Seeing Jee seat up on her hospital bed make you sadden. You walk to her and give her a hug, and you let your tears flow down your cheek on her shoulder. She seems to soften at the sight of you worrying. She pull out from the embrace and wipe away your tears. “Yah ____. Don’t do this to me.”

Sweeping away the tears – you look at her. “Jisun-ah, why are you keeping this to yourself? I’m here Jisun. I’m your best friend.” Tears keep pooling in your eyes. Jee almost broke into tears herself, but she keep it in. “죄송 해요 (I’m sorry). I can’t get myself to tell you. I’m afraid that-“ she look down. Understanding to her feelings, you give a light squeeze on her palm.

“I’m okay Jisun-ah. I already let those things at the back of my head. It has been years since that happen.” She looks into your eyes and then turn her gaze to Minseok. “Oppa. 미안 해요 (Mianhaeyo). I just be a burden to you.”

Minseok seat on her bed at the other side of the one that you’re seating on. “Please don’t say that. you never been a burden to me. Every single thing I did to you is worth for your goods.” Minseok shuffle his hand and ruffle her hair. Jee can’t help to let the tears that were pooling fall.. she squeeze back your hand to try keep the sobs. You then rub the back of her palm and she can’t take it and sobs in your embrace.

---

Jee’s parents and Dongwoo just came, but when they look at Jee who are now sleeping. They agree to take shifts on taking care of her here in the hospital. First, her parents offer to be first but you just can’t and just tell them that you’ll take the first shift. They agree onwards with Minseok accompany me. Dongwoo and Mr. & Mrs. Hwang get home after.

“____, have you called your parents?” Minseok ask while both of us tug Jee to sleep. You answer him with a slight nod – eyes still looking worry at Jee. “Don’t worry too much. She’s fine now.” He pat your hair. Your eyes never leave Jee’s sleeping face.

An awkward atmosphere blow down to your surrounding and both of you just keep quiet. You can’t let the question linger any longer and spoke up. “Who is Dongwoo?” Minseok look at you questioning. “What do you mean?” “Who is him to my best friend?”

Minseok look down knowing that Dongwoo’s secret need to be reveals sooner. “He’s a friend.” “Don’t lie to me, Minseok.” He surprised that you called him by his real name, not Baozi, steam bun nor Xiumin. “a-a..” “Was he a cousin?” you swells your eyes with tears that pooling. Why are they keeping secrets from me? Am I not the best friend indeed friend? “____....”

“Why are you guys doing this to me? Why there had to be a secret between best friends? Are you guys trying to push me aside?” he come to your side and rub your shoulder. You push his hands away. “Why was Jee so frighten to even tell me her condition? Why are you - knowing her more than me? Does this mean she doesn’t believe me?” you hold your face in your palms and rest your elbow on your hips.

He takes you into his embrace and you try hard to push him away. “Let me go Minseok. You hurting me more than you would now.” He just shrugs those words out of his brain. “I’m sorry.” He pats your hair again. “We’re sorry for not telling you this. But please understand her, ____. She loves you to not even wanting bad things happen to you. Don’t be mad at her.” he kissed your head but you’re too immersed on crying to know it. “If she ever hurt you, please forgive her. She believes you. Never did she stops believing you. You’re the one person she could turn to went she’s having a hard time. Don’t you remember when the time she didn’t finish her homework?” you let out a chuckle at the thoughts. You push him away.

“Glad you still smiling. Don’t make her cry at the sight of her best friend’s worry about her, okay?” you sob and nod. He wipes the tears that still remains on your beautiful face. “Don’t cry, yeobo-ah~” you give a knock on his head and send an irritate face. “kekeke.. 아파요 (it hurts)” he pout making you rolled your eyes.

Both of you been interrupt by the sound of the door been open from outside. Then, Dongwoo comes in with bags. “Hey guys. Sorry for being late.” Minseok then turn on questioning again. “Why are you here, Woo? I told you that we take the first shift.”  He then let out his angelic smile. “I can’t stop to think that you guys need my help and you guys would be bickering all the way to dream land.” He let out a giggle.

You show him a sulking face. “I guess I’m wrong. You guys have learnt love~” you then walk to him and smack him multiple times on his shoulder. He laughs. “okay okay. Mianhae.” You then hit him again. “aaawww..” he yelp because you hit him HARD!! “That’s for lying!” you said in anger. With that, Minseok shush the both of you. “Shut up. She’s sleeping.” You and Dongwoo chuckle. But then Dongwoo continue.. he pout. “it will leave a bruise.” He rubs his shoulder that was attacked.

“you guys go take a rest. And here… the hospital always shorts on blankets. That’s why I came home and take this with me here.” Dongwoo talk. “Thanks man.” Minseok thanked as he hand him a blue blanket. “And here you are.. Mickey Mouse blanket that you order.” He hand you a blanket with Mickey’s printing. “who said that I order a kiddies blanket?” “just take it or leave it.” With that you just take it. “you should bring some shirts for us to change.” Minseok states. “yah. be thankful that I brought blankets. What an ungrateful little brat you are.” Minseok just laugh at that.

Then, Dongwoo put another blanket over Jee. Pulling it up to her chest and give a light peck on her forehead. You just watch at the scenery of their close relationship. What a beautiful family.

Minseok nudge you and you look at him blankly. “You go on take the couch.” He point to the couch that were settled on the corner of the room. “What about you guys?” you ask them. “I bring a futon~” Dongwoo interrupt. “Yeah~” Minseok fangirling. That answer your question. “don’t worry about us ____-ah. Just use the couch. We’ll be fine here.” Dongwoo assure you and Minseok wink. You rolled your eyes at that.

---

You can’t even sleep. You keep on blinking your eyes irritate. You worry too much of your best friend that each and every minute you would look at her sleeping.

“You aren’t sleeping?” Dongwoo ask you. “Is that you Dongwoo?” you ask because you hardly see his face. Why? It’s dark and it is freaking 2:30 a.m.. “are you worrying about her?”

“yeah.. I am.” You just answer knowing that it is Dongwoo. “sorry to waking you up Dongwoo-ah.” He just shake his head but not that you see. “you’re not. I always wake up on this time of night. I usually wake up and tug Jee to sleep on this time.”

“why? She’s not sleeping?” he then answers…”she always been sleep talking at this hour.” then both of you were surprise by her mumbling incoherent words. “oh there you go. Wait okay.” And then you can see a shadow stands up from the ground – it must be Dongwoo. He reach the side of the bed and sing a lullaby at Jee’s ear. You can’t help to listen and wait obediently. Then the mumbling stops. And Jee snores quietly.

“It must have been always that you did that, huh?” you ask him. “yeah… since the time she starts to know that she have heart failure. She can’t get herself to breath well… because sometimes, her heart stops for a sec. “ he look at Jee for a while.

“so it’s a heart failure..” you look front. Sighing. “she never told me.” Dongwoo then walk back to his previous spot, beside Minseok. “don’t keep it to heart, nae?” you just stay quiet. Heart..

“Dongwoo. Does all of her excuse that she’s having a fever was a lied?” Dongwoo snorted. “Mianhae. But yeah.. she lied. She just need to rest at home.” You nodded agreeing.  “Then, why are you here? Out of all her cousins. Why are you here?” Dongwoo then sigh. “She didn’t tell you that either?”

“Ani” he then turn his body to you so that he can see your shadow. “I’m her suitor.” You jolted up. “What did you say?” he grins in delight. “The cousin thing is a lie too.. Minseok just spat that out because we didn’t have the intention to tell you.” You gawk at that and rolled your eyes sideways. “So.. all this time. You guys are really a couple? You guys are fiancé?” then you spotted his shadow.. his head shakes left to right.

“what do you mean no?” you ask. “she accepts me, yes. But she never accepts my heart – figuratively and literally. I try hard to help her. Guess she’s never going to accept that one. And so you know. I just like escorting her, trying to win her heart. But she has someone else in there. That’s why she never want to accept anyone’s heart. Even mine. So…I say that, we are fiancé in contract but not reality.” You can sense a sad tone in there. It is too visible to not notice.

“I’m sorry Dongwoo…” he then tug himself with the blanket. “Don’t be. Now go to sleep.”