Today Sunggyu had finally dared to hold the guitar in his hands again. It had been ages since he had touched that  beautiful instrument, which, once upon a time was his life.

He bends down and picks up his guitar from the storage room which he had once thrown away in a fit of anger. He blows away the dust accumulated on the guitar. Memories rush through his mind and involuntarily his eyes brim with tears while his lips curve into a smile. He realizes that the memories he was trying to erase were actually beautiful and instead of distressing over them, he should be treasuring them. He decides that he won't hide in the darkness anymore, he will face the truth with an open-heart.

***

"Gyu? Where are you going?" Dongwoo asks from the couch on seeing Sunggyu walk out of his room, all fresh and clean.

"To meet Woohyun" Sunggyu replies easily.

Dongwoo shifts his gaze and looks into his best-friend's eyes. He dreads to find any hint of aversion or emptiness in it. The moment he looks into the dark orbs, he finds it filled with hopes, expectations and few other positive emotions that had been absent for a quite time now.

Dongwoo's  tensed expression softens and he gives him an angelic smile "That's a good decision Gyu. It's going to make him happy."

Sunggyu nods "Instead of inflicting pain on both of us, I should have done this earlier, right? I'm stupid, am not I?" he says with a light chuckle while tying up his laces.

Dongwoo gets up from the sofa and walks to his best-friend "It's better late than never."

Sunggyu lifts his head and gives him a sad smile.

The moment Sunggyu gets up from his crouched position, Dongwoo engulfs him into a hug "I'm proud of you Gyu" there's a tremble in Dongwoo's voice which makes Sunggyu feel guilty.

He returns the hug with a pat on the other's back "Thanks Dongwoo, thanks for always being there by my side" he hears a sniffle against his shoulder "Yah Paboya, don't ruin this shirt" he scolds him playfully "It's Woohyun's favourite shirt" he says while rubbing his best friend's back.

Dongwoo retracts from the hug and nods with a small laugh. He wipes his eyes with the knuckles of his index finger.

"Ok then; I'll be going. And yes, stop wasting your time on those stupid dramas."

"Yeah, yeah. Now go" Dongwoo replies with another sniffle.

Soon enough Sunggyu finds himself walking on the snowy streets of Seoul with a destination in his mind. How long had it been since he finally walked out from his self-made cocoon?

It seems it had been quite long. Because the last time he was out here; the leaves were in the state of changing their colours and the aroma of apple and fresh pears along the market steet was strong, while now the market was full of knitted mits and hot street side foods which managed to attract many customers.

Winters were the favourite season of couples. It gave them a reason for some public display of affection for example- sticking close to each other for protecting their lovers from the harsh cold.

Sunggyu watches the couples passing by him with a knowing gaze.

Couples around his age were considerate towards the public and didn't show much skinship whereas the teenagers were shamelessly all over each other. Hormones, Sunggyu thinks. A smile crosses his face when his mind plays that beautiful moment, where he had his special someone so very close to him.
 

~

"H-hyung, what are you doing?" Woohyun asks, a bit flustered by Sunggyu's action.

"Keeping you warm?" Sunggyu answers nonchalantly as he brings the others hands into his sweater's pocket and entwines it with his own. He loves the blush that blooms across the other's cheeks.

"People might take a wrong a-assumption" Woohyun whispers and bites his lower lip.

"Does it matter to you Woohyun-ah?" Sunggyu asks softly. Woohyun shakes his head with his gaze fixed on the ground.

"Then it's not a problem. Your hands were freezing" Sunggyu reasons, which actually was the truth.

 ~

Shivers run down his body as several memories fill his head.

He fastens his steps in order to reach his destination as soon as possible.

***

"How are you Hyun?" he asks with a meek voice.

"Happy"

Sunggyu gulps down thickly.

"Hyung?"

He hums for him to continue

"Can you sing that song at least today for me; the one that you wrote for me?"

For a moment Sunggyu is speechless "H-how do you know?"

"I know everything Hyung."

And so he clears his voice and starts humming the starting melody. The scenes play through his mind, as if the whole ordeal had just happened yesterday.

Picking up my old guitar,
The confession that I couldn’t make
Pretending I made one song, I’m about to tell
Just listen, I’ll sing for you

"Woohyun-ah can you come to Hyung's concert today?"

"But hyung, dad?"

"Don't worry I'll get his permission for you, but promise me that you won't miss my today's concert?"

Woohyun puts his right hand forward and makes a pinky promise with Sunggyu.

I love you a lot but I don’t say the words,
It’s awkward that pride doesn’t allow me
Today I will take courage and tell you, but just
Listen to it carelessly, I’ll sing for you

That evening before the concert, Sunggyu's bandmates calm him down from his nervousness and asure him that Woohyun would surely be present in the crowd.

He did get successful in convincing Woohyun's dad after several hours of pleading but he was still doubtf