Past

It was in the middle of the night when the younger suddenly showed up at his place.

"Hyung, can I stay with you for now?"

Sensing something was wrong, Seunghyun wordlessly ushered the younger into his house. Seating the younger down on his couch, he went to the kitchen to prepare a cup of tea and handed the cup over to the younger.

He knew the younger needed his space.

Daesung would tell him everything at his own pace.

Seunghyun sat down beside the still silent younger. He was anxious to know what had happened but he would not let it show, knowing that it would upset the younger more.

Seunghyun took one of Daesung's hand between his own. He alternate between caressing the shorter digits and rubbing circles over the back of the smaller hand. The younger laid his head on his shoulder, intertwining their hands. Finally, he spoke.

"They wanted me to get married."

Seunghyun tensed up.

"But I didn't show up at the blind date."

But it didn't comfort him very much. There was so much that he couldn't give to the younger and marriage was only one of them.

"My father was angry. He called me a disgrace. Said that I embarrassed him. Am I really that terrible? For wanting to chase after my dream? For wanting to stay with the one I love?"

He placed a finger under the youngers chin and lifted his head up. Looking directly into his eyes, he told the younger, "You are my joy and pride, the best thing that ever happened to me. If anyone tells you otherwise, just remember this."

***

For the following weeks, Daesung stayed at Seunghyun's. To say that he was scared was an understatement. He didn't even dare to go back to his own apartment.

The man terrified him.

"Hyung, I need to go back to my place to get a few things. Can you come with me?"

"Why? I have whatever you need at my place. Anything you lack, we can buy.?

"I can't buy my mail now, can I?"

"Babe, why don't you just move in with me?"

"Remember our discussion from a long time ago? I'm still keeping my stand."

"Okay, fine. Just finish up your food and I'll take you there."

***

After Daesung had finished packing some stuff, they left for Seunghyun's car.

Seunghyun, however, could not shake the feeling of being followed. He glanced around but he didn't spot any suspicious person.

'I must be paranoid.' He thought. After all, the younger's father knew where Daesung lived and that knowledge must have affected him unconsciously.

Opening the car door for the younger, he placed a peck on the younger's lips as he moved to enter the car.

A middle aged lady came out of her hiding place and hurried to hail a cab passing by as Seunghyun pulled his car out of the carpark.

He foucused on driving, not realising that they were being followed. After all, reality is not like the movies where protagonists can always see if they are being tailed.

Daesung's phone rings.

"Hello, mom?

Yes, I'm working tomorrow.

No, I won't be at home.

Bye."

***

The next day after Daesung had left for work, Seunghyun had a visitor.

He was getting ready to leave for work, when his doorbell rang. He had an artist who will be attending an event and he had to be there.

He was puzzled as he saw a middle aged lady stood at his doorstep as he opened the door.

It must be Daesung's mom. He could see the younger in her face.

"May I help you?"

"Is Daesung in?"

"No. He went to work."

"Good. I came here to look for you."

Seunghyun had an idea of why she would be looking for him and he wasn't going to let her into his house. If she came looking for a fight, he would not back down.

He would fight for Daesung.

"You must be Daesung's mother. And what can I help you with?"

She attacked.

"I need you to leave him."

And he parried.

"No."

What he did not expect was that the lady would drop to her knees, sobbing.

"Sir, have mercy on my son. Things between the boy and his father had been getting from bad to worse. Do you want to see Daesung being abused again?"

That got him.

"Do want to see the career he fought so hard for, go down the drain? You know that in our country same- relationship is frowned upon."

It hits him right in the gut. It was Daesung's dream to be a singer, he couldn't ruin that.

"You can't give him a family."

He could never.

So he made a decision.

And it was the worst decision.

 ***

 Present

 Seunghyun ran to the younger's side, afraid to move the limp body, fearful of further aggravating any injuries. He felt numb, as if it were a nightmare, as if he were looking through another person's eyes.

He puts a badly shaking finger to Daesung's nostrils to see if he was still breathing. He was, but Seunghyun suspects that it might not be for long.

He reached to touch Daesung's face, to wipe off the blood stemming from his nose.

Red stained his hand.

Red from the blood of the one person he loved most.

He spoke in a soft and gentle tone, one he would use to rouse the younger from his slumber.

"Wake up, babe, please."

He the younger's cheek, smearing blood over it. He couldn't even scream.

"Babe, please…"

Tears flooded his eyes. He couldn't even see his beloved through the tears.

"Please…"

And he kept repeating the word again and again, hoping for the younger to open his eyes, to smile at him, to tell him that he's fine.

Tears streamed down his eyes.

The ambulance siren rang in his ears yet his brain refused to register the sound.

"Daesungie…"

He couldn't even see the paramedics surrounding the younger.

His eyes were trained only on his beloved.

He finally lets out his anguish when the paramedics carried him away.

"Don't let him die! I beg you! Please! Daesung!"

He screamed, kneeling and holding onto one of the medic's arm, begging.

Seunghyun could feel his chest constricting, his heart pounding and he couldn't breathe. He could vaguely hear a woman screaming 'my son! My son!'

Seunghyun staggered towards the ambulance, which they were loading Daesung into, before his vision swam and darkness took over.

***

Seunghyun woke up and found himself in an ambulance. He had been laid down on a bench opposite a smaller one the medics were sitting on, working on…

"Daesung!"

He sat up and saw the younger still unmoving, strapped onto the stretcher. It wasn't a dream.

One of the medics looked up at him, irritated by his sudden outburst.

"Sir, I suggest that you lie down. You fainted from a panic attack. Please also refrain from disrupting our work."

"Is he…?"

"No, he is alive. Please let us do our job."

***

Sitting outside the operating room, Seunghyun had never felt so empty. Time had ceased to tick for him. He stared at the red light above the double doors but he couldn't process the words.

He heard footsteps approaching but he could not find strength to look away from the red light.

Two figures entered his view. Upon seeing the male, all his rage surged to the surface.

Pure, undiluted rage.

The red from the light spreads over his vision.

All he saw was red.

He leapt off the seat and grabbed the man by the back of his collar, causing said man to fall onto the ground.

"You happy now?! Are you happy now?! you, old man! You don't deserve to call him your son!" Seunghyun yelled at the man, lifting his fist up to deliver a blow.

But it never reached the man.

A hand circled around his wrist and another pair of arms around his waist, prevent Seunghyun from commiting the act of violence.

Seunghyun turned around and collapsed against his friend and he wept unabashedly on his shoulder.

"I should have caught him, Bae. I didn't. He's suffering now because of my failure. Ji, I couldn't protect him. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"

Jiyong, was slient, gritting his teeth as he bear the overwhelming emotions flooding through him.

Youngbae's shirt became wet with his tears and snot but it doesn't matter now. He needs to stay strong for his friends, a pillar for them to lean on in this tragedy.

***

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, the double doors finally opened.

"Kang Daesung's family?"

The father moved to stand but Seunghyun was faster. He stared down at the older man, daring him to proclaim himself as family.

"I am."

"He was fortunate that the car wasn't travelling at higher speed. He sustained a few serious injuries but nothing life threatening. His left leg is broken, left shoulder dislocated, a broken rib and a collapsed lung due to the broken rib poking a hole into his lung. It sounds like a lot but there won't any permanent disability."

Seunghyun finally lets out his breath. He had been expecting the worst.

"However…"

Seunghyun's head snaps up upon hearing.

"There's may be some memories impairment due to the impact of his head hitting the floor during the accident. We cannot confirm if it's permanent or just temporary."

Seunghyun was confused.

'Wasn't Daesung fixed? Why is he saying  now?'

"What do you mean by impairment?"

"He may have amnesia."

Sorry about the very angsty and shorter chapter.

Sorry again for writing Daesung's dad as the villian.

Sorry for the long wait and mistakes. I didn't have time to proof read it.

But THANK YOU for staying with me through this story.