It started when all he wanted to know were answers.

It was one of those nights when I pulled up an overtime, out of days so many, and I was tapped by a colleague that someone was waiting for me outside and as it turns out, it was him. Again.

The first I met him he looked puzzled and it looks like even after two whole years he still looks the same.

“So hi! You were waiting for me?” I approached a seemingly dazed person in the lobby.
“Oh yeah. I was just going to ask things, you know... about what happened” He faintly smiled and we shook hands.
“Is it okay if we just talk about this on a nearby café?” It was really late then and I haven’t eaten anything.
“Sure. I don’t mind at all” And I lead him to the nearest café which id just across the street.

“So what was that again? The thing you wanted to know” I said to him as we wait for our food to arrive.
“It’s all about it. I mean, it was two years ago but I still kind of wanted to know what really happened. Why it didn’t work” He still possessed that look of worry he had two years back. That kind of worry I encounter with everybody else that walks in and asks for our help. Although we know that our help is not certain and they know that our cure is still ambiguous, they all still say yes and I think that’s what we all have in that certain moment. We both have hope and hope is enough.

 

 

 

 

I still remember that day when he walked in with his parents and I was being trained by one of the senior researchers. I remember him having this glow that only he possess. That glow that illuminates the room without him even trying. He will catch your attention without him meaning it. He just glows and I wondered, how can that face so calm be in trouble?

I was still a kind of newbie then, a year into this line of work but I have already seen this kind of scenes rolling in and rolling out of our conference room. Those kind of scenes always makes me want to reevaluate if I love this job or not because people signing in our waivers and agreeing on these things that we do only mean two things; one, an optimistic positive outcome and two, the reality that we are all afraid to face. But maybe I do like this kind of work but I always also wonder why I always wanted to quit though.

He was smiling the whole time when our seniors were explaining the things that will happen and the possibilities that he can get through this. We are all hopeful about him because, like what I said, hope is all we got.

 

 

 

 

“He was responding to it, didn’t he?” He asked while I scoop some sauce for my pork chop
“Yeah. He was, we were expecting another two months and he will be good” I took a bite.
“So what went wrong?” He just continued to bombard me with questions with his food still untouched.
“You already know. I told you this a lot of times now, haven’t I?” I stopped momentarily and stared at him because I know he wanted to save him and I also wanted to save him but in reality, no matter how much you wanted to save someone when they finally say no to every attempt you make; you cannot do anything about it. You just can’t and you have to accept it. You have to and that’s it.

He looked away.

“Look, I see you still haven’t moved on. You need to.”

I think he needs to eat more. He looked like he lost more weight this month.

 

 

 

 

 

I was casually walking to the Pharmacy to fetch the head of the department when I suddenly realized that someone was staring at me and as I look at him holding a dextrose stand, he was smiling at me.

“’zup?! You’re one of the dudes in that white boring place a month ago right?” He asked
“Well, the research facility is certainly is boring. I guess” and just like that I know I kind of want to be friends with this smiling trouble with a dextrose stand.

 

 

 

 

 

“Have you seen the doctor that Chanyeol told you about?” I asked him as he continue to look out the diner’s window.
“Yeah” He realized that he needs to eat as he lifts a fork and started playing with the tomatoes on his plate.
“So? How did it went?” I really wanted him to be okay.
“The doctor said I should go out more and visit friends” He decided to lift the fork and eat the tomato.
“Riiiiiiiiiiiiight. I am your friend. You have good taste in friends you know?” I grinned and he chuckled a little and I am glad to know that he is a little happy with that.

 

 

 

 

I was the one who first went out of the hospital’s conference room. I already know the drill anyway, so I just left the smiles and the shaking of hands to my seniors while I decided to spend my short free time alone but as I walk onto the lobby I hear wheeling sounds. This thing can be creepy sometimes and this is not new. I just continued walking when my phone beeped.

My screen flashed:
Yep that’s right.
I guess you’re already out. Didn’t even wait for me T_T
See you in an hour and a half kid! ^_^

Who would’ve thought that a research head can be this addicted to emoticons? I just nodded my head hopelessly at the childishness of my superior when wheeling sounds abruptly stopped and I swear I can feel goose bumps all over my back. I swear that I am on the verge of running at that instant! If ghosts in hospitals are real. Well, this is not my first time sensing one and no, it is not less terrifying and I am certain on running away this time!

“Hi!” My eyes rounded and I swear I wanted to run so I tried my hardest to make my foot step forward and thank God it did!
“Oh you’re going somewhere? You’re in a hurry? Sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt you, go on. I guess I will just see you later. Byeeee~!” He said and the wheeling sounds starts again.

Well, that will be weird for a ghost. So I decided to turn around and of course, it was the trouble with a dextrose stand.

“Excuse me. I didn’t mean to be rude. I-I wasn’t going somewhere either... I... I...” I stuttered while explaining to the figure that continued to walk away with his dextrose stand but the he suddenly stopped and turned to look at me.
“Really?” He scratched his head and walked back to me, of course with the dextrose stand in tow.

 

 

 

 

I decided to drive him back to the city that night because I am sure that the train that he said that he needs to catch has already left some half an hour ago.

“Don’t you have any other friends?” I said while I keep an eye on the road.
“Are you getting tired of me?” I looked at him and I didn’t mean it that way.
“Of course not. Noooooo.... I was just well” I killed the light atmosphere that we had. Great!
“.... I was just going to suggest that you should meet people or get a hobby, things like that” I explained.
“Well, friends disappeared with him and hobbies?” He looked out my car windows again.
“I might actually go to an audition next week or so. So yeah, maybe you will also see less of me now. If that makes you happy” Okay now I feel more guilty.

 

 

 

 

“You know, you should probably eat more! Oh a vending machine! Look! Skittles and M&Ms! Let’s get one!” He grabbed my bills and pushed buttons and Viola! An M&M pack wiggling in front of me.
“This is not so nutritious isn’t it?” We sat there just outside the cafeteria.
“Definitely not” He opened the pack
“Yah! Open you palms!” I looked at him questioningly
“Just open your palms” I held one
“Both of your palms! C’mon!” Wow man! We just met and you nearly gave me heart attack a while ago with the ghost thing and you are now ordering me to do things? Nice way to gain friends.

But I held out my palms anyway and he poured the contents in my palms. I was going to transfer all of the M&Ms in just one palm when he suddenly hit my arms.

“Wait!” He scanned the whole thing and picked out only the blue ones
“It’s all yours now” He smiled a bright one again.

 

 

 

 

We arrived at the city way past ten and I insisted on driving him home instead.

“Okay. This is it” I stopped in his driveway and I turned off the engine.
“Thanks”
“Can you please eat more?” He was about to exit my car
“I’ll try to order myself take outs” He said and he was out of the car.

Right, take outs. Because he was the one who does the cooking.

 

 

 

 

“Are you going back to the research wing?” He asked while I am munching on the last bits of the M&Ms
“Yep. I need to” I said
“So you’re one of the nerds?” He said disgustedly.

Okay, first, I am not a nerd. I am a researchers and no, not all researchers have a mega size brain to qualify as a nerd.

“No. I am just a researcher” I explained
“But you’re one of them. You must be something like a knock out in the head to think the way they do” Yeah, maybe.
“So what’s your name?” He asked
“Dr. Kim Junmyeon” I smiled
“Okay Junmyeon-ssi. You probably know mine anyway.” He smiled back
“In that case, should I call you hyung? Hyung-nim?” I wondered.
“Naaaahhh... Luhan without ‘hyung’ or ‘-nim’ is perfectly fine and I don’t want to feel that old. C’mon! You probably thought I was fifteen or something when you saw me a month ago, do you really thought I was old when you first saw me?” So he knows huh? He probably get that a lot. My seniors thought he was indeed fifteen when they saw him then his records got passed around and they all agreed that he is a flower boy.

“Honestly?” He nodded
“Yeah, I thought you are way younger than me.” I answered
“See? I get that a lot!” He laughed
“But I  might not get that old you know? So this might be a blessing, looking young and staying young in people’s minds forever” His face hints a tinge of sadness and the radiance was dimmed a little.

 

 

 

I visited immediately by the time my work hours was up and I read his message saying that he got in with scholarship in tow. Who would have thought that this silent guy I know for two years is this mind-blowingly great at composing and playing instruments?

I hit the doorbell and just as I thought. No one answered. So I decided to just brush my modesty off and just pushed the keys. I always do it anyway.

“Man! I thought you died already! No one’s answering the door!” I was about to throw tantrums at him but when I turn to look for him, he was sitting on the floor. Is he seriously crying again?
“Yah! You should be celebrating!” I scolded the man.
“I don’t want to. I am not in the mood for this Junmyeon-ah” Yes. He texted me and here I am thinking that he was happy, I should have not thought that way. I always kind of forget that once upon a time, the radiance dimmed and it took away this man’s happiness with it.

 

 

 

 

“Are you even allowed to just loiter around?” I am really curious because he was so carefree that I think that every move this trouble makes is against the hospital rules.
“No.” He casually said as he was walking and I offered to push his dextrose stand for him.
“No?” I was surprised.
“No but I explained to the nurse in charge that you nerds are going to talk about me today and I want to know how it will go” He explained.
“And the nurse in charge said yes?”
“Of course! Because she knows how stubborn I can get when she says no” He grinned like he won something.
“So should you turn this knob for me Junmyeon-ssi? I only got two hands, you know? And this drinks are sure heavy” He said he wanted to hold the drinks earlier and I thought that yeah that can make him feel a little better wouldn’t it? The radiance is sure back.

 

 

 

 

“Would you want to share what happened and why are you sobbing again? Because I swear I am really confused right now” I said while he continue to hug his violin case.
“I played the piece” was his only answer.

The piece

“So?” I said casually
“and they said they liked it” He continued sobbing
“Of course they’ll like it. Everybody likes that piece. The whole hospital likes that piece remember?” C’mon! You are a great musician you should know that by now.
“But I thought that the hospital is just being kind to me because they knew me for a while at that time” Yeah, sometimes kindness is a tricky thing.

 

 

 

 

“Oh! You are now here! Great!” My senior eyed us as I help Luhan go in the conference room.
“Am I late?” I said as I guide Luhan to sit and all of them are watching me do so.
“Nope. And the both of you have met already?” One of the doctors gestured to Luhan and me.
“Yeah. Why?” Luhan asked.
“Well he is the one who will be monitoring you for the research drug” Wait I am out of the lab now? I am doing some “out-of-the-lab” work now? Well, am I a step closer to a promotion?
“I am kind enough, aren’t I?” and the emoticon addict smiled like a maniac. You’ve got to love that old man.

 

 

 

 

I am fetching him again today. I heard that someone offered him a ride but he was too afraid to say yes, so he called me instead when he realized that it was my day-off. Truthfully, I don’t mind taking him to places but I was planning to spend this day-off by myself because a lot of sad cloud is affecting me but I think I am all that he’s got for two years. I don’t really have a choice.

I noticed him standing at the sidewalk waiting for me with just a sling bag and that is weird because we are heading for his interview or sort-of-something-like-that.

He went in the car and sat on my passenger seat.

“Just a bag?” I asked him
He just nodded.

“If you say so” I continued driving
“We’re you expecting a bunch of instrument cases today?” He looked at me in the rearview mirror
“Sort of” I shrugged and he laughed.

This depressed one laughed and I think I know why.

“Sure! You even attached the extra bag carriers to your car!” He laughed really loud and hysterically and I can’t help but laugh with him too.

He really looks good when he laughs a lot.

 

 

 

 

It took another 3 days before his treatment started and the trouble on two feet is sure is hyperactive.

“Junmyeon-ah! Junmyeon-ah! Junmyeon-ah!” He is trying to grab my attention for the nth time but I am too busy checking his blood profile.

“Junmyeon-ssi? Dongsaeng? Doctor-nim?! Hmmm.... Junmyeon-ah! Junmyeon-ah! Juuuuunnnnnmyeeeeeeoooooonnnn!” I thought this is going to be easy? At least that’s what my co-workers said but probably they were all with less childish patients.

“Junmyeon, whoa! Your concentration must be really good! Do you do a lot of meditation then?” Okay that was silly.
“Nope. But I really need to do my job Luhan”
“Ooops. Sorry.” He grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. He stayed really quiet for a good thirty minutes until I was finished reading through his profile and it was time for our counseling.

“Luhan, can I ask you questions now?” I dragged a chair and sat near him.
He did not answer my question.
“Luhan?” He didn’t even looked my way.
“Luhan-ah?” He did not move.
Okay...

So I did the next best thing I know, I waved a hand in front of his face to distract him.

He didn’t even flinch.

I put my hand in front of his face again and-

“Stop it Junmyeon-ssi... I am meditating.”

Fine.

 

 

 

 

Who would have thought that the corridors of a music department can be so eerily silent?  Maybe we can blame that to the fact that it is still Spring Break but I thought music students are really into their thing, like, practicing until they perfect a piece or at least, that’s what people said.

Then door opened revealing him with a bunch of folders tucked in his arms, paper about to spill everywhere.

“Whoa! So you really got in?” I asked as he walk towards me.
“Yup!” It turns out, those papers were a bunch of syllabi and music sheets.
“So when do you start?” I asked him
“Next week” He said while tucking the sheets of paper in his bag.
“Oh”

“You will be seeing less of me now. That’s good to know, right?” He half-heartedly smile.

I don’t know. Maybe? I really don’t mind keeping him company all the time. His constant presence is not that bad at all. I just hope that he will be less depress at times though.

“So do you want to accompany me? We’re going to buy a piano”  He sat beside me.
“Piano?! You can afford a piano?!”
“Nope, I can’t buy a freaking piano. Hell! That’s expensive! I can’t even buy a corner table for apartment! But he can....” He slumped in frustration.
“He said I should buy a piano for myself when I get in a reputable music school when he gave me this” He handed me a passbook.

I looked at him and back to the passbook.

“Go ahead. Open it” He suggested.

I did and what the hell! It’s a good amount of money named after him and a post-it that sticks out and reads: PIANO ALLOWANCE. GO AHEAD BUY A PIANO FOR YOURSELF. CONGRATULATIONS!

 

 

 

 

“What are you doing Luhan?” It’s my first time seeing him at a genuinely busy state with glasses and laptop on a utility desk propped for him while he is sitting on the hospital bed.

“Work” He plainly said.
“You have a job?” Well hearing me asking that sounds a bit ridiculous.
“Yup! I am not as lazy as you have assumed me to be!” He said a bit offended as he continued clicking his mouse.

“Indeed. We raised a responsible man. Haven’t we?” The head nurse proudly said
“He is actually a freelancer, graphic design.” She came in time with the medicine, pouring a glass of water for Luhan and as necessary, he took the medicine then the head nurse smiled.
“Wow! He certainly does look like him. Are these going to be stickers? What do you call them? Decals?” and the nurse and  Luhan  eyed me.

Luhan nodded.

“Yup. It sure does look like him but less boring and less grumpy” He said and he looked at me.
“What?!” I said
“Just walk over here” He suggested.

I did.

“See? You look cute as a chibi!” He said as I reached and looked on his laptop screen.
“What on Earth are you going to do with a chibi version of me?”
“I heard a couple of patients three days ago and they said that they like you and they thought you were cute and they asked me to do stickers of you and I thought You’ll make me rich so why not?! Right?!” Then he laughed.
“Are you even serious?” I asked while he continue to giggle
“Of course! Just wait for my friend for these to get printed. He’ll be here next week” I looked at him annoyingly but he just continued giggling.

 

 

 

 

If eerie is what I call the school halls, well a piano shop is a bit creepy. Maybe it is because of the coldness of the place or maybe it is because of the smell of wood or maybe because of the varnish but it smells and feels cold.

“Is it chilly?” He asked me
“A bit. It’s scarier here” I said
“Well, my mom thought so too.” He just said and I follow him as he was choosing between a lot of pianos.
“She did?” I asked and he opened a piano and took a look at its keys.
“Yeah back in the day, she told my dad once that piano shops are like horror houses. You know, back when we have just moved here and we were shopping for my dad’s piano because no one is crazy enough to move in and have their old piano shipped all the way from China.” He pressed a key and it made a creepy sound too then he moved his head side to side. He does not like that one huh?
“Well, someone shipped their entire bedroom once. Fixtures and all. All the way from China.”
“Yeah and that bastard is as rich as hell!” He commented but I don’t think that the bastard was in hell. If he is somewhere at all, as cheesy at it will come out, he will be in heaven. He deserves to be there.

 

 

 

 

 

“So how did my stickers sell?” I asked him a week after.
“It went out nuts! I ran out of your stickers and there are more who wants you. Should I make your chibi into a shirt with #TeamJunmyeon and your face plastered on it?” Oh wow, I wished I just asked him to delete that chibi thing.
“Seriously Junmyeon! The patients on the other side of this wing were all crazy and they asked when will my friend have the stickers reprinted. Should I reprint them? What do you think?” That’s considerate of him, asking me...
“Well, it’s your product” I shrugged
“Well, as crazy as this sounds, it’s your face on those stickers and we are friends” That made me stop from reading his files.
 

“I mean, are we friends?” He asked when I looked at him.
“It’s alright if you don’t want to be friends with me. I understand. See, I am loud and I blabber things all the time and I distract all your work and I am hyper when I am not in treatment and I am sick and I will leave you sad ultimately so I think it’s okay if other people, like you, don’t want to be friends with me. It’s totally okay. And it’s okay if you don-“
“Yes we are” I said in the middle of his blabber.
“We are?” He asked with wrinkles on his face.
“I guess, I mean you are a great friend if you ask me”
“I am?” He asked again with more wrinkles appearing on his forehead.
“You are. I don’t have a lot of energetic friends, you know...” I said and grabbed a chair to sit beside his bead.
“Yeah, your work place was screaming boring when I went there” He said and he just grabbed his laptop back to his lap.
“Okay, I will make team Junmyeon stickers this time. You know you are competing well against that doctor at the pediatric ward...” He said
“Wait, we have a popularity competition?!”
He just nodded without looking at me. Unbelievable.

 

 

 

 

“...but my dad always has a good comeback when my mom says horrible things about piano shops” He said as he sit in front of another piano.
“Which was?” I stand beside him
“He said places like this are eerily silent and cold because new and unsold pianos are still longing for owners and something that involves looking for love and all and the owner receiving good melodies and harmonies in return. It sounds like a horrible fairytale isn’t it? But  as I grow up and after a lot of piano shops over the years, I have another theory and it is a more sensible one” He said
“And?” I asked him to continue
“Places like this are silent because someone needs to fill it with noise. Places like this are just waiting for someone to play their noise and who in the world wants to buy piano in a place that screams unnecessary sounds anyway?” I just nodded and he continued playing a piece on that piano that he ended up buying.

We waited for the piano to arrive that afternoon and I cooked for him because I cannot possibly force down another take out after a week of take outs and overtimes.

He just hang out and sat on one of the chairs across the counter while he watch me do things around his kitchen.

“So that’s why that spot in your living room is empty this whole time huh?”
“So you did wonder” He said as he tapped his fingers on the counter.
“Yeah, I just thought you forgot you had that spot and never really noticed it or something” I said
“You should give me more credit on things like c’mon! I know that I easily forget things but it’s not always like that. Do you want me to cut those vegetables for you?”
“No just sit there. We both know what happened last time when you insisted that you wanted to cook” I refused

Almost burning his own house is an understatement, believe me. But you cannot blame it all on him, he was frustrated and sad. You cannot possibly blame the man in that kind of state.

“I thought you were busy though. I thought you said that you wanted to go back to a hospital” He said while he was making his way out of the kitchen
“I don’t know... maybe half a year in research is still worthwhile” I shrug
“Either way, your job is depressing” He commented just before he stood up and turn the TV on

 

 

 

 

“This is depressing!” Luhan said while he was looking over his sticker prints that were scatted all over his hospital bed. I was a bit intrigued so I decided to look over.
“It smudged? Oh my! The ink smudged! Oh look my nose was smudged!” I pointed out at one particular sticker
“Yeah but when I think of it, you kind of look cooler with smudged nose Junmyeon. How about we smudge it in real life?” There he goes again.
“That was mean! And how come you never called me Dr. Kim?”
“You never told me that you liked being called Dr. Kim Junmyeon. Oh! Oh! Should I start now?! Is that a cue?! Okay... Dr. Kim, why are you in my room? You are quite early today Dr. Kim! Have you eaten your lunch Dr. Kim?!...” He’s a brat and annoying and a brat and annoying and all sorts of being a brat and annoying
“Yeah I think Junmyeon is fine”
“See? Junmyeon is way better! Okay Junmyeon, why are you here? Am I getting discharged or something because the head nurse is already itching to get away from me. I swear I saw her roll her eyes on me when I inquired on my discharge papers” He said and he will still go on, mind you.
“Yep. Get ready to be discharge Luhan” I said
“Really? So one cycle down?!” He said
“Yep. Don’t forget the check-ups and your meds though. I don’t want to see your face until the next cycle buddy!” I went closer to him and ruffled his hair then it’s his turn to look annoyed.
“Don’t go buddy on me! I am much older than you Junmyeon!” He slapped my hand away.

 

 

 

 

The piano looked incredibly good on its side of the living room. He immediately opened it and played while I continue eating while sitting on his sofa across the room. It is really nice to hear him play again after all these years. Now I understand why he never wanted to leave this man alone.

It was already nine in the evening when I woke up and man, did I just slept through his mini-concert? I am a horrible friend.

“Remind me not to invite you to my first recital” He said before he threw a blanket and a pillow at my direction.
“I am just tired, I can manage to be awake on your recital.” I can, I will practice by listening to classical music during work. Or something. I don’t know, I will plan this thoroughly.
“Yeah right Junmyeon.” Then the lights were all turned off.

 

 

 

 

 

I was busy consolidating Luhan’s findings and results when someone threw a pebble on the window beside my office cubicle. Probably the guards will eventually catch them and do something, so I just continued reviewing Luhan’s files but it did not stop. It is persistent now and as I check my watch again, this has been going on for a stretch of seven minutes now and it is getting really annoying.

I faced the window only to find another pebble landing on the glass. I stood up and looked around and there he is. The trouble on his two own feet.

He smiled and he gestured to his watch and he is holding lunch boxes, not a lunch box. Yes, lunch boxes. And on the ground near his feet is a mound full of pebbles. Fine. So I went down to meet him at the lobby. He still sporting his oh-so-joyful grin.

“What are you doing here?”
“We. We are having lunch. We are having lunch together! Yey date! C’mon!” He dragged me towards the benches beside our building and set the food on the space between us.

“Let’s eat well!” He said as he dig in and I was dumbfounded.

 

 

 

 

 

“Would you want me to send you off?” I asked him as he tie his shoelaces.
“Junmyeon the last time I’ve checked, you’re not my mom” He replied
But how am I supposed to know if it is safe to let this man be alone out there? I sighed. I think he caught that and he looked at me with guilt.

“C’mon! I will be fine. Relax man!” I sighed again.
“Okay... you can drive me there if you insist” I did drive him to the university that day.

 

 

 

 

 

“Do you think I’ll be fine?” Luhan asked one time when he invited me to dinner
I shrugged. Although I really wanted to answer him positively, in his situation anything is possible.
“Oh yeah, I signed a waiver”
“But you look fine. Do you feel better though?” I asked as a consolation.
“The MRI went well, it did not grew nor shrink. I still feel the same though. Do you think it’s working?” He asked again.

Although I kind of wish that this lunch is a bit more like between two friends, it almost always end up like this anyway.

“Like you’ve said. It did not grew nor shrink, don’t you think that’s a good sign though?” For me it is. It has been a month, if the treatment was not really working, it should have grown by now.

“What’s good in indifference?” He looked at me for the very first time with really stern eyes.
“So you are saying that your body is indifferent and it does not have its own stand on things, seriously?” He is beginning to be ridiculous actually.

He shrugged.

“So even the brightest person dims sometimes huh?”
“We will all dim at one point Junmyeon. We will.” Wow the negativity in this conversation is real!

Although I don’t want to think that Luhan is getting anywhere near depression, I decided to have him under counseling just to make sure and of course, he was not happy about it.

“I hate you. Don’t talk to me” that was his opening on the first day of our second cycle.
“Really now?” He did not say anything.
He pouted and just grabbed his laptop after he was tapped on a dextrose.

“Luhan...” He did not answer
“Luhan...” I tried calling him out again.
“Lu~...”

“Yah! Luhan-ah! The doctor wants to talk to you!” Someone appeared
“Sorry doctor.... but I don’t think it’s depression right now... See, he has been smudging your nose and your entire face on his laptop and he is betting that the doctor from the Pediatric ward will win on the popularity poll on our site. So then, naturally, I have to bet on your side because we cannot bet on the same side because the purpose on betting will be useless.....” He continued to talk and scratch his head but I am sure that he lost me because who the hell is this person?!

 

 

 

 

 

My days became really silent since his semester started. He does talk to me over the phone during the weekends but I think I miss the man. The tales he has and his quirkiness has already seeped in me these past few years. You cannot avoid that.

My office phone rang and it was the secretary.

“Dr. Kim Junmyeon, someone’s at the lobby waiting for you. He said he is your friend”
“I’ll be there in a minute.”

 

 

 

 

 

“So I was saying... the purpose of betting will be useless but then I think you are much cuter than the pediatric ward doctor so I betted on you. Would you want me to have a mini campaign so that we can beat Luhan?”
“What?!” Who the hell is this person?!
“I’m the friend who prints this devil’s designs” He pointed at Luhan

 

 

 

 

 

A subtle “Junmyeon-ah...” was his opening statement.
“Hm?” I sat beside him
“What would you do if I go to Europe?” He looked at me

 

 

 

 

 

“First off, I am not a devil. My God! Haven’t you seen how angelic I am?! Second, I am not smudging Junmyeon’s face on my laptop for revenge. He is naturally ugly anyway, no smudging needed. And last, I will win this thing!” And Luhan remained silent again as I make my way to the nurse’s counter.

He hates me huh? I know I was just too paranoid for that psychologist thing but what can I do? I am just worried about my patient after all.

“So you did really sent him to Dr. Shim then?” The head nurse asked and I just nodded.
“You know what? I have known Luhan for quite a while. And that boy never really seize to amaze me. When he was six the doctors said that he would just live until ten but look at him now. Still alive at 25! He sure is brave but then all of us has their down times, aren’t we?”
“I do have down times. Yes, you could say that” I curtly mentioned
“Maybe taking his periodical down times as depression is a bit overboard Dr. Kim. Isn’t it? But yeah, you just have done your job.” She nodded and just walked away

Just then I was out to breathe some fresh air on the hospital’s mini garden during my dinner break and as I was just entering the lobby, few people pushed me in and they looked like they were all in a hurry. I got curious and took time to check out what they are up to and when I entered the main hall, there were people crowding around the piano in the middle of the said hall and it started playing.

He sounded really amazing and I unconsciously walked towards the sea of people to know whom the voice belongs to.

He looked so engrossed into his singing and I have never seen anyone so serene and sincere. I looked up and all I can see were patients and nurses crowding the railings looking and listening to this amazing voice on piano.

And as he was reaching the end of the song, all of us were breathless and damn! He sounded like an angel. Then the crowd applauded.

 

 

 

 

“Europe?”
He nodded hesitantly
“Like the continent Europe?”
He nodded again. Duh?! Junmyeon! What a very sensible question.

I was speechless for a second. WHAT?! Why Europe?!

He must have seen the confussion I am in at that moment.

“My professors said that I will be sent there on scholarship to study piano and composition or something like that... I don’t know. It sounds good actually”

So what Junmyeon? What are going to do if he decides to go to freakin’ Europe?

“Do you really wanted to go?”

 

 

 

 

 

“How was your mini concert huh? Were you relieved from the stress named Luhan?!” Luhan asked sarcastically towards his friend. The one who prints his designs.

Wait, the kid looked really familiar now.

“Good job on the piano and the singing earlier!” One of the nurses entered the room and I followed in.

Oh, that’s why he looked familiar.

“So can you please excuse us for a minute....” Wait what was his name again?

“Lay... He’s name is Lay Junmyeon-ssi” Luhan interjected and the said Lay bowed and shook my hand.

“So, yeah, Lay-ssi can you please excuse us for a minute? We just really need to discuss something really important with Luhan right now” I smiled.

“Yeah of course. Sure” He smiled and a his dimples showed up.

It was cute.

“So do you like my friend?” Luhan glanced at me while we were doing his routine monitoring.
“What?” Why?
“I saw how you looked at him earlier. Don’t deny it Dr. Kim” he teased
“No! What were you thinking?! Setting me up with your friend?” I asked as I continued on checking his IVs.
“Actually no. I am not setting you up with him. I was just asking”
“Okkaaaaayyy.... Say ahhhhh” I checked his throat as he was complaining about it earlier
“awtacarrallluuuu hck wavak a packanieakakisa anuehao amoiakaokdgv” And Luhan continued on explaining as he kept his mouth open for me to check.

“What?! Are you six? Why would you even... Ouch!” He smacked my arms.
“I was saying... Actually he was panicking and was confessing to me a week ago”
“Okay?” This is awkward
“I think he just changed his mind about me” I actually feel like I am not supposed to listen to Luhan right now.
“How can you even say that?” I just continued because he will just continue pushing on this topic no matter what anyway.
“Because when he saw you earlier, he genuinely looked really delighted. Like really, really happy” Luhan’s face became serious and it is making me uncomfortable.
“You are overthinking things Luhan” I gave him a warm smile
“No. I am not. The kid likes you Junmyeon. I can feel it.” He said
“So, you are actually jealous because of me?”

Luhan nodded and pouted.
I sighed.

“But you said he confessed to you. He just met me today Luhan, we haven’t even properly talked or something. He doesn’t know anything about me” I explained

“That’s the thing I am afraid of Dr. Kim” He said with no more further explanations.

 

 

 

“I don’t know. I am not sure. Do I want to go?” He scratched his nape

Do I want him to go?

 

 

 

 

---

A/N
I hope you won't kill me when I do not update this story that often but let's hope for the best. I mean, maybe... just maybe... because of the general cold and rainy ambience of the weather from where I am right now, I might have the drive to write more of "Effervescence" because yeah, I only write for this when I am sad and when it is cold. 

I hope you like the 6.628 words that "Effervescence" has become and let's hope for more words to come. =)

Comments, character and plot line recommendations are all welcome on the comment section below.
AND if you want to follow me or talk to me or ask me questions, I am on Twitter, my Twitter account is @SShoewalker

And I'm out~!
Woooosh~!

=D

-SS