"Let's have dinner later, okay?"

It took few seconds for Joonhee to finally get out of his dazed state. With a small smile he turned to face ex-roommate. "Sure. Bye now, Yoonjae-ah."

No more words were needed. That simple one-armed hug, an action Joonhee supposedly had gotten used to already, had explained everything. Somehow Yoonjae had known about his feelings, and that was how he reacted: implicitly asking for Joonhee not to change, to stay being his best friend.

A best friend then he would be.

Joonhee's birthday was just at the end of the week.

The young doctor had tried out every excuse he could think of to persuade his friends not to throw him birthday party. Last year it had been painfully embarrassing that they barged into the hospital and made loud noises near emergency room. Plus, his schedule was totally packed everyday, especially on the weekends.

"Why does it require one whole day? Can't we all just gather and drink after my shift?"

Apparently Shiwon was too stubborn to argue with. "That, plus one more day. Only one whole day, we're booking your time and you've got to agree. You don't have an option!" She insisted. "It's not like you'll get fired only for taking a break for your birthday. All the doctors love your hardwork."

"Tsk fine, fine. Just make it normal, nothing like last year," Joonhee gave up.

"Hehe, don't worry about that," Shiwon flashed that trademark grin of hers. "I've prepared you a surprise gift afterall. From both Yoonjae and I. Well, my idea, but Yoonjae's doing a huge part of it." She chuckled to herself, excited only by thinking about this present. "One hundred percent guaranteed you'll loooove it."

The other boy only raised an eyebrow. Should he be scared..?

It was celebrated in noraebang, attended by Shiwon, Yoonjae, Yoojung, Hakchan, Sungjae, and the birthday boy himself.

As they sang Happy Birthday to him, Joonhee reminisced over the wishes he made every year before he blew his candles. After he discovered his crush towards Yoonjae, his wish was always the same: for himself to be able to stay as Yoonjae's friend, hoping that his feelings would fade as the time went on. Not once he wished for them to be reciprocated. And since last year, he added about Yoonjae's happiness to his wish. If Shiwon was all Yoonjae's need to be happy, then Joonhee would do anything to ensure their relationship lasted.

It hadn't changed now. Seeing Yoonjae today still made his heart fluttered, hearing the cat-eyed guy singing still amazed him, but seeing Yoonjae's smile directed to Shiwon didn't make him feel angry. There might be a little jealousy, but it was miniscule now.

Hakchan and Yoojung excused themselves half through it since they had a movie to catch. Sungjae and Shiwon were both drunken messes laid out on the sofa, laughing to each other while Yoonjae and Joonhee took turns singing and dancing.

"I'm out to find chicks on the other room," Sungjae stood up at some point, stumbling to the door. "You guys bore me."

"Careful don't them," Joonhee simply replied, eyes glued to the screen as he sang and dance according to the song. He wiped out his sweat when the song's done, "It's your turn, Yoon-" He turned to hand the mic to the other guy but he froze mid-track.

There on the sofa, Yoonjae was on top of Shiwon, kissing her like there's no tomorrow while the girl beneath responded with same passion. Joonhee knew he should tear off his gaze, giving them privacy and also because it clearly wasn't his favourite view. But he couldn't. Years of longing, want, and jealousy surged forward and overwhelmed him with anguished feelings.

His attention finally moved on to the pack of presents on the other edge of the sofa, frowning to find only three boxes. He checked on the labels one by one... Sungjae, Yoojung, Hakchan. Huh? Then where's their so-called surprise present? Joonhee wondered, daring himself to look at the couple again, surprised to find them now seated up decently while looking back at him.

"Joonhee-ah, I think it's time to reveal your birthday present," Shiwon smiled, while Yoonjae's eyes fell to anything that was not the other two. What's going on? "Sooo my present is... I'm lending Yoonjae to you."

What?

"Aish, I'm not some of your possession to be lent to someone," Yoonjae palmed down her bangs like he always did when he's annoyed with her. "Use more proper words!"

"Yah! Don't interrupt me when I talk. And yes you are, you're my boyfriend I'm lending you to him. We agreed we used that term." She attacked back by pulling Yoonjae's hair mercilessly.

And Joonhee could only watch them with blank expression.

After getting his hair safe from the drunken girl's mad fingers, Yoonjae attempted to explain. "Uh, so this is how it is... Joonhee-ah, I overheard your talk with Shiwon a year ago, that's how I got to know about your feelings towards me," he started, a bit uncomfortable talking about that. Joonhee just nodded weakly, having guessed about it. "Shiwon and I talked about it. And we feel...guilty. For never giving you chance to show it, to fight for me. And I feel bad for taking your confession as a joke back then."

"Wait, wait." Joonhee shook his head, trying to get it clear. "What are you guys trying to say? Shiwon's lending you to me? So I can have you for one day? Why would you agree with that? You don't have feelings for me; it's Shiwon you love, so no way you can be comfortable with it. Why would she think of this crazy idea? She wouldn't want to see her boyfriend going out with someone who liked him. And most importantly... Why would I want to do anything with you? I've long since gave up on you."

"I promise her, that even if my heart actually starts beating for you during our, eh, 'date'..." Yoonjae made quotation marks with his fingers at the word, "I'll still marry her. Our friendship won't be affected either. So you don't have to worry about us. And Joonhee-ah, I agree with it because her aside, and my brother aside too, you're someone I treasure the most. I just never got the chance to look at you with different view... You haven't given up on me. The way you look at me never changes, since that day I borrowed a dictionary from you. Don't lie to me."

Shiwon nodded. "Even if you two end up in love after it's over, I'm sorry I'll have to break you two apart. Yoonjae has always loved me, and it's me he will marry," she said solemnly, but then added with a giggle, "But you can have him back if I die young!"

"You're not gonna die young, silly," Yoonjae palmed her bangs before turning his attention back to Joonhee. "It might hurt you a lot at the end...but if I were in your position, I'd take any chance to make the person I love looks at me back. Much more preferable than having to look at that person with longing and regret all my life."

His words pierced through Joonhee's soul, right at the core. So true it damn hurt.

"You're right... I'm pretty sure it'd turn to be only best friends hanging out day instead of date though," Joonhee finally nodded, tired smile on his lips. He just accepted another chance of heartbreak, only because he wanted the two to stop feeling guilty and have peace of mind. "How will this go? Like, how far can I do with your possession?" He chuckled, looking at Shiwon.

"Ehh how far?" She made a gesture as if she was thinking hard. "As far as we've gone through!" She exclaimed like she's found a brilliant idea. Joonhee stared in wonder since Yoonjae's reaction was coughed on the beer he was drinking. "Only on his conscience of course. You don't return things you borrow in out broken condition, right?" She winked, laughed seeing beer spilled all over her boyfriend's shirt.

Joonhee's face heated up in acknowledgement of how far they've gone through and also how far he's permitted to. The boy only expected 'holding hands' or at least 'kissing' as an answer.

It'd be awkward, he facepalmed.

Shiwon left at 12AM, stating that from that second Yoonjae was a free and single guy for next twenty four hours (and maybe till morning depends on how things turn out, Shiwon added while winking). It was now 12.20 and all the two boys did was doing nothing but stealing glances at each other.

"Yah, why are you being awkward now?" Yoonjae was the one who broke the silence with his protest. He stood up from his previous seat to Joonhee's side. "You only have twenty four hours. Don't you want to make use of every minute of it?"

Joonhee only shrugged. "I'm contented just seeing you. What do you want me to do? Kissing you? You won't feel grossed out with that?"

A small blush presented itself on Yoonjae's cheeks. "W-well I'll never know if I never try. I kissed Shiwon abruptly once, so you have permission to do that to me too, regarding my conscience."

The other boy only smiled, "Come here..."

Yoonjae didn't put up any resistance when Joonhee gently pulled his face, crashing their lips together in one swift motion. It was slow, short, honest and simple; indeed like one relationship shared between friends.

It was a start.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Where do you want to go? It's your present."

They were out of the noraebang and now thinking over where they should go today. Both didn't really have in mind where to hang out together as a couple.

"Somewhere quiet," Joonhee mumbled. "Where no one looked at you weirdly if I couldn't resist kissing you. Where it's fresh and calm we could just relax our stressed-out-with-work mind. Any idea?"

Yoonjae mused about it for a while as they were walking towards his junk-like Onata car. "Beach," he looked at the shorter boy. "We're going to Gwangali beach." The idea came as soon as he got into driver seat from passenger door like always, at which Joonhee still shook head in exasperation. Joonhee nodded, welcomed the idea wholeheartedly. It had been a while since he last visited the beach.

They arrived at the right time where the sun was about to rise. They decided to watch it while sitting closely together on the car's front, marvelling the beauty of nature. Decided that it was the only day he could be bold with his actions, Joonhee held Yoonjae's hand and laid his head on the boy's shoulder. To his surprise, Yoonjae responded by lacing their fingers and laid his head on top of Joonhee's.

For one day, Joonhee could and really would assume Yoonjae was free and single.

It turned to be not as awkward as they'd predict.

After that a little too romantic sunrise watch, they headed straight to the sand and the water, fooled around swimming and splashing each other, and Yoonjae started to enjoy this date. Joonhee was always an enjoyable company afterall, it was not too much different and whenever Yoonjae would be touchy-feely as usual the only different thing was that Joonhee was no longer smiling shyly like before, but responded back with flirtatious gestures and jokes. The change was welcomed.

However, all the while he couldn't stop trying to sort out his own feelings. So he liked Joonhee's company. As a friend, as a kissing mate; maybe that was a far as it'd go. Yoonjae didn't feel butterfly in his stomach when he saw Joonhee's half form the way he did when he saw that of a woman in Hakchan's . So maybe he was not gay at all.

He liked Joonhee. But not ually attracted to him. And he loved Shiwon more. In the family love way, in the ual attraction way, in the wife material, as the person Yoonjae wanted to marry, it was Shiwon who won over. While Joonhee was... indescribable. He was someone whose company was always more preferable than anyone. Maybe that's it.

He didn't know if to Joonhee, he was all that combined. He'd feel flattered if it was true.

Joonhee deserved honesty though. It'd better to tell him than let him always think that Yoonjae never had any feelings for him.

"Yep, you were all that combined for me," Joonhee confirmed easily while sipping a canned drink. They were lying out in the sand, resting after two hours of playing with the waves. "Thanks for telling me that. I feel flattered enough that you said you'd prefer my company over Shiwon's, whom you've known since you're born." He smiled, and Yoonjae could only wonder how he could be truly satisfied with just that.

"I feel like a jerk though. I didn't know whom I needed more, you or Shiwon." Yoonjae took the drink from Joonhee's hand like it was his and drank it.

The other boy just laughed and looked at the sky, before closing his eyes. "It doesn't make you a jerk for not knowing. Just, think of it like this. Of whom is it between us two that you want to ensure happiness? If you have to put up everything, even including the friendship you have with the other one, you will do it only because it's all it takes for this person to be happy... Who is that person for you?"

Yoonjae was only silent.

Joonhee glanced over at him, "We all know the answer. And I'm completely okay with that."

It's Shiwon... Yoonjae's heart answered. But he just felt more anguished. A new-found hatred towards himself appeared . Joonhee's happiness mattered to him too. How could he live with knowing he's hurting his best friend all the time?

I would run over the world to find a way to ensure her happiness without our relationship being put at stake. Can't you see that I couldn't risk losing you either? Heck I'll even suggest a if that's what it takes!

And Yoonjae blushed over his own thoughts. What the hell?

"You're gonna be happy if you marry Shiwon, I find someone else to love, and we still hang out as best buddies. Correct?"

Yoonjae was still silent.

If he liked Joonhee, he would not like it if Joonhee's happy with another person. Just like how he didn't like it when Shiwon was close to Taewoong and Joonhee back then.

But now he found himself agreeing. As long as Joonhee's love was reciprocated, he'd be contented. It didn't have to be him who fulfilled the boy's happiness. As long as he's happy...

He couldn't explain why he felt sudden urge to lean to his right and capture Joonhee's lips. In agreement or denial? Or as a comfort, comfort to what, to whom? He was too caught up in the fact of how great a kisser Joonhee was to care about that.

Thankfully it seemed like Joonhee was also in the same depth of haze to bother asking why he kissed him out of the blue.

After second round of playing water sports, they decided to call it a day and went around to grab lunch since they missed breakfast time already. They found a hotel area nearby and ate lunch at the food court just across.

"If you want to get some rest, we can book a room and actually sleep," Joonhee suggested. "I promise no if you worry about that."

Yoonjae laughed. "You're the one needing rest, Doctor. Well let's book a room then. We're spending all day here afterall."

"All day?" Joonhee's eyes widened. "I thought I should hand you back to Shiwon by twelve? We can't spend the night here or she'll really think we have ." The shorter boy was gleeful just imagining the shock in Shiwon's face. She might have given them permission but hey, what could you hold from a drunk person's words?

Another silence from Yoonjae made Joonhee looked up from his food to study his expression. Don't tell me he's―

"I thought you'd want to?"

"...only with your conscience."

"You think I'll agree to this date idea if I haven't prepared myself?" Yoonjae's face reddened and he refused to make eye contact with his best friend. No way he's letting the other boy knew that he had even reread Shiwon's Tony/Woohyuk fanfictions to find out how 'that' worked.

"We'll just see how it turns out later. Don't feel burdened or troubled like it was your obligation."

It was one of the many things Yoonjae loved about Joonhee. How calm the boy could handle and answer stuffs, how safe and relaxed he felt around him, like he could ignore the world when they were together.

Eventually they did book a hotel room. Yoonjae found himself couldn't care less about the way the receptionist looked at them with disgust in her eyes. If she had problem with homouals well then it was her own problem.

Yoonjae wasn't homoual afterall.

"Huh? I wouldn't call myself gay either," Joonhee replied when Yoonjae couldn't help himself asking if there was ever other guy that ever caught his interest. "It has only been you. Like how it has always been only Shiwon for you."

"Not only her anymore now. You confused me."

It was only responded with a smile. An apologetic smile. Which made Yoonjae wanted to punch him in the face only so that sad expression wouldn't present itself anymore.

"Why do you like me?" Yoonjae intrigued. "I told you once that I liked Shiwon because she's beautiful. Now tell me, why you like me?"

A sigh escaped Joonhee's lips. "I wish I knew. So I could figure out how to stop liking you, Yoonjae-ah." It left the other boy speechless. Pain was very evident in every word that Yoonjae wanted to cry. Joonhee patted his shoulder, his way of saying 'it's okay' but no, to Yoonjae it wasn't okay. He already hated himself so much now, for hurting without knowing, for perhaps giving hope without ability to fulfil.

What good deed had he done to deserve Joonhee's gentle love?

Joonhee yawned and jumped to the bed, excusing himself to sleep. "Don't me while I'm out," he mumbled. "I want to be awake when you me so I could remember it."

Yoonjae grinned and positioned himself next to the dozing off boy, gently caressed his hair. Tiredness was apparent on Joonhee's face that Yoonjae wondered if the boy had enough sleep. When they were still roommates, at least Yoonjae was there to force Joonhee to sleep when the diligent boy went to study until dawn. They completed each other, didn't they? Joonhee did the same about Yoonjae's eating habits.

Few days after Joonhee left, he had once wondered if his position was replaced by the boy's new roommate. Seems not...

"I want you to be happy, Bro. You're important to me." He pecked the top of Joonhee's head before closing his eyes too, getting some sleep for himself in case tonight he would get no sleep again.

Yoonjae woke up earlier since he wasn't really used to afternoon nap. It was the first time he woke up earlier than Joonhee that he got to know that during his sleep, he didn't maintain his straight sleeping position, but actually turned to face him slightly. For few minutes all Yoonjae did was staring at his best friend's face.

He is pretty... Why did I never notice that?

It was almost the same feeling like that when he saw Shiwon wearing lenses for the first time. Overwhelming.

He sighed. The deeper he fell in love with Joonhee the deeper hell of damnation he dag. It was actually the biggest risk he took when he agreed to Shiwon's idea, aside the parties being hurt of course.

Yoonjae pulled himself into sitting position and looked at his watch. 4.30PM. Eventhough he felt sorry to wake the boy up, he would have to do that. Joonhee himself would rather spend time with him than sleeping it off, right? Unless in his dream he was with me or something, and Yoonjae disminished the thought right away. How he ended up being so narcissistic when it came to this, he had no idea.

"Joonhee-ah, wake up. Want to go walk up in the beach again?" He shook the sleeping boy awake and chuckled seeing his cute 'morning' face, all adorable yawning and mumbling mess. "I'll shower first. Don't fall back to sleep."

They had to wear same clothes as before after shower since neither brought anything with them. As the sun was setting, they just walked along the sand path with no actual destination. Both were contented with the peaceful silence shared between them, with only the sounds of wave crashing to the shore as background. Joonhee hesitantly reached out for Yoonjae's hand, and while blushing, for the second time that day Yoonjae laced their fingers together.

"Yoonjae-ah."

"Hm?"

"I do love my present. Pass my gratitude to Shiwon."

Yoonjae stopped walking and pecked the corner of Joonhee's lips. "It isn't over yet. Who knows? You might hate your present once you decided I'm horrible on bed."

The other boy's cheeks matched the colour of the sky, Scarlett. "Is it really happening? Don't joke about it anymore now that I do want it."

Yoonjae took off his hand to cling his arm across Joonhee's shoulder, enveloped him in one armed hug, then asking for Joonhee's hand to meet him so he could lace them back together. "I want it too. Out of curiosity, my own wonder if to you I'm really not attracted ually at all. Also because I want to ensure your happiness even though it's only for one night. I could pretend Shiwon didn't exist for one night."

Thus that night, Joonhee's love was reciprocated completely.

Since the doctor had job in the morning, reluctantly Yoonjae drove him to his place at about two in the morning before going back to his place with Shiwon.

Seeing her wife-to-be girlfriend again, sleeping peacefully on their bed, Yoonjae smiled and brushed her bangs that covered her face. All his doubts were gone in instant.

He loved Shiwon more than anything. It was one thing he knew. He'd marry her and live a happy life with her.

It was also one thing Joonhee knew. He walked into his room careful not to make noise that could wake his roommate up. After getting into his bedroom outfit, he climbed up his bed, hissing a bit at the soreness he felt around his bottom half.

And Joonhee would have to be contented only with the memory of his birthday present.

Joonhee attended Yoonjae and Shiwon's marriage as the groom's best man.

Joonhee was there when Yoonjae panicked over the birth of his first child.

Joonhee was always there. He had become one of Busan's top surgeons that every patient requested for his assistance, he barely had time for things unrelated to his work.

But for Yoonjae and Shiwon, he would go as far as risking his career.

He just got home when he heard over voice messages left on his telephone. As usual, most of them were work-related. Some were messages from his colleagues and some were gratitude from family members of patients whose surgeries were successfully done by him. It warmed his heart to know that his job was brought joy to a lot of people.

"Joonhee-ah," A familiar voice made Joonhee's eyebrows rose. How unusual of Yoonjae to call him to his home number. Hurriedly he pulled out his handphone from his pocket and got surprised to find eighteen miscalls. Panic surged through his spine, wondering what made Yoonjae needed him like that. "Joonhee if you hear this please call me right away. I can't... I can't think now. I don't know what to do. Shiwon, she, damn it Joonhee I need you here. I can't leave her to get you from hospital and you're not picking up my phone so I leave this. Please call me back."

The boy didn't actually get to finish listening to the end of the message as he's already rushing back to his car, dialling Yoonjae while driving.

"I told you not to drink too much! Look now what happened!"

"Yah! How would I know this would happen?! My friends normally drink much worse than I do!"

"You're supposed to be able to control yourself! Don't compare yourself with others! Aren't you a mother now? Why don't you learn responsibility?!"

"Stop yelling at me! Do you want me to die this instance?"

Outside the room, Joonhee just shook his head listening to the two's never-ending shouts while keeping their children entertained.

Shiwon collapsed one night that Yoonjae panicked and rushed her to the hospital, all the time trying to contact Joonhee, the only doctor he could trust one hundred percent. Although he was a surgeon not working on liver section, Joonhee had asked permission from the hospital to take Shiwon as his responsibility and diagnosed her himself, only to find out that she actually had a disease as serious as cirrhosis.

"Joonie, is mom sick?" Asked three-year-old Seungho.

The doctor ruffled his hair and nodded. "Yes. Let's pray together so your mom can get well soon, okay?"

"Joonie you will try your best to save mom right?" Seunghee tugged on his doctor coat.

For a second Joonhee wondered if Yoonjae's and Shiwon's daughter actually could see through his feelings, but then he shrugged it off. No way, she was just a child.

"Of course. Because I'm your parents' best friend."

It was almost morning and Joonhee hadn't blinked an eye to sleep. Recently he monitored Shiwon's condition, studied them and tried hardest to find her cure, but her condition only got worse and worse and Joonhee didn't have any idea why, let alone know how to prevent this.

I shouldn't have listened to Yoonjae's plead and let the liver specialists take charge of her health...

Joonhee had read a lot, gone to visit the specialists and the professors in his university, even learnt English better just so he could discuss this matter with medical assistants all over the world.

And it seemed that there was only one way to cure her.

"You can have him back if I die young." Out of the blue he remembered what she blurted out back then when she was under alcohol. Tiredly he palmed his own face, rubbed his bloodshot eyes. His mind had started to go nuts, likely.

Few days later Joonhee finally was ready to take the risk.

"What? Why? What do you mean you won't be in charge for her liver transplantation surgery?" Yoonjae, as Joonhee had expected, rejected his suggestion.

"I'm brain surgeon, not liver surgeon. I think the risk is lower if it's done by the specialist," Joonhee re-explained. "There was about one percent risk of failure. We don't want to risk it."

"But I trust you. You're the best surgeon I know, and don't tell me those specialists are better than you. I've seen your research on Shiwon's condition and at this moment you're the one who know the most about it. Please, Joonhee, lead the surgery." Joonhee's heart couldn't help skipping a beat when Yoonjae took his hand and pleaded.

With a heavy heart he still had to say no and pulled his hand out. "No Yoonjae, I can't. Also, my personal feelings might not bring the professionalism out of me."

What a wrong thing to say... Those words made Yoonjae looked at him with angry eyes. "Is that it? Do you want her to die so you could have me? Is that why you refused to help her? your personal feelings, Joonhee, I didn't know you were that sort of person."

He stomped away not leaving Joonhee a chance to defend himself.

And Joonhee himself was upset that Yoonjae could accuse him of something like that. Was he that low of a person in his eyes?

Joonhee was only worried that Yoonjae would blame him as the lead surgeon if something undesirable happened. He was trying to explain it, but if Yoonjae was acting like a total non-best-friend then fine, he wouldn't bother to.

"Did you have fight with Yoonjae?"

"How do you know? Did he tell you?"

"I can see it in the way Yoonjae acts and in the way you act. Now tell me what's wrong," Shiwon demanded as she tried to sit up on her bed.

Joonhee just smiled as he did the regular check-ups on her. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing!" She pouted. "If my OTP is not happy I won't be happy."

"What? OTP?"

"One True Pairing. Remember back then when I wrote fanfictions about Tony/Woohyuk? That was my previous OTP, but now my OTP is Yoonjae/Joonhee."

Joonhee's face was total blank hearing that. "You're such a strange girl. Pairing your husband with your friend? Really? Don't tell me you write stories about us too."

Her cheeky grin was the only response. "Just tell me what you're fighting about!"

Done with checking her pulse, he proceeded to change her IV. "He...thought that I'm trying to let you die so I can have him."

Joonhee expected 'That idiot' or something of a kind, but it never came. Shiwon was only silent that Joonhee started to worry. Did Shiwon now think of that possibility too? He didn't dare meeting her eyes and busied himself with the needle instead.

"Oh my God that's a wonderful idea!" She screamed suddenly, shocking the hell out of him. "The girl died so the two guys ended up being together! Where's my laptop I need to write this!" Shiwon sounded so ecstatic Joonhee wondered if she had lost her mind.

"You're not going to die. So save your imagination to yourself." Joonhee just laughed, feeling the urge to palm down her bangs like Yoonjae always did to her. Once he's done with the check-ups, he bid bye since he got other patients. "I'll see you later. Be ready for tomorrow's surgery. I'll pray for you."

"Heehee thanks. Bye Kang Joonhee, see ya!" Shiwon waved. "And Yoonjae is just an idiot. Don't take it to your heart. He doesn't seriously doubt you, you know that, right?"

Joonhee just nodded, though it still hurt remembering the accusation.

Fear of losing Shiwon had blinded him. After sending Seunghee and Seungho home to Taewoong's care, Yoonjae drove back to the hospital with determination to apologize to Joonhee.

He knew where the doctor's room located so he headed straight there, only to be stopped at the view he could see through the glass window. The curtain only covered half of it so Yoonjae could see a little what's inside and what he saw wasn't really his favourite view.

An older doctor, whom Yoonjae recognized as Joonhee's ex-roommate, who owned the red sport car he ever asked Joonhee about, whom Joonhee once introduced as someone he might be seeing out lately, was hugging Joonhee's waist from behind.

"You're gonna be happy if you marry Shiwon, I find someone else to love, and we still hang out as best buddies. Correct?"

Yoonjae found himself lost at words as he remembered that question Joonhee ever asked.

Maybe he had indeed got replaced...

Shiwon blinked her eyes opened, smiling as her children's happy face was the first thing she greeted after the surgery. She ruffled their hair, looked around questioningly and asked them, "Where's daddy?"

"Who gave you permission to do this?" Yoonjae slammed the door open and walked in, glaring angrily at his best friend's form that was laid out on the bed.

"This is my body, my own organ, I gave myself permission to do so," Joonhee smiled cheekily, was glad to see him again.

"I could have been the donor instead. Why you?"

"Your blood type doesn't match, and I don't want to risk your life."

"And you think we want you to risk your life?" Yoonjae grimaced in frustration. He sat on the chair next to the bed and grasped the boy's hand. "Don't scare me ever again. I thought you'd let yourself die by donating all your liver to Shiwon. I couldn't lose any of you... I was going crazy during those hours of surgery and waiting for any of you to wake up."

This time Joonhee was the one lacing their fingers. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You better aren't."

Their gaze met and next second their lips did.

Shiwon actually recovered fast and nothing made Yoonjae happier. As soon as she could sign out from the hospital, she ran into Joonhee's room wanting to thank him million times, and also thank him for giving another story idea for her stories.

Yoonjae just shook his head exasperatedly following his troublesome wife.

But Shiwon didn't enter the room immediately; instead she just stood by the doorframe. Confused, Yoonjae peeked inside, noticing that the bed was empty and the red car owner doctor was there.

"Yoon Yoonjae?"

Yoonjae raised his hand, totally clueless. What's going on? Has Joonhee got out of hospital too? Why didn't he tell me?

"He asked me to pass this letter to you in case his fear turned real. And it did..." He patted the couple in their shoulders before walking out of the room. "I had tried to persuade him to wait for a newly deceased to be a donor but he insisted that this couldn't wait anymore..."

"No way... Don't tell me he's..." Shiwon's tears fell while Yoonjae just hugged her tightly while reading each line of the neat handwriting.
 

Yoonjae-ah, sorry for not letting you know.
Something happened during the surgery that my condition is getting worse.
I thought I'd survive donating that much part of my liver but it seems no, I can't. Told you I'm no specialist in this..

Don't regret it because I don't either. Anything to save Shiwon.
Because she is your happiness. And I would do anything to ensure it.
Shiwon-ah, don't waste my surprise present to you, I hope by this you'll listen to your husband and stop your drinking habit.

PS: I'm not going anywhere so long as you guys kept me in your memories.

Yours always,
Kang Joonhee

"To stay as a best friend who doesn't change.
To ensure his happiness.
So long as my wishes can be completed, I'm ready to leave the world anytime."

It was the wish Joonhee made before he blew his birthday candles.

Re-chanting the wish inside his heart, Joonhee closed his eyes as his cart entered the surgery room.

-End-