"Hyung, you trust me, right?"

Himchan broke the silence between him and Yongguk that was nearly physically painful to bear. Ever since the conversation with Jongup, Himchan had let his negative thoughts towards Yongguk overrule. Yongguk leaned against the wall of the hospital and took a long draw from his cigarette. 

"Sure, you've been my best friend since we were small kids. I'm sure you know everything." Yongguk blew out a ring of smoke and Himchan's direction and laughed as he began to cough. Himchan lightly smacked him on the arm playfully.

"I'm glad I was able to be there, especially when your mom died."

Yongguk nodded.

"She was ill, right? Did they ever find out what caused her death?"

"Erm, I don't think so. Signed the damn certificate with 'sudden death'." Yongguk stuttered, a cold sweat developing on his brow and started to shine a clear sheen. Himchan just nodded along and changed the subject by complimenting the day's weather.

"Since Zelo cooperates now, we legally have to unlock his room. It'll be good for him to get some fresh air and it's not like he can escape."

"Yongguk, aren't you worried about the other patients?"

"I think I'll only let him out depending on his mood."

"Mood?"

"He is here to be diagnosed and treated, if you had forgotten. I'm starting to have an idea what it could be, but I need his full attention to be certain. So, I'm letting him have a small taste of freedom."

After discussing the idea with the other two doctors, they came to the conclusion that as long as he was watched by one of them he could be allowed to leave his room, depending on the staff rota. The three were concerned as they knew he only spoke or reacted to Yongguk and he was likely to rebel. Though, because they had to follow the law, they were not in the position to overrule the decision. Yongguk had then gone to see the patient and tell whether he was fit enough to leave at that time.

"Youngjae-hyung?"

Jongup looked at his hyung longingly for attention. Youngjae had spent far too long recently with his nose stuck in various medical books that were passed Jongup's reading ability. Times like these saddened the boy knowing that he could almost be deemed illiterate as he did not learn these basic skills very well at an early age.

"Yes?"

"Is there something wrong with Yongguk?"

Both Himchan and Youngjae stared at the younger boy in astonishment, even if Himchan had already been informed that he may ask the other doctor.

"What do you mean?"

"He's being really strange recently. He doesn't speak to us, or very little when he does. However, other days it's really quite hard to get him to shut up. You have to admit he's given himself a sense of worthlessness, especially after Zelo first begun to talk. Though he should be brooding over Jieun, especially so after what she did, he's not. He looks far too malnourished too. Isn't there something you can do?"

"I'm sure that if Yongguk had a problem he would come to us in his time of need. Just be patient." Youngjae patted Jongup's hair and went back to reading. He was studying very hard on an article about the effectiveness of lithium tablets.

Yongguk slowly unlocked and opened the door, creeping into the room without making a sound. Junhong was asleep, hugging his pillow endearingly. Nowadays he had been able to sleep on the bed without feeling any threat. His porcelain face had never seemed to gentle and safe. The long lashes shrouded the space under his eye lids and decorated, almost concealing, the purple rings below them that looked like they had been tattooed to his very skin. Slowly he opened his eyes, adjusting them to the bright light. Yongguk sat on the bed with Zelo.

"Zelo, do you want to go outside?"

Zelo ignored the question and looked at Yongguk blankly. The frightening part was that his eyes seemed like they knew something, even with their blank appearance.

"Hyung." Zelo's voice was seemingly puzzled. "Are the dead able to forgive?"

"What are you saying, Junhong?"

The boy frowned at the name. "Scratch that. It wasn't a question." He poked Yongguk's cheek playfully. "Hyung, the dead are forgiving. If you've done something to someone, or wasn't able to help someone, they still forgive you. If they loved you, they'd understand."

Yongguk's eyes widened at the boy's logic, his attitude had suddenly become more mature.

"If only it was that easy."

"Of course it is! Oh and, is it wrong to kill? Wouldn't they still forgive?"

"When you grow up, you'll realise that it is wrong to kill, no matter what the circumstance is."

"Then is it wrong to want to die?"

Yongguk stayed quiet.

"Junhong wanted to die once."

Yongguk smiled devilishly as his brain registered something.

"Junhong wanted to die a million times over, Junhong said it would hurt less."

"Zelo?"

"Yes, Hyung."

Yongguk laughed.

"It's the first time you've answered to Zelo."

Zelo frowned after gasping. He'd let his guard down and now Yongguk had latched onto something, finding out more about the boy than before, especially since he was adamant he knew exactly what Yongguk was thinking. He diverted the elder's eyes by looking outside at a particular willow tree secluded from the other forestry.