Myungsoo hated his brother. Whenever he hung out with his friends on the playground, they would talk excitedly about their families at home or share stories that normally frustrated nine year olds.  Most of them were about how awesome or annoying their older siblings were, such as how they would sneak them extra treats after dinner or how they would kick them out of their room when they refused to play pirates.

And then the questions would be turned to him. "What does your brother do Myungsoo?"

The answer would always be the same, "My brother sleeps."

"That's boring."

"That's what he does."

"Whatever, let's go put a spider in Minsu's juice." And the topic would change, but that didn't mean it wouldn't be brought back up again. Myungsoo was good at pretending that it didn't bother him for a while... but when he was old enough, he couldn't handle the loneliness anymore.

One day, 11-year-old Myungsoo confronted his parents. The sudden rage had been brought on after he got in a fight with someone. They had called him loveless because his parents were always busy and his brother would rather sleep than take care of him. The kid went home with a broken nose and Myungsoo with questions.

"I never get to see him! Where is he anyways? In his room?!"

"Myungsoo don't go in there!"

"Kim Myungsoo, What in heaven's name do you think you're doing?!"

"What does it look like?! I'm waking him up! Why would you even lock it up? How will he get out?"

When he forced the locked door open, he was met with the sight of an empty room that looked as if it hadn't been touched in years, if the dust was any indication of it. Myungsoo didn't understand, where was his brother?

"Myungsoo... We we're going to tell you when you were older..."

No. He had seen enough dramas with his mom to know how that ended phrase ended. His brother wasn't sleeping...

He was dead.

Myungsoo hadn't waited for the answer and simply ran. He shoved his way past his mother, ignored his father's calls and was out of the house before he even knew it. He ran to the park, crawled into the play ground's tunnel and wept.

It wasn't until Woohyun, the neighbor's kid, came looking for him that he finally calmed down. The boy was only a few years older than him, but already in high school and shouldn't have had time to dabble with kids like him. Woohyun always made time though and played with Myungsoo whenever he wasn't studying or working or visiting the hospital, which is why he was so easily comforted by the older boy's presence.

"My brother is dead... isn't he?"

"Your brother?"

He nodded, "That's why he isn't here."

"No Myung, your brother is sleeping."

"No he isn't! He's not in his room, and mom kept the door locked so I couldn't go in there... because there's nothing in there."

He was silent, and Myungsoo  thought he had caught Woohyun until the older boy spoke, "Myungsoo-yah, will you come with me next time I visit the hospital?"

Myungsoo was taken off guard by the change of topic, but sniffed and nodded, "Are you sick hyung?"

"No, I go to visit someone. I'll introduce you tomorrow."

With that promise, Myungsoo let Woohyun take him home. His parents were grateful to him, and Woohyun assured them he would help Myungsoo understand the situation with his brother. Myungsoo was slightly angered, he was a big boy, he knew his parents had been lying to him and that his brother was dead. He thought he was old enough to understand that, so what difference would tomorrow make?

Woohyun was right. His brother wasn't dead, he was sleeping.

Woohyun took him to the east wing of the hospital, where patients were either recovering or staying for an extensive amount of time. He had greeted the nurse at the counter, introduced Myungsoo, then took him down a long while hallway.

The door was at the end, labeled "173" as Woohyun read (But the top of the seven was broken off so Myungsoo could only see it as 1/3) and held it open for him. When he stepped inside, he was greeted by soft beeping and large machines with different wires connecting to a pod by the window.

Woohyun sat at one of the chairs next to the pod and patted the one beside him. Myungsoo hesitated, the top of the pod was clear, but he didn't know what was inside it. It could be scary, like a robot or a corpse.

"Come on Myungsoo," Woohyun laughed, "This is no way to treat your brother."

Brother? Myungsoo's eyes widened and he approached the pod slowly. As he got closer he could make out a human body, but it wasn't gross or decayed. It was the body of a male, pale and lifeless, like a statue in Woohyun's front yard. He was as old as Woohyun, maybe a little older, and even with his eyes closed Myungsoo thought they looked small.

"This is your brother, Sunggyu," Woohyun smiled, "Sunggyu is very sick, you see. However, the hospital doesn't have anything to cure him with, not yet. So a doctor here offered an alternative method. Your brother is under a 'Cold Sleep'. I guess you could say his body is frozen and he stays the same while the rest of us change. The doctor here is working on a cure for him though, so he should be able to wake up soon."

"He's sick?" Myungsoo heard himself ask, his eyes trained on his older brother, "What's wrong with him?"

"His heart is real bad," Woohyun further explained, and Myungsoo tore his gaze away only to find Woohyun looking at Sunggyu, "It can't be easily replaced because his body is so weak. But it can be cured, we just don't have it yet."

"When will we?"

"Soon. But for now we have to wait. For now, Sunggyu stays asleep."

"Hyung," Myungsoo called, "Did you know my brother before?"

"He was my hyung for a short while," Woohyun smiled and ruffled the boy's hair, making him whine, "You were in your moms belly when he was put under. And you know what he made me promise?"

"What?"

"He told me to take good care of you until he wakes up. He said if I did anything bad to you, he'd beat me up."

Myungsoo laughed, "You're too nice to be beaten up."

Woohyun grinned childishly and pulled him into a hug, "Awww my little Myungpoo is so nice to me~"

"Yah! Hyung! Let go or I'll tell Sunggyu on you!"

"Alright, alright," he relented and the two sat back in silence. Myungsoo looked back at Woohyun, who remained staring at the pod with a small smile on his face. He assumed the two were close before this, and felt slightly jealous that Woohyun got to know Sunggyu before his sleep. He didn't realize Woohyun was talking until the boy turned to him.

"But do you understand now? Sunggyu hyung is just asleep, he'll wake up soon."

"I understand..."

"Good," Woohyun messed up his hair again, "So, we have to be good dongsaengs and take care of each other until he does. Okay?"

"Okay hyung."