She couldn’t believe what she saw.

Kim taeyeon blinked her eyes simultaneously as the setting sun gazed upon her, with its rays gleaming a full glow on the sea. the blue sea remained so calm yet deep, the waves gently crept to the shore, almost reaching her feet. Taeyeon stared at her own self, starting from her torso. She’s wearing a dress. Hadn’t she remembered wearing jumpers yesterday? The dress, she even forgot if she own such a nice material, it appeared as if it glowed really white to her eyes.

Taeyeon touched the sand and watched as the crumbs vanish little by little by the breeze. She playfully dipped her feet to the water, almost relieved to the warmth it delivered to her skin. Even if she couldn’t remember how she had gotten into the area at the first place, she couldn’t think of anything but to submerge herself on the peaceful setting. She laughed, simply, just by the amazement of everything pleasant she can see, until an image of someone nearby caught her full attention.

He too, was staring at the sun, as if he was communicating with it. although taeyeon cannot tell because he wasn’t moving his lips. but his eyes. his eyes just twinkled everytime the air would brush past his beautiful brown hair. Taeyeon walked and walked until she could see the man in full view. Only a few feet left… inches… taeyeon stopped until the man diverted his attention towards her and smiled. the dimple gracing at the side of his lips made her remember who he was.

 

Park Jungsu.

Is she really seeing him? Properly awake and in good health? Taeyeon neared him more until they were almost standing opposite each other. Then she pinched herself and found the skin hurting with such action.

“it hurts?” leeteuk bit his lip and reached forth taeyeon’s arm, massaging the area where she made a pinch. The sensation of his hands touching his skin made taeyeon immediately throw her arms around his body.

“oh my gosh.”

She had really missed this. Embracing him and feeling his heart beat against her own chest. The feeling just felt so surreal. But she can really feel it.

“jungsu.”

“taengoo.” Leeteuk called her by her nickname, placing his arms at her lower back. Taeyeon tightened her embrace, as if not wanting to let go.

Rekindle the moment or else.

“just let me do this, just this time.” Taeyeon could hear herself muttering such words.

“of course you can.”

She can feel her eyes stinging from the thought of his warmth embracing her all of a sudden, as if a dream had just come into a good reality. Taeyeon cannot deny this. Five days of not hearing leeteuk’s voice, being unable to hold hands with him, really made her feel unease. Tears started to stream down her cheeks, and she cannot help but to sob, her shoulders making shrugs each time she would think of their hardships.

Leeteuk too, tightened his embrace more upon hearing her cries.

“are you tired?” he asked, gently. It pained him so much to hear her in agony. Although he cannot see for the moment, because taeyeon’s grip on his body was too intense.

Taeyeon loosened her embrace and gazed up at leeteuk’s eyes.

“I just really missed you so much.” She sobbed, wiping her cheek simultaneously with the back of her hand. “I just really missed everything about you. You know how much I want to talk to you but I was unable to because of your condition.”

The gentle waves slurred toward their feet as taeyeon distanced herself away from leeteuk with only their hands holding each other.

“taeng.” Leeteuk murmured. He was staring at her eyes too, and the more that he tried to look on it, the more that his heart ached. Nevertheless, he must know her sufferings, and her eyes reveal everything about it.

“just wait for me, okay?” he said. “wait for me.”

“but when?” taeyeon asked.

Leeteuk shook his head. He didn’t know. He wanted to give her assurance but he just can’t.

“I’ll wait for you.” Taeyeon said. “even if it will take a month or two.”

“thank you.”

“just make sure that you stay with that promise.” Taeyeon smiled weakly. “because I don’t know what will I do without you.”

Leeteuk nodded. If only he could really tell the possibilities of his condition. But he wanted to give her positivity. Something that she could bring alone with her when she wakes up.

This is just a dream after all.

“teuk.”

leeteuk looked upon her eyes again. “yes, baby?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” he said back.

Taeyeon smiled and inched herself forward to him and he knew from that instant what she wanted to do when she closed her eyes. he gave her a kiss.

 

When taeyeon opened her eyes, she found herself lying at the couch, with a bright light glistening from the windows and cold air seeping through her surroundings.  Leeteuk was still in his bed,in a comatose condition, heavily depending on his oxygen supply. for a moment, the cold air enveloping taeyeon seemed intense, as if someone was really behind the phenomenon all the time.

Who could it be.

---------------------

Park Hyoyeon inhaled few deep breaths before entering the private room.

“are you okay?” eunhyuk asked.

Hyoyeon looked at him and honestly shook her head.

“its, okay, kaja.” Eunhyuk gently pushed her inside.

Hyoyeon wandered around until she saw taeyeon at the couch near leeteuk’s bed, busily reading a newspaper. Taeyeon’s eyes looked puffy, she thought. but somehow she can manage to stay positive all through out.

“oh, hyo.” Taeyeon waved out a hand and invited hyoyeon and eunhyuk to come over.

Unbeknownst to them, leeteuk apart from his physicality was inside the room too, following eunhyuk to the table where the latter placed some basket of fruits. Leeteuk had been busily watching taeyeon from the door, when eunhyuk and his sister surprisingly made a visit.

The visit, made him extremely happy.

“you look tired.” leeteuk noticed, leaning towards his childhood friend’s face. eunhyuk’s face looked a little glum and his eyes could tell if he had a proper sleep last night.

Leeteuk’s childhood friend immediately put two palms on either side of his cheeks.

“hyo probably didn’t let you sleep.” leeteuk said, stepping away. “sorry.”

“its kind of cold in here taengoo.” Eunhyuk blurted. “maybe you have to raise the thermostat eh? Make it a little warmer.”

“huh,I don’t feel cold now.” Taeyeon said. she had finished reading the newspaper, placing the material to her side and crossing her legs.

“can I read that?” leeteuk suddenly asked taeyeon.

“really?” eunhyuk could feel his teeth almost chattering from the sudden low temperature. “but its really cold right here.”

Leeteuk smiled and paced few more steps away from eunhyuk.

“huh? Now I don’t feel cold anymore.” Eunhyuk scratched his head.

“you’re funny.” Said leeteuk.

He began to look at hyoyeon, who, according to his observation, was silently looking at his physical self. The only sound in the room was the heart monitor and the oxygen tank. He couldn’t hear her voice. Hyoyeon appeared like she would cry anytime soon.

“um, hyukkie, would you like some coffee?” taeyeon asked, gesturing him outside. Eunhyuk nodded, getting the signal too. and the two quickly went out of the room, leaving hyoyeon with leeteuk behind.

Hyoyeon waited until the door closed behind her and tears immediately ran down her cheeks.

“i—I’m sorry.” She sobbed. “I’m sorry that I got mad.”

It was her emotions that night that really got into her. although she was blaming leeteuk for hiding the secret, she can also tell that he hid it because of their welfare. She now understood it all, learning how great mistake she just made when her brother collapsed from the sudden pain he was receiving that time.

Leeteuk sat opposite her, almost next to the arms of his physical being and watched silently as hyoyeon began to reason out herself.

“I shouldn’t have locked myself, I should have listened when you wanted to talk to me.” hyoyeon continued, angrily wiping her eyes. “now I don’t even know if I could talk to you. You already gave me the opportunity but I just blew it. I’m so sorry oppa. I’m so sorry.”

“heechul oppa. If you want me to talk to him, I would.” She said, fumbling through some tissues inside her bag. “if you want us and inyoung unni to talk to him, I would make the arrangements myself. just promise me that you will wake up, okay?”

Leeteuk bit his lip and shook his head.

“I am so sorry.” He said.

“oppa, when you wake up, we will tell father altogether about your inheritance.” Hyoyeon said, as leeteuk’s eyebrows wrinkled in sympathy. “if there is something that unni and us could do just tell it. we will hear your side.”

“its okay, honey.” Leeteuk said gently.

“gosh, I’m really that stupid to realize how much suffering you went through just to have this family intact.” Hyoyeon blew her nose rather discreetly. “you kept father’s secret so that we would think of him as a spotless human being when it really was the otherwise. Now I don’t know if I should believe in appa anymore.”

“do.” leeteuk said. “do believe in him. He’s still your father.”

Even though he and mister park underwent so many fights together as father and son, no matter how the world would turn out, Park kyuwon will always be his father.

He would always give him a chance.

“give him time to think what he has done.” Leeteuk said, looking at his physical self. If only he could talk in that form, hyoyeon would realize how much he still wanted to have an intact family.

Hyoyeon looked on his physical self too and placed a palm of her hand on his.

“I will be waiting for you.” She said. “I will be waiting for you to wake up.”

 

---------------------

Park Kyuwon counted few more steps before reaching the front door leading to his son’s room. he had just been informed that his daughter, hyoyeon, went for a visit a couple of hours ago. He could have almost reached her until he hesitated. Hyoyeon wouldn’t want to talk to him at the first place. Kyuwon neared the door and placed his hand to the brass knob. It will be his first time to visit Jungsu.

He didn’t want to see him like that. Park Kyuwon never dreamed of seeing his son in a sleeping state, supplied with intravenous infusion and all medical paraphernalia stuck at his system. He had seen his son suffering through a lot of this. Park kyuwon had seen his son cry at every drug infused in his system.

But he knew that his son cannot even complain now. He is in a comatose condition that would make him unable to communicate, or worse hear what they wanted to say. nevertheless, he still took the opportunity to see him. He knew that everyone else was mad at what he just did, accusing him as the culprit why leeteuk underwent a breakdown.

Kyuwon noticed that no one was inside the room when he closed the door behind him.  Leeteuk’s girlfriend, taeyeon must have been out for a break, spared by her jacket lying on top of leeteuk’s body. Only his son was situated on his bed, his way of breathing relying deeply on the respirator, his chest exposed to the heart monitor. Leeteuk, as his father had noticed, almost seemed just like sleeping, except that his face was a shade between blue and gray which would have meant that blood circulation amidst of the medication was still not enough.

Kyuwon stood next to his son and looked at him from head to foot. Almost every part of leeteuk’s body was embellished with medical paraphernalia, except to his lower limb which was entirely covered by a blanket. He touched leeteuk’s hand with his. It was extremely cold.

Kyuwon didn’t know whether some air must have struck his eyes that it appeared to sting. It was his first time to see his son in a comatose condition after all. It was not the same leeteuk who was just sleeping after being advised to do so, it is definitely the leeteuk who had the circulatory shock.

“I’ve known you for years, I saw you spent a lot of money for Jungsu’s treatment but I haven’t seen you support your son even once. He had been battling his sickness alone”  was doctor song’s statement that stuck into his mind when realizing that leeteuk cannot at once speak to him because of his condition.

 

Had he really battled his sickness alone? Did he really abandoned him to seek his own pursuit of happiness?

“father, I’m going to have a check up today, will you accompany me?” ten year old leeteuk tugged on his father’s sleeves.

“son, i have a meeting in the afternoon.”

“but you told me that you will accompany me.” leeteuk looked at him innocently.

Kyuwon shook his head. Instead, he took out a checkbook inside his drawer and scribbled some details.

“give this to your doctor once you finish your check up.” He said, tearing out a single check.

“you’re not really coming?”

“no.”

“okay.” Leeteuk sighed, diverting his attention to the exit.

 

Kyuwon clenched his fists at the memory of him constantly ignoring his son. All the puzzle now fits into its exact place.

 

It was only then that he realized, how terrible his parenting skills are.

---------------------

CHO CONDOMINIUM

Rring!

“I’ll get it.” kyuhyun paced towards the door and was surprised to see Kangin at his doorstep.

“hyung.” Kyuhyun said.

“annyeong.” Kangin bowed and raised a plastic infront of kyuhyun’s eyes. “taengoo told me to give you this.”

“come inside first.” Kyuhyun said. kangin consciously nodded and carefully placed his shoes next to the rack.

Seohyun was in the living  room, sitting at the couch while playing with kyuhyun’s videogame. Kangin graciously made a bow as he invaded a seat next to her, watching her play. Seohyun didn’t appear like she was having difficulties with her pregnancy, her eyes really twinkled and she seemed lovelier at every moment.

“you’re staring at my wife as if you saw a movie star.” Kyuhyun noticed.

Kangin chuckled and shook his head.

“you’re really lucky.” He blurted.

“how’s taeyeon?” kyuhyun changed the topic. He had been informed constantly by Siwon about leeteuk’s condition. Donghae too in his spare time would visit his condominium to talk about it.

He wanted to come to the hospital too but since seohyun was in her first trimester of pregnancy, she was not advised to go out.

“taengoo wasn’t able to come home ever since teukie hyung was admitted to the hospital.” Kangin bowed again when seohyun handed her a joystick. “but she was really happy about seohyun ssi’s pregnancy that she immediately called me up to give you vitamins.”

“bwo, I own a pharmacy why would she give vitamins?” kyuhyun chuckled. Seohyun laughed too and plunge her hands to the plastic that kangin placed to the table.

“oh this is a good set of vitamins.” She said, admiring the label. “we don’t have this at the pharmacy, jagiya. It looks like unni knows what to buy.”

“let me see that.” kyuhyun snatched the set away. “ah, I see. She has keen taste on this.”

“taengoo is really practical with everything.” Kangin said. “she’s like an old lady trapped in a little girl’s body.”

“teukie hyung is really lucky.” Kyuhyun said. seohyun nodded too.

“ne, the only thing that he has to do is wake up.” Kangin said. “taengoo’s really feeling energy drained one of these days.i am really surprised that tiffany is still willing to see her in a condition like that.”

“how many more heart centers?” seohyun asked.

“I don’t know.” Kangin shrugged.

“jagiya, we should help contact some heart centers.” Seohyun looked at kyuhyun. “it’s the only way we could help.”

“tell taeyeon to give me some details.” Kyuhyun told kangin, who immediately nodded.

Kangin’s eyes were focused on the game, but his mind was drifting to something else.

“can I ask?”
“go ahead.” Said kyuhyun.

“have you had ultra sound?” kangin asked, referring to the baby.

Seohyun chuckled and tried to compose herself by sitting up straight.

“the baby has to be atleast ten weeks or so to know the gender.” She said, placing her hands on her lap as kyuhyun propped two pillows behind her back.

Kangin nodded again.

“so, are you guys betting what the gender is?”

“any gender is fine.” Said kyuhyun.

“but what if.” Kangin shook his head, erasing his thoughts.

“what?”

“what if seohyun ssi has twins?” kangin blurted.

Kyuhyun and seohyun looked at each other in surprise.

“jagiya, ultrasound.” Kyuhyun said. “immediately.”

---------------------

Leeteuk’s Private room, Seoul Hospital

Heechul’s POV

I’ve seen movies where people with third eye would constantly see ghosts or weird beings from the different dimension. I like horror movies. I have tons of files that would support how much I love seeing people frightened by the appearance of blood, grossly appearance of people with long fangs and bloody eyes.

But I didn’t know how on earth I could see someone who I really know by heart.

I was thinking of telling taeyeon what I saw at the room yesterday but I don’t want her to think that I was playing some tricks. I couldn’t support an evidence about leeteuk though. I tried looking out for him when taeyeon would busily contact heart centers but he seemed not around for the moment, just his physical body relying deeply on the respirator. It was really weird. Yesterday, my heart almost stopped upon seeing him in that form. But now,I appeared like  I was looking forward for a chance to talk to him.

He really has a lot of explanations to say.

“yah.” Taeyeon almost surprised me with her bread knife poking on my shoulder.

I closed my eyes and tried to breathe in between.

“what are you thinking?” taeyeon asked.

“ghosts.” I blurted. ghosts. as if I can really tell whether I really saw a ghost or just a form.

“what about it.” taeyeon situated herself next to leeteuk and ran a hand on his brown hair. She was looking at him and I can definitely see that she too, was waiting for him to wake up.

“will you believe that I can see ghosts?” I ask her.

“I don’t  know, it depends whether you can tell me that you’re seeing someone now.” Taeyeon replied. “now, what about it?”

“I happen to see someone here.” I blurted, making her almost jump at the idea.

“jinja? For real?” taeyeon’s eyes widened like what my eyes would usually do when surprised. I nodded and crossed my legs.

“what does it look like? Is it scary?” taeyeon queried.

Was leeteuk scary? No.

“it actually looks beautiful.” I said. leeteuk’s whiteness resembled an angel’s after all.

“ooh, I want to see someone like that then.” Taeyeon said.

this girl. She didn’t even ask who I saw. She would have panicked too if she knew that it was leeteuk. But then again, I don’t want to make an assurance. Since this girl is really desperate to talk to the guy, she might have considered looking out for him too.

I just laughed until my phone vibrated and I had no choice but to see the message.

“please come to the rooftop.emergency.”~doctor song.

I bit my lip, cringing my brows.

“something wrong?” taeyeon asked me as I stood up. I shrugged and replaced my worry with a smile.

“need some fresh air.” I just said.

--------------------

Rooftop, Seoul Hospital

Park Kyuwon neared the ledge of the bulding, easing the balls of his feet to the cemented floor that would only separate him by inches to the hospital ground several meters below. The sound of cars honking at the sight of the middle aged man will be of no use to him now. A huge deal of embarrassment would not matter anyways.

He was determined to die. he was determined to end his life. he doesn’t care where he would go after this. Whether his soul would plunge into the flames of hell, he wouldn’t care. It was the only thing he could to repay his son after all.

Jungsu, his son. His son had endured a lot of suffering because of him. Jungsu had seen him at the burial with another woman, yet he didn’t think of it as a way to separate his love for him. Jungsu had seen him go to the hospital with other women, but he didn’t care. Jungsu was still determined to have him on his side. He was determined to have his father accompany him to the hospital all the time, even though his heart would ache everytime he would realize that his father had immediately put his mind on somebody else--- to someone else. Still jungsu hoped that their family would be intact, that Inyoung and hyoyeon must not know, the true reason why their mother died. even though Park Kyuwon would put several limits to Jungsu, Jungsu would still oblige to obey his wish.

How many times did he really put any attention to his son? When his wife died, did he really console his children? Inyoung, Jungsu, and Hyoyeon were put to therapies when their mother died. when Jungsu had his first love, he began to give him more limits. When Han Ga-in died, he wasn’t there to accompany his son to her wake. He decided to go abroad.

That was when he and Jungsu became distant to each other, when Jungsu realized that his father really cannot care for him. The son resulted himself to drugs and vices, going to night clubs at parties, drinking beer. What would money do after all. What can his father do after all? But still, even with everything he did, he still loved his father.

Park Kyuwon muttered a silent prayer wishing for his children’s happiness. That they would continue to be blessed and hoped that they would not follow a worthless man like him. He then, put out a small silver gun. The deadly weapon had been with him all the while when having business trips, it would be nice to use the material now.

“kyuwon ssi, killing yourself will not help.” Doctor song raised both of his palms, trying to get closer. But the more he did this, the more mister park would inch himself to the ledge.

“this is for my son, jungsu.” mister park said. “this is all for him.”

“your son has still the chance to live, kyuwon ssi!” doctor song said. “it will not do him good if you end your life this way. Your son is still fighting!”

Mister park shook his head.

“I will live for him.” He said. “If only you will grant my wish.”

“no!” doctor song said. “you cannot give your heart, you have a life ahead of you.”

“this is the only way that my son could live!” mister park cried. Tears already stream down his cheeks as he situated himself more to the ledge. “if I give him my heart he would know how much I love him!”

He would know how sorry he was for being a neglecting parent.

“kyuwon ssi.” Doctor song inhaled deep breaths before continuing. “you don’t even know how your son would react on this situation. And think of your other children. You just cannot let anything pass without a plan. Kyuwon ssi—“

“just give him my heart. just give him—“

“yah, old man do you think that he would forgive you if you do that?!” mister park and doctor song both turned to heechul. He was really furious watching the incident from the other view, and he had no choice but to interfere with his father’s risky attitude.

“do you think that leeteuk would like waking up, seeing that his father will be not be by his side forever??” heechul shouted as great wind shuffled among them, making mister park almost lost his balance. “you are so selfish thinking that way! Your life doesn’t just revolve around him, think of us too! do you think we would tolerate you ending your life like this?”

“heechul.” Mister park cannot hide his tears from falling simultaneously on the ground. “I sinned so much to jungsu. forgive me. but this is the only way that could make him think that I care so much for him.”

Heechul closed his eyes and had them opened again when mister park pulled the trigger.

“kyuwon ssi, don’t!” doctor song called out.

“if jungsu wakes up, tell him how much I love him.” Mister park tried to form his lips into a smile.

Heechul shook his head and wandered his eyes toward the whole area.

“I don’t see you but please stop him!” he shouted.

He was referring to someone else.

Just then, the wind became greater and pieces of tin cans, scraps of paper and hanged clothes from the hospital scattered all over the area. Mister park suddenly felt an intense cold slipping through his body, leaving him no choice but to cross his arms to his chest, closing his eyes. Heechul wandered around again, to the corners of the roof top, to doctor song, and to the great deal of wind that almost covered Mister Park.

When the wind was gone, heechul found Mister Park already a foot away from the ledger, in a daze, embraced in the arms of a man in a transparent form. The man in white graciously placed his hand on the gun,putting it away, and for the moment mister park immediately dropped the weapon like a hot object stinging his skin.

Heechul collapsed in his knees, thanking the whole scene with an utter cry of relief.

 

Park Jungsu had saved his father.