"Thank you for the food, Jaehwan," Taekwoon said as he put his chopsticks down.

"...and Dr. Cha too," Hongbin added.

Taekwoon nodded as he helped Hongbin to stack the now empty lunchboxes before wrapping them in the cloth that came along with them. Jaehwan watched as the two worked in unison. Hakyeon and Wonshik were used to it but they were still a little amazed; they tried not to look too excited. Hakyeon sipped on his coffee and walked over to his desk. He came back to the couch with a sketchbook. 

"Here, Hongbin. A birthday present from Wonshik and I."

"I think it's belated now, sorry," Wonshik chuckled.

"...a- a birthday present? For me?" 

The boy welcomed the sketchbook with slightly trembling hands. There was a little smile on his face as he traced his fingers on the empty pages. He quietly flipped through the pages and came to a stop when he saw a picture attached to the back cover. It was glued to it, and there was something written right under it.

'Draw everything that makes you feel alive, and draw lots!' - Hakyeon & Wonshik.

He traced the writing and looked at the picture. Both Hakyeon and Wonshik were smiling from ear to ear, arms on each other's shoulders; they were standing in the middle of a lush, green garden. Hongbin chuckled as he felt a kind of happiness flowing into his heart. He looked at the two doctors and smiled.

"Thank you. Thank you very much, both of you. I'll make sure to draw lots in it."

"You better. We almost got into a fight trying to pick out a nice one that would suit you," Wonshik laughed.

"Speaking of fighting, earlier, I saw these two cats fighting in the garden. Are there supposed to be animals there? I thought it was only accessible to the staffs and patients," Jaehwan suddenly said, fiddling with his half-empty coffee mug.

"Oh, I think those were the resident cats. I mean, we call them resident cats, but they're actually therapy cats. We have a lot of them here since they're much easier to handle than dogs. If they're fighting-"

"-it means that the patients they're assigned to aren't doing so well."

"What do you mean by that?" Hongbin asked.

"Well...I don't think this is entirely true but it's happened quite a few times now, so I guess it could be true. Sometimes, when the patients who have therapy cats get into trouble or start showing withdrawal symptoms, we would start noticing through the cats. I think they have some kind of bond, the kind some people have with their pets that lets the other know how they're feeling," Hakyeon started explaining as he moved back to his desk.

"So when these cats detect how the patients are feeling, maybe stressed out or troubled, they get kind of... restless. It happened to one of my patients last year. His cat tried to scratch anyone that seemed unfamiliar to either the patient or the cat itself. Turns out, the patient was stressing over the fact that he was going to be released the coming month. He had been admitted here for quite a few months so I guess he was starting to get cold feet. Thankfully, we managed to help him calm down and he was released just fine."

"Woah, I didn't know you had a case like that," said Wonshik.

"Well, I have more patients than you," he smirked.

Wonshik gave him the stink eye before looking at his watch and standing up. Suddenly, he turned to Hongbin and Taekwoon with a smile.

"Speaking of the garden, how about I take you guys out there? It's almost 3 pm now, just nice for an evening stroll. The weather has been nice lately. You should come too, Jaehwan hyung. Maybe you and Taekwoon could catch up."

The room was silent. All eyes were on Wonshik. He eyed a surprised Hakyeon as if giving him a signal. Realizing that the plan was in motion, the elder coughed and got to his feet too. He looked at his watch frantically before picking up his board and flipping through the pages.

"I think that's a good idea. I can join you guys in a bit, but I have to run some rounds on the recuperating level now. I'll leave them to you, okay Wonshik? Should you need me, call," he said as he left.

"I'll get my coat. It's quite windy today. How about you two wrap yourselves in these lap blankets? It'll warm you right up!" Jaehwan exclaimed as he gave Wonshik a nervous look.

Lost, the two patients picked up the blankets and followed Wonshik out.

---

"...is it, okay for us to... leave our level?" Hongbin squeaked when it got too quiet in the elevator.

"Of course! It's not like we're keeping you in your rooms like prisoners!"

"...then how come you've never done this to us before?" Taekwoon asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Both Wonshik and Jaehwan fidgeted. 

"Well... you've never asked us to bring you out. Both of you seemed comfortable in your rooms. It was only recently that you've been asking us to bring in a lot of items and to leave the blinds up for longer than usual. We thought it was time," Wonshik said truthfully.

"...so it's not... an experiment?" Hongbin asked, his hand finding Taekwoon's sleeve.

DING! The elevator stopped to open on the ground floor. 

"We're here! Come on, I can smell the flowers already!" 

"Hyung, you can't talk so loud on this level!" Wonshik exclaimed as he kept his voice a bit over a whisper.

He led the two out of the elevator, straight down the right hall and out a wide, automatic door. Almost immediately, a cool, gentle gust of wind greeted them. Hongbin froze in his steps, letting out a small gasp. His hand was still gripping Taekwoon's sleeve so the other had to stop too. He turned around and started to worry about the younger.

"...what's wrong?" He asked, holding Hongbin's hand.

The boy was looking at the sky. His eyes were wide, but Taekwoon couldn't make if it was out of joy or panic. He asked again and Hongbin looked straight at him, a tiny smile creeping up his face.

"It's beautiful."

"...what is?"

"The sky. It's so beautiful, seeing it without having a glass wall in between. It's so blue!" He gasped, the smile getting wider.

Taekwoon couldn't help but smile too. Hongbin's smile was contagious. Even Wonshik and Jaehwan, who were observing from afar couldn't help but grin at the boy's pure reaction. They high-fived each other and tried to contain their excitement.

It was yet to be over.

---

"What is it? What are you looking at?"

"...a cat. It's looking at me but it's not coming here," there was a bit of sulk in Taekwoon's voice.

"Maybe you should crouch down to its level. My brother used to tell me that it works especially on felines," said Hongbin as he got out his new sketchbook and a pen he borrowed from Wonshik.

Taekwoon slowly got on his knees and stretch out his hand, as if to beck the cat to come over. He wiggled his fingers too while making cooing sounds. Hongbin quietly giggled to himself as he tried to sketch the elder in that position. After a few tries, the cat finally made its way to Taekwoon and into his lap. It couldn't have made him happier; his smile was broader than ever.

"You did it!" Hongbin smiled.

"...it's purring really loudly. I think... I think it's asleep," he said softly as if to not bother the cat.

"Don't move, it'll wake up!" Hongbin whispered.

He took it as a chance to continue sketching. Taekwoon was still unaware; his attention was solely on the warm bundle of purr curled up in his lap. He got some nearby leaves and stacked them on the cat; he was giggling to himself. A few feet away, Wonshik and Jaehwan were trying their best to avoid bothering the two in their own little world. Wonshik was busy capturing the moment with his phone; he even sent some to Hakyeon while Jaehwan was simply smiling at them.

"Who would have thought?"

"Believe me, no one would have thought that they could be like this. Not even us, sadly. They couldn't have come this far if it weren't for Hongbin."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah. Taekwoon didn't even talk the first few weeks after he was admitted here. It was only during the second month that Hakyeon actually took a gamble and got a little aggressive. He eventually opened up after a while, but the first full sentence he ever made was after Hongbin arrived. Well... it was after Hongbin had his first episode here, to be exact. Taekwoon was worried, it seems," Wonshik chuckled.

"I would have liked to see that. It's not every day you get to see him change his expression. All I've seen is his neutral, blank look and his slightly happy face. I wonder how he'd look like with a full smile."

"I've seen him cry."

Jaehwan gasped. He looked at Wonshik as if in disbelief and looked back at Taekwoon. He couldn't imagine it. It was just too... too unfamiliar. 

"...and I've seen him blushing; although it was through the monitors."

"Now that's just... fascinating," Jaehwan was both amazed and confused.

"All of that... because of Hongbin. What a wonder, huh?" 

---

"Hey, I just saw the pictures! That's amazing! I didn't think they'd look so comfortable out there."

"You said it. They've been smiling and chatting with each other like they're at some park... I feel like a proud mother," Wonshik chuckled.

"I wish I could see that in person..." he sighed.

"Aren't you coming out? Trouble during the rounds?"

"No... I suddenly have some papers to fill. A lot of them are just therapy cat application forms. Oh my god, wait."

"What?"

"Do you think... do you think it'd be a good idea if we bring them up here? I feel like Taekwoon would be happy to play with the cats. Plus, we could get them to feel comfortable in new areas. You know, if they-"

"-if they pass this test."

"...yes."

"...sure, why not? I'll talk to Hongbin first. Maybe he'll slowly break it to Taekwoon for me."

"...good luck."

They both sighed before hanging up.

---

"I think it likes you."

Jaehwan sat next to Taekwoon with a soft smile on his face. He reached out to gently pat the cat but it stirred. Taekwoon looked at the other and gave a little pout. That- was that a... pout? Jaehwan wondered. He almost blushed. Mouthing a 'sorry', he kept his hands to himself. 

"Do you like it here?"

"...here?"

"Yeah... the garden. Do you like leaving your room and getting some fresh air?"

They both looked up to the sky. Taekwoon took a deep breath and sighed. He nodded. 

"...you've really changed, Jung Taekwoon. I didn't think it'd be this distinguishable, but I guess I was wrong," he said with a smile, looking at Taekwoon like he had never before.

"What do you mean?" Taekwoon asked quietly.

"...I don't know. There's just something different about you. You used to never look at people in the eye, but now you don't even try to avoid it. You wouldn't let people sit too close next to you too," he said, nudging Taekwoon with his elbow.

Taekwoon looked at their arms touching one another and looked away.

"That's nothing much..."

"But it is! See? You're even replying a lot. Back then, you wouldn't even act like you were listening. That's really good, Taekwoon. Not to mention, you have this totally different demeanor too. I always thought you were a little bit intimidating, but now I think that was just an act you put on to avoid people... to avoid getting close to people."

"...I wasn't really... avoiding. I just didn't know how... to not avoid."

Jaehwan was silent for a bit, but he nodded.

"Of course. Not everyone knows how."

"...you do, " he looked at the other.

Confused, Jaehwan let out a little chuckle.

"I don't. I just... try to be myself. I'm not a social butterfly, but I like making friends."

"But you're pretty good at it. We're friends... and I'm not... the friendly type."

Jaehwan looked at the other and smiled. He was flattered, immensely. Hesitating, he put his hand on Taekwoon's head. He didn't flinch, Taekwoon. Jaehwan's smile got a little bit brighter. He ruffled his hair ever so slightly.

"You are friendly. Animals don't warm up to those who aren't. They like warmth... and believe me, you're warm."

There was a smile on Taekwoon's face. It was tiny, but it was a smile. Jaehwan felt his heart soar.

'We're friends,' he said. 

"Hyung," Hongbin whispered.

Both Jaehwan and Taekwoon looked up.

"Dr. Kim asked if we wanted to see more cats."

It was faint, but both Jaehwan and Hongbin swear it was as if they could hear Taekwoon's heart skipped a beat. He nodded. Jaehwan couldn't help but laugh a little. He's like a child. He got up and offered his hand to the two.

"I'd like to see more cats too."

---

"Glad you guys could make it," said Hakyeon, leaving the reception desk.

"...what is this place?" Taekwoon asked, ever so quietly.

"It's amazing!"

Without waiting for anyone else, Jaehwan walked over to the nearest cat and picked it up. 

"Can I adopt one? This little guy has been staring at me ever since we got here. He's really friendly too," he cooed.

"It's for the patients, not you. You can adopt from the affiliates that provide us these furballs but at their shelter. It's just a block away," Wonshik pat his shoulder.

"Aw dang."

The actual patients were still frozen where they stood. Not knowing what to do, Taekwoon simply looked the space in awe. Hongbin caught his expression and couldn't help but giggle. He tugged at the other's sleeve.

"Do you want to adopt one, hyung?"

"...I can do that?" his eyes glimmered.

"Sure you can. The purpose of setting this up was to help patients get through their rehab period. It's helped a lot of people," said Hakyeon, petting the feline nudging his leg.

"How would I take care of it?" 

Sensing the concern in his voice, Hakyeon lifted the cat into his arms and put it in Taekwoon's.

"You don't need to take care of it. That's what the caretakers do. Until you're discharged and ready to fully adopt the cat, the only thing you need to do is keep it company. Well, no more than it keeps you company."

"Yeah, you don't have to worry about it. If you can't make the decision now, we can just assign one to you. Once you're discharged, you can decide if you want to keep it or not. It's like fostering," Wonshik sat on the padded floor next to a sleeping tabby.

"That's a really great system. If I come to visit, can I play with them too?" Asked Jaehwan.

"Of course! The recuperation wing is just across this wing. You can play with them all you want," Wonshik smiled.

Jaehwan joined him and the tabby on the floor. 

Taekwoon was silent.

Hongbin looked worried.

Hakyeon stole a glance at the two and let out a little sigh. Slower, he thought.

"For now... how about you sit down? We can get some snacks."

As Hakyeon left the group, Hongbin sat a few feet away from the rest. He was thinking, worrying about some of the things the doctors were talking about. Discharged. The recuperation wing down the hall. It was all happening so soon. No! He shook the thought out of his head. It's not soon enough. We've been making progress, he stressed to himself, so it's not a wonder we'll be moved out of our rooms.

"...right?" He unconsciously blurted out.

"Right."

Hongbin looked up to see Wonshik smiling right at him.

"...what?" He squeaked.

"I was agreeing with you," Wonshik inched closer.

"...on what?"

"I don't know. I just know it seemed pretty serious. Your eyebrows were knitted together and everything."

Feeling a little embarrassed, he opened his sketchbook and started to outline some figures.

"You've been drawing a lot today. Something inspired you?"

With his embarrassment slowly fading away, a soft smile bloomed on the younger's face. He gave a little nod.

"Oh? What is it? Or rather... who is it?" Wonshik teased.

Hongbin huffed and quickly glared at his doctor. Wonshik laughed. 

"You're not going to show me?"

"No," he said firmly.

"Aw, I'm getting sad now. You used to be so nice and obedient..." Wonshik cooed.

"...are we- is it okay if we move to the recuperation wing? I mean, are we-"

He couldn't find the words to say. He was worried, yes. But he was also very hopeful. More than anything, he wanted to get better. He wanted to be better and he wanted Taekwoon to be better with him. After months, years even, he's finally felt like he wanted to live- to feel alive. He had Taekwoon to thank for that. 

"You're doing just fine, Lee Hongbin. You're doing great and you've helped Taekwoon a lot too. He's doing just fine, too."

"He helped me a lot."

"And so have you. Healing is a cruel process, and not many can do it alone. You've both helped each other and I'm very proud of you."

Feeling Wonshik's hand on his shoulder, Hongbin looked at Taekwoon. We have? He wondered. Watching Taekwoon play with the cats and comfortably talking to Jaehwan made him smile.

"Will we be okay?" He quietly asked. 

It was more to himself than to anyone else, but he had to say it out loud. 

"You will, both of you."

---

"Here are some snacks for you, and some snacks for the kitties," Hakyeon sat next to Taekwoon with a bundle of things in his arms. 

Looking carefully at the packaging, Taekwoon tore off the edge of the cat snacks and timidly offer them to his new companions. Over the time they were there, he had made friends with half a dozen cats, all in which were lazying around him. At the smell of the snacks, they slowly got up to inspect what they were. 

"I got them at the snack vending machine. We have a whole row of kitty snacks. You can get more of it later if you'd like." 

"...thank you. They like it," Taekwoon said quietly, a wide smile plastering his face. 

"Do you like it here, Taekwoon? Do you like being out of your room?" Hakyeon started. 

"...kind of. I think it's refreshing." 

"Do you like it because of the cats, or...?" 

Mindlessly, Taekwoon looked up at Hongbin, who was busy teasing a cat with his pencil. He hadn't realized it, but when he did, Hakyeon had already caught him. A tiny tint of blush rose at the tip of his ears. 

​​​​​​"You can say it, you know. It's not something to be embarrassed about. It's also not something we don't already know," he let out a chuckle. 

"...you knew? Am I... too obvious?" 

"You're easy to catch since you stare at him too much. Don't go gluing your eyes on him for too long, okay? They're gonna fall out." 

A little shy still, Taekwoon nodded. He gently pets the feline in his lap before looking up at his doctor. He wanted to ask, but he didn't know where to start. 

​​​​​​"Ask me, Taekwoon," he remembered what Wonshik had told him not too long ago. Ask. 

"If we were moved here... what will happen to our rooms?" 

"...your rooms? They'll still be there, unoccupied until your discharge. Why?" 

"What's going to happen to us when... if we do leave? If we... discharge?" 

His voice carried a weight, Hakyeon realized. This wasn't him worrying about himself. He was worried for them, both of their situations outside of these walls. 

"You'll live, Taekwoon. You'll live as other people do."

"...I don't remember how," his answer was somber. 

​​

"So, what do you think? Are they ready?" Hakyeon asked, fidgeting. 

"...are we ready, is the right question I think."

"Wonshik, I'm worried-"

"Hey worried, I'm Wonshik," he laughed. 

"This isn't funny! I'm serious- and don't you dare say it again." 

"Come on, hyung. We tell our patients day and night to have faith in themselves, to believe that no matter what other people do or decide, in the end, only they can help themselves. But what does it say if we, their doctors, don't even have faith in them?" 

Hakyeon looked at their two patients and sighed. It was an exhilarating feeling to see both Taekwoon and Hongbin out of their rooms and enjoying the little things life brings them. 

Taekwoon had sunken himself in a beanbag enough to have three cats sleeping comfortably on him while Hongbin was quietly laughing at him as his hand was busy sketching. Hakyeon smiled. Then he sighed. A signal of him giving in. 

"I guess you're right. Who am I to worry when they look that happy?" 

"That's the spirit." 

Leaving the two to their own comfort and company, Hakyeon left to make a call. Wonshik sat with Jaehwan, who had retreated to a different beanbag a few feet away from the two lovebirds. 

"The plan's a go. It starts tonight."

Jaehwan sat up and looked at the two. His eyes linger on Taekwoon.

"Okay. Should I call Hyuk?" 

"A little later. He should come once things settled in. The rooms aren't ready yet."

"I'm nervous. Are you nervous?" 

"I'd be lying if I say no, but I want to believe in them. I want to believe that they're ready for this. They have to get better."

"They'll be okay, right? I don't want to push them too hard," Jaehwan worried. 

"You won't. We won't. We'll take it slow. It's a five-days process. It's enough time to work with."

"I hope so." 

​​​​