*Hyo Woo’s POV*

“Here’s your iced tea,” Hoya said while handing me my drink.

“Thanks.”

    We had stopped at Purple Coffee to talk.

“So-“

“Myung-“

    We both said at the same time interrupting one another.

“You first,” I said.

“So.. Have you noticed that Myung Soo has been acting strange for the past couple of weeks?”

“Yeah. I.. I thought I was the only one that noticed,” I replied feeling a bit of relief.

“He’s been acting weird around us too. The guys are starting to take note of it. At first I didn’t notice but now it’s all I can see.”

“What has he been doing?”

“He would cook and clean for us.  At first we were happy because you know, it’s food and we didn’t have to clean. Then he was spending more time with us and then it got weirder. He told us. No he reminded us every day that he loved us. It was getting scary.”

    So it wasn’t just me he’s been acting like that to.

“Hyo Woo. I’m getting worried. This isn’t usually how he acts. He’s acting like this again.”

“Again,” I asked taken back by the surprise. ”Hoya.. What do you mean again?”

“He’s been lying also,” he said completely ignoring my question.

    I could feel the pain in his voice. He sounded so hurt when he said that statement. Like how I was when I found out that he had been lying to me. 

“We all know that he’s a bad liar. It’s not like him to lie. And if he does then it’s only to protect us.”

    That was true. Not once had he lied to any of us for his own benefit. He only lied to us so we wouldn’t have worries or anything. He would only lie to protect us.

“Have you looked at him? Like properly look at him and see the changes?”

    Changes? Myung Soo had changed?

“He’s grown a bit paler. He’s thinner. And he’s weaker…”

“Earlier.. Iasked what you meant about again.”

    He looked away. I can tel that he was hiding something.

“Remember senior year,” he spoke softly. “And Myung Soo was gone for a week.”

    As much as I tried to forget, I couldn’t. It was the only memory I had with Myung Soo that I had tried to forget. I had a breakdown that week. As cheesy as it sounds, I couldn't focus on school. I couldn't eat or sleep. He didn’t tell me where he went. He told no one. He left for a week to.. God knows where. And he comes back looking paler and weaker and expects us to forget it? How could I? How could anyone?

    Wait.

    Paler?

    Weaker?  

“Well.. He was actually at the hospital.”

    I small gasp escaped my lips.

“He didn’t tell anyone. I overheard his parents talking about it. And the week before remember how he acted? He started telling us that he loved us and stuff like that. That was when he began making those paper cranes.”

    I didn’t respond. I didn’t know what to respond. I never knew that Myung Soo went to the hospital. He’s healthy and fit. Even when we were in high school or when we were little kids.
   

    But what is Hoya trying to say?

“And last month, Sungyeol broke his arm and went to the doctor early in the morning. He.. He saw someone there. Sungyeol followed him and he ended up at the cardiology part of the hospital and lost him. The guy he saw was Myung Soo.”

    My eyes widened with the information given to me. That was the day that he was suppose to be with Dongwoo. But he lied to all of us and that he was actually going to the hospital. That was the day he began acting strange.

“Paper.. Paper cranes,” I began. “He’s been making them. He said that he was going to make a thousand of them. He sometimes spends all night making them. He mutters to himself that he needs to finish all one thousand before it’s too late. Before what was too late?”

    Then it hit me.

    Lying to everyone for a reason. Looking paler and weaker as the days past. Wanting to spend time with his loved ones. Reminding them that he loved and cared for them.  

    Could it be?

“Hyo Woo. I’m afraid whatever he had in the past is back. And it’s worse than ever. I’m afraid that he thinks that he’s dyin-.”

    Before Hoya could finish the word that I’m dreading to hear, I got a text. From.. Myung Soo? It was as if Myung Soo himself heard what Hoya was about to say and stopped him.

    “Wear something pretty and meet me at 2AM café in an hour.
                                                                                                                                          -M.S. <3”

    I showed Hoya the text, bid my thank you’s and farewell and left.

    I walked all the way home with heavy footsteps. Cars honked at me as I crossed the street and some drivers were even yelling, but my head just blocked out the noise. It was still trying to wrap around the thought of Myung Soo being sick again. What was he even suffering from in the first place? And was it that serious that he had to lie and sneak behind our backs? Was it that serious to the extent that he might di-. 
    I couldn’t bring myself to finish the rest of that word. He couldn’t be. He’s 23 for crying out loud. Life couldn’t be that unfair to him. 

    To Hoya.

    To the rest of the boys.

    To me...

    Life couldn’t be that unfair.