“Congratulations on finishing your second year. We’re excited to see you after break and don’t forget to finish your summer homework,” the homeroom teacher smiled and nodded, collecting his things as the class was dismissed.

Ryeowook immediately jumped out of his seat, by-passing his friends with quick goodbyes. This was the first day of freedom and he knew exactly how he wanted to spend it.

Shoving past students, he made his way to the staircase, quickly running down them and towards the exit. Ryeowook slipped passed a group of students, rather thankful for his size. Someone’s hand wrapped around his wrist, yanking him back before he could escape the confines of the school.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” a sweet, smooth voice whispered near his ear. An arm draped around his chest, a hand resting lightly on his shoulder.

“Why aren’t you in the hospital?” Ryeowook cried, eyes widening in worry. He tilted his head, glasses off-kilter.

Hyungsik pecked his boyfriend’s lips, winking and hugging him tighter. “They were quick today. How could I be trapped in a sterile white room on such a special day?”

Heat crept across his cheeks and he nuzzled his face in the younger male’s forearm. Ryeowook smiled, “So where do you want to go then?”

“Have you lost weight again?” Hyungsik asked, brow furrowing.

“Not that much…this time,” he mumbled as discreetly as possible, “But, c’mon, let’s go already!” Ryeowook pulled the boy clinging to him towards the door, laughing and trying to get away from the strong hold.

They finally broke apart, immediately falling into step and finding one another’s hands. Fingers laced together and shoulder bumped in the companionable silence. The sun was beginning to drop, painting the sky a darker orange color. Ryeowook wasn’t even sure why he was giggling and smiling, it felt like it was the right thing to do.

Hyungsik stepped behind his lover, catching the older male’s other hand, entwining their fingers there too. Dropping his head to Ryeowook’s shoulder, he pressed a smile against the smooth skin of his neck. They ambled along at a slower pace, keeping their steps in synch to avoid tripping. “Please stop worrying so much,” he murmured, eyelids lowering, skin glowing under the late afternoon rays, “you can’t keep dropping pounds like this.”

“Isn’t it better that I’m like this?” he blurted without thinking. Ryeowook knew he would get grief for those words later, but it was so hard to keep inside. Closing his eyes, he leaned back against the younger boy, tightening his grip on their connected hands. “…I don’t mean…well, I just mean that I’m finally reaching a normal weight. That’s healthier—”

“Losing thirty pounds in one year isn’t normal,” Hyungsik cut off, bringing their threaded hands to the center of Ryeowook’s abdomen. They stopped walking in the middle of a neighborhood street, warm colors washing over the cement ground. “I’m happy that you aren’t hurting yourself anymore. I thank god every day that you aren’t in pain. But I need you to keep yourself healthy. If you want to lose weight, then lose weight. Don’t do it because you’re staying up worrying about me, or studying because you want to save me, or even because you just forget to eat since you’re so exhausted.”

Ryeowook didn’t say anything at first, biting his bottom lip in consternation. As he was thinking though, a jingling by his ear snapped him out of it.

“But I’ll lecture you more about those things tomorrow,” Hyungsik mumbled, that smile brushing against the shorter one’s throat again. He produced a silver chain from his pocket, coming back around to carefully put it around his lover’s wrist. “Happy fourth anniversary, gorgeous,” he whispered, “I can’t believe it’s only been four years.”

Ryeowook looked down at the bracelet, lips parted in speechless awe. Composing himself as much as possible, he swallowed the lump in his throat and touched the band, turning it around to read the inscription on the inside of the flat, sleek memorial plate. “But...how did you afford this? You’re only sixteen,” he laughed a little, trying to suppress the tears.

“That hardly matters, I think,” Hyungsik responded, eyes trailing over the engraving he had asked for.

Do You See What I See?

Their reflections showed through the glassy material – something that didn’t appear on the sleek silver outer layer. Ryeowook gazed back at his partial features through the reflective surface, catching sight of Hyungsik hovering behind him. There was a golden glow on his face, bringing out the natural youth and life from the younger male.

“I see who you are on the inside,” Ryeowook said softly, running the tip of his finger across the mirrored Hyungsik, “…the one that isn’t so sick…”

“And I see who you are on the inside as well,” the latter responded, hugging him affectionately, “…the one that’s an absolute angel.”

Slowly loosening the embrace, Ryeowook reached into his backpack, withdrawing a video camera. He turned it on and held it up to Hyungsik, filming him. “Happy fourth anniversary,” Ryeowook said, smiling behind the camera, “I want to make these memories before it’s too late. The best idea I could think of was to tape everything. So…,” he reached his arm out, catching footage of the silver bracelet. Ryeowook fumbled to flip the silver plate around to show the camera that engraving: Do You See What I See? “This is what my Hyungsik got me. And yes…,” he looked up to his lover who was standing quietly, watching with tender eyes, “I do see what you see.”