It feels like nobody ever knew me until you knew me
Feels like nobody ever loved me until you loved me
Feels like nobody ever touched me until you touched me
Baby nobody, nobody, until you

After learning about the shocking news, KyonDae and the rest felt both relieved and worried at the same time. They were thankful that L. Joe made it through the surgery, but worried if he will not wake up by the next three weeks. Three weeks was all that the doctors gave him. If he still had not woken up until then, it meant there was no hope left for him.

The disease he suffered was already at the critical stage and the doctors wondered so much how he managed to pull it through throughout the times he was feeling sick and weak. He knew he was near death’s door, but the spirit he had all these while surpassed everything. His fear of not being able to survive, his pain each time he tried to contain and hide it, well, we could say each of that actually vanished and it amazed the doctors who treated him so greatly.

Back to the current situation, L. Joe’s parents were already in his room, checking on him, as he lay unconscious on the bed. Only two people were allowed to enter and see him at one time and of course they let the parents to enter first as this was their one and only child we are talking about.

Mrs. Lee walked slowly towards L.Joe’s bed and tried her best not to cry as she took in her son’s pale and skinny face. The monitor beside L.Joe’s bed was still making the beep sound and some lines going up and down. Mrs. Lee hoped that it will never produce the sound that none of them wanted to hear and the straight line that none of them wanted to see.

Mr. Lee held his wife’s shoulder, murmuring words of comfort to Mrs. Lee’s ears even though it sounded like Mr. Lee was actually comforting himself. His heart broke as much as his wife’s did when he saw his son’s condition.

Both of the couple’s minds travelled back to the times when they were still in Australia, to the days when L.Joe was diagnosed with Leukemia. The first few weeks were the hardest for the three of them as L.Joe kept saying that he was afraid of not being able to survive this sickness and that he might not be able to make it.

He kept pondering to the promise he made to KyonDae that time and cried every single night in his sleep while muttering a soft ‘sorry’ countless times for not being able to return to her, just like he promised.

His parents wanted to tell KyonDae about it on his behalf but L.Joe refused to the idea every single time. He could not afford to make KyonDae worry about him, as he knew that she was also having the hardest times in her life as well. Even though he was not there, that did not mean no one kept him updated. Only he knew that there was someone who watched over KyonDae on his behalf and he could not be more thankful towards that person who had done him such great favor.

“He will be alright.” Mr. Lee whispered loud enough for his wife to hear. A tear dropped from Mrs. Lee’s eyes as her shoulders rose and fell, before she started sobbing. “What if he won’t wake up anymore? What if we lose another child again?” Mrs. Lee sobbed as she rested her head on her husband’s shoulder.

She could not bear to think that there was a chance for their child to be taken away again. They had lost someone once, and they could not bear to lose another again.

L.Joe was all they had left.

Mr. Lee rubbed his wife’s shoulder and kept repeating the words that L.Joe will wake up eventually. He knew that many people wanted him to be awake soon and he will.

“He will open his eyes again, love. We just have to keep praying that he will. He has so many people here waiting for him to return and he always remembers a promise that he kept someone. I’m sure he will wake up soon, even though I can’t promise anything about it.”

After a few minutes in L.Joe’s room, his parents went out and gave his friends the opportunity to see him next. They knew how much his friends were worrying about him too. Each of them was dying to see him even though he was in a deep sleep.

Soon the moments passed as Teen Top went in by two’s, ChangJo went in with MyungHee, and KyonDae went in all by herself as she asked to be the last one. MyungHee offered to go in with her but KyonDae said she would be fine.

No one objected, as they knew that out of all people, KyonDae was the one who felt broken and sad the most. She just found out about the news in less than a day and there she was, standing right beside L.Joe’s motionless body. Tears dried on her cheeks, as she cried no more. Even though she wanted to cry all day long if she could, she saved all her energy instead to be able to stand beside him this moment, seeing how he was doing.

KyonDae sat on a chair beside L.Joe’s bed and stared at the other’s white and skinny face. She looked at his eyes and kept on hoping that they will open soon, full of smiles and bright looking as they always were.

The last time she looked at those eyes were during the last seconds before L.Joe went into the surgery room and his eyes contained so many emotions that KyonDae didn’t know what he was actually trying to tell her. She felt sad, longing, and sorry when she looked at him before he went for the surgery.

Moments of silence was soon then broken when KyonDae suddenly spoke, with her trying to keep her voice as casual as possible. “L.Joe ah, you can hear me right? I’m sure you can.” She smiled sadly, as she chuckled. “All of us are happy that you made it through the surgery but we’re still sad because maybe you’re going to sleep for so long. I hope it’s not true and I know that you’re going to wake up soon.” She whined.

“I’m going to wait until you open your eyes again. MyungSoo oppa let me go and I already know everything. Especially your secret that you were trying to hide for so long. You are so bad, do you know that? Keeping me in the dark all these while about your sickness. No wonder you were always absent in class, wearing those beanies and sometimes shiver to yourself even though it was not that cold. You did not want to let me know because you did not want me to worry but trust me, I already was.

Not to mention that your fiancée is actually not really your fiancée after all. They told me about it and they said you and SaRang are not engaged after all. It was ... one of your lies you were telling me. Too bad though. SaRang really is a nice girl really.” She smiled to herself as she kept on talking, pretending that L.Joe was actually listening.

“I really hope that you won’t leave me alone. You left me once and then you came back. Now I do not expect you to go again. If you ever wake up, I promise to be the first person you see when you open your eyes.” KyonDae said with a determined voice.

“And I’m going to give you all the punishments you deserve for not telling me what you feel about me all these while and also hiding my own feelings from me. It’s really embarrassing you know! Out of all people, I was the only one who did not know. My own feelings even. Even you yourself know. You even let me marry MyungSoo even though you knew I never loved him more than just a brother. Since I did not know anything that time, I assumed that I only had a soft spot for him and none for you. Pity him though. I hope he finds someone who can love him back.”

KyonDae looked at her watch and decided to stop for the day. So much had been going on that day and she herself was feeling a little exhausted. She remembered her mother who must be waiting for her at home and KyonDae knew that she had to meet EunJung and MyungHee’s mother, to explain again, on why she canceled the marriage with MyungSoo.

Even though MyungHee already told her it was fine that both parties accepted her decision, KyonDae could not help but to explain again by herself or she will feel guilty for a long time. She remembered how much EunJung and Mrs. Kim wanted her and MyungSoo to get married and they must have been feeling sad too that the plan did not work out.

KyonDae stood up from her chair slowly and quietly before she said, “I’m going home first, L.Joe ah. I’ll be visiting again tomorrow and I hope by then you will wake up.” Giving him a small wave, KyonDae exited the room before bidding L.Joe’s parents goodbye. Teen Top and MyungHee already left as they had said goodbye to each other before KyonDae entered L.Joe’s ward.

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