"We're running some tests now." The doctor said evenly. "We don't know what happened."

 

Hyunsoo nodded. "Can I see her?"

 

"I'm afraid only hospital personnel are allowed inside. Take a seat and you'll know when she's ready." The doctor placed his hand on Hyunsoo's shoulder but he shook it off. Sensing the boy's impatience, the doctor returned to the issue at hand.

 

"Hyunsoo?" He snapped around at the sound of his name. Minkyung placed her clipboard down on the counter surrounding the visitor's service center. "What are you doing here?"

 

"Something's wrong with my sister and they don't know what it is." He sat down in the waiting room. "They won't let me see her. Hospital personnel only." He rolled his eyes at the last bit.

 

"I'm hospital personnel." Minkyung said softly. "Do you want me to go check on her?"

 

He nodded and she started toward Dasom's room.

 

"Wait, don't."

 

Minkyung turned around, eyeing Hyunsoo curiously. He looked past her.

 

"Stay with me."

 

She blinked in surprise. His attitude was drastically different from earlier. Regardless, Minkyung nodded and settled into the seat next to Hyunsoo to wait.

 

 

 

 

 

"Yes I'll lock up." Do-il said into the phone, to his mother. "I'll be home later so don't worry about it."

 

He hung up and sighed. She was always worried that he was getting into trouble.

 

He usually was but that's besides the point.

 

He dragged himself off the beat-up couch a stretched. He clasped his arms behind his back, sending a cracking sensation up his spine. Do-il pulled his longish hair up and fastened it with a rubber band from his wrist.

 

After he flipped the lock on the inside of the door, he set about cleaning his family's pool hall. He spent too much time there, even he knew it, but it was quiet there. Quiet enough to hear yourself think. It was so peaceful that he didn't even mind his chore.

 

It was just him and a rap at the door.

 

Furrowing his brow, Do-il went to check who could be out at the current hour.

 

"Are you going to let me in?" Heijung's voice was muffled through the glass pane of the door.

 

He smirked, "No," but let her in anyway.

 

She raised her shoulders as she entered, the top of the scarf she wore rubbing against her cheeks. "Do you know how cold it is out there?"

 

"Pretty cold, I'd say." Do-il pressed his hands against Heijung's rosy cheeks and she blinked. "What are you doing here?"

 

"I was bored." She replied, flatly. The pool hall was comfortably warm compared to outside. She stripped off first her scarf and then her jacket.

 

"So you came to see me?" He cocked a small smile. Heijung snorted.

 

"Don't get to excited. Jinri was already in bed and I didn't know where else to go."

 

"Still, you came to see me."

 

Heijung rolled her eyes. "What do you even do here all the time?"

 

"Play pool, obviously." He watched her out of the corner of his eye. She picked up a pool stick and ground chalk on the end of it; his cue to center the balls on the nearest table.

 

Heijung leaned forward on the edge of the table, lining up the stick. Do-il came up behind her and placed one hand on her hip, the other on the arm extended with the poolstick. "Like this."

 

"I know how to play." She chuckled, taking a shot and breaking the group. Do-il shrugged.

 

"A guy can try."

 

She shook her head as he picked up his own stick and took a shot, continuing back and forth.

 

"Nice effort." He nodded earnestly.

 

Heijung scoffed. "I won!"

 

"It was a tie."

 

She rolled her eyes again before a yawn overcame her. Pursing his lips, Do-il grabbed her by the shoulders and steered her toward the couch along the side of the room.

 

"Jang Do-il," she growled. "You better not be trying anything funny."

 

"I'm not." He assured her. "What kind of person would I be if I let you walk home this late at night?"

 

"You could always walk me."

 

"Are you nuts? It's freezing out there." He raised an eyebrow and she sunk into the cushions. Settling down beside her, he wrapped his body around hers until they lulled each other to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

Due to a late night spent composing, Soomi had convinced her parents that she was studying and the time had gotten away from her. The wisest choice was to spend the night at Haerim's. The two girls were stretched out in a large, feather bed with their notebooks and crumpled papers around them.

 

"If I don't sleep soon then I'll write a whole song using snores." Haerim whined. The other girl agreed and sighed.

 

"Can you help me?" Soomi had her hair gathered in her hand and looked at Haerim expectantly.

 

"Of course I can." She chuckled and took a seat behind her on the bed. She took her hair in her hands and expertly crossed locks of hair over each other.

 

"What happened to Eye Candy's leader?" Soomi asked suddenly.

 

Haerim felt her own heart stop beating for a second.

 

She inhaled harshly and finished the braid. Soomi's wide eyes turned to face her.

 

"He was killed." She said with little to no inflection. "He got hit by a truck when he was running away from a bunch of boys that ambushed him."

 

Soomi looked down at her lap silently.

 

"I went to the funeral and just stood in the back." Haerim continued. "I'd known Byung Hee and Jihyuk since we were kids. We had been friends and I just couldn't think of anything to say."

 

"Is that who I hear you whispering to when no one else is around?" Soomi asked, tracing the pattern on the other girl's pajama pants. She nodded.

 

"We've got school tomorrow." Haerim said, her voice cracking. "We should get some sleep."

 

Soomi nodded and adjusted herself so she was comfortable. She reached up to turn off the light. Haerim waited until her breathing had become slow and more even before she let her tears roll down and soak her pillow.