As the ragged minibus slowly came to a halt, a small boy of about 8 took his backpack and hurried to the exit.

"Take care, Jongwoonie!" the woman sitting in front of him said with a smile yet the boy showed no response. He kept walking straight forward on the soiled pathway without looking back even once after the door closed behind him.

"Such a weird kid," the driver shook his head, his eyes not leaving the bumpy road in front.

"Poor boy! What kind of parents let their kid travel alone a long way like that?" the woman spoke again, turning back to her embroidery work when dirt blocked her view behind the vehicle, soon forgot about the boy who had travelled with them all the way from Seoul.

~oOo~

Stopped at the first construction he had seen after two kilometers walking under the sun, Jongwoon took some time observing it before going in. The two-storey white building looked a bit aged but quite clean and tidy for a sandy region like this. The garden in front had no flower yet the large number of trees he didn't know the names helped soothe his eyes a lot after the tiring trip. As the boy was about to climb up the front steps the sound of a crowd came from the opposite direction made him stop and look up waiting.

Not long after, he saw two people walking out. The woman was astonishingly beautiful despite the fact that she was crying her heart out, while the man who was assisting her to walk seemed a lot calmer but still pale and shivering. Following them were some nurses and an old man in white robe. As they passed by, the boy noticed the woman was holding a box tightly like it contained her life. Curious, he stood up on his tiptoe to peek inside the box. There were only some clothes and a new robot, exactly the same as the one he saw on TV at the bus station that morning. Jongwoon had never had a toy before except for the ugly one-eye doll he got from Jungsoo for a month cleaning the windows. Watched the two people until they got inside the car, he soon turned his look back to the building entrance.

Only then that a woman not dressing in white saw him and bent down to ask, "Oh hello there, what are you looking for, little boy?" Her warm tender voice gave out a secure feeling but that wasn't enough to make Jongwoon open his mouth. Instead, the boy took out a piece of paper from his backpack and handed over to the woman. Skimmed through the content, she then smiled sweetly and reached out, offering a hand to him, "Let me take you to the manager's office," yet to the woman’s surprise, he only stared back at her blankly. Removed her arm awkwardly, she stood up, motioned the boy to come after her and started walking into the building.

Once inside the office, Jongwoon sat down on a chair next to the door as was told and studied the surrounding, not really paying attention to the two adults' conversation.

"Manager Oh, thank you for your collaboration during the previous days," the woman said to the old man Jongwoon had seen earlier who now sat behind a large wooden table in the middle of the room.

"I am the one who has to say thank you, Agent Kim," the manager slowly spoke and the boy immediately diverted his eyes toward their direction as he caught some words. Though he was merely 8 but Jongwoon knew what "agent" meant. It meant police and Jungsoo had told him police meant trouble. Looked at them warily, he started listening to what they were saying.

"If you haven't persuaded the Lee family to keep the information away from the press, we would have been in big trouble already," the man continued, smiling gratefully.

"Mr Lee didn't want to make it big. He said his wife would be more heartbroken to see it on the news everywhere," the female agent sighed looking down. That woman's cry kept playing inside her head, making her wonder what if she had a son and he also mysteriously disappeared like that. "We will continue searching here so we still have to bother you. I hope you don't mind," she said bowing politely to the man in front before going to the door.

"Of course not," he intended to get up from the chair and bid her goodbye but the woman had stopped him. Gave Jongwoon another kind smile she then left the office.

The next minutes passed in silence as the manager looked at the letter Agent Kim had given him earlier. The boy couldn't see any expression on his face but the fact that the old man took a bit too much time to read that small amount of words made him worried.

He was sent to this sanatorium for children with the reference from a doctor in the local clinic. The man insisted that he must spend at least one month at the seaside for his health to get better after the severe pneumonia. However, the manager of the orphanage Jongwoon was staying at didn't like the idea because they really couldn't afford that. Only until the doctor said he would write a letter to the sanatorium manager and ask for support that the woman gave in.

Had wakened up since the early morning to catch a bus here, if Manager Oh didn't accept him now, Jongwoon would have to go all the way back to Seoul and face the pissed manager of his orphanage because "he had wasted everyone's dinner just for two sightseeing tickets". So when the old man cleared his throat, the boy almost jumped up from his seat.

"Jongwoonie, can you come here?" to his surprise, the man's voice was indeed very warm and gentle. He motioned the boy to get closer and took out a stethoscope to check his lungs with a slight frown on his face. After what seemed like forever to Jongwoon, the manager who also was a doctor finally stopped listening and wrote something into a file.

"Nurse Hwang," he called and a fleshy middle-age woman swiftly appeared. "Please show this boy to the six-bed ward," the man instructed before turning to Jongwoon.

"I hope you enjoy your stay here," he said, didn't move a wrinkle but the boy was sure he saw the old man smiling.

~oOo~

Following the nurse through the long aisle, Jongwoon was once again awed by the size of the sanatorium. Compared to his small poor orphanage, this building was like a giant palace he could only see in a dream.

"Walk faster! It's almost dinner time already," the woman scolded with her croaky voice as she opened the door on the right, making the boy jump in fear but still quickened his pace.

Stopped in front of the room, he looked up and saw five pairs of eyes staring at him closely. They were boys of around his age, dressing in different kinds of clothes but since Jongwoon had been used to many types of people, he easily noticed they all came from normal working families. After some first awkward seconds, most of them then smiled welcoming at him, however, the boy still hesitated a little before coming in. Despite traveling a long way alone without worrying any bit, this moment standing here Jongwoon suddenly realized he was once again surrounded by people he had never known, not a single familiar face to turn to, just like the first time he was brought to the orphanage 4 years ago after his mother disappeared leaving him at a clinic.

"What are you waiting for? You'll sleep in that bed," the nurse snorted, pointing her chubby finger at a bed near the end of the room, "Go wash up and prepare for dinner!"

Snapped out of his memory, the boy lowered his eyes and stepped into the room, not returning any of the friendly gestures the others were showing him. After showering away all the dirt from the long trip, he followed everyone to the dining hall, trying to make himself invisible to avoid any attention.

Most of the time, Jongwoon only looked down at his tray. The food wasn't very special but after a tiring day and also because he had only seen meat several times in some special occasions, this meal could compare to a royal feast, he believed. As the boy finished his portion, he took a glance at other kids in the room. There were about 50 of them sitting at both sides of a long table, all in the middle of eating, talking and teasing each other. But a bit further, near a window, he saw a slim boy leaning against the window frames, looking as if he was enjoying a beautiful twilight which shed its glorious red all over his face, emphasizing his features, making Jongwoon all stunned at the sight.

"Dear, do you want some more?" a nurse suddenly asked, her tender voice snapped him back to normal. Answered politely that he was full and thanked her for the delicious meal, Jongwoon then turned his gaze back to the window, however, the strange boy had already disappeared. A bit regretted but he told himself that maybe the other had gone back to his table. Too tired to do anything more, he stood up and slowly walked out of the hall, decided to call it a day.

~oOo~

The next morning, the boy was wakened by early sun rays from the window next to his bed. Had a good mood thanks to the nice sleep, he quickly went to the bathroom before getting in lines with other kids. They were all going to the beach to do their morning exercise, a must-have session to start a day in the sanatorium.

Jongwoon had always got up early in the orphanage too but instead of physical exercise, he and Jungsoo, who were the biggest kids there, had to deliver newspapers and went back in time for breakfast before going to school. Sometimes the two ran errands for people around the neighborhood, cut the lawn, even removed snow on the road in winter so they would give some food, clothes or money to support the orphanage.

Since his staying in the sanatorium was free, the boy had also prepared to work and pay back the favor. That was why when the nurses told the kids, including him, to play around all they want after the exercise Jongwoon was so surprised and also excited. It was the first time he went to the beach. Everything was new to him, the blue waves, the smooth sand, the multi-shape rocks and even the wind here was different. It smelled salty. It smelled like fish.

Busy discovering a whole new world, the boy went further away from other kids without noticing. When he looked up there was no one else around but the sanatorium was still in his vision. Feeling assured, Jongwoon walked closer to a fishing boat that he had seen from afar. It was bigger than he had thought and the boy decided to go around it before returning.

To his surprise, at the other side of the boat, there was another person, the boy he had seen at dinner the day before. This time he had the chance to watch him more carefully since the other had his eyes closed, his hand holding a big shell to his ear. He looked a bit smaller than Jongwoon, and also paler. His slight brown hair was cut neatly revealing part of his forehead and his brows. His long eyelashes rested peacefully on his fair cheeks. While Jongwoon was still studying him, the boy suddenly opened his eyes and quickly noticed the other's appearance. He smiled and motioned him to come closer. As the taller did, he held out the shell in his hands and gave a simple command, "Listen!"

Hesitated a little but Jongwoon still took the object and placed it against his ear like the way he saw the other boy did. Couldn't hear anything at first but after some seconds, a melody started flowing in his mind making Jongwoon close his eyes. It was a kind of music he had never heard before, sweet and tender and full of a strange emotion which made his lips curl up into smile.

"Isn't it beautiful?" the smaller boy asked, bringing Jongwoon back onto the ground. "That's the song mom often sings to me."

Nodded, Jongwoon gave the shell back to him, again staring at his face. Didn't really mind that, the other took his hand and pulled him to sit down.

"What's your name?" he asked and for the first time, the taller boy opened his mouth to answer, his voice broke out small and nervously.

"My name is Donghae, East Sea. And Hae also means the sun," the smaller then introduced brightly, leaving Jongwoon wondering if his smile ever faded.

~oOo~

From that day on, the two new friends met up whenever they were allowed to go out. Jongwoon hardly saw Donghae during exercise or meal time, which he assumed too crowded, but then the other boy would always appear at some interesting places and they would sit together, talking about whatever that came to their minds, sharing stories that somewhere in their lives they had heard.

To Jongwoon, Donghae was the first friend he had. At school he rarely talked to anyone because most of the kids for living in an orphanage while others looked at him with pitiful eyes. Jungsoo, meanwhile, was more like a brother who had taught him how to survive in this world since the first day they met. And before that, the only things the boy could remember were the smell of hospital and his mother's cries all the years he stayed with her.

The boys’ favorite spot to meet at day and also at night was the beach near the sanatorium. The kids had to go to sleep at 9pm but Jongwoon always sneaked out after the nurses came to check on them. Then he would run all the way to the beach where Donghae had already been waiting.

That night was no difference. The two lied on the sand where the tide couldn't reach and make them wet. Looking at the deep blue sky, Donghae told the other everything he had read about stars, how they appeared, how they shone and even how far they were from earth. Jongwoon at the same time listened to everything he said attentively, his eyes never left the smaller boy's face. He had always been amazed by how beautiful Donghae's eyes were, especially when those black orbs were glowing under the moon like now.

"Is the moon the brightest star?" he asked but Donghae immediately retorted, "No, the sun is the brightest, the moon only reflects light from it. My dad said the sun was the brightest star which brings light and heat to people on earth and it would never die. That's why he named me Hae."

Hearing the explanation, Jongwoon only nodded and fell back into silence. All of a sudden, while he was thinking about what the other boy had just said, a snort broke out following by loud sobs. Confused, he turned to his side and saw the smaller boy already crying.

"What's wrong, Hae?" he questioned bewideredly, didn't know how to calm the other down but only after a while that Donghae answered him, still sniveling loudly, his arm covering his eyes.

"I miss my parents!"

Dumbfounded at his words, the taller couldn't open his mouth to say a soothing line. He didn't know what the feeling of "missing" was like. He had never missed anyone, even his mother. Why did he have to feel that way toward someone who had abandoned him? But seeing Donghae crying until his breath went out and the only sounds the smaller boy could make were some small whimpers, he thought it must be a very unpleasant feeling.

"I want to see them again. I want to hear them calling me jjokeumani, telling me that they love me..." the boy was still sobbing but his cry eventually got lower as Jongwoon started patting his shoulder gently.

"Shh… Don't cry, jjokeumani! You will see them, you will see them soon, jjokeumani," he whispered softly and after some moments, the smaller boy finally stopped, wiping the tears with his arm then turned aside to face his friend, his cheeks still flushed from the cry. 

"Jongwoonie, do you love me?" he asked and for some seconds the taller couldn't react. Even missing he didn't know, how could he believe in such thing as love? But seeing Donghae's black teary eyes which were as deep as the sky, he heard his voice saying before his mind could generate the words.

"I love you, jjokeumani."

~oOo~

The two boys went back to the sanatorium together after the moon had gone up high. The nurses were going to have their midnight check-up soon. The trip back was silent as Donghae was skipping joyfully all the way, his fingers intertwined with the other's while Jongwoon was still wondering how he said something like that so easily. As far as he could remember, the only feeling he knew was hatred. He hated his mother for leaving him without a word and never came back to look for him. He hated the orphanage manager for scolding him everyday though he had already worked really hard. He hated the doctor for giving him all the terrible medicine just because he didn't have money. He hated the kids at school for making fun of him since he didn't have parents... But when he saw his friend’s smile as they parted in front of Donghae’s room which was at the end of the hallway, two rooms away from his, he didn't bother to think anymore.

As the boy walked to his room, he felt his little heart a lot warmer since he knew Donghae was still there watching until the door closed behind him like usual. However, both boys didn't see something, or rather someone waiting for them.

"Where have you been?" the raucous voice of the head nurse broke out right next to him made Jongwoon jump terrifiedly. He quickly took a glance at Donghae but instead of making him less scared, the expression on the smaller's face gave him strong shivers from head to toe. The boy was also looking at his direction but his once gentle black orbs now seemed like they didn't see Jongwoon anymore. The blood veins in his eyes clearly showed and from his throat escaped a small wild sound like a hurt animal trying to scare the enemy away.

"Where did you go, Jongwoonie? It's almost midnight already," another voice, this time a lot more gentle snapped him back from the shocking sight of his normally cute friend.

From the dark space of the hallway, the old manager appeared behind the nurse making the boy let out a relieved sigh but when he looked back again, Donghae had already vanished.

After telling nurse Hwang to go check on other kids, the doctor called Jongwoon into his office and motioned him to sit down in front of the table. The boy watched him curiously as he was looking for something inside his drawer and when the old man took out a bar of chocolate, a surprised look showed up on Jongwoon's face. Handed it to him, Manager Oh started asking about his life in the sanatorium. He seemed pleased when the boy said he ate and slept better here but to his confusion, the doctor never mentioned a word about Donghae and their night trips. After a while he sent Jongwoon back to his room where the boy quickly fell asleep.

~oOo~

Several days later, Donghae was still no where to be seen and Jongwoon was really worried. He thought his friend had already been caught by the nurse and was now being punished, or he might have fell sick without Jongwoon knowing. Every day he went looking for the other boy at places they often met but it was like Donghae had really disappeared. He didn't know who to ask and the other kids didn't seem to notice the smaller boy's disappearing either.

One day when Jongwoon already lost his hope and decided he would ask the manager, a girl who also stayed in the sanatorium suddenly came to him after the exercise time.

"Hello, I'm Heejin. You are Jongwoon right?" she introduced cheerfully but seeing the boy making several steps backward, the girl couldn't help letting out an amused laugh.

"What's wrong? I've just had breakfast, I won't bite you, don't worry!" she said, getting closer to him and this time Jongwoon stood still on the spot, sending aware looks toward her direction.

He had never talked to a girl before. At school they always turned away as soon as he appeared. In the orphanage, the only girl was still an infant. And since the day he came to this place, the only kid he had talked to was Donghae. That was why he felt rather nervous seeing Heejin walking his way. But to his surprise, she was not as scary as he had thought and to be quite honest, not much different from other boys except that she wore a white and blue sailor dress and had two small pigtails.

The girl in the mean time didn't really care about his thoughts, kept dragging him around with her and blabbering nonstop, making him forget what he had been worrying about.

Only at dinner time when Heejin had sat down next to him and given him the apple in her portion that he remembered about Donghae. Thought he could share his worries to the new friend, the boy quickly asked and immediately the girl turned to look at him suspiciously.

"How did you know about Donghae?" she questioned back making Jongwoon all confused.

"I... I talked to him several times and we often met at the beach but I haven't seen him for a week already…" he said, his voice hesitating.

Looked around to see if anyone else was listening, Heejin then lowered her voice as if revealing a big secret, "You should be careful with what you say, the ghost is listening to you. When I’ve just come here there was a boy named Donghae but he's gone missing since some time ago. Did you see the woman crying the day you came? That was his mother. The police have been looking for him but they still can't find anything. I heard the nurses said he had been caught by the ghost of the sanatorium because he often went out alone at night..."

Before the girl could continue, Jongwoon had already stood up and gone back to his room. There's no such thing as ghost. And he was sure he had been talking to Donghae all the time. Maybe that girl was just trying to scare him. Tonight he would go out and look for his friend again and prove that everything she said was wrong, the boy decided and began preparing for the night.

~oOo~

Jongwoon was so anxious that he couldn't stand staying still under the blanket until the nurses finished their check-up. His clothes soaked with sweat since he hadn't changed into his pajamas earlier. As soon as the door clicked close, the boy swiftly got down from the bed and put on his shoes before sneaking out of the room.

The whole building was drowned in darkness as it was a cloudy night but had already been used to these hallways, he could even walk through them with his eyes close. When Jongwoon got to the beach, there was still no one. The black waves collapsed on the shore making rough crashing sounds. He sat down near the big rock he and Donghae often played at. Even though he wanted to look for his friend, there was nothing he could do beside waiting. He had tried knocking Donghae's room many times but as the other boy said, he stayed in a private ward so no one else could answer the door when he wasn't there.

The wind was strong and the cold started hitting all of the boy's senses. He was also tired and sleepy but still tried to open his eyes widely in case his friend appeared from the dark like he sometimes did. The more he thought of Donghae the sadder he got. Since the smaller boy was his first and only friend, Jongwoon wanted to believe it was real yet after days of waiting alone and also the talk with Heejin, he began suspecting his imagination. But more than that, he missed his friend a lot.

When the old clock at the sanatorium chimed 11 o'clock, Jongwoon sluggishly got back on his feet, telling himself that he would return tomorrow night. As the boy was about to turn away, a familiar silhouette appeared out of nowhere startling him at first and then making him bounce up and down happily.

"Hae, where have you been? I was so worried. I've been waiting for you all week long," he said cheerfully and hastily ran toward the other boy's direction intending to bury him in a tight hug, however, as soon as the distance between them was close enough to see Donghae's face, something made him stop immediately. The smaller boy wasn't smiling as usual but his lips tightly sealed, his shoulders slightly shook and his eyes showed evident anger.

"You're lying! I know you talked and played with Heejin," he accused, his voice trembling furiously.

Felt a deep pain in his little heart as Donghae's words stabbed him terribly but Jongwoon still tried to explain, "I was just talking with her today. And I really miss you, jjokeumani. Why do you think I'm here waiting for you every day?"

Hearing the taller boy calling his nickname lovingly, Donghae seemed to slowly ease off. This time he was the one walking closer, asking with his soft voice, "Jongwoonie, promise me you will always love me okay?"

Pulled him into a hug, Jongwoon slightly nodded muttering, "I will always love you, jjokeumani."

Breathed out in relief and gently patted his friend's back, the boy felt all his worries flying away as his friend also hugged him back tightly. However, when he was just going to tell the smaller boy they should go back, the thin body between his little arms suddenly shivered. Let go of Donghae, he looked into his friend's face and right at that moment, the moon came out from behind the thick layer of clouds, shedding its silver rays along the beach. They lightened the two boys but instead of seeing Donghae's sparkling orbs, Jongwoon was once again dismayed by a pair of widening bloodshot eyes. Some incoherent shrilling kept coming out of from the smaller boy's trembling lips and before Jongwoon could surpass his own fear, a sharp pain shot through his head following by darkness as he felt down on the sand.

~oOo~

When Jongwoon woke up, he felt a stingy pain still lingering inside his head. He tried to move yet his fingers and toes seemed to be the only parts left in his body followed the commands from his brain. The boy waited for the pain to subside but instead, he was the one who had to get used to it. After a while his sense began coming back and the first thing that hit him was a strong terrible smell that he could never forget, the same acrid smell as the one inside the biology lab he once got into while hiding from the kids at school. Then a rusty taste started taking the place which Jongwoon guessed because he had unconsciously bit his tongue or the inside of his mouth earlier. And when all those were gone, the icy feeling at his back suggested that he was being held against a metal surface. His arms and legs felt numb and after some desperate attempts to move them, he concluded that they had already been immobilized.

The first time trying to open his eyes, he had to immediately close them because of the dazzling light radiated right into his face. The second time was better as he could see some blurry lines and after some blinks, everything became clearer but the sight he saw across the room under the bright light was something that made him want to throw up. Many small pale white pieces were kept in a large tank filled with fluid, some had already started decaying. In the middle and connected to all of them was a deep red object that was throbbing weakly, each beat seemed to halt a minute longer than the last. And when the top piece slowly floated around, Jongwoon felt a scream being strangled inside his throat. He recognized those soft strands of hair, pale thin cheeks and most of all, long thick eyelashes resting peacefully like sleeping.

But before the boy could generate anything more inside his small head, a voice appeared distracting him, "So you're awake? And I see you've already enjoyed the scene. That's good!"

Together with the honeyed voice, Manager Oh showed up in his familiar doctor robe, skillfully put on a pair of surgical gloves and came to stand in front of Jongwoon. Seeing the bed slowly turned into a position parallel to the ground, the boy was half relieved that he didn't have to look at that horrible scene anymore but also frightened discovering he couldn’t let out any word. However, didn't need him to speak up his questions, the old doctor seemed to understand all of Jongwoon's thoughts and started answering one by one while carefully measuring something on his body.

"That boy was also staying here before you came," he started, "I bet you've been hearing stories about him. Yes, he is, or was the lost boy, the cursed boy, the rich unlucky kid, Lee Donghae, the only heir of Lee Corp..."

The man stopped a bit to draw some marks on Jongwoon's chest before continuing, each time the marker came into contact with his skin goose bumps grew on each millimeter of his body.

"He did nothing wrong and neither did you. You both are nice kids and that's why I chose you to help me finish this research," the doctor said, dropping the marker and picked up a surgical knife. The thin blade gave out a cold shine as he placed it a bit over the tip of the boy's bone.

Jongwoon felt his whole body shivered unconsciously, cold sweats forming on his skin when the manager put a little more pressure on the knife handle. But instead of a burning pain as he had expected, Jongwoon found the new tiny injure itchy like a bite at first and as the old man deepened the blade, it turned into a piercing pain. When blood started running out from the wound and tears ran off the boy's cheeks, it was the time the real pain began. It blocked all of Jongwoon's feelings but somewhere in the thin layer of fog around him, he still heard the doctor's words buzzing in his ears.

"This research will bring the world thousands of years forward in medical and no human will ever suffer from any disease again. And when that day comes, people will also appreciate your contribution."

The shallow cut had almost reached its end 5 centimeters above the boy's navel but the only thing he could sense now was the blazing light above him. Jongwoon wished it could have brought a little more heat since the room had turned freezing cold and after a while the temperature really got hotter. Slowly, the boy fell into a deep pleasant sleep.

~oOo~

The next time Jongwoon opened his eyes, he was quite sure it wasn't heaven or Nurse Hwang had also died with him because the middle-age woman was sitting there next to his bed.

"How do you feel?" she asked, keeping her voice as low as she could.

Quickly sat up to prove that he was totally fine, the boy frowned when the wound on his chest acted up, proving its exsistence. Received a glare from the nurse, he slowly tried to push his body up again on his arm.

"Where's Hae?" the boy asked as soon as he could sit still on the bed.

The woman looked at him surprisedly since it was the first time she heard him talking but then as the scene she had witnessed showed up again in her mind, she buried her face between her hands and began trembling intensely, only incoherent words leaving . Waited for some moments yet the nurse still showed no sign of sanity, Jongwoon decided to get down from the bed himself.

His first steps were a little unbalanced but then he continued steadily toward the door. As the boy got to the hallway, he saw many parents coming in hastily and after several minutes dragging their kids out together with their huge luggages. While Jongwoon was watching them bewilderedly, Agent Kim walked out of the office and hurried to him as soon as she noticed the boy's appearance.

"Are you okay? You should stay in bed for some more time," the woman asked worriedly, reaching out her hand in an attempt to brush away some strands of hair covering the boy's eyes but remembering his reaction the 1st time they met, she let her arm fall down casually.

"What happened? Why is everybody running? Where's Hae?" he questioned continuously and just like the nurse did, the female agent also widened her eyes at him. However, she managed to keep the thoughts to herself at last and offered to help the boy go outside. A smile formed on her face as Jongwoon grabbed her hand and followed her leading.

"I'm sorry we came so late," Agent Kim spoke lowly after a while, "We have found Manager Oh suspicious for a long time because he was the last one talking to Donghae but there was no other evidence and the boy was also nowhere to be seen. That's why we decided to keep an eye on him. Last time when he took you to the office at night, Nurse Hwang has informed us and when you were gone yesterday she called us immediately.But if we could come faster, he wouldn't have touched you. I'm sorry..."

Tried to catch up with what she was saying but Jongwoon still couldn't concentrate, in his mind there was only one thought: he needed to see his friend.

"Where's Hae?" he asked again as the woman didn't seem to understand his question earlier.

"I'm sorry for the sight you had to see," she continued saying her apologizes, believing that he was also haunted by the same horrible scene, "Donghae's parents are also here."

And with that being said, she led him closer to a car parking in the front yard where the man Jongwoon saw the first time he came stood next to his wife, looking totally lost. But everyone's attention was now on the woman beside him who was holding on to some policemen and crying desperately despite the nurses' comforts. From the sight of it, he realized that she didn't want the police to carry their stretcher which was covered with a white cloth away.

"We couldn't do anything for that boy except praying for him to rest in peace. His heart stopped when we took you out," Agent Kim said again, trying to suppress her emotion.

Looked back and forth between her and the crying woman, Jongwoon then abruptly broke away from her hand and turned his head, running to the beach. Some people seeing that wanted to hold him back but the female agent motioned them to just let him go while she followed behind.

From a distance, she saw the boy slowed down, his wound was still bothering him but the woman didn't come closer since he kept walking steadily toward a fixed direction with determination. When Jongwoon finally stopped next to a big rock, the agent also halted to observe him. He started looking carefully at every spot as if searching for someone or something very important.

Time passed and he was still going around on the beach, the woman then decided to walk up to him. However, when she just reached the rock, the boy let out a small cheerful sound as he bent down to pick something. To her surprise, he brought up a large seashell and placed it against his ear with pure happiness on his face. Agent Kim watched the boy closed his eyes, immersed in listening to something from the shell and without realization, a hot drop of tear fell down from her cheek as she heard him whispering, "Hae ah, don't forget me! I promise I will always love you, jjokeumani..."

~oOo~

13 years later

Went into the building, Jongwoon pulled the hood of his coat down and bowed politely to some people inside the hall. The boy had been told to hide his face while going out since he would soon have his debut but wearing something more than a cap and hoodie wasn't his interest. Today he came here to discuss one last time about his image which made him kind of worried. He was a bit afraid that they would make him wear revealing clothes since there was a scar he didn't want to show.

Carefully made his way through a crowd in the hallway, the boy recalled seeing an announcement about the anual casting of his company. Some years ago he was also there, holding on to his mother's hand, nervously waiting for his turn to shine. Since the day Agent Kim took him home from the orphanage and told him to call her "mom", he had promised himself to work hard to repay everything she had done for him. And this moment Jongwoon knew he was closer than ever to that dream.

Humming the song his ipod was playing, he moved aside for some kids running through but suddenly his heart skipped a beat as a boy walked pass. Turned his head immediately, Jongwoon subconsciously uttered a word.

"Jjokeumani?"

And slowly, a smile broke out on his face when the boy stopped to look back at him, curious eyes shining like the moon on its brightest day.