He checked his board, read the name out loud inside his mind: Lee Jinki before making his way into the elevator. Inside the elevator, he stared at his own reflexion in the elevator’s mirror. He checked his button, easing out the crease on his uniform, combing his hand through the rough blond hair trying to keep it down. His left hand itched, mouth ached for a cigarette but he reminded himself, that this was a hospital. Smoking on the job was forbidden, internship or not.  He fixed his nametag making sure they lied straight. Staring at his own name in reflected in the mirror into a jumble words that made no sense. nuyhgnoJ miK, Kim JongHyun. His ash brown eyes looked back at the board again, at the information of his patient. Eyebrow slightly lifted up, this patient really had done a number for himself.

 

 

 

 

 

Lee Jinki, 19 years old. Hospitalised last night, with a puncture lung, broken bones in his right leg, shoulder, bruises covered all his body, lost one of his back molar teeth. What caught JongHyun’s attention was Jinki’s right hand. All the bones in his right hand were shattered, as if he was punching something with all of his strength. JongHyun wondered, what Jinki was doing. It obviously wasn’t a mug, his money was never stolen so what happened? His best guess was a fight. But what could provoke an kid like him who looked like he wouldn’t dare to hurt a fly so much that he’d punch with his entire might.

 

 

 

 

 

However it wasn’t JongHyun’s place to question, his job was to nurse this first patient back to health if he wanted to be recognised as a licence nurse. The elevator bell rang and the door slid open, leading JongHyun into the long corridor in the hallway of the hospital’s west wing. He kept walking till he reached room 209, with Jinki’s name on the tab next to the door. He opened the door, before he could introduce himself he was met with a loud and rough voice shouting at him:

 

 

 

 

 

“Didn’t I tell you all to leave me alone?”

 

 

 

 

 

JongHyun looked at the young man lying on the bed, his leg hanging up, with his shoulder and hand completely covered in a white calf. A black right eye, with few bandages on his face. He looked awful, but most of all he looked angry. It made JongHyun’s heart ached seeing the male in that state. For some reasons he didn’t want to see Jinki in that state ever again. The blond took a deep breath, before walking in.

 

 

 

 

 

“Good morning Jinki-ssi, My name is Kim JongHyun, I’ll be your appointed nurse until you’re well.”

 

“I don’t need people like you who know nothing to help me, go away”

 

 

 

 

Jinki’s malicious voice immediately make annoyed JongHyun, being yelled at by a brat younger than him by five years was never in his to-do-list. He told himself repeatedly, to stay calm. His left hand itched again, wanting to dig its hand into his pocket pulling out the cigarette packet. He felt that Jinki must have hated people around his age. Could it be that he gotten into a fight with them?

 

 

 

 

 

“Were those guys the reason for your condition?”

 

“What? How did you?” _He turned his head around, stared at JongHyun. Eyes filled with surprised. Even though, underneath Jinki’s grey eyes, it still filled with anger, but at least it not as malicious when JongHyun first walked in. What ever it was, Jinki’s anger had a hint of pain, which were begging people to see it, to know it, to understand it. Against his better judgement, which would be checking Jinki’s temperature and blood pressure, he pulled out a chair sat down next to the young male.

 

“Jinki-ssi if you don’t mind me asking. Why did you fight with them?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jinki looked at him, eyes wide opened at JongHyun’s question, measuring the sincerity in his voice, in his eyes, in attitude before speaking. His weakly mumbled:

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We found Atlantis.”

 

“Atlantis?” JongHyun thought but remained silent, he didn’t get why Jinki mentioned that but still he sat quietly letting him continue his story.

 

“It was only for a brief moment, I was in the water looking at one of the world most historic civilisation. When I came up, lighting hit our ship, everything shatter. It hit the main column. We lost control of the ship and the wave swallow everything, the ship, my brothers, my friend.”

 

“I’m sorry” JongHyun said in shock and horror. He didn’t know what else to say in this situation. He didn’t know at that young of an age, Jinki had gone through so much. It must have been traumatizing. At this point JongHyun, could some how guess the reason for that fight. He couldn’t bring him self to look at Jinki in the eyes, he felt guilty for ever thinking that Jinki’s was an annoying brat. His left hand lies on top of the cigarette packet in his pant. He really wanted a smoke right now. The atmosphere was too tense for him, a smoke would help, he was tempted but he didn’t do it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“When I came to, I had been washed up to an island’s shore near by. I went up and down the coast many times. But all that washed ashore was wreckage from the ship. Not a single survivor.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His voice quiet down, almost like a small whimper at the end of his sentence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I’m sorry for bringing back the bad memories”

 

“Don’t be, I take pride in what we have achieved. Even for a mere second, we never stopped believing in the legend kingdom, and we approached it. The phantom city”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JongHyun stayed quiet, all he could give to Jinki was a nod of understanding, Jinki saw the look on the older male’s face. He knew that JongHyun was different, JongHyun didn’t laugh at his story, JongHyun didn’t make fun of his parent, JongHyun didn’t call him an abandoned child. That made Jinki’s heart skipped a beat. They stayed quiet for a long time, but there wasn’t a tense atmosphere, it just quiet. After a few minutes JongHyun stood up, it was time for him to go back to his duty as a nurse, checking Jinki’s health. He helped changed the bandages. While doing that he asked nonchalantly, attempting to start small conversation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“What about your parent?”

 

“They passed away when I was a kid. It’s only me and my brother, well it was.” Jinki answered bitterly. Once again, JongHyun winced, he touched another wound, how could he called himself a nurse when all he did was making his patient recalled their pained memories.

 

“Your brother…I’m sorry about him and your parent.” He pushed the word out with difficulties; the cigarette was burning in his pant.

 

“It’s okay, I know that he is okay, at least he got DongHae.” Jinki shook his head; he remembered how DongHae was right next to him when the ship started to sink. Pushing Jinki on to a wooden raft, to safety and Jinki whose was clinging onto the raft stared back in horror, watching DongHae turned around to swim back to find EunHyuk. DongHae swam back, and that was it. Jinki never saw DongHae resurfaced nor his brother.

 

“The East Sea?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JongHyun stopped what he was doing, eyeing at the male with question, could it be that this two brother were those with clear love and deep obsession to the ocean? However instead of giving JongHyun an answer, Jinki burst out laughing. The laugh only last for like ten seconds because right after that beautiful and melodic laugh was a constant cough. Laughing with a punctured lung wasn’t a good idea. Jinki made a small mental note to himself. It was just that JongHyun words were almost too hard not to laugh at. It reminded Jinki when EunHyuk first introduced him to DongHae. Jinki wondered the same thing. He almost thought that his brother was too obsessed with the ocean to make that statement. But then again, maybe because of that obsession EunHyuk was attracted to DongHae.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the other hand, JongHyun was confused at the laugh, but his heart was beating fast hearing those slight fragmented laugh, it may sound hoarse because of the male’s lung but to JongHyun it was beautiful. But he was still confused with why he was laughed at, his hand quickly found Jinki’s back when the male started coughing, laughing was probably a bit too painful for the boy at the moment. Jinki looked at JongHyun, he had stopped laughing but his eyes were definitely filled with laughter.

 

 

 

“DongHae is my brother’s boyfriend. Lee DongHae.”

 

“OH.” JongHyun nodded his head. His cheek blushed slightly looking at Jinki’s face. For a 19 years old kid, Jinki had too many expressions. Each and one of them were equally alluring, whether it was anger, sad or happy. JongHyun found himself getting attracted to it, his brain was screaming that red alerts, his pant pocket burning, his finger slightly trembled growling for a cigarette.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“So, who are you living with now?” JongHyun coughed slightly he wanted to change to topic, about anything, something, so that his mind won’t wondered to those disturbing thought about Jinki.

 

“Housing commission, I used up all the money for both EunHyuk hyung and DongHae hyung funeral.” _Up to this point Jinki’s voice quieted, there was an uncertainty in the younger male. If anyone really paid attention, like JongHyun did then they would also hear the fear and worries that a nineteen years old shouldn’t have.

 

 

 

 

 

JongHyun could easily imagine Jinki’s next word. It would probably about how he deserved this, being the only survival or how everything and everybody hated him so much that why he deserved this. The blond even though he only just met Jinki, but he was captivated by the male’s strength, by Jinki’s pride, and by Jinki’s beautiful smile created by the male’s alluring lips. Suddenly his hand stopped aching, suddenly they had ceased their whines for a cigarette.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instead his throat was burning, his lips ran dry, for something else. Like a man walking in desert, crying for water, JongHyun was dying to for the younger male’s appealing lips. He didn’t understand the reason for this overwhelming feeling that rushes through him like a massive tidal wave. Completely drowned all everything that was considered common sense and regulated rules. JongHyun felt like a drunken person, drunk from the melancholy sadness yet defeated in Jinki’s eyes, Jinki’s bitter smile, Jinki’s inaudible dry laugh. He must be drunk, he must be, because what came out of JongHyun’s mouth was definitely something he’d never do if he was in a right mind:

 

 

 

 

 

“Come live with me.”

 

“What?” _Jinki asked, surprised at JongHyun a person he barely knew. Did this person just offer Jinki a shelter? He watched as the older male scratched his head in embarrassment, stammering his explanation so that he wouldn’t sound like a total creeper.

 

“I mean until you can find yourself a proper home, I don’t think housing commission fit with a 19 years old like yourself.” _JongHyun watched as the younger male fell into a complete silent, as if what the intern nurse just said as something outrageous. Technically it kind of was, since any normal person would be freak out if a stranger out of the blue asked them to go live that person. But JongHyun really wanted to take care of Jinki, he didn’t know the exact reason, he just knew he wanted to take care the younger male.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Biting his lips, he saw several different emotions rush through Jinki’s eyes like a train riding on the tracks. Five solid minutes passed, they were still in this awkward silence. Maybe JongHyun really scared the boy, maybe Jinki thought of him as a crazy creeper now, maybe later Jinki would report to the hospital and JongHyun would kiss his job goodbye. Sighing, but he had already taken that step into the dark, all left was Jinki’s decision. He saw the younger male, bit his lips also, however he lifted his head and looked straight at JongHyun’s eyes. A smile formed on Jinki’s face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It wasn’t a force smile nor a bitter one, the smile it was genuine, it was serene.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Immediately that smile were mirrored on onto JongHyun, and the older male slowly nodded his head.

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

Two years later

 

 

JongHyun rushed through different hospital’s room, this patient needed bandages, that patient needed painkiller, it was driving him mad. But he didn’t complain, he used to though, now he greeted those requests with a smile on his face. However when lunch came JongHyun let out a groan in satisfactory, rest finally.

 

 

 

 

 

Walking down to the canteen next to him was his best friend Kibum, also known by the kids as Key. They were discussing about the next surgery that would come in around 2PM, about removing a bladder. Suddenly Key, nudged JongHyun whose attention was on his phone after confirming that Key was the main surgeon and JongHyun would be his right hand nurse.

 

 

 

 

 

“Dude, what up with you?” _JongHyun arched an eyebrows, not getting what Key was asking. The brunette rolled his eyes, patted JongHyun’s pant, precisely on his left empty pocket. _“I’m talking about this, empty. YOU. Don’t smoke any more.”

 

 

 

 

 

JongHyun shrugged his shoulder; he pocketed his phone into the pouch on his chest. _“So? It’s a good thing. Shouldn’t you be glad for me?” _Key ruffled his hair up, he shook his head, something wasn’t quite right. _“You’re a chain smoker, Jjong, there is no way you can just walk up and quit like that.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hearing that, JongHyun let out a loud laugh, his fingers unconsciously touched his lips. At that moment they passed the children playroom, through the small square window on the door, JongHyun saw the black hair male who was giving kids piggyback rides. His smile became wider, he turned to his best friend who was looking at him all confused and waiting for an answer. He just simply said, while his tongue his lips. _”I found a better substitution to be addicted to.” Key grimaced, the male hated ambiguous answer. _”That didn’t even make any sense, what are you saying?”

 

 

 

Before Key could protest further, before JongHyun could answer, the door opened. JongHyun immediately stopped walking; he turned around looking at the black hair male who was approaching them. A bright smile was seen on the male’s face an equally bright smile also appeared on JongHyun’s as he called out.

 

 

 

“Jinki-ah.”

 

 

End.