To others, I was just a tall man, dressed in gray from head-to-toe in a monotone world. I was just one of a million, one of the countless ripples in the sea, too plain to be distinct or stand out. Perhaps some viewed me as odd and even intimidating with the dark cap and pair of shades concealing my identity, but no one saw me as someone special, someone who outshone the rest.

            To me, I had never felt more extraordinary in my life.

            I had been a celebrity praised by a whole nation. I had been an actor constantly on the spotlight. I had been a singer who had stood in the middle of an enormous stage facing an ocean of fans chanting my name.

            But this very moment, I felt like I was the most elite, the chosen, the most blessed man on earth.

            "I love you, too."

            I had waited to hear those words for five years.

            No, I had waited to hear those words ever since the day I had set my eyes on him.

            "Hyesung?"

            I squeezed his hand in mine just to make sure he was really here, beside me. He turned and I almost found myself breathless at his exquisite beauty that never failed to render me helpless.

            "Hmm?" My stomach did a back flip when his fingers tightened around mine in response.

            My lips curled into a childish grin. "When did you start loving me?"

            He raised an eyebrow at me, then laughed. The angelic sound was melodious to my ears.

            "I dunno. I guess it just happened." He ignored my disappointed pout and eyed the path ahead of us that would lead back to my apartment. "How about you?"

            "The moment I met you."

            He rolled his eyes. "Of course you would say that."

            "Seriously."

            It was the absolute truth. I hadn't believed in love at first sight until I had experienced it myself. The moment our eyes had met and he had greeted me with the same sheepish grin I always dreamt of in my sleep, a switch had gone off in my heart. I had been so sure that I would never find anyone else who would fill me with such delightful passion and celestial fire.

            From the very beginning, I had known that this man was my soul mate, that our meeting had been governed by destiny.

            He rolled his eyes again, but this time the action was accompanied by a shy smile and a pink blush to his cheeks. "Whatever."

            We walked side by side, hand in hand, enjoying the comfortable silence between us. Night was dawning, but even the darkness setting in had no effect on my radiating bliss. Everything seemed perfect, everything seemed just the way it was meant to be.

            "It was when we first fought."

            I turned to him curiously when his sudden words broke the quiet. His face seemed to be deep in thought.

            "I fell in love with you when we first fought. Do you remember?"

            "Who the do you think you are?! You can't just intrude upon my privacy like this!"

            "We're supposed to be a group now! We're gonna be best friends soon! There's no such thing as 'privacy' between best friends!"

            "Uh, keyword 'soon'. We just met two days ago! We're practically strangers! And strangers do not shower together!"

            "It saves water and time! And helps us get to know each other better!"

            "I do NOT want to know you better like this!"

            "Stop whining! You're so noisy!"

            "Excuse me?! I'll stop whining if you get the out-- OH, MY GOD. MUN JUNGHYUK, PUT YOUR ING BOXERS BACK ON!"

            "Uh, really? When we showered together for the first time?" I asked surprised. I hadn't thought that particular moment had been very romantic for either of us. Perhaps he had been impressed by the size of my--

            "NO!" he yelled, his face turning a dangerous shade of red. "I don't even consider that a fight. It was more of me yelling at you to get the out and you stripping, not giving a ."

            I chuckled at the distant memory, so innocent and refreshing. How I wished we could go back to that time of our youth when we were both so carefree and wild, never even dreaming that we would one day be parted by death. "Then which fight are you talking about?"

            "You don't remember, Eric?"

            I scratched my head with my free hand. "Uh, the time we fought over who was going to eat the extra bowl of rice?"

            "I want it. I deserve it since I cleaned the whole dorm today."

            "Don't lie, you loach! Sunho did most of the work! I saw!"

            "I swept the floor! You did nothing!"

            "I washed all the dishes, bought all the groceries, and did all the laundry! Don't even compare me to your lazy !"

            "Ugh, you nag more than my mother. I deserve to eat this bowl of rice because I'm the leader!"

            "Oh, don't you use that card against me! You're only the leader because you were born a few months earlier!"

            "Well, that's your loss! This bowl of rice belongs to me!"

            "Get your dirty hands off-- EW! YOU ING SPAT IN IT?! YOU DISGUST ME!"

            I laughed out loud, remembering how stupid and immature we had been. "In the end, we both couldn't eat it because we dropped it on the ground."

            "We would've eaten it off the floor if Andy hadn't been there to stop us," Hyesung added, joining in my laughter. "But, no. That doesn't count as a fight either."

            "What the hell is your definition of a fight, Jung Pilkyo?" I interrogated.

            His fingers, so cold yet so warm at the same time, interlaced with mine. He shot me a breathtaking smile that threatened to stop my heart from beating. "That time, when I was really sick with a fever... You told me to stay at the dorm and miss out on our performance."

            Oh. I remembered now. I remembered quite well actually, as if it had happened yesterday.

            "I'm going to perform with you guys."

            "No."

            "Junghyuk ah, I'm okay. I'm really fine now!"

            "Stop lying. I can see right through you. You're a terrible actor."

            "I have to go on stage! We're only rookies. We have to do our best!"

            "I know. But as the leader, I'm commanding you to stay at the dorm and rest."

            "I don't need rest! I don't care what you say, I'm going to go on stage!"

            "Please, Pilkyo... Don't be stubborn and listen to me this once."

            "Why do I have to listen to you?"

            "Because I'm not saying this for you."

            "... What?"

            "I want you to get better, not for you. But for me."

            "What the hell are you talking about?"

            "I... I just can't stand it. I can't stand it when you're hurting."

            "You ended up performing that day," I recalled, clenching my jaw. "And you collapsed as soon as you stepped off stage. You have no idea how pissed off I was."

            "I remember. There was no screaming and yelling involved, but you were so angry at me that I was afraid that you would never forgive me."

            I stopped in my tracks and embraced him tightly in my arms. He snuggled against my chest and breathed in my scent.

            "I fell in love with you then. Because I was so foolishly convinced that you were in love with me."

            I laughed, my face buried in his soft black hair. "So you're telling me that you started loving me because I was in love with you first?"

            His small head motioned a nod.

            "Well, that's stupid," I commented.

            "I wanted it. I wanted the love you had to offer. I wanted to be loved by you, Eric."

            I couldn't help smiling. I'm so glad that I loved you first. I'm so glad that I fell in love with you the moment I met you. I'm so glad that I never hesitated to show you the love I had for you.

            I'm so glad that I offered you a love that you wanted to have.

            Because if I had ever done something right in my life, it was loving the man I held in my very arms at this very dear moment.

            "Well, aren't you a greedy little monster." I teased lightly, planting a little peck on his forehead. "I think I spoil you too much."

            I thought he would snort and retort back, fulfilling his usual push-and-pull routine that had me wrapped around his finger. Instead, he snuggled closer and mumbled, "I like being spoiled by you."

            Shin Hyesung... He wasn't the "Little Prince" for nothing.

            Well, he would forever be my little prince.

            "What's that buzzing?" Hyesung asked, his puffy cheek still resting on my shoulder.

            I hadn't even noticed the soft vibrating of my pant pocket, so immersed in my lover's presence. I fished out my phone without letting him go.

            "It's a text message from Minwoo," I informed. At my words, Hyesung gently pushed me back and flashed a brilliant smile that stretched across his entire face. He was so happy, so excited, like a child on Christmas morning.

            Honestly, I couldn't say that I felt the same way.

            "What does it say?" Hyesung questioned, nearly bouncing up and down in joy.

            I managed to smile weakly back at him despite the nervous knotting of my stomach.

            "He's going to arrive at my apartment in ten minutes."

***

            We practically ran the whole way back. With my ears ringing from Hyesung's constant nagging, we managed to make my tiny apartment look a little more presentable within the short time frame we had. I was just putting the vacuum cleaner back in the closet when my house filled with the sound of the door bell.

            . I suddenly felt like I was going to hurl.

            "Oh, my gosh! He's here! Minbong's here!" Hyesung sang as he rushed over, oblivious to my anxiety and apprehension. He grabbed my arm and dragged me to the entrance of my place.

            I stood gaping at the door. On the other side was my old best friend, the very man I had betrayed and refused to see for half a decade. Would he be pissed off? Would he try to kill me out of anger?

            Hyesung held my hand and shot me an encouraging smile. I sighed and reached out to unlock the only thing standing in between me and Lee Minwoo.

            As soon as our eyes locked, I took a sharp intake of breath. The man who had once been so smooth-skinned and radiating with youth... looked like he had aged well over ten years.

            "M-Minwoo?"

            What... What happened to you?

            The widest smile possessed his lips and his eyes faded into thin lines. Only then was I positive that this man was the same ex-member of Shinhwa from five years ago.

            "ERIC!!!"

            He attacked me with his infamous bear hug, almost knocking the wind out of me. His loud wailing almost made me deaf. "I MISSED YOU! I MISSED YOU SO, SO MUCH!!!"

            "I... I missed you, too, Minbong."

            I saw Hyesung roll his eyes at our melodramatic interaction and walk into the living room.

            Minwoo released me and looked up with tears in his eyes. Again, I couldn't help but be astonished by the defined wrinkles framing his eyes and mouth, and the ugly dark circles painting a good portion of his face. "You're a terrible, terrible person, you know that?"

            I gulped. I was sure I was soon going to be hit by the much dreaded hurricane.

            Yet he surprised me once again.

            "I'm so glad... I'm so glad that you're okay..." he murmured as his eyes poured. "I thought that maybe... Maybe you were too miserable to live and would--" He seemed to regain composure and cut himself off. With a loud cough, he wiped his sodden eyes and laughed awkwardly. "So... Are you going to invite me in or what?"

            "Oh, yeah. Make yourself at home," I quickly said, leading the way into my apartment.

            Minwoo looked around, unable to hide his bewilderment. "This is where you live now?"

            "It's small, but it's cozy," was my self-conscious excuse. My old friend nodded rather sympathetically.

            "You've gotten... older," he stated bluntly upon closely inspecting my face.

            If it hadn't been Minbong talking, I would've blushed in embarrassment. I chuckled at his comment. "Yeah, you, too. You look like an ajusshi."

            "I am an ajusshi."

            I didn't know if that was supposed to be a joke or not. I shot a glance at Hyesung who was the only one in the room snickering. "An old ajusshi," he mouthed flippantly, finding it hilarious. "Baby Minbong who acts like a five year old, an ajusshi." I decided to ignore him and give Minwoo my full attention.

            "So..." The air was thick with awkwardness. "How are you?" I asked as if reading from a script.

            He shrugged. "Tired. You know, photo shoots, fan meetings, the usual. I'm also gonna release a new album soon so everything's kinda tight."

            The usual... "I see..." I mumbled in reply, disturbed by how unusual and alien that sounded to me now.

            Five years was more than enough time to completely flip your life around. For five years, I had been falling from my highest point, wanting nothing but to reach the rock bottom that never seemed to come. My flattering life as a star seemed like a millennia ago... I hardly remembered any of it.

            Was Minwoo really an ajusshi now? Was I an ajusshi? I must have been frozen in time, my soul never moving past the moment I had learned of Hyesung's death...

            "Eric... Why did you call me?"

            His words startled me out of my thoughts. "Huh?"

            "I'm so happy that you finally contacted me," Minwoo elucidated. "But... Why now? Why did you call today and not yesterday? Why not years ago?"

            "I..." I turned to Hyesung who was now standing close to Minwoo, observing his every feature.

            "Why did he get so wrinkly?" Hyesung asked, genuinely confused. He waved his hand in front of Minwoo's face like a small child trying to get his attention. "Eric, tell Minbongie that he looks really old now and that he should really take care of his skin."

            "Hyesung..." I groaned. "This isn't the time to talk about--"

            Minwoo stiffened his pose.

            "... What did you just say?"

            . How the hell was I supposed to explain this situation without sounding like a madman?

            "Tell him I'm here," Hyesung commanded impatiently.

            Yeah, like he'll believe that. I decided to try anyway. "Minwoo, Hyesung--"

            "Don't," Minwoo suddenly said, interrupting me. His voice was completely different now, dark and sinister; he was no longer the friendly Minbong from a second ago. A shadow crossed his eyes, replacing their usual affable glow. "Don't ing say that name to me."

            "What?" Hyesung hissed.

            "Is this what it's about, Eric?" Minwoo glowered at me. It was frightening how his eyes could be so pleasant one moment and so menacing the next. "It's always been about him, hasn't it?" When I couldn't respond, he went on, fuming. "You left the rest of us because of him. You gave up everything we've ever worked for because of him." His words were steadily getting louder, his eyes glistening with rage and resentment. "You ing destroyed Shinhwa because of him, Eric!"

            I swallowed back the lump clotting in my throat. "Minwoo... I'm sorry... I'm really sorry about everything..."

            My words only seemed to push him over the edge. "I DON'T WANT A ING APOLOGY, ERIC!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. I could see veins bulging out of his skull. "I WANT YOU TO ING GET YOUR TOGETHER. I WANT YOU TO GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD THAT HE'S DEAD. HE'S GONE. HE'S NEVER COMING BACK."

            "Minwoo... But Hyesung's--"

            "DO YOU THINK YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO LOVED HIM?" Tears streamed down his cheeks as the shouting continued. "I LOVED HIM, TOO. HE WAS ONE OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS AND I LOVED HIM JUST AS MUCH AS YOU DID. BUT HE'S ING DEAD, ERIC. THAT BASTARD LEFT US AND I WILL NEVER FORGIVE HIM FOR IT."

            His knees gave way and he fell onto the sofa with his face buried in his hands.

            "Minwoo, Hyesung's back."

            "Are you ing high off drugs, Eric?"

            "No, I'm not."

            "Well, you're delusional then. 'Cause he's dead, Eric," he whispered miserably. "He died five years ago."

            "I know. And I don't know how, but he's back from the dead."

            "Eric... Please don't do this..." His voice quivered in pain. "You don't understand... How hard it was after you left... After you disappeared, the four of us... We gave up... We were living, but we were completely dead inside..."

            "I'm so sorry, Minwoo..." I said although I knew a thousand apologies would not be enough.

            "Don't say that... It's not your fault..." Minwoo sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry for yelling... I was just so upset when you mentioned Hyesung's name..."

            "Minwoo..."

            "You know, I still get chills when I say his name. No one's said his name around me for years because I would always break down like this... It's been half a decade and I still have his number on my phone as speed dial."

            I heard a soft sob and I realized Hyesung was crying, overcome by Minwoo's crestfallen confession.

            "Do you think Hyesung's watching down at us? Do you think he sees how pathetic we've become? Do you think he's crying for us? That bastard was always so emotional..."

            "... He is, Minwoo... He's crying, right next to you..."

            His eyes widened for a brief moment. Then he laughed halfheartedly. "Don't even make a joke like that, Eric... Don't even say that Hyesung could come back... Don't ever give me such false hope..."

            I watched with a shattered heart as Hyesung moved closer to Minwoo, unable to bear just listening anymore.

            "Because I might end up believing it. I might end up believing that he can really come back when that's impossible."

            Hyesung wrapped his arms around him and held him close, tears still drenching his cheeks. He began to weep, weep with all his heart and soul as he clung onto the broken pieces of his friend he wanted so desperately to stitch back together.

            "I miss him so much, Eric... I miss--"

            Minwoo froze in his seat and that very moment, I knew he felt it.

            I knew he felt Hyesung's touch.

            "Remind him, Eric... Remind him of how he said that he could always recognize me by my hugs alone..." Hyesung murmured through his sobs. His fingers Minwoo's hair in a tender yet desperate way that mimicked a mother's love. "Please... Please remind him..."

            But I didn't need to. Because I knew by the expression on Minwoo's face that he didn't need any more reminders.

            "It's really him..." There was no question in his voice. There was only certainty, the same kind of confidence that had possessed me when I had touched Hyesung's wounded hand and soaked my fingers in his blood. Our eyes locked together and I smiled when I saw that they were void of doubt.

            Yes... It's really him, Minwoo...

            Something magical, something enchanting and supernatural was taking place. And now Minwoo fully understood it and believed in it.

            He was now part of the miracle.

            "Shin Hyesung... He's really back."

[A/N]: Hellooo~ So happy I could update! I'm going a little crazy from lack of sleep, so I apologize for any mistakes (you know me and editing don't get along =__=) I still hope you guys enjoyed! My writing seems to be getting a bit flat and dull so I'll try to improve for you guys T_T so bear with me! Please keep supporting, every comment and upvote means the world to me and shows you want me to keep writing! I love you guys! Mwah <3