Outside, the moon and stars radiated the night sky as the sun had set for the day. Leeteuk was still confined in his office, surfing the internet. He appeared to have discovered what he was searching for as he double clicked on a link, bringing him to a page that contained information about someone. He inched towards the monitor, reading and apprehending the information shown. 

Dr. Kim Jaejoong

National Neurologist Specialist

Professional doctor

Specializes in: Spinocerebellar Degeneration Disease

The best doctor around the world.

Founder and director of research at the spinocerebellar degeneration disease center. 

Promptly, Leeteuk stood up and quickly gathered up his belongings. He concluded that this doctor would be able to help Sungmin with his condition and decided to consult with him as soon as possible. Opening the cabinet containing Sungmin's MRI scans, Leeteuk seized the envelope and rushed out of his office, one ambition in mind: 

I will save Sungmin, no matter what it takes. 

"I'm home!" 

Kangin whirled around from washing the day's dishes and saw Leeteuk shuffling through the door, as if in a rush. 

"Teukie! You're home late!" 

"I know, mianhe. But, can I take the car?" Leeteuk questioned, scrambling through the door of their home. 

"Uh, okay...Did something happen?" Kangin asked suspiciously. 

"Well, one of my patients is sick at the moment, so I have to examine if he'll be okay." Leeteuk replied hastily while reaching for the car keys hanging off of the wall. Once in possession of the keys, he immediately headed back towards the doorway. 

"Oh, the one who's living alone?" Kangin inquired.

"Neh. I'll be back a bit late, okay?" Leeteuk placed a chaste kiss on Kangin's cheek before hurrying through the door. However, he stopped midway as he almost forgot to remind his lover of something. 

"Ah! Make sure Sungmin takes his medicine, okay?" 

"The ones for the peripheral nerves, right?" 

"Y-yeah." Leeteuk stuttered while giving Kangin a nervous smile. With that, he hopped into their white van and ignited the car's engine. Because of his driving skills, Leeteuk was able to drive the van with ease as he sped down the roads and to the destination he had in mind. 

Meanwhile, Sungmin was comfortably relaxing in his room, taking a break from all the homework he received that day. As soon as he was about to return to finishing up his homework, a knock was heard at his door. Spinning around on his chair, he faced the door and awaited the entrance of the person behind the light pink door. 

"Come in!"

"Sungmin, medicine." 

Kangin strolled into Sungmin's room with a bag of medicine in his hand, along with a cup of water. With a small smile on his visage, he handed over the medication to his son. Just then, unsurprisingly, Hyukjae wandered into Sungmin's room as well and plopped himself down beside his brother's pink bed with a sketchpad and pencil in his hands. Carefully, he positioned himself so that his back was leaning against the bed, his knees were brought up close to his chest, and the sketchpad lied nicely against his thighs. He seized his pencil and began drawing random pictures that his imagination held.

Without looking up at his father, he curiously asked, "Teukie has never been out late because of work before, right?"

"Neh." Kangin simply replied. Seeing that Sungmin would drink his medicine, he decided that he should go off to his own room for the night. However, Hyukjae's next statement clearly befuddled him. 

"Could he be having an affair?" 

Silence was heard throughout the room as both Sungmin and Kangin turned their attention to Hyukjae who was too busy drawing to see the look on the latters' faces. 

"A-affair?" Kangin hesitated at first. But, his worried expression soon dissolved and transformed into one of irritation and annoyance. "Yah! Don't joke about your parents like that! Don't stay stupid things like that!" 

Finally looking up after hearing his father's infuriated voice, Hyukjae replied in mock tone, "Nehhhh~"

Sungmin, who was obviously enjoying the show, giggled cutely in his corner. He noticed that his father was about to leave, so he resumed his task of completing his homework and going to sleep for the night. Despite Kangin's apparent actions of leaving, however, he whirled around and slowly walked over to Sungmin with an expression of concern written all over his face. 

"Sungmin, h-have you called Teukie yet?" Kangin nervously inquired. 

Looking up from his math homework, Sungmin simply shook his head in response to Kangin's question. 

"You should really give him a call, neh? He's really distressed over your wound." 

Giving his father a small smile, Sungmin quietly responded, "Okay, I will." 

With that, Kangin quietly exited the room and closed the door behind him, leaving Sungmin and Hyukjae alone. 

"Hey, hyung?" 

Without looking up from his math homework, Sungmin hummed in response to show his younger brother he was listening. 

"You've lost weight again, haven't you?" 

"Eh? Well...I guess. Why do you ask?" Sungmin inquired, finally looking up from his papers and glancing over at Hyukjae who was engrossed in his drawing of who knows what. 

"You're not on a diet, are you?"

"Of course not! I'm not a girl or anything..."

"You're lying, hyung."

"Really!" Sungmin whined with a slight pout on his face. Knowing his brother too well, Hyukjae finally lifted his gaze up from his sketchbook and observed his older brother. As he predicted, Sungmin was leaning against his chair, his arms crossed, his eyebrows furrowed, and his lips formed into a small pout. Chuckling at the sight, he stood up from the ground and casually strolled over to where his brother was. Curious, Sungmin unfolded his arms and watched as Hyukjae approached him slowly, obviously taking his time. 

Heaving a sigh, Hyukjae finally spoke up. 

"You're not doing anything yet you're still losing weight. It couldn't be some odd disease, could it?"

"E-eh?" Sungmin was especially taken aback by his younger brother's sudden statement. His eyes widened slightly as he looked at Hyukjae with an agitated expression.

Issuing Sungmin his famous, gummy smile and ruffling his hair, Hyukjae wandered back to where his art supplies lied sprawled across the floor. He carefully picked up his belongings and left the room with an inaudible thud from the door. However, Sungmin didn't relax after his brother's departure. No, he was lost in thoughts, contemplating on the words Hyukjae had disclosed. Sighing, Sungmin glanced over at his desk and noticed the medicine Kangin had given to him. Remembering the instructions, he cautiously reached over towards the cup of water and picked up the tiny pill that was settled next to it. He placed the pill in his mouth and washed it down with large gulps of water, much to his distaste. Sungmin returned to his horrid math homework, his face immediately scrunching up in displeasure as he examined the multiple numbers and variables, not to mention fractions and graphs, which enveloped his poor piece of paper. 

From time to time, Sungmin's mind would wander back to Hyukjae's words, but they left as quickly as they came. 

"It couldn't be some odd disease could it?"

Pondering those words, one question dominated Sungmin's head as his concentration on his math homework was dissolving.

"I-It can't be a disease, right?"

Finally, after the long, night drive, Leeteuk arrived in front of Seoul National Hospital. He pulled the car to a stop at the entrance of the hospital and hastily retreated from the car, grabbing his work bag containing Sungmin's MRI scans. As calmly as he could, Leeteuk shuffled into the hospital and made his way hurriedly down the hallways of the large institution. 

Leeteuk finally arrived at his destination, quietly knocked, and entered the office of Dr. Kim. After explaining the situation to the doctor, he handed over the MRI scans for Dr. Kim to examine as he sat down in one of the chairs stationed within the office. 

"D-Dr. Choi Siwon at Seoul University Hospital had informed me that the diagnosis speaks for itself..." Leeteuk announced hesitantly. "B-but if it's you, Dr. Kim, you must know of some treatments or curable cases, right?"

Seeing as there was no reply from the latter, Leeteuk became anxious. "Operation or medication, there has to be must be a way to cure this disease!"

Releasing a sigh, Dr. Kim turned around to face Leeteuk's hopeful expression. However, after seeing Dr. Kim's sullen face, Leeteuk's smile fell from his face, a frown replacing it. 

"Ever since I became a neurologist, I've been conducting strenuous research on this disease. When I realized it, forty years had already elapsed." Dr. Kim indifferently stated. 

"Y-yes?" Leeteuk stuttered. 

"However, to this day, we still have not discovered a method to cure this disease."

"T-then! How about overseas? Is there any method or treatment for the disease overseas?"

"Up until now, no, it is the same overseas. The research for this disease is more advanced here in Korea, but it's still not enough, as you can see." 

Throughout this whole conversation, Leeteuk has been restraining his tears. He couldn't let them fall, not now at least. 

"Doctor, please save this child! It doesn't matter how much it costs. Please, I'm willing to do anything!" Leeteuk pleaded. 

"Please, Leeteuk-shii." Jaejoong held up a hand to cease Leeteuk's entreating before heaving a sigh. "This disease will bring many inconveniences into your son's daily life. Fortunately, some research has been displaying positive results, much to our satisfaction. Medicines and treatments will also slowly develop as well." 

"I-Is there really...no cure?" Leeteuk spoke in a cracked voice. 

"What I suggest, is to accept medical and rehabilitation treatment. Next, ponder on how to fight spinocerebellar degeneration disease. Don't give up hope and always support your son." 

By now, Leeteuk was on the verge of tears, but he couldn't give up. He was doing this for Sungmin, to save Sungmin from a forsaken fate. 

"Dr. Kim, this child...he's only fifteen years old. O-only fifteen years old..." Leeteuk disclosed, carefully, emphasizing each word. 

"Dr. Choi Siwon, from Seoul University Hospital, was my top student in neurology." Dr. Kim explained. 

With that, Leeteuk's hopes shattered as he quickly thanked Dr. Kim, raced out of the door, and out of the hospital. He slowly walked over to the van, bag in hand with a blank expression on his face. The doctor's words were a big impact on him, leaving his mind wandering endlessly. He really couldn't believe that even the best doctor, who specializes in spinocerebellar disease, would tell him there was no cure or treatment for Sungmin.

"However, to this day, we still have not discovered a method to cure this disease."

Upon appearing before his car, Leeteuk shook his head to clear his thoughts and deliberately entered the white van. He placed his work bag on the passenger's seat and laid his head back on the car seat's headrest. As he was about to start the car, however, Leeteuk noticed a blinking flash originating from his cell phone, indicating a new voice mail. He picked up his cell phone and dialed the appropriate number, listening intently to the caller's voice.

"Teukie Umma!"

"You're probably exhausted from work, but I just wanted to tell you that I went to the hospital today."

"They informed me that the wound on my chin will be okay and would heal with time."

"The scar will vanish without a trace."

"Don't worry!"

Upon hearing Sungmin's voice, the tears that Leeteuk tried so hard to restrain fell freely from his eyes. The beautiful, happy, angelic voice of his son was making it difficult to overcome that night's events, causing Leeteuk's tears to flow ever so quickly.

"That's it. Goodnight!" 

Leeteuk stayed in that same position for a while, his hand supporting the cell phone against his ear while he allowed his tears to trickle down his face. Just as he was about to close the phone, however, a voice halted his actions.

"Oh, and Teukie? Saranghae!" 

That's all it took for Leeteuk to drop the phone and cry out. He placed both of his hands over his face and collapsed into his lap as he sobbed harder than ever. 

Sungmin, why does it have to be you? 

Why? 

I'm sorry I can't do anything.

Teukie Umma is very, very sorry.

Leeteuk's tears continuously exuded out from his eyes. He stayed like that for hours, his car parked in front of the hospital under the night sky. All that could be heard were the faint cries emanating from within Leeteuk's van as he proceeded in crying for Sungmin. 

However, at home, Sungmin was happily asleep, his mind roaming off into dreamland. A small smile was plastered onto his face as he slightly stirred in his bed, oblivious to the occurrences that evening. 

Leeteuk was seated in the dining room, finally home, the doctor's words echoing in his mind. Just then, he heard footsteps slowly descending the staircase as he shifted his attention behind him, awaiting the stranger's presence. 

"Oh, Teukie! You're home!" Kangin bellowed as soon as he entered the kitchen. 

He strolled over to the refrigerator, searching for a late midnight snack. However, to his dismay, no delicacies were available, causing him to groan in frustration and shutting the fridge door with a loud thud. 

"So, how was your patient? Do they have to go to the hospital?" 

Kangin was continuing his search for food until he noticed Leeteuk's silence. Whirling around, he walked over to the dining table and seated himself on the chair closest to his lover with a look of concern on his face. Realizing the blank yet somber expression on Leeteuk's visage, he reached out and held the latter's hand while speaking in a soft tone. 

"Teukie, is everything okay?" 

Speaking in an almost inaudible voice, Leeteuk quietly whispered, "About Sungmin's sickness, it's called spinocerebellar degeneration disease..." 

Kangin was astounded after hearing Leeteuk articulate in such a voice; it was as if he was possessed. 

"W-what was that?" Kangin asked carefully.

"Spinocerebellar degeneration disease...."

"What...what is that? It's such a tongue twister..." Kangin stated, oblivious to the current situation.

"The doctors say that soon, Sungmin will no longer be able to move about freely." 

"...................E-e-eh?" 

Kangin's expression was full of disbelief as his eyes widened and his hand drooped from Leeteuk's. Although he didn't understand the whole situation, he could tell that what Leeteuk was about to disclose wasn't going to be anything good. 

"S-Sungmin doesn't have peripheral nerve damage." Leeteuk said. 

"W-What's the spinocerebellar thing?" Kangin inquired.

Sighing, Leeteuk gazed into Kangin's eyes before continuing. 

"Sungmin won't be able to stand and walk around normally. He'll have to resort to using a wheelchair. Although I don't know when, but the doctors say that what will happen to Sungmin is inevitable, as he'll fall into a deep sleep, never to wake up again."

Despite the serious look on Leeteuk's face, Kangin found the information unbelievable as he bursted out into laughter. 

"H-how is that possible? What kind of nonsense are you talking about?!" Kangin bellowed, still chuckling with a sign of annoyance in his tone. However, under the irritation, Kangin felt anxious and scared. He knew that something was wrong with his Sungmin, but he wouldn't have thought it would be this bad. 

Nonetheless, Leeteuk continued, not bothering to answer Kangin's desperate questions. 

"It will also become difficult to write and talk." 

Kangin's eyes immediately widened upon hearing further news of Sungmin's conditions. This...disease was so horrid; forcing a person to become utterly paralyzed and incapable of controlling their own body. 

"I-it can be c-cured, r-right?" Kangin hesitantly asked. "T-taking medication and getting treated, r-right?!" By now, Kangin was in frenzy; he was in desperate need of some actual good news coming from Leeteuk; taking all of this in was too much, too much negative information. 

Leeteuk shifted his head downwards and looked down at his hands, all the while shaking his head in response. 

"S-Surgery?!" 

Once again, Leeteuk shook his head and bit his lips, disliking the idea of having to believe this calamitous reality. 

"T-the doctor said the disease is incurable." 

Kangin's eyes widened even more, if possible, but Leeteuk continued, making it clear what situation they were in now. 

"There is no cure."

Promptly, Kangin stood up and pounded his fists onto the table, causing a loud disruption in the middle of the night. 

"WHAT KIND OF DOCTOR DID YOU ASK?" Kangin literally screamed, infuriated. "GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND ASK!"

Leeteuk glanced up at Kangin who was huffing and puffing from his recent, outrageous declaration. As calmly as he could, Leeteuk spoke in a soft, gentle voice to keep everything under control. 

"I've already consulted with many doctors. I searched on the internet. I read a lot of books!" However, Leeteuk's anger was getting the best of him as his voice started to increase in volume. "I even went to the most prominent doctor in the field!" 

Tears were visible in Leeteuk's eyes as it blurred his vision, but he overcame the urge to break down and continued. 

"B-but...B-but...he said the disease is incurable with the current medical technology." 

Kangin was left speechless as his mind was attempting to absorb everything Leeteuk had just told him. Though, it was rather difficult, considering that he would just believe his son was going to be bed ridden sometime soon in his life. His son who was only fifteen years old; who had just entered high school; who has such a bright future ahead of him; his son's life would be severed, little by little, every passing day. 

Understanding that Kangin would need some time, Leeteuk lowered his head and rested it on the dining table as he was lost in his own thoughts. 

Sungmin has spinocerebellar degeneration disease. 

Soon, it will be difficult for him to stand.

It will be difficult for him to walk. 

He will soon have trouble writing. 

Then, it will be hard for him to speak. 

He will have to use a wheelchair.

Who knows when, but when the time comes, 

Sungmin will never wake up. 

Again. 

So to say, that night was an unforgettable night for both Leeteuk and Kangin, as they realize Sungmin's life is in jeopardy, as he only has a limited time to live his life to the fullest until he falls into a deep, deep slumber. 

A/N: So I just realized that I didn't post the whole entire chapter up...But, I was pretty sure I did. Oh well, good thing I have a back-up (: Well here's the rest of the chapter! Sorry for the inconvenience...And thank you to all of my commenters and subscribers! You guys really are amazing and I love your comments ^^ Saranghae<3