“Daehyun, your friend is at the door for you,” his mother called from downstairs.

He sat up from his bed and frowned in confusion. Daehyun let out a heavy sigh as he slumped out of his room to the front door. What friend? Daehyun didn’t have friends anymore. The kids are school who thought they were friends were the only people he could think of to fit that description. He was surprised to see Himchan standing there, giving him a rather disappointed look at him but it quickly vanished when he turned to his mother and asked her politely, “Is it okay if I took him out for a moment?”

She nodded as Daehyun shuffled outside and shut the door behind him.

“What are you doing here?” Daehyun snapped almost immediately, “Shouldn’t you be in Seoul or something?”

Himchan folded his arms and mirrored Daehyun’s rather disgusted expression. “Do you greet everyone this sourly or am I the only one with this special treatment?”

Daehyun shrugged, “Well usually when I act like this people back off but you just keep coming back.”

“Don’t worry; this will be the last time,” Himchan pointed out as he began to pout, “You know that package I told you I was going to send? Yeah well I don’t trust the mailman to deliver it so I decided to take the initiative. I didn’t do it for you by the way; I did it for him because he would have wanted me to. Anyway the package is sitting in my hotel room.”

“Why didn’t you bring it with you?” Daehyun questioned.

“Do I look like a peasant? I’m not going to walk around Busan with a heavy box. If you want it you come and get it or I can always just bring it home and –”

“Okay, okay,” Daehyun replied, “I’ll come and get it. But if you’re going to kidnap me and sell me or something –”

“Please,” Himchan snapped, “Between you and me. People would prefer to buy my body over yours. Also you’re not my type so you can get whatever sick fantasies out of your head.”

“For a grown man you got a lot of attitude,” Daehyum murmured.

“Yes and you’re a lovely princess,” Himchan growled back.

“So why are you here in Busan?” Daehyun questioned as Himchan lead him up to his hotel room. Neither of them spoke throughout the entire taxi ride to the hotel so hearing Daehyun’s voice must have startled Himchan a little when he nearly walked into one of the hotel staff.

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to interrupt a man when his deep in thought?” Himchan retorted and added simply, “I’m here helping a friend because I owe him but that’s none of your business.”

“Ah, okay then,” Daehyun replied as he continued to follow Himchan silently as they approached his hotel room. As Himchan was unlocking the door his phone vibrated in his pocket after receiving a message. With his free hand he half pulled out his phone to read the name of the person who messaged him. Daehyun couldn’t help but take a quick glimpse as well and read the name Bang Yongguk.

Daehyun’s train of thought was completely interrupted when he spotted a cardboard box sitting on the bed with his name written in a messy script that most likely belonged to Himchan. He didn’t wait to be given permission to enter the room. He walked straight towards his target with Himchan hovering somewhere behind him. Daehyun opened the box to look at its context. He didn’t know why he was so eager to see a bunch of useless everyday items but he longed Youngjae so much that even the slightest contact, even if indirect was enough to satiate his needs.

Youngjae’s laptop and phone was all that sat in the box. Daehyun looked over at Himchan as he sat down on the bed and asked, “Why couldn’t you just bring these over to my place before? The laptop isn’t even heavy.”

Himchan walked up to him and crouched in front of him. He placed a couple hands on his lap so Daehyun would look at him in the eye as he began to explain, “Because even though we’re not friends, you meant everything to Youngjae. He would want me to look after you and I know I’m not anything like him but I’m still trying anyway. Do you know why I’m trying?”

Daehyun remained silent.

“Because I’m trying to move on but I can’t until you try. Youngjae would kill me if he knew that I let you live like a depressing bum your whole life. And yes I know about TS because I called them up remember? So you’re here right now because even though you think you’re all alone and you don’t have anyone around. You’re wrong. I took some time off my busy schedule to come down and see you. I didn’t have to; I could have just left you the hell alone. I know you want me to leave you alone but I’m going to be a ing leech until I know you’re going to be okay,” Himchan stated a matter-of-factly.

“Out of all of Youngjae’s friends and family,” Himchan continued, “You’re the only one who’s struggling the most. I don’t know your history or anything, I only know what Youngjae told me and he didn’t tell me a lot. So whatever secrets you told him, I honestly have no idea what they are but I know you’re a damaged kid. I can tell by the way you stand and the way you look when you think no one else is around. It’s ing sad and I know slapping you in the face isn’t going to help or anything but just know that I’m here to help you move on.”

Daehyun nodded to show that he understood but it didn’t mean that he was planning to call him for a deep and meaningful anytime soon.

Himchan sighed and sat beside Daehyun so the box of Youngjae’s things was between them. “You know I was there when he died. I visited every day. I don’t know why really. I could have just visited once a week or something but he was always so happy to see me. He actually made me think that I’m loved for more than just being a pretty face. People think that being good looking is the best thing ever but it really isn’t. Yeah I get praises and all that but no one really treats me like a friend. Whenever I saw Youngjae his face would light up, not because of me. Not because I walked into the room but because he had someone to boast to. Usually I’m the one always boasting but it was nice to reverse roles for a change. He made me feel human. But yeah our relationship wasn’t anything as close as yours and him. But he means a great deal to me.”

Daehyun sat quietly as he listened carefully to Himchan’s words.

“The reason why he died wasn’t because his heart stopped beating. He told me that his heart was never going to stop beating; he would have to die first before his heart stopped. I remember asking him, ‘What do you mean? When a person dies their heart stops first,’ and he replied with ‘That’s because people’s hearts don’t beat for another person.’ It doesn’t take a genius to figure out who he was talking about, you were the one thing he loved talking about the most.”

A delicate smile emerged across Daehyun’s lips. It was the first time he had done so since the incident.

“He was right though,” Himchan added, “He was brain dead before his heart completely stopped. The doctors didn’t understand how it happened since usually the heart goes down first and then the brain but I guess Youngjae was always a special guy. Never really liked to do things by the book.”