“Kyuhyun-sshi’s body temperature will spike continuously throughout the day. There is really nothing we can do for him right now.” The doctor explains ruefully.

“The body aches ~” Jungsu asks with his voice faltering.

“Both the fever and the aches are caused by cancer attacking healthy cells. There really is not……I’m sorry.”

Jungsu left the doctor’s office feeling even more dejected than when he first entered. The doctor had told him to prepare for the worse. For a while now, he and his brothers have all almost forgotten that death is knocking on their dongsaeng’s door.

A smile of self-loath pricked the exhausted man’s lips. How could he have forgotten?

Following the by now familiar path down the sterile corridor to the room at the end of it, he opens the door and is about to enter.

“Hyung!”

Jungsu turned at the call to see Siwon hurry towards him.

“What did the doctor say?”

@

Siwon enters Kyuhyun’s room alone. Jungsu had said he needed some time alone to process his grief.

Not sure what to expect anymore, Siwon is momentarily stunned to see his maknae sitting on the window seat next to his bed reading something on his phone as the sunlight warm his back.

Like an angel with his halo shining brightly.

“Babykyu?” Siwon ventures timidly, afraid that it is all a heartbreaking mirage.

Kyuhyun lifts his head and smiles at his hyung. “Hello hyung!”

Siwon smiles at the cheerful greeting. Eversince Kyuhyun had fallen sick, every one of his brothers is subjected to a constant roller coaster of good and bad days. It is exhausting but no one is complaining when they have a good day.

“What are you reading?” Siwon asks curiously as he approached the pre-occupied boy.

Kyuhyun smiles again. “Chullie hyung’s message.”

Siwon’s face darkens considerably but Kyuhyun is too excited to notice.

“What did he say?” Siwon asks stiffly.

“He said he’s sorry he can’t visit because he is too busy these days with fashion week.”

Siwon’s tensed facade relaxed a little as he watched his brother continues reading with a delighted smile on his face.

“How are you feeling today, baby?” Siwon asks.

“I feel great today!” Kyuhyun abandons the phone for a moment to reply animatedly. The excitement is written all over his face as he gushes happily. “I haven’t had a day like this for a long time! Come to think of it, I never felt this good even when I was healthy.”

Siwon decides to reply with a brave smile. He will not allow himself to ruin Kyuhyun’s day in any way. “That’s great! Is there something you would like to eat? Or shall we go for a walk in the gardens?” He offers enthusiastically.

Kyuhyun contemplates his choices seriously. Yes, there is a place he wants to go badly but he isn’t sure if his brothers will let him.

“There is –“ His voice falters uncertainly.

“What is it, Babykyu?” Siwon asks curiously.

Taking a deep breath, Kyuhyun decides to come clean. “Hyung, I want to pay mom and dad a visit.”

Siwon does not know how to react. His eyes grew wide and his jaw drops slightly apart. Kyuhyun looked at him worriedly. “Hyung?”

Siwon recovers quickly. “You mean you…”

“I want to pay a visit to their graves.” Kyuhyun rephrase his request.

“Today?” Siwon asks stupidly. Kyuhyun nod in reply. “B-but, not everyone is here today. We should set a date so-“

“Just you and me, hyung.” Kyuhyun interrupts the blabbering fool of a brother.

2 hours later, Kyuhyun, Siwon and Jungsu are heading out of the city in a cab. The 3 men sat in dead silence, Jungsu in the front turned frequently to observe his maknae. Siwon is also observing the quiet figure from the corner of his eye.

The earlier exuberance Kyuhyun was displaying had all but disappeared. In place is extreme fatigue as he laid his head against the edge of the car window watching the scenery zip by with very tired eyes.

The sun is setting when they finally arrived in their grandparents’ hometown 3 hours away from Seoul. The cab pulled up at the gates of the town’s cemetery. Jungsu paid the fare while Siwon helped his youngest onto his back. Kyuhyun’s legs are almost impossible to walk with now but a wheelchair is useless on the terrain they have to cross.

The path strewn with brown leaves felt familiar yet unfamiliar. Jungsu is by the side warily watching in case Siwon could not bear Kyuhyun’s weight as they trudged up the slight hillock till at last they reach the tombstones marking their parents’ eternal resting place.

“Mom, Dad, we are here to visit you.” Jungsu announced stolidly first.

Kyuhyun knelt heavily before his parents and bowed deeply. Siwon