Sandara jogged towards the room Cheondoong told Joon was staying at, glancing back a few times to make sure Minzy who came as her company was not left behind.

          "Faster Minzy." Sandara beckoned, already standing by the door.

          "Go in first. I know the room." Minzy replied, eyes on the phone in her hands, busy reading the news for today, something she never missed daily. She heard the door slide opened and closed when she finally looked up but instead of entering the room Sandara just went in, she halted in her step, noticing a female doctor coming out of the room not too far from where she was standing at.

          Coincidentally, she saw the patient inside the room just before the door close and she swore he looked so much like Mir. Curious, Minzy went to stand in front of that door, looking at the nameplate on the door that read 'Bang Cheolyong'. So it is Mir.

          Knocking on the door, she slide it open, greeted immediately by a surprised Mir. "Minji?" Mir squeaked with wide eyes.

          Minzy smirked, walking calmly inside until she was standing right by the bedside. "This is a surprise. Dara unnie didn't say anything about you in the ward as well."

          "Huh?" Mir blinked in confusion.

          Minzy stared at Mir before her eyes lit up in acknowledgement. "Joon oppa is in room 405." She revealed, watching closely as Mir's large eyes widened even more for a few seconds before the features of Mir's delicate face smoothen up, showing no emotion. "He collapsed yesterday." She noticed Mir flinched. It was barely evident but she was watching with accuracy. "I heard it had been out of accumulated stress and he kind of had a panic attack."

          "So you are here for him?" Mir asked calmly. His voice monotone.

          Minzy shrugged. "Dara unnie insisted on coming to visit. He will be allowed to go home in the afternoon."

          "Good for him." Mir's stiff shoulder seemed to relaxed even just a tad and Minzy, being the attentive one, didn't miss that causing her to hold a smile inside.

          Minzy cleared , thinking it was cute how Mir was obviously trying to hide the fact he was worried about Joon. Or maybe Mir was not even aware that he was worried. "They didn't know you're here?"

          Mir's eyes glowered up and his jaw clenched but he inhaled and exhaled. "They didn't need to know."

          Mizy narrowed her eyes a bit. It seemed there was something more. Maybe she could dig something out and piece the puzzles together. "Why are you here?"

          Mir remained tight lips.

          Minzy snorted. "I don't need to know as well? That kind of hurt, Mir oppa." Minzy faked hurt, palming the back of her neck like a distressed ahjumma which able to retrieved small laugh from Mir.

          Mir was about to answer when a nurse came in and she looked surprise at the visitor but smiled politely. "Dr. Song said you have to sign here." The nurse gave Mir a few papers and a pen. While Mir was reading the papers, the nurse inject something into the drip bag. Mir looked up at the nurse who smiled kindly at him. "Dr. Song told me to give you something to calm your nerve." She explained and Mir nodded with a silent thanks.

          Mir signed the form, all the while, Minzy was reading it from the side with a frown on her usually unfazed attitude. But she kept her silence until the nurse left before he shot Mir an inquiring look.

          "I'm going to have a surgery on my back for my disc problem." Mir revealed finally, sinking into the large pillow on his back. His eyes flickered to the clock on the wall. "In half an hour."

          "Why are you here alone then?" Minzy asked slowly, afraid of touching a sensitive topic directly but she just had to ask. The curiousity was too much.

          Mir shrugged as if it was of no big issue. But the lost look behind his shaky pupil said otherwise.

          Minzy pulled a chair and sat next to the bed, gaining another look of surprise from Mir. "I seem to surprise you a lot today." Minzy chuckled. "I'll sit here with you. I have some time to spare."

          "Are you sure? I thought you are busy these days." Mir cocked his brow, somehow feeling his shoulders which had been tense since this morning relaxing. Guess, he really need someone to keep him company despite him trying to deny it.

          Minzy took a newspaper on the table by the bedside, leaning back on the chair and opened it. "I can make some time. No need to worry. I want to be here."

          Mir watched Minzy before an unstoppable smile stretched across his lips. "You know what. I used to have a crush on you." Mir spoke tiredly, slowly lying down on the bed.

          That kind of surprised Minzy but she noticed the foggy look in Mir's eyes and laughed. "Did the medication kick in already? You look high."

          Mir grinned even more. "The meds make me weird sometimes." Mir laughed and gazed lovingly at Minzy once he stopped laughing. "I really liked you."

          Minzy put the newspaper aside, hooking a hand under her chin and stared at Mir who probably won't even remember what he was babbling about. "I thought you like Chaeyeon unnie. You even said Bom unnie cute. Sandara is so pretty but you only told me that I'm a good dancer." She tested.

          Mir stared at Minzy, his large eyes half-lidded. "That's because you're still too young I feel like erted ahjushi."

          Minzy burst into hearty laughter. "You are not that old. We're like just 3 years apart." She stated between her laugh. "What made you liked me?"

          Mir looked aside thoughtfully, his brows pulled together and Minzy swore she saw unshed tears in those deep brown eyes. "You always say the right thing at the right time. The things that I want to hear."

          "I did?"

          Mir nodded tiredly, stifling his yawn behind the back of his hand. "You told me everything I want to hear. You know when to not talk about things I don't want to hear. And.." Mir blinked slowly.

          "And?" Minzy encouraged.

          "And when I spoke to you, I feel like a man when obviously I am just a spoilt child that fear of a lot of things."

          "People have their own fear, Mir oppa. I fear a lot of things too." Minzy assured.

          "See. You always said the things I want to hear."

          "Do you still like me?" Minzy asked, somehow, even trying to be calm, she felt warmth crept to her cheeks and her heart slightly fluttering despite her never thought of Mir as something more other than an acquaintance, she was still flattered.

          Mir shook his head.

          "Ouch. That hurts too." Minzy laughed awkwardly, leaning away from Mir, embarrassed.

          "I would have still like you if I think I deserve it."

          That made Minzy tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

          "I'm a failure, Minji-ah." He called her name so affectionately, Minzy was sure Mir still have some feelings for her but he denied it for a reason and Minzy would like to know the reason. So she kept on listening despite Mir was already half-conscious. "But you shine so bright on the stage while I'm just a black hole. I think I have thought too high of myself when I was just a talentless country boy. I should have just stick at the farm, then... Then it wouldn't hurt this much. Well, there is also the fact that I'm too tired to love someone."

          Minzy nodded. "Loving someone can be tiring, isn't it?"

          "Ummm." Mir mumbled, closing his eyes. "It was so tiring, I want to give up. Each day... I feel like I want to just... Let go."

          "Then let go." Minzy whispered.

          Mir opened back his eyes, there was pain deep inside those eyes. "It's like an old love. It will always be there." He whispered back, staring at Minzy despite her image looked foggy. "Whether I want it or not." Mir let out a bitter laugh. "Strangely, even after everything, I still want it. I still want to stand on the stage. I'm so pathetic. I'm just so-" Mir swallowed as his voice cracked. "Maybe I just never learn."

          Minzy smiled sadly and patted Mir's hand, standing up. "You need to face it, Mir oppa. Whatever that made you have such a sad gaze." And she went out. "Fight it, and win it like the strong Mir oppa I know."

          Mir let her go, closing his eyes again but it was not too later that he heard sound of footsteps rushing towards him but when he opened back his eyes, his vision was too blurry and he couldn't recognized the people standing by his bedside. However, he felt a warm hand holding his.

          "Why didn't you tell us?" A voice felt familiar, asked.

          Mir squeezed shut his eyes, shaking his head slightly and looked again, narrowing his eyes into small slits to get a better look. It was Seungho.

          "Oh.." Mir made a small noise. "The meds made me see things." He muttered weakly to himself when he felt another hand tenderly running over his hair.

          "He's not going to remember when he wake up again." Mir heard Minzy said.

          "Yeah. It would be so nice to not remember anything." Mir muttered with a small smile. "It might be even better if I don't remember my wish to be on stage. That way, it is easier to let go."

          "Cheolyong..."

          "It's funny isn't it." Mir continued, his voice barely heard now. "Things that I thought would make me happy the most instead gave me unbearable pain. I want to let go. But... I... Can't..." Mir trailed off and his eyes were shut close, a drop of tear trickled down his cheeks.

          Seungho squeezed Mir's hand inside his grip, using his thumb to wipe away the stray tear and hung his head low. It might be the medicine. Or Mir was really broken...

          Why didn't he realize sooner?