‘What are u talking about?’ Donghae frowned at her.

‘Just leave me alone..’

‘I will call Princess now…’ Donghae threaten, taking out his phone.

‘Don’t u dare to do that!!!’ Chaerin hissed at Donghae.

‘……………’ Donghae pressed the call key and placed the phone on his ear.

‘She don’t know about this….Please….’ Chaerin pulled at Donghae’s hand, pleadingly.

‘Speak…’ Donghae pulled the phone off his ear and looked at Chaerin, who is hugging herself, trying to keep herself warm.

‘Its…. Bad Sickle Anemic… nothing can cure it….’

‘Anemic? Cheh~ Sungmin hyung had it too.. just when I thought  its something so serious…’

‘Yes….. so please do not alarm Pinky…’ Chaerin gave him a weak smile.

‘But Sungmin doesn’t have pain like this….’

‘I am just tired, need to sleep…’ Chaerin lie down, pulling up her blanket and close her eyes. Donghae leave the room and been thinking to himself… Could it be something even more serious than that?

………………

………………………….

……………………………..

Donghae tap his finger repeatly at the table and looked at Sungmin who is busy juggling with his Chinese notes….

‘Sungmin ah~’

‘Wae (what)?’ Sungmin looked up to Donghae from his Chinese note.

‘Do u encounter any pain from anemic?’

‘Pain?? No…only dizzy spell sometime…why?’ Sungmin asked, surprise of his question.

‘Nothing….’ Donghae bit his lip, turned and walked out.

‘Donghae ya….’ Suan followed behind Donghae, patting his shoulder.

‘Yes, Suan? What are u doing out here? Aren’t u suppose to teach them Chinese?’

‘I need a break… And Donghae…. U… visited Chaerin’s apartment yesterday?’

‘Yes, why? How do u know?’ Donghae asked in surprise.

‘Umn… why would u ask about anemic?’ Suan asked, looking at Donghae cautionly.

‘Do u happen to know something? About Chaerin?’ Donghae asked, suddenly remember the unusual friendship between Suan and Chaerin . Suan nodded slowly…

‘I think….. we are thinking about the same thing…’

‘But its just anemic right? Nothing serious isn’t it?’ Asked Donghae.

‘U saw her….. Experiencing an attack?’ Both Suan and Donghae are not anwering to each other questions, having thought of their own.

‘How do u manage to know so much?’ Donghae frowned, started to get worried.

‘Well… I expect she will get attack from the amount of stress she is having…. that stubborn girl…she should rest….If only she listened to me and didn’t stay up so late yesterday….’Suan muttered, busily messaging Chaerin at the same time, not paying any attention to Donghae question at all.

‘Can u please answer to my question?’ Donghae rolled his eyes, grabbing at Suan’s hand and shook her gently.

‘Well…..Its not just normal anemic… Its Bad Sickle Anemic to be exact….And it will cause great pain to the patient when they are having attack….’ Suan explained, biting her lip.

‘What? Bad what?’

‘Aish… It’s the name….’

‘How do u know??’

‘The day when we 1^stmet her…I saw her in ladies that day, taking painkiller… and I can recognize those kind of medicine as 1 of my classmate suffer from that disease too…And… she is ok right now? Is she in great pain?’

‘She is fine, I suppose… and how do u know she will have attack?’

‘Well… overly fatigue, stress and dehydration will cause crisis to happen… and great pain follows… Didn’t u see how late she stays up yesterday at the pub? Aish…. Its all that bartender fault, if only he didn’t absent out of sudden and Chaerin have to take over his job… Aish…’ Suan muttered to herself again, looking at the reply of Chaerin.

‘How is that classmate of u now? She manages to find any cure?’ Donghae asked. Suan turned and looked at him, shaking her head.

‘There is no cure…It will be with u forever, the rest of your life…’

……..

………………

……………………..

Donghae opened the door of Chaerin’s apartment and walked in. He bought some porridge with him. Now only he know that the anemic that Chaerin had is not normal anemic at all…. It’s a kind of blood disorder that may cause much pain to patient…

‘Yah…. Where are u?’ Donghae shouted. He knocked at Chaerin’s bedroom door and opened it when there’s no answer from inside.

‘Where could had she gone???’ Donghae muttered to himself.  Putting on his sunglass and hat, he walked around the neighborhood, hoping he will have the luck to found Chaerin around here.

‘Aigoo…’ Donghae turned his head when he heard a familiar sound. He saw Chaerin smiling while a dirty muddy creature in her lap.

‘Hey, what are u doing here?’ Donghae asked, frowning. She shouldn’t have run out like this when she is being sick like this.

‘And what are u doing here?’ Chaerin asked, her smile froze and she looked up to him with her usual cold stare.

‘What is that?’ Donghae asked.

‘……………’ Chaerin walk toward her apartment, totally ignoring him. Gotten used to her cold shoulder, Donghae followed silently behind.

‘U be good all right… I will make u comfortable….’ Chaerin whispered to the trembling puppy that is looking at her with its fearful eyes. She gets her hand on preparing warm water to bath the puppy, totally ignoring the existence of Donghae.

‘Hey…. Are u going to raise that puppy?’ Donghae asked.

‘………..’ Chaerin nodded her head, without even looking at him

‘What about Pinky?’ Knowing how afraid of dog Hanuel is.

‘She don’t live here for a start anyway….’ Chaerin said, while cleaning the puppy.

‘Hey…..’ Donghae frowned at her straightforwardness. However, He couldn’t help agree on that point, she is not willing to let Hanuel stay with her in the 1^stplace…

‘So please get her another place fast…’ Chaerin wrapped the puppy in a clean towel and started to dry it up, gently. Donghae couldn’t help noticing how gentle she is toward the puppy. She could have more friends if she treat people as kind as she is toward that puppy.

‘Hey…. I brought u porridge, eat 1^st.’

‘…………….’ Chaerin looked at him without a word, biting her lip.

‘Yah~ just eat….’

‘Sympathy is not needed Lee Donghae….’

‘YAH!!!!’ Donghae shouted at Chaerin, he never seen such a sickening woman in his life.

‘Sshhh…..’ The puppy flinched at the shout of Donghae and whimpered in fear. Chaerin hugged the puppy close to her and at it softly, staring at Donghae.

‘Arent u going to name it?’ Not knowing what to say, Donghae ask a random question, attempting to make the atmosphere better.

‘Paran…’ Chaerin answered, looking the puppy.

‘Paran ya….’ Donghae took away Paran from Chaerin and pulled her up, heading toward kitchen.

‘What are u doing?’ Chaerin asked, attempting to pull her wrist out from Donghae’s clutch.

‘Shut up!’ Donghae pulled her to the sink and gestured her to wash her hand, which earn a very much questioningly look from Chaerin. However, she still does that and stares back at Donghae. ‘Stop staring at me!’ Donghae said as he pushed her to the chair and pushed the porridge to her.

‘Like I said, u don’t have to do that….’ Chaerin stated, looking at the bowl of porridge in front of her.

‘Eat it or throw it away~’ Donghae said, mimicking her way of talking. He made his way out after Paran’s fur and smiled when he heard Chaerin’s word of thanks, or he should say mutters of thanks instead?

‘Thank…. U…’ Chaerin took the spoon and tasted the porridge….

………….

……………….

…………………..

Paran got itself used to Chaerin fast enough and never stop wagging it stumpy tail and flashing it soft puppy eyes at her. Chaerin smiled at the cute creature and she is glad that she brought it back with her.

‘I am back…’ Chaerin turned when she heard Donghae’s voice coming from the doorway again.

‘………….’ Chaerin regain her attention to Paran and ignored him.

‘Hey…. At least greet people who come back from outside cant u?’ Donghae said, placing the big bag of things he just bought in front of Chaerin.

‘What are u doing?’ Chaerin sit up straight looking at him, back to that bag of thing he bought.

‘Its for Paran…’ Donghae said, pulling out the puppy food, cot, dog leash, toys….. everything u name he has it.

‘Lee Donghae, Paran is MY dog…. U…’

‘Don’t have to do that~’ Donghae helped her to finish her sentences.

‘…………….’ Chaerin looked at his smirking face. She don’t like it, she hate it when people gave her the piteous look, she don’t need it.

‘Don’t look like u are going to eat me up, I know I am charming….’ Donghae tried to crack a joke to make the situation better. However, Chaerin is just not accepting it.

‘I am paying you back…’Chaerin said as she made her way to her room.

‘Stop it…’ Donghae catch her wrist, stopping her.

‘I am not going to accept that.’

‘Do u have to behave like this all the while?’

‘I told u sympathy is not needed!!! Don’t I?’

‘If u insist on taking people’s concern as sympathy u are gonna to suffer the rest of your life!!!!’ Donghae shouted at her, forcing her to face him.

‘So what? None of your business right?’

‘I will leave u to rot if not for Hanuel…’

‘If u really has her interest at heart, make her leave me.’

‘So that u can hide the fact that u are sick from her forever?’ Donghae growled.

‘SHUT UP!!!!’ Chaerin struggled, trying to break herself free from him.

‘To think she takes u as good friend, so this is how u treats a good friend, pushing her away like that…’

‘I said… shut up…’ Donghae looked at Chaerin who started to paled off and seem to be losing her energy. 

‘Hey…..’ Donghae hold her close to him as her leg gave way, she shut her eyes painfully and sweat started to form on her forehead. ‘Aish… I forgotten she just had an attack….’ Donghae carried her up and brought her to her room, with Paran following tight behind, yelping in it small puppy bark.

........

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.....................

Donghae been staying with Chaerin althought the both of them doesn’t talk. Chaerin is tired of asking him to go away and she kept herself busy mingling with Paran instead.

‘Sleep…Paran need food…’ Donghae took Paran away and looked at her. She looked at him for a little while before she lie down, tired of arguing with him. Donghae at Paran’s fur, liking this little creature too. He chuckled when Paran his hand as he gave Paran food.

Donghae been turning and tossing on the bed, he had been thinking whether he should let Hanuel know about Chaerin’s illness or not… Suan told him that special care are needed to ensure the comfort of the patient and he is amazed at how well Chaerin hide from Hanuel all these years…No wonder she is so resistant when Hanuel wanted to move in to her apartment, why is she behaving hot and cold out of sudden and why will she disappear out of sudden….Everything seem to be so clear to him right now… she don’t want her to find out!! Shaking his head, Donghae decided to keep thing as it is right now for the time being and see how thing turn out… He yawned, thinking that he better check on Chaerin before he turned in….

‘Yah….’ Donghae knocked at her room’s door, he opened it and step in when he did not receive any reply from her. He looked at her sleeping face, rolling his eyes. How can someone frown when she is asleep?? He looked closer and found that she is sweating, muttering something under her breath…

‘Yah…. Are u all right?’ He placed his hand on her wet forehead, relieve that she is not having any fever… Suan said crisis might happen if she had a fever… seem like she is having a nightmare….

‘Omma…. Don’t leave me….’ Chaerin started to sob and Donghae hold on to her hand, wondering whether he should wake her up to end her misery.

‘Chaerin….’ Donghae called out to her name softly, patting her cheek. Chaerin opened her eyes, looking at Donghae. She sat up, hugging her knee. She is silent for a moment, staring into blank. Tears never stopped flowing from her puffy eyes. Just as Donghae wanted to probe further, She buried her face in her bended knee, muffling her own sobbing.

 ‘Chaerin….’ Donghae don’t know what happen to her but its worrying as Chaerin certainly doesn’t look like someone who will cry easily. He hugged at her shoulder, patting it softly.

‘I am fine….’ Chaerin pushed him away, sniffing and drying her tears.

‘Nightmare?’ Donghae at her hairs gently, brushing away the hairs from her wet forehead.

‘Erm….’ Chaerin cleared , looking away.

‘Chaerin…. U need to speak to someone…. Its just wont do if u keep on bottle up like this….’ Donghae sighed…No matter how he hated her previously, he doesn’t feel good when she is looking like this.

‘…………’all Donghae gotten is just a silent stare from her…

‘Chaerin…..’ Donghae grabbed at her hand, giving it a little shake.

‘My omma…. I saw her leaving me again….’Biting her lip, Chaerin elated slowly.

‘Ur omma? Isnt she at Taiwan?’ Donghae remembered Hanuel ever told him that she visited Taiwan quite frequently as her parent is there.

‘She is mama, my stepmother….’

‘Oh….I am sorry~ so….’ Donghae bit his lip, waiting for her to continue.

‘She died when I was only four, at the age of 32….Due to deterioration of infection from Bad Sickle Anemia…’ Chaerin looked at Donghae, studying his respond.

‘Gosh…..I….’ Donghae can imagine the pain…Her story remind him of his dad, he know how pain can it be to lose your loved one,  at such a young age some more. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulls her to him gently.

‘So…. please get Hanuel to keep a distant from me… I am halfway through my life…I…’ Chaerin grabbed at his shirt, trying to fight back her tears.

‘Don’t want to sadden her??’ Donghae asked softly.

‘………………’ Chaerin nodded in silent.

‘The value of life doesn’t lie on the tenure, rather how well u lived it….’ Donghae explained, patting her back softly. Smirking at Donghae’s word, Chaerin pushed him away gently as she stood up and walk toward the window.

‘I only know the more feeling u put into someone the more hurt u will get when u lose them…’

‘Do u know u are making your own life difficult by pushing away people like that? I believe Hanuel would never want u to suffer alone like this!’

‘She will not be that attached to me, once she had her own family to busy with…’

‘Im Chaerin!!!’ Donghae shouted. Chaerin didn’t even flinch at the scream of Donghae,keeping her sight on the bright moon outside.

‘Just let me be, Lee Donghae… I hope u won’t tell Hanuel about me…. Just let me have my way….’ Silent fall between them… Donghae looked at her from behind, thinking hard.

‘On one condition…’Donghae bargain. Chaerin turned and looked at him.

‘What?’

‘I am free to know about your condition whenever I feel like it. And u are NOT TO lie to me….’

‘Why?’ Chaerin looked at him, with a questioning look.

‘Cos I know how horrible it is to live in loneliness…..’ Chaerin looked at Donghae, smile started to form on her lip. Well, maybe she should learn to get along with this guy? Who is her best friend fiancé? She finally nodded her head and Donghae smiled in relieve, just when he thought she will reject him again.