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Chapter 48 - What He Really Needs

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"We have been standing here for too long, yet you still don't see your brother yet."

Kyuhyun remains quiet as he focuses his eyes on every student exiting the school gate. He has been hoping to see his brother exiting the school although he knows that he has a little chance on seeing his brother in that way.

"You know, we need to go inside," Sungmin suggests as he approaches Kyuhyun. He then looks at the school guard who is looking at both of them. "The security thinks that we are spying or something. Better tell them that you are looking for someone or else our time will be wasted."

"Just a little moment, Sungmin," Kyuhyun pleads. "Just a little..."

Sungmin sighs. He has never seen Kyuhyun that desperate. He usually maintains his cold appearance to everyone. He acts like everything is under control. But that time, he looks so anxious. He looks very determined.

His stomach is growling. It is one in the afternoon and they haven't taken lunch yet. He badly needs to eat, but he can't just tell Kyuhyun that he is already hungry. He doesn't want to disturb him. He does not want to become a bother to him.

Another thirty minutes past and his stomach has already given up. He already misses his lunch.

"I think you need to eat. I'm fine. Just order something to fill your stomach up," Kyuhyun says and looks at Sungmin.

"How about you, Kyuhyun?" Sungmin asks. "Are you not hungry?"

"I am fine," he repeats and smiles at Sungmin. Sungmin stares at him and there is definitely something wrong about Kyuhyun's face again. He looks a bit tired. Come to think of it, he hasn't completely recovered from fever and his fever might have come again because he is too tired.

"Stupid Kyuhyun, I think you're pushing yourself a little too much. Yes, I told you to be brave, but I didn't tell you to be sick again," Sungmin feels Kyuhyun's forehead with the back of his hand. "You have slight fever. Tsk."

"I told you I'm fine and you should go eat," Kyuhyun says agan. "If you are worried about me, then just buy me something too."

Sungmin snorts and nods. "Fine. I'm going to order something for us," he walks away from Kyuhyun, but after a few steps, he turns around. "Uhm... Kyuhyun, do you mind if I ask for some money? I do not have cash."

Kyuhyun smirks and gets cash from his pocket. "You're too wise."

"Yes, I am," Sungmin winks. "But I am not worried about you, just to set records straight." He finally leaves Kyuhyun and goes to the nearest fast-food chain near the school.

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"I'm freaking dying," Sungmin whines as he returns. "The cashier can't understand my accent." Sungmin gives a brown bag to Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun gets it but he does not open it. "Yah, come on, you need to eat."

"I don't think I am hungry," Kyuhyun tells Sungmin as he tucks the brown bag to himself. "I'll eat it later."

"Do you want me to feed you?" Sungmin teases. He tries to do what Kyuhyun did to him hours ago - the undressing thing. He is laughing in his mind. Kyuhyun would surely dislike it, just like how he disliked his teasing. But Kyuhyun does not get affected. Instead, he nods as he looks back at Sungmin. "In your dreams."

"I won't eat then," Kyuhyun declares, looking back at the school gate.

Sungmin blows some air. "Ugh, I hate you." He opens the brown paper bag Kyuhyun is holding and puts out the burger from it. He unpacks the burger and pushes the burger to Kyuhyun's mouth. "Eat."

"You're doing it out of obligation," Kyuhyun says as he takes a bite.

"I am not obliged to feed you," Sungmin pulls the burger and takes a bite from it as well. While chomping, he speaks, "How can I be obliged?"

"You're staying with me in my room for free, that's why," Kyuhyun replies. "Wait, did you not buy another for yourself? Why are you eating mine?"

Sungmin feeds Kyuhyun again with the burger. "I want to eat rice later. I just need something to fill my stomach and I don't really like to eat burger." Kyuhyun takes a bite again. "Now you need to eat this all," Sungmin takes Kyuhyun's hand and put the burger in it. "I am done refilling my stomach, now it's your turn."

"No, you need to finish it," Kyuhyun insists. "It's my fault that you're here, starving, so you need to eat."

"It isn't your fault," Sungmin negates. "And besides, once we see your brother, you'd treat us both to a fancy restaurant, right?" Sungmin winks as he takes the burger and feeds Kyuhyun again. "Now eat and you need a lot of energy once you see your brother."

Kyuhyun smiles as he bites from the burger again.

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But it is already five in the afternoon. There is no sign of Jino anywhere.

"I guess we just need to go back tomorrow," Kyuhyun suggests as he stands from where he is sitting. "He might not have classes today so..."

Sungmin sighs. "We are already here! We can wait longer."

"But I think you're hungry again," Kyuhyun looks at Sungmin who is standing beside him. "You need to eat properly."

"I can manage," Sungmin insists once more. "How about we enter the school and ask around?"

Kyuhyun shakes his head. "It would not be a good idea. The school security won't allow us to enter and do that. He has been looking at us since we arrived, and I think they are suspecting us now."

"You won't know if you won't try," Sungmin walks towards the security and he is not stopping even though Kyuhyun is asking him to stop. "U-Uhm... brother... his brother... inside.... I... he... go inside."

"I'm sorry, you can't go. Without proper ID, both of you can't go inside," the school guard says in English.

"Please, I need to talk to someone. Can you let us enter?" Kyuhyun asks the guard in English.

"I am sorry, Sir, but you really can't-"

"We won't bother other students inside. His brother is inside, and he really needed to see him! Please!"

Kyuhyun looks at Sungmin, shocked. He has never heard Sungmin pleaded that hard to anyone, except to him when they first met each other. He returns his gaze to the guard who is confused. "Please, I really need to go inside. We won't be long. We can surrender our wallets and identification cards here. Just, let us in, please."

"I am really sorry Sir, but it is the management's orders. No one is allowed to enter except students, employees and special visitors," the guard insists. Kyuhyun sighs and turns around. He walks away silently, finally giving up. Sungmin chases him.

"Kyuhyun! We're already here! We can't just give up!" Sungmin tells Kyuhyun who is not replying to him. "Kyuhyun!"

"We have no choice but to go. We can't enter the school. But surely, we can go back tomorrow and do the same-"

Sungmin walks faster and blocks Kyuhyun by going in front of him. "No! We'll find a way, Kyuhyun. We'll find a way!" Sungmin signals to Kyuhyun as he stares at the wall beside the school.

"Are you thinking of trespassing? Do you really want us to get into trouble?" Kyuhyun asks when he realizes what Sungmin is planning. "Sungmin, we can go back tomorrow-"

"Kyuhyun? Cho Kyuhyun?"

Both of them look at the person calling Kyuhyun. She is unfamiliar to Sungmin, but not to Kyuhyun.

The owner of the voice is a middle-aged woman who is wearing a formal business attire and holding a black bag. Sungmin glances at Kyuhyun, asking silently if he knows the woman. Kyuhyun smiles and approaches the woman.

"Professor Smith!" Kyuhyun finally speaks. Sungmin walks towards the two of them. "You're working here?"

"Yes, and apparently, I'm a dean of the college of business," she replies. She then turns to Sungmin. "Is he an Inhwan student too?"

"Ah, hi, uhm," Sungmin scratches his head. "Wait... you have a foreign surname, but you're speaking in Korean?"

Kyuhyun chuckles. "You only notice that now..."

"Shut up," Sungmin murmurs. "But no... I'm... not from Inhwan. I am from Daehyun and I am Kyuhyun's friend."

Professor Smith skeptically looks at Kyuhyun who is just shrugging his shoulders. Then she looks back at Sungmin again. "I'm sorry... I thought Kyuhyun was a introvert and unfriendly so I didn't believe you at first."

Sungmin laughs. "Well, that's true. He is kind of introverted and cold, but I managed to befriend him."

"Sungmin!" Kyuhyun scolds Sungmin. The other two laugh. He turns to the middle-aged woman. "So... Prof, you are a dean here?"

"Yeah," she answers. "When I resigned from Inhwan, I went to the Philippines because my husband was staying here. At first, I wanted to go back to Korea, but he said that he would not be going back to Korea so I searched for job here. I applied here and after three years of becoming a full-time professor, I became a dean."

"Wow, congratulations," Kyuhyun smiles at the woman, then he turns to Sungmin who is a bit confused. "She had a foreign surname because her husband was American and she was half Korean, half Filipino. She was my favorite professor when I was in first year high school. But on the same year, she resigned."

"You really needed to emphasize that I was your favorite professor," Professor Smith chuckles. "Oh, by the way, what brings you here?"

Kyuhyun's smile fades.

"We're actually looking for someone. Can we ask you a favor, Professor?" Sungmin interrupts.

Professor Smith simultaneously looks at Kyuhyun then at Sungmin, and finally back at Kyuhyun. "What kind of favor?"

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"The management don't actually allow this, but I think I need to help you," Professor Smith says as she leads the other two to the registrar's office. "I told the guard that you were my special visitors and that I failed to give you an appointment letter."

"We are sorry for causing you trouble," Kyuhyun apologizes. "You might be in trouble because of us."

"No worries." They arrive at the registrar's office and Professor Smith opens the door for both of them. "Kyuhyun is an excellent student and he is really different compared to other Inhwan students, so I am pleased to do something for him. He made my life easy in Inhwan."

Sungmin just smiles as he enters the office and closes the door behind him.

They all approach the table for faculty members. After some discussion and pleadings, they are allowed to look at the database of students in the university.

"Do you know which college is he in?" Professor Smith asks as she helps Sungmin and Kyuhyun view the database.

Kyuhyun shakes his head. "All we know is that he is studying here."

They key in Jino's full name in every college database, but there is no student whose name is Cho Jino. "Let's try Lee."

It has the same result. Cho Jino and Lee Jino are not found.

"There might have been some mistake," Sungmin says as he double checks. "No Jino as first name."

Kyuhyun feels really heavy that time. It has been their fourth time checking the names, but there is really no Cho Jino. "The landlady might be lying to me."

"Or maybe his name is changed to something else," Sungmin says. "Can we look for the pictures of every Cho and Lee student?"

"Sorry Sungmin, but we are only allowed to look for a name, course and schedule. We can't look for pictures and personal information," Professor Smith stands. "Sorry Kyuhyun. This is only the best thing I can help you with."

Kyuhyun smiles. "No worries, Professor Smith. We... we might be having some mistake here."

"Kyuhyun, we are not yet sure if Jino is really not studying here so we can-"

"Let's go," Kyuhyun says. He bows to Professor Smith who gives him a apologetic smile. Then he exits the room.

Sungmin follows him. "You're not giving up, are you?"

Kyuhyun does not reply until he exits the school. Sungmin keeps on running after him. But he gets impatient when Kyuhyun isn't even talking to him. He grabs Kyuhyun's arm and pulls him, only seeing him crying. Sungmin is too shocked that he removes his grasp.

"You must be laughing at me right now... now that you're seeing me crying again," Kyuhyun smiles sarcastically. "You can laugh at me. You can mock me now for being so stupid and for being so weak."

Sungmin does not speak. But he laughs softly. Then it becomes too loud. "No, Kyuhyun. I am not laughing because you're weak nor stupid. I am laughing because you're easily giving up."

Sungmin gets something from his pocket. It is the same pink scarf that he has been taking care of. He offers it to Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun looks at him. "I don't need that-"

"Oh yes, you do," Sungmin grabs Kyuhyun's arm and wipes his eyes with the pink scarf. "You are too lucky because I really treasure this scarf, and I am using this to wipe your worthless tears."

Kyuhyun does not speak, but he holds Sungmin's hand, the one that is wiping his tears.

"I'll just tell you that it's okay to cry if you're sad, if you're mad or if you feel like giving up. It doesn't make you less of a man. But don't forget that after this, you have to be strong again. You need to move forward. I believe that you'll see your brother soon. I think that you will see each other again, not now, not here, but sometime in Korea because it was where you parted. Trust me again, Kyuhyun. Even never but just this time," Sungmin stops from wiping Kyuhyun's tears, but Kyuhyun is still holding his hand. "U-Uhm... you can actually remove your hand from my hand now."

Instead of removing it, Kyuhyun tightens his grasp of Sungmin's hand. He looks intently at Sungmin, and Sungmin stares back. Kyuhyun is not crying anymore. "I am done crying."

"Good! U-Uh," Sungmin looks away, knowing that Kyuhyun's eyes are looking at him as if he's going to eat his soul alive. "It's getting dark... and I am really starving. Don't you think we can eat now-"

"You're here with me that's why I stopped crying. I trust what you said. I would see Jino in Korea someday. I would be stronger by then. And I swear, I would be a good brother to him. Just like you said, I decide to move forward, Sungmin and can you move forward with me?" Kyuhyun asks. That makes Sungmin look at Kyuhyun again.

Sungmin smiles. "Just promise me that you'd treat me dinner tonight!"

"Give me the pink scarf then," Kyuhyun chuckles. Sungmin pouts and shakes his head. "You said my tears were worthless."

"Your tears were but my scarf wasn't!" Sungmin shouts as he pulls his hand from Kyuhyun and runs away from him. "Come on, let us eat now! We have to try their food!"

Kyuhyun just nods as he follows Sungmin.

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《I really love the next two chapters after this. Hehehehehehehe. The plan has been made for the last two chapters of the first part. SPOILER - The second part will have more romance, more angst so prepare yourself and I am also preparing myself haha》