Hwanhee sat on the white mattress, legs dangling from the side of the bed. He looked out of the huge glass window, staring down at the patients and visitors who were sitting on the park benches and strolling past the lush green grass. He mentally calculated how much time he had spent in this tiny ward. Probably three weeks. It would be the start of another school term tomorrow and he was not quite sure if he was excited or nervous. The door creaked open and Hwanhee looked back. His hyung dressed in white coat and a pen hung on his pocket stood in.

"You look great, Hwan-ah," Minsoo exclaimed and stood by him. "Congratulations for being discharged today." He smiled genuinely.

"Thanks hyung," Hwanhee smiled back.

"I'll see you back at home tonight. You'll be fine till then, right?"

"Of course!" Hwanhee grinned.

"That's great," Minsoo ruffled his hair. "Get home safely. Call me if anything happens."

Hwanhee stood up and slung his bag on one shoulder. Minsoo saw him out at the entrance before leaving for his duties. Hwanhee strolled to the nearest bus stop and sat waiting. He his phone and was surprised to find many missed calls from his best friend, Lee Dongyeol. The latter had been trying to contact him for the past two hours. Hwanhee thumbed on the green call button next to Dongyeol's contact and pressed his phone against his ears. There was a dial tone — it was a song from Dongyeol's favourite female group — before he heard Dongyeol's anxious voice.

"Hyung!"

"Hey Dongyeol-ah."

"Why hadn't you answered my calls? I was so worried," Dongyeol whined. Hwanhee could imagine seeing Dongyeol pouting cutely.

He chuckled. "I was busy earlier. What's up?"

"I wanted to come over to your house. I miss you. We didn't get to meet up during the entire summer vacation!"

"Come over. I'm on my way home right now."

"Great! I'll see you later!" Dongyeol exclaimed and hung up.

The bus drove up and Hwanhee kept his phone in his pocket. He hurried up the bus and got a window seat. He leaned his head against the window and began to day dream. There were many things that had happened in his life, but he remarkably survived them. At aged 10, he lost his mother to cancer. At aged 14, he lost his father to a car accident. And at aged 16, he began counting down the days of his life. But despite all of these, he was still the same boy he had been, at least he tried to. Especially to Dongyeol, who had went through thick and thin with him, getting Hwanhee back on track whenever he goes too far off. But now, Hwanhee was sure that Dongyeol could no longer help him anymore.

When he was left orphan, he was taken in by a kind doctor he met. Go Minsoo, a resident at the Seoul National University Hospital, was Hwanhee's guardian for almost two years now. Hwanhee was just 16 when Minsoo first found him on the hospital bed, crying out in intense pain. He could not bear leaving the poor orphan even when he was discharged. So he took him in and Hwanhee had lived with him ever since. If people were to ask Hwanhee who he treasured the most in his life, he knew who to bring up.

The bus stopped at his destination and he got off. He was finally allowed back home after three weeks of smelling disinfectants and watching patients in the hospital garden. He walked to the apartment that Minsoo owned. It was not his real home that he grew up in for 15 years, but he was contented to even have a place to call home. When the lift opened, he was greeted by a bone-crashing hug from someone none other than his best friend.

"I've been waiting for you!" Dongyeol said. "Where were you?"

"I visited Minsoo hyung at the hospital," Hwanhee lied.

"Did you volunteer there during the vacation?"

"Kind of. I read to the children sometimes."

"That sounds really fun! Bring me along next time!"

"Sure," Hwanhee laughed.

"Let's go in! I have so many things to tell you!"

Dongyeol pulled him to the door. Hwanhee opened the door and Dongyeol rushed to Hwanhee's bedroom. He had came here enough times to know almost every corners. Sometimes, when they were lucky, Dongyeol would see Minsoo at home. Hwanhee went into the bedroom and set his bag against the study desk.

"Tell me everything," he said as he sat down on the chair, facing Dongyeol who decided to lie on the soft, cold bed that was left untouched for days.

"I heard that Jinwook and Sooil hyung are dating," Dongyeol disclosed.

"Really? Our class president and the most muscular guy?" Hwanhee gasped.

"Unbelievable, huh? I got a shock too when Sungjoon hyung told me last week."

"What's he up to?"

"He volunteered at the animal shelter with Changhyun hyung and Yein hyung. They posted a lot of photos via Instagram. Haven't you seen them?"

"Umm...no."

"Man, you have a lot to catch up on," Dongyeol tutted.

"Well, what can I say? You will always provide me with all the information," Hwanhee chuckled.

"Maybe during the winter vacation you can stay at my house," Dongyeol suggested.

Hwanhee thought about the countless appointments he had to attend, but he could not disappoint his best friend by saying 'no'. "We'll see."

Dongyeol hummed then turned his attention to the bedroom. "This place seems like it hasn't been touched for days."

"Is that so? Maybe it's because I spent most of the days in the hospital."

"You love that place a lot, don't you?"

Hwanhee found that question strangely amusing. "Maybe," he answered. If only Dongyeol had known...

 

Dongyeol continued sharing juicy gossips and news with Hwanhee until Minsoo had reached home. The tired doctor was not surprised to see an extra pair of shoes in front of the shoe rack. He walked to the boy's bedroom and smiled when he saw Dongyeol with Hwanhee.

"Hi kids!"

"Minsoo hyung!" Hwanhee exclaimed.

"I'm going to prepare dinner. Dongyeol, would you like to join us?" Minsoo asked.

Dongyeol shook his head. "I need to get back home." He then turned to Hwanhee. "I'll see you tomorrow in school!"

"Okay," Hwanhee waved him goodbye. Dongyeol bowed at Minsoo before leaving, and the apartment was quiet.

"So what have you two done today?" Minsoo asked as they went to the kitchen.

"Dongyeol was really eager to share with me about what our classmates had been doing. We didn't do anything else," Hwanhee replied.

"You still didn't tell him about it?"

"No...but I will, soon."

"He deserves to know. He is your best friend after all."

"I know that, but I just wanted to wait a little longer."

Minsoo ruffled Hwanhee's chestnut brown hair. "I hope that you can get another form of help other than me. I can't be in school with you."

Hwanhee sighed, "I know...I'll tell him when I'm ready."

 

"LEE HWANHEE!"

Dongyeol's booming voice could be heard from across the corridor the moment the said person had stepped in. Hwanhee stopped in his tracks and hugged the incoming boy, avoiding the stares that they were receiving.

"We just met yesterday," Hwanhee laughed.

"I really miss spending time with you in school. Come on, let's go and see the others!"

Once again, Dongyeol grabbed Hwanhee's thin arm and they raced to their classroom. There were some students who were already there, catching up with their friends about what had happened over the vacation. Dongyeol and Hwanhee went up to the group of boys who occupied the back cupboard of the class.

"Hey Dongyeol! Hwanhee hyung!" Sooil greeted and waved when he saw them coming.

"We were just chatting about the animal shelter," Jinwook told them.

"Tell me everything!" Dongyeol urged as he clinged onto Yein.

Hwanhee laughed at his best friend's action and sat on his chair. Both Hwanhee and Dongyeol sat together at the back of the class just in front of the cupboards. The boys often take the space there to chat with each other in between classes.

"The rabbits there were so cute," Yein squealed, almost crying.

"We were making jokes about how Yein resembles the rabbits," Sungjoon laughed.

"Fluffy and soft, but bites," Changhyun said while mimicking the biting action at the end.

"Yah! I don't bite!" Yein snapped.

"That's it!" Sungjoon shrieked and the boys laughed.

Hwanhee's stomach began to hurt. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the chatters. But he decided not to risk it. He stood up from his seat and briefly told Dongyeol that he would be in the toilet. He swiftly took something from his bag and stuffed it into his pocket. No one realised. He sped-walk to the nearest toilet and stumbled to the sink, breathing hard. Luckily, the toilet was empty. He took out the white bottle and popped a reddish-brown pill into his mouth. He closed his eyes and sighed. Minsoo had warned him about the side effects and that he should have someone with him at those times. But Hwanhee was still hesitant to tell Dongyeol the truth. The door opened and he looked up to see Dongyeol.

"Class is starting soon. You took quite a while," Dongyeol said.

"I'm coming out now," Hwanhee replied as he washed his hands.

"You're sweating."

"It's hot in here. Come on," Hwanhee wrapped his arm around his shoulder and they walked back to class.

 

Back in Hwanhee's first year of high school, he first knew Dongyeol as his seatmate. Subsequently, they became closer after numerous memories that they had shared. There were many arguments and desolations, but nothing had broke their friendship permanently. Their friends could not deny about how close the two were. However, despite how close they were, Hwanhee still kept a really huge secret from Dongyeol. A secret that would cost Hwanhee's life if he was not careful enough. A secret that would prevent the two from seeing each other again. But it was right under Dongyeol's nose all the time. Perhaps, Hwanhee had hidden it too well.

Amidst all of these, Hwanhee discovered an enthralling divertissement two months after the Summer vacation. It was a Japanese legend that promised a wish as long as one folds a thousand paper cranes. Hwanhee was not the type of person to believe in folk tales, but this was different. There was a wish he had to make before it was all too late. He started his first paper crane with amateurish skills. The wings were uneven and he was not satisfied with tail. But he was determined to finish the remaining nine hundred and ninety nine.

 

84;
It was a Sunday and the boys decided to hang out together. Due to school and different plans among the boys, they seldom hang out as a complete group. But they did not ever let the chance slip. They went to the nearest street from school that was lined with a variety of shops, and were first attracted to one that sold many cute accessories and gifts.

"Look at this!" Dongyeol exclaimed, holding up a bunny clock that he saw the moment they entered.

"It's Yein hyung!" Sooil laughed.

"I know I'm cute, thank you," Yein said sacarstically.

Hwanhee caught sight of the shelf that had many corked bottles of different shapes and sizes. He immediately thought of his newfound hobby and figured that he could buy a container for the paper cranes. He took the biggest one, but it was too heavy for him.

"You want this?" Dongyeol asked from behind.

"I thought I could contain some origami," Hwanhee replied.

"I didn't know that you fold origami," Dongyeol said.

"It's a new hobby. It seems fun."

"You should show me your creations the next time I come over!"

"Sure, of course," Hwanhee smiled.

He decided on the medium-sized corked bottle that did not seemed too big or too small for a thousand. Dongyeol went back to the boys to look at what they were planning to buy. Hwanhee waited at the counter for the staff to pack the corked bottle up. He glanced behind him and watched the boys laughing about the jokes that they had created about whatever they saw. Dongyeol's face, too, was radiating. He then sighed. There was not much time left.

That night, Hwanhee folded more paper cranes and placed them all into the corked bottle. Minsoo found out about his new hobby and felt happy for him to have found a sense of hope. He even offered to fold some during his breaks in the hospital. At first, Hwanhee was quite sure that he would be able to reach his goal.

And he thought that he could keep the secret just for a little longer.

 

175;
There was something that bothered Hwanhee for a long time. And that was about how he could break the news to his beloved friend. Many times, he tried finding a way to infuse it into a conversation. But his hesitancy did not bring him anywhere. Sometimes, he wondered if Dongyeol would decide to leave him because he would be too much of a burden. Or whether Dongyeol would see him in a negative light. But never would Hwanhee thought that Dongyeol would find out in the worst way possible.

 

"I expect everyone to do their job efficiently so that I could dismiss you early. Everyone wants that, am I right?" Their homeroom teacher stood in front of the class of 32, hearing them cheer in agreement. "Let's get to work! If anyone feels unwell, please inform me."

With that, the students scattered to their allocated stations. It was the school's annual recycling activity, where the students take part in some recycling efforts. Dongyeol, Hwanhee, Sungjoon and Yein ended up being in-charge of collecting recyclable materials from nearby neighbours. With boxes in their hands, they set off to the first apartment.

"Yein hyung, you look cute enough. You should do it," Dongyeol said, pushing the said person to the door.

"Hey! That's unfair!" Yein pouted.

"Dongyeol's right. If we ever meet any angry people, you would be able to help us!" Sungjoon reasoned.

"Why are you two using me for my face?" Yein frowned.

"Cut it out, I'll do it," Hwanhee said and went up to press on the door bell.

"Hwanhee hyung saves the day!" Dongyeol cheered.

The door opened, revealing a woman who looked to be in her 40s.

"Good morning ma'am, we are students from the school next door and we are collecting recyclable materials," Hwanhee greeted and they bowed. "Are there any that we could have?"

"Oh! Yes, I do have some bottles lying around here," the lady said and disappeared to get them. She reappeared and placed the bottles into Hwanhee's box.

"Thank you!" the boys thanked her.

"Great! We will be able to return to school in no time!" Sungjoon said.

"Can't we just pick some from the ground if we saw any?" Yein asked.

"Hey, that's a great idea," Dongyeol nodded.

Hwanhee chuckled, "Let's go."

They spent the next half an hour picking up cupboard boxes, newspapers, and pushing the talking job to each other. In the end, it was Hwanhee who did most of the talking. By noon, their individual boxes were filled and they started walking back to school. The pain hit at an unfortunate timing, however. Hwanhee resisted the urge to groan out and kept a straight face as they continued the journey back. By the time they went back, there were also some students who had just completed their assignment. They went to the white tentage and loaded their boxes on the tables along with the others.

"Yein and I are going to look for the others. See you!" Sungjoon said and the two ran off, leaving the best friends.

"Haish, those two left us behind," Dongyeol sighed and turned to Hwanhee. "Hyung, you look pale. Are you okay?"

"Wh-What?"

"Are you sick?" Dongyeol asked.

"I'm probably dehydrated," Hwanhee lied, avoiding his gaze. "I'm going to get my bag."

"Do you want me to come along?"

"No, it's fine," Hwanhee went off.

But it was not long before a wave of dizziness caught him off-guard and he grabbed the table to steady himself. Dongyeol was startled and rushed to him. The last thing Hwanhee saw was Dongyeol's worried face. And he hated that face.

 

When he woke up, he was first attacked by a blinding light. He blinked for a few times and made out that he was on a bed. He sat up and saw Dongyeol sitting beside him, and the school doctor at his desk. He was in the infirmary.

"You're awake!"

"Dongyeol..."

"Mr Kim said that you fainted due to exhuastion."

Hwanhee heaved an inaudible sigh of relief. So that was what he believed.

"I'm fine, Dongyeol-ah."

"You scared me!" Dongyeol looked as if he was about to cry.

"Sometimes I wonder if you are gay for me," Hwanhee laughed.

"This is not the time to joke around!" Dongyeol pouted.

"Was the class dismissed?" Hwanhee asked.

"Yeah, about an hour ago. But I stayed."

"Let's get home then."

"Let me come with you. I want to make sure that you are really alright."

I will never be alright. "Okay," Hwanhee nodded.

They thanked the school doctor and left for Hwanhee's house. As usual, Hwanhee took the window seat of the bus and leaned his head against it. Dongyeol was going on and on about what happened while Hwanhee was in the infirmary. But Hwanhee was too deep in thoughts to listen to everything that he was saying. It was one of Hwanhee's routine to ponder about how what he should do. Especially when he sat on the bus, it was a quiet moment, enough for him to think.

"Hey!"

Hwanhee snapped out of his daydream and turned to see Dongyeol's worried face yet again.

"You weren't listening to me. You okay?" Dongyeol asked.

"Yeah...I was just thinking," Hwanhee sighed.

"You've been acting weirder ever since school started, I'm worried about you."

Hwanhee laughed sheepishly, "I'm sorry."

"I wish you'll tell me what's wrong." Even from the side view, Dongyeol looked dejected. And Hwanhee decided that he hated this face as well.

They reached Hwanhee's house and their walk was painfully quiet. Hwanhee wondered if his hesitancy was slowly breaking the trust between them. The first thing that Dongyeol saw the moment he entered the bedroom was the huge corked bottle that he remembered from a month ago. Inside, different colours of only paper cranes filled a third of the whole container.

"You are really enthusiatic about this," Dongyeol said, admiring the colours. "How do you fold this much in just a few months?"

"Dedication, I guess."

"What are these for?"

Hwanhee did not answer. Instead, he sat down at his desk and pulled a white origami paper. Dongyeol sat down on the bed and watched Hwanhee's fingers worked miraculously around the paper as he folded.

"They said that if we fold one thousand paper cranes, a wish will be granted by the gods," Hwanhee said as he dropped his 176th paper crane into the corked bottle that loomed over the tiny potted flower that Dongyeol had given him during his birthday.

"Well, what are you wishing for?" Dongyeol eyed the mystical creatures living behind a vast world so complex.

"It's a secret."

"There you go with the secret again," Dongyeol frowned sadly. "You are weird. Really weird. First, you spend ages in the toilet, even till the point that you were late for Chemistry class once even though you love Chemistry. Second, you fainted today. And third, you have this...this strange hobby of folding cranes all just for a wish? What's really going on?"

"Dongy-"

"And I don't want to hear anymore excuses, hyung. I am your best friend. We..We shouldn't be like this!"

Hwanhee looked down at the floor, trying to form words in his mind. Dongyeol was still staring at him, waiting for something to come out from the brunet's mouth. He breathed deeply and looked up at him.

"Alright."

"Well?" Dongyeol urged.

"I have cancer." Hwanhee closed his eyes and waited for Dongyeol's reaction. He was too afraid to look into his eyes. He was anxious about how Dongyeol would react. Would he cry? Would he run away? Would he hate him? Would he-

"You...what?" Dongyeol asked, his voice shaking.

Hwanhee looked at him. "I have pancreatic cancer," he pursed his lips nervously.

"Tell me you're joking..."

"I'm not-"

"What the hell!" Dongyeol screamed. "How long?"

"Since two years ago..."

"LEE HWANHEE! How could you?" He was crying now and Hwanhee hated seeing him cry. "How could you not tell me anything? Anything at all?"

"I was afraid." Now Hwanhee was crying too.

"You bastard," Dongyeol cried.

"I'm sorry. It was all my fault, I should have told you."

"So...during vacations...The reason why you were always busy...?"

"I was receiving chemotherapy at Minsoo hyung's hospital" Hwanhee sighed.

"I need time to process all of this...You can't leave me! You...You won't die, right?"

Hwanhee shrugged. "I'm currently on Stage II but the medicine hasn't been working really well lately..."

"Are you folding all those cranes so that you can wish to live?"

"Actually, I wish to be with you forever."

Dongyeol's floodgates opened once again and he leaned forward to hug Hwanhee tightly. "I really hate you for this but I don't want you to die."

"I know, Dongyeol, I know."

 

297;
Ever since the truth was revealed, Dongyeol was being extra caring towards Hwanhee and even learned how to fold paper cranes so that he could help. Hwanhee constantly reminded him to just treat him like the way he had done before. He hated it when Dongyeol seemed to be very particular about whatever Hwanhee did. Hwanhee also forced Dongyeol to swore that he would never tell anyone about his condition. The former wanted to spend time with the boys and graduate from high school without any fuss. After all, he was still Lee Hwanhee before or after the diagnosis.

However, Hwanhee was not able to assure Dongyeol convincingly as the frequency of the pain seemed to increase. Dongyeol refused to leave his side whenever it happened and swore to take good care of him. So most of the times, their trip to the toilet consisted of them sitting on the small bench and chatting lightly while they wait for the pain to subside.

 

354;
It was late November when the first snow fell. Hwanhee and Dongyeol were doing homework together at the former's house. It was a productive hour before the merciless tumour decided to break Hwanhee's train of thoughts. He placed his pen down and breathed in deeply. Dongyeol noticed that he was not writing anymore and looked up at him.

"Is it hurting again?"

Hwanhee nodded and reached out for his life-saving pill. He popped one shakily and drank the cup of water that Dongyeol had just brought in. The latter watched him uneasily. But there did not seemed to be even a tad bit of comfort shown on Hwanhee's face.

"It's really bad, isn't it? You really need to check with Minsoo hyung. What if..."

Dongyeol instantly regretted it when Hwanhee groaned out in pain and begged him to call their lifeline. Dongyeol panicked. What if the cancer had spread? He realised that his suspicion was correct when he was sitting by Hwanhee's bed and Minsoo came into the ward with a grim expression on his face.

"The tests came out," he spoke. "Hwan-ah, the tumour had spread and blocked the bile ducts, the bile are built up."

Hwanhee said nothing and looked up at the ceiling. Dongyeol broke down.

"I need your approval so we can proceed to do a surgery to drain the bile out," Minsoo continued.

"Hyung, do it," Dongyeol cried.

"If not, there will be complications and I'm sure you don't wish to see Dongyeol crying worse than this," Minsoo's tone was like a stern father now.

"Alright," Hwanhee looked at him. For the sake of Dongyeol.

"I'll fill up the papers. You will be hospitalised for the time being. Dongyeol, please take care of him."

"I will!"

When Minsoo left, Dongyeol stood up immediately. "Since you'll be here for some time, why don't we continue folding the paper cranes?"

"Being in the hospital is boring," Hwanhee sighed.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'. Where are your house keys?" Dongyeol asked.

"Small bag pocket," Hwanhee replied.

"I'll be quick. Don't...Don't leave me while I'm gone. Promise?"

"Promise," Hwanhee smiled.

With that, Dongyeol left the ward. Hwanhee turned to his side and stared out of the huge window. It was his favourite thing to do whenever he was in the hospital. When he was bored and lonely, watching patients spending time with their loved ones seemed comforting, even during this state. But he knew very well that he was not going to make it. He thought of all the moments he had shared with Dongyeol, the things that the latter had done for him, and most importantly, his crying face. It hurts more than the cancer to see him cry because of him. Lately, Hwanhee was making Dongyeol cry a lot. It was not even their third year of high school, yet Hwanhee was already getting worse. Fresh tears began to find their way out of his eyes. How could they possibly fold a thousand paper cranes in time? Does this legend even come true at all?

 

587;
Dongyeol had the chance to see Hwanhee off to the operating room before he started working on the paper cranes. Sitting on Hwanhee's bed with the bottle of colourful paper cranes and origami papers on the overbed table, he began to fold. About an hour later, a sedated Hwanhee was wheeled in and Dongyeol got off the bed to sit on the fabric sofa to continue the work. But every now and then, he stared at the transparant bag that dangled out from the blanket. Greenish-yellow stuff were dripping into it. Dongyeol was determined to get used to seeing that on Hwanhee if he wanted to continue taking care of him. He folded all the way till the sedative wore off and Hwanhee woke up. It was already early morning, and Dongyeol thanked god it was a Saturday.

It was gruesome. Hwanhee thought. He stared long and hard at the long tube that transported stuffs that were coming out from his body and he felt sick. Minsoo and Dongyeol were watching him closely.

"How are you feeling?" Minsoo asked.

"Uncomfortable," Hwanhee replied. Ironically, he could not take his eyes away.

"The area of the surgery will hurt sometimes. I know it will be really uncomfortable for now. But you will get used to it soon enough. I will have a nurse to brief you about drainage bag care," Minsoo explained.

"It looks...embarrassing..."

"I understand. We can provide a cover so you can hide it. And the leg bag would be able to be concealed under your clothes. You won't have to worry much. Unless, you wish to stay here instead? We can do the necessary arrangements."

Hwanhee looked at Dongyeol. The latter was looking rather hopeful for Hwanhee to say no.

"No, it's fine," Hwanhee looked back at Minsoo.

"Alright. You can leave tomorrow or right after we checked your vital signs," He paused and looked at him softly. "I know I'm not at home most of the time and I wouldn't know what had happened unless you told me. But please take care of yourself, okay? And let Dongyeol help whenever he can. Dongyeol will be briefed about the drainage care too."

"Yes, hyung. I'm sorry," Hwanhee said.

"I will take good care of him!" Dongyeol exclaimed.

"Thank you Dongyeol-ah. I'm glad that Hwanhee has such a great friend. I will take my leave now. Please rest well, and Dongyeol, please sleep even just for a while."

"Alright," Dongyeol laughed sheepishly.

"You didn't sleep?" Hwanhee asked in disbelief.

"I didn't...I was folding the cranes and I didn't keep track of the time," Dongyeol explained, motioning to the table full of papers. Hwanhee could see that the amount of paper cranes in the corked bottle had increased significantly.

"Oh, Dongyeol-ah," Hwanhee sighed. "Why don't you get some sleep? There's not much to do here with me anyways."

"Can we fold just a little more? Please? I'm not tired at all," Dongyeol begged.

"But you need sleep," Hwanhee tried to reason.

"Please? I really want to help!" Dongyeol pouted. Hwanhee sighed. He could never win against that.

"Fine, just for a while," Hwanhee nodded.

Dongyeol cheered and placed some origami papers on the overbed table for Hwanhee. He helped Hwanhee to sit up, careful not the affect the tube or drainage bag. He then sat on the sofa again and began to fold happily. They were silent for a few minutes as Dongyeol was too engrossed with the paper cranes to start any conversation. Hwanhee, on the other hand, was thinking again.

"I hope you are not scared of that thing," Dongyeol broke the silence.

"It's really weird," Hwanhee said.

"Yeah, I do agree with that. But we gotta get used to it if you want to live and if I want to continue staying with you."

"I'm deteriorating, I don't think I'll even live long enough for you to be staying with me," Hwanhee sighed.

"Don't say that!" Dongyeol frowned.

"Admit it, Dongyeol. The cancer had spread. My mother died of pancreatic cancer when I was 10. I'm going through the same fate as her. I'm going to die."

"No, you're not! You're going to recover."

Hwanhee tore the blue floral origami paper in his hand. There were visible dark spots on it. "I'm not going to make it. There's no point in folding these."

"I want to continue creating new memories with you. I need you. You can't give up on yourself just like this! There is-"

"It's cancer! I don't have a choice to live!" Hwanhee snapped.

"You do!" Dongyeol screamed. "You are just afraid!"

Hwanhee stayed quiet. He did not want to upset Dongyeol further.

"Let's sleep. I'm tired. You're tired," he said.

"Alright," Dongyeol sighed and laid down on the sofa.

Hwanhee, too, laid down and tried not to move. The tube was uncomfortable, but he had to deal with it. For the sake of Dongyeol.

 

612;
Hwanhee was discharged the next morning and Dongyeol was stressed out about the various procedures to take care of the bag. Hwanhee seemed to be calm, or so Dongyeol had thought. Hwanhee left the hospital with a leg bag strapped to his leg and it was concealed under his jeans. He was intrigued yet embarrassed. Dongyeol held Hwanhee's hand to calm him down on the bus home. Hwanhee managed to hide the bag from everyone he met, even in school. To the boys, Hwanhee was just as ordinary as always. They only had a few weeks left before the bag can be removed.

Bile duct blockage aside, the cancer was still growing. Hwanhee could feel his time running out when he developed new symptoms. Climbing the stairs was beecoming difficult as he found himself gasping for breath by the time he had reached. Dongyeol had to wait for him all the time. Hwanhee was also tired and slept in class a couple of times — even during his favourite Chemistry class. Dongyeol was beginning to worry, again. He had nagged Hwanhee numerous times to get checked with Minsoo, but Hwanhee was too afraid. He was afraid that going there meant being diagnosed with something new, and it would be one step away from happiness with Dongyeol. They still had a long way to go to reach a thousand.

Stubborn Hwanhee was still stubborn and hesitancy got the better of him.

 

699;
"Six hundred and ninety nine," Dongyeol said as he placed the green paper crane into the corked bottle.

He looked at Hwanhee who did not seemed to be concentrating on the folding. The latter's fingers were working slowly, and his eyes were just fixated on the floor.

"Hyung," he snapped his fingers in front of Hwanhee.

Hwanhee looked up at him, "What is it?"

"You're thinking again, as always," Dongyeol said while he picked a pink origami paper.

"What..." Hwanhee started, "What will you do if I'm...gone?"

Dongyeol's hands froze. "What are you talking about?"

"I meant what I just said," Hwanhee frowned.

Now it was Dongyeol's turn to frown. "You're scaring me."

"I've been scaring you a lot," Hwanhee said practically.

"True, but, are you...okay?" Dongyeol asked. "Like...mentally, I don't know. You're weird. Maybe it's the cancer. I don't know."

"I'm just-" He coughed abruptly. Dongyeol stared at him as the latter did not seemed to be stopping anytime.

"Are you alright?" There was a strong hint of alarm and worry in Dongyeol's tone that Hwanhee disliked. Amidst the panic, Hwanhee realised just how many things he hated within a few months.

"Just a minute," Hwanhee said a little inaudibly and rushed to the bathroom.

Dongyeol followed behind and he rubbed Hwanhee's back. Hwanhee was shaking and coughing into the sink. Hwanhee breathed, and it hurt. Dongyeol froze when he saw something tinged with red lying flamboyantly on the white pristine sink.

"Hyung..." He spoke and looked up at Hwanhee. Hwanhee was equally appalled by the scene. Dongyeol noticed that the latter was sweating profusely. He brought a hand up to Hwanhee's forehead and widened his eyes. "You're burning up!"

"Call...Minsoo hy-" Hwanhee collapsed onto the floor without finishing his sentence.

Dongyeol screamed. He fished out his phone immediately and punched in the numbers that he knew too well.

"Dongyeol? What's wrong?" Minsoo's voice was heard.

"H-Hyung! He..He just coughed up something with blood and he fainted. He has a fever too. What should I do?" Dongyeol cried.

"Call the ambulance now, I'll meet you there."

Dongyeol immediately hung up and called for an ambulance. It was just as scary as that time when Dongyeol first found out Hwanhee had a life-threatening disease. At first, he wished really really hard that Hwanhee was just joking with him, and that Hwanhee was just really that weird. Every moment he had spent with Hwanhee seemed like a reminder that he would disappear any time. Unpredictable. Uncertain. Unforseeable. And that honestly scared him.

 

741;
Minsoo sat on one of the waiting chairs outside the Intensive Care Unit. He looked through the glass walls, where a bed was situated in the room and a particular boy on it was hooked onto machines. Dongyeol was beside him, hands shaking and crying because...

"The cancer had spread to nearby organs," Minsoo explained, watching Dongyeol closely. "And it's pneumonia, all we could do about it was to give him antibiotics and a ventilator. We will also increase the dose for the chemotheraphy. But I can't confirm that he will...make it." The last sentence hurt.

Dongyeol nodded and wiped his tears away.

"The paper cranes, will they work?"

"I'm not sure, Dongyeol..."

"We need to finish folding them. I'll...I'll get our classmates." He stood up.

"Dongyeol."

"We need to save him. You will save him, won't you? He will live. He have to."

"Dongyeol, please."

"I will call our classmates."

Dongyeol sped-walk away to the nearest staircase, away from Minsoo, away from the excruciating truth. He pushed opened the door and sat on the steps. He fumbled for his phone and shakily pressed on the second caller ID.

"Dongyeol? What's up?"

"Jinwook hyung," he breathed. "Can you and the others come over to Seoul National University Hospital immediately?"

"What?" Jinwook yelled. "Hospital? Why? What happened to you?"

"It's not me. It's Hwanhee hyung," Dongyeol choked.

"What happened?"

"Please come, please," Dongyeol begged.

"Alright, we're coming as soon as we can!"

Dongyeol waited lifelessly by the entrance. He sat there, leaning against the wall, ignoring the questioning stares from passers-by. He looked up the moment he heard the familiar shout of his name. The five boys ran over to him.

"What happened? Where is Hwanhee hyung?" Yein asked immediately, almost choking on his words.

"He's in the ICU right now," Dongyeol replied.

"What happened? Isn't he healthy?" Sooil asked.

Dongyeol laughed sacarstically. "You wouldn't believe your ears when I tell you he has freaking cancer."

"Cancer?" The boys asked in unison.

"He has pancreatic cancer. I only knew it a few months ago. And his condition has been deteriorating."

"He didn't told us anything! And he looked fine on the outside," Yein said.

"He's Lee Hwanhee, how many times did he actually told us how he's feeling? He didn't even told me anything."

"What can we do?" Changhyun asked.

"There has been something the two of us had been doing with Minsoo hyung. We've been folding paper cranes. A thousand paper cranes that can give us a wish."

"The Japanese legend..." Yein said.

"Will you guys help us? We're at seven hundred and fourty one."

"Of course! Let's hurry!" Sungjoon nodded his head enthusiastically.

The six boys sat around a table at the waiting room, the table was scattered with colourful origami papers and a single corked bottle standing in the middle. Minsoo walked past them a couple of times and always looked in to check how the boys were doing. Ocassionally, he would inform them about Hwanhee's condition. The person who was the most determined was none other than Dongyeol. Jinwook had tried to get him to eat and drink something for the whole time they were there. But Dongyeol was still folding. And folding. And folding. Even when the boys were sleeping on the sofas. When Minsoo's shift had ended that evening, he called the boys' parents to inform them that they would not be home for the night. Despite being tired, Minsoo joined Dongyeol to fold, although also ocassionally reminding the boy to eat.

 

995;
A nurse came running into the waiting room for Minsoo.

 

996;
Hwanhee was given morphine.

 

997;
Dongyeol moved to fold near Hwanhee's bed.

 

998;
Hwanhee looked peaceful.

 

999;
Minsoo pursed his lips as he stared at Dongyeol folding the last paper crane.

 

1000;
Dongyeol folded the tip of the crane's head down and pulled both the head and tail outwards. He looked at his best friend on the bed. There was not a single movement. He stood up from the chair and went to the bed. He grabbed Hwanhee's hand tightly and placed the last pink paper crane on Hwanhee's chest. It was his favourite colour. He leaned his forehead against Hwanhee's arm and began to sob loudly. Minsoo held back his tears. Like Hwanhee, Minsoo did not really believed in folk tales. But deep down inside, he prayed hard that God would really grant their wish. The boys came running, and gasped when they saw Dongyeol crying.

"Is he..." Sungjoon started.

Minsoo was about to speak, but he caught sight of something.

"Dongyeol-ah, look at that," he said.

Dongyeol looked up, but before he could ask Minsoo, he had already seen what he had noticed. Minsoo was not the type to believe in miracles even though he had seen some throughout his years working in the hospital. And he did not know that a single incident would change his mind because...

 

 

 

 

Hwanhee's fingers moved.

 

 

 

 

---

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I had just published the sequel!

Link: In Sickness And In Health