As it turned out, the old lady didn't leave him out of courtesy. She sent in the help.

Like, literally the old fashion house help.

"Let me guess, you're actually her assistent." Woohyun tried being a step in front of whatever was about to happen. 

"I can never picture master Mingyu ever referring me as such." the man was all pristine dressed like his sole purpose was to shame any casual wear.

He came in just as Woohyun was about to carry out the most stupid action so far, namely getting out of bed. In his current condition, it was sheer luck he didn't cough up part of his insides, if he was to go by how terribly excrutiating it felt to move his feet.

"..." he hissed, hand pressed hard on his left side. "I sense you were expecting me to know of you, but....you can give me a bit of a break, since ....injured person, here?" he pointed out the obvious.

If he was honest, Woohyun was far away from feeling at ease under his gaze. The man's poker face reminded him of someone, yet he couldn't put his finger on it. But, the upshot was still the same edginess and he never knew any other way of fighting but bluffing.

"Madam Kim assigned me to ...assist with whatever you might need." he spoke in a monotone voice, almost fooling Woohyun. He felt a smirk forming, but had to resist the temptation. Plus, he wasn't very apt being on top of his game at the moment; but it was nice knowing he could rile him up when he wanted.

"So....how do you think Mingyu referred you as?" he switched topics in the hopes his physical distress will be dismissed.

"It's been sometime. He might've changed." the man went on with his sharp tongue, looking not one ounce vexed.

"You speak of him with devotion." Woohyun struggled taking in a breath.

"He's my master. Was..." he mentioned with less passion.

"There. See? That voice." he wriggled his index at him. "That's what gave you away." Woohyun giggled at his winning argument.

"I don't think I see the difference or the appeal, for that matter. I am not here for entertaining."

"Ah, now I've really touched a sore spot." Woohyun motioned for him to lend him the water glass on the portable table. "Listen, man. I don't need any kind of help; I'm under  medical care as we speak."

"Then I have no obligation to aid you with drinking water." the man stopped in the midle of grabbing the glass.

"Smart and witty. I guess you did leave an impression on Mingyu, afterall." Woohyun huffed, accepting the loss. "No wonder you're so protective of him still."

"I am not family. I just...."

"Cut the crap, dude. You're one gulp away from asking about him, face it." Woohyun snatched the glass with shaky fingers. He was too drenched to care for the pain shooting up his arm."And it's no shame admitting you favored him. He had that effect on people." he reminisced. "He didn't give a damn if he could help a stranger by any means, he'd do it in a heartbeat. And with a sparkling humor on top of it. How not to fall for his charm, right?" he looked the man up.

It wasn't hard to guess he cared for Mingyu, but his job probably didn't sit well with actually admitting it outloud.

"Never fear, your secret's safe with me, uhhh....did you happen to mention your name, already?"Woohyun frowned.

"No, mr.Kim. I did not." the man cleared his throat.

"Mr.Kim? I mean....please, let's not get that formal." Woohyun tried to redress his mishap.

"Ok, then, what should I call you?"

"I guess old habits won't change over night. But Namu would do, for now."

"Namu? I was informed your na...."

"Yeah, well. It's a thing of Mingyu's, nicknaming. As a payback, he was Gindali( long legs) for me. I can get bitter sometimes." Woohyun was on a lying spree by then. 

"Yes, he...was a bit straightforward, sometimes. But it was a trait that only made him more loveable." the man slipped.

"Now that we got that out of the way, can I have a name?"

"You may. My name's Jeon Myungdae. It's....interesting to make your acquaintance."

"It's fine, we don't have to see eye to eye." Woohyun nodded, a bit amused. "Once these bandages are out, I'm far away from here and everyone's gonna enjoy life; to the best of their capacities." he added seeing the darkened expression of the other.

"If I may...Namu. Taking into account your recent accident, you may be under  a blurry assumption that we'd want nothing to do with you, but Mrs.Kim has greeted her second son when you survided the wreck. Even if Mingyu parted ways with us all these years, no one has ever held a grudge."

"Anyone ever sent the other brother the memo? Cause he definitely is on the opposing team." Woohyun grunted.

"Master Sunggyu is....it's not really my place to say."

"Listen, Jeon. I have no intention acting in this circus more than I already have. Trust me, I won't be doing anyone any good favor if linger, especially Mingyu's memory." he gulped his guilt down. "That man deserves one frigging pristine memoir. And I'm not about to smudge it, just so I can mend some sad people."

"I am sorry if this is the course of action you'd want to take. We thought you might be just as saddened by the loss and maybe find comfort beside your new family."

"I have no family, let's be clear on this." Woohyun growled, mostly because of the truth behind his statement. "I had the fortune of knowing him for a while and he was gone as fast as he ing popped up in front of me. Grief is not the same for both parties and I don't have any expectations. You're welcome to pour your whatever on me, I can take more than tears and sorrow. But I won't clown along for your entertainment. And you can deliver this message to every Kim you're serving under."

He counted on more satisfaction after being so frank, but he forgot how bad he was at lying to himself. He actually wished he'd have a family, even if based on a big fat lie. And he was upset life had once again won over his foolish dreams and that he was backboned after his stupid past. Where was that steam when he got pushed over?

"Up to you if this piece of advice is to be taken into consideration. Sometimes, losses are a gain." Jeon said with a provoking calm.

Maybe for people in their class.

He would only trade a lie for another. And he was too fed up with it as it was.

"I am a stranger. I could be a psycopath on the run, a druggie, a thief after your money...why on earth would you accept me into your life?" Woohyun berated himself for not being able to come forth with the truth.

"Are you?"

"What?" he huffed, both from strain and frustration.

"All that you might turn up to be?" Jeon stressed, looking for an honest answer.

"No, but that's not..."

"Mingyu was so very dear to all of us. Families accept exeptional behaviours because we trust in our own to stay true to their legacy and much more, to their core. Mingyu was not perfect, he made mistakes, but never with good reason. He chose you to spend his life with and neither of us could go against him."

"That doesn't make be the perfect choice." Woohyun wailed.

"You asked him to come back and introduce you to us before you accepted...."

"Superstitions kinda prevailed. That ring was never meant for me, I know that now." Woohyun whispered, thinking of the event that led him here.

"Well, if we're gonna finger point, it was never his to give in the first place."Jeon made the unthinkable gesture to take a seat. "These boys will be the end of me."

He suddenly looked old and so out of his comfort zone, but somehow Woohyun felt that he embraced it with glee.

"Mrs.Kim mentioned giving the ring to Mingyu, though."

"That woman would not know her right from her left if it weren't for me." the man chuckled.

"I read you correctly. You're in it much more than accepted. But I don't think either of them minded."

"It's not a topic job related. But we share a long past. And this is not about me." Jeon cut him short and rather sharp.

"If you're about to tell me a mother couldn't distinguish her sons, I will just stop you there."

"No, it wasn't my intention. Like I said, we all make a bad choice at some point in life."

"Ouch. That's why he was afraid to come back." Woohyun pondered, recalling the tiny bits of info he got from his lost friends and the family that he came across. "It was his brother he was anxious to meet." he said, caught up in his monologue.

Jeon seemed sincerely astonished by his remark. "Nothing hurts more than things left unsaid."

"Min spoke highly of his brother. It was a certain warmth in his speech coveying their bond is not ordinary. He felt his love choice would fit well with ...."

"Sunggyu didn't know any of this." Jeon almost chocked with emotions. "For him, his brother still abandoned him to seek individuality. Mingyu couldn't stand being compared to Sunggyu's , well....everything. He wanted to prove the world that he was his own self and he let Sunggyu know about it firsthand. There had been some words yelled, yes. And, had Mingyu come back, he'd've heard some from me; his brother didn't deserve to put up with his existential crisis, much less think he was the reason.

"He did say his brother was the fine handler and that he'd have his head if he saw him mishandling." Woohyun recalled.

"I think meeting you changed his way of thinking altogether." Jeon remarked. "Or so it seems."

"It only seems, I'm sure. I'm not someone to bring change that big."

"I beg the differ. Which finally brings me to whatever I meant to do when entering your ward." he got up.

"Allow us a bit more time piecing Mingyu back together. You have small bits of him that we lacked, lately."

"Who are you asking for?" Woohyun probed.

"Someone who doesn't think he needs the filling in." Jeon admitted with renowed conviction.

"I thought Min was your favorite."

"A common knowledge for everyone who knew him." the man smiled bitterly and defeated. "But you seem the type to go for the underdog; which is by far the fakest trait I'd give Sunggyu."

"I can't go for him...." Woohyun faced his ring, hoping to give the right hint. He was supposed to be the fiancee of Mingyu, afterall. Sadly, he was an underdog himself and he knew how damn bad it was to be cast aside, overlooked, or left to fend for himself. He couldn't picture Mingyu's brother in any of the situations he just listed, but thinking back of his hidden shaking maybe the man was a far better actor than anyone believed. Could it be Jeon read him already?

"You know, if not for Sunggyu, we wouldn't even be talking about Mingyu right now. Mrs.Kim only found out she was having twins at birth. Min was held by his big brother, protected and hidden from outside. Usually the smallest would not survive, providing for the bigger twin, but they were amazed to find Mingyu developing only one week slower, like his brother put off his own growth so that his brother stood a fair chance."

"He's blaming himself." Woohyun concluded.

"So far, no one saw it as such. All think he's holding a grudge." Jeon related.

"No more than on himself. He favored Mingyu as well, didn't he?"

"He doesn't know any different. He'd done it since the womb."

"I can't give him closure." Woohyun voiced out. "I am not the person to do so."

"He will manage by himself, as always." Jeon affirmed with false pride.

"That doesn't make it fair." he spoke without considering the match it had with him. They were literally worlds apart, yet the crux of their existence stood centered in the same shape.

He didn't want to be part of a better life and find that nothing really changed the aftermath.