HeeChul lay curled up on his bed, snuggled under his blanket though it was already midday outside. All the lights were turned off in his apartment, the A.C. on full. He ignored the tears streaming down his face, as they had been doing on and off since he had woke up that morning. He could already picture HanGeng smiling at some girl, most likely prettier than him, and telling her the same sweet things he had told HeeChul. 

I can’t do this, HeeChul said to himself, I can’t let myself fall apart because he’s gone. I am stronger than this.

Slowly, painfully, as his broken heart shot pain through every part of his body, he pushed back the covers. He lay there for seconds, gathering strength to sit up. As he sat up, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he looked terrible. There were dark shadows beneath his eyes, obvious trails where tears had fallen endlessly. His hair was the equivalent of a bird’s nest.

But I need him. I love him, his heart said softly. Tears filled again and had his bottom lip trembling. His mind immediately began to fight back, but he knew from the way his heart dropped when he imagined HanGeng next to anyone else that his heart was right this time. It had been all along, he had just been encouraging his stupid pride and thinking with his mind.

I need to tell him, he thought, suddenly desperate. But where will he be? He only remembered HanGeng telling him that he would be gone in a week, and his flight was three days from now. Picking up his phone, he dialled HanGeng’s number, but was only given his voicemail.

“It’s me, HanGeng. You know what to do.” the cliché message had him smiling and crying at the same time, wanting to see the China Man’s lovely smile.

Three days until he would know his location, since HanGeng’s phone was off… unless he was just ignoring HeeChul. Three days… but which airport?

“I would deserve that,” he told himself. Sighing but not tired anymore, he got out of bed, bathed and then dressed. He wondered if KiBum or SiWon knew where HanGeng was. Biting his lip, he dialled KiBum’s number.

HanGeng, SiWon and KiBum looked towards KiBum’s phone as it began to buzz and vibrate on the counter they had just vacated.

“I’ll get it,” KiBum said, as though it wasn’t his phone.

The other two looked back to the pointless show they were watching, not really focusing on it. despite himself, HanGeng’s mind was still on HeeChul and SiWon could see from the slide downward curve of his lips that he was sad.

“Hey,” SiWon said softly as KiBum flipped open his phone to take the call, “Are you-“

“HeeChul?” KiBum’s voice cut them off as he shot a look at SiWon. Immediately, HanGeng shot off the couch and was next to KiBum in seconds, pressing his ear against the other side of the phone. KiBum pulled away, putting it on loudspeaker so they could all hear.

“KiBum.. I was wondering if you knew where HanGeng had gone,” HeeChul asked, and SiWon noticed instantly that his voice sounded the same way as HanGeng’s had been this morning. Hoarse, as though he had been crying all morning.

“Don’t tell him,” HanGeng hissed at KiBum, who bit his lip nervously.

“why?” KiBum asked instead.

“I have something I wanted to tell him,” HeeChul whispered. A loud thick silence followed before SiWon said, “No we don’t know where he is HeeChul. Didn’t he talk to you before he left?”

“Yeah… I was myself again. I let my pride get in the way,” HeeChul said before there were loud sniffling noises. HanGeng felt his heart ache. The man he loved was crying and he wasn’t there to comfort him.

“What did you do?” KiBum asked.

“I was stupid and not I need him. Please, please, if you hear from him, please tell him that I want to speak to him. Please,” HeeChul begged.

“I will,” KiBum said, picking his phone off the counter and walking towards the rooms. SiWon and HanGeng watched him go. As SiWon walked back to the couch, HanGeng dropped dejectedly to the floor, his back pressed against the cool surface of tile behind him.

In his room, KiBum took the phone off loudspeaker and quickly told HeeChul, “I can’t tell you where he is but I can tell you where he will be. We’re leaving tomorrow, our flight got moved up. If you can come, you could probably stop him. he’s dying without you, HeeChul hyung.”

“How do you know he’s dying without me?” HeeChul asked brokenly.

“I just… I just know okay. He is. Please come,” KiBum pleaded.

“I will, believe me. I need him KiBum. I love him,” HeeChul said, his voice stronger.

“I believe you,” KiBum said, smiling.

“Thank you. Bye,” HeeChul said before the phone went dead. KiBum sighed and closed his phone, rubbing his thumb pointlessly over the smooth plastic.

“Why’d you do that?” a voice from behind him asked. He gasped as he turned to see SiWon, looking stern but disappointed mostly.

“Everyone deserves a second chance,” KiBum replied.

“He had his,” SiWon pointed out.

“I know, but the way HanGeng looks right now? HeeChul has unlimited amount of chances in HanGeng’s book. It doesn’t matter what he does.”

When SiWon didn’t respond, KiBum began again.

“I’d rather see them happy together than dying apart, no matter how many times they have to try,” KiBum said.

“I was the one who started all this,” KiBum reminded him. SiWon's face softened at that and he moved forward to take his lover in his arms.

“So you think you should be the one to fix it,” SiWon realized.

“I am going to fix it,” KiBum said, determinedly.

Outside, a single tear ran a slow steady trail down the side of HanGeng’s face.

HeeChul… he thought longingly.