Eunhyuk returned and gave me my drink which I accepted with a quiet “Thanks.” and a polite smile.

 “Donghae-ya,” Eunhyuk started after a short, comfortable silence; he seemed a little drunk. We’d moved outside and away from the masses of sweaty bodies into the cool Manhattan air. The parking lot, although filled with cars, was completely devoid of people which gave it an eerie feel. There’s no one here.

 “I’m gonna tell you something that I’ve never told anyone before. Okay?”

 I nodded uncertainly, not knowing what he meant. He sounded strangely sad and his eyes drooped as they filled with tears. He was crying.

 “Donghae-ya, “he cried, grabbing onto my hand. I gave it to him willingly; wanting nothing other than to wipe away those falling tears and envelope him in a warm embrace. His tears stuck a chord in my heart, making me want to cry too. Suddenly, all the noise of the cars passing by was drowned out by his soft sniffles an all I could see was the two of us. I wanted to take him home and sing him to sleep; wash away all of his worries; smooth out the now forming wrinkles on his forehead.

 “I-I…My dad was a bad man, Donghae.” Eunhyuk started, tears now freely falling down his cheeks. “He killed someone.” He whispered.

 I gasped and choked on the puff of a cigarette I’d just taken. Eunhyuk’s words echoed in my mind as I tried to comprehend what he had said. He killed someone.

 “Actually, more than one person. Two.” Eunhyuk continued and laughed a bitter laugh, before taking a puff of his own. “Guess who they were, Donghae. Guess.”

 I furrowed my eyebrows, confused. ‘Why should I know who he killed? How should I know? I didn’t know anyone that was killed, well I did, but they…’ my thoughts trailed off and I faced Eunhyuk wide-eyed. “You-your dad…” I couldn’t speak.

 “Do you know why I changed my name to Eunhyuk, Donghae? Do you? It’s because I liked you all along. While you hated me, I still liked you, and I felt for you and I yelled at my dad nearly every day for being so careless for just a few, short moments that day. I couldn’t imagine your pain, but I tried. I tried to get close to you, but you wouldn’t let me Donghae. I wanted to be your friend and I wanted to hug you and wipe away your endless tears but you ran from me, Donghae. And it hurt.”

 We were both crying by now and I was simply stunned. This man’s father ruined my life. This man’s father had drunk a little too much one Saturday night and turned me, a perfectly normal, happy, popular boy, into a homeless 7 year old orphan. I pictured my beer glass that I’d left inside and mentally glared at it, angry at myself for drinking. I vowed I never would. I’d never put myself at fault for someone else’s life. And the day I did drink a little, he came back into my life.  “Y-you’re Hyukjae…”

 Eunhyuk nodded and his face lit up through his tears. “Do you remember me, your Hyukkie? Do you, Hae? Do you remember that park where we’d always go and climb the trees? Do you remember calling me a monkey because I’d always climb faster than you? Do you remember when…”

 Eunhyuk’s voice slowly tuned itself out of my head as I began to remember. The stark blonde hair of the figure in front of me changed into an easy brown and I watched as he climbed the trees, going higher and higher. I’d always been scared I’d fall. The good times danced in front of my eyes, taunting me. Hyukjae, my father and I going fishing, Hyukjae, my father and I building a cubby house, Hyukjae my father and I watching football. . Hyukjae and I messing around in the kitchen while my mother baked us cookies, my mother sewing up the holes in our clothes from playing around outside, my mother buying us birthday presents of matching cars to play with. It all came rushing back and I couldn’t stop the heavy tears

 But that accident changed everything; new house, well boarding house, new school, new friends, bullies, and no more Hyukkie. The resent I had felt for his father had overpowered the longing for my best friend, but as the anger faded, all I wanted, needed, was a hug from my Hyukjae. But as I grew older and stronger I decided to forget about him. My parents were never buried, or at least I didn’t know where, and so I worked hard by myself to get to where I am today; a happy, healthy med student.

 This one meeting had all those barriers I had put up in my mind to come crashing down on me.

 And I didn’t care one bit.

 I reached out to pull Eunhyuk, no, Hyukjae, into a crushing hug, still sobbing on his shoulder and I felt him wrap his arms around me and hold me tightly. I felt safe. As I breathed in, the familiar scent of his strawberry shampoo invaded my senses and I snuggled my nose into a crevice on his neck. “I’ve missed you. So much.” I whispered and I felt him nod against my shoulder. His tears which had dried up had started to fall again and I hugged him tighter, feeling them wet my shirt. He smiled against my shoulder and I knew he was content.

 I was too.

 We were happy. I’d finally found the best friend that I’d lost so many years ago. All the pain I went through to forget him was pointless because my heart knew it’d be impossible. I loved him. I’d never had a friend and good as him, nor as close. And I’d never found anyone I could relate to as well or tell all my secrets to; no one other than Hyukjae himself.

 And being able to find him after so long, right now, life couldn’t get better.