"Why are we here, Daddy?"

Hyukjae rubbed his eyes sleepily, clutching the hem of his father's coat, trailing from behind. He was sleeping soundly with his brother earlier when his father suddenly stormed in their room and woke them up. And they were suddenly here before he even properly woke up. It was when he looked up at him when he gradually sensed that something was not right.

Jungsoo secured Donghae on his hips and occasionally checked whether Hyukjae was still following him. He wanted to run already but the fact that he was with his two sons who seemed not to sober yet forced him to walk in a painfully slow pace. To Hyukjae's question, he did hear it. But to say out loud that they were here because he had messed up and caused something bad happened to Heechul was a task beyond his limit. He sighed and grabbed Hyukjae's hand when it was the last corner to the place they told him.

But the moment he saw who were already there, it felt like his steps were forced to stop. He had not reckoned this far and now that everything was before him, he wanted to do what Heechul always did—runaway. Yet, he was no Heechul. He had to face everything ahead of him.

"Jungsoo, Son. Finally, you're here."

Mrs. Park rose from her seat the moment she saw her son and grandsons nearing. She caught a glance at Jungsoo's face and it was not the nicest. In fact, it was the worst. Her son looked distressed that the color in his face was whited out. Without uttering any more things, she took Donghae—who was still in deep slumber—from Jungsoo's hold and brought the toddler as well as the older son to the nearby bench because Jungsoo... Jungsoo's attention was already occupied by the person inside this emergency room. His heart clenched when he finally could see the room in which he was staying. It was, as if, there were magnetic pull that wanted him to do nothing but stare at the white double-doors that separated him from his love.

And no—it was not that he did not see who else was present. He saw them. But he could not bring himself to talk to them after what he did to the person they loved so much. It was impossible to greet Mrs. Han after God knew what he had caused to Heechul. And even Sungmin, he was aware of the glare that was thrown at him ever since he arrived.

He did not care. Right now, he wanted to blame himself in peace.

"With all due respect, Prof. Park. I think you're being too harsh on him. I have never seen him more miserable than he is right now."

Sungmin suddenly broke the tension with his brave remark, sending the rest of the people quieted. And Jungsoo was included; not that he was not silent, to begin with. He knew what Sungmin did was probably right, but the ache inside his heart from the last heartbreak still stung. Mrs. Han came to Sungmin's side and rubbed his sides to comfort him. She knew why this boy was so resentful towards Jungsoo knowing that he witnessed how Heechul seemed to be so deplored the first time he came back to the orphanage after confronting Jungsoo and got yelled at.

However, before things got even worse, thankfully the door opened and a man with a stethoscope in a white attire accompanied by a nurse beside him came out of the room. Jungsoo did not let any second waste as he immediately approached him.

"What happened? Can I go inside? Is he—"

"Calm down, Sir. Mr. Kim is under our care now. He suffers from hypothermia as what the result of our initial check-up says. The weather was pretty extreme and the fact that he was probably exposed to the low temperature for too long worsens his condition. On top of that, it seemed that Mr. Kim had been put under great pressure both physically and mentally as it shows that he also performs some extreme fatigue symptoms. It needs further medical check and treatment so for the time being, I'd suggest that he be hospitalized."

"We will follow your suggestion. Thank you, Doctor," Mrs. Han eventually said after they suddenly fell into an awkward silence as Jungsoo was only staring at the door without responding to what the doctor said.

"No one is allowed to enter the room until the nurse finishes with the early medication. Good night."

The doctor bowed to the rest of the people and eventually marched away leaving them. And what was left was only heavy sighs and unspirited stares. They were trapped in an immense silence, yet again, with none of them dared to say anything. Until someone felt that he had had enough. Sungmin suddenly got up, surprising everyone, and declared something that came to Jungsoo, in particular, like a bullet train.

"And on Hyung's behalf, I regret that he ever met you."

He then ran to the nearby bathroom ignoring the call from Mrs. Han. He hated seeing the person he considered a brother had to be in pain for God knew how many times. It pained him.

"I'll check on him. I'm worried that something may happen. Mrs. Han, please look after my grandsons for me."

Mrs. Park draped a blanket on Hyukjae and Donghae—who were oblivious up until now, drifting into dreamland—before she eventually followed where Sungmin headed to, intending to talk to him after the latter came out of the bathroom.

Now, Jungsoo began to entertain the idea of him running away. He was tired of being in a situation where the universe seemed to always chastise him for any sins he had done. It suffocated him to death that he was forced to stay behind the door doing nothing while, inside, Heechul was probably struggling with no one beside him. What Sungmin said earlier was like a salt put on his open wound and he was delighted to taste the pain. He deserved the pain; he needed the pain to show Heechul that he was not the only one hurting.

"Prof. Park, may I have a few words with you?"

Mrs. Han carefully approached him and he knew, he got no chance to hide away. He just wished that what she was about to say or ask would not destroy him than he already was.

"How are you?"

Living in hell—he screamed inside his head. The silence was his decided answer. And she smiled knowingly.

"Do you know where Heechul has been staying after he came back until now?"

Jungsoo frowned—it was unforeseen that Mrs. Han brought up this topic all of a sudden.

"He's been staying at his coworker's place... Ryeowook—do you know him?"

On that, Jungsoo nodded. He knew Ryeowook was the one who also worked in the bar.

"We've convinced him to come back to the orphanage but he refused. And I know his refusal was not baseless. There are many new kids in the orphanage and he probably knew that his staying there will take up some room. A few hours ago, Ryeowook called Min saying that Heechul would come to the orphanage because he was still visiting his parents and forgot to give the keys to Heechul. But after almost an hour and a half, Heechul hasn't arrived. So, Min decided to go o