Time flies as many hours have passed since Yoona and Seulong had an emotional talk with Taecyeon in the back alley of where he work. Begging and pleading, Yoona have tried it all but Taecyeon would not listen but to only walk away once again. So now, the two of them waits outside his workplace then driving to his apartment; Taecyeon has disappeared. He was nowhere seen. His phone are off. Every of Yoona calls are sent to his voicemail, leaving her more worries. Another hour passed, Seulong decided to take Yoona home. Driving into the parkway, they see Suzy at the door of the house. Seulong and Yoona got out of the car and walk up to her.

             “What are you doing here this late?” Seulong asked.

             “I have something important to tell Yoona, but seeing you here, I guessed you’ve told her already.” Said Suzy.

             Seulong nodded, “I did. I can’t keep hiding it from them.”

             “Well, same goes here. It took me a long thinking to finally decide that I should tell her and his parent even if he hate me again.” Said Suzy.

             “Taecyeon is not that type guy. Form the start, he never hated you.” Said Seulong.

             “But…”

             “Trust me. He may be cold, but not that cold.”

             “Then I guessed, I have a good news for you all.” Said Suzy.

             “Let’s go inside.” Said Seulong. “It’s cold out here.”

             Seulong open the door after Yoona enter the code. The three of them walks to the living and see Mr. Ok and Mrs. Im still awake sitting on the double couch.

             “Appa. Omma.” Yoona greeted them. “Why are you still awake?”

             “Samchon. Ssungmo.” Seulong and Suzy greeted them respectfully.

             “We want to see Taecyeon.” Said Mrs. Im.

             “Where is he?” Mr. Ok asked as he look behind them.

             “I’m sorry. I couldn’t him home with me.” Yoona answered.

             “We tried, but he will not come home with us.” Said Seulong.

             The sound of door open and shut echo loudly in the house. All of them turn as look at the hallway and see Yuri rushing up to them.

             Yuri run up to Suzy, grabs her arms tightly, and looked into her eyes. “It is true? Taecyeon oppa…. Is it he really going to die?” Through her shaky voice, everybody knew she was frighten and worried as much as they were.

             “Yes, but I came with good news.” Said Suzy. “My samchon have a matching donor for Taecyeon. That person is in England and is unsuitable to leave the country, he instruct me to bring Taecyeon to him as soon as possible.”

             Her news have brought a part of everybody worriedness relief. Mr. Ok and Mrs. Im are delighted to hear this, but Yoona still felt worried. She does not know why, but a part of her feels as if Taecyeon has given up his life, his hope, and his love ones.

             “It’s best that we tried to get to Taecyeon and convince him.” Said Suzy.

             “We tried every possible way we could think off but he did not answer nor come out from the shadow.” Said Seulong hopelessly. “Yoona and I thought about asking you to give him a call and hopefully to get him to come out.”

             “I don’t think he will listen to me.” Said Suzy. She looks over at Yoona, waiting for her to speak.

             “I’m not giving up.” Yoona speak as if she knew what Suzy was asking her. “I will prove to him that he’s still in my heart and I want him alive.” Yoona was very determine as she confidently look at Suzy. “He can’t leave me and baby.”

             “Baby?” Yuri and Suzy confusedly look at Yoona. They look from her eyes to the hand at her stomach. The little bump is visual in their eyes.

             “You’re pregnant?” Yuri asked.

             “For almost two months now.” Said Yoona. “And I want to tell him that his the father of the child.”

             Suzy and Yuri was just speechless as they look at Yoona with mix facial expression that could not be determine if it was good or bad.

             “Yoona, since you’re pregnant you need to go rest.” Said Mrs. Im. “It’s not good for pregnant woman to over work their body and health.”

             “But we still need to find Taecyeon oppa.” Yoona insist staying up.

             “We will, but the important thing now is you taking care of yourself and the baby.” Mrs. Im words was right. She must take care of herself and the baby, if not, they when facing Taecyeon she won’t have the energy to face him again. She must rest well. Mrs. Im walks her to her bedroom, and put her to bed before leaving the room. Embracing his mother bracelet at her heart, Yoona closes her eyes and sleep.  Seulong and the rest are in the living, thinking of ways to get a hold of Taecyeon; driven from one plan to another, they continues throughout the night.

* * * *

             The next day, Taecyeon head to work like usual. He work hard from morning to noon then till the sun have set. He endless carries the metal bars to it destination, pounding the hammer over the nail, gunning the nail on the wood. He does many job as a constructor. Over working himself, the pain at his hip arise, piercing him again. Taecyeon stop, put aside the tool and quickly walk to a corner where no one can see him. Digging in his pocket for his medicine, he quickly take it out and open the lid. Shaking the little bottle over his palm, two pills slides onto his hand. He drink it quickly as he hold tight onto the container, baring the pain inside of him. Inhaling and exhaling heavily a couple times, he look at the yellow container. There is no more pills left inside that container. It was empty. Resting his head against the thick wooden wall, he close his eyes for a moment. Taecyeon’s phone vibrates in his pocket. He takes the phone out; it was a message from Seulong. “Taecyeon, you need to answer my call. It’s important. Something bad happen.—Seulong”. Right he finished reading the message, an incoming call from Seulong rings.

             “Hello?” Taecyeon answered.

             “Taec, come quick. Yoona—.” Seulong paused.

             “What happen to her?” Taecyeon uttered in fright-shock tone.

             “Come home quick, Yoona went into a seizure and now she’s not breathing. I don’t know if Yoona can make it. Hurry Taec.” Seulong spoke loudly, acting in fear.

             Taecyeon quickly rush to his car and drove as fast as he could back home. N a short time, Taecyeon is home. He rush out of the car into the house, “Yoona!” He shouts her name loudly as he runs into the living room first, only to see everybody standing in the center of the room. They have been waiting for him. Taecyeon glared at Seulong, his eyes were filled with fire. Seulong guiltily lower his head.

             “Taecyeon.” They all called him.

             “You lied to me.” Taecyeon angrily looks at Seulong.

             “Mianhe Taec. It was the only way to get you to come back home.” Said Seulong in guilt.

             Taecyeon irately turned to the exit and begin walking towards the door.

             “Oppa!” Yoona called him. She rushes to him—grabbed his right hand and stop him. “Please don’t go.” She begged him.

             Her voice weakens him, but he fight back and swing her hands away; he resumes walking to the door. Yoona run to him, embracing him from behind—she stop him again.

             “I’m pregnant.” Yoona said to his left side in tears. “I’m pregnant with your baby—our baby.”

             This news shock him—froze him in one spot. Yoona voice continues to mumbles inside his head as his eyes widen at the floor.

             “Taecyeon-ah, appa is sorry for everything. Appa is sorry for not being by side. Appa is sorry for not being a good appa. Taecyeon-ah, please come home.” Mr. Ok pleaded. “You have every right to be mad at me, every right to hate, but you can’t keep hiding. I need you. Your mom need you. Yoona and the baby need you.”

             Tears evolving in his eyes as he tightly grip his fists together. 

             “Taecyeon, please. Let us help you.” Mrs. Im pleaded. “We are a family.”

             “Taecyeon oppa, leukemia is not joke. Your right ear is death and you’re suffering from Leukemia. Just come back home and let us help you.” Yuri tried to convince him.

             One by one, speak out their concern. The room soon become noiseless as they wait for Taecyeon to say something.

             “I’m begging you… please don’t do this. Don’t give up. You still have me, the baby, appa, omma, and friends. We all need you here. Please come home.” Yoona continues to shed tears on his back as her arms remain around him. “The baby and I need you.”

             A couple tears shed from his eyes and strolled down his cheek. He grabbed a hold of Yoona hands and parted them—freeing himself from her embrace. He turned and faces the family hurtfully yet coldly.

             “Ar—are you pitying me now?” Looking into her eyes, he force himself to put on a cold face. “I don’t need your pity.” He looked from his parent to Yoona. “Isn’t better if I’m gone just like you all say?” He tried controlling his weak shaky voice in front of them. “Isn’t better if I disappear from your life…like you said?”

             Yoona shook her head to his question, “No. We—I didn’t mean it.”

             “Don’t lie. I know you all do better without me.” He looked down at her. “Didn’t you say you don’t love me?” His eyes was red as he looks into her teary eyes. “One after another, you keep pushing away. From the beginning, you never give me a piece of your heart…..I was never in your heart."

             “Oppa…” Yoona sobs.

             “Don’t.” He said stonily yet hurtfully. “You made it clear between me and you. You never love me. You never care about me. It was only I that was dreaming.”

             “I never meant to say those words. I thought it was the only way you could stop loving me. It was the only way for a family to be family. It was the only way not to separate omma and appa. I—I really love you.”

             “Then what about me?” Taecyeon asked her. “I don’t want us to stay like brother and sister for the rest of this life. I don’t want everybody to see you as my sister…. but you reject me time after time. Now you tell me you love me and need me. Isn’t it too late? Isn’t obvious that you’re pitying me.”

             “No, it never too late.” Yoona disagree.

             “Taecyeon, now is not the time for that. We have to get you to the hospital.” Mr. Ok suggested. “We will think of a way for you and Yoona to be together once all of this is over.”

             “I DON’T NEED YOUR HELP!” Taecyeon exclaimed. His shout startles everyone in the room. Inhaling and exhaling deeply as he look at him. “I don’t need your pity just because I’m like this, useless and pathetic.”

             “I can’t let you go just like I let your mom go.” Said Mr. Ok.

             “You did anyway!” Taecyeon exclaimed as tears overwhelm his eyes. “You let her go…. When she was sick, you rarely visited her. You were always busy with work, busy with other things. You don’t even make time to see her.” He disgustingly looked at his father. “Did you know how much it hurt me seeing mom get paler and paler every second, every minute, and every day. Did you know how much pain she had gone through, how much obstacles she face to stay alive... only to wait for you to come see her again?.... She waited for you and it hurts a lot me. It hurt so much that I couldn’t breathe—could not face it—could not do anything to help her but to sit recklessly beside her, held her hands, and watched her. She shed tears everyday waiting for you. I prayed every night for her. I prayed every night for you to come and see her at least more often, but you came twice. And those two time don’t even last more than 5 minutes. To you, that damn theater and your business was way more important than her.”

             Taecyeon words strike Mr. Ok heart like knives. “Mianhe.” Mr. Ok regretfully apologized.

             “It’s too late. No matter how much you apologized, she won’t come back.” Taecyeon stuttered hurtfully. “So now…I don’t need all of your help. I don’t need your pity. Don’t waste your time on me.”

             “Oppa please stop.” Yoona plead in tears.

Taecyeon, holding his tears back, turned around and head to the door. “Ah...”  sudden storm of pains hit him from his hip up his body. Striving the pains, he collapse to his right knee with his left hand at his hip. Inhaling and exhaling heavily as sweat form across his forehead. Everybody immediately run to him. Yoona was the first to reach him and try to help him, but was push away by him. Everybody stop a couple feet away. The painful cry from him shaken everybody heart as he tries to overcome it.

             “Call the ambulance.” Mr. Ok ordered.

             Mrs. Im immediately takes out her phone and presses the first two numbers.

             “Don’t.” Taecyeon speak up. Sweats swam his forehead. “Th—there’s no need.” He tries to stand on his feet again.

             Yoona grabs onto his right arms. “Aren’t you tired of hiding? Aren’t you tired of being like this? Everybody here cares about you. Everybody here need you.”

             No.” Taecyeon answered. “This is my fate. And it’s best for you not to have the baby since there a high chance the baby will like me, so why keep the baby?” He try to hurt her in every possible way he can. He try to convince, even though, inside him he want the baby. But no matter what he said, he knew Yoona will keep the baby.

             “Oppa……” Yoona sobs.

             “Ok Taecyeon, how dare you tell Yoona to abort the baby?” Mr. Ok fiercely looked at her. “It’s your baby.”

             “I know!” Taecyeon exclaimed. “You think I don’t know that. I may be death on one ear, but I can hear her on the other. I know it’s my baby, but what do you want me to do? She never loves me and I don’t have much time. I rather she not keep the…”

             Yoona slapped him across his face, hoping he would wake up to his true self. Yuri and Mrs. Im covered in shock. While Seulong and Mr. Ok cluelessly stand from a short distant. She was hurt by words. He was also hurt by his own words. It was hard for him to say it to her, but he doesn’t want the baby to go grow up wit out a father or be like him. He doesn’t want her to suffer because he have given up hope… given up his life. But she have not. She’s fighting for him.

Another storm of pain strive him. This time was more painful than ever. So much pain that it cause him to suffocate, and yet, he still hide it from them.

             “How could you say that to me? How could you tell me to abort our baby?” Tears rolling down her cheek like the streams. “It’s our baby. It’s a life. It’s a blessed from above. You keep saying I don’t love you, you keep saying I pity you but you’re wrong. I do love you. I love you with all my heart and I want raise our child up together, not by myself, but with you…. “ A storm tears strolling down her cheeks as she hurtfully looks into his eyes. “When I learned about illness and lost your right hearing, my heart drops dead. I’m scare. I’m scare of losing you. But seeing you again, seeing you like his…you are totally different person with a mask on. No hope, no life in you at all, just a loner hiding in the dark corner resisting help from others. I really want to hate you the moment I see you again, but I couldn’t because I love you too much to let you go. It is also the reason I wanted to keep this baby...because of you. Because it was the only way I can prove to you how much I love you… and how important you are to me.” Yoona sobs as she unconsciously and worriedly stares at him. “But how could you?”

             Seeing the tears gliding down her cheeks hurts him so much. He want to wipe her tears gently and embrace her tightly in his arms, and tell her that everything he said was a lied, but the pain is killing…refraining him from doing so. His hands begin to shake ferociously as groan in pain with sweat dripping from his forehead.

             “Taec?” Seulong knew he’s in pain.

             Miserably in pain, Taecyeon withdraw his hand back and head to the front door as fast as he could.  The pain was too much for him to bear; He collapse fully on the floor.

             “OPPA!” Yoona immediately run to him, hold his one of his hand tightly as she tries to hold from falling completely to the floor. His hand was cold, forehead sweating, teeth gritting. 

             Seulong help Yoona hold Taecyeon away from the cold floor. The rest forward—surrounding Taecyeon. Without talking, Mr. Ok help Seulong lift Taecyeon up and onto Seulong back; they all rush to Mr. Ok’s car. Yoona sat beside him, letting his head wrist on her shoulder.  Mrs. Im and Yuri sat on the driver side. Seulong sat in the passenger seat while Mr. Ok take the wheel and drove to the nearest hospital.

             “Oppa.” Yoona tried calling him. Cleaning the sweat off his forehead, she wrapped her arms around him, keeping him warm as much as she can.

             “Yoo—Yoona…” Taecyeon murmured.

             “I’m here.” Said Yoona as she hold his hand tightly. “Stay with me. Don’t give up, oppa.”

To be continue…………………………