*Minji's pov*

My shoulder was hurting like crazy. I wondered why it was hurting so bad but as I opened my eyes and saw the hospital curtain around the bed I was lying on, I remembered why. I was shot in the shoulder. How something like that could be forgotten?

"Hey" I heard a deep voice saying beside me. I slightly turned my head to look at the person. "You finally woke up" he told and smiled a fatherly smile. He took a hold of my hand with both of his hands. I felt his warmth against my skin and I couldn't help but think that I was still dreaming. Because this couldn't be the reality, in no way. My father is dead, has been for many, many years.

"Am I-" I started speaking but my voice was hoarse, barely even there, "-dead?" I asked my father who was still smiling at me with stars in his not so old eyes.

"No, you're very much alive, still" he told and let his other hand travel to my cheek. I felt him. I, for hundred percent, felt him.

"Then how am I talking to you and..." I stopped for a second to breathe, "and feeling your warmth?" He caressed my cheek slowly.

"You've grown a lot" he said, not answering my question. I wanted to be annoyed but I had no strength to be annoyed at him.

"Father, how do I see you now? Am I still dreaming?" I asked, not giving up. He sighed and stopped caressing my cheek.

"You're awake and I wanted to come see you in your world" he answered. I couldn't think and his answer was slowly sinking in my brain.

"How? Dad, I'm confused?" My voice was a whisper, as light as the night wind. He patted my hand and let go of it.

"There are ways" he was slowly fading away. I lifted my hand weakly as to take a hold of him before he could disappear but my fingers just touched the empty air left after him.

"No, dad, wait!" But he was gone. I let my hand fall back right beside me on the bed with a loud thud and as that happened, the hospital curtain was pulled out of the way.

"Oh!" A young nurse was in shock as she saw me wide awake. "You're awake!" She pressed a button next to the bed I was on and didn't take long for a doctor to walk in the room.

"I see that you've finally decided to wake up" the doctor walked next to the bed. What did she mean by 'finally'?

"How long I've been sleeping? What day is it?" I tried to talk properly but still my voice sounded like I had swallowed gallons of saltwater.

"Today is the second day of May, so almost three weeks" the doctor answered.

"Three weeks?!" I couldn't believe what I just heard with my very own ears. Three weeks... I shook my head "can't be" I stated. The nurse and the doctor glanced at each other and then back at me.

"You got shot in an important vein and lost a lot of blood. It's not odd that you were in a coma after that. Your body had to do a lot of work and it still has to heal some more" the doctor explained. My brain was still somewhere else, I didn't feel like I was awake yet. Heck, this felt like a dream. Then an image of my dad sitting next to the bed fulled my mind. It has been fourteen years since I lost him but I had a lot of photos of him so I could remember him clearly.

"Umm.. Okay, guess I have to believe..." I answered and stared at the spot where my dad was just minutes ago. I lifted my gase at them and asked: "Was there a man here? A man in his late twenties? Close to thirties?" They both shook their heads.

"Not today" the nurse answered and smiled warmly at me. I just nodded my head as I felt extremely tired. I had been sleeping for the past three weeks, how could I still be tired?

~~~

*No one's pov*

"Hyung, have you ever thought about why it hurts to care?" Jisung asked as he was laying on grass and staring at the darkening blue sky and trying to figure out clouds' shapes. Jaemin looked at his younger friend and then back at the sky.

"I don't know" he sat up and started playing with grass. "Maybe because without it, we would forget that we have a heart" he sighed and put his chin against his palm as his elbow was resting on his knee. "And we would be just angry shells that are trying to kill each other because we wouldn't feel a thing, I guess" he tossed a small stone down the hill. Jaemin looked at Jisung as the latter stood up.

"I'm hungry" Jisung stated and helped Jaemin get up. "Let's go eat some instant noodles?" He suggested and Jaemin agreed to this. Together they started walking down the hill to the street.

It didn't take them a lot of  time to get to the market where they sell different kinds of instant noodles. They bought some drinks too and went outside to eat their food.

"Hey guys!" They heard a familiar voice not so far away from them. Mark approached them and sat down on to a free chair. "What's up?" He asked and flashed them his teeth smile.

"Hi, hyung." Jisung muttered with his mouth full of food. Jaemin frowned and swallowed.

"We were hanging at the hill" Jaemin stuffed more noodles in his mouth. This young man was hungry as he hadn't had a good appetite in a while now. With caring gase Mark looked at his friends eating peacefully. He was just happy that they tried to live normally. The fact that they witnessed a potential friend of theirs basically get shot to their death. Luckily they didn't see it happening but the fact that they heard it just eats anyone up. Mark was just blessed that his friends tried their best to just be and live.

"Can I taste some of that?" He asked. Jaemin automatically gave Mark some of his noodles. Mark hummed happily as he enjoyed every bit of it. "Thank you, nana" he thanked.

"Hyung... Have you heard any news of her?" Jaemin asked as he finished eating. Jisung was as fast as he and leaned back in his chair to be more comfortable. Mark shook his head.

"No, nothing. That should be a good  thing, right? She isn't dead" Mark answered and stood up. "I gotta go, I was already late as I stopped to sit with you two" he gave them a small smile.

"Alright, take care, hyung" Jaemin told and waved at him with Jisung. Mark was already walking away from them but stopped to wave back at them, then he glanced at his watch and started running.

"Mark is so precious, he takes good care of others. No matter how well he knows them, he treats them the same" Jisung stated as they cleaned the table and went on their way.

"You're right" Jaemin said and stretched his arms as he yawned. "I'm tired, want me to walk you home so you don't have to go alone?" He asked and looked at Jisung with a brotherly smile on his face.

"Sure, I was just about to ask you to walk me home" Jisung laughed awkwardly. Jaemin ruffled the youngest hair playfully.

"I don't know how you do it, Jisung, but every day you get cuter and cuter and-"

"Hyung, stop!" Jisung covered his face with his palms embarrassed. Jaemin smirked and attacked his embarrassed friend with tickles.

"Yah, you cute little brat, don't ever stop being cute. You'll propably be cute when you're old and wrinkly!" Jaemin laughed purely with his heart as Jisung tried to get away from him.

"Stop hyung, I'm embarrassed. No!" He yelled and laughed at the same time as he started running and Jaemin chased after him.

"Come here, Jisungie~" Jaemin sing sang as they continued running.

~~~