Birds chirped as the sun started to peak from behind the horizon. As the world started to stir awake, a young boy snoozed. It wasn’t until the little rays started poking its way into the boy’s room when he brought himself to open his eyes. His senses didn’t start working until a delicious smell wafted its way toward his nose. It wrapped him up and dragged him onto his feet to lead him down the stairs. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he entered the kitchen, greeting his mother. The women turned toward him with a warm smile before returning her attention to the sizzling food.

“How was your sleep, Luhan sweetie?”

The said boy mumbled some gibberish as he climbed onto a stool and sprawled his body on the table. His mother chuckled at him. Comfortable silence filled the room besides the sound of his mother preparing the food. As the minutes ticked by, Luhan felt himself become more and more awake and, by the time breakfast was ready, he was able to actually talk properly.

“Go wake up, Baba.” His mother told him.

She barely finished her sentence when Luhan leaped off the stool and dashed up to his parent’s room. Even though Luhan was already thirteen, he still acted the same way when he was five. He did, however, acted more mature around his friends and relatives but it’s just to his parents and really close friends when he would let out his playful nature. Luhan flung himself onto the large bed, half landing on his father. He heard a deep groan from the lump next to him, making him giggle.

“Baba! Wake up!” He practically yelled. “Mama made breakfast already!”

Another groan could be heard and Luhan squealed in surprise when the body underneath him started rising. Luhan grinned. He knew his father knew better than to argue. What he didn’t expect was his father to quickly turn toward him and manhandled him into a head lock. A silent scream erupted from his lips from being dragged back down.

“This is what you get for waking me up!” His father’s scratchy but teasing voice said.

It took a few minutes of wrestling and pleading for the father and son to break apart and head down the stairs, their hair a mess and clothes ruffled. Luhan’s mother shook her head at the common sight, a loving smile on her lips as she beckoned the two to sit and start eating.

Luhan was on summer break and he was excited. He was able to video chat with his best friend, who was his cousin who lived in Korea. He wanted to move to Korea a long time ago, to be surrounded by different sceneries and to live closer to his cousin. They had known each other for years upon years, practically before they were even born. His cousin had told him that his family was planning to come visit China that winter during the long holidays. The two were already listing activities they wanted to do and places they planned to travel. A list was hanging off the small bulletin board on his desk.

It wasn’t just them. His cousin had a younger brother who Luhan also loved dearly. The younger boy by six years is very shy but absolutely sweet. Luhan felt the need to protect the younger as if he was his own younger brother. He didn’t have many friends so he followed his older brother around like a lost puppy. Luhan, of course, didn’t mind the time he shared with both of his cousins. The older of the two was his best friend but the younger is like his little partner in crime. Though the younger was too intimidated or shy to even join Luhan and his older brother in certain activities, the elders tried to plan events to include him.

Halfway into breakfast, a buzzing sound vibrated through the air and made the family of three turn toward the noise. Luhan watched as his mother stood up and headed toward the kitchen counter where she left her cell phone and glanced at the caller id, still holding her chopsticks. She pulled a confused expression at the sight. She made her way back to the dining table, not picking up the phone but showing the number to her husband. Luhan munched on his eggs when his father told his mother to pick up the phone anyway.

“Hello?”

That was the moment, right when his mother picked up the phone, when everything changed. In a split second, his mother dropped her utensils and gasped loudly. Her eyes grew so wide, Luhan was afraid they were going to pop right out of their sockets. His father was already up and asking if she was okay. Luhan started to worry when his mother did nothing but gripped her phone tightly. She started speaking in hushed Korean and Luhan instantly knew it had something to do with the Oh family, his cousin’s family.

It felt like an eternity had passed before his mother finally put the phone down. There was tense silence before she spoke. Her words slapped Luhan across the face. It physically hurt when his mother told him the news. The world seemed to freeze. Everything was at a standstill. He didn’t move when his mother started crying, trying to hold back her tears. He didn’t move when his father rushed to get tissues and his laptop and book the closest flight to Korea. He didn’t move when he was told to go pack his belongings. Luhan just felt so numb, a low aching pain in his chest.

He was just thirteen when his world crashed down.

“My sister… She and… Her husband and… And her children… They got into a fatal car accident and were rushed to the hospital and… And… She didn’t make it. Neither her husband nor oldest son… The youngest is in a coma.”

~*~

Luhan was holding his mother’s hand tightly when he entered the hospital. The young boy didn’t pay attention to his mother talking to the receptionist and leading him to the elevator. Since it was the summer, most people had booked flights to travel to Korea. There were only two tickets left for the earliest plane and his parents decided that his mother and he should fly over first while his father came a few days later. He didn’t get a wink of sleep the previous night or the past several nights. He felt so exhausted but he couldn’t sleep. He was so afraid to sleep, to dream of his best friend and know that he won’t be there anymore. The rough plane ride didn’t help either. Luhan tightened his grip on his mother’s hand when the elevator doors opened and they made their way down the hallway.

Everything was white. Too white. The nurses were wearing soft blue uniforms but it was still too white. Luhan would grow to hate that color. It would remind him of hospitals.

He snapped back to reality when his mother stopped walking and they stood behind a door labeled “432”. Luhan could feel his heart race, ramming against his chest, when his mother knocked on the door then entered. It was visiting hours, he supposed. The room was quite bare, only decorated with a small TV with medical equipment under it. The other side was covered by a curtain and was slightly open. His mother slowly walked them to it and gently pulled the curtain aside.

Luhan froze while his mother gasped. On the bed was his younger cousin, his poor younger cousin. To even image him in pain hurt Luhan, let alone seeing him all frail and covered in bandages. The younger’s skin was so ghostly pale that it matched the color of the walls, giving Luhan yet another reason to despise the color white. There were so many tubes attached to his small body, an oxygen mask covering half of his face. His eyes were covered in the bandages, making Luhan worry the worst. Parts of the younger’s hair was shaved due to surgery. The machines surrounding the bed intimidated Luhan, the buzzing noises filling the eerie silence of the room. He had seen hospital setting dramas with his mother before and the only time there were so many machines around a patient was when they were in serious injury or about to die. He shouldn’t base real situations with dramas but it scared him nonetheless.

“Sehun…” Luhan whispered, taking a few steps closer toward the bed until he was right next to the younger.

Sehun was lying so still. Luhan would have thought he was dead if it wasn’t for the heart monitor. The heart beat was slow and small, Luhan was afraid it could stop at any second. His mother had taken a seat across from him. Luhan sniffled a little. He didn’t know what he would do if he lost his younger cousin. He still felt so hurt and numb knowing his best friend was gone. He wanted to curse the weather. How dare it turn so bad to cause his second family to crash? How dare God kill off his cousin? How dare the world hate this family? Luhan just stared at Sehun’s lifeless face, hoping and praying for the younger to wake up fine.

“Ah yes. Ms. Lu, right?”

Luhan spun around with his mother to see a tall man with a white coat on. His gave them a small sympathetic smile as he glanced down his clipboard. When he received a nod, he continued.

“As you may already know the unfortunate events, Ms. and Mr. Oh passed at the scene. Their first son had passed when he arrived here.” He flipped a page from his clipboard. “Their youngest son had slipped into a coma upon arrival. However, the physical damage on the outside and inside is very serious. He is suffering a very critical concussion. During the surgery and x-rays, we had noticed that his optical nerves are damaged severely and other parts of his brain as well. We believe that when he wakes up, he would have temporary amnesia and blindness.” The doctor nods, facing the two. “I’m sorry that so much had happened. We can assure you that we are trying our best but with the injuries that Mr. Oh Sehun is suffering with, I do not believe he can make it. You have the ultimate decision to unplug life support if you deci-“

“No!” Luhan cut him off. “We’re not pulling the plug!”

“Luhan!” His mother slightly scowled but she already understood. Her son was still to young but with all this information being given to him, he wanted to push all the bad thoughts away.

“I understand but if you feel it is time t-“

“No!” Luhan shakes his head. He didn’t realize tears were forming in his eyes and that he was gripping Sehun’s hand a little too tight. The small, bony hands… “Sehun is going to be okay! We can’t pull the plug! Not yet! I can’t lose him too!”

He suddenly felt someone embrace him into a warm hug. Luhan realized it’s his mother and he quickly buried his face into her shoulder and sobbed, his hand still holding onto Sehun’s. The doctor watched a bit, a flash of a sympathy appeared on his face before he nodded.

“I understand.” With that, he turned around and left.

Luhan cried silently, the realization of everything sinking in. He won’t see his cousin anymore. He won’t play soccer with his best friend anymore. He won’t have a best friend anymore… He slowly let go of his mother and turned toward the motionless body on the bed. Luhan might have lost his best friend, but Sehun lost everything. His parents, his brother, his own best friend, a small kitten, just a few months prior. Luhan quickly wiped his tears away. It still hurts but he needed to be strong, be strong for his younger cousin, his little brother…

“Sehun is going to live with us from now on.”

The young boy looked up at his mother, his eyes slightly wide. He pretty much figured that but it didn’t actually occur to him that it would happen yet. He didn’t say anything but turned back to Sehun. The hand feels slightly cold against his but Luhan held it tightly, hoping to warm it.

“Please wake up soon, Sehunnie.”

~*~

Two weeks after Luhan’s father had arrived to Korea, Luhan walked into the room with a small bouquet of flowers with his mother. Sehun hadn’t woken up but Luhan still hoped and prayed every day. No one brought up the thought of pulling the plug. Both of his parents are still hopeful that Sehun would wake up.

As the mother and son stepped into room 432, a different type of atmosphere greeted them. They both felt a little weird but when they turned toward the bed, the answer hit them like a million bricks. There was Sehun, his bed inclined up so he could sit. His eyes were still covered with bandages but there was no mistaking it. Sehun was awake.

“Oh my… Sehun!” Luhan almost dropped the bouquet when he dashed over to his younger cousin. He was so excited to see the younger that he didn’t even realize a nurse was there.

“Don’t worry, kid. Slow down, he’s not going anywhere.” Luhan quickly spun around toward the nurse, making her chuckle. “He woke up earlier today. He’s still feeling a little fuzzy so be patient with him, please.”

Luhan nodded quickly and waited a little for the nurse to leave before he turned his attention back to Sehun. He slowly took a few steps and sat down on a chair next to the bed. Luhan watched Sehun’s head perked up a little and slowly turned toward the noise. He looked tired and Luhan’s heart just broke at the sight.

“Hey, Sehun… How are you feeling?” The older asked, reaching over to hold Sehun’s hand. It still felt cold. He knew Sehun probably didn’t feel great but he heard doctors ask their patients this all the time.

The young boy just lied there and didn’t say anything. Luhan didn’t feel discouraged. The nurse did tell him to be patient. Luhan looked down at their hands, at how the smaller and colder hands slightly curled around his. Luhan suddenly felt so much emotion… He was all Sehun had left… Luhan glanced back up at Sehun’s pale face that hadn’t moved at all.

“I’ll protect you from now on, Sehun… I promise…”

Hey guys! Sorry for not updating in awhile! Finals week started so "school responsibilities" finally caught up with me... Anyways, here it is! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! The editing process was basically nonexistent so please excuse any mistakes! I've already gotten the second chapter written and I'm currently working on the third so hopefully I can get the next chapter out soon!

Also! Special thanks to everyone who subscribed, upvoted, and commented already! I didn't expect so much positive feedback before I could even post the first chapter! You guys rock! Well, until the next update! :-)