"Do you want me to take you home?" I asked, worried that Bang Da Sung would attack him. From the corner of my eyes I saw a group approaching. "Guess you don't have a choice, now. I'm taking you home!" I declared before entangling my fingers through his and dragging him forward, the way Sungyeol does. 

Sungjong seemed to enjoy the silence. I, on the other hand, scanned the deserted road for some sort of noise. There was a slight breeze causing the red and orange leaves to lazily skip through the road, making a soft sound that was hardly heard. One of the leaves was caught in the cracks of the worn area. The breeze picked up making the tall grass and flowers that aligned the road move as if waving to some invisible viewer. The many potholes scattered down the entire way were filled with brown puddles just asking for a child with shiny rain boots to splash in. I looked down at my polished black shoes and shrugged. Letting go of Sungjong's hand, my two feet rose at the same time and handed into the murky small pole.  

I looked back at Sungjong who gave me a weird look than rubbed his hands, blowing into them trying to keep warm. Fog escaped his mouth as he looked back at me. I smiled and we continued walking. He is very sensitive. 

We finally approached a two-story house, which looked bright on the outside. "Um, I'll be going then," I whispered. He gave me a grateful smile and waved goodbye. I walked back the way I came. My breath was ripped from my lungs and the air was thick as I gasped. Cold chills plagued me and my stomach felt as though it tied knots. A pressure built in my chest and my heart felt as though it would burst with emotions. Hold on a little longer. Hold on a little longer, my conscience said in a soft voice. Giving up on Sungjong was harder than I thought. What am I going to do? I quickly got onto the lifeless bus and headed home.  

Tears ran down from the corners of my eyes and past my ears, as I lay on my bed facing the white ceiling. The world I lived in collapsed, leaving me standing there all alone. It felt like not even a moment elapsed. A dark flame burnt all my hopes as the feeling of drowning in my tears hit me. This feeling was like a never-ending nightmare.  Whimpering a little, I turned to a side and tried to fall asleep.

I swapped Sungjong's desk with mine, many people wrote harsh words on it. Seating myself on one end of him, we waited for Sungyeol to turn up. "We should've gone over to Sungyeol's yesterday to check if everything was ok," I suggested. Sungjong, slowly, nodded with agreement.  

"What are you doing?" a sudden familiar voice asked, making us jump a little. I looked up into Sungyeol's eyes, which was emitting a ray of envy. Smiling to myself, I eyed the seat on the left of Sungjong. His gaze than fell onto my desk. "What's that?" He moved my hands to get a better look. "Was this for Sungjong?" I looked down, feeling a little guilty. He ruffled his hair than turned back to the class. He looked as if he was going kill someone. Sungjong held onto his arm and dragged him down to the seat.  

"Forget it. Myungsoo already gave them a big speech but they still didn't change. Let's just forget it," he whispered. Sungyeol looked at me with aghast than back at Sungjong, who was smiling at me. I laughed under my breath, he is going through the same feeling I did when Sungjong always did that to him. 

"Myungsoo oppa, are you still going to hang out with them?" a voice shot at me. What was this girl's problem? Doesn't she understand even after what I said yesterday? However, this was my chance to popularity again. I could hang out with these two, and have rocks been thrown at me, or I can move back to my original seat and be loved. 

"Of course, I am," I said with a sardonic smirk. The girl scoffed at me and turned around to the second best person in the room. As my glaze turned to Sungjong and Sungyeol, I caught onto something odd. Bang Da Sung was staring in our direction with a look that wasn't normal.  

The throbbing pain runs wildly around his feet. The sharp agony, of a thousand burning needles jabs in at the same time, shoots up and down his arm. Sweat bursts out as a wave of nausea hits him. He collapses in a heap, his body burning in searing pain that grew worse with each passing second. His muscles cramp up on him, tearing from his bones. His hand curls into a claw, scratching the rocky dark-grey pavement, trying to release the affliction. Giving up, he lays there, unable to do anything except suffer. Tears forms at the corners of his eyes as he gasps and pants. He could not even call out. Make it stop, make it stop, he thinks while he somehow wills his other arm to render aid to the, now, useless appendage.

Threads of bright yellow light surrounds him. His soul lifts above him from his still, numb body. At least the pain will be over this way. His conscious part smiles as it dances away towards the spark, in the distance.

"Sungjong, Sungjong,"I cry, shaking his still body that lie in front of me. Tears stream down my face, making it moist. My entire body collapse as a scream escapes my lips. This is all my fault. This is all my fault. I-if I had not told Sungyeol that day, I-if Sungjong did not stick up for me, this would not have happened.  

"Please, visitor, don't disturb the patient." Feeling a touch of hand on my shoulders, I look up into the light brown eyes of a woman in the white apron.  

"How is his condition?" I ask with worry, not holding my tears back. My tooth sinks into my bottom lip, as I got ready for the worst.  

"The situation was getting dire but because of a young man, he's alive. So please, step outside." A sigh of relief escapes my lips as a smile form.  

I grab the nurse's hand and bow, "Thank you. Thank you." My tongue hydrates my lips as I slowly walk outside.  

Minutes later, Sungyeol runs down the corridor with a bag full of medicine. He enters the room and the nurse greets him with a smile. He is the one that brought Sungjong here. I stroll to the doorway and watch as Sungjong regains his conscious. An urge to go him hits me, but I held back. My eyes water as Sungjong’s soft eyes turns more loving at the mere sight of Sungyeol. He struggles to get into seating position but when he did, he swings his hand over Sungyeol’s neck, who pulls him in closer.  

That moment I realized that the love they had for each other was true. The love I was seeing now was patient and kind. It does not boast nor does it envy. It is not proud, rude or self-seeking. It was not easily angered and neither does it have a record of wrongs. This love does not delight in evil, instead rejoices with the truth. It always protects, trusts, hopes and always preserves.  

My feet, unwillingly, strolled out of the hospital. They are meant for each other.  

Walking the empty streets, four am in the morning, alone was painfully beautiful. The sun rises up making the cloud turn a shade of orange and pink. Two roads diverge in front of me; one was a short cut to my home, travelled by most, and the other was less travelled by because it was the long way. I take the long way, for a change. It helps. The empty calm silence comforts my cries.  

I take my phone out and call my mum. 'Mrs Kim here, sorry can't answer the call at the moment. Please leave a message if it's urgent,' her voice was calm and soft.  

"Mum, I lost something special again but I made a friend and kept another one from ages ago. That’s something special. The other day this girl asked me to choose between these friends and popularity. Guess what I chose?" I remained quiet for a bit. "Correct, I chose my friends. Hey, you seriously can see everything from up there!" I look up and disconnect the line. A whoosh was wind swipes past me, just like the one from before. I feel my mum's warmth in the cold breeze.

I continue. Taking a different path wasn't a bad idea.