Seoul Hospital

Time: 8.13a.m.

The beeping sounds from Changmin’s normal heartbeat filled the room as a nurse was cleaning him up, finishing the morning routine and proceed with the usual check up as well. She was looking through Changmin’s file when the door slide opened, revealing a man wearing the white coat with a stereoscope in his coat’s pocket. The nurse smiled to him, as he was already a frequent visitor toward that patient she was checking.    

“Good morning Dr.Jung, visiting your friend as usual? ” She properly greeted the young doctor.

“Yes, are you done with all the checklists? Do you mind leaving us alone for awhile?”

He flashed his charming smile to her, making it impossible for the nurse to refuse the request.

“Nope, not at all, he’s all yours Dr.Jung.”

The female nurse bowed before she finally excused herself and shut the door close.

Listening to the sound of the door shutting, Yunho closed his eyes tightly while inhaling and exhaling deeply, trying to suppress his worries and anxiety. He opened his eye lids again and saw nothing inside the room changed.

Changmin was still lying on the bed peacefully, making it looked like he was in a deep sleep, although the beeping sound told him that he was not. It’s been two weeks since Changmin was involved in that incident however he still wasn’t able to wake up even until now. Yunho approached Changmin and held his hand firmly while settling on one of the available chair right next to the bed.

“Changmin-ah”

He called for him as he stared at Changmin’s features, sleeping ever so soundly on the bed like a baby.

“Your hand is really warm, that’s a relief.” He smiled as he place a soft kiss on the hand he was holding.

“Changmin.”

“Shim Changmin.”

“Minnie-ah.”

“Don’t stay away for too long. I can’t live by myself, the house is too empty and your princess misses you. I miss you. Please, come back to me baby.”   

A day before the wedding

Location:  Market place, where Changmin was on his way looking for the herb for Young Ho

Time: 8.15 a.m.

~~~ Changmin ~~~

~~~ Shim Changmin ~~~

A faint call made Changmin stopped his middle argument with the old man who watched after the herb store, he turned around and looked everywhere, since the voice sounded really familiar to him.

“Yunho?”

A soft smile curved onto his lips. That’s impossible, he thought to himself. They are 300 years apart, there’s no way Yunho could had been there with him. Not in that era.

They finally finished the argument when Changmin had enough bargaining with the old man, how more stubborn can the old man be anyway? He paid for the medicine finally, decided to give it in. As he stepped out of the store, there was a ruckus that attracted his attention.

“Come back here, thief!”

Of course the usual scene at the market place with plenty of taxes and poverty, this isn’t an awkward scene for him anymore. Being someone who has been taught of the great virtual values, he decided to lend a hand and help the poor guy who was chasing after the thief he’s been yelling about.

Sure enough, he managed to get the thief cornered, it was just a kid. The thief was.

“Alright kid, give it up. You have nowhere to run, just return back whatever it was your steal from the poor guy, alright?” Changmin held his hand out to the boy, asking for the package he was holding, but instead of complying to his request, the boy secured the package a lot closer to his body.

“You don’t understand, my mother needs this. I need this. She’s been suffering too long, providing nourishment to all my brothers and sister, but couldn’t provide any for herself. At least, at least…”    

The boy was shuttering and Changmin could see it, the boy was going to sheath tears any time soon now.

“…she deserved a proper burrier.” Changmin stayed frozen, understanding the situation at hand.

“You need money, but this isn’t the right way kid. Stealing is a crime.” Changmin took the package from the boy, dragging the boy closer to him as he showed a little resistance. The boy had his eyes shut, waiting for the any punishment from Changmin but instead, it never came. Changmin hugged the boy instead.

“What would your mother thinks if she know about her son becoming a thief just for her to have a proper burial? She wouldn’t be able to rest in peace, won’t she?” He patted the boy’s head playfully, trying to lighten the mood up a bit. Changmin not use of showing affectionate in front of anybody else but being around Yunho too often, made him a lot gentler. He learnt how to care for other.

Somewhere not far from them was two people watching the whole scene. One had a silk cloth on him, wearing expensive accessories portraying his rank in the noble family, while the other was in the local cotton cloth, made usually for the commoners or servant.

“Young Master, shouldn’t we go there and retrieve back our belongings instead of keep on watching them like this?” The servant nudged his master, he was finally able to stabilize his breathing after the intense chase that occurred earlier.     

“Yeah, we should do that.” The noble one replies as they both went out of their peeping spot and approached Changmin and the boy. The noble cleared his throat, faking cough as he tried to attract some attention. 

“I believe that package you are holding belong to me.” Changmin looked at where the stranger point at and handed it over immediately to him.

“Here you go. There’s no crime has been done here, so I hope you won’t report this matter further on my Lord.” He bowed politely to the lord and held the boy’s wrist with him.

“So if you’ll excuse us, we’ll be heading back on our way then.” Changmin was about to make a leave along with the boy tagging along with him when he was stopped by the man.

“Wait!”

“Shouldn’t you wait? You know, in case there were anything missing from the bag?”

Changmin looked at the boy in questioning, if the boy did take something, but the boy shook his head, denied it.

“Lee Gak, check the bag.” He ordered his servant to check the bag, and the servant did as he was told.

“There is nothing missing young master.” The look on the young master face changed, sullen. This wasn’t what he’s expected. He was hoping that they could had prolonged the meeting. He wanted to have a chance to properly converse with the man he just met. Then another idea popped into his head right before Changmin made a turn to leave again.

“Make him apologize.” He pointed at the boy behind Changmin with accusing finger, sending fire within Changmin, but he kept his composure firm. Not just yet.

“Excuse me?”

“Make him apologize. He did a terrible crime, deserve to be punish severally, but I’m going to let him go just like that, so shouldn’t I at least deserve an apology?”

Changmin snickered over the arrogant attitude from the young master. Brat. But then he pulled out his best fake smile, showing that he agreed with the idea.

“Maybe you’re right.” Changmin hold the boy’s shoulders facing him. “What’s your name kid?”

“Chen.” The boy answered short.

“Alright Chen, can you apologize to the Lord over there? And then I want you to promise me that you wouldn’t steal anything in the future alright?” Chen nodded over Changmin’s gentle words to him. He went to the lord and bowed lowly at him.

“I’m sorry for stealing my lord, please don’t report this matter. I promise I won’t do it again in the future.” Chen got up from his bowing, what he didn’t expect was, Changmin that was calmly standing by his side before, launched directly to the Lord and sent a blow on his face, right at his jaw line causing a trace of blood appeared on the young master’s lips, internal bleeding from his cheeks.

“Young master!” The servant quickly ran to his side, wiping the blood away from his face, while glaring at Changmin, the cause of this.

“That is for the causes you made Chen to be in this way. I know your kind, government officers. You’ve live your live from eating these people hard earning money, yet you got the balls to complain just because of some little things are taken away from you. What Chen did was wrong, I agree. But that doesn’t mean you are not at fault in this matter either. I’m not apologizing for this one, if you want to report this, then be my guest. I don’t give a damn ing care about it. Come on Chen, we’re leaving.”

The lord stayed dazed, too much of a shock to be punched like that by a stranger. It was like a wake-up call to him. He couldn’t just help himself but feeling more attracted to the man he just met, call it as a law of attraction. One side was so gentle and kind, the other side was so harsh and daring. He wanted to find out more about that man.

“Find out who that man is and bring him to me. I want him.” He ordered.

Changmin POV

I spent the rest of my time at Chen’s house, my new friend. Well, it wasn’t really a home, I couldn’t dare to call it a home, it looked just like a small hut made out of straw and old woods, no kidding. I paid my last respect to Chen’s mother and help him properly burying her. His brothers and sister were really young, I felt sorry for him, having to take care of them although he himself was still very young. I never really remembered whether I had siblings or not, well ever since I was taken away. My memory was only up till I was on my own way, back then when I first joined the agency. I felt big lump on my throat, I didn’t like to remember back the past, they were all like a nightmare to me. That was until I met Yunho.

“Hyung, play with us.” Chen’s little brother tugged my pant. I patted his head when the others came to me as well.

“Oppa, play with us.”

“Play with us, play with us.”

And that was how I ended up staying longer than I should. I felt sorry for them, losing both of their parents at an early age. Their mother is gone, but they probably didn’t understand that yet.

I head back to the Jung’s a little later after that, feeling oblivious that I was being followed.

“Alright, who are you and what do you want from me?” Finally I was able to trap my little stalker and pinned him to the wall, sending threaten glare to his face. It was a fat, short, male, dress like a servant. Wait I’ve seen him before, he was the one with that spoil rich brat earlier.  

“You’re the snobby lord’s servant, aren’t you? Is this his order, to follow me around all day? What do he want? An apology from me?” I laughed hard at how more childish can that lord be, before showing back my poker face to that servant.

“Never going to happen.” I let go of the servant unharmed, although my knuckle was itching for some beating.

“Stop following me if you still treasure your live.”

Jung’s resident

“I’ve return Young Ho.” I entered his room and saw he was seating still in his bed, having a book in his hand, looks like he’s been reading while I was away. That’s a good sign, at least he’s already sane enough to be reading again. His hangover must have lessened a bit while I was away.

“Here a medicine, you should take it. How’s the hangover anyway?” I place a bowl of dark green liquid in front of him. Eww~ even I wouldn’t dare to touch that thing. Even if you refuse it, I wouldn’t mind, I would either if I was in your shoes.

“Better than earlier I think. Where have you been all day? I didn’t see you at all.” He asked. I must have be gone longer than I expected to have him think that way.

“Well you know, here and there. Why, were you worried? What am I to you anyway, you couldn’t possible keep on watching all the time you know, I have errands to do every now and then, alright.” I laughed a bit, trying to crake a joke but somehow I met with Young Ho serious stare. , I didn’t read the atmosphere well.

“Just forget what I just said, you don’t have to be so serious you know.”

There was an awkward silence and my instincts suggest me to leave there soon.

“No.” Young ho held onto my wrist firmly, making it harder for me to leave. He still held his serious expression on his face.

“I want to answer you properly.” I gulped nervously, please this is not suppose to happen.

“Changmin, rather than having anyone else, I want to have only you by my side. I want to be the one there for you whenever you need me, as you had been to me. To listen to anything you had to say and to just stay there by your side. Will you allow me to?”

I stared at his face for awhile, before smiling softly and pinched both of his chubby cheeks playfully.

‘He’s not Yunho, you can’t accept this Changmin. Pull yourselves together’ My mind keep on reminding me that.

“I can see you’re still suffering from the hangover Young ho. Listen to my advice and drink the medicine. Get well soon alright?”

I got up and quickly left the room. Once I entered my room, I felt my heart was racing crazily, feeling guilt build up within me. I washed away his confession just like that. Poor guy. But what else could I do?

Placing my hand onto my chest while slowly taking my breath calmly, I tried my hardest to shake of the guilt.

End Changmin’s POV