“Myungsoo,” Mrs. Bae began. “You haven’t slept since yesterday. You should rest.”

   “I’m all right,” he whispered coarsely. “I’ll wait here until Daehyun wakes up.”

   But he didn’t.

<:>

   Eleven hours and fifty minutes later, Sunggyu arrived at Incheon. His hair was a mess, and the shirt he changed into was badly crumpled. Without wasting any time, he ran to the airport’s entrance with his duffel bag bouncing behind him. Sunggyu hailed a cab, and told his home address to the driver.

<:>

   Jieun looked around the office, and looked at Woohyun. She had his scarf in a paper bag. “Where’s Sunggyu?”

   “Korea,” he answered.

   Her eyes widened. “When did he leave?”

   “Last night. Something urgent came up.”

   “Will he be gone for a long time?”

   “Just a few days,” he said. “I already explained the situation to the CEO.”

   “I see.”

   He glanced at her. “Why were you looking for him?”

   She held up the bag. “I forgot to return the scarf.”

   “Does it contain your heart, as well?” he blurted out.

   Jieun’s eye narrowed. “Pardon?”

   Woohyun blushed. He looked away to maintain his composure. “I said your paper bag contains a heart.”

   “Ah, it does,” she replied, grinning. “I like hearts.”

   “I’ll tell you what,” he began. “I’ll get the scarf and bring it home.”

   “Sure thing,” she said. “Thanks, Woohyun. I’ll be in the next office if you need me. I need to print off some things.”

   “All right.”

   She bowed, and walked out of the room. Woohyun’s tensed muscles loosened up, and he breathed out a sigh of relief.

   Some crush, he thought to himself. He stared at the paper bag for a moment longer, and in a way he began to detest himself, because he noticed things way too early. Even before things would arise, he was already one step ahead of the game. He knew just where Jieun and Sunggyu were heading. Woohyun was someone who was very sensitive when it comes to listening to a person’s body language.

   “I should’ve been a counselor, instead,” he muttered to himself. “Not some stupid employee in a publishing house who crushes on an immigrant.”

   He stapled more files and arranged them neatly in a folder before pausing to stare at Sunggyu’s desk. He stared at the family portrait, where Suzy was smiling brightly.

   “But you’re doing a good job, hyung, holding yourself back. I don’t mind losing to you.”

                                                                   <:>       

   Sang Moon could only stop and stare right after he opened the door. It had only been more than eight weeks since they last saw Sunggyu, and yet he already changed. He grew thinner, and thick, dark bags were hanging from his eyes. His hair stood in all directions. The younger one knew that his older brother rushed his way back the moment he heard the news.

   Sunggyu stepped inside the house, and Sang Moon could only yell, “Noona, noona, Sunggyu hyung is here!”

   He took his bag from his older brother and gave him his pair of house slippers, which the siblings kept.

   “What?” she called back. Rapid footfalls followed, and Suzy almost slipped on the last step upon seeing Sunggyu, standing in the living room. Her eyes widened. She was, completely, at a loss. Grasping the banister tightly, she asked, “Why?”

   He had to restrain himself from embracing her. It had only been two months, and yet it felt like forever.

   “Where’s Myungsoo?” he finally asked. His voice was dry, and a lump was beginning to form in his throat.

   “He’s still there,” Sang Moon said. “With Mom and Dad.”

   “My car keys?”

   “Same place,” Suzy answered.

   “Go grab a coat, we’ll go there.”

   “But hyung you just arrived—”

   “There’s no time,” Sunggyu cut in. “Go!”

<:>

   Hills of snow paved the main road, and the drizzle slowly melted the white blankets of ice from Seoul. Suzy could only stare at the raindrops gliding smoothly against the window.

   “Why did you come back?” she asked, breaking the silence. She looked at Sunggyu from the rearview mirror and repeated, “Why did you come back?”

   “I’ll only be around for a short while. If I can’t make this kind of sacrifice then what kind of brother am I to Myungsoo?”

   The siblings looked at him, completely understanding where he was coming from. Suzy closed her eyes, and the next thing she knew, her mind was begging for Daehyun’s safety. That he would wake up later. Tears trickled down her cheeks, and Sunggyu said it was okay for her to let it all out. Sang Moon had to look away in pain because of Suzy’s incoherent sobbing. It felt as if the more she heaved her breath out of , her heart was pressed down even further, causing more cracks, dents and bruises that a young soul could ever endure. She was crying, but she was still hoping that one day, one day, Daehyun would open his eyes and smile.

   Apparently, that one day didn’t come.

<:>

   “No!” Myungsoo shrieked. “You can’t give up on my brother like this! You can’t!” His voice echoed against the pristine walls of the hospital, causing the others to look back at him.

   Daehyun’s mother was already being consoled by Mrs. Bae, while her husband held Myungsoo back. The young man squirmed, trying to break free. He was already breathing hard and hot tears were abundantly streaming down from his eyes. His face was flushed with anger and desperation.

   “I’m sorry,” the doctor said. “But we did what we could.”

   “Stop screwing around!” Myungsoo screamed. “If you did just that, then Daehyun wouldn’t have died!”

   “Myungsoo,” Mr. Bae cut in. “Please...”

   “Shut up!” he shot back. He gave a final tug, and Mr. Bae finally let him go.

   “Myungsoo,” another voice said. The whole family looked behind them, only to see Sunggyu, standing in front of Suzy and Sang Moon.

   “S-Sunggyu...” Mrs. Bae choked out. “What are you doing here?”

   “Myungsoo,” he repeated, while taking slow strides to close the distance between them. “I came here as fast as I could. I swear I did. You’re not the only one hurting here, so please—”

   “You wouldn’t understand,” Myungsoo seethed with dull, cold eyes. “You never lost anyone in the first place.”

   “I was adopted because both of my biological parents hanged themselves,” the other returned. “And the first person I treated as my own mother died—”

   “Your social worker?” Myungsoo cut in bitterly. “Apparently that woman you’re talking about is my mother. You placed those damned roses on her tomb every now and again. You’re that kid who knew the greeting because of her. You kept on taking her away from me, and don’t you freaking tell me your sob story.

   “Have you ever experienced people die right in front of you? Do you even remember your parents’ voices? When it all boils down to it—” he pointed at Mr. and Mrs. Bae. “They’re your parents. You never really lost anything. They’re all there to support you and to love you and to protect you. And what about me? What did I have ever since my mother died? Nothing. My one hell of a father married his mistress and despite me being the original son I have the attitude of a bastard. Daehyun was all I had, and I thought everything would be fine but...” Myungsoo trailed off. Tears constantly emerged from his eyes, and his breathing became even more uneven.

   “Myungsoo, that’s enough,” Suzy spoke up. “Sunye unnie—”

   “And her,” Myungsoo choked out. His glazed eyes, as red as rubies, bore into Sunggyu’s patient ones. “Did you even love her?”

    The older one stiffened up, and the other could only smirk sardonically before walking out. Mrs. Bae tried to chase after him, but Mr. Bae held him back.

   “I’ll go,” Sunggyu volunteered. Without wasting any moment, he briskly followed after Myungsoo. Exactly, Daehyun’s mother was already walking to their direction.

   Her eyes were swollen, but her expression showed this silence acceptance. “I’ll arrange the things with the doctor.”

   Mrs. Bae squeezed the woman’s shoulder as a gesture of reassurance. “Okay.”

   “We should head home, as well,” Mr. Bae said.

   “But what about Sunggyu and Myungsoo?” Suzy asked.

   “Did Sunggyu bring his car with him?”

   “He did,” this time, it was Sang Moon who responded.

   “Then everything will be all right,” their father concluded.

<:>

   Myungsoo sat down on the frozen bench, not even thinking about the cold. His head was spinning and his vision was blurry. He raked his hand through his hair and let out an agitated scream, because that was all he could do. Instead of feeling better, he felt worse for firing at Sunggyu like that.

   You ungrateful bastard you, the voice in his head cockily whispered. It was the same one who asked him about God’s whereabouts. But doesn’t it feel so good?

   He pounded his fists against his thighs. He might as well bite his lower lip until it bled. It wouldn’t do justice to the pain he felt in his heart, anyway. Daehyun was dead. His younger brother, aged seven, was dead.

   Myungsoo looked up at the starless sky. “Why didn’t You take me, instead?”

   His hands were beginning to grow numb, but he didn’t care. All he wanted, at that time, was a reassurance—the genuine kind of reassurance that everything would surely be all right. He didn’t want empty words and embraces. He never wanted that in the first place.

   Someone sat beside Myungsoo, and he knew that it was Sunggyu.

   “I’m sorry,” the older one began. “I shouldn’t have compared in the first place.”

   Myungsoo bit his lower lip. He didn’t reply, but it was evident that he was listening.

   “I really admire this guy,” Sunggyu began, with a slight smile playing on his lips. His voice was raspy, then, because he was too tired. “Do you know Job in the Bible?”

   The younger one looked down, remembering how his mother used to hell him such stories. “The rich guy who was blameless,” he finally said.

   “That’s right,” he agreed, while nodding away. “Do you remember what happened to him?”

   “He became poor,” Myungsoo muttered. “He lost his children. He had a skin disease.”

   “Do you know who caused that?”

   “God,” was his straightforward answer.

   Sunggyu chuckled. “That’s a common misconception we all have. The thing is, God merely allowed those things to happen to Job. Who truly caused them was the devil.”

   “But…why?” he choked out. “Why would he allow such things to happen to Job? I remember him being righteous. I remember him being good and all. I remember him not lacking when it comes to serving God. What I don’t understand is why would He freaking allow Job to suffer?”

   The older one kept quiet for a while, his face not showing any tinge of resentment. “I was wondering about the same thing, too,” he said. “But one day, I realized that God has more faith in us than we have in ourselves. God basically praised Job in front of the devil, and the latter said that once the things he values the most are taken away from him, he will curse God.”

   Sunggyu looked at Myungsoo, and carried on, “But he didn’t. Instead, he praised the Lord all the more. I find that trait amazing—rejoicing in hardships and taking it all in as a blessing. It’s a very admirable attitude. Job even said that God gives and takes away. Be it riches or a beloved one’s life—He gives and takes away all the same.”

   A silent sob escaped from Myungsoo’s chapped lips. He buried his face in his hands, and tears began to freely fall from his eyes. His mind was wandering in all directions, only to end up in the spot where Daehyun and his mother’s traces stayed.

   “But it doesn’t end there,” Sunggyu whispered. “After all of the suffering Job had to go through, he was greatly blessed. Myungsoo, I know that it’s painful. But it will only hurt just now. Joy will come once again. I swear it will. So, hold on tight.”

   Myungsoo slowly stood up. He wiped his face with his sleeve, and Sunggyu followed after him. “Let’s take you home.”

<:>

   The two finally stopped in front of the Bae residence. Sunggyu turned the engine off, and Myungsoo could only look at him.

   “I thought you’re going to take me home,” he choked out.

   Sunggyu smiled at him. “You are home.”

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:

In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

- Job 1:20-22