Sungyeol has to endure it all – he had to, since he promised. Tears were blurring his vision as he quietly stood in the corner not able to look any longer in the ICU. He felt so alone even with the manager by his side. He wanted to call his hyungs but he knew that the other were also exhausted and experiencing the turmoil that he was experiencing right now.

The younger’s condition began to stabilized at around dawn, after the constant monitoring of the doctors and nurses. When they announced that he was stable but still in a critical condition, Sungyeol was relieve because there was hope – that maybe, Sungjong will wake up any time soon.

After some probing and checking, they transferred Sungjong in a different room still in life support. Sungyeol was the first one to be there, he even waited outside the room as they wheeled the younger in. Their manager went out for awhile to call the others and to get them some food.

Once settled, he unconsciously grabbed the maknae’s uninjured hand, kissing it, willing the younger to wake up. But the younger remain unresponsive, breathing heavily with the help of the oxygen mask. As soon as the manager arrived, the doctor updated them about the younger’s condition and the do’s and the don’ts that they need to follow.

From that moment on till the present, only the INFINITE members, the CEO, the manager, and Sungjong’s family were allowed to visit.

The hospital’s security was upped as per requested by the company, not allowing the media to know about INFINITE’s maknae’s condition. Being public figures, the media had been hot on their heels, asking for interviews and comments from Sungyeol even to the point of barging in the hospital or camping outside their dorm and office.

Sungjong’s family visited after three days of their son’s confinement but they need to leave immediately since they have some important convention to attend to overseas. The visit had been short and tearful, Sungjong’s mom had been shedding a lot of tears, unable to say coherent words to their slumbering son. Seonkyu was silent and angry - he had punched the wall when he heard the cry of his mother - but not able to enter his brother’s room because he was scared that that would be the last time that he would see his older brother. On the other hand, Sungjong’s dad was livid and upset about what happened to their first born and like any other dad, he wanted someone to be blamed for their son’s condition. The Lee household left after talking to the doctor with the assurance that their son is in good hands.

And within those hours, Lee Sungyeol had remained by his side. Holding on to his promise of not leaving the younger. Sungyeol remained by the maknae’s side, only leaving him to go in the bathroom or take a bath. Almost all of his schedules were canceled to avoid the questioning and interrogation of the reporters, giving him the proper excuse of not leaving the hospital.

Also, the visual – the cause of all this havoc, according to Sungyeol – visited everyday. Myungsoo just stay there, quietly watching them for an hour or two and leaving without any word. During the visual’s first visit, in which he came alone, he brought the stuffed bear that the maknae usually harassed and gently laid it by its owner’s side. Only one question was asked about L’s purpose of visiting but different hideous thoughts swam in Sungyeol’s head when L visited them. That seemed to pass after the visual’s second and third visit. Still, extreme over-protectiveness overwhelmed Sungyeol every time the visual crossed the threshold of Sungjong’s room causing him to tighten his grip on Sungjong’s limp arm.

Sunggyu has once asked Sungyeol on why he is allowing Myungsoo to see the maknae or to even visit them if he despised the visual that much. The leader was shocked and angry to see the visual their. To the leader, someone like Kim Myungsoo should be allowed in that room or even in that hospital. Sunggyu was hoping for a good explanation however the choding just gave him a grim smile and dismissing him with a “Cause, I allowed him, hyung.”

Sungyeol knew that only he and the visual knew the real meaning of those words - they have confronted each other one time. He could feel their leader’s confusion with his words but Sunggyu said that he would trust whatever Sungyeol’s decisions regarding the maknae’s welfare.

For four days, Sungyeol had ignored his best friend despite of his obvious presence in Sungjong’s hospital room.

He tolerated L’s presence during his visits. No words were spoken and only the sound of the machine and their breathing resonated throughout the room. There were times that Sungyeol wanted to chase Myungsoo away or to not even allowed him in the maknae’s room but he decided against it. That would only defeat the purpose on why he was allowing his ex-best friend to see their maknae.

But today seemed to be different…

“They are giving up on him, L.”

The older whispered the exact moment Myungsoo walked to the door. Myungsoo stayed longer this time, silently observing them by the couch that was situated near the door. Those words halted the visual from exiting the door, his hands resigning limply by his sides.

“If Jongie won’t wake up soon, they are planning to let him go.”

Sungyeol whispered again, strength leaving his body with every words that he said - each words that held an acrid bitterness in his mouth. He wondered if those words really came out from his own mouth.

Myungsoo turned around to face him. His face losing all its color from hearing what the older said. Sungyeol looked at him quizzically, checking his reaction with his little news. Myungsoo was always known to be the best actor in INFINITE and Sungyeol thought that he can keep his emotions in check with his news. However, with every passing seconds and Sungyeol’s silence, a picture of mixed emotion break through the stony facade of the visual.

“What do you mean, hyung?”

Brick me now!

Finally I updated after 4 (or is it 5) months.

Sorry this chapter was messy (there's an eraser in my head and I am very... very forgetful lately. Like I would ask my mom if where is my eyeglasses but I am already wearing it; or I would looked all over the place for my cellphone but it was beside me; or when I went to look for something but I am not able to remember the thing that I am looking for). 

So, any idea on why did Sungyeol told Myungsoo that they are letting Sungjong go? Do you think that he is only joking or is it real? 

How about, what happened in their confrontation?

There's more to come so subscribe, upvote, and comment!

Btw, iSTILLexist since I still exist here in aff... I don't have any plan in abandoning my stories. So sorry for the snail-like updates. *90degreesbow*

See you soon!

-RHAY