Why do I feel like we won’t be able to see each other for a long time.

Junjin took a deep breath after those words from the last time he talked to his brother starts echoing in his mind. How could his brother say those things? Did he perhaps foresee the accident? Junjin shook his head, it is just probably a coincidence. A heartbreaking and horrifying coincidence.

He remembered that day, their last conversation and the phone call he had after that.

***

Junjin was busy doing his work when his phone rang. He smirked after reading his endearment to his brother in the phone screen.

“Hyung! You miss me that much?” Junjin chuckles. “We just had a phone call awhile ago. Okay, okay. I know you were glad to hear your younger brother’s loving voice once again--”

Junjin laughs between his blabbers but to his surprise he didn’t hear any reply from the other line. What makes him suddenly nervous is the sound of an ambulance in the background.

Soon enough, he heard a man cleared his throat. This made him more anxious. It was not from his brother, he could immediately recognize his brother even when he only clears his throat.

“Sir…” The man from the other line started to speak. It was definitely not his brother. His heart starts beating faster. “You are the first person on his call history. May I know what is your relationship to the owner of the phone.”

Junjin raised his eyebrow then took a peek on his phone screen, checking if the call from his brother’s number. “I’m his brother.” He started to feel uneasy as he raises his voice. “What are you trying to say? Why do you have my brother’s phone? Who are you?”

The man on the line clears his throat once again. “I’m afraid that I must inform you that--”

“What? What should you be afraid of?” Junjin cuts the man’s sentence. He is seriously scared at what the man on the other line was trying to. He can’t calm down, he was walking to and fro while biting his nails.

“Sir, your brother got involved with a car accident.”

There the other man finally told him. It’s something Junjin fears the most… something bad happened to his brother.

The man on the other line kept on talking. Telling him the other details like the name of the hospital.

Junjin’s hand was trembling. Honestly, he doesn’t want to hear anymore from the man. About how the person he cherish so much got hurt and taken to a nearby hospital.

Without wasting any second Junjin ran to the room where they are staying for the moment. With his shaking hands and weak legs, he managed to messily put everything into his bag.

He was about to leave the place when his bumps into his superior. “Junjin-ssi? Where are you going?”

“Back to Seoul.” He answered in a low and serious tone. “I’ve already finished the work you want me to do. What is needed is just simple revisions, I left the file on your desk.”

“But we are not done here yet.” His superior tried to stop him by holding his right shoulder.

Junjin shoved his superior’s hand off his shoulder. “Then fire me for all I care! I have to go!” He was taken aback after raising a voice to his superior. He was unable to rationalize everything. He knows his brother would not like it if he heard that his younger brother shouted at someone older and with a higher authority. “I’m sorry Sir.” Junjin starts crying. “I have to see my brother. He is the only family member I have.” He starts choking on his words.

***

Junjin closed his eyes as those memories are coming back to him. He doesn’t want to remember again nor feel the same fear he experience during that time. Not only that, he even had a slight trauma with phone calls. He was scared that when his phone rang, another bad news might be relayed to him.

He tried to shake away all of his negative thoughts and think of the positive ones. So far, the only good thing is his superior understood his actions and didn’t fire him. His boss is even kind to let him leave the workplace early or anything that Junjin asked for.

Just like now, Junjin took a leave from his work so he could finally go to the hospital and visit his brother. He walked through the hallway to reach the room of his brother. Some nurse and patients that who passed by him will smile. Some will held a simple conversation like, ‘How’s your brother?’ or ‘I saw your friend earlier.’

It is just a typical day for Junjin, besides it’s been a normal routine for two weeks already. Yes, two weeks have already passed and there were still no signs of improvement from his brother. Which suddenly reminds him, it’s been one week since Eric came to the hospital. He tried not to scoff at his own thoughts.

He halted his steps for a bit, he finds it unusual that the hallway is filled with many people. Before he could reach his brother’s room a familiar voice calls for his attention.

“Junjin!” He turned around and saw Sohee. They became acquainted as the lady is one of the nurse in charge of his brother. She is standing in front of a vending machine. “Apple juice?” She offers but Junjin shook his head as a reply.

“Are you taking a break?” Junjin asked the nurse who is refresing herself with a can of apple juice.

“Yep.” The nurse smiled then added, “ It seems like you’ve arrived early.”

“Ah yeah.” Junjin smiled at the nurse as a sign of greeting. They she asked the nurse. “Why, they are so many people in the hallway?”

The nurse laugh and said. “It’s always been like that, you didn’t notice? You and your friends are popular with all of the patients and visitors here. It seems like they are awed to see handsome looking men in the hospital.” The nurse look at the people in the hallway before adding, “But I also agree... it seems like the number people was added after the new guy came.”

“New guy?” Junjin raised an eyebrow.

“Yep. The most handsome guy among you.”

By the phrase ‘most handsome’, only one person first came into his mind. “Eric-hyung?”

“Oh so his name is Eric.” The nurse nodded as if she made a mental note to her self. “Who is he to your brother?”

“Just a friend.” Junjin replied. He actually put much effort to stop himself from showing a scornful expression. He doesn’t know why the nurse was asking this kind of things.

“A friend? Tch. I don’t think so.” The nurse clicked her tongue. “Yah, he hasn’t sleep a wink ever since. He wanted to observe your brother and report to the doctor if there is an improvement. Whenever your friends come he will insist to stay. Saying he won’t be able to sleep in his apartment. And also... his eyes are always puffy whenever I see him.”

“You don’t know anything. It was just out of pity. Don’t jump into conclusions so easily, I thought so too before but I was wrong.”

“Really? But those eyes... eyes won’t lie.” The nurse stared at an empty space as if she was reminded of something.

***

The nurse went inside the room to check the patient when he saw a new man watching over. She was a little bit shocked to see a new face in the room. Well, she expected to see either Junjin, Andy, Minwoo or Dongwan. She already know their names as they always visit the hospital.

“Good Morning, Sir.” She greeted the handsome man but only received a weak smile. “Let me just check the patient”

Eric nodded and gave a little space for the nurse to do her usual routine. The nurse glanced at the man from time to time. She notice the dark circles lying from the handsome man’s eyes.

After she was done checking, she noticed how the man stared at the patient. The feeling of longing, sadness and love are reflected into his eyes. The man was also lightly touching the patient’s arm with his index finger. As if he was dealing with the most precious yet fragile thing in the world.

The nurse felt like she has to say something to cheer the man up. “You know Sir, according to studies, stimulating the patient’s senses can help them recover faster. Its main purpose is to receive a response from their sense of smell, hearing, sight ... and touch.”

She held the patient’s hands up then put it on top of the man. The man’s eyes widened, as if he was asking if it was okay.

The nurse nodded before saying, “I suggest that you will hold his hand while talking about what happened within a day in detail or about the precious memories that you had together. Sooner or later, who knows... he will finally to respond to all of your stories.”

A glimpse of hope was reflected into Eric’s eyes as he heard those words.

***

Junjin cannot believe what the nurse was telling him. He was about to say something to counterattack the nurse’s story when he noticed a doctor with some nurses are running towards his brother’s room.

Sohee noticed it too and tried to ask her colleague that is running pass them.

Yay! Finally~

Hello guys, how are you? I'm back（〜^∇^)〜 

​​​​​Updating chapters... Oho I miss it so much. I hope you guys are doing well and have a pleasant day ahead. 

SEE YOU IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.