Kyuhyun stood still staring at the scene unfolding feet away from him – Hyerin in the arms of Jang Keunsuk. Well, drunken Hyerin to be precise. It appeared that Keunsuk was helping the blind drunk Hyerin out of her car with difficulty, much to Kyuhyun’s irritation. He shut his eyes tight and inhaled deeply willing away the urge to go and snatch the girl away from that sickening embrace of that other man before walking towards the said people with a poker face.

“How did she get so drunk?” Asked Kyuhyun as he got close to the two of them surprising Keunsuk a little.

“Kyuhyun-shi? What are you doing here?”

“I’m on my way back from a convenient store around here. We live in the same building.” The cunning Kyuhyun never failed to give an excuse with a straight face and an unwavering tone as he tapped his bulged pocket pretending that the thing he supposedly bought was kept in there.

 “Oh.” Keunuk nodded in understanding, but then turned his head towards Kyuhyun again as a thought struck him. “Umm…can it be that you’re that Morphine?”

“Morphine? What do you mean?” Kyuhyun frowned not understanding what Keunsuk was trying to get at. He was more and more impatient looking at Hyerin in the guy’s embrace as the moment dragged on with his train of questions.

“If you don’t know then I guess it’s not Kyuhyun-shi who’s been calling her.” Keunsuk nodded again as he made the conclusion before looking at the soulless figure in his arms. “Seems like she has a lot on her shoulders lately that she even cried in her sleep.”

“She-she did? At the party?” That last comment was successful in sending Kyuhyun out of his composure he tried to maintain as he stuttered the question even forgetting about the phone call matter.

“Not at the party. Just earlier. In the car.”

“Oh. I’m sorry you have to deal with her in this state. She’s a quite troublesome kid at times.” Kyuhyun let out an invisible sigh of relief and tried to come up with an excuse for the situation. He then jumped in to help hold Hyerin’s heavy body as she draped loose off Keunsuk’s hold a little.

“Don’t worry she’s not a bother. In fact, I find her kinda cute.” Keunsuk smiled as he said the one thing Kyuhyun dreaded to hear.

“Ugh, I guess you’re tired. You should go now. I’ll handle this.” Feeling like the conversation went on long enough, Kyuhyun managed to pull Hyerin’s whole body into his arms and completely off Keunsuk’s, and suggested that the guy should leave the trouble to him and implied that he got the hell out of his sight. It was the first time in two days that Kyuhyun could feel so genuinely calm and complete as he finally had Hyerin secured in his own embrace.

“But I’m fine. Maybe I should take her upstairs before –”

“No, it’s ok. I can do it. She’s my hoobae, after all. If you want, I can ask one of my hyung to drive you back.”

“Never mind that. I can just call for a taxi. So, umm… I’ll leave her to your care then. Excuse me.” Keunsuk gave Kyuhyun the car key, excused himself and hesitantly took off towards the main road while Kyuhyun shouted “Be careful on your way back, Keunsuk-shi.” Before moving to piggyback Hyerin into the building. Urgh, you look so thin, but why the hell are you so heavy?

Kyuhyun figured it would be too troublesome to try rummaging Hyerin’s bag for the key to her apartment with her heavy body on his back. And that was why the girl was brought to his room and laid on his bed with more than half of the Super Junior members standing around the bed staring at her sleeping figure. All were at a loss of what to do with her drunken state, for she needed to be washed and changed into a more comfortable clothing, and none could do the tasks. As they looked at each other mentally seeking for a solution, their doorbell rang, and they couldn’t be any happier seeing the person standing in their doorway.

It was their housekeeper ahjumma. She apologized for bothering them so late, and told them she had to or else she wouldn’t be able to get any sleep as she had been searching for her wedding ring everywhere and all night long and was hoping that she dropped it here at their dorm where she actually found it, at the foot of one of the cabinets. The guys took this opportunity and asked her the favor with Hyerin's situations, and never forgot to explain to her what had happend so that she wouldn’t think wrongly of the girl.

“I’m done washing her and changing her into Kyuhyunnie’s pajamas.” The ahjumma headed back towards the guys who were quietly waiting at the living room and informed them of Hyerin's condition, to which they stood up and said thanks to her. “But umm… I’ve tried everything, but she wouldn’t stop crying. I’m sorry.” And at that, Kyuhyun’s eyes widened and without a word dashed into his room followed closely by the other members except for Eunhyuk who thanked the housekeeper and saw her off before heading towards the crowded room.

The Super Junior members were shocked at the sight before them. None of them except for Kyuhyun had seen even a drop of tears coming out of her eyes, and now she was crying, wailing and trashing the bed as violently as her drunken body would allow her. Even this was new to Kyuhyun himself. She never cried out loud before, and he assumed that it was the effect of alcohol and that she was actually subconscious. Ryeowook was about to ask what happened to her, but then he along with the other members were surprised as Kyuhyun moved over to sit on the bed and pulled Hyerin into his embrace before starting to whisper assuring words like shhh, it’s ok or it’s alright or calm down over and over again in her ears, which the members couldn’t comprehend what the assurance were for.

Seeing Kyuhyun’s hurtful expression as he tightened his hold on Hyerin who continued to struggle against his body, Sungmin felt the tug at his own heart, and so he moved closer to his dongsaeng and tapped his shoulder trying to comfort him when the magnae closed his eyes and started singing Ryeowook’s solo, Smile Again, causing the members to widened their eyes in surprise at the sudden singing.

Cut the strong love out of heart

Your tears burn my heart

Your hands grab me as you stumble

I can’t forget the fragile trembles

The hyungs watched Kyuhyun softly sang the song not taking his sad eyes off Hyerin's crying face and thumbing her tears away. It felt as if their magnae was pouring all of his emotions into the song as he sang it, and they were wonderstruck seeing how Hyerin had calmed down by a lot as the song continued. The song itself felt like a plead for her to stop crying as her tears were clearly killing him from the inside, and a resolve to himself that he would protect her smile from being taunted by her sad memories.

Smile again. It’s bright in the darkness

Your sad shadow that is left behind like a tattoo

I will erase it.

It was only then that they realized how much these two meant for and to each other. They shared a secret no one else was allowed in on. They felt the pain the other had. They understood each other so perfectly. Together they were complete. Feeling that they shouldn’t be standing there like a sore thumb, the hyungs looked at each other and mentally agreed to leave the room giving the pair all the space and time they needed.

*Your tears scatter like nonstop rain

It penetrates and pierces my heart again

The damaged heart in love, I will protect that smile

You are the only one for me.

*When the bruises become painful memories and call you again

Grab my hands. That’s enough for me.

And when the deep wounds heal, please look then,

I am the only one for you.

~Smile Again – Kim Ryeowook~

By the time Kyuhyun finished the song, Hyerin was already deep in sleep, so he gently laid her back on the bed afraid of waking the girl up again, and pulled a chair close to the bed so he could stay next to her a little longer. Looking at her sleeping face, he could feel the sting in his heart literally fade away and he was relieved at that. Suddenly, he was reminded of the phone calls that Jang Keunsuk mentioned earlier, and so he grabbed her phone and took a look as his curiosity was biting at him. Before he could go to the log, however, he saw that the message screen was left open the moment the phone was , and the latest message which was sent by someone named Kim Hani read, “Hyerin-ah, there’s gonna be a highschool reunion next Saturday. You’re coming? Hey, I know you don’t like parties, but you can always ask your eonni to come with you. Oh right. I forgot, she’s left you for good. You don’t have an eonni anymore. You can’t really blame her for that, though. Hahahahah.”

Kyuhyun gripped the phone in anger as he finished reading the message.

“So that’s how you got into a drunken mess like this.” He then looked at Hyerin with pure sympathy and brushed her hair. “I see. Because they always throw one of these at you whenever you almost manage to stand back up that you have a hard time getting over it.”

Closing the message, Kyuhyun went straight to the log and was surprised to see that the said Morphine was actually saved with his number.

“So that’s what I am to you? A pill that keep you calm and make you sleep?” Looking back at Hyerin, he could feel his lips stretched into a small smile. “But I can be addictive you know?” Not that I mind, he chuckled a little at the thought.

“Morphine can never take away your pain completely, though. The pain’s always gonna come back. What would you do then when I’m not around? How do you always cope with that unbearable fear of yourself?” Putting all the jokes aside, Kyuhyun earnestly voiced out his worries. He knew he couldn’t run away from his feelings anymore. It was crystal clear that all the feelings he had for Hyerin were those of love and affection and they were genuine. No matter what he did or what excuses he had to deny them before, they didn’t work anymore. He finally surrendered to his feelings and his need of her presence in his life. Admitting defeat, Kyuhyun took one of her hands and nuzzled it against his cheek.

“I know you hate yourself, but a person needs love to survive all the bitterness in life, so let me love the you that you hate with all my heart.” And then he stood up and gave her a soft peck on the lips and smiled in satisfaction before sitting back on the chair.

The clock ticked by, but Kyuhyun was still sitting by the bed pondering on what he should do for Hyerin to completely forgive herself and open up to him, but nothing came to mind just yet. After so many things that had happened today, sleep was finally pulling at his consciousness, so he drifted off to sleep on the chair with his head laid on the bed next to Hyerin’s.

…………………………………..

It was 7 o’clock in the morning, and Hyerin woke up with a splitting headache before realizing that she was in Kyuhyun’s room yet again. Thinking she had the room to herself like before, the girl slightly jumped when she turned around and almost head-butted with Kyuhyun’s sleeping face.

Hyerin felt guilty as she thought that she must have caused a ruckus the previous night for him to stay with her the whole night like that. No wonder why the night felt so warm, Hyerin couldn’t help smiling at the thought. This could possibly be the best morning she’d had in years. Wakin