Everyone, before I begin the story, I just want to say something VERY important!

Ahem.

I EXAGGERATED THE INJURIES. Okay? Kyuhyun did not sustain injuries as serious as I made them here, I just made them a little more intense for the story. So don't comment saying, "OH EM GEE poor Kyu I didn't know that he...!" Blah blah blah. Because he DIDN'T. XD

I will say this much.

Kyuhyun said three years after the 2007 car accident that he had a 20% chance of survival back then, as his rib bones had been crushed into his lungs. He took 5 entire months to recover. As for his family, for some reason I didn't include his father in this story, but his father was a source of great support to him.

In fact, Kyuhyun added, “My father told the doctor not to take away my vocal cords in a bypass surgery I had to undergo as I was a child who sings. So the surgery was done bypassing the flank. After that, when I knew the truth, I cried. It's because...my dad had always objected against me being a singer, and yet he had protected my dreams to be a singer.”

I'm glad he remained a part of Super Junior. Now, onto the story!

-OOO-

Lee Aiko slammed her locker door shut, ears still ringing with the injustice of her parents’ decision. Instead of going to camp this summer, instead of hanging out with her friends, instead of the relaxation and work-free months of summer vacation…

Aiko recalled the conversation she’d had earlier with her principal.

“Aiko-ah, your parents just called. They told me that they have found you a suitable job for the summer.”

“What is it, seonsaeng?”

“Well, seeming as you haven’t been doing so well in school as of late, they wanted you to do something worthwhile. You will spend every week on Mondays and Wednesdays visiting a patient in the local hospital, someone who badly needs company from another person.”

“But-”

“You’ll find this to be a memorable experience, Lee Aiko. This person cannot do the same things you can; in fact, he can’t get up from bed at all. Your job will merely be to talk.”

“Talk?”

“Yes. You must try to get a response from him, so try to act natural. Be yourself.”

“But how can I-”

“You have any objections?”

“N…no, seonsaeng.”

“Fine. You begin in a week’s time. Good day.”

Aiko’s hands shook as she picked up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. She hadn’t expected something like this! All her friends would be enjoying themselves without her while she was trying to make friendly conversation with a person who couldn’t even answer.

It was all just so utterly unfair.

When Aiko got home, she stormed straight into her room without a word to her parents.  Neglecting her unfinished homework, she went straight to sleep.

I can’t do this.

Not just because of the way my summer would turn out without being with everyone else. People in the hospital make me anxious.

I’m scared.

A few hours later, she woke up from a nightmare. Her blankets were twisted around her torso, and a light sheen of sweat covered her entire body.  Her friends had been waving at her from beside a blazing campfire. The fire danced in Aiko’s eyes, the smell of sizzling marshmallows hard to resist.

“Come! Come join us!” They yelled happily.

Aiko had begun walking towards them, when she found out she couldn’t. An invisible barrier had formed between her and her giggling friends so she couldn’t get through.  Aiko had looked down. She was covered with heavy chains, shackles binding her ankles, and a faceless person behind her was wordlessly tugging at her shirt, begging her silently to go the other way…

Aiko shuddered. Dreams like that she could do without!

She glanced at the clock. It was 3 am. She groaned, turned over, and tried to get some sleep. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to come. She tossed and turned all night, mind racing and cringing away from every hunched shadow appearing on the walls. It was stupid, but her mind was filled with the thoughts of accidents and injuries and people staring blankly from their beds.

The (extremely short) weekend passed without hassle, except for the occasional reminder of her commitment.  Her parents assured her that even though it might not be easy, who knows? She could end up having fun.

Fun. Right. This entire thing was a nightmare.

Finals week passed by even slower than Aiko could have imagined. Along with the torture of studying, she had to also endure her friends’ constant chatter.

“What are you doing this summer?”

“Oh, that getaway spot by Jeju Island? My cousin went there, and so did my neighbor…”

But poor Aiko was preoccupied, thinking of what she would be forced spend her entire summer doing.

Alone.

When everyone’s yearbook had been signed, and the last ‘goodbyes’ and ‘have fun’s were doled out, Aiko walked home in total misery.

It was a Friday. In a few days’ time, she’d be at Cheongdam Hospital, in a ward with an unresponsive patient.

It wasn’t that Aiko was a girl who was repulsed by these kinds of people. It was just…they made her sad.

What I need…is strength.

And before she knew it, it was Monday.

Aiko was in the car with her mother, silently watching the fluffy clouds overhead. How free they are…so unburdened. Unlike me.

It was a perfect sunny day, one where a girl just felt the need to throw out all her heavy winter clothes and buy a whole new wardrobe of airy and cute summer clothes. She should be enjoying her summer, not trapped in this car and dying with heat. Then, she heard the dreaded words.

“Aiko, we’re here.”

Her mother whispered to her the entire walk into the hospital, how she’d be making such a huge difference in the world, how big a kindness she was doing. Aiko wasn’t listening. She just wanted to lock herself in the nearest room and never come out.

A friendly nurse at the receptionist desk smiled encouragingly at her, bowing in welcome. “You must be Lee Aiko. Right this way, dear.”

After a hug from her mother and some ego-boosting, Aiko was steered out of the waiting room; alone, annoyed, and very scared. It took a rather long while to get to the room where she had to be.

A kind looking woman wearing dull clothes and a tired smile greeted Aiko at the door of ward 33. She looked so very young, and was obviously one of those people who showed their age slowly. “Hello. I’m Cho Young Mi, Kyuhyun’s mother. You may call me Young Mi, if you want to. You must be Aiko.”

Aiko nodded numbly.

“You know, I’d never have known a young girl to willingly give up her time for something like this. You must be such a wonderful young lady, I’m so glad. Thank you.”  Young Mi-ssi’s warm brown eyes swam with tears.

Not wanting to burst this woman’s bubble, Aiko gave a forced smile. “It’s nothing.”

Without further ado, Young Mi-ssi led her into a starch-white room. The only burst of color came from a picture of violets on the wall, and even that was small. The room contained a small dresser, and a gurney. A hospital bed.

He stared blankly at the two as they walked in. He was propped up on a few soft pillows; his hands lay unmoving by his sides. He looked to be in his late teens to early twenties, and had smooth honey-colored hair and ivory skin. His skin was so pale, Aiko couldn’t help but stare. The next thing Aiko noticed was his eyes.

They were unfocused, staring off into a distant nowhere, yet so intense and dark that the startled Aiko did a double-take. They were half-opened and looked as though they’d seen things that he’d rather forget, things that Aiko had not the experience to speak of or compare anything to.

Aiko stared into those eyes, and felt extremely insignificant.

“Kyuhyun, this is Aiko, sweetie. She’s come to be your friend.”

Kyuhyun said nothing. He continued looking towards the door, though no one stood there anymore.

“Aiko-ah, I’ll return in a few hours. If there are any problems, you can use the phone over on the dresser to call my cell. My number is taped to the phone, or you can press the button on the side of the bed to call a nurse.”

She glanced lovingly at her indifferent son. “Bye, Kyu! Be a good boy!”

And with that, Cho Young Mi was out the door. Kyuhyun finally turned his deep eyes upon Aiko.

She gulped. “Um…it’s nice to meet you, Kyuhyun-ssi.”

He only stared at her, as if she was something mildly interesting he couldn’t give his full attention to.

She forced herself to keep talking. “I’m Aiko. Of course, you already know that. I’m in my junior year of high school, and I play piano. I’m not too great in school, and my parents get annoyed sometimes, but I can’t help it. I feel like every day is the same; wake up, go to school, eat, come home, eat, sleep. It gets pretty boring, you know?”

Throughout this whole speech, Kyuhyun gave no sign he had been listening. His features remained blank.

“I think I’ll bring my keyboard sometime. I can play you one of my favorite songs. Would you like that?”

No answer.

“I’m sure you would. My friends enjoy it when I play. Music is my life, you know, and maybe that’s why I have such a hard time in school. Because I focus on my music so much.”

Aiko had no idea why she was telling all of this to this guy, to Kyuhyun. After all, she’d never even told this to her parents, let alone admit it to herself.

Before she knew it, two hours had passed. She talked about her school, her best friends, how much she loved rainy days. She was almost sure Kyuhyun had been listening, but of course she had no way of knowing.

When Kyuhyun’s mother came back, she anxiously asked Aiko how it had gone. Aiko smiled serenely and said that she had talked the whole time, and she was pretty sure that Kyuhyun had listened.

Finally, after listening to Cho Young Mi’s tearful words of gratitude, Aiko’s mother honked the horn.

“No, thank you, Young Mi-ssi. I’ll see you Wednesday.”

Waving goodbye to Kyuhyun and hurrying out the door, Aiko found herself thinking about the past few hours. It wasn’t as bad as she’d thought it would be.

Of course, when Aiko got back into the car she went through the third degree from her mother about how it had gone. But Aiko only grinned and said, “I had fun.”

I had fun?

Well, I really did, I guess. Actually, it took a weight off my chest. I told Kyuhyun so many things about myself. I confided in him. I’d never been able to do that with a stranger before…how embarrassing.

Aiko’s mother breathed a sigh of relief. Her daughter seemed in a happy enough mood.

“Aiko.” Lee Nayoung said softly. “There’s something I want to tell you about Cho Kyuhyun.”

Aiko looked at her mother, tearing her gaze from the window. “What is it, umma?”

Lee Nayoung glanced at her daughter from the rearview mirror. “Do you know of an idol group called Super Junior?”

Aiko nodded. She’d heard of those guys. Rokkugo, and all that. She wasn’t such a huge fan of pop, so she didn’t know much, but she’d heard a few of their songs from her friends and thought they were okay. “Yeah, I do. But what does a famous idol group like them have to do with Kyuhyun?”

“Aiko-ah.” Nayoung smiled fondly at her daughter. Trust Aiko to manage to be so focused on everything else but the current rising sensations that all other girls her age were nearly fanatical about. “Kyuhyun is a member of Super Junior.”

“Really?” Aiko gasped. “So I’ve been that close to an idol this entire time?”

“Yes. Don’t tell Cho Young Mi that you know, though. She specifically asked for somebody who didn’t yet know of her son’s fame. She knew that it would inevitably cause problems.”

No doubt. Aiko thought wryly, thinking of her best friend, Lee Jaiya. The girl couldn’t go five seconds without mentioning some guy called Eunhyuk. Or ‘Hyukkie,’ as she so dotingly referred to him. Privately, Aiko thought the dude looked like a grinning, mischievous monkey.

Maybe the reason why Aiko was so clueless was because she’d learned to tune Jaiya out after a while…

“I won’t tell. But what’s the rest of Super Junior’s involvement in this?” Aiko asked, still completely confused.

“A week or so ago, a few of the members were driving. They…they didn’t make their car ride safely.”

Aiko watched her mother, wide eyed. “What happened?”

“They skidded off the road. The car lost control on the highway and overturned. The other members- Shindong, Eunhyuk, and their leader Leeteuk were hurt and treated fairly quickly, okay enough to be able to leave the hospital earlier. They’re recovering more completely in their dorm right now. But Kyuhyun’s damage was a little more permanent.”

“What exactly is wrong with him, umma?”

“Kyuhyun had broken ribs, but they’re on the mend now. He is also temporarily paralyzed from the waist down, and is currently recovering from a recent operation. The car accident also took a toll on his psychological well-being, Aiko. Kyuhyun cannot speak or respond to people, because of the after-shock.”

Aiko was horrified. “That- that’s terrible!” Her mind flew again to the picture of Kyuhyun’s remote eyes. How much more she understood them now…

“Yes. Do you see now, why your company is so precious for Kyuhyun? The other members can only visit sparingly, as they’re recognized wherever they go. Kyuhyun’s ward is out of the way, as you must remember. It’s to keep outsiders from coming too close and disturbing his recovery.” Nayoung’s eyes grew a little misty as she continued, smiling faintly. “Aiko…I’m proud of you. So very proud. You’re doing the right thing.”

But Aiko couldn’t speak. She attempted to get out a few words for a few seconds, then gave up and swallowed hard, staring back out the window. And to think of her shameful attitude in the beginning.

She was ashamed of herself for not wanting to do this favor for Kyuhyun’s stricken family. And how must the other members feel, whoever they are? They were probably as close to Kyuhyun as his own family. How were they coping with all of this?

I don’t deserve praise.

When Aiko got home, she sat on her bed, thinking. Her feelings were confused, and she couldn’t figure out the aching in her heart.

Unconsciously, she sat down at her piano…and began to play.

The next day, Aiko’s parents couldn’t get her out of her room. All her parents heard was the lilting sound of the piano keys and an occasional soft voice accompanying the music, as well as the tapping of Aiko’s computer keys, and the clicking of the mouse.

Wednesday passed, and again Aiko talked to Kyuhyun, though all he did was stare at her. But it grew easier and easier to talk to this guy, now that she knew his story. Once, Aiko brought him a bunch of colorful tulips which she thought would brighten up the room.

As the weeks went by, Aiko told him of her troubles, the barriers she’d had to overcome.

“Once, when I was in sixth grade, I broke my arm. At first it hurt, but what hurt even more was my classmates’ reactions. They treated me like I needed help for every little thing. In the beginning I was okay with it, but they kept acting like I couldn’t fend for myself.” Aiko grimaced, remembering. “I was miserable. I stopped going to school for a few days, and then I told myself that I was being silly. That my friends were only trying to help.”

Kyuhyun’s eyes widened slightly, but other than that he didn’t react to Aiko’s statement.

Aiko watched him carefully. This was exactly the proof she’d been looking for.

She knew that he hated being in such a state. She knew that he only wanted to be normal again. That…and he missed s.

Aiko left that day, wrapped in her thoughts.

The next time Aiko left the hospital, she talked to Kyuhyun’s mother for a while before she left.

“Young Mi-ssi, would it be all right if I brought my keyboard one day? I think Kyuhyun-oppa would really enjoy the music.” Aiko had taken to calling Kyuhyun ‘oppa’ now, as she thought they were familiar enough to get past the formalities. Young Mi-ssi agreed, under the condition that she wouldn’t play any loud songs that would startle him.

So, it was a Monday when Aiko next visited Kyuhyun. He looked up almost eagerly when she came in. She smiled, and leaned her keyboard case and its stand against the wall.

“Kyuhyun-oppa, I brought my keyboard that I told you about! And you know what else? I’m going to ask the nurse if I can take you outside to the back so I wouldn’t disturb anyone else with the music. You’d like to feel fresh air again, right?”

Aiko pressed the button on the side of his bed to call the nurse. She didn’t wait for confirmation- she was used to Kyuhyun’s not answering by then.

“Yes?” the nurse said when she walked briskly in.

Aiko hoped she would let them go out. “Um, would it be okay if I took Kyuhyun outside to play him some music, so I wouldn’t disturb anyone else inside? I promise I’ll look after him well.”

The nurse laughed. “Of course you can, it’s about time he went outside! No one’s out there now, so it’s safe.” Somehow, Aiko found that statement by the end really heartbreakingly sad. Safe to go outside…is that the restricted life an idol had to live? Aiko supposed that it wasn’t all glory and fame after all. “Wait here and I’ll bring you Kyuhyun’s wheelchair.”

Aiko looked at Kyuhyun, and saw that he had lowered his head.

The nurse brought his wheelchair, and the nurse lifted Kyuhyun into it with surprising strength. She covered him with a light blanket, and helped Aiko take him down the elevator while Aiko held her case and stand.

Soon, they were bathed in the bright sunlight.

The little garden in back of the hospital was quiet; the tree leaves rustling with a gentle breeze. The wind carried a floral scent, and a few bees buzzed around the swaying flowers.

Aiko felt peaceful, like she hadn’t a care in the world. The nurse left, and Aiko sat on a bench with Kyuhyun in his wheelchair beside her.

“Would you like me to play you a song now, Kyuhyun-oppa?” She asked gently. “I learned it especially, just for today.”

Kyuhyun seemed to nod. Aiko took that as a very good sign, and took her keyboard out of her case, setting it up on the stand.

“You inspired this one, oppa. I spent a while figuring out the tune, but it was worth it...”

And with that, Aiko began to play an intro to a soft, sweet tune. Then she opened , and began to sing. “’Cause I can’t stop thinking ‘bout you girl…” She’d found music to a slow version of ‘U’ by Super Junior, and had meticulously learned it and watched the MV.

My strength is here.

Aiko put all she had into this one song, every fiber of her being sang this song to Kyuhyun, who had gone through such a traumatic experience at such a young age, and to have come out of it so much worse for the wear. And the feelings he must have felt, to know that his friends, his brothers, were in danger as well, and to be helpless to do anything…

Aiko saw the accident clearly in her mind, recalling the pictures she’d seen on the Internet. She remembered how her stomach had sickeningly wrenched, how her heart had begun to throb so intensely that it hurt, when she’d recognized Kyuhyun. When she saw the state Kyuhyun had been in.

He’d had to be carried onto a stretcher, his head lolling to one side, his eyes shut tightly in pain and fear, floating in and out of consciousness, hearing his friends’ yells but not being able to reach them, call out to them, let them know that he loved them.

The darkness. The faceless pull of the unknown.

How did you do it, Kyuhyun? I so vividly feel the pain you feel. I know that, deep inside, a beautiful voice yearns to rise up in lilting, glorious song.

It must be hard…I love music too. It must be so hard.

The keyboard and her own voice, unrestricted and free, put her emotion into music. She hadn’t known anything about Super Junior previously, but she wished with all her heart that the members and Kyuhyun would get through their suffering. She tried to tell Kyuhyun things through this song, things she couldn’t find the words to tell him, that everything would really be all right.

And then she came to Kyuhyun’s solo. “Nan ji mak han mok so ri ro…” ‘I am attacked with a low voice, yet you cannot win against me…’

He’d listened to her all this time. And she’d listened too, though it took more time.

The voiceless cry in his heart.

When the last note hung in the air, nature itself seemed to stop in order to hear it. Aiko knew of nothing else but the man- the boy, really- who sat beside her.

Kyuhyun sat still. He tried to speak, he opened his mouth, struggling to find his long-lost voice buried under days of no hope and despair.

Aiko watched, transfixed.

Suddenly, Aiko saw those eyes glisten. A shining tear ran down his smooth cheek, as he whispered the words Aiko knew she would never forget.

“Th…thank….you.”

Aiko gazed at him in wonder, as Kyuhyun took heaving breaths to try to convince himself that this was reality.

He had spoken.

Aiko’s eyes burned. Puzzled, she brought a hand to her cheek, and realized that she was crying.

-OOO-

Reviews are much appreciated. If you want another chapter (like with an appearance from the other SuJu members...?), just say so and I'll think about it!

Much love,

~Jaiya <3

-OOO-