Chanyeol stood facing his friend, a palpable disappointment evident in his demeanor. "Dude, I get it, but that's just not cool."

Baekhyun's eyes sparked with frustration. "And what he did to me is? Are you guys seriously taking his side? After everything he put me through?"

"Baek, it's not about taking sides," Junmyeon interjected, his voice calm but resolute. "We're just trying to mend things between you two." They empathized with Baekhyun's pain, but holding onto bitterness would only prolong their suffering. They were determined to help Baekhyun understand that letting go of resentment was essential for moving forward.

He has to move on. 

He knew he couldn't avoid facing them forever. Eventually, he'd have to confront them and seek their explanations to move forward.

Jongin, breaking his silence, added, "Alright, we'll back off if that's what you want." Raising both hands in a gesture of surrender, he continued, "But on one condition... just one chance, Baekhyun. Give Kyungsoo a chance to explain, and we'll leave it at that. We won't interfere anymore."

"What happened was undeniably wrong, we get that," Junmyeon chimed in, his tone earnest. "But despite everything, he's still our friend. Remember, for four years, he's been alone, while you've had us. He's been dealing with this on his own, Baekhyun."

Baekhyun's laughter cut through the tension, a bitter edge to its tone, as he scoffed at the notion of Kyungsoo suffering alone. "Come on, we all know he wasn't exactly twiddling his thumbs in solitude. He had his sweetheart by his side."

Junmyeon's words of caution resonated in the room, a reminder to keep a level head amidst the turmoil of emotions. "Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment," he urged, his voice steady and firm.

Sehun's gentle touch and wise words struck a chord with Baekhyun, prompting a flicker of introspection. "Innocent until proven guilty," Sehun affirmed, his grip on Baekhyun's shoulder a comforting presence. "But time waits for no one, hyung. Don't waste any more of it, or you'll regret it."

Memories can be cruel, dragging him back to moments he'd rather forget. Each recollection of Mer floods him with an unbearable ache, a reminder of what they once shared. Their time together, though flawed, was his lifeline, each moment etched in his heart as the pinnacle of happiness. But the thought that perhaps he alone cherishes those memories, and that his own actions drove her away, weighs heavily on his soul.

While others have moved forward, he remains stuck in the past. Is it finally time for him to follow suit? Some people bounce back from heartbreak in a matter of months, while others linger in the pain for years, or even decades.

For him, the future felt like an uncharted territory, filled with both hope and fear. Without the courage to venture into the unknown, he would remain stuck in the past, haunted by the memories.

                  *********************************************************************

1 WEEK LATER

Working in the night shift has its ups and downs. 

He needed the extra money which is why he most of the time requests for night duties, but in doing so, he has very little time to play with his daughter. He is out all night and by the time he return home, although she's already awake, he has very little energy to keep up with her.

It was nighttime, so the hospital is particularly quiet. Minseok hears his footstep as he make his way towards the end of the hallway. Being able to fill his stomach with his wife's homemade meal, it makes him happy despite the gruesome shift.

A new set of footsteps and long strides joined him. He didn't need to check who it belonged to. Coincidentally, most of their schedules match so he's not really surprised to bump into him.

"Have you seen Jongdae?" A gruff voice asked

Yup. Definitely him. 

"Why do you keep on looking for people?" He laughed then looked at his wrist watch. "By this time, he should be in the E.R checking on Hyunnie?"

"Baekhyun??

"Stupid. He's a new patient, admitted this afternoon."

"But why the ER?"

"Children's ward is packed, so we can't transfer him "

Hyunnie has been having on and off fever for not nearly 24 hours, his mother is greatly worried so she rushed him over to the E.R.

Since the fever is not nearly for three days,  Dr. Kim Minseok prescribed his trusted brand of paracetamol and ordered home monitoring when Hyunnie's temperature spiked to 40°C. Afraid that the kid might have a seizure, he immediately amended his decision and admitted Hyunnie Assigning Jongdae as the main Physician. The kid might have to stay for a couple more days to do further tests and observation.

Chanyeol and Minseok talked about a couple of things before they arrived at the E.R. The reason why Chanyeol keep on looking for Jongdae, Dr. Kim Minseok didn't even bother to ask. Knowing Chanyeol, he is probably here because he only wanted to piss off their other friend.

"There, he's in Bed 10." Minseok pointed and immediately went back to working. He took exactly 15-minute break. He was gone for only fifteen minutes but the amount of patients in his department already doubled. He sighed thinking that they wouldn't be able to take in-patients anymore.

"Damn! Junmyeon better work on the expansion fast." He said to himself before heading to the patient who has a nasty gash on his arm.

As much as Chanyeol wanted to scare the hell out of Jongdae, he wouldn't want to cause a scene with all the patients around. Besides, he also has an image to maintain. Within the hospi