It was nearing winter. Baekhyun shoved his frozen hands into his jacket pocket as he walked towards the hospital. He did not need to stop at the information counter to ask for her room number. He went straight into the elevator and pushed the button. The empty cell felt cold that day. The mirrors inside the elevator reflected Baekhyun and he saw himself for the first time that morning. He looked like a mess, a broken man. He sighed as the door opened and he stepped out of the cell.

            The corridor was eerily unoccupied that early morning. Baekhyun walked with his head hanging low. Without looking at where he was going, he counted the steps until he reached Taeyeon’s ward. He had known the way by heart after countless of visits to her room. Baekhyun’s heart ached and it felt like it was breaking into pieces by pieces every step he took.

            Unlike the feeling he had when he decided to leave this place behind. He had felt anger and fear, and he didn’t have faith in everything. He gave up on all hope and left his friend. But now, after all that time, he came back to that one place where it all began. He felt tears forming in his eyes again as his visions were blurred. With a heavy heart, he hugged the glass bottle full of paper swans of all colors close to his chest. He pushed opened the door slowly with his elbow.

            There she was, the Sleeping Beauty, lying peacefully with the angel-like face, pale lips and pink cheeks, like fallen rose petals on white snow. The room was full with the scent of jasmine lingering. The bouquet of jasmines bought by Chanyeol still stood perfectly on the vase beside her bed. Baekhyun remembered how Chanyeol used to insist on walking to the floral shop and buy fresh ones whenever he came along to visit her.

Baekhyun felt different emotions every time he came to visit. Sometimes he was tired, sometimes driven to near insane, sometimes he’s just sad. But everytime, a friend of his would always be there to cheer him up, to comfort him even when he didn’t want it. But that day, he felt beyond all that. Because he had walked into the room alone. There wasn’t anyone else following him anymore, no one to hug him when he needed to cry, nobody to calm him down with soothing words when he felt like breaking down.

He still remembered how Chanyeol was when he used to beg Baekhyun to bring him to hospital to visit her. He could never understand why. Chanyeol did not really know who she is ever since he lost his memories. But he had always felt a special connection with her. And knowing she meant a lot to Baekhyun, Chanyeol believed he should care for her as well. Sometimes, he could be so childish, so dramatic in a cute and sincere way just to make Baekhyun bring him to visit her.

Sometimes, Chanyeol would bring his guitar to the hospital and played that one song that had remained in his memory. He would strum ever so softly and sing with that soothing gentle voice. That bright, mood-lifting melody that had been written by Chanyeol himself never fails to bring warmth to Baekhyun’s heart. It lifted the corners of his lips whenever Chanyeol plays. It was the kind of music that assured Baekhyun that he’ll never have to be alone, that Chanyeol will always be there for him.

“Even when someday I won’t be here anymore,” he had said, staring up at Baekhyun as he stopped playing on his guitar, “Somebody else will. You will never be alone, Baek. I promise you that.”

That piece of memory left Baekhyun in tears again as he stared at the empty bed beside Taeyeon’s. He wondered how many more