Junhui was roaming blank-mindedly around the campus. He had no idea why Jeonghan couldn’t understand what Daeun had been enduring, how she felt or how Jun himself felt – even. He knew the older had tolerated a lot from his parents: being their only heir, he studied pharmacy so he could help with the business afterward, he was prohibited from going out often, and he got engaged to a girl whom he had no idea about. But Jun couldn’t help but pitied the girl even more. “Such an ill-fate…”

Just then that he saw a familiar figure walking slowly not so far away. “Myungho-yah,” he waved his hands, but the other didn’t seem to notice. He got closer, “Hao- whoa!” The other unexpectedly collapsed – on top of him.

His brain got dizzy, his eyes went blurry, and his body could feel the weight – but not so much weight – lying on. Gathering his mind, Jun looked down to the boy who still flopping onto his chest. He didn’t know the boy would be this light – feathery, even.

“Jun… Jun-ah?”

‘Ow, how cute~ His face even now is redder than a tomato.’ His lips curved up.

They got back on their own feet, with the older grinning and the younger hiding his face with his palms. “Why are you like that? Let me see your face.”

“I’m… I’m sorry about what just happened. I wasn’t in my right state of mind.” Minghao mumbled. “It’s the most embarrassing event in my life.”

“What? I couldn’t hear you clearly. Put away your hands.”

“I said… I’m sorry.” He spoke louder but still hiding his warmth-occupied face.

“What?” Jun found abashed Minghao extremely adorable that he couldn’t stop smirking.

“I apologize! Are you deaf, you idiot?!” All his embarrassment was replaced with annoyance instead that he removed his hands.

“I will voluntarily turn deaf if I get to see you being like this every day.”

“What?” It was the younger’s turn to ask, brows knitted.

“Nothing.” He acted innocent. “What are doing here? It’s kind of late though.”

“I just finished the shift which dental students like you don’t have any after class hours.” There were both inanition and envy in his tone.

“Yeah, we don’t.” Jun admitted. “Want me to walk you home?”

“I’m not a little kid and my apartment isn’t far from here,” Jun almost frowned, “but if you want to…”

-

River Flows in You by Yiruma was resonating over the room from his phone’s ringtone. Jeonghan found himself enjoy listening to classic songs since he was little as he occasionally had to be alone in the hospital. Not being in the mood to be initiated into any conversation, he dismissed the call. It rang a few more times before the person on the other line gave up.

What should he do?... What can he do?

His mind rumbled that over and over but could find no answers.

Is he the one that should stop? Or is it the fate that never takes his side? One is bound to get hurt either way he chooses, right?

Heavy sighs were permitted. Warm yet impassible droplets were fell. Silence occupied the chamber. His feeling was bitterly eaten by grief and sarcasm every single day.

-

Sorry, the number you’ve dialed isn’t available right now. Please contact again later.

‘Has he slept?’ Seungcheol was now alone in the apartment since the other spent longer time than usual to get home from his shift.

10:37 pm. Not too late to make a call, isn’t it?

Trying calling a few more times and receiving the same responses, he got anxious. “Did something happen?”

But a moment later, he got an incoming call.

“Hello?” He was too impatient to look at the caller ID.

-

“Hyung?”

“Jeonghan-nie hyung?” He swung his hand in front of him.

“Oh, Jun-ah?” Finally, he got his attention.

“Are you okay? You look anxious all this morning. Are you looking for someone? Who?” Question after question, Jun couldn’t understand his hyung who had been peeping here and there around the cafeteria, more times than he could count.

“Um, no. No one. I just…” he tucked his strand locks away. The younger couldn’t help but suspected even more.

-

Jeonghan was on his way to the lecture hall. He fished out his phone only to realize there was still no reply to his certain messages. ‘What is this? Does he upset that I didn’t pick up his calls nights before?’

Even when he arrived at the class, Jeonghan couldn’t focus that he almost fell off the stairs while looking for his seat.

“Yoon Jeonghan.”

“Ye- yes, professor?” The absent-minded man was startled out of his busy thoughts.

“Is your thesis done?”

“I almost finish it, professor.”

“Okay. Pay more attention to the class, won’t you?”

“I’m sorry, professor.” He bowed and got back on his seat. ‘Yoon Jeonghan! Come to your sense already!’

-

“Father!”

“Cheol.” He went straight to the priest’s embrace.

“I’m sorry that it took me so long.”

“That’s okay. I’m glad you can come. A medical student must be super busy, am I right?” Seungcheol just smiled.

“Is everyone doing alright?” The older nodded gently. “How’s it?” He then quickly looked around.

“The wound heals fast. But it still needs more time to be able to gallop again.” They went straight to the small wood stable located in the lawn Father build a long time ago.

The stallion was standing composedly as Seungcheol got inside the stalls.

“Cheolie-yah~” He hugged it affectionately. “Look at how thin you are. Who dares hurt you with a gunshot, huh?” The horse just neighed softly.

He spent all that morning in the stalls, taking care of the horse. When the afternoon came, so did the other children.

“Seungcheol hyung/oppa is here?!” Happy and surprised cheers could be heard from inside the church. A minute passed and the children already gathered at the stable’s fence.

Seungcheol couldn’t resist the urge to smile. “How are you guys doing? Have you been good to Father, Mother and Sisters when Myungho and I are gone?”

“Yeah/sure/of course,” were omitted loudly.

Checking on Cheol-lie one last time, Seungcheol got out of the stalls after washed his hands. At the speed of light, four-year-old-Seungkwan jumped into his arms and six-year-old-Seokmin got on his back while the others encircled him, making it impossible to move.

“Ow! you two got heavier, didn’t you?” Seungcheol nearly balanced himself with two growing boys’ weight but was able to pat the other kids’ head nonetheless.

“I just got taller,” claimed Seokmin actively, “it’s him who got fatter,” and gestured to Seungkwan.

“What are you talking about?” Of course, the diva boy couldn’t stay wordless. “I got taller, too!” And a typical quarrel started.

“Where is Myungho hyung and Wonwoo hyung? They didn’t come with you?” Sixteen-year-old-Jisoo, the oldest of them, swept his eyes around.

“Ah, they didn’t.” The children started to exclaim. “Being a university student isn’t easy, you know? We have to work our asses off!”

“What is work our asses off?” The diva boy tilted his head. The older kids who knew what that meant laughed.

“I- I mean we have to work very hard, Seungkwan-ah.” His excuse was too late. “Anyway, Hao hyung promised that he will come next time, and Woo hyung says he really misses us.” Seungcheol managed to make up with other things and the kids’ faces lit up again. He took out his phone to look at the time only to find that its power had already gone out.

-

That Friday went by slowly, too slowly. And why would any of his thought had to ended up thinking about that person? Jeonghan decided to take a walk around the campus after finishing his classes to get rid of his worry, but it didn’t help, not one bit.

Is he sick? Are his parents sick? Or is he avoiding him – just because he didn’t pick up his calls? It sounds too non-sense for a man like him, a man like Choi Seungcheol. Then what is it?

Just then, River Flows in You started playing once again, distractin