A soft knock made Ryeowook turned to the door. Finally, someone came to see him. He's been dying out of boredom here in the hospital. His
eyes widened with a little bit of excitement when he saw the person peeping his head inside the room.

"Hyung!" he called.

Sungmin smiled at him as he went in. "How are you, Ryeong?" he asked as he shook the plastic bag he is carrying. Ryeowook widened his eyes
when he saw some cold treats inside the bag. He hasn't been eating anything with too much flavour since the time he woke up. Cold sweet
treat is something he and Sungmin enjoyed sharing back in college when they were still fanboying over Jung Yunho.

"Finally, you came. I'm freaking bored here, Hyung." Sungmin smiled a little as he sat beside the patient.

"How's your treatment?"

Ryeowook shrugged his shoulders. "A little better, I guess? I still need to have physiotherapy for my legs. I can move them but not too much."
Sungmin nodded and looked down for a while. He slowly looked at Ryeowook and smiled at him shortly.

"I brought this for you." he said as he unwrap one of the popsicles and hand it to the patient. "We haven't really sat down together for a
long time. I miss the days we've been talking about Jung Yunho."

Ryeowook giggled as he held the cold treat. "Hyung, you're lucky enough to be able to work close to him. I bet you're already making your
way to Yunho's heart." he said with a slightly bitter tone. Sungmin shook his head and remained quiet.

Ryeowook looked at Sungmin secretly and looked down for a while. Does Sungmin know why Kyuhyun broke up with him? Does Sungmin know about
him being shot in the head and slept for 3 years? Should he ask Sungmin? Should he wait for Sungmin to tell him? Should he- He mentally
shook his head and breathe out.

"Hyung..."
"Ryeong..."

Both were surprised when they called each other at the same time. Both smiled as well. "Hyung, what do you want to say?" Ryeowook asked.

Sungmin looked at the window. "The weather is good today. Let's stroll outside."

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

Sungmin pushed Ryeowook's wheelchair until they found a good shady spot in the small garden around the hospital vicinity. Ryeowook wanted
to ask but he doesn't know what holds him back from asking. Why is he scared to know the truth? Why does he want to know the truth. Does
Sungmin even know the truth?

Sungmin looked down and smiled. He turned to Ryeowook and started... "You know what, I miss the days when I was in the orphanage." he chuckled.
"I used to play tag with my friends with this kind of weather." He breathe in and looked far as if seeing his past in the sky.

"Why were you in the orphanage, Hyung?" Ryeowook asked. This is something he has been curious about. And how did he become friends with
Kyuhyun?

Sungmin smiled as he looked down. "Well, I happened to be abandoned by my mom when I was young. The police officers saw me loitering around the area soaking wet due to the rain. They said if I have no place to go to I should go the care taker of the orphanage. I didn't want to but I have no choice."
he turned to Ryeowook who is sincerely listening to him.

"They took me in and from there I grew up knowing the whole truth about my past." he smiled shortly. "I was taught not to hate my parents,
they must have a good reason why they left me and I took it as my own blessing."

Ryeowook looked down and nodded. Shall he ask about how he met Kyuhyun? Sungmin looked at him. "I was 8 when I met Kyuhyun." he turned to
Sungmin and showed a little shock in his face when he heard Sungmin talking about Kyuhyun. Sungmin smiled at him. "Isn't this the next
question?"

Ryeowook smiled... Sungmin sighed deeply and looked away. "I was 8 back then. There was an out reach program in the orphanage and all the
children were excited to receive their gifts from those people. I was in the backyard playing my guitar when I heard somebody crying. I looked
around and saw a young boy sitting under the tree." Sungmin smiled with the memory.

"I walked towards him and asked, 'are you new here?' he nodded his head and continued crying. That bastard... who would have thought he is just fooling me." Sungmin shook his head but his smile never left his face.

-------------------POV 17 years ago---------------------------

"Are you new here?" the young Sungmin, with his guitar on his hand, asked the younger boy. The younger looked up and met his eyes shortly
before looking down and sobbing again.

Sungmin sighed. He knows the feeling of being abandoned. And now there is another one to join them here in the orphanage. It has always been
like this in the first few days or weeks...or even months after being left. He knows the feeling. He sat down beside the little boy and
tapped him on his shoulder.

"It's alright. We're all family here. I can be your friend. I won't leave." he said with a smile. "I'm Sungmin." he shrugged his shoulder. "That's the only
thing my mother left me- my name. What's your name?"

The little boy just stared at him with tears rolling down his cheeks. Sungmin took out a small hanky in his pocket and wiped the boy's face.
"Tears won't bring them back. I've tried it before... it's no use." he slid the hanky in the little boy's palm and held his hand too. "There
are gifts inside. Let's get in and see what they'll have for us." it's always the trick for new children there... gifts.

The little boy sighed and looked at him. "I'm Kyuhyun."

"Kyuhyun?" Sungmin asked. Kyuhyun nodded and the other smiled at him widely. "Kyuhyun, let's be friends."

Kyuhyun smiled back at him for the very first time. "Uhm!"

"Kyu!" a gentle sound of a woman's voice startled them... "Kyu! Time to give your gifts to the children!" Sungmin looked at him and was
confused. "Kyu! Come on here now!"

Sungmin finally understand that Kyuhyun was just pretending to be an orphan and in fact accompanying his mother who is the head of the
whole out reach program. "Aish~" Sungmin said and shook his head. He was about to stand up but...

"Hey, we're still friends, right?" Kyuhyun asked with a now mischievous smile. "you said we'll be friends." he took Sungmin's hand and pulled
him towards the woman calling earlier. "Umma!" Kyuhyun shouted. "I got a new friend!"

Sungmin turned to him with disbelief. The briefest time of their meeting became the start of their friendship... that lead them to who they
are now.

-----------------------END of POV---------------------------------

"It was that pretentious cry that caused us to become friends." Sungmin was smiling again. "But I never regretted a single day of being
by Kyuhyun's side. It's like he became the reason why my parents left... for me to meet him."

Ryeowook looked down and recalled something. He has heard of this story before. But when? When did he hear this story? That guitar, the
crying little boy, the promise... and then...

A spark triggered his eyes to be shut close, his hands trembled and his head in pain. He has heard that story before. He has heard it before...
when he was asleep.

"Ryeong," he looked up and saw Sungmin. "Are you ok?"

------------------------FLASHBACK DURING RYEOWOOK WAS ASLEEP--------------------------

"Ryeowook ah," Kyuhyun said as he was sitting beside Ryeowook. "Shall I tell you a story?" he looked down and smiled. He looked at the
sleeping man. He has been there in that same position long enough that Kyuhyun already know there will be no response from him even if
he ask a million question.

He sighed before opening his mouth. "I didn't really want to go with my mom for that out reach program." he chuckled. "I mean, why the heck
do I have to mingle with those poor children? It was the most boring day of my life." he looked down and tried lifting Ryeowook's finger.
But with every force, it still go back to the same stiff position. "And then I heard him playing his guitar." a smile as he looked down as
if he can see the past.

So I, Yaksokhaeyo modeungeosi [I promise you everything]
Geudaerago mideulkkeyo [I'm going to believe that it's you]
Will you come to me, na jogeumman deo geudae pume [I just want to be a little closer to your embrace]
Oh saranghaeyo geudae my love,
na eonjekkajina ireohke [I'm always going to be this way]

"That was the first song he has ever written. And I think it's the most sincerest." Kyuhyun said after singing the song. "He was just 8,
and I was turning 7...but for a young boy who was abandoned like him, I've never heard such sincere words." He turned to Ryeowook. "That
was the first time I found him. I wondered why he didn't join the kids who were so excited to get their gifts. That's because by the age
of 8, he's already reaching his dreams. He was so busy singing that I know I have to do something to make him my friend."

Kyuhyun smiled widely. "I know. I am young and I'm already cunning. But from the moment I saw him and heard him sing, I just know that I
like to be his friend. So I pretended to be a new kid. It's always the fake tears that do the trick."

He looked down. "He said he'll be my friend. And that he'll never leave me. And true enough, he's still fulfilling that promise until now."
He held Ryeowook's hand. "I made a promise to myself at that time too. I promised myself that I will never ever leave him." Kyuhyun's tears
started coming up. "Ryeong..." he held the hand tightly. "Ryeowook ah... you have to wake up now. I want to tell you everything... that
something happened between me and Sungmin. I want to stay by his side. I love Sungmin."

------------------------END OF FLASHBACK-------------------------

"Ryeong, are you ok?" Sungmin asked. Ryeowook looked at him with wide eyes. "Ryeong?"

He remembered those words. He remembered it well. He heard it clearly. And he remembered it. "Are you and Kyuhyun..."

Sungmin looked down and then to Ryeowook. What is going on with Ryeowook. The younger gasped for breath and covered his mouth after realising
everything. He looked at Sungmin sharply. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Sungmin looked at him in the eyes and something there tells him
that Ryeowook already knows about him and Kyuhyun.

"We wanted to." Sungmin said calmly. "But we don't want to hurt you, Ryeowook."

"You don't want to hurt me?" Sungmin tasted the sarcasm in the other's tone.

He looked down while Ryeowook looked at him, judging him. "Kyuhyun doesn't want to hurt you."

"So you do want to hurt me."

The sting of the truth came out. He doesn't want to hurt Ryeowook, but... "In our situation, hurting you is inevitable."

"You betrayed your own friend." Ryeowook said; eyes still sharp, his hands holding the wheel chair tightly.

Sungmin looked at him calmly. "It's either I will lose you or I will lose Kyuhyun to you. I chose Kyuhyun over you... and I know I won't
regret it even if you hate me."

Ryeowook didn't speak anymore. He cannot even stand on his own feet and needed somebody to carry him from his bed to his wheel chair, how
could he even fight Sungmin. He turned the wheels of his seat and pushed himself in. Sungmin followed him and pushed him but Ryeowook refused
to let him push it.

"I won't say sorry, Ryeowook. You can hate me for all your life but... I'd rather hurt you now than let you live in a lie."

Ryeowook looked down and let go of the wheel and let Sungmin push him. There was silence. Sungmin sighed deeply. "It was all an accident. Kyuhyun was on the way to meet you but I met him and stall him halfway. We should have known there will be a robbery. You were shot on the head and slept for 3 years. It was all an accident.
But because of that accident, Kyuhyun didn't finish his college." Ryeowook straightened a bit and halfly turned to him. "He quitted school
to take care of you. He stopped singing and let go of his dream of becoming a singer. He blamed himself for what happened to you. He thought it was all his fault. He blindedly believed that he owes his life to you because of what happened." Sungmin looked at him bitterly as he remembered how desperate Kyuhyun looked like during the past.  

"Time has stopped for you, Ryeowook ah. But you were never alone in that time. Kyuhyun accompanied you; he let himself be stuck in time just like you. He dedicated his life to serve you thinking it will make things better. Now that you are awake... let him reach for his dreams. Set him free."

Ryeowook watched Sungmin as he lifted the younger up back to his bed. Kyuhyun didn't finish his school, he took care of Ryeowook, he stopped
singing...

"You hate me because you found out the truth but..." Sungmin met his eyes. "I hate you for not knowing what has been going on. Open your
eyes, Ryeowook ah, you know Kyuhyun has a bright future, but he turned his back on it for your sake."

"Why are you saying this to me? Do you want me to be guilty about it? I'm not the villain here."

"I'm leaving Seoul and won't be back for 3 years. I'm doing this because Kyuhyun wants to take care of you. He wants to finish his obligations
to you until you are fully recovered. Kyuhyun has done a lot for you, Ryeowook. What can you do for him?" Ryeowook looked at him sharply
once again.

"It's getting late now. Get a lot of rest."

Sungmin walked out of the hospital and sighed deeply. He leaned against the wall and stared at the floor for the longest time.

He did the right thing.

He did the right thing.

*Author's note: Is this chapter clear? haha... quite a number of
flashbacks. I want more flashbacks before I end this.
Have a good night everyone~!^^

Comments and subscriptions are deeply appreciated~^^