Choi Seunghyun was a musician. He was a musician with a failing heart. He would make his rounds around hospitals and sing weakly with undeniable passion in his voice to the ill children and the injured soldiers. And then he would hobble to the town’s central square and made himself comfortable. He would then hoist his guitar onto his lap and sing.

He would sing about a better world. A world where there would be no civil wars, no corruption, no discrimination. A world where children can run around freely, where doors don’t have to be locked and where there would be world peace. People gathered around him and sang with him. The dare to hope grew greater as they sang each verse with him.

The soldiers then came and tried to disperse the growing crowd that surrounded him. They pushed and shoved people around, shouting for them to go home. Some of them stayed behind and resisted the soldiers. They hastily left bowls of rice for Seunghyun. Seunghyun smiled at them in gratitude. The people repaid him by giving him dinner for giving them the courage to hope for a better future and to work for it. However, Seunghyun would beg to differ. It was the light in the people’s eyes whenever they would talk about their better world that gave Seunghyun hope to think of his. And in turn, he would use his guitar and his voice to influence more people to think of their own better world so that they would have the strength and the motivation to carry on living.

Seunghyun ate his dinner in silence. The soldiers were long gone, not caring about this man who had a failing heart. He posed no danger to anyone and the soldiers saw no point in enforcing the curfew rule on him. So, they did not bother him. He started coughing. He wheezed and looked around for his bottle of water. it was about two meters away from where he was sitting. Some people might have kicked his bottle away while hurrying away from the soldiers. He used his guitar as a support and stood up. Seunghyun was about to walk towards the bottle when he saw a man bend down and took the bottle. He smiled when he saw who that man was. Kang Daesung- the town’s youngest and kindest doctor.

Daesung handed him the bottle which he muttered his thanks through a fit of coughs. Daesung gently patted his back, waiting for the coughing to cease.

"You were here in the audience tonight?" Seunghyun asked, surprised at the appearance of his friend.

"I am always here. The question is whether I show myself or not."

"Then why show yourself tonight?"

"You were coughing rather harshly just now and needed your water so I did you a favor and handed the bottle to you. Now shut up and stop questioning my intention."

Seunghyun grinned. Many didn't know that Daesung had this side to him. Everyone knew him as a patient, gentle, child-loving doctor. But they didn't know that he got annoyed very easy and would always snap at his friend. Nonetheless, he was grateful for Daesung's company. Daesung was the only one who treated him as a friend and saw him as a real person with flaws, not a god to be worshiped. Although he didn't mind the worship, the expectations from the people were overwhelming and he grew tired gradually.  

Daesung watched his friend eat in silence, suddenly reminiscing how he had met Seunghyun.

Daesung was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, living in the urban areas. He worked as a doctor for his father's company but he was bored. One day, there was a notice requesting for a doctor to move to a small town as the only doctor in that town died of old age. Daesung quickly scurried home, asked his wife to pack their things and off they went to that small town. Naturally once his parents knew about his decision, they were furious but there was nothing they could do for Daesung was already settling comfortably with his wife in a house five times smaller than his mansion.

The next day, Daesung headed to a small clinic and found himself being welcomed by a small-sized man who was beaming at him.

"You must be Dr. Kang. I am Dong Youngbae but everyone here calls me Taeyang. I will be your personal assistant. And I, on the behalf of the townsmen, thank you for coming here. Ever since Dr. Lee the late doctor passed away, more and more people died, not having a chance to recover."

"I am honored to be here, Taeyang and I am pretty sure I will meet interesting people too."  

Taeyang then led Daesung to his main office which was small but rather organized. He sat down and saw a stack of files on his table. He then looked at Taeyang with a questioning glance. Taeyang then explained that it was the files of the patients Doctor Lee was most worried for. Even before he could open the first file, he heard shouts from outside.

Taeyang suddenly alert, went out to check on the commotion.

"Taeyang! Help! Seunghyun has fainted! I think it's one of his relapse!"

Taeyang's eyes widened. He quickly ran back to Daesung and hurriedly told Daesung to follow him after grabbing the first file on Daesung's table.

On the way to Seunghyun's house, Taeyang explained who Seunghyun was and how well-loved he was by the townsmen.

"Then I must make sure to save him or else I will have the whole town after me." Daesung joked.

Taeyang could only briefly smile in response but worry was evident in the way his eyebrows furrowed. Daesung's curiosity was then piqued. Who could this man be that everyone would be so concerned?

Daesung opened the patient's file and was surprised to see that he was a young chap. Poor soul, he thought, to have a failing heart at that age. He quickly glanced over the allergies or special conditions that the patient might have. He took a double-take when he saw another column added at the bottom of the page. It was titled 'Dates of relapse'

He was shocked and at the same time, amazed by the number of times this man's heart stopped beating and came back alive.

"How is this even possible?"

This time, Taeyang's smile got a little wider.

"You will know why later."

When they arrived, Daesung was yet again surprised to see a small crowd gathering outside.

He whispered to Taeyang, “Are those people his family members?”

Taeyang chuckled.

“Seunghyun was an orphan since young and his only relative passed away five years ago. These people gathered are the townsmen. Now hurry up and save him!”

He went in and saw who he was looking for on the bed. He quickly put his medical briefcase on the table and wore his gloves, before checking for Seunghyun’s heartbeat. He quickly placed the oxygen mask over Seunghyun’s mouth and connected the tube of the mask to a packet of gaseous medicine. A few moments passed and yet, Seunghyun was still lying on the bed, unconscious.

People started casting worried glances and Taeyang stared at Seunghyun, willing him to wake up. Daesung watched; thoughts flying everywhere in his mind.

The medicine was supposed to work, why isn’t it working now?

Did he die? He was supposed to wake up now!

Oh no I failed the whole town

Daesung stepped closer to Seunghyun and was about to take the mask off Seunghyun when he stirred.

Daesung blinked. Did he see what he just saw?

Then a hand came up and held Daesung back.

An eye opened before a smile was seen on his face.

“What’s this mysterious thing that I am breathing in? It makes me feel so peaceful that I could just go back to sleep again.”

The whole room was suddenly filled with sighs of relief.

Daesung laughed at the memory. Seunghyun glanced up at his friend’s sudden outburst of laughter.

“You still remember what you said to me when I first revived you?”

Seunghyun paused. Then with his mouth full of rice, he mumbled, "Yeah, I do. You asked me how I was able to stay alive after so many heart failures. And I replied that it was my hope of a better world that keeps me alive. The day my hope dies is the day I will drop dead."

"And then you asked me what is my definition of a better world."

Seunghyun nodded before strumming his guitar.

Remember the day

I shared with you

What my better world

Would look like

You were the first person

Who didn’t tell me I was nuts

It was then I knew

I found a friend

Oh a friend

A world where no one fights

A world where everyone

Can settle their disputes

Without involving their fists

I would dream of a world

A world  where the women

Are equally  strong as the men

A world where the color of your skin does not matter

You were the first person

Who didn’t tell me I was nuts

It was then I knew I found a friend

Oh a friend

I then asked

What does YOUR better world

Consists of

You then looked at me shocked

No one has ever asked you that,

you said

Seunghyun paused and looked up. He saw Daesung immersed in the music.

Daesung glanced up, surprised when the music suddenly stopped. He raised a questioning eyebrow and Seunghyun only replied with a cheeky grin.

“No...” Daesung trailed off, clearly aware what Seunghyun wanted him to do.

“Oh come on! There’s no one here to laugh at you! Oh come on! You know this song is only complete when you sing the next part!” Seunghyun egged him on.

Glancing around his surroundings, Daesung finally conceded. Seunghyun, satisfied, continued playing the guitar.

Shock was what I felt

When you asked me that question

I didn’t know how to answer

For no one was really interested in what I want

A world where the rich

And the poor are equal

The rich help the poor

And thus the poor gets richer

Children of all ages playing freely

Their laughter ringing in the air

While the parents do not have to lock their doors

I glanced at you

Waiting to see

That look of disbelief

And sympathetic look

But I saw none

Only a look of determination

And gratefulness

It was then I knew I found a friend

Oh a friend