When he slept like that, sniffing into the pillow and stretching his limbs in all directions, Toadstool looked perfectly normal. As if he was going to wake up, open his eyes. He'll stretch out sweetly. Say "good morning" with a smile, or mutter a frown until he'd recovered from his awakening. Watching him in those moments when he woke up before the alarm clock, Yunho liked to fantasize about what would happen when  Toadstool woke up from his... coma of sorts. In fact, what distinguished him from comas was his ability to walk and chew food.

Well, now there was no doubt: something from the outside had put him in that state, he wasn't born that way. And he was not mute either, for one day in the middle of the night he heard a small, hoarse voice:

"Stop... please don't take... away from me."

Despite the fact that his heart sank with surprise, it was only a whisper, and Toadstool's voice was still inaudible. Yunho was so worried by what had happened, so hopeful of hearing it again, that he did not sleep a wink the next night, shuddering at the slightest rustle. Alas, it was all for nothing.

Still, there was hope that with a little effort and patience, Toadstool would return. Yunho spent hours at work thinking: how to establish some kind of communication between them? After a while, he came up with two options: sign language and writing. Unfortunately, the first one had to be discarded right away because the guy would not take his eyes off the ground.

He relied a little more on the second. One evening, he sat Toadstool down at the table, put a piece of paper in front of him, and gave him a pencil. As expected, nothing followed, so Yunho tried to guide his hand with his own to draw a few lines - at some point his heart was shaking: Toadstool was starting to draw something. But it was too early to celebrate, as it turned out that his elbow just slipped off the table, and the pencil soon rolled down the page and out of his fingers. Well, the time hadn't come yet.

He stopped taking him to work, by the way.  He the old TV for Toadstool for half a day - hell knows if he understood a word and if it was worth it, but something inside him wouldn't let him leave him in complete silence. He always ran home for lunch, halving the short seven minutes it took to get home, feeding the boy something he'd cooked in the morning or bought on the way. But in the evening, Yunho tried to think of something hot and healthy to eat: he would boil some broth or soup or rice with scallops that the old fisherman at the market had given him for his help.

He was no good at cooking, but he put his heart and soul into it, and the selection of a dish and the process itself became a pleasant part of his daily routine. Yunho would take a large recipe book written by his mother's hand from the shelf, sit Toadstool down in front of him, and start reading the names aloud. And then he would think of a sigh or a barely perceptible wiggle of the boy's finger, imagining that this was Toadstool's way of expressing his desire to eat something. Then they'd go to the supermarket together and shop - a little, cutting back on anything expensive or replacing it with something more acceptable.

Yunho chattered unaccustomedly, recounting the events of the previous day as he tried to manage all the boiling, smoking, and shooting of oil in all directions. He talked about annoying or amusing customers, about their cars, which he admired most of the time, and got so involved in his new life that the strangeness of what was happening faded and dissolved with time.

"You're always silent, Toadstool," Yunho said one day as he fed the idle boy. "You don't say a word. But I come home from work exhausted, and the house is not empty. It doesn't feel so bad anymore... I wish I could get through to you."

Even though it was still impossible to reach him, the boy who was rapidly gaining weight was a joy to behold, and the fruits of Yunho's efforts and work were paying off. It had only been two weeks or a little more, but he was no longer a pale toadstool, his skin was a pleasant shade, and his ribs were no longer so obviously protruding, and his face... well, such beautiful people are rarely seen in everyday life, to be honest.

Anyway, even when Toadstool blossomed in all his glory, Yunho never stopped calling him Toadstool - he got used to it.

Over time, he also got used to the constant silent presence of a new person in the house, as if he were always there. In other words...

"...I can't imagine waking up one day and finding you gone," he muttered once before he went to bed and examined the guy. His slight hump on his nose, two moles, closed eyes and trembling eyelashes - sometimes he could study him for hours, lost in thought.  "I don't know how life is going to turn out, but I wouldn't want to change anything, you know... no, it would be great if you started talking to me... just a little, but I've kind of adapted anyway."

*

Time was slipping away like sand through fingers.

Yunho was so wrapped up in his routine that he already vaguely remembered how many days had flown by, one similar to the other. A month? One and a half? In any case, the temperature outside the window had already begun to drop significantly, and the October Sunday morning greeted them with a chill that made them feel cold to the bone. Yunho buttoned Toadstool's jacket up to his chin and pulled the hood over his head.

"You're not going to freeze, are you?" We'll have to be patient for a while, it's not that far to the station.

To be honest, the weather was not the best for such trips, but... somehow it was unfair. At least he got to work, he saw some people, the pictures changed before his eyes, and the Toadstool only had an old TV and a trip to the store near their home. Maybe the life Yunho forced him to live was not only not helping him, but also hindering his recovery. Maybe he should at least change his daily routine a bit.

And then the boss at work gave out a small bonus for effort and responsibility, so the cards fell into place. That same day, Yunho went online to see what he could do to take a break in the fall, when the holiday season was over, and even though the warm days were already gone, he decided to go to the sea. And why not? Well, okay - it's cold, but... He hasn't been there since his earliest childhood, and isn't that a cardinal change of situation?

"I'll buy us something hot to drink," he muttered as they boarded the bus. He sat Toadstool right next to the window and leaned the boy's back against his own shoulder, so that the boy's head was slightly turned towards the changing landscapes. "I seem to have brought a blanket, so we'll spread it out somewhere and watch the sea. Have you been there before? It will be great if not, then you will definitely remember this day".

Yunho himself will definitely remember.

It's just... whether it was strange or something unnatural, he had no idea, but somehow he had become so attached to Toadstool that if he had been conscious, Yunho... okay, he really didn't know what he would have done then. Everything was new to him. To be precise... he had friends, sure, he loved them very much, but this guy... he awakened something in his chest, incomprehensible, touching, big, for which there was no explanation yet.

"I'm not used to talking this much, you know? I've never done it before. Usually, when you are the eldest in the family, you are supposed to be a serious son and a strict brother to the younger ones. I was like that," Yunho closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This time he did not allow himself to be drowned in memories, but concentrated on the person next to him. "And it would be better to just be loving, without any strictness... now there is no one to set an example for. It's hard to get rid of old habits, but I'm trying. You know, give myself more freedom. Don't worry about what other people say because it doesn't matter. Life is so short and while you are afraid of other people's opinions, they are living their lives and you are still standing still.

Mom was always afraid of being judged, not only by her relatives, but by anyone who passed by. She said, "Be like everyone else. Don't stand out, don't act stupid, don't embarrass the family," and Yunho has tried so hard to follow his every move since he was a little kid. Dad always said, "Be strong, you're a man. Don't show your emotions, that's your weakness. Do more, rest less, then you will succeed. You will be a soldier or a lawyer or a doctor, only then you will be rich and happy."

If they were still alive, his parents would have judged him for the life their son was leading. But alas, Yunho had already become indifferent to outside opinions, and he did not want to get one of those prestigious jobs his father had prepared for him.

What he liked much better was to just go out one day, buy tickets with bonus money, and go on a little trip in the company of a strange guy he literally picked up on the street. And the next day he would return to a low-paying job where he felt quite comfortable, run home, and cook food - not for himself, but for Toadstool as well.

And near the sea, as soon as the two of them got off the bus, it turned out to be a little warmer than at home. The wind gently ruffled Yunho's hair as a warm blanket was thrown onto the sand about twenty meters away from the waves that lazily came and went on the beach. He placed the cups of tea next to it to cool down a bit.

"Would you like to come closer?"

Taking his hand, Yunho led the guy almost to the water's edge, lifting his head higher so that he might finally see something besides his legs.

"Look how beautiful it is, Toadstool. Even the sun has finally come out," Yunho ed the boy's jacket a little - it really was warmer here. "It seems to me that there is no better place to rest. It would be great if I thought about coming here after my family died, maybe... maybe I would feel a little better then, don't you think?"

He asked, rather automatically, because of course he did not expect an answer.

"Do you know where I finally came to? After being left alone... if it's bad, then cry, if you can't stand it, then just give up. You will rest and then you will want to live again somehow. I was told to be strong, smile through it all, but that is such nonsense! You can look happy as much as you want and die inside, but you won't last that long, you'll just make it worse for yourself... I don't know what kind of hell you went through to fall out of reality like that. I don't know if you can hear me, but... you're not alone now. If you ever want to talk, I'm here. If you want to scream, I'll scream with you. I'll be here for as long as you need me. I just want you to know that.

Why and for what reason he opened up now - Yunho did not understand. Maybe it was because of the soft sound of the waves or the cozy silence. Besides, he intuitively felt that it was time to admit his worrying feelings, at least to himself - Toadstool was still somewhere deep in his own world, barely aware of what was happening.

A skinny little boy with a surprisingly cute face and empty eyes... even then, on the railway, he attracted attention. With each passing day, first the affection grew, then the care, the desire to help, and then Yunho suddenly realized that these words were no longer enough to describe what he felt for Toadstool. He was not fallen in love, no - he was simply inexperienced in such matters, to be honest, but there was no smell of friendship or even brotherly love here.

"Let's warm up a bit."

The tea has just cooled down enough to be drunk without burning. After the guy sat down on a blanket, Yunho fell down next to him, picked up a cup to give him a drink, but suddenly froze.

Raising his head for the first time, Toadstool looked off into the distance, to the horizon where the sea glittered in the sunlight.

*

Later that evening, when they returned home, Yunho's heart was still pounding like crazy, even though at that moment it had missed a beat, if not two. This little Toadstool's action could have gone unnoticed, could have been considered insignificant, unimportant, but he saw this as his great victory. Gratitude for his efforts

But later, it was not just the look!

Usually when they went to the store, Yunho had to lead the guy by the arm or sleeve, otherwise he would stop. This time when they were returning home, as soon as Yunho left him for a minute to get his wallet, Toadstool took a few steps towards him. Yunho even thought that he had imagined it, so he moved from his spot and Toadstool followed him. All by himself!

Yunho's whole body beamed with joy.

Damn it, they got the ball rolling! And even though he himself did not have time to catch the look of the brown eyes before they dropped again, it was a huge step after weeks of absolute inactivity.

"So, Toadstool, we have dinner tonight..." he opened the fridge and stared at the supplies. Fortunately, there was plenty to choose from - yesterday they had gotten a pretty full fridge thanks to the same bounty.  "We have... How about a kimbap? The rice is ready, so I'll just wrap it up. You're pretty hungry, right?"

Lost in happy thoughts, Yunho busied himself with putting the plate on the table and turning around to get some kimchi from the fridge, when he heard a knock and suddenly looked out from behind the door.

Toadstool picked up the chopsticks, tapped them on the table to align them, and carefully picked up a piece of kimbap.

"I don't believe my eyes!" Yunho exhaled. Blinking, he held his breath, quietly closed the refrigerator, and stared at Toadstool.

As if he was doing this every day, he took the food by himself, put it in his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and repeated it all over again.

"If... Toadstool, if you decide to come to your senses tomorrow, please either do it in the morning or wait until I get back from work. Don't even think about talking when I'm not around, okay? I can't miss it!"

Even though he was still very little, Yunho remembered the day when his younger brother took his first steps - their mother was so happy that she clapped her hands.

Now he could fully share her joy.

"If I only knew, I would have taken you somewhere long ago!" he burst out, feeling his amazement replaced by a burst of joy that became harder and harder to contain. By the time Toadstool finished, Yunho couldn't stand it anymore and went around the table to hug him tightly. "Thank you... I can't tell you how happy I am to see you feeling better. I'll try to come up with something interesting for next weekend!"

Before going to bed, Yunho had a thought: What if Toadstool wakes up and remembers nothing of their little life together? What if he gets scared? And what if he gets so scared that he runs away and there is no way to contact him? What if Yunho's deed provokes nothing but hatred in him? After all, he did the wrong thing, he should have at least contacted the police, tried harder to find information, and not locked him up at home. Well, who wants a stranger to take him home unconscious and feed him, wash him and even take him to the toilet?

"I wouldn't be surprised if you went to the police yourself. To be honest, I don't think I'll even be offended. But I'd be really upset if you just left and we never saw each other again, so... let's try to understand each other, Toadstool. I'm going to write some notes and leave them in different parts of the house, okay? So you won't be afraid. And I'll leave the key in a prominent place... Just don't leave right away. Wait for me."

Thinking that the idea with the notes was not so bad, the first thing he did after the alarm clock rang was to tear up a piece of paper on which he left a short message: "When you finally come to your senses, don't be afraid. It's hard to explain, but I've been taking care of you for the last one or two months. I'll come back from work this evening and tell you everything in detail. You're not being held hostage, the key to the door is on the table near the exit." He couldn't think of anything better, so he left it as it was, putting one note near the TV, another under a magnet on the fridge, a third taped to the bathroom mirror, and a few more scattered on the table, then on the shelves.

At breakfast, Toadstool showed no new actions but ate everything on his own. After sitting him down in front of the TV by habit, Yunho left the house with a jubilant heart: for the first time, the boy's eyes paid attention to the screen.

And he was getting better - obviously! Thinking about what could help him get back to normal faster, Yunho walked the usual seven-minute route. At the pedestrian crossing, while standing at the red light, he remembered a hike with his father in the mountains - there was also incredible beauty there, so they could arrange a small hike together with Toadstool.

As soon as the light turned green, Yunho took only two steps before there was a deafening screech of tires and something crashed into him from the side, throwing him several meters away.

Of course, he had no time to find out - consciousness left him within seconds of the blow.