“I can see it’s been so long since you last practise. When was the last time you did the treatment?” Doctor Kim Jaejoong asks as he help Woohyun with the equipment.

 

“I didn’t…” Woohyun trailed off.

 

“You didn’t?” Doctor Kim half shout, making Woohyun cower in fear. “You really didn’t? When was the accident you say?”

 

“Five…five years ago,”

 

“And you didn’t even treat this shoulder?”

 

Woohyun shakes his head. “The only treatment I did was for my legs,”

 

“But you hurt your shoulder,”

 

“I can’t walk…” The words come as a whisper. “I was traumatic and can’t feel my legs, that’s why I did some treatment,”

 

“And your shoulder?”

 

Woohyun shakes his head. “It just healed by itself.”

 

Doctor Kim sighs. “This is wrong. No wonder you feel hurt and easily in pain. Even though it healed by itself, you should threat them properly.”

 

Woohyun look at the doctor with horror. “Was it too late now?”

 

Doctor Kim shakes his head. “No, it’s never too late. But it was what caused you pain all these time. If you treat them properly after the accident, you might not feel so much pain.”

 

Silence.

 

“Your doctor didn’t advice you to?” Doctor Kim sighs again when Woohyun give him an answer with a shake of his head. “We really have a lot of work to do.”

 

Woohyun smiles sheepishly, he think it is wise if he just keep his mouth shut and go with whatever the doctor tell him to. Doctor Kim and him do the treatment on his shoulder for another hour before he is dismissed and they would see each other in another appointment the week after.

 

Woohyun was just finish cleaning up and walking out of the shower room when he see Sungyeol walking toward him with the goofy smile on his face.

 

“Hey,” they say at the same time.

 

“How was your treatment?” Sungyeol asks, turning around to walk with his friend out of the hospital.

 

Woohyun pouts. “I got scolded,”

 

“Huh? Why?”

 

“Because I never did any treatment for my shoulder,”

 

“You what?” Sungyeol half shout, earning curious glance from the patients, visitors and medical professionals. He grab Woohyun’s arms, stopping him and himself from walking, making sure not giving pressure on his shoulders. “What do you mean you didn’t do any treatment?”

 

“I mean what it is mean. I never did,”

 

“Wha…but you had doctor appointments at the hospital before,” Sungyeol reminds him.

 

“It just an appointment.” Woohyun shrugged Sungyeol’s hand off him and continue walking, the actor followed. “It just a normal check-up, not a treatment,”

 

“What…? I never…I thought…” Sungyeol at a loss of word. But when he think about it, Woohyun indeed never say anything about working on his shoulder.

 

“The therapy is expensive. I can’t afford them,” Woohyun says none particularly.

 

Sungyeol cursed out loud. “So those check-ups…for what?”

 

“For my shoulder.” Woohyun shrugged. “Just to ask for more painkiller and the doctor to checked if it worth,”

 

“The numb? Aren’t your shoulder usually feel numb after the trip to the hospital?”

 

They reached the entrance of the hospital, walking a few metres to the sidewalk to where taxis line up for business. Sungyeol open the door to let his friend get in first before he does and shut the door at the same time Woohyun tell the driver their destination.

 

“It was just the effect of the check-up. If it won’t feel numb after the shot, they won’t give me the painkiller,” Woohyun says.

 

“That’s absurd. Why would they test first? They should just give you the painkiller. You were a regular, you come every month,”

 

“It was a drug, Sungyeol. They can’t give them blindly without checking first. If my shoulder didn’t feel numb, and I just take the painkiller, it will make it worse than healed.”

 

Silence.

 

Sungyeol throw his eyes out of the window. He didn’t know what to say or what to think. Never did he imagine Woohyun didn’t receive a proper treatment for his shoulder since the accident. All this time, he thought Woohyun at least take a better care of his injury. But no. That stubborn friend just let his shoulder healed by itself and take a pill to lessen the pain.

 

“I’m hungry.”

 

Sungyeol spun his head to the man beside him. “Let’s go eat first before we went to the company.”

 

“You have schedule?”

 

The taller shakes his head. “No. But you were the one who gave the company address. If not, we can just go home.”

 

Woohyun leans his head on the head rest. “Sunggyu hyung will make a fuss if I just go home,”

 

Sungyeol chuckles. “Let’s just eat then.”

 

Woohyun hum. He close his eyes to get a short rest. Sungyeol turns his head back to the outside watching the busy street of Seoul.

 

“I never say this…” Woohyun’s voice pull Sungyeol once again to his friend. “Thank you, Sungyeol.”

 

The tall actor frowns. “What for?”

 

Woohyun crack open an eye. “For everything.”

 

Sungyeol leaned back, looking at his friend with horror mix with concern. “Are you okay, Woohyun? This treatment didn’t make you hallucinate, right?”

 

Woohyun chuckles. “No.” He glance at the rear-view mirror to make sure the driver stick his eyes on the road. “For being with me, for helping me, for standing by my side, for having my back.” Woohyun lift his head to look at Sungyeol properly. “Thank you for everything, you are a great friend I can’t switch for anything.”

 

Sungyeol smiles showing his gums. “What are you saying now? You’re my best friend. That’s what friends should be,”

 

“And…I’m sorry for not realizing it sooner,” Woohyun says, his voice crack a little.

 

Sungyeol tilted his head, not saying anything.

 

Woohyun hold his eyes. “I’m sorry for being ignorant. I was too caught up with my own problem that I was oblivious to your pain. I didn’t know you were hurting as much as I do.”

 

Sungyeol’s breath caught in his throat. Woohyun’s eyes start to red and glisten with tears. “Woohyun, I…”

 

“I’m really, really sorry, for being a bad friend. You were always there with me but I fail to see how much it affect you too.”

 

Sungyeol sighs. “Woohyun, listen to me.”

 

Woohyun snuffled.

 

“Don’t blame yourself. Like I said, I have to be strong for both of us. You were injured and depressed. It was thanks to you that I can keep my sanity, because I promise myself I have to keep standing. I told myself, Woohyun need me, Woohyun need my support the most.” Sungyeol healed a breath. “If not because of you, I will break and won’t be here in front of you right now.”

 

Woohyun let out a sad laugh. “You’re really a great friend, Sungyeol. What would happen to me if you were not there?”

 

Sungyeol pats Woohyun’s hand on the seat. “So listen to me, Woohyun, as your greatest of friend.”

 

Woohyun smiles as he tilted his head, urging the actor to continue.

 

“You will live your life to the fullest and never looking back to the past. You have to be strong and embrace everything that comes to your way from now on and think for your own future,” Sungyeol says seriously.

 

Woohyun widen his eyes. “But Kibum…”

 

Sungyeol quickly shakes his head. “We will do something about Kibum. You can’t keep letting him give you nightmare and scares you from living your life.”

 

Woohyun lowered his eyes. Sungyeol’s hand on top of him grab his and brush the back of his hand with his thumb. “Don’t let some dead friend hinder you from living the life you deserved. You have to move on. You have to be happy. You’re strong aren’t you?”

 

“I…I don’t know what we can do any more. What if he come tonight when I just start my therapy?” Woohyun asks, lifting his head to look at his friend.

 

“We will do something. Sunggyu hyung promise you, wasn’t he? If we ourselves can’t stop him, may be Sunggyu hyung can. I believe Sunggyu hyung, you should too.”

 

-----------

 

Sunggyu push the door to the costume office harshly, surprising the staffs inside. They are used to seeing Sunggyu at the company but this is the first time the singer come to the room. Because they themselves will bring the clothes and costume to Sunggyu’s practise room or directly to his work schedule.

 

“Do you need anything, Sunggyu-shi?” a staff brave herself to asks, in time with Dongwoo runs inside the room, panting.

 

“I swear…you really should stop this habit of running away and causing trouble,” Dongwoo says, hands on his knees.

 

Sunggyu ignore them both as he scan his eyes to search for the one woman. He knows she would be here. Because this is the only place a make-up artist will sit if they didn’t have anything to do. Fortunately, the woman come forward to show herself.

 

“Sunggyu, do you need anything? I don’t remember you have any schedule,” the woman who Sunggyu really know and close with, Yoon Bora says.

 

“Excuse me, can all of you leave? We need something to talk with Bora noona,” Dongwoo says to everyone in the room when Sunggyu didn’t open his mouth but glaring at the woman.

 

Dongwoo silently thanking the Devine up there for giving Sunggyu a very small slit eyes. Because if his eyes are bigger, he is sure everyone can see how angry he is and they will get stab by the arrows thrown by his eyes only.

 

Bora and the other staffs look at each other, confused. But the staffs quickly stop what they are doing and leave the room, not before giving a pity glance at the girl even though they didn’t know why but they can feel something definitely wrong and big will happen. They just know.

 

Because…

 

Well…

 

Kim Sunggyu dirtying himself to come to the costume room by himself.

 

Dongwoo follows behind the last staff, close the door before making sure everyone had leave and lock the door. He come back beside the artist and pat his back to calm his down.

 

“Why? What’s wrong? You guys scared me,” Bora chuckles, tries to lifting the heavy atmosphere.

 

“You…” Sunggyu says through gritted teeth, hands balled into a fist.

 

“First of all, noona.” Dongwoo sighs, hand still on Sunggyu’s back. “Did you heard anything about Sungjong’s dating scandal?”

 

“Ahh…Sungjong with Jisoo?” The men didn’t know whether the make-up artist pretend to guess or she really didn’t know. “Yeah, I heard. The unnies talking about it the whole day,”

 

“You don’t have anything to say about it?” Dongwoo asks.

 

Bora tilted his head. “Me? What would I say?”

 

The manager shrugged. “About why you were in the picture of their gathering?”

 

“What?” Bora’s eyes widen by the accusation. She spun around to look for her hand phone on the make-up table. “It can’t be. I make sure to leave out myself before I send…”

 

Silence.

 

Bora freeze. Her hand stop searching. She lift her eyes slowly and saw from the mirror how the men look at her with anger and betrayal. Bora cursed her stupidity and her quick bubbly mouth.

 

“Before you send…” Dongwoo asks to urge the girl to finish her words.

 

Bora shut her eyes, breath herself to face anything that might come in her way. Play cool. Play stupid. She told her mind. She turns around slowly, her back lean against the table as she put her hands on the surface to steady herself.

 

“Nothing,” Bora says.

 

“Before you send what?” Dongwoo asks again.

 

Bora shakes her head. “Nothing. You heard it wrong,”

 

“Weird. Because I believe Sunggyu hyung heard them the same.” Dongwoo look at the elder but Sunggyu standing still with his eyes shooting daggers at the make-up artist.

 

Bora swift her eyes to the silent singer. “No. You heard it wrong. I didn’t say anything.”

 

Dongwoo sighs. He lowered his hand to his side before he walk toward her. Bora leans back even though she doesn’t have any space left when Dongwoo stop in front of her.

 

“What are your plan, noona? What did you do?”

 

“What did I do?” Bora asks back. She push Dongwoo lightly when the manager invaded her space. “I didn’t do anything.”

 

Dongwoo raise his eyebrow. “You sent the pictures to the press.” He snort. “You sent the pictures of Sungjong and Jisoo went to dinner with other artists, and a lot of other people after the shooting. You sent the pictures to create a dating scandal. For what?”

 

“No, I didn’t. Why did you said I was the one sending them?”

 

“Because someone told us who sent the pictures.”

 

Bora’s eyes widen. “It can’t…it can’t be,”

 

“And guess what? The reporter admit of receiving the tip about Jisoo visiting Sunggyu hyung’s concert in Berlin, from you.”

 

Silence.

 

“Why did you do that, noona?”

 

Bora swift her eyes to the quiet singer still watching her, with his hands had loosen it fist.

 

“Did you really do this, Bora?” Sunggyu asks quietly.

 

Silence.

 

“Answer me!” Sunggyu shouts, startling the only girl in the room. “Why did you do this?”

 

“I was just…I just trying to help Jisoo…” Bora admits, trembling.

 

“With creating a scandal?” Dongwoo asks. “You know it only brings harm than good to her name,”

 

“Why me? Why her? If you want to help her, why not asking me directly? Why would you create a scandal in the middle of my world tour?”

 

The make-up artist lowered her eyes to the floor, unable to look at the angry singer in the eyes. Dongwoo sighs, he move a foot back to give her space, and himself as well. Standing so close to the girl make his blood boiled in anger. He was known as the cool and composed guy, calm and bright manager, happy and smiling angel. But once you tick his bubble, he will roar and won’t leave you any chance to redeem yourself. Only Sunggyu and the CEO know of his temper, and soon, Yoon Bora.

 

Bora shakes her head, her eyes low on the floor. She can’t find a good reason why. The moment Jisoo step inside the dressing room back in Berlin, Bora can’t help but to quickly tip a tabloid reporter she knows of. It sounds innocent as it was, a model visiting and supporting her fellow artist in his concert. But a reporter’s job was to make the harmless news interesting with spices here and there. And Bora didn’t regret it one bit. Because it was in her intention to create the scandal at the first place since Sunggyu was a clean artist without a single rumours since his debut.

 

“I really want to believe you. I really want to believe the reporter was just lying,” Sunggyu says. “Please tell me he was lying.”

 

Bora lift her head, and Sunggyu knows the last trust he had left had shattered.

 

“Why…?”

 

Silence.

 

“Tell me why!” Sunggyu shouts, startling the make-up artist. “I don’t want to believe it but please tell me it was not because of that.”

 

Dongwoo turns his head to his singer. “Because of what?”

 

Sunggyu snort. “I will sound so full of myself but that was the only reason crossed my mind. Was this a payback because I reject you?”

 

“What?” Dongwoo shouts, looking at Sunggyu and Bora one after the other, not believing his ears. “When?”

 

“Before debut,”

 

“What…no way. It was so long. You can’t keep the grudge for so long, are you, noona?”

 

Silence.

 

The men are waiting for the girl’s answer while the girl is drilling her brain to knit her words. She is doomed. She knows it. She knows the reporter and they really can keep the secret. They won’t sell out the tipper’s info no matter how much they were offered money to. But she also knows how Dongwoo and Infinite are capable of digging the info out of it safety lock. Once the so called secret reached Dongwoo’s ears, he won’t let the matter slide out of his hands. And it means…prepare to say goodbye to your future.

 

“You had work with Sunggyu hyung for so long, and it was Sunggyu hyung who suggest us to give you this job. This is how you repay him? Because of an unconditional love?”

 

Bora ignores the manager as she look at Sunggyu in the eyes. She grit her teeth and balled her fists. “This is your fault,” she admits, at the end.

 

“How could it be my fault if I don’t share the same feeling?” Sunggyu half shouts.

 

“I don’t care if you rejected me. I don’t care to be just only your friend. I don’t care being your make-up artist. But it hurts me when Woohyun is there beside you.”

 

Huh?

 

Bora snort. “It’s him, right? He was the reason you rejected me.”

 

Dongwoo frowns, he turns to look at the quiet Sunggyu. Thought of she knows about them? crossed his mind.

 

“You went drinking, you trained extra hard, you were desperate, you were depressed, and you cried his name.” She snort again. “Woohyunie…it’s him, right? It’s the same Woohyun the manager, right? Why would you still want him after he left you? He come back to you just because you’re popular now,”

 

“You don’t have the right to talk about Woohyun like that. It’s my life if I want him still,” Sunggyu says through gritted teeth.

 

“He just want you because who you are right now. He won’t be here if you are still a trainee, no one want you but me. Who was beside you when you were a trainee? Me. Me.” Bora hit her chest to show her point. “Where were your beloved Woohyun? Nowhere,”

 

“Are you delusional? You were just a friend.” Sunggyu look at her with horror.

 

Sunggyu is not a forgetful person so he knows perfectly well where Yoon Bora was five years ago. They were just a high school graduated training hard to archive their dreams. Bora was not in Infinite to begin with. It just they live in the same rundown apartment and saw each other on the stairs a few times. Sunggyu was a trainee, Bora work at an eatery in the day and went to make-up school at night. It started with a normal hi and exchanged pleasantry, of course, not just the two of them. Bora with her friends and Sunggyu with other trainees and friends as well.

 

Bora jokingly ask Sunggyu out when they revealed the chances of Sunggyu will debut out of all the trainees was high. Sunggyu just laugh and brush her off, saying he had someone dear waiting for him back at his hometown. This was, of course, before Woohyun went missing.

 

When he came back from Sabuk after the supposed to be date, Sunggyu had change to be an extreme go kill trainee. He work his body to the fullest without care about anything. Bora heard his friends saying Sunggyu might broke up with that someone dear. This was her chance, she thought, and she start to get close to Sunggyu. They were friends. Just, friends. They were not best friend, moreover dating, just close friends. Bora had again ask Sunggyu out but Sunggyu rejected her in excuse of focusing on his career.

 

Either Bora really have a feeling for him or just want to be an idol’s lover, Sunggyu didn’t know. But Bora was really a good friend, someone he can talk into but not share his secret with. No one know about his uality or Woohyun. Because he is not gay. He just love his Woohyun. And the first time the name slip out of his lips was when he confirmed to debut. The drunk him keep chanting and crying Woohyun’s name, saying if Woohyunie is here with me, Woohyunie would be the first person I tell this, Woohyunie would be happy for me, Woohyunie would be so proud of me.

 

Sunggyu debut and quickly climb the top chart with his first song. Like other artists, Sunggyu used to go to salon to do his hair and make-up or used the company make-up artist. Bora got her license not long after that and Sunggyu suggest her to try apply in Infinite. She did and got the job, and after a few months, she was appointed as Sunggyu’s personal make-up artist. Their relationship grow stronger, but still in that of a friend. Bora never ask Sunggyu out again and never mention Woohyun’s name.

 

It comes as a surprise to Sunggyu when Bora know that name before Woohyun came into the picture.

 

Sunggyu’s eyes widen. Did Bora already know Woohyun was in Infinite before Sunggyu saw him?

 

“What did you do to Woohyun?” he asks sternly.

 

“Nothing. I just told the reporter about Jisoo and you, and wait to see what Woohyun would do to clear your name. I must admit, he was clever. The gossip died down as soon as it start.”

 

Dongwoo pointed his finger to the girl. “You admit you do told the reporter. I can’t believe you!”

 

Bora look at Dongwoo, flabbergasted. “You said you already know, it’s no point to lie anymore.”

 

Dongwoo lowered his hand. “It’s hearsay but now you admit it yourself. We hope it’s not true but you…”

 

Bora gulp her saliva. She was tricked. She should know better that Jang Dongwoo is smart and he is capable of deceive anyone to get whatever he want. And in this case, the truth. Slowly, very, very slowly, Bora turns her head to Sunggyu. The singer still look at her with unreadable expression.

 

“I should just let you go to Sungjong’s team. Don’t let me see you again and don’t you dare touch my Woohyun,” he warns, turns around and stomp out of the dressing room.

 

Sunggyu walk angrily on the hallways, ignoring the female staffs waiting to enter the room to finish with their work. He passes by some fellow artists but he just smiles plainly and nod at them. Whatever. They would just think he was rushing to his next schedule or he had another of his mood swing. In his mad journey to his practise room, he also didn’t realize he had walk pass Sungyeol, or Sungjong calling after him.

 

He reach the practise room and open the door harshly, only to stop dead in the doorframe.

 

A soft melody he recognize by heart, that he knows fully well as Woohyun’s self-composed song, the exact same song he play together with Woohyun back in high school, greets him and wash his burning flame. Woohyun had his back on him as his fingers dancing on the keyboard. Sunggyu step inside the room, close the door and lock them slowly as to not surprising the other. He walk closer following the melody as if he was enhanced.

 

Woohyun jump slightly but his fingers didn’t stop moving when he feels a pair of arms hug him from behind. That warm arms and loving hug only belong to his one and only Sunggyu hyung.

 

Sunggyu sit his chin on Woohyun’s uninjured shoulder. “It’s been so long since I heard this song,”

 

“Play with me, hyung.”

 

Sunggyu shakes his head. “I want to hear you play.” He tightens his arms. “I miss listening to you play the keyboard.”

 

Woohyun smiles. His fingers run around the white and black key on the instrument. His fingers won’t stop moving even when he move slightly forward to give some room for Sunggyu to sit behind him on the small bench with Sunggyu’s legs on either side of his. Sunggyu broke the hug only to wrap his arms around Woohyun’s waist and torso.

 

“You edit the song,” Sunggyu comment.

 

“Eung,” his only replies.

 

“It’s beautiful,”

 

“It will be prettier if we play a duet, hyung.”

 

Sunggyu tightens his hug. “I wish to play this song with you in my concert,”

 

“Let’s do that,”

 

“Huh?”

 

Woohyun peeked at the small head on his shoulder, hands won’t stop moving. “Let’s play together,”

 

“Woohyun…”

 

Was it what Sunggyu think it is? Woohyun ask him to play together? This song? At the concert? On the stage?

 

His ears didn’t make fun of him, right? He was not delusional after the fiasco with Bora, right?

 

His Nam Woohyun want to perform a piano duet with him.

 

His Nam Woohyun want to stand on the stage together with him.

 

His Nam Woohyun moving his feet to a new bright future, hopefully, with him.

 

------------------------------------

 

How is it?

Is it bad?

Please leave some comment.

 

 

I know. I know. I’m sorry for a late update. And sorry for a boring chapter.