Three weeks later

The day Sungmin finally finished his studies and returned to Seoul was the day that Ryeowook finally opened his eyes after five years. Ryeowook had undergone a successful lung transplant and his condition had improved drastically, eliminating the need for a ventilator. He was transferred back to a regular hospital room a few days after surgery.

The fall wind blew in through the open window in Ryeowook’s room, gently brushing his cheeks. He opened his eyes a small crack as the light flooded into his pupils, temporarily blinding him. He lifted his arm to shield his eyes. They were thin and pale, making him wonder just how long his slumber was. As he attempted to sit up, his whole body felt like jello, making it near impossible to support himself and he gave up, falling back onto the sheets exhausted. His chest throbbed slightly and he looked down at it, noticing a long, thin pink scar in the middle. He ran his fingers down the scar, recalling that his lungs had failed and how Kyuhyun had happily told him that he had a found a donor. Then it hit him. Kyuhyun. Where was Kyuhyun? He scanned the room but the seat next to him where Kyuhyun had sat in, slept in, and cried in for all those years was empty.

“Kyuhyun…” He tried to speak but his vocal chords had been out of use for too long and his voice cracked as it was barely audible. His throat felt dry as he called again. “Kyuhyun…”

You promised me you would be there when I woke up. Now that I’ve woken up, why are you not here?

The door opened and Ryeowook hoped that it was the person he wanted to see most, but it was only a nurse who came to check on his vitals. She blinked in surprise as she saw him looking right back at her.

“You finally woke up.” She walked to his side and began to check on the IV drip. “You know, there was a boy who never told us his name that came and sat here everyday for the five years you were out. Never missed a day and took better care of you than we did. Every evening he would sit here and cry himself to sleep and then leave the next morning. It hit us pretty hard when he suddenly disappeared three weeks ago. I guess he just gave up.”

The nurse finished doing her job and left the room, shaking her head.

He gave up? But the Kyuhyun he knew wasn’t one to give up...unless Kyuhyun had been lying to him the whole time...would the person he trusted most betray him like that? Still, he had caused him so much pain, he had every right to give up if he wanted to. Even though he said that, every bit of him prayed that Kyuhyun hadn’t done such a thing.

The door opened a second time. A tall, cute-faced figure with dark brown hair and chocolate eyes stepped in.

“Sungmin…”

“Ryeowook...you awoke.” For a minute, Sungmin looked teary eyed but he blinked the wetness away and smiled as he sat down in the seat next to his bed.

“Where....is....Kyuhyun?”

“He’s gone.” Sungmin said coldly, immediately regretting his lie although he knew it was for the better. "He's already broken himself beyond repair."

Ryeowook was silent, disbelieving his ears. Not knowing how to respond, he turned his head to the opposite side of the room and pretended to sleep, tears blurring his eyes. Sungmin rubbed circles on his friend’s skinny back, whispering “I’m sorry.” over and over again as if repeating the phrase enough times could fix everything.

Weak from having just woken up, Ryeowook slowly drifted off, dried tear tracks still glistening on his pale cheeks.

Seeing that his friend had already calmed down, Sungmin slumped back into the chair and buried his face is his hands. What he just done? He lied so that he wouldn’t hurt him but it seemed like he had hurt him even more. He wondered just how long the lie would run before he would spill everything, before he would have to break his promise.

*Flashback

“Sungmin, I’ve decided, I’m going to give him my lungs.” Kyuhyun’s voice came through the receiver in an almost happy tone

“Kyu, are you sure about this? Once you go through with it, there’s no turning back.”

“I’m already too broken to be repaired. If he dies in front of me, I would kill myself. Even if he somehow miraculously wakes up, I don’t think I would be able to love him without being burdened by guilt and he deserves much more than that. The only thing I can give him is my life in exchange for a second chance to find someone more worthy than me.” A lump forms in his throat as his eyes blur from the thin layer of water coating it.

“You’re really a good person, you know that?” Sungmin chokes back his tears.

“Promise me you won’t tell him the truth. Tell him I’ve left or make up any story, just don’t let him know. He’s the kind to get stuck up on problems, he’ll rip himself apart.”

“I promise, but only if you promise that you won’t regret your actions.”

“I’ve thought about it a lot. I know this is the right choice.” He wipes away a tear that has fallen down his well defined cheek bones. “And also, there’s a silver framed photo and a small black velvet box on the table in my apartment. Please give them to him when he wakes up.”

*End of Flashback

Sungmin clutches a handful of the sheets on the bed as his lips quiver and become wet from the tears cascading down the defined features on his face. His whole body is shaking but he can’t help it, the tears won’t stop no matter how much of an effort he makes to wipe them away.

His muffled sniffles bring Ryeowook back from his mini slumber and Ryeowook knows his friend is crying. But he does not open his eyes. Instead, he lets two droplets of water slowly slide down his tear stained face.

Authors Note: I apologize again for letting our precious evil magnae die but I promise there's going to be a happy ending.