“L.Joe? L.Joe, you need to wake up, love. We need to go for your check up.” Mrs. Lee said as she knocked on the door, waiting for a reply but there was none. She knocked L.Joe’s bedroom door again and repeated what she said but she only got silence instead.

Worry started to conceal her as she immediately opened the door and peeped inside L.Joe’s room. She saw L.Joe’s sleeping figure on the bed and slowly approached him. Her son was covering himself with the thick blanket up to his nose and Mrs. Lee could see clearly the tears mark on his cheeks. His eyes were puffy and eye bags were visible under his eyes.

A soft sigh escaped from her lips, as she knew about what happened the other night. She knew about L.Joe’s last meeting with KyonDae and how her son got home in drenching clothes.

Mrs. Lee his head lovingly as she could also feel the heartbroken that her son felt even though L.Joe was having it worse.

“L.Joe.” Mrs. Lee called while shaking his shoulder gently. At first, she thought L.Joe did not answer her because he was sleeping very soundly but then after several attempts, Mrs. Lee started to panic, as L.Joe didn’t respond to her at all. “Lee ByungHun? Lee ByungHun, answer me! Wake up!” She shook him stronger but much to her dismay, no answer came from L.Joe.

His breathing was slow and so was his heartbeat. His temperature was very high and he looked very pale. Mrs. Lee ran to her husband who was in the living room and told him that L.Joe was not waking up.

Without wasting any more time, L.Joe’s parents ran back to his room before carrying him to the car. He was getting thinner by the day and he had lost his weight. Hence, it was not really a problem for his father to lift him up.

Mrs. Lee started crying while sitting on the back seat with L.Joe whose head was on her lap. She her son’s head as she called his name many times, hoping that he would wake up. Her husband was driving as fast as he could to the hospital, and he too was praying that they were not too late.

“How is he?” ChunJi asked as he and his friends including MyungHee gathered in front of the ward where L.Joe was in. They received a call from Mrs. Lee saying that he admitted to the hospital because he was unconscious when she was trying to wake him up. They rushed as fast as they could to the hospital, worried surpassed everything else that moment.

Teen Top and MyungHee’s faces fell when they saw how sad Mrs. Lee and her husband were. Mrs. Lee shook her head at ChunJi’s question as she kept on crying. L.Joe’s father hugged her wife’s shoulder and consoled her, telling her and to the rest of them that L.Joe will be fine.

MyungHee went over to Mrs. Lee’s side and gave her hand a squeeze, hoping to comfort her. Mrs. Lee turned to her and tried to give her a grateful smile but it failed as she could not feel anything else besides worry and anxious for her son.

Mrs. Lee looked around the group of teenagers that were standing in front of her and she frowned when she did not find the one she was looking for. “Where’s KyonDae?” She asked as her eyes wandered around, looking for the sight of her. It saddened her, not to see KyonDae there as she expected KyonDae to be there in the first place.

Teen Top and MyungHee exchanged heavy glances before Niel answered on their behalf. “She’s already at the airport, aunty. Today is her flight to America.”

Mrs. Lee’s eyes widened and she gasped. “Her flight is today?” Teen Top nodded.

Mrs. Lee’s shoulders fell as her husband tried to give her words of comfort. More tears fell from her eyes after she learned that KyonDae was already leaving, while her son in there was dying. “In the end he still didn’t tell her anything, did he?” Mrs. Lee sobbed as she looked at Cap.

Cap shook his head and said, “He never said a word to her. We want to tell her so badly but he kept making us promise not to tell her anything. The last thing all of us want here is to have him not claiming us as his friends anymore. Not to mention that he’s sick.”

“But he needs her here, hyung!” Ricky grumbled in frustration. “She is like the reason why he’s been able to hold on all this while! With her being here will let him know that she’s waiting! We should tell her!” Tears fell from Ricky’s eyes as his shoulders slumped and he started to sob.

ChunJi hugged his shoulder and said some comforting words to help him come down before he started to throw another tantrum. He took Ricky away from the place before he caused another scene.

Mr. Lee sighed as he stared at the floor, his hand still holding his wife’s. “Screw what he thinks.” Mr. Lee suddenly said and all eyes were on him, could not believe what they just heard. Did L.Joe’s father suddenly say that he didn’t care what his son would think any more about this? When he was actually aware of it as much as they do?

“Go and get the girl.” Mr. Lee ordered and smirked a little after that when he saw that none of them moved since they were still shocked. “Listen, he needs her alright? I do not care anymore what he is going to say or what he is going to do later. Even though I was not there all the time for him, don’t ever think that I do not know. I’m well aware of how much this person means to him and probably having her here will give him the spirit to fight his sickness.”

Mr. Lee looked at Cap and said sternly. “Tell her to come here right now or all of us are going to regret it including her. Believe me; he will thank us for this later.”

Mrs. Lee shook her head and said while looking at her watch. “I don’t think we have the time. Her flight is anytime soon.”

MyungHee stood up from her chair, which was beside Mrs. Lee and said, “I’ve got it covered. I will tell my brother about this to stop her. In the meantime, ChangJo and I will go there and kidnap her and bring her here as fast as we could.”

MyungHee was about to walk further away with ChangJo when he suddenly stopped, pulling her wrist together with her. MyungHee looked at ChangJo questioningly as to why he had stopped when they had to be at the airport as fast as they could. Not to mention they need to look for KyonDae and convinced her to come with them to the hospital.

“You do know what you are doing right?” ChangJo asked her with a concerned look. MyungHee frowned at his question and confidently nodded her head. “Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I know her presence is important to L.Joe in there but you too are aware that your brother is the one who will get hurt right?” ChangJo asked again as he could not help but to feel torn and guilty. He did not know MyungHee’s brother that well but he knew that his feelings towards KyonDae were mutual as L.Joe’s. Not to mention that they were already on their way to build a new life together that will be ruined if this secret is out.

MyungHee softened at ChangJo’s concern towards her brother. She too, did think about it many times. More than she cared to admit. This was her brother they were talking about, MyungHee’s one and only sibling.

“I know the circumstances, ChangJo. I really do. As much as I love my brother, I love my best friend too. I do not think I can live with the rest of my life keeping this from her anymore. She does not love my brother, ChangJo. She loves someone else. It makes me feel guilty to know that I know about it but she does not. MyungSoo knows about it too and I am sure he himself feels bad about it knowing that the one he is going to marry is actually in love with someone else. I love my brother; hence I know that he can actually find someone else who can love him back to spend the rest of his life with.”

Meanwhile at the airport, MyungSoo was pushing the trolley that carried his and KyonDae’s luggage. They had already settled all the things that needed to be done and now only waiting for the right time for them to enter the plane.

A smile stamped on MyungSoo’s face and as much as it was hard for KyonDae, she still tried to curve her lips upwards. She kept telling herself that this was the right decision, that MyungSoo actually loved her and willing to take care of her. Making her happy throughout the times, she was sad. Bring more smiles on her face. She knew MyungSoo was the one. Remembering the times when she enjoyed his company and how grateful she felt that he was there for her. Now it was her turn to return the favor.

Unfortunately, by no stretch of the imagination that this was the right choice, she could not ignore the strange feeling that was tugging her heart. She kept walking forward with MyungSoo by her side but somehow at the back corner of her mind a voice was screaming at her, telling her to turn around and run away instead.

KyonDae could not fathom the feeling she had and kept reminding herself that there was no going back. There was no reason why she should suddenly have a change of heart when what she was doing right now was the right thing.

She played with her fingers as she was arguing with her inner self. MyungSoo noticed her little strange behavior, as she looked distresses and troubled. Discomfort was portrayed clearly on her face hence he asked, “Are you okay?”

KyonDae snapped out of her thoughts when he heard someone was talking to her, which turned out to be MyungSoo. KyonDae nodded reassuringly and forced a smile, trying to make it look genuine and not the one that was forced.

MyungSoo studied her face and knew that she was lying. Her eyes seemed distant and so was her soul. They were near but it seemed so far for him to reach out to her. It was like suddenly there was a thick barrier in the middle of them, not allowing him to see right through her, learn what she was thinking.

“Are you sure?” He asked again, hoping that this time she will tell him what was on her mind. “Are you starting to doubt yourself about this?” He bluntly asked even though he did not prepare himself for any answers that he might get.

KyonDae shook her head vigorously and held on tighter to the strap of her bag pack. “I-I’m fine. Really, I am. I think I am just ... a little nervous to get on the plane. I have never been on a plane before. This is my first time.” She knew too well that that was not the actual reason but how could she ever tell MyungSoo the real thing that was bothering her?

Especially when she herself did not know why she started to have a doubt about this decision.

MyungSoo only nodded his head before messi