CHAPTER 1: YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME

“W-What?” It involuntarily came out as a faint whisper.

“Please come to Seoul National University Hospital as soon as possible.”

FLABBERGASTED! It was the very exact word that could best describe what Jongup was feeling at the moment. Was he hearing the right thing? Were his ears trying to deceive him? Or… was he dreaming? No, he knew he was not dreaming when once again the calming female voice of the caller on the other line greeted him, making him realized that what was happening right now was dead real. His hands started to tremble, lips quivered as he tried to grasp the news slowly. Tears threatened to fall down from his eyes, knees became weak so he grabbed the nearby sofa to hold himself from sliding down to the floor.

“I-I’ll be there…” Jongup replied monotonously. Tears were slowly falling down on his chubby cheeks when he ended the call.

The young boy did not waste any more time when he quickly ran to the kitchen and turned the stove off. He was making his boyfriend’s favorite spicy rice cakes (ddeobbukki) when he received the unexpected phone call… The call that was telling him that his beloved boyfriend had been taken to the hospital because he was hit by a car when the latter was trying to save a small kid from mindlessly running across the busy road. As for now, the spicy rice cakes (ddeobbukki) were long forgotten for his boyfriend’s condition was way more important. Nooo, please hyung… please be fine…

Jongup grabbed his wallet and key before he hastily locked the front door of their shared apartment. He sprinted down the corridor and harshly opened the exit door which led to a flight of stairs. He did not mind running down the steps so long as he did not have to wait for that damn slow elevator to reach his floor. As he reached the outside pavement, he was greeted with a roar of thunder. He ignored the sign as he once again ran as fast as he could to the bus stop. He was so worried about the other that he did not care he was running under the rain that started to fall.

“Oh no, no, no… ADJUSSHI! WA-WAIT! PLEASE STOPPP!” Jongup yelled in panic as he saw a bus that he was going to ride slowly left the spot at the bus stop. He sped his track up but unfortunately, the bus was getting further away by the time he reached the bus stop. His hands tightly gripped his hair in disappointment. If only I could run faster… Tears slid down from his eyes as he anxiously paced back and forth, waiting for the next bus to come. Nooo… this is going to take more time… I need to see hyung now…

Feeling hopeless, Jongup fished for his wallet in his back pocket of jeans. He counted the amount of money he had in hands and he silently thanked God for luck was on his side. He had enough money for a taxi fare. He was internally glad that he secretly saved some money to buy his loved one a birthday gift. Money could be gained back… Jongup jogged along the sidewalk as he hailed a taxi that was passing by. Please, hyung… please, wait for me… I’m coming to you…

Once they reached the hospital, Jongup hopped out of the taxi and rushed to the reception counter. With a shaky voice that slipped out of his trembling lips, he eagerly asked the receptionist about the patient he wanted to see the most. He held himself from crying in front of her when the nurse asked for further information regarding his relationship with the patient.

“He’s in ward 4, bed number 7. You may go this way and turn right. You’ll see the ward number on the door.” The nurse politely replied Jongup as she gestured her hand towards a corridor that would lead him to the said ward. Jongup bowed his head in gratitude before he made a fast track to see his boyfriend.

As he entered the ward, he wasted no time searching for bed number 7. Jongup inaudibly gasped as he caught a glimpse of the other who was lying unconsciously on the bed and the next thing he knew, he was already standing beside Yifan’s bed, his hands carefully held his boyfriend’s. He could not help but let his tears slip down from his monolid eyes when he saw the current state of the other. A white bandage was neatly wrapped around the older’s head with a blood red spot on the left side. Another bandage was securely wrapped around his right arm. His left leg had a hard white cast which only indicated one thing – his bone must be broken.

“H-Hyung...how could this happen to you?” Jongup mumbled slowly.

Sounds of footsteps were heard, slowly approaching the worried boyfriend and it stopped as the owners stood right in front of Jongup.

“Good afternoon, mister. I’m Dr. Kim Sunggyu.” The said man said as he took a look at the result clipboard in his hands. Jongup who did not notice the sudden appearance of the doctor and his nurse, quickly straightened up his back and bowed before he greeted back.

“Good afternoon, Dr. Sunggyu.” Jongup politely said. Sunggyu nodded his head before he looked up from reading the result only to freeze when his eyes met Jongup’s. He was stunned to be looking straightly at the adorable face that was a bit red caused by the non-stop crying. But he was more triggered by the dark brown orbs of the young boy that held those sadness and worriedness over the loved one. Those eyes were something Sunggyu could not describe but to stare at it unconsciously. Jongup, on the other hand, refrained himself from furrowing his eyebrows as he waited for the doctor before him to speak.

“Dr. Sunggyu?” A nurse’s voice snapped the almost 50-year-old doctor out of his trance. He quickly apologized before he briefly took a glance at the clipboard and started to professionally explain Yifan’s condition to the worried boyfriend. Jongup could not help but held the older’s hand without letting it go as to find and give some strength to the other.

“When will he wake up, Doctor?”

“We already did a CT scan and luckily he didn’t hit his head quite bad, no concussion, so he’ll come around in the next few hours. We already gave him medicine and he should have plenty of rest.” Sunggyu said as he jotted down something on the clipboard. He gave it to the nurse once he was done writing on it and once again, he was stunned only by looking at the young boy who was slowly the patient’s cheek. He left the couple to attend his other patients and he smiled when he heard a polite thank you coming from the young boy as he stepped away from them.

“How is he, Sunggyu-ah?” Jaejoong asked as he approached his brother-in-law who was walking out from the ward. He went outside to make a phone call to his husband, telling him that he would go to their youngest son’s apartment later as he was at the hospital now. He stood nervously in front of Sunggyu as he waited for the other to say something. Jaejoong furrowed his eyebrows as he observed Sunggyu who was so deep in his thoughts that he did not response to the question being asked.

“Sunggyu-ah.” Jaejoong called as he gently grabbed a hold of Sunggyu’s elbow, snapping the younger out from his thoughts.

“Oh, hyung.” Sunggyu sighed as he looked around.

“So…how is he? The patient?” Jaejoong asked again, concern and worry laced his words. Unfortunately, he was actually on his way to his son’s apartment when suddenly two people – a young man and a little kid – crossed the road and his driver did his best to stop the car by slamming the brake hard but luck was not on their side. The car did stop but not before hitting the young man who held the kid protectively in his arms. Jaejong was relieved when the doctor in charge of the patient was his brother-in-law, so he got to receive any news with regard to the patient directly from Sunggyu.

“Ah, Wu Yifan-ssi? He’s stable, but his left femur bone, the upper bone of his leg is broken. I’m afraid he can’t walk for a few weeks.” Sunggyu explained as Jaejoong nodded his head understandingly. The latter wanted to ask further but seeing the younger was being occupied by something, he could not help but ask.

“What’s wrong, Sunggyu-ah?”

“Jae Hyung… I don’t know but I’m…hyung, there’s someone with Yifan-ssi right now and…I er,…that young boy, I’m really interested to know about him. He seems familiar.” Jaejoong frowned but he silently nodded.

“Familiar?”

“Yes, he’s l—” Sunggyu could not finish his words when suddenly a nurse called him from afar.

“Dr. Sunggyu!” Sunggyu immediately acknowledged the call before he excused himself and followed the nurse.

Jaejoong heaved a sigh before he entered the ward. He slowly approached the bed occupied by the patient named Wu Yifan and he saw a petite looking young boy was sitting next to the bed. He stood nervously besides the boy and after what seemed like forever, Jaejoong cleared his throat and greeted the other.

“Good afternoon.” The young boy turned his head and Jaejoong silently gasped. He stared at the other and he was lost for words. True to Sunggyu’s words, the young boy looked familiar but he could not point it out. However, Jaejoong too was mesmerized by the boy’s beautiful eyes that he kept staring at them. Jongup slowly rose from the chair and bowed respectfully at the elder.

“Good afternoon…er…”

“Jaejoong. And you are…?” Jongup blinked his eyes confusedly. He did not even know the beautiful man in front of him, but nevertheless, he introduced himself.

“I’m Jongup. Moon Jongup. Oh, have a sit Jaejoong-ssi.” Jongup gestured toward the chair he sat before but Jaejoong gently refused it. He tried to make himself less nervous by asking about Yifan’s current condition which he glad that the young boy was kind enough to answer all of his questions.

“Actually…I’m here to apologize for what happened to Yifan-ssi. It’s very much unexpected. I believed…and I knew