A few months into the school year, JongHyun received a call. He had been in the middle of working on an assignment, intently chewing on the end of his pen when the phone rang. Considering he was working hard he let Onew pick it up. Seconds later a knock came to the door to announce that the phone was for him.

            Tucking it in the crook between his ear and shoulder, JongHyun said, “Hello?”

            “JongHyun hyung?” TaeMin’s tiny voice whispered into the phone.

            “TaeMin?”

            “Hi…”

            “What are you doing calling at this hour?” He glanced at the digital clock flashing ten fifteen at him in its big red letters. Usually TaeMin was in bed at this time…

            “I just wanted to talk to someone…” TaeMin sighed.

            “Is anything wrong?”

            “Not really…”

            “Is it MinHo?”

            “No, he’s been really great… It’s me…”

            “What is it TaeMin? You’re worrying me…”

            “Hyung, you know how my health right?”

            “Yeah…”

            “It’s getting worse… I had to stop taking dance classes because even working out like that is too much for me… And today, I had another episode… In the middle of class, too! It was so embarrassing, hyung!”

            “You shouldn’t be embarrassed, TaeMin. Tell me what happened.”

            TaeMin launched into a long story about the horrors of his week. He started with explaining about the horrible teachers he’d received for his courses and finished off with the air conditioning breaking in the school and him going into one of his episodes.

            “I hate this,” was the last thing he uttered.

            A surge of pity rose in JongHyun’s chest. For years TaeMin had had to live with this illness… He wished there was something he could do to stop it, but not even the doctors had a cure. All TaeMin could do was stay cautious as his body slowly attacked him.

            “Are you feeling any better now, though?” JongHyun asked, feeling stupid for not being able to offer more consoling words than those ones.

            “I stopped throwing up if that’s what you mean…” TaeMin grumbled. A sigh ensued his complaint shortly afterwards. “I’m scared, hyung…”

            The sudden confession came as a shock to the elder boy. He shifted the phone to his other ear, putting his pen down, too, so he could focus his full attention on his friend.

            “Why? Did something else happen?” He asked, bristling up like a cat would at the thought of someone – or something – hurting TaeMin.

            “Nothing happened… I’m just scared of getting so sick that I won’t be able to do anything… I already can’t dance anymore… Soon I might not be able to go to school, maybe. And then the next thing you I’ll be a vegetable baking in a hospital bed,” TaeMin rambled.

            “Don’t talk like that, TaeMin…” JongHyun said seriously.

            “It’s the truth, hyung! I can feel it! There’s something… Weird that’s going to happen… I don’t know what…”

            “Yah, Lee TaeMin, stop talking nonsense. This is just another episode that you had; it’s not the end of the world. You need to stay positive or you really will become a vegetable.”

            “I’m sorry, hyung… I just really hate being sick.”

            “I know you do… I hate it when you get sick, too.”

            “Ugh… I feel nauseous again…”

            “Go sleep, TaeMinnie… I’ll come visit you on Saturday, okay?”

            “Okay… Good night hyung.”

            “Good night TaeMinnie, sleep well.”

            JongHyun hung up the phone, setting it beside his text book. His mind was in such a jumble that he wasn’t able to focus on the assignment he’d been working on prior to the phone call.

            Worrisome thoughts bombarded the barricades of JongHyun’s mind. How was he expected to work under these conditions?

            Frustrated with himself, JongHyun abandoned his work and headed off to the kitchen to grab a drink of water.

            Much to JongHyun’s surprise, the lights were still dimly lit in here. Onew was seated at the kitchen table, glasses propped on the bridge of his nose like JongHyun’s and spread sheets scatted all around him.

            “Hyung! What are you still doing up? I thought you went to bed?” JongHyun inquired. He moved to the fridge while he waited for his response.

            “I had some last minute work things to do. What are you doing?” Onew asked.

            “I just got off the phone with TaeMin and I wanted to get a drink…”

            “Okay.” He returned to his spread sheets and calculations and whatever else it was that he was doing. JongHyun didn’t hold it against him that he didn’t ask if anything was bugging him. It wasn’t like he could read minds or anything.

            He couldn’t keep secrets anymore, though. It was like this program inside of him.

            Cup of water in hand, JongHyun sat down on the opposite side of the kitchen table. He set his glass down after taking a sip and asked, “Hyung, can I have Saturday afternoon off?”

            This caught Onew’s attention. Pushing his sheets aside he fixed a curious gaze on JongHyun. “Why?”

            “I told TaeMin I’d go see him… He’s really not doing too well so I thought I’d drop by and hang out with him for a little while. To cheer him, you know?” JongHyun mumbled.

            “Is he sick again?” Onew asked his brow creasing.

            “Yeah, he had another episode a few days ago.”

            “Is he going to be okay?”

            “He should be fine; he’s just really depressed which isn’t like him… I’m worried.”

            “Of course you can have Saturday off. I’ll ask Key to cover your shift.”

            “All right, thanks… I have to go finish a billion word paper now,” JongHyun sighed..

            Onew chuckled. “Have fun,” he called to his retreating back.

            JongHyun grinned, grabbing his water and moving to his room. When he’d reached the doorway a sudden thought occurred to him, making him turn around again.

            “Hey… Has that jerk who beat up Key been caught yet?” he asked.

            Onew gave a discouraged shake of his head. “Not yet… They said they had a small lead, but they don’t know who it is as of yet.”

            “I swear, when I find that guy I’ll hurt him,” JongHyun said. He shook his head and skulked back to his homework. This was going to take him all the way into the wee hours of the morn.