“Miss Jung Sooyeon, please proceed to the Guidance Counselor’s office as soon as possible.”

The announcement engulfs the entire university premises and everybody at the university cafeteria who witnessed what happened began murmuring and whispering, voicing their speculations about what happened and why is Sooyeon being summoned at Ms. Lee’s office. Kyuhyun can’t decide what’s better: being called at the guidance counselor’s office for every single entity in the university to hear or being called at the dean’s office even though just the entire university cafeteria can hear it?

Either way, he can’t deny that he’s worried of Sooyeon, especially when he hears others’ speculations. The last he saw his childhood friend, she’s still at the ground, crying. Well, she sounds like crying to Kyuhyun but he doesn’t really see her face so he’s not sure. After everything that happened, he’s not sure of anything anymore.

“Maybe, she really did trip that long haired high school chick,” Kyuhyun hears from his classmate behind him.

“Maybe, she suffered psychological trauma and is being called for therapy,” Kyuhyun hears another speculation. Psychological trauma because of what? Being pushed to the ground? Seriously, Kyuhyun can think of better reasons to be called at the guidance counselor’s office.

All these maybes’ are drowned from Kyuhyun’s background and he forgets all about Sooyeon when he remembers what Jongwoon said to him: “I saw her tripped Joohyun.”

What if Sooyeon really did trip Joohyun? What if Kyuhyun hit Jongwoon baselessly?

There’s this strange guilt in the pit on Kyuhyun’s stomach that he decides to excuse himself in class. He needs to see Sooyeon. Did she really trip Joohyun and Jongwoon has the right to protect Sooyoung? And why did he have to raise his hand on Sooyoung? Even though it’s Sooyoung’s fault or Sooyeon’s fault, Sooyoung’s a girl and thinking about it, Kyuhyun feels like a complete jerk and a total idiot for raising his hand of a high school girl. He can’t feel worst but when he checks his phone, there still isn’t any reply from Yesung. Now Kyuhyun feels worst-worst, as he strides at the field between the high school building and university building.

Kyuhyun is running to the high school building but he stops when he glimpses to people at the botanical garden who seems like they’re trying to carry something – or someone – incredibly difficult for them to do so and they’re struggling.

Those looks like… Sooyoung and Joohyun?

Which mean…

Hey that’s Jongwoon!

And before knowing it, Kyuhyun reverses from the high school building direction and is running to the botanical garden. He doesn’t even understand why when Sooyeon’s her childhood friend, right? What’s happening to Sooyeon should be more important than what’s happening to Sooyoung or Joohyun. After all, he just met (although not very good) them a few hours ago.

But Jongwoon’s look in his face when he said sorry to Kyuhyun earlier.

And his voice, it still bothers Kyuhyun but he doesn’t want to distort his mind for now because when he opens the door to the botanical garden, looking like hell for running from the field like he’s on a freaking marathon, Jongwoon’s arms are on Sooyoung’s and Joohyun’s shoulder. He’s white as flour and he seems unconscious.

“What’s wrong with him?” Kyuhyun asks, walking towards the three.

Sooyoung stops and Joohyun steps backward that Kyuhyun realizes they must be afraid of him. After what happened, Kyuhyun can’t blame them really. And he did raise his hand on Sooyoung and he is thankful for Jongwoon for stopping him because he’ll probably hang himself if he hits Sooyoung even though it’s all Sooyeon’s fault. Kyuhyun doesn’t even realize that he has now settled that it’s really Sooyeon’s fault.

“Please,” Kyuhyun says, still panting after running like an international triathlon athlete, “I’m really, really sorry for what happened. I shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t have acted that way. I’m really sorry but I don’t think he’s in a very good condition. I think he should be brought to the infirmary immediately.”

Joohyun tugs Sooyoung’s shoulder and when Sooyoung turns to look at Joohyun, it seems like they exchange communication telepathically.

“Please,” Kyuhyun says again, “let me help. This is the least I can do.”

“Please bring Jongwoon-oppa to the infirmary as soon as possible. He suddenly faints and we don’t know what wrong,” Joohyun explains when Sooyoung won’t say a word to Kyuhyun. Joohyun doesn’t want to. After all, he’s the guy who hit Jongwoon when Jongwoon protected them but Jongwoon needs help, immediately.

Kyuhyun nods and comes towards them. After placing Jongwoon on his back carefully, he looks for a moment at Joohyun, “Sooyeon shouldn’t have done what she did. I’m sorry, in her behalf,” and to Sooyoung, “I shouldn’t have raised my hand on you. I’m sorry,” and finally, to both of them, “I’m sorry for hurting Jongwoon. I really am… I’m sorry.”

Then, before either Joohyun or Sooyoung can respond to him, Kyuhyun is out of the botanical garden, sprinting to the infirmary.

“Sooyoung-ah, don’t be mad at him anymore,” Joohyun nudges Sooyoung who’s grudgingly taking their belongings to follow Kyuhyun and Jongwoon at the infirmary.

“I’m not mad at him for raising his hand on me, Hyun,” the taller girl replies seriously. “I’m mad because he hurt Jongwoon-oppa. I can never forgive that.”

“Jongwoon-oppa likes him, Sooyoung-ah.”

“Yes,” Sooyoung snarls, “and I can’t see any reason why.”

“Sooyoung-ah,” Joohyun starts, her voice steady.

“Joohyun, you can’t expect me to forgive him that easily,” Sooyoung says in a weak attempt to defend herself from Joohyun. She knows what Joohyun’s trying to do. “Not only did he believe that Sooyeon did nothing wrong – What? You tripped yourself and covered yourself with bibimbap for all to see? – and raised his hand on me, he hurt Jongwoon-oppa. That kind of triples his sin.”

“Sooyoung-ah, is Jongwoon-oppa mad at him?”

“No… because Jongwoon-oppa likes him. So he can’t be mad at him, I think?”

“So, if Jongwoon-oppa who’s the one who got hit isn’t mad, are we supposed to get mad at him? Besides, you said that you’re not mad at him for raising his hand on you. So, why’s there any need to get mad still?”

“Aren’t you even a little pissed at him for defending Sooyeon, for raising his hand on me and for hitting Jongwoon-oppa?” Sooyoung suddenly questions the calm and reserved Joohyun.

“I was,” Joohyun begins, “but he’s the person Jongwoon-oppa likes. Can we not forgive him for that single fact?”

Sooyoung thinks about it for a moment. She can’t completely agree with Joohyun but she does know that it’s true that he’s the person Jongwoon likes. How can she argue with that, really? She’s still mad at him for hitting Jongwoon when he’s only trying to protect her and Joohyun.

“Why does Jongwoon-oppa even like him?” Sooyoung mutters, getting the last of their belongings and proceeding towards the botanical garden door.

“The same reason why we like Jongwoon-oppa,” Joohyun simply says.

“What?”

“He makes him happy.”

“Well, at least he knows how to say sorry,” Sooyoung still murmurs and Joohyung smiles before they both run to the infirmary.

It doesn’t have to be something complicated, really. Why do you like a person, because he’s rich and he’s giving you tons of chocolates, diamonds and rare-colored roses? It doesn’t even have to be romantic all the time. You like a person because he makes you happy. It’s that simple, like how you like this cartoon because it makes you happy and how you like vanilla over chocolate because it makes you happy.

“He’s going to be fine, Kyuhyun-ssi,” Dr. Song, the beautiful university doctor, says over and over to Kyuhyun because well, Kyuhyun’s asking over and over again.

“Is he going to be okay, doctor?” Kyuhyun, yet, worriedly asks again. “Is it because I hit him? Did I hurt him that much? Did I fracture his cheek bone?”

“He is going to be fine, Kyuhyun-ssi,” the doctor repeats again patiently.

“Is he going to be really okay?”

“Yes, he is,” the doctor says, sighing and gesturing for Kyuhyun to sit for a while. “Don’t worry, okay? He’s going to be definitely fine. He just passed out.”

Kyuhyun realizes he never really let the doctor to explain what’s wrong with Jongwoon because the moment the doctor comes out from the room Jongwoon’s in, he bombarded her already with questions if Jongwoon’s going to be alright. He doesn’t really know why but he settles, yet again just settles because he can’t think of any other reason, on his guilt for hitting Jongwoon for nothing.

“Passed out? Why?”

“Don’t you know? Aren’t you his friend?” Dr. Song asks, going through Jongwoon’s medical records at the university. “Then why are you the one to bring him here?”

Kyuhyun doesn’t know how to answer that but if he’s being philosophical, rationally, can’t you bring a stranger who passed out in front of you to the infirmary?

Fortunately, Dr. Song continues, “His body is really weak. Other than being anemic, he has a con heart disease, Kyuhyun-ssi, so any overexertion of his body can be really dangerous, if not, fatal. I guessed he overexert himself his morning, did be? He usually doesn’t but something might have happened.”

The bitter pang of guilt in Kyuhyun is quickly covering and covering his entire being. How does he answer to the doctor? Should he tell her that it’s probably his fault that Jongwoon’s ends up at the infirmary? But Kyuhyun isn’t that brave. So all he did is shook his head.

“You can come inside his room, Kyuhyun-ssi,” the doctor says before standing up and saying, “I need to attend to other students, too. See the nurses if there is something you need, okay?” She smiles and gently pats Kyuhyun on the back before saying for one last time before leaving, “He’s going to be fine, Kyuhyun-ssi. Don’t worry.”

When the doctor left, Kyuhyun’s not sure if he wants to enter Jongwoon’s room because apparently, Kyuhyun just hit a guy with anemia and a con heart disease. Is that why Jongwoon’s never fighting even with all those ridiculous rumors being spread about him? Because that could cost his life?

But that afternoon, Jongwoon had to because of Kyuhyun.

Finally, after much deliberation and consideration, Kyuhyun enters Jongwoon’s room and right after entering, he regrets doing so because he expects Jongwoon to be asleep so he can bury himself in his self-blaming project that it’s his fault but surprisingly, Jongwoon is awake and has the bed even put on the sitting position without any help.

Has he been at the hospital many times that he’s so used to it?, Kyuhyun wonders.

“Hey,” Jongwoon says weakly, but no matter how weak it is, Kyuhyun can’t deny that there’s really something in Jongwoon’s voice that calls for his attention and this time, he knows it’s not just about him singing absolutely beautiful. There’s more.

“Hey.”

It’s weird how their first conversation is exactly like this.

“Have a seat,” Jongwoon says because Kyuhyun looks like he’s glued himself to the edge of the door.

“Oh,” Kyuhyun unintelligently replies.

“Why are you here, Kyuhyun-ssi?”

Oh right, Jongwoon doesn’t know how Kyuhyun sees Joohyun and Sooyoung struggling to carry him to the infirmary.

“I carried you here,” Kyuhyun says lightly.

“YOU WHAT?!” Jongwoon is unnecessarily surprised and if not for the dim lighting of the infirmary’s rooms, Kyuhyun might have noticed the pink tints on his ears and on his cheeks.

Kyuhyun raises his brow and answers hesitantly, “Um, I carried you here?”

And mentally, Jongwoon is screaming again. Because seriously, what’s wrong with the world? About more than two hours ago, he and Kyuhyun hit each other and now, Kyuhyun carried him to the infirmary? Why’s Kyuhyun even outside the university building anyway? Jongwoon knows he’s supposed to have class. Is this some kind of sick joke?

“Why?”

“You passed out.”

“Even so, why? You could have asked for someone else.”

Jongwoon doesn’t understand why he’s pressing Kyuhyun but probably he’s hoping for something.

Kyuhyun doesn’t understand why he’s answering to Jongwoon’s pressing but probably he wants to say something.

“There’s nobody around.”

“You could have called. Why then?”

“Maybe I’m a little worried?” Kyuhyun finally says, looking at Jongwoon’s eyes and he’s sure there’s something in them that he finds what, endearing?

“Worried of me? That’s new. You never talk to me and I’m not sure if you know I even exist beyond those rumors you hear about me,” Jongwoon says, chuckling, and yet again and again, Kyuhyun thinks there’s something in Jongwoon’s chuckle. “You don’t even know I’m a junior.”

“I’m worried, okay?” Kyuhyun mutters, looking down because he can’t look anymore at those captivating beautiful autumn-brown eyes. Then, Kyuhyun continues, “It’s my fault, isn’t it? The reason why you passed out is all because of me.”

Jongwoon stops and realizes that Dr. Song must have told Kyuhyun about his sicknesses. “It’s not your fault, Kyuhyun-ssi,” he says quietly.

I would have protected Joohyun and Sooyoung all the same…

I would have protected you all the same…