Sungmin was asleep on the bed in the sick bay as Kyuhyun sat on a chair next to the bed.

He extended his hand to brush Sungmin’s hair and caress the sleeping boy’s peaceful face.

“It’ll mean a lot to me for you to be in this production. I want to do something memorable together with my best friend.”

Kyuhyun suddenly remembered the words Sungmin said before he passed out.

“Those words seemed vaguely familiar. Where have I heard them before?” Kyuhyun wondered to himself, his hand still on Sungmin’s face.

Sungmin stirred a little, and Kyuhyun quickly withdrew his hand. Sungmin slowly opened his eyes and he mumbled weakly, “Where am I? What happened?”

“You fainted. I brought you here.”

“Thank you,” Sungmin mumbled as he attempted to get up.

“You should lie down a little longer,” Kyuhyun said.

“I’m fine now,” Sungmin stubbornly insisted as he slowly sat up.

“You should see a doctor.”

“What for? I’m dying soon,” Sungmin said coolly. “Nothing really matters.”

Kyuhyun stood up, and grabbed Sungmin’s hand. “Get up. I’m taking you to the hospital.”

Sungmin pushed Kyuhyun’s hand away.

“I don’t want to go. There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m fine. I’m going to die. It’s not that seeing the doctor would prolong my life,” Sungmin spat. “And why do you even care?”

Kyuhyun grabbed Sungmin’s hand more forcefully this time earning a groan and ‘That hurts’ from the latter.

“You’re right. Seeing a doctor won’t prolong your life. But it will help you cope with the pain and headaches you’re going through. You need to know what’s going on to your body so the doctor can prescribe you some medicine to deal with the situation at least until the day comes,” Kyuhyun rebuked. “At least be responsible to yourself. And as your angel, I’m responsible for you.”

“I don’t need you to be responsible towards me! I just need your help to help me fulfil my last wish,” Sungmin broke down in tears.

Kyuhyun’s gaze softened a little as he looked sympathetically at Sungmin. “Sungmin-ah, if I agree to be in this musical, would you let me take you to the hospital?”

Sungmin stopped crying immediately and looked up at Kyuhyun with a grateful look. “Kyuhyun-ah, Gomawo.”

“But I need to make something clear first. If I have to rush off for a job, you’ll have to excuse me from the rehearsal.”

“But what about the actual performance?”

“Well…we’ll cross the bridge when we come to it. As you don’t know, death doesn’t wait for anyone.”

Taking Sungmin’s hand firmly, Kyuhyun said, “Now let’s get you to the hospital for a check-up.”

……

Kyuhyun and Sungmin were sitting down in the waiting area waiting to see the neurology specialist that Sungmin has always seen when the Kyuhyun felt his hand-held tablet vibrating in his pocket.

He took a look at it and smiled apologetically at Sungmin, “I’ve got to go for a while. Duty calls.”

And within a flash he was out of his uniform and was in an all white ensemble.

“Sungmin-ah, will be okay if I leave you here for a while?”

The other boy nodded his head.

“I’ll be back soon.”

It was not too long later that Sungmin spotted Kyuhyun with a somewhat middle-aged man breeze past him. Kyuhyun was holding onto the man’s hand firmly who had somewhat a sad, dazed look in his eyes before they disappeared into nothingness.

It was about 10 minutes that Kyuhyun was at Sungmin’s side again. He was back in the SM High School uniform.

“So you only accompanied me to the hospital because you had some work to do here and not because you wanted to be here for me? It was a matter of convenience right?” Sungmin asked coolly. There was a tinge of disappointment in his voice.

Kyuhyun let out an awkward as he fiddled about his hair, “Well…sort of…but I’m really concerned for you.”

“Lee Sungmin! Lee Sungmin!” a nurse cried out.

“It’s my turn.”

“Do you want me to accompany you in?”

“It’s alright. Since you already know what will happen to me eventually. The doctor probably wants to find out more about my condition before he orders me to undergo some tests or scans. I’m used to that,” Sungmin sighed as he got up from his seat.

“Kyuhyun-ah, thanks for accompanying me here to the hospital. You’ve done enough for the day. If you need to be at somewhere else, you may go now. I’ll be fine on my own.”

“I’ll just hang around the hospital. There are a lot of cases waiting for me to handle. I’ll wait for you,” Kyuhyun smiled.

“Alright.”

“You don’t have to come looking for me. I’ll be able to find you.”

Sungmin nodded.

As Sungmin went to see the doctor, Kyuhyun kept himself busy with all the souls that needed be directed to the afterlife.

Meanwhile Sungmin told the doctor of the recent developments and discomfort he was experiencing. The doctor then ordered Sungmin to get some scans done.  

It was not too long before Sungmin was back at the waiting area. He was alone. He sighed.

“Has Kyuhyun left? Is his work done for the day?”

Sungmin felt exhausted and was lost in thought. He did not notice that someone had taken a seat next to him.

Sungmin suddenly felt a sudden warmth on his icy palm and he turned his head to his left.

“Kyuhyun-ah…” he stuttered in surprise. “I thought you had left.”

“Didn’t I say that I’ll wait for you? Anyway, have a drink.”

Kyuhyun placed a drink into Sungmin’s palms.

“Gomawo.”

There was a silence between the both of them as Sungmin sipped on his drink.

“Is your work here for the day done?”

“Almost. There’s still one more. But that will be in about an hour from now.”

Sungmin nodded. “So how many souls have you escorted so far today?”

“Four.”

“That’s not many.”

“There’re other angels working in this hospital at this moment too.”

“I don’t see them.”

“Maybe that’s because you have eyes for me only,” Kyuhyun cheekily replied and smirked.

Sungmin blushed and protested, “That’s so not true. Maybe they just didn’t come my way just as you did with the middle-aged man from earlier. What happened to him? He looked sad. Does everyone look this way when they die?”

“He was killed in a car accident. He was the sole breadwinner of his family. He wasn’t ready to die as he was worried about what will happen to his family.”

“So what did you do about it?”

“I could only reassure him that everything would be fine. His family will be fine.”

“How do you know? You can read their future?”

“I can’t.”

“Then you’re lying to him.”

“The living will have to go on living,” Kyuhyun said coolly. “Life goes on. The living will learn to cope with their grief. They will return to their daily business. They’ll encounter hardships. They’ll face problems but the fact that life is so precious makes them want to go on living. So his family will be fine.”

“So what will happen to him?”

“I don’t know. Either come back to earth to fulfil his destiny, or enjoy paradise.”

“Is is really beautiful? The place where I’m going?”

Kyuhyun nodded. “You wouldn’t want to come back.”

“Who else did you today?”

“An old lady, a man who died of cancer and a young girl who drowned.”

“But they generally seemed happy and need not much comforting. In fact they were looking forward to where they were going to. But the little girl didn’t want to let go of me. She said I was the most handsome oppa she had ever seen and she wants to marry.”

Kyuhyun let out a laugh.

“Thick-skinned,” Sungmin retorted.

“Don’t you think I’m the most attractive angel around?” Kyuhyun turned his face to gaze into Sungmin’s eyes.

Sungmin felt a hot flush rush down his face and body. He quickly turned his face away to avert Kyuhyun’s seductive glance.

“Well, you’re the most attractive angel around because you’re the only angel I know.”

“True. So I’m still the most attractive angel.”

“Lee Sungmin! Lee Sungmin!” a nurse called out for Sungmin.

“I’ve got to go see the doctor again.”

“Do you want me to accompany you?”

“It’s alright.”

……

“So what did the doctor say?” Kyuhyun asked in a concerned tone.

“Well, we all know what will eventually happen.”

“That’s a given. But as your classmate, friend and angel. I do want to know what’s going on with your body.”

“The tumour in my brain is getting larger and pressing against my nerves. This explains why I’m suffering headaches, dizzy spells and all the weird images I’m seeing.”

“Weird images? What sort of images?”

“I keep seeing two boys in the SM High School uniform. Both of them are like our doppelgangers. Even some of images mirror our present time. What do these mean?”

Kyuhyun could feel a slight pain of what used to be his beating, living human heart.

“Could it be…?”

“Kyuhyun-ah! Do you know what do all these mean?”

“Maybe they’re just hallucinations. That’s a possibility with your tumour increasing in size…” Kyuhyun quickly responded.

“Oh. I thought you had a better explanation for that. Like a more supernatural one?”

“What were you expecting?” Kyuhyun started to fret a little. His brows were knitted.

“Like past memories or something?”

“I don’t think so. It’s not possible. No one goes to their next life with memories of their previous life.”

“Oh.”

Kyuhyun nodded but doubts started to grow within him.

“Am I connected to Lee Sungmin? Do I know him before I died? It isn’t possible. He’s 18. And I died 25 years ago. Unless…”

“Kyuhyun-ah!”

Kyuhyun’s thoughts were interrupted by Sungmin.

“If you do know what’s going on with those images and whether they belong to my past memories, promise me that you’ll tell me?” Sungmin asked earnestly.

“Um…er…alright,” Kyuhyun said reluctantly.

“Leeteuk hyung, you have a lot of explaining to do,” Kyuhyun muttered under his breath.

“Leeteuk hyung, who is Leeteuk hyung?” Sungmin asked.

“Nothing…so did the doctor give you any medicine?” Kyuhyun quickly changed the subject.

“Some painkillers. He advised me to have an operation as soon as possible. But then there’s only a 50 percent chance of success. I might die during the operation. Kyuhyun-ah, do you know how will I die or where will die?”

Kyuhyun shook his head.

“I don’t want an operation.” Sungmin said all of a sudden.

“Why not?”

“It’ll still end in my death. I don’t want to die in the hospital. I don’t want to die on the operating table. I’ll rather pass away watching the sunset at some beach or something. I’m sick and tired of hospitals. I really am,” Sungmin said as a tear fell from his eye.

Kyuhyun gave Sungmin a hug and pat him on his back.

“Are you going to tell your parents?”

“That I’m going to die?”

“About your condition.”

“No. They’ll force me to go for an operation.”

Kyuhyun’s hand-held tablet vibrated again.

“Here’s the last one. It’s a teenage girl.”

Just then Sungmin spotted a familiar figure running towards his direction.

“Mrs Choi!” Sungmin called out. 

The older woman stopped in her tracks. She looked flustered and panicky. Her cheeks were stained with tears.

“What happened?” Sungmin asked.

“It’s Sulli!” she cried.

“What’s with Sulli?”

“She was having some plastic surgery done when halfway through the op, she started haemorrhaging. The doctors say her situation is critical,” Mrs Choi burst out. “I have to go now!”

Mrs Choi sped off towards the emergency room.

“Kyuhyun-ah,” Sungmin turned to his right, but Kyuhyun was nowhere to be seen.

Sungmin’s face turned grim at the thought of his childhood friend from the neighbourhood school junior meeting an untimely end.

“Don’t tell me … no … it can’t be happening! Why is it Sulli?” 

Sungmin sprinted in the direction of the emergency room as tears began to roll down his eyes.

When he got there he saw Mrs Choi collapsing on the floor in the embrace of her husband who was trying to comfort her.

And then he saw Kyuhyun dressed in white with Sulli walking next to him. He held onto Sulli’s hand and he whispered something into her ear. Both of them just breezed past Sungmin without stopping to look at him.

Sungmin turned round and called out, “Kyuhyun-ah! Please stop! Don’t do this! Not Sulli! Please! Please don’t take her away. Please don’t take my friend away.”    

But Kyuhyun and Sulli just disappeared into nothingness.

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