Taecyeon let go of Suzy hand and watches Yoona walks away. It kill him knowing that he is hurt, but he couldn’t tell her the truth. He could tell her that he doesn’t have much time left. To him, maybe this was the best way for her to forget and live a happy life without him. To him, maybe times will heal her heart.

             “Don’t you think you were a little too harsh on her?” Said Seulong from the back. “You don’t have to be like this.”

             “What do you want me to do? Go back home and tell them the truth. Tell them that I’m dying?” Said Taecyeon emotionally. “And let them pity me….I don’t need that pity. I know how my farther is. And I’ve seen Yoona with Siwon the other night. He can comfort her. He can give her everything she want. He is the one that can bring her happiness.”

             “How would you know? Do you think he would really give her happiness through money? He may be rich, but money can’t buy love.” Said Seulong in a disappointment tone.

             Taecyeon stood silent as he stare at the ground.

             “I can tell Yoona still love you. I can tell she love you a lot, but you’re pushing away.”

             “It doesn’t matter.” Said Taecyeon stubbornly. “I’ve made my decision and I will not go back.” He walks away in sorrow.

             Seulong hopefully sighed as he watches him walk the opposite direction.

             “I can’t watch him be like this. I can’t let him be alone.” Said Suzy. “I know he love Yoona deeply. Everything he’s doing right now is for her happiness, but this is not happiness. It will only hurt both of them more.”

             “There’s no one that will be able to change his mind.” Said Seulong.

             “Both of them need to know the truth.” Said Suzy confidently.

             “For ones, you’re actually helping them.” Said Seulong in a slight surprise tone.

             “Shut up.” Suzy glared at him before reuniting with her relative.

             Seulong inhale and exhale deeply as he look at the field fill with people smiling and hugging, the scene of love and happiness. “I’m sorry, Taec. But I can’t let you be lonely. I can’t let you walk the next road alone.”

* * * *

Ringing the doorbell a couple times, Mrs. Im went to answer the door. Surprise to see Seulong, she step aside to let him in.

             “Annyoung Mrs. Im.” Seulong greeted her.

             “Annyoung Seulong, what brings you here?” Mrs. Im asked, hoping his present have to do something with Taecyeon.

             “There is something to tell you, Mr. Ok, and Yoona. It’s about Taecyeon.” Said Seulong.

             Mrs. Im nodded. She closed the door and escorts him to the living room where Yoona and Mr. Ok is.

             “Seulong.” Yoona surprised to see him.

             “Yobo, Seulong is here to tell us about Taecyeon.” Said Mrs. Im.

             “I don’t want to know anything him.” Mr. Ok was angry. “After what Yoona told me, I really don’t see him as my son anymore."

              Yoona sadly looked at the floor after remembering what happen today at the school. “If it is about him, then I don’t want to hear it.” She said before she stand up, ready herself to leave the room.

             “Taecyeon does not have much time left. If you leave him now then he will die.”

             Yoona stop as her heart anxiously beat. She turned around and looks at him with mixture emotion.

             “If you leave him now, then he will definitely be lonely for the remaining road left.” Seulong was filled with sadness as he pleadingly looks into her eyes. “You’re the last hope to bring him back.”

             Seulong words shock Mr. Ok and Mrs. Im. They were speechless, frighten, and terrified by the news.

             “What do you mean?” Yoona asked.

             Seulong sat in a single couch, while Mrs. Im join Mr. Ok on the couch. “You can’t ignore him. He needs your help and support. You are his last hope…our last hope to keep him alive. To him right now is nothing but lonely dark world. Everyday he face his own shadow, whispering to himself, battling the pain by himself. There are times I’ve seen him cried in pain. There are times I see him suffered hardship because he’s fighting for his live so he could see you more. But lately, he have been tired. His hope is slowly drowning. The pain is suffocation him.”

             Yoona and the family silent and carefully listened.  

             “What do you mean? What pain?” Mrs. Im asked. “What happen to him?”

             Seulong guiltily looked at Yoona. He take a deep breath before he speaks again. “Taecyeon has leukemia. He need a bone narrow transplant, if he does not get one in 4 months than he will die.”

             Yoona body falls into the couch in shock as she look blankly at an open space.

             “Yoona, what you see today… was all an act.” Seulong continues. “He can no longer hear in his right ear. He have lost his hearing.”  

             “Wh—what?” Yoona shockingly stuttered. “How?”

             “What!” Mr. Ok was surprise by Seulong. “You—you’re joking right?”

             “No sir. I’m telling you the truth. I wouldn’t know about this if it weren’t for that fight against the Siwon at the school, and faint on the street. He would haven’t found out that he has leukemia either and gone death on his right ear If I didn’t take him to the hospital.”

             “His right ear….?” Yoona voice trembled.

             “Remember he shielded you in the cafeteria? Remember when Siwon held the chair up and swung it as hard as he could at him, but didn’t expect you to get in front of Taecyeon?” Seulong tries giving a few starts for Yoona to remember. “You misunderstood him that day. Siwon was the one that start first. He knew about you and Taecyeon break up, so he took advantage of it, added more fire in. Siwon mentioned something about you and him had a best night, Iwhich got Taecyeon furious and tackled him. That’s when you came in. After you misunderstood him and declared the line between you and him, he left the school. As I followed him, I see as track of bloods on the ground. Bloods start coming out of his right ear. Both Suzy and I tried to convince him to stay at the hospital and get treated but he refused. Last night at Banpo River, he jump into the river. I jumped in and pulled him out, but shortly he was in pain and fainted. I carried him to the hospital and the doctor and nurse rush him to ER. After the check-up, the doctor informed me that he has leukemia, chronic leukemia and it will soon be acute leukemia and if he does not get a transplant then there nothing else that can help him.” Seulong briefly told them everything he knew. “I wanted to let you know, but he stop me and would not let me tell you or anybody. The doctor is trying to find him a match and luckily they did, but he rejected it. He only have four months left if he don’t get bone marrow transplant. The doctor said his time can decrease and the pain will worsen which eventually lead to… death.” Seulong looks over at Yoona with his hands hold clasps together. “Yoona, please don’t give up on him now. He need you. We need you to pull him back.”

             Yoona was just speechless as she stares at the fireplace.

             “So the fight… Siwon was there. He started first?” Mr. Ok restated his words, assuring what he heard was not a whispered.

             Seulong nodded. “Everything he did today was all an act to get you to forget him. The embrace. The kiss. They were all fake.” Said Seulong.

             “I misunderstood…” Yoona regretfully whispered to herself. 

             “He want to do this on his own.” Mrs. Im was terrified to hear this horrible news. “He wanted to end his life alone.”

             “No.” Yoona was in denial. “He can’t leave me and the baby.”

             Seulong shockingly look at Yoona, “A baby?”

             Yoona nodded. “Yes, a baby. His baby.” 

             “Where is he now?” Mr. Ok asked.

             “I know he’s working for the Kim Construction Corporation right now.

             “What is he thinking?” MR. Ok angrily said. “In his condition, he still work in this hard labor job?” Said Mrs. Im.

             “It was the only he could pay for his medicine and apartment.” Said Seulong. “He didn’t want to bother you. There are till I see him painfully cried in the alley as he bared the pain at night. I went over to him and found him trying to reach for his medicine.”

             His words frighten Yoona deeply. “Can you bring me to him? I want to persuade him to come home.” Yoona asked.

             “I came here tonight in hope you can convince. He deeply love you, and I know he will listen to you.” Said Seulong.

             “We will go with you.” Said Mrs. Im.

             “No. I will go.” Said Yoona. “This is my fault and I want to tell the truth.”

             “If we all go, he will run away.” Said Seulong. “Maybe, it is better if Yoona and I go.”

             “Fine. Both of you have to successfully bring him home.” Said Mr. Ok.

             “Yes, samchon.”

             “Yes, appa”

* * * *

             Parked on the side of the street, Seulong and Yoona get out of the car and cross the street to a Kim Construction Corporation. They walks to the back of the building, and through the alley, they see workers resting, talking, and eating. Taecyeon was nowhere seen in the alley. Seulong walks up to one of the employee and ask for him. The employee point up the stair and make a little “pointing to the left” sign. Seulong thank him before he walk up to Yoona and guide down the alley and up to the stair. They take a left turn, there at the end of the alley under the light is a shadow of a tiring young man sitting on the ground and resting his back against the wall.

             Yoona slowly walks up to him, and see him holding a picture on her in his hands. Slowly her eyes becomes watery as she curses herself for all pain she caused.

 “Taecyeon oppa…” Her tone was soft and sadden by what she is seeing right now in front of her.

             Shock by her voice, Taecyeon jolt and see Yoona in front of him. “Wh—what are you doing here?”

             “I know everything now, oppa. Please come home.” Yoona begged.

             Looking pass Yoona, he sees Seulong guiltily hiding behind her. “Seulong!”

             “Mianhe, I can’t keep watching you like this.” Said Seulong with guilt.

             “He did nothing wrong. What he did was right. And it’s for your sake.” Said Yoona in tears. “Why did you have to hide the truth from me? Why did you not tell me about your illness?”

             “Leave.” Taecyeon coldly demanded.

             “Taecyeon oppa—“

             “Leave!” Taecyeon shouted.

             “I’m not leaving.” Tears were gliding down her cheeks as she looks into Taecyeon despaired eyes.  “I’m not leaving without you…..Please don’t be like this. You have a home. You have a family. You have me.”

             “Taecyeon trembling grin his teeth as he looks into her tearing eyes. “Seulong, take her home.”

             “Mianhe Taec. I can’t do that.”

             “Fine.” Taecyeon voices tremble with forceful smiles. “I’ll leave.” He walks toward the stairs.

Yoona grabs his hand and stop him. “Please stop.” She begged. “I can’t lose you again…… It was really painful today, believing that you move one. I’m scared. I was hurt so much as if I was being punish for not cherishing the person who love me all this time…. and I love him too. Tonight, just hearing the truth Hearing the truth tonight….. my nightmare have become my fear.....mianhe oppa.”

Her words shaken him as he tries to hold back his tears. Yoona turn and look directly into his eyes. She lift her right hand up and cupped the side of his face. “I miss you….I miss you a lot.”

             Taecyeon closed his eyes, trying to hold himself together. He grip onto his fists tightly and walks away before Yoona could see him in tears.

             “Please Yoona. Please forget me.” Taecyeon whispered inside his head as he walks back to work with the rest of the team.

To be continues……………………………….