As fall came to an end and winter blew into Seoul full-force, Andy and Mi Young’s relationship slowed down until it was at a standstill, almost as if it were frozen in place by the cold and snow.

                With Andy’s acting responsibilities and Mi Young buoying back and forth between all the other members’ solo activities, they didn’t have much time in their schedules to plan another date. In fact, the only other times they got to see each other were when she was taking him back after filming and by then, he was too exhausted to do anything else.

                “Are you sure you don’t want to get dinner? I’m not that tired…” Andy mumbled one evening as Mi Young drove him home. He was fussing with his hair, which was styled its usual look for his Lovers in Prague character.

                “You can’t wear yourself out, Andy-ah. Just because you’re done filming doesn’t mean you can rest yet. You have a fan meeting in a few days, remember?”

                “Aish… Sometimes you know my schedule too well.” Andy folded his arms, pouting cutely in his seat. Mi Young—focusing on the icy road instead of him—didn’t see the gesture.

                She slowed the car as she pulled up to Andy’s home. There was a moment of silence, broken only by the whir of the heater and the snowstorm that had picked up outside.

                “I wish I just had one weekend where we could go out again…” Andy sighed. “I feel like there isn’t any time where we both have a break.”

                Mi Young pursed her lips, a little guilty. It was true—maybe she was taking on more work than was absolutely necessary. However, she couldn’t help herself. Winter was her least favorite time of the year for many reasons and she needed the distractions that work so perfectly provided. “Andy-ah…”

                Andy cleared his throat, trying not to sound too disappointed. “Maybe I’m just imagining things.”

                She glanced over at him. His gaze was a little bitter as he stared out the window. Mi Young began worrying. Did Andy think she was trying to avoid him? She tentatively reached over and grasped his hand. “I’m sorry…”

                He blinked at her, looking first at their intertwined fingers and then up at her remorseful expression. “Ah… Mi Young-ah, I’m not blaming you!” His eyes widened as he realized that his words had been misunderstood. “No, please don’t feel bad… Really, I’m not angry at you.” He smiled, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze. “Why would I be, when all you’re doing is helping everyone out?”

                Mi Young shrugged, looking down. “I just…”

                “Don’t worry about it,” Andy insisted. After hesitating for a long moment, he pulled her into an awkward hug around the steering wheel. “I’m just tired, so don’t worry about what I said.”

                She relished in his warmth, leaning into him timidly. “It’s not that I don’t want to go out with you… I really do.”

                “I know,” Andy murmured. “I understand. I just like spending time with you, that’s all.” He pulled back, a coy smile on his face as he gently poked at her cheek. “How could I not, when you’re always so cute?”

                Mi Young made a face, the solemnity of the moment effectively dissolved with his playfulness. “Aish, you...” She lightheartedly shoved him away, only confirming his statement and making him laugh. “Get out.”

                Andy stuck out his lower lip. “Do you want to come inside and eat something before going home?”

                “But aren’t your aunt and uncle home?” She tipped her head to the side, unsure. “It would be rude to just come in unannounced...”

                Andy shook his head offhandedly. “No, they’ll be out until later. It’ll just be the two of us.”

                “Yah! That’s even worse than coming in uninvited! What exactly are you suggesting?!” Mi Young exclaimed, her cheeks reddening.

                “All right, all right, I was only joking!” He raised his hands in mock surrender, laughing at her embarrassment. “I’ll see you soon, Mi Young-ah. Message me when you get home so I know you got back safely, okay?”

                She dipped her head shyly, glad for his concern. “I will.”

                “Drive safe…”

                Mi Young couldn’t help but smile as Andy stepped out into the blistering snow, exclaiming and shutting the door quickly to keep the cold out of the car. He waved through the window and turned to get inside.

                She watched as he trekked towards his home, barely visible through the torrent of white. However, she frowned as he suddenly vanished. It wasn’t until she heard a muffled thud that she realized that he had fallen, his feet kicking up over his head as he fell backwards.

                Mi Young inhaled sharply. ‘Wasn’t there an injury…?’

                She didn’t let the thought complete in her mind, wrenching open the car door and stumbling to his side, almost slipping in the same patch of ice that he had tripped on in the first place. “Andy-ah! Are you okay?!”

                “Aigoo…” He sat up slowly, wincing. “Mi Young-ah, be careful… There’s ice over there.”

                “Pabo, stop joking around! Are you okay?!” She resisted the urge to hit him, repeating her question anxiously.

                “I’m fine. I didn’t hit my head or neck, so I’ll be all right. Probably a little sore…” He mumbled, struggling to his feet. “It’s too cold, though. I can’t feel anything.”

                “Aish,” Mi Young stood as well, brushing the snow off of his coat and out of his hair. “Get inside then and warm up… And be careful, okay?” She gave him a look. “Maybe you should message me when you get inside so I know you’re safe…”

                “Ahaha, thanks, Mi Young-ah.”

                After he made sure Mi Young got back to the car in one piece, Andy shuffled up to his door, waving one last time before ducking inside. He was immediately greeted by a rush of warmth and he quickly slipped off his drenched shoes and headed to his room.

                “Aigoo, so cold…” He muttered to himself as he stripped, grimacing as pain rippled through his lower back while he hung up his clothes neatly to dry.

                He frowned, letting the discomfort fade before lifting his arms and stretching experimentally.

                ‘.’

                Andy hissed, recoiling as his muscles protested fiercely. He took several deep breaths before limping to the bathroom, soaking a towel in hot water and tossing it over onto his back once he was in bed.

                He sighed, shoving his face into his pillow and trying to ignore the persistent aching in his lower back as he settled down. He had the feeling that it was going to be a long night.

                Mi Young was woken up early the next morning by a phone call.

                “Hello…?” She mumbled drearily into her cell phone.

                “M-Mi Young-ah.”

                She sat up abruptly, shaking off the vertigo that blurred her vision at the sudden movement. “Andy-ah?” She could hear his breath coming over the phone in ragged gasps. “What’s wrong?”

                He groaned, the agony tangible in his voice. “My back…”

                “What happened?” She swung her legs over the side of her bed, putting him on speakerphone so she could change out of her pajamas as she talked. “Did you fall again?”

                Air whistled through his teeth as he replied. “No, I just woke up and… ah, it’s so much worse...”

                “Okay,” She threw on her coat and began lacing up her boots, fighting back a surge of apprehension. “Where are your aunt and uncle?”

                “They’re out until the afternoon… I wouldn’t have called b-but--” Mi Young heard him move and his voice cut out for a moment, interrupted by a muffled exclamation as Andy presumably shoved his face into a pillow and cried out in pain. “I’m sorry, Mi Young-ah…”

                “All right, I’m on my way.” Mi Young was halfway out the door, clutching her keys and ignoring the blast of cold that assaulted her face as she headed down to her car. “Andy-ah, I’ll be there in a bit.”

                It took Mi Young twenty minutes to reach his home. Luckily—as one of the Shinhwa managers—she had access to the keys, since it became very apparent Andy couldn’t move on his own, let alone get up to open the door.

                “Andy-ah,” Mi Young knelt beside his bed.

                He was lying on his stomach, covered in sweat despite the frosty winter wonderland outside. His wrinkled t-shirt was pulled up around his chest, showing the alarming black and purple splotches that had spread on his lower back overnight. His bed sheets were kicked into a pile at his feet and the heated towels that were placed on his injury the night before were shoved aside onto the floor, too cold to be of any help.

                In any other situation, Mi Young would have felt uneasy seeing Andy so unkempt, alone in his house. But when she realized that doing something as simple as lifting his head and looking at her was painful, she bit her lip in sympathy. Even though he tried to hide it, his eyes were red and it was obvious he had been crying.

                “I’m sorry…” He whispered hoarsely.

                Mi Young picked up a clean towel and wiped his face gently. “We need to get you to a doctor. Can you move at all?”

                “I’m not sure,” Andy nodded, grimacing. “I think so…”

                Mi Young gave him a soft smile. “We’ll get through this,” She slipped her arm under his torso. “I’m going to sit you up, okay?”

                He blinked, fearful, but after a brief hesitation cleared his throat and braced himself. “Yeah.”

                She tensed, worried about injuring him farther. “One, two…”

                He in a breath, squeezing his eyes shut.

                “Three…!”

                “Hnngh!” Andy gritted his teeth, suppressing pained cries as she attempted to get him into a sitting position. When they both realized it was impossible for him to sit up or even lie on his back, Mi Young settled with rolling him over onto his side.

                “Son of a…” A steady stream of choice swears left the maknae’s mouth.

                Mi Young sat on the floor beside him, not sure how she was going to move the rapper and—once she did—transport him to the hospital for treatment. After a few minutes of trying to think over the sound of his whimpers, she finally had an idea. “Hey, I’ll be back. I’m going to clear out the back seat of my car so you can lie down.”

                “Mmph,” Andy waved a hand, in too much pain to give her a better answer.

                Mi Young tossed the various folders and CDs into the front seat and trunk, hoping her plan would be the least strenuous on the youngest member’s back. She left the car door ajar—knowing she wouldn’t be able to open it while supporting him—and headed back inside, careful not to repeat his accident and slip on the ice caked into the ground.

                “Andy-ah,” She knelt on all fours alongside his bed, parallel to his body. “Roll over onto my back so I can carry you to the car.”

                Despite being in obvious agony, he still managed to look incredulous. “But why? I-I’m too heavy.”

                “Just do it,” She commanded, tucking her feet under her knees so she could stand.

                They exchanged glances—Mi Young’s determined and Andy’s unconvinced—and he nodded. “Ready, Mi Young-ah?”

                “Go for it.”

                Andy grunted as he moved over. He quickly wrapped his arms around Mi Young’s neck in a panic, terrified that he was going to roll too far and land on the ground.

                “Aigoo,” She hissed as all of his weight crushed her. Once she was steady, she spoke again, her voice a little forced. “I’m going to stand, all right?”

                He nodded into her back.

                Mi Young put all her strength into getting them upright and once she was there, she felt Andy readjust his weight so he could use his legs. She held onto his hands, keeping his arms secure around her neck. She noticed that he was doing his best to not be cumbersome, but he was still like a deadweight hanging on her shoulders.

                Had she possessed enough strength, she would have given Andy a piggy-back ride. However, with her limited physical ability and his incapacity to move, this was the closest they could get.

                Mi Young made the slow, torturous journey to the car, dragging Andy along behind her. Luckily he was able to shuffle his feet forward and she didn’t have to carry all of his weight, but by the time they reached her vehicle, both of them were exhausted.

                “H-here, lie facing towards the trunk so you don’t hit your back against the seat while I’m driving,” She panted, half-lifting and half-shoving the poor maknae into the backseat.

                Once he was settled in—or as settled as he could get with his lower back practically screaming in agony—Mi Young doubled checked that the house was locked and secure. When she finally got into the driver’s seat, Andy had gone off into a hazy stupor, his breathing shallow and labored.

                “We’ll be there soon… Hang in there, Andy-ah.”

                It didn’t take long for Mi Young to reach the hospital. After telling the nurse at the front her situation, she was able to pull her car up at the emergency entrance, where several paramedics helped get Andy out of the back seat and onto a stretcher.

                By the time she parked the car in the hospital garage and gotten inside, Andy had already been taken in for x-rays. Mi Young waited nervously in his room, texting all of the Shinhwa members and updating them on his worsening condition.

                She looked up as his bed was wheeled back in. He was lying on his stomach again, his face pale and strained. “Andy-ah...”

                The nurse locked the hospital bed down to prevent it from shifting unexpectedly. “Lee Sun Ho-ssi hasn’t broken anything, but we have to wait for the results of the scans to see if he’s ruptured any disks in his lower back.”

                “O-okay.”

                “For now, he has been given pain medications and should rest.” The nurse—done with her work—bowed and left.

                Andy—already drowsy thanks to the pain killers—blinked at Mi Young, unfocused.

                “Are you in pain, Andy-ah?” She asked softly.

                “It was pretty bad before, but it’s getting better.” He answered her honestly.

                “I messaged the others. They’re worried about you,” Mi Young said. “They’re still going to hold dance practice later, but I know they’ll be thinking about you.”

                “Are you going to leave?” He asked, struggling to keep his words from slurring together.

                Mi Young pursed her lips. She reached over and brushed aside the bangs that were sticking to his face, meeting his gaze. Despite being heavily clouded over with medication, the rapper’s eyes were still apprehensive.

                Andy wasn’t asking Mi Young if she going to leave; he was really asking her if she would stay with him.

                “I won’t leave,” Mi Young smiled. “I promise.”

                Andy’s lips curled up into a tiny smile as he closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep. He mumbled something she couldn’t understand, but her face heated up nonetheless.

                ‘Did he just say… No, that couldn’t have been right.’ Mi Young shook her head. This wasn’t some Korean drama or a Shojo anime; there was no way Andy would’ve done something as corny and cliché as that…

                ‘Or would he?’

                Mi Young’s speculations were interrupted by a loud buzzing. Andy’s cell phone. She debated a moment before answering it.

                “Uh… Hello?” She asked.

                “Sun Ho-ah?” An unfamiliar voice responded.

                “No, this is Ji Mi Young, one of his managers. Who am I speaking with?”

                “Oh, this is Sun Ho-ah’s aunt. Is he out at a shoot? I thought his back was hurting.”

                “Ahjooma, no…  Andy—I mean, Sun Ho-ssi, is at the hospital.”

                “What?” His aunt sounded alarmed. “Did something happen?”

                “No,” Mi Young did her best to reassure the older woman. “After you left in the morning, Sun Ho-ssi called my cell phone and asked to be taken to the hospital for the pain in his back.”

                “I see…”

                “The nurse just ran an x-ray and said that nothing is broken, but he’ll have to stay a while...” Mi Young explained.

                “Well, I wanted to tell Sun Ho-ah that we weren’t going to be back until later tonight and if he was going to be okay…” Andy’s aunt sighed. “But I guess this is for the best. Will there be someone there to take care of him?”

                “Yes, I’ll be here.” Mi Young replied.

                “All right. We’ll stop by the hospital once we get back.”

                “Thank you very much, Ahjooma.”

                Andy slept soundly for a few hours and with her promise to remain by his side, Mi Young got some much needed rest as well. She jolted awake as the doctor came in, delivering Andy’s prognosis for an eight week recovery.

                “He shouldn’t dance, perform, or do anything strenuous until after his recovery period.”

                “I understand, thank you.” Mi Young bowed as the doctor checked on Andy one last time before leaving to tend to other patients.

                She sat back, sighing and forwarding the message to the others before standing to pace beside the window.

                ‘It’s been a while since I’ve been in a hospital, hasn’t it?’ She let her thoughts wander, memories of her previous years resurfacing like bodies in the water.

                She had spent a couple of years stuck in a hospital, painstakingly rehabilitating her body after her attempted suicide and resulting coma. It had taken her years to recover from the physical injuries. However, the emotional traumas were her real struggles—struggles that might not ever go away.

                Mi Young stared out at the snowy trees, feeling the familiar prickle of anxiety and forcing it away. ‘It’s just a hospital. Just because I had a hard time recovering in one doesn’t make this a bad place.’ She took several deep breaths to calm herself down before turning to watch Andy. His presence—even when he was asleep—was like a balm that made her feel more at ease.

                She frowned as his foot twitched—the first movement he had made in a while.

                “Andy-ah?” She moved around so she was standing in front of him, leaning down so she could see his expression. “Are you all right?”

                The maknae lifted his head slightly, blinking his eyes open slowly. He felt something cool and wet on his face and after a moment, he ducked his head back down and hastily wiped away the drool on his cheek.

                Mi Young couldn’t help but laugh as Andy’s ears turned red.

                “I normally don’t sleep on my stomach, so that’s why there’s drool…” He mumbled, mortified.

                Mi Young shook her head. Andy was in the hospital, bedridden and hardly able to move from his injury, but he was worried about a little saliva? How cute.

                “Aigoo, so embarrassing…” He griped, flipping over his pillow—which was also dotted with spit—and groaning.

                “Really, it’s okay…” Mi Young ruffled his hair lightly. “How are you feeling?”

                She watched as he flexed his shoulders and turned slightly to test his lower back. “It’s really stiff, but there’s not too much pain… That might be the pain killers, though.” He answered.

                Mi Young nodded, thoughtful. The medications were working their magic, all right. Compared to when she had dealt him with in the morning—when he was completely incoherent because of the pain—the Andy in front of her was a significant improvement.

                “Ah, did the doctor come by?” He asked, turning his head so he could look at her.

                Mi Young pursed her lips. “Yes, he did.”

                Andy’s looked slightly crestfallen at the change in her expression. “How… how bad is it?”

                She hesitated, but after a moment decided just say it straight out. Sugarcoating it wouldn’t help him. “The diagnosis is eight weeks rest.”

                He jerked violently, but immediately regretted the motion, hissing as his back twinged. “Eight?! That’s… I can’t do anything for two months?”

                “That’s right.” Mi Young explained amicably. “I’ve already told the company. Your fan signing and the MC work you had for the next couple of days has been canceled, and the others are working on smoothing over the media relations and getting the proper statements out, so all you need to do is focus on recovering.”

                Andy shifted hesitantly. “But, the hyungs… what about Shinhwa?”

                “And?” Mi Young replied. “What about Shinhwa? They already know the situation and can figure things out.”

                He bit his lip. Obviously he didn’t want them to ‘figure things out,’ but Mi Young wasn’t going to let him off the hook so easily.

                “Andy-ah, you’re lucky you didn’t damage any nerves and aren’t paralyzed! Right now, you just need to rest, all right?” Her voice softened. “They’re more worried about your health, so you should be, too.”

                He nodded, leaning back into his pillow. “Aish…” He looked back at her and upon seeing the anxiety hidden underneath her professional façade, he sighed. “Was it really that serious?”

                Mi Young avoided his gaze. “You must’ve done something really good in your past life to be this lucky. Back injuries are no joke, y’know… Some people lose the ability to walk from them.”

                Andy felt a pang of guilt at her concern. She was only worried about him and here he was, attempting to do everything on his own. “I’m sorry I scared you, Mi Young-ah. I’ll rest well so you and the hyungs don’t have to worry, okay?”

                She gave him a small smile. “Thank you, Andy-ah.”

[The feels are strong in this chapter... (sniffs) Andy needs to take better care of himself, really. It reminds me of my back injury early last winter… They aren’t fun. You don’t really realize how much you need the muscles in your lower back until you can’t use them anymore. It becomes impossible to do even little things like turn your head, which I thought was crazy since my head and lower back don’t seem like they would be connected at all, but apparently they are. I hope Andy doesn’t have to suffer like that…

Don’t have too much else to say about this chapter except that the drool thing actually happened to me, since I normally don’t sleep like that… And yeah, it’s kinda gross and embarrassing so I felt that Andy—who, from what I’ve seen in Shinhwa Broadcast and other shows, doesn’t sleep on his stomach—would have a moment like that too. Most of the references relating to Andy’s back injury were just the news articles I looked up about it, so hopefully everything was accurate…

It been a while since we heard from the other members… but don’t worry, I’ll bring them back in a couple of chapters!! I’ve been missing writing RicSyung, so I think fans of that ship will have something to look forward to in a little while!]