He was twenty-three years old when Woohyun first met him on the beach near where he live. Woohyun  drive to this beach, a distance of three or four miles, whenever the world begins to close in on him.

He was building a sand castle or something and looked up. He was flawless.

“Hello,” he said. Woohyun answered with a nod, not really in the mood to bother with him.

“I’m building,” he said.

“I see, what is it?” Woohyun asked, not caring.

“Oh, I don’t know. Just like the feel of the sand.”

‘That souns good, he thought, and slipped off his shoes. A sandpiper glided by.

“That’s a joy.” That young man said. 

"It's a what?"

“It’s a joy. My umma once said sandpipers come to bring us joy.”

The bird went glissading down the beach. “Good-bye, joy,” Woohyun muttered to himself. “Hello, pain.” And turned to walk on. He was depressed: his life seemed completely out of balance.

“What’s your name?” he wouldn’t give up.

“Woohyun.” He answered. “I’m Nam Woohyun.”

“Mine’s Kim Sunggyu.” He beamed happily. “And I’m twenty-three.”

“Hi, Sunggyu.”

He giggled. "You're funny," He said. In spite of his gloom, Woohyun laughed too and walked on. 

Sunggyu's musical giggle followed him. "Come again, Sunggyu sshi." he called. "We'll have another happy day." 

********

The days and weeks that followed belonged to others:tremendous works to be done, PTA meetings, lover's quarrel.

The sun was shining one morning as he took his hands out of the dishwater. "I need a sandpiper." Woohyun said to himself, gathering up his coat. The never-changing balm of the seashore awaited him. The breeze was chill, but he strode along, trying to recapture the serenity he needed. He had forgotten Sunggyu and was startled when he appeared. 

"Hello Woohyun-sshi." He said. "We meet again. Let's do something."

"What did you have in mind?" Woohyun asked, with a twinge of annoyance.

"I don't know. You say." 

"How about charades?" he asked sarcastically. 

The tinkling burst forth again. "We're too old for that." 

Then, let's just walk." Looking at him, Woohyun noticed the delicate fairness of his face. Slowly he can feel the pounding of his heart. But he just brushed it off, 'There's no way I'll fall for him. I already have Nicole.' He thought. But suddenly, his heart sank. Yesterday, they had another fight. He admitted he love Nicole dearly and tried to fix their relationship, but the more he tried, they're drifting apart. 

"Where do you live?" he tried to distract himself by starting the conversation with Sunggyu. He began to think Sunggyu made a fun company.

"Over there." He pointed toward a row of summer cottages. Strange, he thought, in winter. "Are you on vacation?" He nodded, They chattered a little as the strollep up the beach. When Woohyun left for home, Sunggyu said it had been a happy day. Feeling surprisingly better, he smiled at him and agreed. 

******** 

Three weeks later, Woohyun rushed to the beach in a state of near panic. He was in no mood even to greet Sunggyu. The previous scene still lingered in his mind. He caught Nicole kissing another guy. At first they were startled with his presence, but soon after that with a smirked plastered on her face, she told Woohyun that they're over. He felt betrayed. The pain inside him was unbearable. 

"Look, if you don't mind." He said crossly when Sunggyu caught up with him. "I'd rather be alone today." Woohyun noticed that he seemed unusually pale and out of breath, but refused to give a damn about it. 

"Why?" He asked. 

Woohyun him and shouted, "because my fiance left me!"- and thought, why was he saying this to a stranger. 

"Oh," Sunggyu said quietly. "Then this is a bad day."

"Yes, and yesterday and the day before that and- oh, go away!" 

"Did it hurt?"

"Did what hurt?" He was exasperated with Sunggyu, with himself. 

"When she left you?" 

"Of course it hurt!" He snapped, misunderstanding. wrapped up in himelf. He strode off. 

******* 

A month or so fter that, when he went to the beach, Sunggyu wasn't there. Feeling guilty, ashamed and admitting to himself he missed him, Woohyun went up to the cottage after his walk and knocked at the door. A drawn looking young man with raven-calored hair opened the door. 

"Hello," he said. "I'm Nam Woohyun. Did Sunggyu still here? I wondered where he was." 

"Oh yes, Nam Woohyun. Please come in." 

"I'm Myungsoo. My brother talked of you so much." He smiled bitterly. "He told me that you're mad at him. If he was a nuisance, please accept my apalogies." 

"Not at all-it's my fault for being too emotional," Woohyun said, suddenly realizing that he meant it. "Where's he?"

"Woohyun hyung died last week. He had Leukimia. Maybe he didn't tell you." Hearing that Woohyun d for a chair, struck dumb. His breath caught. 

"He loved this beach, so when he asked to come, I couldn't say no. He seemed so much better here and had a lot of of what he called happy days. But the last few weeks he declined rapidly.." his voice faltered. His eyes lit up as he remembered something. " Hyung left something for you, if only i can find it, Do you mind if you wait a moment while I look?"

Woohyun nodded stupidly, his mind racing for something, anything, to say to this lovely young man. 

Few minutes later, he handed him a smeared envelope, with NAM WOOHYUN printed in bold letters. 

Inside was a painting in bright water calour hues- a yellow beach, a blue sea, a brown bird. There was a note attached to it. 

"A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY" 

Tears welled up in his eyes, and a heart that had almost forgotten how to love opened wide. He took Sunggyu's brother in his arms. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. He muttered over and over, and they wept together.  

******** 

It has been two years, since Sunggyu left him. The precious picture is now framed now and hangs in his study. Every day, after he finished all his works, he would come to Sunggyu's grave. Even thought Suggyu was gone, he still feel his presence. 

"Thank you for the wonderful gift that you gave me. It taught me something." Tears welled up in his eyes. "I really miss you. How I wish we could spend more time together. If only I know-" He stopped talking when someone suddenly approached and held his hand tightly. 

"I don't think he'll be happy looking at you like this." Myungsoo said as he wiping the tears that keep cascading down his cheeks. "Watching the person he love crying was his biggest fear." 

Woohyun lifted his eyes and he saw the man who had filled such a special place in his life after Sunggyu. In his face, he saw things he'd seen in Sunggyu's-compassion, empathy, tenderness. They smiled at each other. Savoring the sweet, vibrant moment. "Besides," Myungsoo slowly caressed the tombstone in front of them. "I already promised to him that I'll be a sandpiper that bring you joy." 

*Please don't kill me. Somehow I felt Lhyun cp is kinda cute so I end up killing Sunggyu. I'm sorry for being too cruel but he's still no.1 in woohyun's heart nevertheless.(I'm still a Woogyu shipper) hehehe

*Thank you for reading and subscribing my story. Please comments.If there's any typos or grammar errors, do let me know. English is not my first languange.