Chapter Ten:

“Everything is looking good,” the doctor told them with a smile. “A bit dehydrated and you need to make sure you’re eating well. But otherwise the swelling seems to be gone and your eyesight is nearly back to normal.”

“What about his memories?”

“Well, that can be trickier. You did say you were remembering some things, though, correct?”

“Here and there. Sometimes I dream them, sometimes it’s a phase or hearing about it from someone else that will trigger it. Like, I don’t remember many specific memories of my brother, but I remember he’s my brother. I remember how I feel about him.”

“For now, I’ll tell you to give it time. Unfortunately, brain trauma isn’t an exact science. No two injuries are the same and your recovery could be completely different from someone else with the same kind of injury. Being around people and things that you’re familiar with should help, as it seems to be doing with your brother. Spend time recreating routines that you had before. Talk to the people who know you well. Reacquaint yourself with your home and your belongings. I have confidence that in time your memories will start to come back naturally. Don’t force it and don’t be too hard on yourself if you can’t remember things right away.”

“What if it doesn’t come back?”

“Well, there are cognitive therapies I could recommend. Behavioral training. Even hypnosis has been known to help.”

“Whoa! I could get hypnotized?” Donghae’s fascination outweighed his fear for a moment and he gaped at the doctor – not Doctor Park, sadly, who was on vacation, but another man who was called Doctor Shin.

“You could,” the heavyset man grinned back. “If it comes to that.”

“Okay. I’m less worried now. I’m just really glad my eyesight came back. Doctor Park promised it would, but…”

“He’s a good doctor. But hopefully I was able to answer your questions all right?”

“Yes, thank you. I appreciate you taking your time to see me.”

“That’s my job, Mister Lee. But I’m happy to see you recovering so well.”

Doctor Shin prescribed some medication for his headaches and sent them on their way. Heechul was thoughtful as they wandered through the corridors. Enough so that Donghae noticed the silence and turned to question him.

“I was just thinking of what he said. That you should be around familiar things. Maybe we should visit your place later. Take a look around?”

“We could,” Donghae agreed with some reluctance.

“Are you worried about Min Hyun?”

“A little. He knows where I live.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. I’ll make sure it’s safe before we go there. Besides, you could use some clothes and things. If you keep wearing my stuff, I won’t have anything left for myself. And my clothes really don’t suit you.”

Today’s outfit was a subdued set of black jogging pants with a flowery shirt and the red sweatshirt Hyukjae had given him, now washed and clean again. At least the colors matched. Barely. But Donghae had to agree. He didn’t think the style suited him at all.

“Can we go look for Hyukjae now?”

“Sure kid, if you still want to.”

“I do. I really want to see him. Just to ask him. You know… if he meant what he told me.”

“About being your boyfriend?” Heechul prodded gently.

“I told him I loved him,” Donghae admitted. “And I kissed him, too.”

“Wait… you? You kissed him?”

“I mean…” Donghae squirmed a bit, feeling embarrassed, especially now that he knew what his brother did for a living. “I kind of told him I liked his lips and thought I probably liked kissing them. He just, sort of, offered to remind me.”

Heechul let out a guffaw of laughter so loud that several staff members turned and gave him dirty looks. Waving at them with a sheepish smile, he took Donghae by the arm and steered him away from the corridor to a spot by some windows where they could have a little privacy.

“You two were making out?” he asked with a gleam in his eye.

“Hyung,” Donghae whined, feeling his face turn red. “It wasn’t like that.”

“What? I mean, I’ve got nothing against it. Hyukjae was good looking and you certainly deserve a few kisses.”

“It was… it was just nice, you know? It felt sweet. He was sweet. I didn’t… I didn’t realize until later that maybe that’s how being in love was supposed to feel.”

Donghae realized too late that his words said a lot more than he intended. Heechul frowned as he studied his younger brother.

“So, when you were with Min Hyun, how did he treat you? You thought you loved him, right? You told me he loved you. Wasn’t that sweet also?”

“It’s not the same thing.”

“Did he hurt you, Hae?”

“No! No, he… he didn’t hurt me, it just… I thought it would be different.”

“Thought what would be different?”

“You know,” Donghae whispered, leaning impossibly close so there was no chance of being overheard. “The .”

“Hold up,” Heechul pulled back to stare at him. “Were you a ?”

Donghae slapped a hand over his brother’s mouth, desperately scanning the area around him. Thankfully, no one seemed to have noticed his brother’s shout.

“Yes,” he whispered.

“What about the other guys you dated? I thought… I mean, I thought you took care of that years ago!”

“It just never quite worked out,” Donghae shrugged. “And it wasn’t like I had dated anyone in ages. Not since college.”

“Hae… baby… why didn’t you say something?”

“I was probably embarrassed. I mean, knowing what you do for a living, I can’t imagine being comfortable admitting that I was thirty years old and hadn’t ever had with anyone.”

“Well… damn.” Heechul looked utterly confounded, and Donghae couldn’t really blame him.

It also explained why he had felt so happy when Hyukjae had told him they’d been physical and had both enjoyed it. That was something he’d always dreamed about, romantic cheeseball that he was. Physical love with mutual pleasure and satisfaction. Something he couldn’t really say he had found with Min Hyun. The other man wasn’t much for softness and romance, despite all the times he argued otherwise. Their ual encounters had felt a bit rough to Donghae, and there were times when it had been painful when he was sure it didn’t need to be. But he had gone along with it because it pleased the man that he thought was in love with him.

Now he had to wonder if there was ever any love at all. Even on his own end. Had what he felt for Min Hyun been love? Or was it a desperation born from finally having someone want him. Min Hyun had everything going for him and was good at playing the game of relationships. But that’s all it had been to him. A game. He probably didn’t even like men. He certainly ran off to spend time with women whenever possible. Donghae had been a means to an end, and that end was the company and Donghae’s money. He wondered what the man would do once he found out he wouldn’t be getting either.

“Let’s go see Hyukjae, Hyung. Please?”

“Okay, let’s go. I remember which room the two of you were in.”

Donghae let Heechul guide him, and when he started feeling anxious and unconsciously reached for his brother’s hand, having the long, delicate fingers close around his own gave him a shot of courage.

When they reached the room, however, Heechul made him wait outside as he stuck his head in to look around. Pulling back with a frown, he told his brother, “He’s not in there.”

“Maybe they moved him to another room?” Donghae offered hopefully.

“Let’s go ask at the nurse’s station.” Heechul once again took hold of Donghae’s hand, leading him like a child, but Donghae wasn’t complaining.

“Lee Hyukjae? I’m sorry, there’s no patient by that name on our floor.”

“He was in room 404. It was only a few days ago. Skinny guy, kidney transplant?” Heechul persisted.

“Oh,” the nurse’s eyes widened with recognition. “Of course, Mister Lee. I’m sorry, but he’s no longer with us.”

“He’s dead?” Donghae blurted out in horror.

“Dead?” she turned to look at him closely. “No. No, he didn’t pass away. He was transferred to another hospital a few days ago.”

“Why?” Donghae pestered her, giving her the best pair of pleading eyes he could muster. “Did something happen? Was he okay?”

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid we can’t give out that kind of information.”

“But…” Donghae was at a loss. He was aware of patient confidentiality but had hoped to get some tiny shred of information.

“Sorry,” she said a second time, then turned away to shuffle some paperwork.

“Come on,” Heechul took him by the shoulders, leading him toward the elevator. “Maybe it was part of his treatment. They could have moved him to a place where he could receive better care. Or maybe it’s closer to where his family are so they could visit more often.”

“Maybe,” Donghae admitted sadly. He had built up so much hope at seeing Hyukjae and now he had to settle for emptiness and unanswered questions.

They were waiting for the elevator when someone called out, “Mister Lee?”

Donghae turned instinctively, belatedly noting that his brother did not. Gazing at the plump, middle-aged woman who was walking toward him, he knew he didn’t recognize her at all.

“Oh, it is you, isn’t it? Of course, you wouldn’t know me, though, would you. Nurse Kim. I helped care for you when you were hospitalized. How are you feeling?”

“Much better, thank you.”

“Your eyesight is back?” she smiled caringly.

“Doctor Shin said it was normal again.”

“And your amnesia?”

“I… I remember some things. But he said it should all come back eventually.”

“That’s wonderful. Such a shame when something terrible happens to a nice young man like you. Well, I’m glad I was able to witness the success story. It was good to see you again.”

Donghae gave her a smile and she was about to turn away when he thought to ask, “Nurse Kim? What about Hyukjae?”

“Hyukjae? Oh, he was transferred, dear, just a day or two after you left. He really missed you. When he found out you were discharged while he was away it just broke his heart.”

“It did?” Donghae’s heart clenched, hating to hear that he had caused Hyukjae distress.

“He was really fond of you, dear. It was nice to see him so animated again. I think spending so much time here alone really took a toll on him. Having you around to talk to just brightened up his days. But you would have had to separate anyway. They sent him to another hospital for the operation.”

“Operation?” Donghae asked breathlessly. “What operation?”

“They found a donor for him. He finally got his transplant. I’m so happy for him, but we’ll miss his smiling face. Still, better he gets on with his life now. He deserves some happiness.”

“Thank you,” Donghae told her with a profound gratitude. “Thank you for telling me.”

“Oh,” she suddenly realized what she had said and glanced around for witnesses. Lowering her voice, she cautioned, “Well, you didn’t hear anything from me. But I’m sure he would want you to know he’s doing well. Take care of yourself, young man.”

With a smile and a wave, she bustled off toward the nurses station, leaving a tearful Donghae fighting between the aching emptiness of knowing Hyukjae was gone, and the bittersweet happiness of him being able to live again in good health.

“You okay?” Heechul nudged his shoulder.

“I’m happy for him, Hyung. All that time he was trying to keep me happy and he must have been in so much pain and struggling so hard to stay positive. I’m really glad he’s going to be all right.”

“Sounds like you helped him stay positive,” Heechul opined, giving his brother a kind smile. “Didn’t you hear what she said? She said he was lonely before you came. That you brightened up his days. I’d say that’s proof positive that whatever feelings you may have felt were mutual.”

“He thought he was dying,” Donghae dismissed the idea that he was in any way responsible for someone else’s happiness. “I was probably just a way to pass the time.”

“Ya!” Heechul reached out and pinched his arm, hard, causing Donghae to yelp and give his brother a pouty, hurt face. “You listen to me, kid. I was there. I saw how he looked at you, even when you couldn’t see it. He meant what he was saying. He liked you a lot. Even his family liked you. You think they would have gone along with all that if they didn’t?”

“Why? Why would he like me?”

“Because you’re a tiny little beam of sunshine, !” Heechul snorted. “Don’t let what that jerk-face of a man told you get into your head. You’re a sweetheart, you’ve always been a sweetheart. People love you because you’re kind and generous and always take care of everyone around you. You’ve got a smile so bright it practically leaves hearts popping up around your head. You’ve a living, breathing emoji, baby, so stop doubting yourself and remember who you really are. Please?”

Donghae worried his lip, not sure what sort of response he could make. “People like me?”

“I’ve never met anyone who didn’t love you after five minutes of talking to you. Do you know how many hundreds of times people have asked me to introduce you to them? Not that I would. Not those kinds of people. But Hae, whatever Min Hyun told you, that’s all a pack of lies. He was trying to break you down so he could control you. It’s bull, okay? All of it. Whenever any of that pops into your head from now on, you have to promise me you’ll believe the exact opposite.”

“I’ll try.”

“Good. I don’t like seeing you all sad and full of doubts. I want my sweet sunshine angel back. We all love you just the way you are, so don’t change because of one rotten person who told you different.”

“Okay,” he tried to force a smile for his brother but could tell it wasn’t quite successful.

“Yeah, that settles it. We’re going to your place. The doctor said you needed to see the things you know, and your house is the best place I can think of to do it.”

“But Hyung, are you sure it’s safe?”

“What? You think I can’t take care of you?”

“Of course, but…”

“I’m tougher than I look,” Heechul winked, tugging him into the elevator when it opened. “But don’t worry. I called in a favor.”

“What kind of favor?”

“I asked a friend of mine to send us a car and a bodyguard. Just so you’ll feel safer when we have to go anywhere.”

“Do I want to know what kind of friend it is?”

Heechul smirked. “Someone who can afford to loan me a bodyguard because he’s completely smitten with my lovely smile.”

“Did you work for him? Wait, you said him? Do you like men, too?”

“I don’t discriminate,” his brother shrugged carelessly. “If I’m interested, that’s all that matters. And men who hire other men tend to be quite generous and discreet.”

“Oh,” Donghae’s eyes went wide, considering the implications. “I see.”

“And now you know why I tended to keep my work life separate from my personal life with you. Having you around would be like bringing a rabbit to a wolf’s den. You with your cute face and innocence.” Heechul shook himself to rid his mind of the image.

“I always thought there just weren’t that many gay men around and that’s why it was so hard for me to find someone.”

“You were apparently looking in all the wrong places. And that’s perfectly okay,” his brother told him firmly. “Especially knowing that you were a . , I can’t even imagine the frenzy you would have made at the club.”

Donghae wasn’t sure he wanted to know, either. And strangely, listening to Heechul talk, he was gaining a better sense of his own former self. Again, nothing distinctive, no actual moment by moment memories, but an idea of what he had done or not done. He knew he’d never been one for clubs. He knew he didn’t like the noise or drinking or sweaty people leering at him. He must have experienced it at least once though, to know it wasn’t for him.

When they exited the front of the hospital, Heechul scanned the area for a moment before fixating on a car about a hundred meters away. Taking Donghae’s hand, Heechul began walking in that direction, and soon enough a tall, slim man dressed all in black stepped out and flashed them a hand gesture.

Looking up at his brother’s face with a hint of wariness, he saw Heechul was smirking happily. And when they got to the car, he called out, “Hey Yunho, how’s life treating you?”

“Very well, Mister Kim. And yourself?”

“Much better now that you’re here to watch my back. How’s the boss?”

“As always,” Yunho bowed at Donghae and reached to open the door.

“This is my kid brother, Donghae. Donghae, meet Yunho. He’s going to be our bodyguard for the time being. You can trust him. Yunho? Donghae’s off limits, no exceptions. So, don’t even think about flashing him that smile of yours. He’s already in love with someone else.”

Donghae saw Yunho roll his eyes as Heechul stepped into the back of the car. Giving the man a bow, a bit awed by how tall and handsome he was, he introduced himself, “Nice to meet you Yunho-ssi. I’m Lee Donghae. Thank you for taking care of me.”

“Nice to meet you too, Donghae-ssi,” he flashed a very attractive smile at Donghae before tilting his head and looking at the backseat. “Are you sure he’s your brother? I’m not seeing any resemblance.”

“Bite me, Yunho.”

“No thank you, sir. I’d rather my body parts remain exactly the way they are.”

Once they were closed inside the car with a glass divider separating them from Yunho, Donghae leaned close to his brother and asked, “His boss was a client?”

“Of course, he was. One of my favorites. We still get together once in a while and he’s always happy to help me out when I need it.”

“Will you pay him back with…” Donghae couldn’t continue the thought.

“? Maybe,” Heechul shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”

“Hyung? Why did he call you Mister Kim? And upstairs when the nurse called me, you didn’t react. Do we have different names?”

“Different fathers,” Heechul nodded. “I guess you can’t remember, but there’s a reason I’m so much better looking than you are.”

The wink took the sting out of his words, but Donghae was still overly curious. “Did mom… was she…?”

“Like me?” Heechul was surprised. “You think mom…? No, of course not. I’m sure she had offers, but mom never took them up on it. My Dad was a piece of , though. Knocked her up young and when her family kicked her out because of it he ended up abandoning us both. He didn’t care about her, just the money he could come into by being her husband.”

“Like Min Hyun and me.”

“Yeah,” Heechul frowned sadly. “Just like that.”

“And my dad?”

“He was decent. Older. Mom was doing odd jobs, whatever she could to get by. She was really pretty when she was younger. You can’t remember her anyway, but she was gorgeous back then. And she came from money. Finding herself a single mother of a bastard kid was rough. I’m not sure how much she loved your Dad, but he was good to us and he was really happy when you were born.”

“Did he pass away?”

“Heart attack. You were still a toddler. He left her a little money, and the house. She had to go back to work and with two kids and no husband things only got worse. Wook’s mom was her younger sister and she hated what was happening but didn’t stand much chance at changing her parent’s minds. Still, she hooked mom up with a couple jobs here and there. Sometimes she would stop by and visit. But we were poor, and it made her uncomfortable. Neither one of us really got to know Ryeowook until we were older. By the time mom died, our Auntie had a bit more control over what she could do. She sent money here and there. It wouldn’t have been enough though. Even with your grades and scholarship there was still a lot of expenses for your schooling. And I always wanted to keep the house for you. You love that place so much.”

“My house? The place I live now?”

“The same one.”

“I grew up there?”

“You did. We both did.”

“Then it should bring back a lot of memories.”

“That’s what I’m hoping,” Heechul nodded.

“Hyung? What really happened to mom?”

“Ah, Hae, do you really want to know? It’s not a nice story. I really wish if there was one memory you could forget forever it would be that one.”

“Please Hyung? I need to know. I need everything so that I can remember who I was. Even if it’s sad, there’s no true happiness in life without sadness.”

“I… I told you how I got into this life, right? I needed money and someone made me an offer?”

“You told me.”

“Well, mom worked for those people.”

“But you said she didn’t do—”

“Not like that! Not what I do. She… she was quiet and discreet. She cleaned up in the morning, sometimes worked in the back at night washing dishes and helping the staff. It wasn’t her only job, but it certainly paid well. And mom wasn’t picky about work as long as it gave her the means to support the two of us.”

“Okay. But what happened to her?”

“She was in the club after hours working. Some thugs broke in wanting to rob the place. The police said they didn’t mean to kill her, just knock her out and take the money. But….”

“She was murdered?” Donghae voice emerged as a mere whisper, laced with pain.

“Yeah,” Heechul wrapped his arm around Donghae’s shoulders and pulled him against his chest. “I’m sorry.”

“How… how old were we?” Donghae asked through his tears.

“You were almost 14, I was 17. The owner of the club, she felt horrible. And the guys responsible were caught, they’re still in jail. Mrs. Jang, she raised a bunch of money for us, everyone chipped in, they all loved mom and knew how hard it would be for us to survive on our own. I was just lucky to be turning 18 soon enough, and since we inherited the house, I didn’t have to worry about them taking you away as long as I could provide for you. When I went to pick up the donation, Mrs. Jang made me an offer, and… well, I figured there were worse things I could do.”

“Hyung,” Donghae cried, hugging his brother tight. “I’m so sad and I love you so much.”

“I know, baby. But it was okay back then. We were both grieving, and it wasn’t easy to keep going, but we did it together. I promised mom I would take care of you and that’s what I did. And you grew up to be a man she would have been so damn proud of, Hae. I’m proud of you, too.”

“Thank you, Hyung. I know if mom is proud of me, she must be even more proud of you for being such a great brother to me.”

“Well…” Heechul floundered for words, the praise taking him by surprise. “I hope so. I haven’t always been proud of myself, but I knew I did one thing right by raising you.”

“Thank you,” Donghae whispered again, kissing Heechul’s cheek.

His brother’s smile was worth a thousand words.

And when they arrived at the house, a pretty little red brick villa with a tiny rooftop deck, Donghae sighed with relief. There was an apartment building to one side and a large park on the other, giving the small building some breathing space amid the larger buildings around it. It was decorated in a quirky but charming style with carefully tended flowers instead of a patch of grass and colorful shutters at the windows.

Donghae smiled as soon as he saw it. His. This was his. And it felt right. “I know this place.”

“It’s the only place you’ve ever known,” Heechul smiled back.

“Can we go inside? I want to see if I remember that, too.”

“Sure, come on.”

They walked up to the door, Yunho on their heels, and Heechul glanced at Donghae questioningly before punching in the code himself.

“Allow me,” Yunho said quietly, holding his arm out to block Donghae when he wanted to run inside.

“Let him check it out first. That’s why he’s here.”

Waiting was torture, but Donghae spent the time appraising the neighborhood and deciding he liked it a lot. It was comfortable. The park looked like a pleasant place to spend time. There were flowers and though the house was small, it was his, and he loved it.

When they received the go-ahead to enter, he was taken aback by the mess inside. Gazing around with a frown, he recognized tools and bits of machinery, colorful plastics and papers everywhere.

“Does it always look like this?” he asked, discouraged as he remembered that Min Hyun had called his home a death trap and said he was sloppy and loved living in a mess.

“No,” Heechul stated. “This place is a wreck. Looks like someone tossed the joint.”

“Recently,” Yunho commented, pointing over by the window. “There’s still water on the floor from that broken vase. “Someone has been here within the last 24-hours.”

Donghae didn’t realize that he was gripping his brother’s arm until Heechul gently unwrapped his fingers, clasping their hands as he soothed, “Don’t worry, baby. That’s why I called in some help. We’re just going to gather up some things and take a look around. You don’t have to come back here until it’s safe.”

Nodding, fear making him anxious, he allowed Heechul to take him on a brief tour. But the signs of a hurried search were everywhere.

“What was he looking for?” he asked, not expecting an answer.

“Something he didn’t find, apparently. And that’s a good thing. Now let’s get some clothes and some pictures of mom, and we’ll go back to my place. You’ve got to be worn out from all this running around, right?”

“My head is starting to hurt again.”

Heechul made him sit down on his bed while he gathered up a few outfits and packed them in a suitcase. He managed to find some pictures Donghae had kept on his dresser and shoved them in as well, grabbing shoes and some toiletries before zipping everything up.

“Don’t worry, baby. I’m here, remember that.”

“I know. Thank you.”

“We’ll talk to Ryeowook later and see what he found out. Maybe tomorrow we can swing by your workshop and talk to your employees.”

Donghae shook his head violently. If Min Hyun hadn’t found what he wanted here, he would look at the company next. And if he was desperate enough to ransack Donghae’s home, who knew what else the man might be capable of.

Heechul capitulated, humoring him for the time being. When they returned to the elegant apartment they were borrowing, all Donghae wanted to do was collapse on the bed and make everything go away for a while. His brother stayed with him, his hair and holding his hand, and in no time at all he fell asleep.

When he opened his eyes again it was near sunset. He wandered out of the bedroom rubbing his eyes, following the murmured sound of his brother’s voice. The conversation must have been going on for a while, but he caught enough to understand the gist of it.

“… don’t care what you have to do, just keep that away from my brother. I’ll visit you every night for a month if that’ll make you happy. , I’ll move in with you if you do this for me. Just get the message through that he needs to stay away from Donghae or else. , Geng, I didn’t say that. We’ve got a lawyer to deal with it. He’s going to pay for his crimes the right way, I just don’t want to have to worry about him coming after my brother later when he realizes how much trouble he got himself into.”

Heechul turned and caught sight of his wide-eyed brother standing in the doorway, mouth hanging open.

“, I gotta go. Yes, you handsome er, I meant what I said. And thanks for sending Yunho, he’s easy on the eyes and Donghae thinks he’s neat. All right, yeah, I’ll talk to you soon. Thanks.”

They stared at each other as Heechul dropped his arms to his sides.

“What did you hear?”

“Are you going to have someone hurt him?”

“Hurt…? Of course not. I explicitly said not to hurt him. Geng’s just going to get a gentle warning to him that he better leave you alone if he doesn’t want trouble. Trust me, baby, that’s all it is. A warning.”

“I don’t want you to get in trouble. And you’re paying for this with , too, aren’t you?”

“Not that it’s a hardship. I told you, I like Hangeng, he’s a y guy and good in the sack.”

“Hyung,” Donghae breathed out tiredly.

“Nothing illegal, I swear on mom’s grave.”

“Okay,” Donghae conceded, too worn down to fight.

“Hey, you look terrible. Is your head hurting still?”

“No. Maybe. I just feel so lost. I dream things and I feel like it’s all so close that I could reach out and grab it. But then I can’t, and I wake up even more confused. It’s like I lost everything, and then when I started to remember I lost it a second time, plus more. When I was with Min Hyun, I thought I had made Hyukjae up. Then when I came to you, I realized Hyukjae was real but everything with Min Hyun was a lie. And I still don’t know what happened in the hospital. I want to believe it was real because it felt so good, but I don’t have a way to find out, and I’m just worried that if Hyukjae knew the real me and the mess my life is, he would run away, too.”

“Can I offer a piece of advice?”

“Please,” Donghae begged.

“Trust what your heart told you when you didn’t have anything trying to convince you otherwise.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that when you were in the hospital, and you believed in what Hyukjae said, there were no other voices in your head trying to change your mind. All these doubts, these feelings that it wasn’t real because you don’t deserve it somehow, try to ignore all that and focus on how Hyukjae made you feel. You were happy, right?”

“I was really happy.”

“Well, from the little bit I talked to Hyukjae, he was happy, too. And maybe he started it because he thought he was dying, and he felt sorry for you. But I don’t think he would have kept it going, to the extent he did, knowing you might remember any time, or get your eyesight back and learn the truth, unless he really wanted it to be true, too.”

“You really believe that?”

“I do,” Heechul shrugged. “And another thing, the kid just had a major organ replaced. He’s going to be in the hospital for a while still. And then recovery and all that. He’s not going anywhere. He’ll still be there when you finish sorting through this mess. If you don’t want to bring your troubles to him, then let’s fix them, quickly, so you can finish healing and go back to him when you’re confident again. Does that sound like a plan?”

“If I can find him,” Donghae moped.

“I’m sure I can find him for you when the time comes.”

“All right, Hyung,” Donghae nodded, mentally exhausted.

“Good. Go wash up. Take a shower or whatever. Wook will be here in about an hour and we’ll have dinner and talk about your case.”

“Hyung?”

“Yeah baby?”

“Can I have a hug?”

With a rather maternal frown, Heechul walked over and wrapped him up in a warm embrace. “You can have as many hugs as you want as long as you want them.”

And for the moment, that was enough. He would soldier on and fix his mistakes, and he had people on his side fighting for him. Heechul was right. Hyukjae wasn’t going anywhere for a while. He could look for him a little later. Maybe by then he would have convinced himself to believe that their fairy tale had a chance of becoming reality.