Sanghyun skipped on the same spot while his eyes continuously wandered around the park. Mir still hadn't come. Sighing, he decided to ran one round first while waiting. He started to run around two corners when he skidded to a halt. He tilted his head a little bit when he saw a bike leaning against a bench at the side of the track. 

Jogging to the bike, he started to examine the vehicle and came to a conclusion. This bike was Mir's. He looked around again. "Cheolyong?" He called, still holding onto the bike.

Suddenly, he heard a 'thud' and a yelp before it followed with sound of rustling. Sanghyun immediately got into his defensive mood as he watched carefully on the moving bushes for any sign of erts or stalkers or anything bad that might happened to him. That was until he saw Mir getting out from the bushes.

"Cheolyong?" He asked carefully at the disheveled man who just gave him an empty glance before the maknae sat on the bench where he left his bike. "What were you doing in th-" Sanghyun stopped his question when Mir ped his hoodie and took out a strayed kitten from inside his sweater. Being a cat-lover, Sanghyun immediately jumped on the bench next to Mir and took the small kitten in his hands. "Aww... Where did you find her?"

Mir simply raised his hand and pointed to a tall huge tree just behind the bushes. Sanghyun blinked as he looked up to the direction Mir was pointing at before he looked back at Mir. Then, his eyes traveled to Mir's still raised hand and saw the red lines on the younger's palm. A few small spot of blood peeking through the cut.

"Ya!" Sanghyun almost squeaked when he saw yet another worse wound on Mir's left knee. The maknae's tracksuit was torn at the wound site. "You climbed that tree for this cat?" He asked incredulously and gaped when Mir simply nodded with expressionless face. "And you fall from that height?" Mir nodded again, taking back the kitten from Sanghyun. Mir acted like he wasn't hurt even a bit. But now that Sanghyun thought back, Mir was always like that. He never showed that he was in pain if the pain was really bad yet the maknae whined a lot for a small unworthy to get worried over for kind of injury. Sanghyun sighed and patted Mir's head. Such a weird kid... The maknae must be in a lot of pain right now based on his antics. "Wait here, I'll buy some meds." 

Mir tugged on Sanghyun's sleeves before the older could walk away. "Buy some cat food too." Sanghyun nodded with a smile, almost skipping away in delight. Mir talked to him. And he was flattered, happy, giddy even, if he was to admit.

○○○○○

Mir watched as the kitten kept eating the food hungrily and winced once in a while as he felt the antiseptic Sanghyun was applying on his wound seeping through the cuts, stinging.

"This feel kind of nostalgic, isn't it?" Sanghyun suddenly commented as he put the bandage on the younger's wound. He looked up when he finished and saw Mir was staring back at him in unreadable expression. He released a small gasp when Mir suddenly fall against his shoulder, leaning on him. "C-Cheolyong? What's wrong? Is it still hurting?" He asked in worries.

"I remember. That promise." Mir said in a small voice.

"You... Remember?"

"My promise."

"Our promise."

○○○○○

4 years ago...

"Seungho hyung?" Mir peeked into the dark empty room. He sighed deeply realising Seungho wasn't here. Walking to the kitchen, he rummaged through the cupboard. He remembered Seungho kept a first aid kit here. When he found what he wanted, he pulled the chair by the kitchen counter and put out all that he needed to treat the wound on his knuckles.

"Cheolyong?" A sleepy voice called from the doorway to the kitchen.

"Eh, hyung? Did I wake you up?" Mir asked guiltily and smiled apologetically at Sanghyun who was rubbing his eyes tiredly.

Ignoring the younger's question, Sanghyun pulled a chair beside the maknae and pulled on Mir's hand, inspecting the wound. "How did you get this?" He asked in a nagging manner.

Mir laughed nervously. "It's nothing big." He tried to pull back his hand but Sanghyun's grip on his wrist was strong.

"Tell me." Sanghyun demanded. He had been acting more like an older brother towards Mir since the night they spent together two months ago. The night he started to get close to the maknae and had turn them from awkward group members into the closest buddies.

"There's nothing to tell..." Mir avoided as his free hand fiddled with a bottle of antiseptic. His habit everytime he got nervous and scared.

"Cheolyong..." Sanghyun used his deep threatening tone but seemed not to work on the maknae. Sighing, he let Mir's hand go. "If Seungho hyung is here, you would have told him everything in a heartbeat." He mumbled sulkily. "I get it. I'm not as reliable as the other hyungs."

"Hyung! That's not fair. You can't use that card on me!" Mir whined but Sanghyun kept pouting sulkily. "Ugh! Fine!" Mir groaned. "I-I..." Mir hesitated a bit before he finally blurted out. "I got dumped!" He inhaled as his voice lowed back down to normal. "And I kind of just..." Mir trailed off as he made a small motion of punching gesture with his injured hand, hoping Sanghyun would get the meaning without needing him to explain.

"You got dumped? Wait! You have a girlfriend?" Sanghyun asked, gawking.

"Well. Not anymore." Mir mumbled, blinking his eyes a few times so his tears won't fall.

Sanghyun watched over the maknae's hurt expression before he silently reached out for Mir's injured hand. He examined the wound and realized there was some small shards of glasses in the cut. Grabbing the tweezers, he started picking out those small glasses from the cut. "Next time, if you get hurt physically or even emotionally, I want you to come to me first."

"Why?"

"Just promise me. It doesn't matter even if I'm not living in the same house as you anymore. Just call me first if anything happen to you."

Mir blinked cutely before he burst into a hearty laughter. "Hyung? Why so sudden?" Mir asked incredulously. He knew all along Sanghyun was kind of unique and well... Just plain weird sometimes but this? Way too weird.

Sanghyun frowned but never stopped treating the younger's wound. "Ya..." His voice dangerously low. Well, low for his kind of voice which was naturally high. "I'm being serious here."

Mir cleared his throat as he stopped himself from laughing but a wide smile still plastered on his lips. He had forgotten about his hurtful break-up for a moment, being too distracted by Sanghyun's 4D personality. "Why do you want me to promise such thing? It's just weird..." Mir scrunched up his nose.

"Then why are you always went running to Seungho hyung everytime you have problem?"

Mir gawked a bit. "I didn't!" He denied.

"Yes you did!" 

They both stared at each other in silence before Sanghyun sighed and continued putting antiseptic on the maknae's wound.

"Why? Am I that unreliable? He's not your only hyung, you know?"

"I know. I went to Byunghee hyung too." Mir said casually, intentionally teasing Sanghyun who was obviously jealous. He knew Sanghyun hated him treating the older as if Sanghyun was younger. Not that he could control it. Who told Sanghyun to act cuter than him. Of course he would automatically acted as the older one. Blame the instinct. Seeing Sanghyun was pulling a face, Mir chuckled. "Ayy, hyung! You went to Joon hyung all the time."

Sanghyun glared at the younger. "That's a different story." Sanghyun defensively said as he smacked on Mir's arm. "You're my dongsaeng. And you said before you want to get closer to me, aren't you? Aisy! Whatever! Just promise me!"

"...okay."

"Okay?" 

Mir shrugged and nodded. "Okay." He assured.

"Promise me one more thing."

"What?"

"Don't ever, I repeat EVER, handle your break up by punching a mirror ever again." Sanghyun said monotonously, gaining himself Mir's cute giggles. His guess striked right on the face. "Idiot." Sanghyun shot, meaning that Mir was an idiot for hurting himself like this over a break up.

"That's why you love me." The maknae smiled cheekily when Sanghyun scowled at him. "Since I promised that, you must promise me to be there when I need you." Mir raised up his pinky.

Grinning, Sanghyun curled his own pinky around Mir's. "Promise."

"Promise."

Since that day, Mir always did as he promised. It didn't matter how small the problem is, he would always approached Sanghyun first. There was a time when Mir got his elbow scraped on the stage and Mir went to Seungho first because he saw Sanghyun was a bit distracted by Joon, only to shudder when he saw daggers shot from Sanghyun at him. That was the last time Mir approached someone else first if Sanghyun was around when he got hurt.

And because of that promise and that new pattern of their habit, Sanghyun learned to read Mir better. He would know immediately if Mir was in immense pain or even if the pain was mild. He would see immediately behind Mir's smile, there was sadness if the maknae was in problem. So, Sanghyun lived to his promise. He was always there for Mir. That was until... That day.

○○○○○

"I'm hurt." Mir whispered. His hand palming his chest. "Here." 

Sanghyun inhaled a deep breath. The reason why he wanted Mir to remember that promise so badly was because he thought that it was the only thing left that tied Mir to him. The only bridge he had to get himself to Mir. And Mir remembered even when it had been long since any of them keep that promise.

"I'm sorry I'm not there. I'm sorry I break my promise." 

"...I miss you, hyung." Mir knew this would come eventually. Spending time with Sanghyun made the tall wall that separated him from the older to crumble down bit by bit. Now, it had been completely destroyed and he was fully exposed. His longing was flowing out through the wide opening of the collapsed wall, flooding out like water from broken dam. He missed his brothers. And somehow, it wasn't as suffocating anymore when he finally get it off his chest.

Sanghyun gasped. He heart skipped a bit. He was taken off guard when Mir suddenly said those words and was beyond shocked at the way Mir called him. 'hyung'. How long had it been since Mir called him that? How long had he been hoping to hear that from Mir again? And now that he finally heard that, he was overwhelmed with feeling of bliss and happiness.

With tears streaming down his face and smile that almost split up his face into half, he wrapped his arms around Mir, hugging his dongsaeng as close as he could.

"I miss you too." His heart made an even higher leap into the air when he felt Mir gripping his side, relaxing into his embrace. Mir didn't push him away. Mir missed him... Mir called him hyung... Mir remember the promise... Too many things for him to be grareful at in just one night. So, he settled with a word of thank. "Thank you." He smiled even more if it was possible when he felt Mir nodded against his shoulder and leaned on him. He did feel Mir's warm tears seeping through his clothes. And as reflex, he the younger's hair tenderly. Mir had come to him and tell him his pain. Just like Mir's promise. So, he promised himself to never hurt the younger again. And to be there for the maknae, just like he had promised.