Kyungsoo sat nervously on top of the examination platform; the rough parchment paper underneath him crinkling with every movement he made. His doctor still hadn't returned from informing his mother about the information previously discussed, which worried him tremendously. Seeing how he himself reacted to the news in such an agonizing and disconsolate manner, he could only imagine how is mom would conduct herself upon hearing what was wrong with her son. Would she breakdown? Would she go into shock? Would she faint?

The above questions began to seize Kyungsoo's mind, showing no sign of disappearing anytime soon. Taking a small sip of water from the cup still in his grasp, the teenager couldn't help but feel his stomach sink in a pool of anxiousness. The silence was eating him away, and was becoming more and more unbearable. Sitting up in a straighter position, Kyungsoo once again glanced around the bland room in an attempt to occupy himself. Just as he was about to wander about, however, the door in front of him emitted a low creak. Slowly, the door was opened; the volume of the creeks increasing at every inch. Soon enough, Kyungsoo's doctor strolled into the examination room with a stern look on his face.

Upon seeing the young boy, the doctor's features softened. "You seemed to have calmed down a reasonable amount. How are you feeling?"

"I'm... I'm still trying to take everything in," admitted Kyungsoo whilst messing with the now empty cup. Trying to avoid any type of eye contact with the elder in his view, the Junior directed his gaze down at the arenaceous ground. The chamber was soon engulfed in reticence; a tense aura surrounding both males. Kyungsoo felt his words lodging in his throat, refusing to come out. He wanted to ask; he wanted to so bad. But he couldn't, he was simply too terror-stricken.

The physician, noticing the younger male's distress, decided to break the silence. "There seems to be something plaguing your mind."

Kyungsoo, snapping back into reality, took a deep breath. "It's just that... D-Did you... did you tell her yet? M-My mom, I mean."

Deeply exhaling, his doctor took a hold of his rolling chair and gently plopped down. "That's actually what I wanted to speak to you about."

"I-Is she alright?" the teenager utters suddenly, his eyes immediately connecting with the elder's. "Nothing happened to her, right?"

Kyungsoo felt his heartbeat rate increase as those words escaped his lips. The thought of his mother suffering any type of pain, whether it be physical or emotional, because of him caused the Junior's stomach to churn in guilt.

Sensing his patient's panicked state, the doctor let a minuscule smile play on his lips. "Don't worry, Kyungsoo-ssi, your mother is perfectly fine. What I meant to disclose was that I had relocated your mother to the boardroom directly across from here. I thought it'd be better for this information to be kept between us three; as a policy of confidentiality. However..."

"'However' what?" interrogated Kyungsoo.

"However, you're advised to be there when I explain everything to her," the physician stated, placing his hands on opposite sides of his chair before standing up. "I understand that that this is a lot to ask from you, but please take into account the seriousness of your condition. There are also some things I need to notify you about in order to prevent any from of distress that may occur to you before your next scheduled appointment."

Kyungsoo froze; the only movements coming from him being his unsteady breathing. "You... you want me to g-go with you? I-In there? While you t-tell my mom. I'm sorry. I c-can't. I can't do it."

Tears began to brim the Junior's eyes as he struggled to voice his words. It was bad enough that he was being diagnosed with such aberrant and possibly life threatening conditions, but now he had to actually be present while the whole thing was to be revealed to his mom. It was too much; he just couldn't do it. A tear soon escaped Kyungsoo's right eye, his hands quickly suppressing a sob that planned to weasel its way out. Yet, his attempts began to falter, his body now quivering in both guilt and cowardliness.

"Kyungsoo-ssi," his doctor calls out softly before placing a hand on said boy's shoulder. "Kyungsoo-ssi, look at me."

Unwilling to show his tear-stained face, Kyungsoo brought a shaky palm to his eyes and proceeded to wipe away the bitter substance. Releasing on last sniffle, the teenager hesitantly lifted his head; his eyes automatically making contact with the requestor. His physician pats his shoulder reassuringly before speaking, his candid voice radiating throughout the room.

"As said before, I know all of this is a bit too much but," paused the physician, his eyes never breaking contact with the other's. "I need you to be strong. Not only for yourself, but for your mother also. She's going to need you just as much as you'll need her. She'll be distraught, disappointed even. But she's a mom; they nag, blame their kids for mostly everything, then scold them for every little thing. That's what mothers do, am I right? But they do it out of love, and I know that even after this, your mother's love towards you will not falter. So promise; promise me you'll go in and face her."

A genuine smile appears on Kyungsoo's face, an unsteady sense confidence soon taking over him. "I... I'll do it. Or, I'll at least try."

Satisfied with his patient's response, the doctor grabbed the tattered clipboard from the adjacent counter and urged Kyungsoo to follow. Dubiously, Kyungsoo situated his hands on each side of his body before dismounting the examination table. The young teenager felt his heart pound rapidly against his chest, and the intensity only increased when the Junior heard his doctor open door to the boardroom. Every ounce of confidence he had recently acquired began to seep out of his body, causing himself to regret his earlier decision.

The first person Kyungsoo's eyes land upon when he enters the room is his mother. Although she wasn't looking directly at him, he was still able to feel the nervous aura that was surrounding her. Taking in a deep breath, Kyungsoo cautiously strolled towards the petite woman, taking a seat a few inches away from her after much contemplation. His mom, after feeling the space beside her sink, turned her head to her left, taking notice of her son's presence. The ends of her lips curved upwards whilst she placed a delicate hand on Kyungsoo's back rubbing it in circles. After catching sight of his face, however, she halted her actions.

"Have you been crying, Kyungsoo-yah?" asked his mother, her words laced with worry.

Kyungsoo refused to utter a sound; staring at the ground with great intensity. It wasn't that he deliberately wanted to ignore his mom; in fact, he absolutely hated doing so. Luckily for him, the physician cleared his throat; catching not only his attention, but his mother's also.

"As the both of you already know, I requested that each of you come here to discuss some very important information." The doctor sauntered towards a chair right across from them and took a seat, shuffling the papers in his grasp. "First and foremost, I'd like to talk about Kyungsoo's current condition. Now, I know that this may come out as a bit... absurd, for lack of a better word, but I want you to take this very seriously and pay close attention to everything I'm about to reveal, alright?"

Kyungsoo's mom nodded slowly before questioning, "What... what is it? Is there something wrong with my son?"

"Unfortunately, Ms. Do, there is," the doctor responded before glancing down at his clipboard. "Our hospital's Laboratory Technologists found that the urine sample we had obtained from Kyungsoo contained a high level of hormone HCG in it. Now being a mother yourself, you would know that HC—"

"Wait a second," the petite woman interrupted, a serious yet bewildered look flashing across her facial features. "By 'hormone HCG', are you referring to the hormone HCG found in pregnant women?"

The physician, unfazed by the interruption, continued. "Precisely that. So—"

"So what you're telling me here is that my son is emitting a substance that would only be emitted by a pregnant woman?" rephrased Kyungsoo's mother acidulous as she once again cut off the elder man. With an audiable scoff, she expressed, "Un-freaking-believable. That's impossible!"

"Unbelievable? Yes. Impossible? Not quite," shared the doctor, trying his best to keep his voice devoid of irritation. "Just like I had previously told Kyungsoo-ssi, such a result could be the outcome of two things. One, is that your son is, although very unlikely, pregnant. Two —"

Kyungsoo's mom shook her head in disbelief. "P-Pregnant? You think that my son could possibly be pregnant? How the hell is that even logical? My son clearly isn't a female, he's—"

"Inter," whispered Kyungsoo once he finally found his voice. His mother was already cracking, and seeing that saddened him to no extent. "The doctor told me that I could be an 'XX inter'."

The woman, surprised at her son's words, stared intently at him in both confusion and exasperation. Nothing being said made any sense to her, and displeasure began to course through her body. "Care to explain what an 'XX inter' is?

Kyungsoo his lips nervously, opening his mouth to respond. However, his doctor took over for him. "Generally speaking, an XX inter is a male that is born with the chromosomes and ovaries of a woman. Such males are born with fallopian tubes and a normal uterus, but because of congential adrenal hyperplasia, their external s would be that of a man and they would still appear as one. However, this only occurs in 1 out of 13,000 births."

By the end of the physician's report, the Junior's mother had secured her head in her hands; her thin legs shaking as her foot tapped against the wooden floor. Everything the doctor had explained was too much; she simply couldn't process it all. Part of her wanted to believe everything, but she couldn't. Part of her wanted, to be a bit optimistic, but she just couldn't. No matter how small the percentage was, if the doctor was indeed telling the truth about XX interes, then there was actually a chance of her son being pregnant.

Although a single tear managed to unconsciously escape her eye, Kyungsoo's mother believed that the second reason would shed some hope. However, that pound of hope did nothing to mask her disappointment. The fact that the possibility of Kyungsoo being pregnant at all was because Kyungsoo hadn't used protection upset her deeply. Lifting her head with a barely audible sniffle, the woman unsteadily wiped away the few fallen tears. "I-I'm so sorry."

"It's just that," Kyungsoo's mom choked out, grabbing a handful of tissues before turning and looking at her son in disappointment. "It's not the inter part that has me so worked up. Yes, I'm still a bit spooked about it, and yes, it's a lot to process. But your my son. No matter what they categorize you as, you'll always be my son and I'll always love you."

Kyungsoo smiled a bit as he glanced at his mom, three sheets of tissues tightly in his grasp. The teenager was used to such words of affection; his mom spoke this way about him constantly. However, it seemed more sentimental considering his circumstance, and it warmed his heart tremendously. Yet Kyungsoo knew better, and what he knew, was that every 'pro' was accompanied by a 'con'.

"It's the fact that you can potentially be pregnant that has me so torn. If only you had listened to me Kyung-ah," the woman expressed in sorrow. "If only... I-If only you had used protection. If only you hadn't been so stupid! But you didn't, and you were, and now look where we are! I just... Kyungsoo-yah I just..."

At the sound of his mother's voice cracking, Kyungsoo allowed fresh tears to stream out of his eyes. It was painful to hear his mom vocalize her previous words, but no matter how he looked at it, his mom had a point. If he had heeded to her warnings, they wouldn't have been in this certain position. Did he regret the acts of intimacy he and Jongin had committed that day? Of course not, but Kyungsoo did regret not going about it in a much safer way.

Kyungsoo wanted to apologize, he wanted to over and over again. However, the only sounds coming out from his mouth were sobs, and he had no strength to suppress them. His mother sat there, continuously wiping the tears that appeared to flow endlessly down her face. To know that he was the cause of her pain made him guiltier than ever. He wanted his mom to stop crying; he wanted to make her suffering go away. So much so, that Kyungsoo concluded that the only thing that would help was facing everything; laying out the whole truth to get the whole thing over with. In Kyungsoo's eyes, it was better if he revealed it now instead of prolonging the unnecessary suspense. It'd just hurt her more; it'd just hurt him more. So Kyungsoo just went out with it; face it he did.

Running a hand under his nose, Kyunsoo stammered, "M-Ma... the second... the s-second cau—"

The younger Junior halted his words as more sobs erupted past his lips. His mother, looking at him curiously with gloomy eyes, asked, "The s-second what? C-Cause? What? W-What.. what is it?"

"I-It's," Kyungsoo swabbed the falling tears with the palm of his hands. Deeply inhaling, the teenager let out a shaky breath before continuing, once again avoiding eye contact with the woman to his right. "C-Can... C-Cancer. The d-doctor said the second cause could be t-testicular cancer."

"T-Testicular cancer?" the teen's mother croaked; her heart dropping to the pit of her stomach. She sputtered unintelligently; her tear-filled eyes turning from her son to the doctor helplessly. "This is... What is he—What does he m-mean 'cancer'? I... oh my goodness, I..."

Kyungsoo's mom brought a trembling hand over ; sobbing into it with whatever ounce of energy she had left. Her heart in was in pain; she was in pain, finding out that her one and only son could be in great risk. The fact that the person she loved more than herself could be diagnosed with cancer, and, if serious, ultimately pass away, was more than enough to squeeze out her own life. She didn't want it; she didn't want this. Yet here they were, and it was far too late to turn back.

"I'm r-really sorry. It's j-just that—It's just that m-my son. My only son," wept Kyungsoo's mom whilst she used her now crumbled tissues to wipe her tears. Her face scrunched in distress as she sniveled. "I can't believe it; I c-can't believe that all of this is happening to my son... I just can't."

The physician sighed in sorrow at seeing the two figures in his view. He felt extremely bitter that he had to be the one to deliver such news. In all sincerity, it was the only part of his career that he truly disliked. Feeling the sides of his lips twitch downwards, the doctor rose from his previous stance and maneuvered over to Kyungsoo and his mother; taking the closest seat available. He felt that a deep connection with his patients helped reassure them during their most difficult times. And in turn, it gifted him with a wave of content.

"It's ok to cry. This is something no parent or patient would want to be told." Resting his chin over his clipboard, Kyungsoo's doctor spoke softly. "But I want the both of you to know that testicular cancer can be cured, especially when it's in its early stages. In fact, an estimated 95% of all males with testicular cancer are said to have been cured. Now, I know you guys are shaken up by this, but I want you guys to understand that I'll find every possible way to help. Do you trust me?"

Kyungsoo, who had noticed his doctor was staring intently at him while the question was being asked, replied, "I... I trust you."

"Perfect," smiled his doctor as her proceeded to stand up. "Like I told Kyungsoo-ssi, in the examination room, these could be the underlying causes, and they could not. Inside Kyungsoo's internal anatomy, could be a completely different reason as to why the hormone HCG was found. Either way, I'm going to schedule an appointment for Kyungsoo-ssi in order to get some blood tests done; a pregnancy blood test, and a blood test for tumor markers. I'd like to get these done on the closest appropriate date to prevent any unnecessary prolonging, understand?"

Kyungsoo's mom nodded, passing a palm under her nostrils. "What's the closest date?"

"Thursday at around 7 in the morning," announced the doctor as he tapped his pen away on the clipboard. "Is that date convenient for you two?"

The Junior's mom shook her head in agreement. "That's perfectly fine. T-Thank you so much for everything."

"There's no need to thank me, Ms. Do. I'll always be of help; it's what I do." The physician strolled to the door, opening it slightly. "I have some paperwork to hand you two, so if you guys would be so kind as to follow me I'd greatly appreciate it."

The petite woman nodded, expressing her gratitude once again before the man departed. A sigh managed to escaped her lips, yet Kyungsoo didn't budge. The discussion was finally over, but the impact of it had not disintegrated. The teenager knew his mom was not only upset with him, but was also upset with herself over some thing she had no part in. And this hurt Kyungsoo to no end. They were both thrown into emotional turmoil, and the chances of them ever breaking out of it was very slim.

Kyungsoo had no idea what to say. The only coherent words he was able to make sense of were 'I'm sorry'. He was sorry for making her cry, sorry for making her suffer, sorry for letting her down. But even then, they didn't seem like enough. The apologies seemed redundant, because no matter how many times he said them, it would do nothing to ease his mother's aching heart.

"Ma..." muttered Kyungsoo, spitting out the only other word he could. "Ma, I—"

However, the boy's mother cut him off, her voice still as shaky as before. "Just... just don't. Don't say anything right now. Please."

And with that one plea, she evacuated the boardroom.

 

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The car ride home, to say the least, was unbearably tense. Neither of them dared to speak, allowing the unwanted reticence to swallow them into a pit of strained affection. The atmosphere was electric with emotion, and it made the teenager feel as though he were suffocating. Kyungsoo shifted uncomfortably in his seat, leaning his head against the Baltic window as he replayed the day's events in his mind with a heavy heart.

Minutes later, they both arrived to their destination. Reaching out for her keys, Kyungsoo's mother turned the ignition. shutting off the car and removing the keys from their location. The action did nothing to lessen the tension, and Kyungsoo soon found himself fidgeting with the hem of his shirt out of habit.

Kyungsoo wanted to say something; he wanted to fill the void between them. But the same words began to weasel their way out; so Kyungsoo let them. "Ma... I'm really... really sorry."

The apology rolled off his tongue naturally, as if those words were meant to be spoken. However, the male's mother paid no heed to his words; grabbing her purse and fleeing the automobile. With an unexpected slam vibrating throughout the vehicle, Kyungsoo flinched, his heart beating rapidly at what had just occurred. As predicted, his words of remorse did nothing to ease her pain. She was still hurting, and he felt that he was to blame.

Deeply exhaling, Kyungsoo removed himself from the clutches of his seatbelt and unfastened the passenger side door. Confirming he had locked it, the teenager shut the door; his weak legs leading him in the direction of his house. Kyungsoo was drained, both emotionally and physically. Placing a hand over his forehead, the young male dragged his face towards the entrance. However, a vibration in his pockets caused him to pause his movements. Before long, the familiar tune of 4men's 'Tok Tok Tok', and Kyungsoo knew exactly who was calling him.

Jongin.

Stuffing his hand into his right pocket, the teenager fished out his cellular phone. Kyungsoo's heart clenched in his chest as the flashing screen in front of his face mocked him. He wasn't ready; he wasn't ready to face Jongin just yet. How would he react? What would he say? Those questions coursed through Kyungsoo's brain as the phone continued to ring.

Deep down inside, the Junior felt extremely pathetic. Not only was he not able to face his own mom, but he couldn't even inform his boyfriend about his condition. Kyungsoo felt like a piece of , a disappointment. Why bother living in reality if you couldn't even face it? Dejectedly, Kyungsoo's thumb hovered over the 'reject call' button. And after tears brimmed his eyes, he pressed it.

Letting out a sigh, he young teenager carelessly through his cellular phone back into his pocket. He felt depleted; devoid of all emotions that could ever whirl past him. Opening the door to his house, Kyungsoo instantly removed his battered sneakers, his eyes never leaving the defiled ground. The house seemed quiet, empty; just like himself. Kyungsoo bit his lower lip as those pessimistic thoughts rushed to him, slowly consuming him. He was falling fro their trap; and he was falling hard.

Kyungsoo shook his head while he closed his eyes, simply letting those pessimistic thoughts roam free. The teenager turned towards the stairs, his mood a complete 180 degree change from its usual self. His actions were out on hold, however, when two delicate arms wrapped around him, pulling him into a warm embrace.

"I-I'm so sorry."

There it was again; an apology. Yet surprisingly enough, it wasn't Kyungsoo who had voiced it out. The young male's fingers twitched hesitantly, and, before he knew it, his thin arms soon enveloped the figure in return. Whatever pessimistic thoughts he was harboring soon began falling out like fleas. Kyungsoo felt hot tears form at the edge if his eyes as he leaned his head against the other's chest; ignoring the wet droplets that fell upon his head.

"I'm sorry, Kyung-ah," his mom cried out, letting out a sniffle whilst her chin rested on her son's head. "I know that my conduct towards you felt ill-mannered, t-that I, for a moment, hated you. B-But I want you to know that that wasn't my intention at all. The thing is..."

The dainty woman stopped, taking a deep breath before continuing. "T-The thing is that, when I h-heard about the whole inter thing I... I was truly horrified a-and  scared and... and then the doctor said you could be p-pregnant. I was so d-disappointed. I just... I just didn't want you to end up like m-me. I didn't want you to... to have to go through the p-pain of having a child when you yourself are still one. A-And when I found out about the c-cancer I...

"I couldn't t-think straight, and then the thought of l-losing you came to me a-and," Kyungsoo's mother choked on her words, tear drops glistening as they ran down her cheeks. "I got so upset so... so f-frustrated... I—You... what I'm trying to tell you is that matter what the result may be... no matter what happens, I p-promise to support you, I p-promise to be there f-for you, I promise to always love you because damnit Kyungsoo. You're my son, and, although you make s-some of the stupidest choices, you... y-you always take responsibility for them. And I just... I j-just love you so much, Kyung-ah. So, so much. So don't you ever think so otherwise or make yourself feel so worthless like I know you've been doing. Got it?"

At the end of her speech, Kyungsoo's mom let out another sob as she held him closer than before. Kyungsoo, on the other hand, was speechless. His emotional void was gradually starting to fill up; and it was too much to digest. But in the mist of everything, the Junior was grateful; grateful that his mom told him how she felt, grateful that her love for him was untouchable, and most importantly, grateful that she was no longer pushing him away.

Clutching the back of her shirt, Kyungsoo had suddenly found his voice. No longer was it insisting on blurting out 'I'm sorry'. It wished to confess a different set of emotions. It wanted to display gratitude, not regret. And so it did; his voice let out four words that no longer showed remorse, but showcased affection. And following those four words were two others that sealed the deal, overflowing the void with much intention.

"I love you too, ma. Thank you."


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Kyungsoo stood home the following day, deciding that he was not in the right state of mind and body to got to school. The dramatic events of the previous day had taken a toll on him; completely wearing him out. It also didn't help that he woke up feeling nauseous, making the downstairs bathroom the first place he paid a visit to in the morning.

With his head leaning back against his mattress, the Junior fumbled with the video game controller held firmly in his grasp. The afternoon had strolled in without an ounce of excitement, urging the young male to find anything that would keep him preoccupied. Kyungsoo found something fairly quickly; an old Pac-Man game that had been stored away in a small, tattered box. The video game was definitely not the most entertaining thing he had ever played, but it sure kept them hooked for a few excruciating hours.

Kyungsoo shifted a bit on the floor as he tried to find a comfortable position. Once he was in a suitable posture, the teenager carried on with his game. The room was in complete reticence; the only noises heard being Kyungsoo's constant tapping on his controller, and the sound of Pac-Man's movements. Nonetheless, Kyungsoo stared intensely at the screen, making it his current goal to have Pac-Man eat all of the Pac-dots without loosing a single life. The teenager was eight dots away from his objective, but the sudden sound of his door being slammed open ruined his chance.

"Hey, Kyungsoo-yah!"

A groan escaped said boy's lips as Pac-Man was captured by Pinky. Pushing his controller away, Kyungsoo looked up at the culprit, only to have a smile creep onto his face. "Hi Baekhyun hyung, Suho hyung."

Suho smiled in return, making his way towards Kyungsoo's bed and taking a seat. Baekhyun on the other hand, beamed when he saw the Pac-Man logo flashing on the television screen. Plopping down beside his younger friend, Baekhyun took a hold of the abandoned video game controller; making himself at home and starting where Kyungsoo left off.

The latter of the two shook his head at the other, rising from his location before settling next to Suho. "So... what brings you guys here?"

"You haven't shown up to school in two days, and Jongin said you haven't been picking up his calls. Seeing how you're rarely absent and you always answer his phone calls, we got a bit worried, " Suho explained, patting Kyungsoo on the arm.

Kyungsoo sent Suho a smile, extremely grateful that he and Baekhyun had come over just to check on him. "Thanks for your concern hyung, but I'm fine. I've just been feeling a but under the weather lately, that's all."

The Senior frowned at this instantaneously. "Are you still having those symptoms? Kyungsoo-yah, don't you think it's about time you go to the hospital?"

At Suho's question, the Junior's smile faltered. With a fake smile plastered on his face, Kyungsoo responded, "I-I did. I... I went to the hospital yesterday and they said everything was fine. They recommended I get more rest and told me being sick most likely had something to do with the drastic change in weather. There's nothing to worry about, hyung."

If there was one thing Kyungsoo hated doing; it was lying to his friends. Not only was he bad at it, it also made him feel like a criminal. But it's not like he wanted to do it; he'd never willingly lie to his friends' faces. He found it to be disrespectful, as if he were breaking the number one rule in the friendship codebook: Never lie. However, Kyungsoo didn't want them to know just yet; he wanted to face the actual cause himself before even thinking of telling anyone else.

Suho stared at Kyungsoo skeptically, the latter's stuttering making his statement less credible. Yet be that as it may, the Senior decided not to press on, giving in with a cloudless sigh. "Alright, if you say so. But in all honesty, this is the strangest case of the stomach flu I've ever witnessed."

"Seriously," agreed Baekhyun, his eyes never leaving the television screen. "You've had this stomach flu for the past four weeks. If I knew any better, and if it were even possible to begin with, I'd say you were pregnant or something."

Kyungsoo froze at Baekhyun's accusation, his mind in disbelief. Even though he knew Baekhyun was joking around, it still made his heart pang in his chest. Nevertheless, Kyungsoo made sure not to show it, joining his friends' laughter with an awkward laugh of his own. The teenager wasn't sure if it was just him, but the room's serene atmosphere had turned stiff, much to Kyungsoo's discomfort. The bedroom soon became silent, the volume of the Pac-Man game vibrating throughout.

"So, um, w-would you guys like anything to drink?" offered Kyungsoo, hoping to break the rigid aura circulating them.

"I thought you'd never ask," Baekhyun jokingly exclaimed, shortly cheering after he passed a level. "I'll take some juice, please."

Kyungsoo glanced a Suho with a questioning gaze. "What about you, hyung?"

"Water's fine," the Senior answered, adding a 'thank you' right after.

The occupant of the room nodded, his leg bumping against his bureau as he made his way out. Suho exhaled, muttering that Kyungsoo would simply hurt himself more if he didn't pay more attention to his surroundings. The Senior let his eyes wander around the room, analyzing the objects that had never been there during his last visit. However, upon doing so, the young adult's eyes came in contact with a sheet of paper lying on the ground.

Not wanting the paper to get trampled on, Suho picked it up; assuming that it had fallen off of Kyungsoo's dresser. Flipping it over to briefly check it's contents, Suho felt his heart stop. To him, it was as if the world had stopped, as if time had stopped, and as if it were only him and that terrifying paper in the room.

Letting his hand fall to his side, Suho let out an unintelligent sound, followed by a cuss. "Holy ."

Baekhyun's ears perked up at his hyung's language, not used to hearing the elder speak in such a way. Pausing the game, the Junior curiously looked up to see the other in a shocked state. "What? What is it?"

"Kyungsoo..." Suho uttered, his voice barely audible.

"Kyungsoo?" Repeated Baekhyun, a chill running down his spine at the Senior's behavior. "What about Kyungsoo?"

Suho merely bit his lip, glancing at Baekhyun with melancholy eyes. "Kyungsoo he... he has cancer."


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A/N: Before I begin, I know what you guys are thinking: "Oh my goodness, where the heck have you been?! You haven't updated in like, forever!" I sincerely apologize for such a long hiatus. It was like every time I planned on updating, school decided to be a er and ruin everything. I also procrastinated a bit, but that's besides the point.

AP exam week is over for me, so updates should be more frequent. I know most of you thought I was abandoning this fic, but I would never do that. I love this fic so much and have worked so hard on it that abandoning it isn't even an option.

A lot went on in his chapter. It was 12 pages long when I wrote it, and took several hours to type up so sorry if there are any errors ( I mean, the outline itself was two pages, I don't even know how I managed). I literally thought I'd die typing this up, but I was motivated by every single one of you (Hello, silent readers!), and you guys don't know how happy it makes me knowing that I gained subscribers instead of loosing them during my absence. So thanks, you guys, really. ♥

Ok, now to get away from all the mushy-mushy stuff: *gasp* Suho found out about the cancer blood test! And now Baekhyun knows, too! What will happen? That's for me to know, and for you to find out in another six months.

Nah, I'm kidding (about the last part, anyways). Anyways, I really hope you enjoyed this update, and that it was up to your expectations! Don't forget to comment... I just love reading those >.<