“I’ll go get the car, you guys wait here,” Daehyun said before he went to the parking lot.

Junhong nodded and watched as Daehyun walk away, turning once in a while to look back at Himchan who was sitting beside Junhong.

“My throat feels dry,” Himchan creased his forehead, rubbing his neck.

“Here,” Junhong handed him a cup of coffee.

“Thanks, Junhongie,” Himchan smiled.

Junhong smiled back but inside, he was confused.

Himchan had woken up from his coma and he was fine. He didn’t run away from Junhong or say anything about Yongguk. It was like nothing had happened, like everything was just a dream.

Or maybe Himchan had erased everything off his mind.

“Hyung,” Junhong turned to the man. “How are you feeling?”

“Me?” Himchan raised his eyebrows, chuckling slightly. “I’m fine. Why?”

“You hurt your head, remember?”

“Yeah but it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Hyung?” Junhong hesitated for while but when Himchan prodded him with his curious stare, he let out a sigh and decided to ask. “Don’t you remember anything? Before you fell down from the balcony?”

Himchan looked down at his hands and blinked. When he looked into Junhong’s eyes, the latter could only see a blank stare.

“I…don’t know. Am I supposed to remember something important?”

“No, no,” Junhong shook his head quickly. “It’s nothing.”

♦

Junhong took out the key from the pocket of his jeans and unlocked the front door before he ushered Himchan inside.

“The house is a bit messy,” Junhong scratched the back of his neck. “I haven’t been cleaning it for a while.”

“Yeah, really messy,” Himchan commented. “Oh well, we’ll just clean the house tomorrow. I’m sleepy. Good night Junhongie.

“Yeah,” Junhong nodded.

Himchan gave him a pat on his shoulder and limped his way to his room, shutting the door gently. Junhong stood in the middle of the living room silently, staring at the door to Himchan’s room. He then approached the door and pressed his palm against it.

Was Himchan truly okay?

The MRI scan went smoothly. The doctor said that Himchan was recovering but Junhong couldn’t help but to feel insecure. What he felt was wrong. Like a bad omen or some sort. It was like something was coming. Was it merely anxiety that made him feel this way?

“He looks fine,” Daehyun sat down on the couch, fiddling with his black tie. “I’m worried.”

“Me too,” Junhong nodded as he sat down beside the social worker.

“The doctor said that he might suffer from post traumatic amnesia or whatever. He told me that it wasn’t something harmful, that Himchan would recover as long as he wasn’t being forced to remember. Of course we wouldn’t want Himchan to remember about the incident but sooner or later don’t you think that he would retrieve his memory?”

Bbang jumped into Junhong’s lap and meowed. the cat’s head, Junhong trained his gaze on Daehyun and smiled sadly.

“Then we have to prepare ourselves, don’t we?’

“I just hope that he wouldn’t do something stupid again.”

“I’ll be by his side then.”

♦

“Hey Junhong? Since you’re free today do you wanna go to the park?”

Junhong stopped chewing on his breakfast and frowned. He then stared at Himchan for a while before he replied.

“I have school today,” Junhong said it slowly. “Hyung, it’s Wednesday.”

“Oh, really?” Himchan stopped stirring his coffee and turned to face Junhong. “Uh-oh…”

Himchan left the kitchen and sprinted clumsily into his room to get his briefcase. Then he headed towards the front door when Junhong decided to stop him.

“You’re on medical leave, hyung.” Junhong told him. “You know your leg and head are not fully healed yet.”

“Oh.” Himchan blinked. “Well that’s too bad...”

“Let’s just rest, hyung,” Junhong smiled at him. “After I get back from school we’ll go to the park together and feed the ducks, okay?”

Himchan chuckled and patted Junhong on the shoulder before he went back into the kitchen.

♦

Junhong got out of his bed and headed straight to the kitchen to greet Himchan who was bending down in front of the oven, watching the pizza in the making.

“I’m making pizza. I hope you like seafood.” Himchan told Junhong as the latter sat down at the table.

“Sure.” Junhong replied, followed by a lazy yawn.

“Hey, I heard you won the basketball competition!” Himchan beamed as he walked over to Junhong to ruffle his hair. “So how do you want to celebrate it?”

Junhong shifted his gaze from the table to the smiling Himchan who was looking at him expectantly.

He could only return his smile with a wider one. He didn’t want to be upset. He didn’t want to let Himchan know how afraid he was of his condition.

“We’ve celebrated it months ago, hyung.”

A frown appeared on Himchan’s face.

“I’m sorry,” Himchan told him before he went back to focus on the pizza in the oven. “I keep forgetting. It’s so stupid.”

“No, it’s not your fault. You’re still recovering, everything will be fine,” Junhong assured him although he was actually trying to convince himself more.

“What if I start to forget everything?” Himchan muttered under his breath but Junhong didn’t miss a single word.

“I can always remind you, hyung.”

Himchan turned to him and nodded slightly before he walked away, face as stiff as a stone.

How funny.

Junhong felt like he was dragging misfortune along with him.

Or maybe he was misfortune itself. 

Himchan would be fine, he told himself.

♦

Junhong had just gotten back from his basketball practice when he heard a loud crash coming from the house.

Worried, he barged inside and saw Himchan throwing things on the floor, muttering incoherently as tears streamed down his cheeks.

“Hyung, what’s wrong?” Junhong rushed to his side and held his hand firmly.

“I-I can’t find my car key,” Himchan stared at Junhong sorrowfully.

Junhong put up a smile and walked over to the side table in the living room to grab the car key that was placed in a bowl. Then he gave it to Himchan.

“You always kept it there.”

Himchan frowned and wiped the tears off his eyes. Then he started laughing as if he hadn’t just trashed the whole house.

“I’m such an idiot. I should’ve known.”

After a while, Junhong decided to speak up.

“Hyung, do you want to go to the hospital to have another check up?” Junhong eyed him nervously, afraid that Himchan would become upset.

Himchan had been having mood swings lately. It scared Junhong whenever he started getting upset and screaming. Every time he went into a mood swing, Junhong would stay by his side and comfort him wordlessly; only holding onto his trembling hands for he knew that if he spoke up, Himchan’s mood would only worsen.  

“Will you go with me?” Himchan creased his forehead.

His hands were trembling once again. Junhong had to hold on to his hands tightly.

“It’s alright, hyung. I’ll go,” Junhong assured him. “You’ll be fine.”

“You were in my dream last night,” Himchan said, gazing at nothing particular. His voice was hollow and Junhong didn’t miss the trace of fear on his face.

Junhong turned to face him and raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah? What was I doing in it?”

Himchan craned his neck to look at Junhong, dark circles evident around his tired eyes.

“You stabbed me with a knife while I was asleep.”  

A/N: Just so you know, penultimate chapter up ahead.