Not every puzzle is intended to be solved. At least, that's what Shindong keeps telling to himself - wanting to believe that some puzzles are in place merely to test one's limit, which is means they shouldn't have exert themselves too much over the uncertainty of the future prospect.

However, that's now how the talented choreographer views the world. In fact, the male oversees it as a battlefield to achieve the ultimate goal you've set in the earlier days. Be it the foolish, frivolous notion you ever had in mind at that time, it doesn't matter because working hard, struggle to the fullest for the inconsequential whim is the key to success. That is, if you are determine, and brave enough to undergo the degree of loss that stored for you, just for the sake of the silliness idea you dreamed about.

To the gifted choreographer, it is part of the life experience, actually - to explore the perilous journey the world has lay down for all the visitors; in condition they have what it takes. If you blindly walk in with your shoulder high, expecting everything at the end of the day, you're going to sink in glimmer, unnoticed by the passer-by, with mere blink of an eye.

To sail the world, you have to be prepared - fully prepared, which many people love to treat this trivial thing as something so...trivial. Perhaps that's why Shindong chooses to venture into entertainment industry in the first place, exposing himself to the wild and crazy world. Though it full with thousands of roses pricks along the way, the choreographer sometimes can't believe himself, even to this day - that he somehow manages to stand still on his own two feet despite encounters major failures in early days.

In order to bask in the sweetness of triumph, the bitterness of the world has to be experience beforehand, for the defeat is the indicator to the great achievement. On the second thought, maybe this is the sole reason he is part of the world survivors. And somehow, along the many horrible ordeals he has to go through, his smart brain manage to fool him, as it never gives him any insight that there is someone, out there, conceivably through the same things as him, or maybe something much worse than that.

When he realizes that this someone is a close friend of his, he wishes that he never existed or even born to the world, at all cost. How the so-called friendship - he would like to scream excitedly as it is, and silently wears a smug inwardly, proud for having many close friends - lets himself downgrades the friends of his to the point his brain consistently insists that they are all going to be fine, no matter what.

Little does he know that this is not the case; it is the fake illusory reality, really.

How can he never attempts to actually aware that not all the outer appearances are parallel to what the heart is saying. Such a selfish, egoistic human he is! He never, not once makes an effort to really gets to know them better, understands his friends better than any strangers would.

Because that's his job, his task to understand his friends better, more than any random guys on the street.

Instead, he builds a meaningless pride in himself, assuming everything will never fall apart for everyone, except him - only him. Why he never expects that the others will not going through the same thing as him, despite he clearly envisions that the good, happy fortune comes with all the greasiness it brings along with. One has to taste the unpleasant acrid before setting the heart for the sugary honey - he perfectly knows this. Hell, he masters this winning formula.

Then again, he keeps bombarding his brain cells on why, why, and why questions that give him no precise answers for each sets.

Why he never knows the possibility of Ryeowook and Kyuhyun's marriage is not simply like any normal married couple?

Why he never thinks that neither the talented designer nor the skillful doctor intends to make things further astray from the set point?

Why he never gets the insight that perhaps both young males are having huge hurdle that makes them afraid for the uncertainties of life, scared to move forward?

And it takes him freaking eight years long to finally grasp that he is indeed a selfish bastard that doesn't deserve the nice, considerate guys as friends for the lifetime. How come he never brings himself to care for others instead of his own?



Thus, when the young designer raps his office on the twelfth floor of the ISE building, he immediately cancels all the schedules for the rest of the day, as he registers that the calm slender male is sporting the unreadable mask despite the small smile adorns the handsome features.

The choreographer has been studying the subject of his case for few months already, and somehow he proud that he has achieved something from the short span of time albeit assumptions are mere assumptions, unless the said subject agrees to his hypothesis.

Ryeowook has something to tell - though this behavior is kind of weird for he never be the one who people love to seek for a company except, few of his friends - Sungmin once seeks his advice - sadly, he has forgotten what the issues were. Possibly, that's why people never want him as a company. But, still it doesn't explain why the smaller male is in his office; all silent, even now when they are in Shindong's maroon car, except for the brief 'Turn left', 'After the hospital in front, turn left again', and some left-right again before the choreographer registers that they are heading to the cemetery.

It is quiet odd at first on how the designer knows exactly the familiar cemetery, for as Shindong tries to recall a few years back, the smaller didn't attend the funeral. Wait... Does that means Ryeowook now has knew about the death?

Eyeing the younger male in front of him, he notices the designer clutches a bouquet of white lilies on the right hand - okay, he doesn't see it coming - while the other free hand waving airily, as in feeling the nice autumn breeze that grazing the slender smooth clear skin.

Trailing behind the young designer, Shindong keeps his eyes close on Ryeowook, intending to read the unfazed male, although nothing seem resolutely apparent to match the thinking of the designer - not when the lingering, debating thoughts, and suspicions dominate many other possibilities.

At some point, the choreographer stops up short as he watches the designer has halts his steps in front of the grave - standing there perfectly still for like an eternity; before the designer crouches, brushing the lean fingers around the headstone carves, after placing the flowers on the gravel of stones. While Shindong still deliberately thinking on whether he should go over the smaller male, or just stays rooted to his place from afar; he can see that the designer has drops his head, as in trying to composed himself. But, after almost ten minutes the younger doesn't raise his head, panic strikes in.

Striding towards the squatted male at such fast pace, Shindong then slows down upon reaching the younger, before stops moving all together - not making any attempts to soothe the younger, afraid all of the sudden. Moving his hands to rest on the petite shoulder, the hand ends up hanging in the air, barely above the shoulder; concern, fear all mix in.

After sometimes, the elder bends his body forward, simultaneously bending the knee. Gently, he wraps his arm around the other frame. For a moment, silence shallows them both. Shindong begins to wonder whether the younger is actually crying, because there is no sniffling like he knows the designer will do whenever the latter is shedding the tears.

Though, he wants to check upon the younger male, Shindong fights with the incessant urge. If Ryeowook doesn't say anything, than he shouldn't either - noticing now, nothing can be said to console the other. He doesn't even know what has been bothering the designer in the first place. So, how come he has any ideas on how to pacify the latter?

Now, the stifling silence is almost feels like choking the choreographer, albeit he convinces himself that this stillness is what people love to categorize as the comfortable silence - nothing could or should be said, because of the understanding from both parties. Except for him, as he concludes now that he hates this - the silent treatment - just because there is no other distraction that he has to face the very fact that he is indeed never try his hardest to actually grasp what has been happening to his younger friends, neither he has the slight discernment regarding his other friends.

If only tidbits of life can be count in as some sort of understanding his friends more, he is pretty damn, hell sure that he has no right to keep them as his friends.

Even the perfect stranger can judge this - only by observing, put the two and two together - given the small, tiny pieces of info will do. In a sense, he is the perfect stranger, someone who is supposedly not known, or be familiar with Ryeowook, or Kyuhyun.

Yes, he is now, officially a stranger to both of them.




However, the gifted choreographer gets this feeling that the designer doesn't want him to feel absolutely useless as Ryeowook gives him sets of envelopes, after the younger has breaks away from the embrace, before leaning against the headstone, pressing the side onto the cold surface.
 

Baffled, the choreographer darts his eyes back and forth between the different sizes of brown envelopes on the younger male's hands and Ryeowook itself, searching the hidden motives from the brown almost black orbs. And surprisingly, he finds the crystal genuineness in it, almost like the designer is ready for whatever is going to happen next; though there is a slight fear invades the serenity. But it soon fades away as the determination dominates the vision each time hesitation tries to take over.

Without breaking the eye contact with Ryeowook, the elder gets hold of the wrappers, realizing that there are two documents: the big one is quite thick while the small, cute sealable flap has a unique scent, lavender perhaps?

Ryeowook, on the other hand, is nervous, to say the very least and he somehow relief that the elder male doesn't sense his doubt, because he knows if Shindong starts to open his mouth, he will seize those envelopes before the other can lay fingers on it, pretending that there are nothing to show at, at all.

This very first step is important to the designer as this is the turning point for him to the next stage of acceptance, hoping that there will be positive results at the end of the day, though he knows rainbow only refracts and disperses after a rain-storm occurrence. The lack of courage from his part will hinder the process, which he knows for sure. Thus, he wishes that the latter will see right through this and hopefully all the inquiries coming from the choreographer doesn't reeling him off balance.

Determinedly, he wants to answer all the questions that will be thrown by the elder, since he doesn't want to explain anything. No, making clear of the situation, or describing every details is not part of the turning point. The slender male then watches the choreographer from the corner of his eyes, discreetly glancing once a while, without giving away that he is indeed dead anxious about the whole thing.

Racking his brain for the answers from the common questions that might be asks by the elder, Ryeowook prepares and rehearses the same line over and over again silently, while at the same time, still anticipates the reactions from Shindong.

Undoubtedly, the first question aiming for him throws him off guard. Not in his wildest dream that it sends him wobbles, unable to think straight.

"Why me?"

Dumbfounded, Ryeowook looks at the elder, noticing that both seals still intact - the acquisition document and the letter. Why what, exactly?

"... Honestly, because you will give a very straight forward answer, the forthright one."

"You can count on Heechul-hyung, too, no?"

Well, it is true that the most direct, an outspoken yet honest one is diva, but the actor is out from the league from the start. "The others won't be too happy once they know." Averting his eyes, Ryeowook breathes the word. "Plus, it's unfair."

"Is that why you've been avoiding them, because you feel unfair towards them?" Sighing, the elder voices the soft tone of his. "What are they to you? Yes, they are your friends."

Although, he has stated earlier that he doesn't deserve friends like all of them, but that doesn't mean he respects them any less; in fact it soars up high. And he definitely doesn't want the designer to feel the same way as he is now - that the younger doesn't earn the right to has wonderful friends just because he discards them sometimes - because Ryeowook is worthy enough to have those amazing guys as friends. 

"Albeit I know you'd view them differently, but that doesn't change the fact that they are your friends, Ryeowook."

"It's for you to say, not me." Changing the subject, the designer then nudges the choreographer lightly, reminding the elder about the enclosed envelopes. "Take the chances wisely. You're the first to know, about all of this." Aside from Kyuhyun, that is.

So, Shindong does exactly what the petite male asks him to do, though it puzzles him on why the said person insists him to take a look at the contents. He waits for explanation or maybe some enlightenment from Ryeowook's part while proceeding on opening the seal. But, there is nothing coming from the younger male. The elder male then assumes that the younger wants him to see the inside first before uttering any words. Little does he knows, that this is not the case.

Shindong waits some more, staring at the small figure at the other side of him, who is now staring ahead, a long look casts on the features.

"Ryeowook-ah, what is this?" Finally, the choreographer expresses his curiosity, after agonizingly and patiently holding on for a good five minutes for the designer's clarification.

"A legal document entitled to the hospice." Ryeowook simply replies without really paying attention which document the choreographer refers as. The stamp duty paid transactions states that the buyer is Cho Woo Hyun - isn't that Kyuhyun's grandfather?

Confirming his suspicions, Shindong checks upon the name engraved in the headstone, before resuming to his previous action - reading the documents in the envelope. Questions begins to raise on the choreographer's mind, and the more he digs in, the more unanswered, loaded presuppositions crossing his mind. Then he comes across with quit-claim deed where Kyuhyun's grandfather transfers the land property to the grantee, which is Ryeowook. And he notices that the designer has completed the transfer, filling it as an official document just early this year - 3rd February.

"Are you saying that the hospice is originally own by Kyuhyun's grandfather? And that he wants you to own that institution, once he dies? Is that it?"

Seriously, this is just bizarre, too much for the elder to take in. It's not that it is surprising that Kyuhyun's grandfather decides to give something to the slender male - Ryeowook is an apple in everyone's eyes, after all - but it's stunned enough for Shindong to actually form any coherent thoughts, that the big, huge, beautiful hospice is now owned by his petite friend.

No, he is not jealous, not in the million years! But, now he thinks he gets why every time he accompanies Ryeowook to the hospice, he notices the endearments coming from the designer. It's like there is this fondness attachment exuding from the smaller male that it doesn't done a very good job in concealing the fact that the sadness also emanating the small frame's whole being. 

But, why...?

"Open the second one. That should explain why."

Shindong then opens the small envelope, pulls the folded scented letter out. The letter addresses to the designer, and the choreographer can't help to compare it to a will, only that the piece in his hand has no legal declaration - just inner wishes to let the recipient knows how the testator feels about...everything.

There are so many things Shindong wants to ask, for further comprehension, so that he becomes less confused, and clearly understand what has been going on, except he feels too overwhelm to vocal out his concern, his incertitude.

"You know the last time I realized that I actually talk to the real grandpa was on my birthday. And it was two years ago. I didn't aware that the days after that, it was someone else who I conversed to."

Brushing the fingers mindlessly on the fresh, green grass, Ryeowook continues.

"And I only discovered, this year, that he had died when the attorney called me in, gave all these documents and explained everything to me in an indiscernible language, to me it was. And it was quite a blow - a huge one...that at some point, I blame you guys for not telling me everything."

Closing his eyes momentarily, the designer draws in soft breathing. A slight cracking appears on his next words.

"I despise Jongwoon-hyung for hiding about the death, for compromising with everyone, including my parents that...grandpa has died, two years ago. I hate all of you for not considering my feelings and I...still hate you guys for letting me go along with this bull all alone."