There's someone holding Heungsoo's hand when he wakes up. It's silent in the room apart from the beeping of the monitors attached to him, but Heungsoo can tell it's Namsoon immediately. When Namsoon starts speaking, Heungsoo suppresses the urge to open his eyes and just lies there, listening to him talk.

"Heungsoo-ah. It's the second day you're in the hospital, and I only just gained the courage to visit you. Noona is standing outside the room right now, and she's very angry at me. I know you saw me run away yesterday night, and I know you're angry at me too, especially because it was such a cowardly act.

"Even now, I'm still a coward. I can't face you when you're awake, can't tell you all the things I'm telling you now. You have no idea how glad I am that you are asleep right now. So, here goes nothing. I'm sorry, for everything."

Here there's a hitch in Namsoon's breath, and Heungsoo knows that Namsoon is crying. He wants so much to open his eyes, but he can't. Letting Namsoon know that he was awake would just make him clam up and run away. He hears Namsoon take a deep breath before he continues talking.

"I'm sorry for ruining your chances to become a pro soccer player, I'm sorry for ruining our friendship. You know, I actually bought you a pair of soccer shoes?" Heungsoo's heart lurches. No one was happier for Heungsoo than Namsoon when he heard that he had been scouted, not even his noona, even though it meant that Heungsoo was going to leave him.

"I was going to give them to you after we were done yesterday night, but now it'll just probably remind you of what I did. So, I'm just going to keep them, okay?" Heungsoo wants to tell Namsoon that it's okay, he'll take the shoes as long as he still has Namsoon, but all of a sudden, his body isn't responding to him.

"It's such a rare thing, seeing you so peaceful and relaxed. You're normally so tough, so tense. I'm really going to miss you." Heungsoo frowns inwardly. What did Namsoon mean by that? His next sentence, though, made Heungsoo's thoughts come screeching to a halt.

"Noona made me promise not to come near you after today before she allowed me into the room to see you. So, this will be my last time seeing you so at ease. She said that I was a bad influence on you. She's probably right. If I were a better friend, you wouldn't be lying in this bed right now, with all your dreams destroyed. I'll probably just make things worse if I stay. You won't have to see me anymore after this, isn't that great?" Namsoon's full out sobbing by now.

Heungsoo wants to tell Namsoon that no, it's not great at all. Doesn't Namsoon know that apart from soccer, the only thing he has that isn't Noona is Namsoon himself? No, Heungsoo answered himself, Namsoon doesn't know. It was his fault for not telling him.

"You know you're the only thing that's a constant in my life, Heungsoo-ah. So do me a favour? When you wake up, take care of yourself for me? I know you, and you'll probably be so mad at me running away that you'll hurt yourself in your anger.

"Take care of yourself, and grow up well, so that when you become successful one day and I see you on the streets I can know that you lived well without such a bad influence in your life. Promise me that you'll live well, so that if you see me one day you can beat me up all you want.

"I know I've never told you this before, and I know you have never thought of me in this way before, but I love you, Heungsoo-ah. I love you and I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Heungsoo wants to respond, wants to tell Namsoon not to go, that he's always loved him, since the moment they met, but his body isn't responding. He then hears rustling, and the soft scrape of the chair against the floor, followed by Namsoon's hands on his face. Namsoon caresses Heungsoo's face for a while before he kisses Heungsoo on his lips lightly.

"I took your first kiss. I hope you'll forgive me for that." Heungsoo can feel the tears dripping off Namsoon's face onto his, and Namsoon wipes them off with his thumb. He kisses Heungsoo on his forehead, thumb still brushing his cheek, and whispers, "Goodbye, Heungsoo-ah. Live well." Namsoon's hands retreat and he hears footsteps getting further away.

Move, goddamnit, why won't you move? Heungsoo's yelling at his body, trying to do something, anything, to stop Namsoon from stepping out the door. Instead, he can feel himself slowly losing the ability to focus. The moment the door clicks shut, Heungsoo's mind shuts down from grief and pain as his body drags him into slumber.

When Heungsoo is discharged from the hospital, he realises that the word has spread: Tsunami has disappeared entirely from Gyeonggi-do. Heungsoo goes to Namsoon's house to check, but the windows are boarded up, and a 'For Sale' sign is on one of the boards.

-

Heungsoo is on his way to his new house with Noona in the city they had to move to because Heungsoo was transferring schools for the fifth time. His relationship with his Noona has been tense ever since Heungsoo informed her that he was aware of the promise that she had made Namsoon make and how much he disliked it.

His Noona will never understand why he is still so fiercely protective of Namsoon, but that's okay. He's walking on the streets with his Noona in front of him when he passes by an alleyway and he glances in. He spots three figures whaling onto a taller boy, and thinks that that's not right.

He takes a closer look and realises that it's Namsoon, and he goes from that's not right to the mindset he goes into when Namsoon is being hurt. He drops all of the things he's holding at the entrance to the alleyway and catches one of the guys' arms just as he's about to punch Namsoon.

Namsoon's eyes are closed in anticipation of the punch, and when none is forthcoming he opens his eyes. Namsoon flinches when he sees Heungsoo, but cannot stop staring at the taller student. Heungsoo smiles for Namsoon but it comes out as a disgusted smirk at the actions of the three boys. How dare they hit Namsoon?

It's then that Heungsoo looks at Namsoon and thinks with a jolt, 'This isn't the Namsoon I know.' His Namsoon always had a fire in his eyes, ready to challenge anyone who dared to. This Namsoon's eyes are... empty, for lack of a better word.

All of them flinch when they hear an adult yell, and Heungsoo watches Namsoon climb up the wall as they all split up. Frowning, Heungsoo goes back to pick up the things he had dropped and went off in search of his Noona.

Heungsoo steps into his new class and the first thing he sees after introducing himself is Namsoon, staring at him. The three boys from the previous day are staring at him as well from the back of the classroom, eying him up. Heungsoo takes the seat that his new form teacher directs him too, and he can feel Namsoon's eyes boring into the side of his face.

Heungsoo knows that they have unfinished business between them, but he isn't going to finish it with this Namsoon. No, Heungsoo was going to wait until his Namsoon came back before confronting him. (His Namsoon wouldn't offer him his lunch tray, nor carry his bag voluntarily. It only enforced the idea that this wasn't the Namsoon that Heungsoo had grown up with.)

When Oh Jungho picks up a rock and threatens to smash his leg to pieces, Heungsoo watches as his Namsoon comes to life and puts Jungho in his place. He laughs, glad that his Namsoon is still somewhere in there, and notices a familiar blue and red light at the top of the hill.

When he speaks, his voice is soft, but Namsoon hears him anyway. "Namsoon-ah," Heungsoo calls, trying to get up. Namsoon freezes and stops whaling on the downed Jungho, and rushes back to Heungsoo's side. Heungsoo is periphally aware of Jungho's two lackeys helping him up, but most of his attention is focused on Namsoon, who is throwing Heungsoo's arm around his shoulder and helping him up.

His bum leg is hurting something awful, and Namsoon's eyes are no longer empty. Just then, the police car shines the spotlight on them, and they are taken to the police station. After Teacher Jung forcefully feeds them, Heungsoo and Namsoon slowly make their way home.

Heungsoo knows that after tonight, it will be tough for Namsoon to build his walls back up and stops hobbling along when they are almost at his house. Namsoon, who is following behind him, stops as well. Heungsoo just turns around and doesn't say anything, just waiting.

As expected, it doesn't take long before Namsoon asks, "Why?" Heungsoo knows what Namsoon is asking about, but he wants him to say it out loud. "Why what?" Heungsoo replies. Namsoon sighs before asking again, "Why did you stop me?"

Heungsoo is brought back to a time when Namsoon asked something similar, and replies seriously, "Because I had a promise to keep." Namsoon stares at him, eyes wide, as if he never expected Heungsoo to remember that promise, much less keep it. "I would have thought that you wanted me to go to jail," Namsoon says, trying to project a couldn't-care-less aura.

"I didn't then, and I still don't," Heungsoo says firmly. "Why?" The repeated one-word question gives Heungsoo pause as he considers how to answer the question. "I was conscious that day, you know," Heungsoo chooses to say. Namsoon looks thrown by the change in topic for a moment before what Heungsoo said registers and he stiffens, taking a step back.

"...Oh," Namsoon says, "Look, Heungsoo, I can explain-"

"I wanted to tell you then that it was okay." Namsoon is interrupted by Heungsoo, who just wants to get this done and over with so that they can return to the way they once were, maybe something more.

"What?" Namsoon is staring at Heungsoo in bewilderment. Heungsoo walks closer to Namsoon, until the latter has to tilt his head up slightly just to maintain eye contact. "I wanted to tell you that it was okay, and that I love you too," Heungsoo confesses, leaning in to press their lips together.

Namsoon is stiff and unmoving beneath his hands. Heungsoo retreats slightly, observing Namsoon. It doesn't take long for Namsoon to react to Heungsoo's words. "But don't you hate me?"

Heungsoo shakes his head. "I hated the way you were so empty. You weren't the Namsoon I knew." "You don't blame me?" Namsoon asks, and Heungsoo shakes his head again. "How could I, when you were in pain too?"

Heungsoo is beginning to smile at Namsoon's confusion, but his smile is edged with sadness, because it hurts to see Namsoon so unsure of himself. "What about Noona? What does she think?" Namsoon asks again, hesitantly.

Heungsoo frowns, replying, "I don't care what Noona thinks, this is between you and me. Besides, I'm already following her wishes by attending school. If she tells me anything else, I'm not listening to her." "But-" " I don't want to listen to her, not when she took you away from me."

Namsoon is shocked into silence by Heungsoo's words. "Why do you not blame me? I ruined your entire life!" Namsoon repeats, brain still unable to process the matter.

"Aish, this little bastard. You ruined my life when you left without a word. What else did I have apart from soccer, huh? And I lost both within two days, of course my life was ruined. You should have stayed, you fool," Heungsoo says mock-irritably.

"I'm sorry," Namsoon says on reflex, and Heungsoo retorts, "You can make up for it by not leaving again, bastard. I'm going home first." Heungsoo steps away to continue up the slope to his house, but before he can do so Namsoon grabs at his blazer sleeve.

"Thanks, Heungsoo-ah," Namsoon says softly, and Heungsoo shakes his arm off, muttering about idiotic bastards who have brains the size of a peanut. Namsoon turns to go back to his home, a small smile on his face.

Slowly, as the days pass, Namsoon comes back to life, regaining the confidence and personality that he lost the moment he stepped out of Heungsoo's life. Their classmates also notice the change, and Oh Jungho wisely keeps his distance.

The old Namsoon would have allowed himself to be a punching bag, but this new Namsoon was terrifying, worthy of the name Tsunami. He never makes any overt gestures, but everyone can tell that Oh Jungho has fallen in line behind the two new jjangs of Victory High.

Heungsoo stays over at Namsoon's more and more often, and by the time they graduate, Heungsoo has all but moved in. Time passes, and they find jobs, ones paying well enough that they can afford to move into a larger apartment. Namsoon does suggest it once, but they're comfortable with the way they're living now, in this apartment, and choose to spend their pay on better food and more manga instead.

They still stock up on ramen every time they go grocery shopping, and eventually, Namsoon opens a ramen shop after he retires from his job. They never do get married, but they get simple matching silver bands and they wear it either on a necklace or on their ring fingers. It's enough for them.

When Namsoon closes his eyes for the last time, following his will, he is buried next to Heungsoo, keeping his promise to never leave Heungsoo again, even in death.