The night came as the two of us had our dinner together while Aunt Mijoo went to work. Chanyeol who was eating his rice happily made me stare at him in fascination. He spun around as our eyes met, making me flustered in nervousness. “Noona, eat~ We can play again!” he chanted before I giggled on his cuteness. I nodded as I took a bite of my rice.

But then, my eyes fell on him again. “Chanyeol ah…”

He faced me again with his rounded eyes looking at me.

“Do you…” I paused. “Want to go back home with Aunt Jiho?” I even asked myself if I sounded selfish.

Chanyeol smiled with his box smile before shaking his head. “I don’t want to. I want to stay here with noona.” he said.

“But why?” I asked.

He thinned his lips while pondering, deep in thought. “Because this is my home~!” he cheered while bouncing in happiness made me laugh. I was really glad to hear that from his mouth. As we finished eating, I brought him to his room before calming him to sleep and in a few minutes, he fell into a deep sleep. I gazed at him lovingly as I gave a peck of kiss on his forehead before going to sleep in my room.

The next day, it was my first time following Aunt Mijoo to the hospital for Chanyeol to further check up. I had to distract him with the dinosaur toys since Aunt Mijoo said that he would automatically become afraid when it came to hospital. Once we arrived, Chanyeol quickly held my hand and made me smile. “Why?” I asked in soft.

He shook his head. “I hate Dr Oh. She always shot me. It hurt.” he complained as I tightened the grip of our hands.

“Don’t worry. This time, noona will come with you okay.” I convinced him to smile widely.

Aunt Mijoo stopped at a room where a name was on the board ‘Dr Oh’ while Chanyeol was hiding behind me in fear. I giggled before the three of us walked in after hearing Dr Oh called us to come in. Dr Oh was welcoming us warmly and made me bow to her politely. “Is this your niece that you told me last time? Hanseol, right?” she guessed as I replied to her with a smile.

“Yes, she is.” Aunt Mijoo answered on my behalf.

Dr Oh smiled before her sight changed to Chanyeol. “Channie ya~ How are you, dear?” she questioned friendly make Chanyeol hid behind me in shyness. She only laughed as a nurse to come in. “Haera, bring Chanyeol to the therapy room first. I will come later.” ordered Dr Oh before the nurse named Haera brought Chanyeol out.

During the whole therapy, I was watching him from the glass window from outside while Chanyeol was playing with the nurse in there. Sometimes, I didn’t notice that I was smiling alone because of his clumsiness and cuteness.

“How was him? Was it hard to look after him?” asked Dr Oh all of a sudden made me jump in surprise.

I faced her who was still eyeing on Chanyeol through the glass window. “It was hard at first but it’s getting better.” I answered before glancing at him again.

“Thank you, Hanseol shi.”

I spun aside to Dr Oh who was already smiling while looking at me. “For what?” I was confused.

She crossed her arms on her chest. “Well, I think his progress was quite fast and your aunt had told me about you and him. He likes you a lot.” she told me as I smiled shyly. “Even nurses over here can’t take his attention as you did. Thus, I would like to say thank you for everything. He had suffered a lot before and at least, there are people like you and Mijoo shi who love him.”

I didn’t know how to react, but all I could say was, I was touched. Chanyeol who knocked the glass window before waved at me in cheer made me smile and waved to him in excitement.

After an hour, Dr Oh started to diagnose him as I waited for him with Aunt Mijoo at the waiting area. Aunt Mijoo kept caressing my arm in soft to reassure me that Chanyeol will be alright. I know how scared Chanyeol was when he was holding my hand once we arrived at hospital. I leaned on my aunt’s shoulder before the nurse, Haera came out with Chanyeol from Dr Oh’s room. “Chanyeol ah~” I hugged him and made him smile widely. “Are you alright?” I asked in worry.

He nodded many times as he showed me a dinosaur. “I got a new one, Dr Oh gave me, noona.” he excitedly told me.

“The doctor would like to meet you, Ms Mijoo.” Haera said make Aunt Mijoo nod.

I looked at the nurse. “Can you accompany Chanyeol awhile? I want to meet Dr Oh too.” I requested as she nodded in understanding. They moved to the indoor playground which was nearby there before I got into Dr Oh’s room with Aunt Mijoo. We took a seat each and sat opposite of Dr Oh while she was scanning some papers on the table.

“So Dr Oh, how was Chanyeol?” Aunt Mijoo asked as I eyed her in curiosity.

Dr Oh smiled warmly. “Good news, he is getting better and I think he has reached 9 to 10 years old mentally within 3 months which is a good progress. He is well behaved and fluent in talking. As you can see here…” she displayed a computerized tomography scan (CT Scan) which was quite unfamiliar to me. “This is a scan picture of his brain where he used to have hit on his head before-”

“Hit on his head?” I cut her and made Dr Oh paused instantly. “Is it because of the accident?”

She gave me a smile as usual. “It seems like you are curious about him. Okay, I will tell you a summary of his past accident in which not all people experience it.” She took a breath before facing me. “As you can see, Chanyeol does not behave as his age, which is 23 years old because of the accident that he had a few years ago. The car unintentionally crashed Chanyeol’s car and the car belonged to a married couple. Unfortunately, they died at the scene. Chanyeol was the only that survived but due to huge impaction on his head and trauma because he saw the couple die in front of his eyes. Thus, he makes himself confused with his own age due to the tragic experience.” she briefed long.

I was speechless since his past was a real nightmare to him. Poor him.

“At first, I thought he had multiple disorders or amnesia since he acted differently but as we observed, we can claim him as a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in which he hid his dark history by making himself into 8 years old. It’s like he doesn't want to face his adult anymore.” Dr Oh added make Aunt Mijoo wrapped me in her arms since she realised that I was about to cry.

Dr Oh came out with a file from her drawer under her table before presenting it to me. “This was his case in the newspaper a few years ago.” she gave a piece of an old newspaper cutting as I read it thoroughly.

Aunt Mijoo stared at me in nervousness as I started to see the document that was handed by Dr Oh and read thoroughly.

My eyes fell on the picture of Chanyeol and the married couple that Dr Oh mentioned just now on the paper before I palmed my chest in surprise. “O-Omma, A-Appa…” I palmed my mouth, tried to endure the pain in my heart. I eyed Aunt Mijoo before she nodded in reassured me. “Immo… M-My parents…” I was lost in words. It was a picture of them!

“I’m sorry, Hanseol shi.” Dr Oh brushed my hand as I ended up crying in Aunt Mijoo’s arms.

Aunt Mijoo pecked my head for a long time. “It’s okay, dear. Calm down.” She comforted me and made me howl in shock. She pushed me a bit before cupping my wet face with tears while wiped it with her thumbs. “Remember I said before…”

> Throwback >

“Why did they leave me? Could they leave me without hurting me?” I sobbed and Aunt Mijoo started to wipe my tears on my cheeks. “They didn’t leave you for no reason. Every separation will be replaced with happiness and that will happen to you.” Aunt Mijoo explained.

I stared at her with my innocent face. “Like you replace their place as my parents?” I questioned.

Aunt Mijoo chuckled while caressing my hair. “Perhaps. As long as you are happy, they will be happy up there too.”

“Then they shouldn’t promise to stay with me forever. They broke it without being responsible for it.”

“They didn’t break it. I am sure they will take responsibility for the promise that they made for you.” She convinced me to wipe my tears on my cheeks. “You are just like my fairy godmother.” I said as both of us burst into laughter.

> Throwback >

I looked at her with my teary eyes. “It’s…”

Aunt Mijoo nodded. “Your parents made a promise and perhaps, Chanyeol is the one they sent for you just like me.” she convinced me.

I faded off my tears before running out from the room. I looked around the floor while walking to the playground indoor. It’s all him all this while. They sent him to me, to replace some happiness in my life. I arrived at the entrance of the kids room as my eyes fell on Chanyeol on the floor playing with the dinosaurs toys. He looked up at me and without waiting a second, I hugged him tightly before I burst in tears. “I-I’m sorry, Chanyeol ah. I’m really sorry…” I cried as Chanyeol weeped along with me.

“Noona, don’t cry…” he broke into tears and I hugged him tighter.

I pushed him lightly before cupping his face in my hands. “I should have noticed you at first. I’m sorry, I am really sorry b-because…” my tears kept falling make it hard to say even a word.

Chanyeol who was staring at me crying quickly leaned his forehead on my forehead. “Don’t cry, noona. You hurt me~” he said between his cries as I attempted to stop him from crying before I wrapped him in my arms again to make him cry even louder.

Aunt Mijoo who saw us slowly came closer and brought both of us into her arms. “It’s okay, kids. Both of you had suffered a lot. Let out everything, okay.” she calmly said while comforting us tenderly.